RTHK: North Korea fires submarine-launched missile

North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile Saturday, Seoul said, its second missile launch in three days after the United States warned Pyongyang could be preparing for a nuclear test.

North Korea has dramatically ramped up its sanctions-busting missile launches this year, conducting 15 weapons tests including firing an intercontinental ballistic missile at full range for the first time since 2017.

The Saturday launch comes two days before South Korea swears in a new, hawkish President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Satellite imagery indicates North Korea may be preparing to resume nuclear testing, and the US State Department on Friday warned a nuke test could come "as early as this month".

"Our military detected around 14:07 (0507 GMT) that a short-range ballistic missile presumed to be an SLBM fired from waters off Sinpo, South Hamgyong," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Sinpo is a major naval shipyard in North Korea and satellite photographs have in the past shown submarines at the facility.

Japan's coast guard, citing information from its defence ministry, said North Korea had launched an object "likely to be a ballistic missile" and warned its vessels to be aware. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-05-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Faith Leaders Call Upon President Biden to Condemn Any Attacks, Threats or Intimidation by Pro-choice Activists Against Catholic Churches and Other Faith Traditions

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Christian Defense Coalition

May 6, 2022



WASHINGTON, May 6, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Christian Defense Coalition is also asking President Biden and the Department of Justice to enforce the provisions in the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) which protect places of worship and people exercising their right of religious freedom.



FACE prohibits the use or threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship. It also prohibits intentional property damage at a place of religious worship.



Groups like Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights and other pro-choice groups are planning disruptive actions against Catholic churches this weekend, which is Mother's Day.



Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and an ordained Presbyterian minister, states;

"President Biden often talks about his deep commitment to his Catholic faith and his support of religious freedom. If this is true, he would come out this weekend and condemn any harassment, intimidation or threats against the Catholic Church or other faith traditions.



"It is unconscionable for the President to remain silent in the face of public threats against the Catholic Church. Every American should be able to freely worship according to the dictates of their beliefs and conscience free from intimidation or harassment. We need this Administration to speak out in support of religious freedom.



"Over the next several weeks if any places of religious worship are vandalized, disrupted, intimidated or attacked, the Department of Justice must aggressively pursue federal charges against those involved according the provisions in FACE. Religious freedom in America must be protected and embraced."

For more information or interviews call

Rev. Patrick Mahoney at: 540.538.4741



SOURCE Christian Defense Coalition



CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741


More than 40,000 workers from China's top automaker SAIC Motor have resumed work in Shanghai factories under closed management, the company has said.



The complete-vehicle and parts manufacturers and logistics branches of SAIC Motor are racing against time to accelerate work and production to promote the recovery of the automobile industrial chain in the Yangtze River Delta region, the automaker said.

In 2022, SAIC Motor aims to sell more than 6 million vehicles, an increase of more than 10 percent year on year. In April, it sold 167,000 vehicles, according to the company.

Over 70 percent of Shanghai's 1,800-plus major enterprises have resumed work and production amid the city's COVID-19 resurgence, according to a press conference on COVID-19 prevention and control held on Thursday.

Shanghai reported 245 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 4,024 local asymptomatic cases on Thursday.
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (AP)  Connecticut Republicans endorsed former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, a moderate on social issues, to challenge two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal in November. But she will still face a primary in August after two social conservatives received enough delegate support on Saturday.

About 50 miles away, Connecticut Democrats endorsed incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont and running mate Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz for a second term, lauding the team's efforts during the coronavirus pandemic and helping to pass a roughly $600 million tax cut in the recent one-year revised state budget.

Klarides, 56, the first woman to lead the GOP House caucus, was the favorite entering the two-day GOP convention after receiving public endorsements from some top state Republicans. After garnering nearly 57% of the delegate votes, she urged the party faithful to coalesce for the November elections.

Let's get together and turn Connecticut red, she told the crowd at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Despite calls for unity in a year when the GOP feels optimistic, even in Democratic-leaning Connecticut, the party was still on track to have intraparty primaries in both the U.S. Senate and secretary of the state races.

Leora Levy, a conservative from Greenwich and the state's Republican National Committeewoman, and Peter Lumaj, a conservative and attorney from Fairfield, each won more than the 15% of delegate support needed to force a primary. Levy, who has raised more than $1 million, has made it clear she's not backing out.

I am 100% invested in this. I put a lot of my own money in, much more than my opponent has, she told The Associated Press. I'm in it for the end. No matter what, I will let the Republican voters of the state of Connecticut decide who their candidate will be to go up against Dick Blumenthal.

Lumaj said he plans to run in the August primary, stressing how the target will be Blumenthal. He said he hasn't been pressured to drop out.

I want to make sure that if I get to the U.S. Senate we get someone who has the backbone and the character and fortitude to defend the Constitution, he said.

Meanwhile, John Flynn of Norwalk, a carpenter, painter and former state legislative candidate, said he is collecting signatures to petition his way onto the GOP primary ballot for U.S. Senate.

Klarides described herself Saturday to the delegates as a loud-mouthed Greek girl" who grew up in a family of immigrants seeking the American dream, contending she can win over voters in the Democratic-leaning state. Holding moderate stances on social issues, such as support for abortion and gay rights, Klarides, who lives in Madison, also considers herself a fiscal conservative who believes freedoms are being eroded in the U.S.

Today in the U.S. Senate, statesmanship has taken the backseat to gamesmanship, she said, adding later, Freedom and individual responsibility are being crowded out by government overreach, oppressive mandates, cancel culture and economic policies that make it harder every day for families to achieve that America dream.

Blumenthal, 76, who received the Democratic endorsement Friday, described the race in stark terms, saying that civil rights and the rights of women and workers are at stake.

We have been through some tough fights. We know that we have those fights ahead and that the soul of democracy is at stake, he told delegates.

Meanwhile, at the Democratic convention on Saturday, Lamont, 68, touted what he considers to be Connecticut's financial comeback during his first term. It follows years of budget deficits, spending cuts and state hiring freezes.

This state was in trouble. This state had multi-billion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. Our transportation fund was on fumes, he told the delegates at the Xfinity Center in Hartford. Today, you know where we are? Three straight years of budget surpluses and the biggest tax cut for the middle class the state has ever seen.

His challenger is Madison businessman and 2018 GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski, who received the GOP's backing Friday night. Stefanowski calls Connecticut the definition of a failed state."

Democrats will have at least one primary as well. Erick Russell, former vice chairperson of the Connecticut Democrats, will vie against Dita Bhargava of Greenwich, a chief operating officer at an investment firm, and against Karen Dubois-Walton, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven for state treasurer.

The Democrats, who endorsed Attorney General William Tong for re-election and state Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, for comptroller, also backed state Rep. Stephanie Thomas, D-Norwalk for secretary of the state out of five candidates following several rounds of voting at the Xfinity Center in Hartford. Three of the remaining candidates garnered enough votes to potentially challenge Thomas in a primary, but it was not clear whether that will happen.

At the Republican convention, West Hartford Town Councilor Mary Fay was endorsed for comptroller and Apple salesperson Dominic Rapini for secretary of the state. However, Rapini's two GOP competitors, state Rep. Terrie Wood, R-Darien, and political strategist Brock Weber of Wolcott qualified for the primary.

On Friday, the GOP also endorsed state Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, for lieutenant governor; state Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, for state treasurer; and Norwalk lawyer Jessica Kordas for state attorney general.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Saturday and bombarded a besieged steel mill in Mariupol, hoping to complete their conquest of the port in time for Victory Day celebrations. Officials announced that the last women, children and older adults had been evacuated from the mill, but Ukrainian fighters remained trapped.

In a sign of the unexpectedly effective defense that has sustained the fighting into its 11th week, Ukraines military flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that was captured in the wars first days and has become a symbol of resistance.

Western military analysts also said a Ukrainian counteroffensive was advancing around the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv, even as it remained a key target of Russian shelling.

The largest European conflict since World War II has developed into a punishing war of attrition that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed large swaths of some cities. Ukrainian leaders warned that attacks would only worsen in the lead-up to Russias holiday on Monday celebrating Nazi Germanys defeat 77 years ago, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged people to heed air raid warnings.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that Zelenskyy and his people embody the spirit of those who prevailed during the Second World War. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.

As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions, Blinken said in a statement as the United States and United Kingdom commemorated the Allied victory in Europe.

The most intense fighting in recent days has been in eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce battle to capture or reclaim territory. Moscow's offensive there has focused on the Donbas, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014.

The governor of the Luhansk region, one of two that make up the Donbas, said a Russian strike destroyed a school in the village of Bilogorivka where 90 people were seeking safety in the basement. Gov. Serhiy Haidai, who posted pictures of the burning rubble on Telegram, said 30 people were rescued. The emergency services later reported that two bodies had been found and more could still be buried under the rubble. Rescue work was suspended overnight but was to resume on Sunday.

Haidai also said two boys aged 11 and 14 were killed by Russian shelling in the town of Pryvillia, while two girls aged 8 and 12 and a 69-year-old woman were wounded.

Moscow also has sought to sweep across southern Ukraine both to cut off the country from the sea and create a corridor to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, long home to Russian troops. But it has struggled to achieve those objectives.

On Saturday, six Russian cruise missiles fired from aircraft hit Odesa, where a curfew is in place until Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed thick black smoke rising over the Black Sea port city as sirens wailed.

The Odesa city council said four of the missiles hit a furniture company, with the shock waves and debris badly damaging high-rise apartment buildings. The other two missiles hit the Odesa airport, where the runway had already been taken out in a previous Russian attack.

Air raid sirens sounded several times early Sunday, the city council said.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed Ukraine targeting Russian-held Snake Island in a bid to impede Russias efforts to control the Black Sea. An image taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed that most of the islands buildings had been destroyed by Ukrainian drone attacks, as well as what appeared to be a Serna-class landing craft against the island's northern beach.

The image corresponds with a Ukrainian military video showing a drone striking the Russian vessel, engulfing it in flames. Snake Island, located some 35 kilometers (20 miles) off the coast, figured in a memorable incident early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, purportedly using colorful language.

In Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters made a final stand against a complete Russian takeover of the strategically important city, which would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion.

Satellite photos shot Friday by Planet Labs PBC showed vast devastation at the sprawling Azovstal seaside steel mill, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. Buildings had gaping holes in the roofs, including one under which hundreds of fighters were likely hiding.

After rescuers evacuated the last civilians Saturday, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that the focus would turn to extracting the wounded and medics: Of course, if everyone fulfills the agreements. Of course, if there are no lies.

He added that work would also continue Sunday on securing humanitarian corridors for residents of Mariupol and surrounding towns to leave.

The situation at the plant has drawn the worlds attention, with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross desperately trying to organize evacuations.

In recent days, fighters inside described bringing out small groups of civilians who had been hiding there for weeks. The fighters said via social media that both they and the Russians had used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out.

But Russian forces have intensified fire on the mill with mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from the sea, making evacuation operations difficult.

Three Ukrainian fighters were reportedly killed and six more wounded during an evacuation attempt Friday. Capt. Sviatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, said his troops had waved white flags, and he accused Russian forces of firing an anti-tank weapon at a vehicle.

It remains unclear what will happen to the estimated 2,000 fighters at Azovstal, both those still in combat and the hundreds believed to be wounded. In recent days the Ukrainian government has been reaching out to international organizations to try to secure safe passage for them. The fighters have repeatedly vowed not to surrender.

Zelenskyy said officials were trying to find a way to evacuate them. He acknowledged the difficulty, but said: We are not losing hope, we are not stopping. Every day we are looking for some diplomatic option that might work.

Russian forces have probed the plant and even reached into its warren of tunnels, according to Ukrainian officials.

Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine and had a prewar population of about 4 million, remained a key target of Russian shelling in the northeast. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Saturday that the Russian military also hit large shipments of weapons from the U.S. and other Western countries with Iskander missiles in the region. His claims couldnt be independently verified.

But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city. The Ukrainian military said it retook control of five villages and part of a sixth, and that Russian forces destroyed three bridges on a road northeast of the city to try to slow Ukraine's advance.

A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraine may be able to push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders' momentum into a successful, broader counteroffensive.

Overnight, a Russian missile destroyed a national museum in the Kharkiv region dedicated to the life and work of 18th-century philosopher and poet Gregory Skovoroda, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the building engulfed in flames.

Zelenskyy expressed outrage at the missile attacks on the museum and on Odesa, where almost every street has something memorable, something historical. He said Russian forces have destroyed or damaged about 200 cultural heritage sites.

Every day of this war, the Russian army does something that leaves you speechless, he said. But then the next day it does something that makes you feel this way in a new way.

Gambrell reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Yesica Fisch in Bakhmut, David Keyton in Kyiv, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington 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.
The finer points of Oklahomas abortion laws may take years to sort out after the Legislature goes home this month and the U.S. Supreme Court issues its actual decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization next month, but the big picture is clear:

With few if any exceptions, performing abortions in Oklahoma will be illegal, and those who do so are likely to face both criminal and civil penalties.

Getting an abortion is going to require travel, said Janet Levit, a University of Tulsa Law professor, former dean and interim president of the university, and Center for Reproductive Rights board member.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed three abortion bills into law this legislative session, and a fourth is thought likely to reach his desk this week. These are in addition to other relevant statutes that go back as far as 1910. This surfeit of legalese isnt necessarily contradictory, on the whole, but can be confusing.

Overhanging the state statutes is the pending Dobbs decision. Last weeks leaked preliminary draft of that decision indicates a majority of the court favors reversing the premise of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which held that women have a fundamental right to abortion.

Levit stressed the preliminary draft is just that, and the final decision could be quite different. Many people, though, think the court is ready to kick abortion laws back to the states, where they resided prior to 1973.

Currently, Oklahomas controlling law is Senate Bill 1503, signed by Stitt last Monday with immediate effect. A so-called fetal heartbeat law patterned after one in force in Texas, it allows civil suits by anyone claiming to have been damaged by an abortion against anyone involved in providing abortions.

The signing of SB 1503 essentially bans abortion after six weeks, or before medical experts say most women know they are pregnant. The effect has been to end almost all abortions in Oklahoma.

Two other laws signed by Stitt are likely to have longer-term consequences.

SB 1555, known as a trigger law, was signed and became law on April 29. It essentially reinstates Oklahomas pre-Roe criminal abortion laws should Roe v. Wade be reversed or substantially modified. It also keeps on the books certain abortion restrictions adopted since the Roe decision.

The pre-Roe laws, which have not been enforced in nearly 50 years, make performance of an abortion a felony punishable by two-to-five years in prison. It provides an exception for medical emergencies.

A womans solicitation of an abortion is punishable by up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine or both, under that law.

The criminal penalty for abortion is likely to change in late summer, though, if Roe v. Wade is reversed as now appears likely.

Thats when SB 612, signed by Stitt earlier this year, is scheduled to take effect. It sets the penalty for performing an abortion at 10 years and $100,000.

Generally, the newest law takes priority, but lawyers said SB 612s stiffer penalties may not supersede the older ones in this case. Thats because the old law is in Title 21  the criminal code  of the Oklahoma Statutes; SB 612 is Title 63  public health.

Ultimately, it will be up to the discretion of the district attorneys, said Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma. That is not unusual. There are a lot of crimes with different (penalties) in statute.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that while SB 612 was the first of three abortion bills signed by Stitt, it will be the last to become effective. Thats because it did not carry enacting instructions, which means it becomes effective 90 days after the Legislature adjourns  which will happen sometime this month.

Still in play is House Bill 4327. It is similar to SB 1503 but moves the abortion ban back to fertilization and includes exceptions for medical emergencies, to remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion and ectopic pregnancies.

Some believe HB 4327 could be on Stitts desk by the end of the week.

Taken together, all of that legislation leaves some questions about the manner in which the law might be applied. The bottom line is that, barring an unexpected change by the U.S. Supreme Court, abortion will no longer be legal in Oklahoma under most circumstances.

But that doesnt mean Oklahomans wont be getting abortions.

Its not going to be like it was pre-Roe, with the back alley abortion clinics, that sort of the thing, said Tamya Cox-Toure, executive director of ACLU-Oklahoma and a member of a reproductive rights coalition fighting Oklahoma abortion laws.

What I think were going to see is finding ways to go to other states, Cox-Toure said.

A few states have already enacted laws to prevent women from traveling for abortions, although its not clear how those would be enforced.

States are also looking for ways to block home delivery of RU-486, the primary drug in non-surgical abortions.

Even if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses itself on Roe, the legal battles will not be over. Several cases, including two related to this years legislation, are pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Questions remain about the legality of civil liability laws such as Texas and Oklahomas.

I still have reservations about these vigilante laws, not only in the abortion space but the broader implications, Levit said. Its not clear to me if Roe is overturned what happens to these civil liability laws.

Some observers expect contraceptives, including the Plan B or morning after pill, which can prevent fertilization after intercourse but is not an abortifacient. Louisiana is already set to outlaw intrauterine devices, also known as IUDs.

Oklahoma could see such legislation, although probably not until next year, barring a special session.

But things could also go in a different and to many a surprising direction with repercussions beyond abortion rights.

Through initiative petition, Oklahomans have gone around their political leadership to enact criminal justice reform, medical marijuana laws and Medicaid expansion.

A successful initiative petition campaign to expand abortion rights should Roe v. Wade be reversed seems unlikely, but may not be as farfetched as one might think.

I definitely think so, Cox-Toure, ACLU Oklahomas executive director, said last week when asked if such a campaign is possible. Those conversations are happening.

Circumventing the Legislature and governor on abortion could further stoke legislative efforts to neuter the states initiative and petition process, with potentially broad and lasting repercussions.

A successful initiative petition and state question are long shots, but New York Times polling published last week listed Oklahoma as slightly favorable to retaining Roe v. Wade.

Exactly what a majority do want is hard to determine. Consistently, polls show many people who say they are pro-life dont really want a total ban, while many who identify as pro-choice think there should be some restrictions.

But, said Cox-Toure, The majority do not want (Roe v. Wade) overturned.

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OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation is seeking requests for proposals for restaurant contracts at state parks, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell said Friday.

The action comes after the state terminated its contract with Swadleys Bar-B-Q restaurants following questionable billing practices, among other things. The company operated restaurants at six state parks.

It received nearly $17 million to install restaurants and make improvements at the parks.

The contract was canceled due to potential fraudulent activity, the state said.

The House is poised to investigate the issue, while Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater called for an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation probe and audit.

Last week, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that he had accepted the resignation of Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department Executive Director Jerry Winchester and directed Pinnell, secretary of tourism, wildlife and heritage, to take an active role in overseeing the agency.

The state also filed suit against Swadleys, seeking financial information.

The transition is underway at Tourism, and were committed to protecting the taxpayers at every turn, Pinnell said in a press release.

Pinnell said staff at the agency are providing information to the OSBI and to State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd.

Pinnell is encouraging the Legislature to amend House Bill 3603, which was passed in 2018, to reinstate the authority of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission, requiring it to approve all budgets and contracts. The bill, which became effective as law in 2019, relegated the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission to an advisory body and transferred its duties to the agencys executive director, who was to be appointed by the governor.

Lawmakers in 2019 passed and Stitt signed bills also giving the governor the power to hire, fire and set the salaries of directors at five other large state agencies: the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

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Five blue stars on a white background.

From where they were displayed  in the front window of the Caldwell home  no one passing by on Willow Street in Durant could have missed them.

The stars, adorning a small flag, proclaimed two things to the world:

A Blue Star Mother lived at that address, and she had five children currently serving in the military.

This year, with Mothers Day and V-E Day falling on the same day, Sunday, May 8, it got me to thinking about the Caldwells, whose story I first heard from late Tulsan Bill Caldwell, the youngest of the familys five sons.

Back in 1945, when V-E Day (or Victory in Europe Day) was first declared, marking Germanys surrender in World War II, it came just four days before Mothers Day.

The appropriateness of that was remarked upon in news articles of the day. After all, who better to appreciate the end of a war  one that was largely fought by their sons  than the nations mothers?

But for Mamie Caldwell of Durant, that Mothers Day would be complicated.

It had been just a few weeks since the telegram arrived, informing her that her son Bill was missing.

She was still awaiting word on his status.

Window flags

Blue Star Mothers of America, which turns 80 years old this year, traces its origins to WWII.

A support organization for mothers with sons or daughters in active-duty service, it started in February 1942, prompted by a newspaper article in Flint, Michigan.

The article, which requested information about children serving in the armed forces, drew responses from more than 1,000 mothers.

From there, a national organization was formed, with local chapters following quickly around the country.

Almost overnight, the Blue Star flags began popping up in windows of homes everywhere  each, as it were, providing a window into a mothers soul.

Many of those mothers had multiple sons in service. However, few of them could top Mamie Caldwell.

All five of her sons had gone off to war, each serving in a different branch and each in a different part of the world.

She was rightfully proud.

As the only Blue Star mom in Durant with five stars on her flag, she was so proud she couldnt contain herself, Bill Caldwell recalled to us in 2015.

She was a sweet little woman, he added. She loved to talk about her boys. (By going to war) her sons were doing what they needed to do, what they were supposed to do.

What Mamie was supposed to do, though, when one of her boys became missing in action, was not as clear. Like other mothers, she could only wait and pray.

Bill, a B-17 pilot, had been on a mission over Germany when his aircraft was shot down. That was April 1945, and he and his crew were initially declared missing.

It would be late May, according to the Durant newspaper, before the family got news from the Red Cross that Bill was alive. Hed been liberated as a prisoner of war and was safely back in American hands.

He was lucky. Five of his crewmates had died in the plane crash.

Eventually, with the war at last over, Bill and all of the Caldwell boys made it back home safely.

That, in turn, would make the next Mothers Day, 1946, a much sweeter one for Mamie.

With Mothers Day again upon us, lets give a thought to all mothers, but especially those who, for whatever reason, find themselves separated from their children.

May they soon be reunited and their hearts made whole again.

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A convicted killer was nearly released from prison and, if not for quick action to thwart that scenario, would have been free to walk the streets in Tulsa.

Jimmie Dean Stohler, 69, was given a recommendation for parole by the state Pardon and Parole Board in March. That recommendation was accepted by Gov. Kevin Stitt on April 22, and his release was scheduled for April 29.

Stitt rescinded that order on April 28 after reporting by the Tulsa Worlds Andrea Eger shined further light on the case.

A close look at the events of that week show a lot to unpack.

Stohler was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1982 slaying of Michele Powers. Powers died six days after being ambushed in the parking lot of her apartment complex and shot with a poison-tipped crossbow bolt.

Court records and testimony show that Stohler, a former Tulsa police officer, stalked Powers for months and meticulously planned her death. Powers murder was spurred by an ongoing child custody dispute between her and her ex-boyfriend, who was a friend and former colleague of Stohler's.

Stohler was sentenced to life in prison. The Parole Board voted 4-0 in favor of granting Stohlers release, citing, among other things, the belief that another person had been solicited to carry out the crime  a claim only Stohler has made with no supporting evidence.

Stitt signed the order for Stohlers release, noting the 4-0 recommendation from the Parole Board.

News of Stohlers parole came as a surprise to Tulsa County prosecutors and Powers relatives. They learned of the order only after being contacted by the Tulsa World.

Prosecutors contacted the Governors Office, noting how carefully the murder was planned and that Stohler had joked about carrying out the killing. Stohler used his police training in an attempt to cover up the crime and then fled Oklahoma after learning that he was being investigated.

Stitt rescinded his order just hours before Stohler was to be released, with his general counsel citing material information regarding Jimmie D. Stohler that was not previously available to this office.

We support the governors decision to rescind Stohler's parole. But the facts illuminated by this case are worth addressing.

Stohler was previously denied parole in 2013 for the same reasons prosecutors cited last month. Details about his case are readily available. Everything indicates how cruel the crime was and the threat Stohler poses.

Stitt has been a major proponent of criminal justice reform and has done laudable work in releasing people from prison who are better served with treatment and probationary supervision.

But Stohler is no ordinary offender. He is a murderer in a high-profile case. Any parole application from a convicted killer merits closer scrutiny from the Governors Office than those of the nonviolent offenders who have been crowding our jails.

Quite a bit went wrong, and questions persist about the breakdown in this process.

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Society

-- The Ministry of Transport on Friday asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and airlines to enhance market research to open new international and domestic routes to and from the Can Tho International Airport in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

-- A container truck driven by Nguyen Quoc Trieu, 34, on Friday afternoon suddenly had its cabin on fire while travelling on the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway linking the southern metropolis with Long Thanh and Thong Nhat Districts in Dong Nai Province. Initial cause was determined to be an electrical malfunction.

-- Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has signed a decision approving the National Strategy for Environmental Protection to 2030 with a vision until 2050, in which the government sets targets to prevent the increasing trend of environmental pollution, solve urgent environmental problems, and step by step improve and restore the quality of the environment, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday.

-- Police in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on Friday said they had just arrested Nguyen Truong Duy, 35, after he allegedly murdered and robbed his girlfriend in April and escaped to the central province of Quang Tri.

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-- More than 5,500 young people in the capital city of Hanoi, with 80 percent of them being females, have registered to work as volunteers for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), the Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday.

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Vietnams Ministry of Health has officially announced the suspension of COVID-19 health declarations for domestic travel, the latest move in Vietnams strategy of living safely with the virus.

The ministry on Thursday sent a document to municipal and provincial authorities regarding the official halt of domestic heath declaration requirements  required for domestic travel and entry to public places  which have been in place since March 2020 to cope with COVID-19.

The temporary suspension, starting on April 30, comes as the country continues to keep the pandemic under control, as evidenced by sharp falls in new daily COVID-19 infections and deaths.

More than 96 percent of people aged 12 and above in the country have already been vaccinated, while the vaccination drive for children aged five to under 12 is ongoing.

Over the past few days, no locality has recorded more than 1,000 cases per day, while between February and March saw over 30 cities and provinces document 1,000 cases or more per day, the ministry said.

The number of daily deaths has also decreased to less than 10 people, and 85 percent of communes and wards across the country are green zones, or areas with low risk of COVID-19 transmission.

In addition, vaccination coverage against the pandemic is high nationwide and still effective against existing variants, the ministry said.

The agency, however, asked all localities and agencies concerned to maintain necessary measures to detect and handle COVID-19 outbreaks, if any, effectively in accordance with current guidance and directions.

It will keep updating and providing information on the pandemic situation in the world and in the country.

The removal of domestic health declarations is the latest move in the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Vietnam.

Earlier, the agency announced the temporary suspension of medical declaration at all border gates into Vietnam for arrivals entering the country from April 27.

On March 16, the ministry announced renewed health surveillance protocols applicable to foreign arrivals, under which visitors with valid negative COVID-19 tests can enjoy quarantine-free travel from the first day of their arrival in Vietnam.

The new rules also exclude requirements on COVID-19 vaccination or recovery certificates for people entering Vietnam.

In addition, the Vietnamese government decided to resume pre-pandemic visa issuance on March 15, facilitating travel to the Southeast Asian country.

Health declarations were part of the protocol issued by the ministry in August 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19, which also included requesting people to wear masks, frequent handwashing, social distancing, and the avoidance of gatherings.

Over time, when the pandemic had been gradually ceased in Vietnam, the ministry lifted restrictions on large gatherings and keeping distance between people.

Vietnam, with a population of 98 million people confirmed 10,662,446 COVID-19 cases, with 9,314,420 recoveries and 43,049 deaths, since the pandemic erupted in the Southeast Asian country in early 2020, the health ministrys data shows.

Health workers have administered 196,163,223 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the nations adult population, including 71,460,262 first shots, 68,647,631 second jabs, and the rest for additional primary doses and boosters since vaccination was rolled out in March 2020.

The number of Pfizer-BioNTech doses given to children aged 12 to 17 nationwide has reached 17,378,299, including 8,908,529 first shots and 8,469,770 second jabs, said the ministry.

The country has also launched vaccination for children aged five to under 12 since April 14, with a total of 1,617,802 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines having been used nationwide so far.

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Thang Long, the biggest single-body high-speed ship in Vietnam, has been launched off the northern port city of Hai Phong before it travels south to Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province to serve sea tours next month.

A launching ceremony for the US$8.71 million express boat was held on Friday at Hai Phong-based 189 One Member Co., Ltd., a shipbuilder under the Ministry of National Defense, and Phu Quoc Fast Ferry JSC, the watercrafts investor based in southern Kien Giang Province.

The four-storied high-speed boat, 77.46 meter long and 11 meter wide, will serve travelers on the Vung Tau City - Con Dao Island route off southern Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province in June.

Three big propellers of Thang Long super-speed ship are seen in this image. Photo: Tien Thang / Tuoi Tre

The route is the longest journey between the Vietnamese mainland and a tourism island.

As the biggest express vessel in Vietnam, Thang Long can host 1,017 travelers on its three floors and has a cafeteria on the top floor.

The boat, made of aluminum alloy imported from Italy, is powered by an 11,580 horsepower (8,635 kW) Rolls-Royce MTU engine, and can travel at a maximum speed of 30 nautical miles (some 55.5 kilometers) per hour.

With the super-speed boat, the travel time between Vung Tau, a beach city that borders Ho Chi Minh City, and Con Dao, a popular tourist island off the province, will be shortened from 210 - 240 minutes to 180 minutes.

This image shows a passenger compartment on Thang Long express boat, which will serve travelers on the Vung Tau City - Con Dao Island route in June 2022. Photo: Tien Thang / Tuoi Tre

In addition to Con Dao, Phu Quoc Fast Ferry JSC, with its high-speed craft fleet amounting to 11 vessels currently, will bring tourists from Vung Tau to other major islands, such as Phu Quoc and Nam Du off Kien Giang, and Ky Son, off central Quang Ngai Province, said Vu Van Khuong, general director of the firm.

Four years ago, 189 One Member Co., Ltd. launched a double-body high-speed craft, the largest of its kind in Vietnam by then, which can accommodate 600 passengers and travel at 35 nautical miles, or 64.8 kilometers, per hour.

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You are here: China

China has released guidelines demanding various localities across the country promote urbanization with a focus on county towns.

The guidelines, jointly issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council General Office, said the move aims to better meet the needs of rural residents to find jobs and settle down in county towns.

The guidelines list a series of measures including developing competitive industries, creating more jobs in county towns, and strengthening ecological conservation, adding that by 2025, major progress will be seen in the drive.

China's urbanization rate of permanent residents hit 64.72 percent in 2021, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

The country aims to raise its urbanization rate to 65 percent during the 2021-2025 period, according to the 14th Five-Year Plan.
Vast Resources PLC

Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining

3 May 2022

Vast Resources plc

(Vast or the Company)

Company Update  Tajikistan

Vast Resources plc, the AIM-listed mining company is pleased to announce its participation as one of a collective group of partners in a new joint venture project (the Project) in Tajikistan with Open Joint Stock Company Korkhonai Boygardonii Takob (Takob).

Highlights

Near term revenue opportunity which will provide a further revenue stream alongside concentrate sales from the Companys Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania

The Project is 100% financed

Vast will receive a 12.25 percent royalty over all sales of non-ferrous concentrate and any other metals produced at Takobs operating fluoride and galena mine in Tajikistan

Processing of stockpiled ore on site will commence in Q2 2022

Transaction Details

The interest in the Project has been acquired as a result of the acquisition by a recently incorporated UK company, Central Asia Investments Ltd, in which Vast has a 49 percent interest of a 50 percent interest in Central Asia Minerals and Metals Ore Trading FZCO (CAMM) which has an agreement with Takob (the Master Agreement). Vast has an effective 24.5 percent indirect interest in the Project.

Takob, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tajikistan Open Joint Stock Company TALCO, the countrys largest group of companies that represents a major part of the countrys GDP, is the owner of the operating Takob fluoride and galena mine (the Mine) in Tajikistan where the strategic fluoride concentrate is sold to TALCOs chemical division (TALCO Chemical LLC), for the production of essential raw materials required for primary aluminium production.

Under the Master Agreement the Mine is to produce approximately 7,000 tonnes per month of ore containing no less than 1.5-2% lead, 1.2-1.4% zinc and 27% fluoride of which two months production has been stockpiled on site ready for processing to commence in Q2 2022. It is for note that it is reported that historically the Mine contained 30g/t silver and 1-2g/t gold in situ.

Story continues

Under the Master Agreement CAMM is to provide equipment, technology and technical expertise to upgrade and optimise the processing plant at the Mine, and will undertake the responsibility for the management and execution of the Project.

Takob will continue to mine ore at the Mine and produce fluoride concentrate. Takob has undertaken to supply no less than 1,000,000 tonnes of ore to be processed in line with the Project that is anticipated to run with the current Resource statement for 12 years.

CAMM has also under the Master Agreement been appointed as exclusive agent for Takob to market and sell all non ferrous concentrates and precious metals from Takobs Mine including but not limited to lead, zinc, gold and silver.

CAMM has secured financing and is fully funded for the Project. In consideration for CAMMs financing obligations and provision of services under the Master Agreement CAMM will be entitled to receive 50 percent of net revenue from the sale of non ferrous concentrate and precious metals.

In order for CAMM to provide the expertise required to fulfil its services and marketing obligations under the Master Agreement CAMM has entered a services agreement with Vast to provide the services required. Under this agreement Vast is entitled to charge for the services provided on the basis that 24.5 percent of the fees earned therefor will be left outstanding until they can be financed from revenue arising from the Project.

In addition to fees receiveable under the services agreement with CAMM Vast will effectively receive 12.25 percent royalty of all sales of the non-ferrous concentrate and any other metals produced for its participation in the collective group.

Andrew Prelea, Chief Executive Officer of Vast Resources, commented:

His Excelency Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Rahmon declared that the years 2022 to 2026 would be the years of industrial development for Tajikistan and further declared acceleration of industrialisation to be a national strategic goal. The Tajikistan Government has demonstrated its efficiency and willingness to attract Foreign Direct Investment in industrial projects and in particular in the Mining Sector. I have no doubt that the success of our project will attract further foreign investment in Country.

I wish to thank the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Tajikistan, together with the Chairman and Executive Team of Open Joint Stock Company TALCO for their assistance in closing this transaction.

I would also to thank all the stakeholders and our strategic partners in Central Asia Minerals and Metals Ore Trading FZCO for giving Vast the opportunity to participate in this exciting venture that opens the door to further opportunities together in Tajikistan.

**ENDS**

For further information, visit www.vastplc.com or please contact:

Vast Resources plc

Andrew Prelea (CEO)

Andrew Hall (CCO)



www.vastplc.com

+44 (0) 20 7846 0974 Beaumont Cornish  Financial & Nominated Advisor

Roland Cornish

James Biddle



www.beaumontcornish.com

+44 (0) 20 7628 3396 Shore Capital Stockbrokers Limited  Joint Broker

Toby Gibbs / James Thomas (Corporate Advisory)



www.shorecapmarkets.co.uk

+44 (0) 20 7408 4050 Axis Capital Markets Limited  Joint Broker

Kamran Hussain



www.axcap247.com

+44 (0) 20 3206 0320 St Brides Partners Limited

Susie Geliher / Charlotte Page www.stbridespartners.co.uk

+44 (0) 20 7236 1177

ABOUT VAST RESOURCES PLC

Vast Resources plc is a United Kingdom AIM listed mining company with mines and projects in Romania and Zimbabwe.

In Romania, the Company is focused on the rapid advancement of high-quality projects by recommencing production at previously producing mines.

The Company's Romanian portfolio includes 100% interest in the producing Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine, located in the Apuseni Mountains, Transylvania, an area which hosts Romania's largest polymetallic mines. The mine has a JORC compliant Reserve & Resource Report which underpins the initial mine production life of approximately 3-4 years with an in-situ total mineral resource of 15,695 tonnes copper equivalent with a further 1.8M-3M tonnes exploration target. The Company is now working on confirming an enlarged exploration target of up to 5.8M tonnes.

The Company also owns the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Romania, which was commissioned in 2015, currently on care and maintenance. The Company has been granted the Manaila Carlibaba Extended Exploitation Licence that will allow the Company to re-examine the exploitation of the mineral resources within the larger Manaila Carlibaba licence area.

In Zimbabwe, the Company is focused on the commencement of the joint venture mining agreement on the Community Diamond Concession, Chiadzwa, in the Marange Diamond Fields.




My son and I often say, "We live in a society." For us it's shorthand, a reminder about community. We need to be mindful of people's needs, because we live in a society. If a kid is being bullied, stand up for them, because we live in a society. If a neighbor needs help carrying in the groceries, offer to help, because we live in a society. We have obligations to each other, because we live in a society.

Enter this week's Torah portion, Kedoshim.   / Kedoshim tihiyu: "y'all shall be holy, for I your God am holy!" The imperative is in the plural. Y'all be holy now! This isn't about individual righteous behavior. Because -- say it with me now -- we live in a society. So what does it mean to be kedoshim, to be holy as a community? Here are some of Torah's answers in this week's parsha:

These verses are so important that we hear them twice a year: in our cycle of regular Torah readings, and again on the afternoon of Yom Kippur. On that holiest day of the year, Torah reminds us: a righteous society is one that centers the needs of the vulnerable. In a righteous society, we take pains to ensure justice. And we must not stand idly by when others are harmed.

Earlier this week the news broke that the Supreme Court is likely to strike down Roe v. Wade. This isn't a surprise, but it still feels shocking to recognize that the right to bodily autonomy can be taken away. Here in Massachusetts that right is protected, but there are 26 states where that right will disappear as soon as Roe falls. In half of this country, half of the people will lose a right.

Jewish tradition not only permits but even mandates abortion when the pregnant person's life is at risk. Until a fetus is born and draws breath, the life of the pregnant person is paramount. This is a mainstream understanding of Jewish law, expressed by rabbis ranging from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox. What SCOTUS seems poised to do violates our religious freedom.

What SCOTUS is poised to do will cause unimaginable harm. It is horrific to think of being forced to bear a child. In many states, abortion will become illegal even in cases of (God forbid) rape or incest. These are ugly words. It pains me to say them. But this is real, and we need to face it, because people are going to suffer. I don't know how best to help them. But we need to try.

Talmud teaches kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, all of Israel is responsible for one another. Phrased more universally, we are all responsible for one other. Living in a society means there are things we owe to each other. As Jews, we especially have an obligation to those who are most vulnerable. Torah tells us repeatedly to care for the widow, the orphan, the stranger: those most at risk.

As the National Council of Jewish Women reminds us:

I am not a legal scholar by any stretch, but reputable voices have argued that if the Supreme Court nullifies the fundamental right to privacy that underpins Roe v. Wade, other decisions that hinge on that right may also be at risk. I keep coming back to words from the writer Roxane Gay: "Any civil right contingent upon political whims is not actually a civil right."

I've spoken with many of you this week who are profoundly shaken by what's unfolding. I hear and I honor your grief and anxiety, anger and fear. We may be poised to lose many of the last century's advances. It's important to give ourselves space to feel what we're feeling. And then we need to channel our feelings into action, to help those who will be most at-risk in days to come.

The work of justice is long. If the Supreme Court takes away rights that we now enjoy, then we will work toward a world in which those rights are restored. As we read in Pirkei Avot (which I've been studying with our b-mitzvah students), "It is not incumbent on us to finish the work, but neither are we free to refrain from beginning it." As Torah teaches, do not stand idly by.

A couple of verses after the one about not standing idly by, we reach the verse we've been singing all morning:    / "Love your fellow human being as yourself." Rabbi Akiva called this vderse clal gadol, "a great principle," or possibly "The great principle" of Torah. It's at the heart of Torah -- metaphorically, per Akiva, and also pretty much literally in the very middle.

Cornel West wrote, "Justice is what love looks like in public." The way we love our fellow human beings is by working toward justice. God, give us the strength to stand up for those who are most at risk. Give us the strength to not stand idly by. Give us the strength to build a world of greater justice for everyone, because that is how we live out the commandment to love.

And let us say: amen.

This is the d'varling I offered at Shabbat morning services at Congregation Beth Israel of the Berkshires, cross-posted to the From the Rabbi blog on the synagogue website and to Builders Blog at Bayit.
You are here: China

China's top legislature will review 24 new legislative bills this year, according to the annual legislative agenda by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

According to the agenda, the legislative bills set to be reviewed include revising the law on prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, the civil procedure law, and formulating the laws on pre-school education and social assistance.

Another 15 legislative bills submitted to the top legislature will continue to be deliberated, including reviews of anti-telecom and cyber fraud laws, and the Yellow River protection law.
Tornado Remembrance Walk

Waco Walks will host a Tornado Remembrance Walk at 6 p.m. Wednesday starting from the tornado memorial at the corner of Fourth Street and Austin Avenue. Baylor University libraries spokesperson Eric Ames will retrace the path through downtown of the May 11, 1953, tornado that killed 114 people, and share some of the facts, stories and legends associated with the storm.

Boots on the Brazos

Boots on the Brazos, a fundraising event supporting The Arc of McLennan County, will run from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave. The event will feature a barbecue dinner catered by Eddie Rays Smokehouse and live music and dancing with Weldon Henson and Band. Tickets cost $110. Attire is casual or western. For details, call 254-756-7491.

Mammoth star party

Waco Mammoth National Monument, 6220 Steinbeck Bend Drive, will have a star gazing party from 7 to 9 p.m. May 21. The program will highlight the marvels of the night sky and the importance of preserving dark skies. Retired Park Ranger Larry Smith, a known dark sky expert from Central Texas, will be the host. Visitors can view stars, planets and much more. To reserve a spot, call 254-299-2669 or email waco_information@nps.gov with the subject Waco Star Party.

MCC graduation Tuesday

McLennan Community College will host its Spring Commencement at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Baylor Universitys Ferrell Center. Harrison Keller, commissioner and CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will provide the keynote speech. For more information, call Highlander Central at 254-299-8622.

Tornado Remembrance Walk

Waco Walks will host a Tornado Remembrance Walk at 6 p.m. Wednesday starting from the tornado memorial at the corner of Fourth Street and Austin Avenue.

Baylor University libraries spokesperson Eric Ames will retrace the path through downtown of the May 11, 1953, tornado that killed 114 people, and share some of the facts, stories and legends associated with the storm.

Boots on the Brazos

Boots on the Brazos, a fundraising event supporting The Arc of McLennan County, will run from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.

The event will feature a barbecue dinner catered by Eddie Rays Smokehouse and live music and dancing with Weldon Henson and Band.

Tickets cost $110. Attire is casual or western. For details, call 254-756-7491.

Mammoth star party

Waco Mammoth National Monument, 6220 Steinbeck Bend Drive, will have a star gazing party from 7 to 9 p.m. May 21.

The program will highlight the marvels of the night sky and the importance of preserving dark skies. Retired Park Ranger Larry Smith, a known dark sky expert from Central Texas, will be the host. Visitors can view stars, planets and much more.

To reserve a spot, call 254-299-2669 or email waco_information@nps.gov with the subject Waco Star Party.

MCC graduation Tuesday

McLennan Community College will host its Spring Commencement at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Baylor Universitys Ferrell Center. Harrison Keller, commissioner and CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will provide the keynote speech.

For more information, call Highlander Central at 254-299-8622.

Submit printed or typed items to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco, 76702-2588; or email goingson@wacotrib.com. Submit printed or typed items to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco, 76702-2588; or email goingson@wacotrib.com.
While I was serving as a Southern Baptist journeyman missionary in Kenya in 1978, Daniel arap Moi was elected president. Soon after he came into office, I had an encounter with the president while attending the annual Nairobi Agricultural Show. Moi, in an open-top land rover with armed soldiers, passed within a few feet of me. He nodded at me and the two Baptist colleagues accompanying me  one a missionary, the other a Kenyan who worked in the Nairobi Baptist Communications Office.

The next day my Kenyan colleague, whose wife happened to be a third cousin of President Moi, got a phone call from Moi himself asking who the two wazugu (white men) were standing next to him. What I didnt know then but do now is that Mois rule, which would last 24 years, would be dominated by the politics of personal vendetta, politics in which the ends (to remain in power) justified the means (illegal or not).

In the later years of his presidency, Moi was said to be Africas Last Big Man. A true autocrat, he ruled with an iron fist and was allegedly responsible for murdering political opponents and instigating ethnic cleansings as a way of dividing voters to his personal advantage. Mois behavior, however, did not stop Baptists in Kenya from cozying up to him when they felt it would aid their own cause to spread the gospel. Some of the missionaries and pastors were on friendly enough terms that they dined with him in their homes on occasion.

After hosting one such dinner, Southern Baptist missionary Bill Holloway told me that Moi was a born-again Christian who could talk at length about the Bible. Bathed in Baptist hospitality, Moi returned the favor by appearing at harambees (fundraisers) at churches; his photo often appeared in the paper with a Bible in hand as he posed at evangelistic rallies attended by thousands.

While despots who commit atrocities are obviously responsible for the evil they inflict, they are seldom solely responsible. Without help from others, they can rarely initiate let alone get away with illegal and downright immoral actions. Unfortunately, church leaders have often supported dictators by giving them cover or outright endorsement through political propaganda dressed in religious language. Some clerics even bless horrific acts of violence against innocents. When this happens, Christians in church pews usually follow their pastors like sheep, silently nodding to ecclesial authorities as atrocities are committed. Western history is replete with Christian capitulation to barbaric authoritarians from the Roman Empire to 21st-century Europe.

Perhaps then it should come as no surprise that President Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine is publicly supported by many leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church, including its head, 75-year-old Patriarch Kirill. Recently the patriarch, who parrots Putins claim that the West is responsible for the war, preached from Moscows main cathedral that Russian soldiers who love our fatherland must protect it, as only Russians can.

For more than a decade now, Patriarch Krill has championed Putins attack on the liberal culture of Western democracies as a defense of Christian values. In fact, Kirill sees (or at least claims to see) Putin as Gods anointed. At a 2012 meeting of Russian religious leaders, which Putin convened in advance of his campaign to win a third term, Kirill proclaimed Putins twelve-year presidency a miracle of God.

Russian Orthodoxys contribution to the violence against Ukrainians is not even subtle. Putins launch of the war was preceded by Kirills public assessment that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskys government infringed on Ukraines Russian Orthodox Church. The bishops logic was clear: Putins high and responsible service to the people of Christendom required Russia to attack Ukraine. Kirill said that Russian soldiers should have no doubts they have chosen a very correct path  a path to obviously destroy and kill, a path that has led to claims of rape and genocide. Kirill lauds this military service as an active manifestation of evangelical love for neighbors!

Perhaps we should be careful about condemning this blasphemous spectacle. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, more than eight in 10 white evangelical Protestant voters who attend religious services in America frequently (85 percent) voted for the constitutionally contemptuous Donald Trump in the 2020 election, as did 81 percent of those who attend less frequently. Trumps power-hungry, norm-busting impulses led to a record two impeachments  one for attempting to bribe Ukrainian President Zelensky, the other for inciting a mob to stop the constitutionally required certification of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as legitimate 2020 election victors. Tragically, these self-serving efforts were accompanied by strong religious support including some from Central Texas who call themselves Christians.

During his presidency, in efforts to motivate his political base, Trump stoked the fires of violent racism, separated children from their parents at our Texas border and castigated mainstream journalists as enemies of the people. He is alleged to have and very likely did break campaign finance laws, obstructed justice, destroyed presidential records, attempted to steal the 2020 presidential election, solicited foreign countries to interfere in U.S. elections and evaded payment of federal taxes. It is highly likely more criminal and unethical behavior will be uncovered in the weeks ahead.

Yet support of Trump by white evangelicals  Southern Baptists in particular  has not wavered. In lockstep, parishioners follow leaders such as Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, former Southern Baptist Convention President Jack Graham and Faith and Freedom Coalition head Ralph Reed. First Baptist Church of Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress, in response to criticism of his own support for Trump, reasons: Evangelicals are not morons. They understand that [Trump] might not pray six hours a day or be able to quote the Bible backward and forward but that he is Gods man of the moment.

Unlike most strongmen, Kenya President Moi eventually gave up power peacefully, in part due to a pressure campaign from the United States. U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Smith Hempstone, appointed by George H.W. Bush in 1989 at a time when the United States was pushing African countries toward democracy and human rights, worked toward these goals by fighting for multiparty elections in Kenya in 1991, nine years after Moi banned all parties but his own.

I had the privilege of hosting Ambassador Hempstone and his wife Kitty in my Waco home in 1999 when he spoke at Baylor University on the role of some Kenyan Christians in standing for justice during the Moi regime. These courageous individuals were almost exclusively Anglican and Catholic clergy, some of whom paid a heavy price for their public statements. Hempstone cited no Baptist leaders.

During his Waco visit, Hempstone paid special homage to Anglican Bishop Alexander Muge for his criticism of the Moi government after it initiated constitutional amendments to undermine the countrys judiciary and for its blatant efforts to rig elections. When Muge died under suspicious circumstances in 1990 a perfunctory inquiry was launched by the Moi government. No foul play was uncovered. Yet doubts remain. In 2010, former Special Branch Inspector James Khwatenge told the Nation (a national newspaper in Kenya) that the bishops death in an apparent car accident at age 44 was no accident but had been engineered by the Special Branch to silence the outspoken government critic and democracy activist. Moi was forced out of office in 2002 and died in 2020 without ever facing justice for apparent (and perhaps obvious) crimes and atrocities.

White evangelicals, particularly Southern Baptists, will be judged by history for their complicity in enabling Trump. While the former president bears responsibility for his apparent (and perhaps obvious) crimes, white evangelicals remain loyal. Like Kenyas President Moi, autocrats such as Trump and Putin and their imitators and sycophants can be stopped only when the clarity of voices and the courage of convictions characterize the rest of us, especially Christian leaders. Yes, public stands will be costly for some pastors.

Will we see prophetic declarations from white evangelicals in Central Texas as America moves into the approaching election cycles? Will even one of them have the divine wisdom and down-to-earth guts to stand up?

Blake Burleson is an ordained Baptist minister and a faculty member in the Department of Religion at Baylor University.
The decree, which calls for women to only show their eyes and recommends they wear the head-to-toe burqa, evoked similar restrictions on women during the Taliban's previous rule between 1996 and 2001.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo teen whose friend was shot and killed in a synthetic marijuana robbery has been found guilty of the more serious charges in the case.

On Friday, a Black Hawk County jury found Alvonni Jante Stone, 18, guilty of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary following three hours of deliberation.

Stone was acquitted of intimidation with a weapon, use of a weapon in a crime and going armed with intent.

The robbery and burglary charges each carry up to 25 years in prison. Sentencing will be at a later date. Because Stone was a juvenile at the time of the crime, he isnt subject to mandatory minimum prison time as an adult would be.

Prosecutors said a short clip of videotape from a surveillance camera showed Stone, then 17, holding a pistol on his way to the robbery.

The segment shows Stone step out of a friends studio building on West Fourth Street. He reaches into the pocket of his yellow pants and pulls out a blue 9 mm SCCY handgun. He points it as if hes shooting it, smiles, appears to chuckle to himself and then follows his friends to a vehicle.

During closing arguments on Friday, Assistant County Attorney Alisha Stach said the heist  the planned holdup of a synthetic marijuana dealer in the Kwik Stop parking lot on Washington Street  wasnt a laughing matter.

This isnt funny. Somebody died. Thats what happens when you go and play with firearms over $15 and some K2, Stach said.

The holdup came at a high price when the dealer, 25-year-old Cedrick Smith, tried to drive off and then fired his own gun, killing robber Dayton Sanders, who ran at the fleeing vehicle holding a gun.

Authorities allege Stone fired at the vehicle, ricocheting a bullet off the hood.

Defense attorney Alfred Willett argued to jurors that Stone was merely guilty of theft for taking the K2 and cash from the cup holder of Smiths car.

He said Stone never pointed a gun at Smith while reaching into his car to take the items. And he said Stone never demanded anything or made any threats  in fact he never said anything during the theft.

Willett said his client didnt have a motive to rob Smith. He also argued that the burglary charge didnt apply to taking items from a vehicle.

Prosecutors allege Daijon Jarell Stokes planned the robbery because Smith, his cousin, owed him $150. Stokes, who repeatedly punched Smith as Stone grabbed the cash and the K2, was convicted of a lesser assault charge during an earlier trial.

Smith wasnt charged with Sanders death because he was defending himself, Stach said. He was arrested on drug charges, and his case remains pending.

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WATERLOO  A Marion man has been arrested for weapons charges after police found him slumped over in a Waterloo parking lot early Friday.

Waterloo police arrested Jimmy Ray Willis Jr., 43, for felon in possession of a firearm, carrying weapons and possession of marijuana.

Officers were called to the Majestic Moon parking lot, 1955 Locke Ave., around 1:45 a.m. and found Willis passed out in a Honda Accord with the engine running, according to court records.

Police noticed the odor of marijuana and found a bag of marijuana in the vehicle. Officers also found a loaded .380-caliber Stoeger Llama pistol.

Willis is barred from handling firearms because of previous felony convictions for drug and weapons charges.

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WATERLOO  Around 200 demonstrators gathered outside U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassleys office to protest against the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade at a Pro-Choice Voters Rally on Saturday morning.

The event was organized by Americans for Democratic Action Iowa. Chris Schwartz, the state director of the organization, gave the opening statements.

Im calling on all my fellow LGBTQ members to remember the foundation of our movement was solidarity with other disenfranchised people, Schwartz said. And so we have to step up our game and fight back hard with all of our brothers and sisters, and all of our other friends that are under attack.

On Monday, a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the 1973 decision that created a constitutional right to abortion sparked public outcry. In 2016, Grassley, then chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, held up the confirmation of Barack Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, who never received a hearing.

Donald Trump became president in 2017, and Grassley eventually voted to confirm justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, giving conservatives a supermajority on the high court.

Roe protects the right to access abortion, said Vikki Brown, Black Hawk County Democrats chair and civil rights activists. It also protects a womans right to make decisions about what she does with her own body.

Several other community leaders and elected officials were among the demonstrators, including state Rep. Timi Brown-Powers (D-Waterloo).

This is step one of what they plan to do, Brown-Powers said. This is an evil group of people who dont care about anybody here in this entire town or state.

Brown-Powers urged those in the crowd to get politically active and most importantly to vote.

We have got to stop this, and I think the best thing to do is vote, she said. And you know what? When you vote, you need to take five people with you. You need to remind people why it is important we vote.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  Federal labor officials filed a sweeping complaint Friday accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against pro-union employees.

The National Labor Relations Boards Buffalo regional director outlined a host of labor law violations in a filing seeking reinstatement and backpay for the employees.

Theres been a wave of unionization drives at Starbucks stores nationwide, with the first union votes coming in December at three stores in Buffalo.

The coffee chain called the allegations false and vowed to fight them at an upcoming hearing.

Starbucks does not agree that the claims have merit, and the complaints issuance does not constitute a finding by the NLRB, spokesman Reggie Borges wrote in an email. It is the beginning of a litigation process that permits both sides to be heard and to present evidence.

Starbucks Workers United, the group behind the unionization effort, said the complaint confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks conduct in Western New York for the better part of a year.

Starbucks is finally being held accountable for the union-busting rampage they went on, Danny Rojas, a fired shift supervisor, said in a statement. Starbucks needs to understand that it is morally corrupt to retaliate against union leaders, and I am looking forward to the NLRB forcing Starbucks to make this moment right.

Last month, federal labor officials asked a judge to force Starbucks to reinstate three union activists at its Phoenix location, alleging the coffee giant engaged in unfair labor practices.

As of this week, workers at more than 250 U.S. stores have filed petitions with the labor board to hold union elections, labor organizers say. At least 50 of those stores have voted to unionize with Workers United, a branch of the Service Employees International Union.

Starbucks reported Tuesday that its sales climbed to record levels in its fiscal second quarter but noted it faced higher employment costs, which set to grow even higher in the coming months as the company introduces new pay raises and other benefits.

However, workers who have voted to unionize or stores that have petitioned to hold a union election wont be eligible for those additional wage hikes and benefits.

Starbucks Workers United has said it filed charges with the labor board against Starbucks on Tuesday. The group alleges the company is violating labor law by threatening to exclude unionized stores from receiving the new benefits.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabama will ban the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender minors starting on Sunday, barring a ruling by a federal judge on a request to block the law from taking effect.

The U.S. Department of Justice and parents with transgender children have asked the judge to prevent the state from enforcing the statute while a lawsuit against it goes forward. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke, noting the lawsuit was filed in mid-April, said he and his staff will do nothing else but work on a decision though it might not come until after the laws effective date.

I cant say if its going to be out tomorrow or the next day or the next day, Burke said Friday. His comment came at the end of a two-day hearing on the injunction request.

The Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act will make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for doctors and others to provide the medications to transgender people under age 19. The U.S. Department of Justice and four families with transgender children filed a lawsuit challenging the law as discriminatory, an unconstitutional violation of equal protection and free speech rights and an intrusion into family medical decisions.

Dr. Morrisa Ladinsky, a pediatrician who runs a gender clinic that treats children with gender dysphoria, said after the court hearing that it seems likely that the law will go into effect Sunday. But she still hoped that it would be for only a short amount of time.

It would be only natural for any family with a transgender child to feel anxious, to feel scared and to feel in a place of limbo, she said when asked how her patients were feeling. So, we will hope that the wheels of justice act as they should, and we can allay those anxieties sooner rather than later."

Jeff Doss, an attorney representing parents and others challenging the ban, said the law will harm the very children the state is claiming to protect by depriving them of the medical treatments that are backed by medical associations. Twenty-three medical and mental health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also urged the judge to enjoin the law.

It supplants parental judgment and replaces it with the states ... that no child should receive these medications, Doss told Burke in closing arguments.

Attorneys for Alabama argued the ban should be allowed to go forward.

The state has wide discretion to regulate areas of medical uncertainty, Edmund LaCour, the solicitor general for Alabama, told the judge in closing arguments. European countries, he argued, take a more reserved approach on the use of the medications with children.

During the hearing Burke put several questions to the attorneys, including asking who wrote the legislation and if parents could face prosecution for driving their children to another state to receive the medications. State attorneys said it was written by legislators, news outlets reported. LaCour replied that he did not think parents would trigger the statute by taking their children elsewhere.

A parent, testifying in a closed courtroom for privacy reasons, described the benefits her child has received, Doss said.

She is seeing positive, transformative amazing benefits from these treatments the state has dubbed risky, Doss said.

The states witnesses included a psychologist who testified that children may look to the label of transgender to explain feelings of being different or unhappiness, but those feelings often dissipate at puberty. Under cross-examination by Melody Eagan, James Cantor acknowledged he treats adults in his practice, not children.

Sydney Wright, 23, testified that she regrets lingering effects and possible infertility from getting testosterone prescribed at age 19 by a doctor in Georgia. Wright said at the time she desperately wanted the treatments to transition to being a man, but, at the end of every single day I was a woman," she said.

Lawyers noted on cross-examination that Wright, at age 19, would not have been affected by the law.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Ukraines deputy prime minister says all women, children and older adults have been evacuated from the plant, a key Russian war objective that has long been under siege. Here are the latest updates.
 Flash

The accusations on China of taking responsibilities for the Ukraine crisis is absurd, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said Friday.

Le made the remarks when delivering a speech at an online dialogue of global think tanks of 20 countries. He said on the Ukraine crisis, some people made groundless allegations, distorted China's position and tried to make China take the blame for their own actions.

He said some people have twisted the words of the recent China-Russia joint statement and misinterpreted "friendship has no limits and cooperation has no forbidden areas" to mean that China had "prior knowledge" of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and even "endorsed" it. They have therefore concluded that China must be held accountable for the conflict.

"This is absurd," Le said, adding that China is not involved in the conflict, still less the one who created it. So how could China be responsible?

Le noted that the relationship between China and Russia is based on the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties, and it is not subject to the influence of any third party. The description of "no limits" and "no forbidden areas" captures the current state and future prospects of China-Russia ties.

"The truth is, China desires friendly relations with all countries and we never set any limit on cooperation, nor do we see a need to do so," he said.

In response to the accusation that China stood on the wrong side of history for not joining the United States and other Western countries in condemning and sanctioning Russia, Le said since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, China has been committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the principle of indivisible security.

"We have stood for fairness and justice, and made active efforts to encourage peace talks and provide humanitarian aid. China has no axe to grind or any geopolitical agenda on this issue," he said.

Le said for quite some time, the United States has kept flexing its muscle on China's doorstep, creating exclusive groups against China and inflaming the Taiwan question to test China's red line.

"If this is not an Asia-Pacific version of NATO's eastward expansion, then what is? Such a strategy, if left unchecked, would bring horrible consequences and push the Asia-Pacific over the edge of an abyss," he said.

Le stressed that China is committed to peaceful development and seeks harmony, solidarity and cooperation in the region. China has never been a provocateur or troublemaker. It makes no sense to take aim at China. The attempt to "copy and paste" the Ukraine crisis in the Asia-Pacific is doomed to fail.
As our Editor sits in the air-lock waiting to re-enter HK, he looks at the now-unconstitutional quarantine regulations and the harm they are doing to HK.

HK is running out of time to re-join the World



When, early on 20-Mar-2022, I left HK for the first time in over 2 years, daily reported local COVID cases were already down 85% from the early-March peak above 56k. As I gingerly set foot into the no-way-back Orange Zone of the airport, I was making two bets: first, that the insane flight ban from 9 countries would be lifted, avoiding a 4-week "washout+quarantine" journey home to HK; and second, that by the time I had to get home for my next cancer treatment, COVID would be endemic in HK and the quarantine regime would be history.

Well, I got the first bet right; the next day, the Government announced that it would lift the 9-country flight ban on 1-Apr. However, on the second bet, here I am six weeks later, writing this from a quarantine hotel, for reasons that have nothing to do with public health.

Yes, the Government did shorten quarantine to 7 days, mirroring the discharge period for infected residents and their close contacts if they are RAT-negative on days 6 and 7. That removed the anomaly we noted on 26-Feb, that an arriving passenger who tested positive could be discharged in 7 days while one who tested negative throughout had to quarantine for 14 days. But quarantine is still captivity, and it still has to be in hotels, despite the COVID outside them, while close contacts of local cases can isolate at home if living conditions permit.

Daily reported case rates are now down to just a few hundred and will bump along there despite relaxations of social distancing. The virus is running out of soft targets as most residents are well-vaccinated and/or inoculated by infection. For the latter, almost all of them were infected in the 5th wave and are brimming with antibodies. So it is patently obvious that we are ready to open our international border. Inbound quarantine can no longer be justified on public health grounds, which was the legal basis for such Regulations being made under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap.599).

There is also the small matter of constitutionality if, like myself, you want to uphold the Basic Law. HK residents have a right of return under Basic Law Article 31, and that right is infringed by the testing and quarantine requirements. Rights are not absolute, but any infringement must satisfy a proportionality test, being rationally connected to a legitimate objective and no more than is necessary to achieve that objective. With COVID now endemic, the Quarantine Regulations now crash into the second hurdle - they no longer protect HK public health. Even if HK reaches COVID-zero again, with so many people vaccinated and/or inoculated, the harm of Quarantine Regulations to individual rights is disproportionate to the societal benefits of avoiding COVID cases indefinitely (for the nitty-gritty, see Hysan Development v Town Planning Board, 2016).



Laws aside, the only policy reason for maintaining inbound quarantine is to reach zero-COVID so that (the theory goes) the Mainland will allow HK people to enter the Mainland without quarantine. But for HK people, that's a matter of convenience, not public health, and in any case it remains theoretical because for the last 7 months of 2021, HK had zero local cases and despite that, the Mainland refused to open the boundary. Now, the Mainland is fighting its own outbreaks, and if HK reaches zero then it would risk infection by opening the boundary anyway.



As I sit here, triple-vaccinated and in quarantine after my voyage from the outside and increasingly-free World, the futility of all this is very apparent. The World has moved on. Neighbours Singapore and Malaysia no longer require tests or quarantine for vaccinated travellers to enter. Rightly they have realised that testing people to enter a population where COVID is endemic is pointless. Before COVID, most countries never required negative measles, flu or HIV tests as a condition of entry. Some countries, including UK and Denmark, don't even require proof of COVID vaccination to enter; you swim in the sea at your own risk.

"But what about keeping out new strains?", some ultra-conservative "experts" say. Well, if we took that approach then we would never open up. COVID is very likely to be around in variations forever, as influenza is. Only one virus in humans, smallpox, has ever been eradicated (also, rinderpest in cattle). This is not a reason to stay closed, and improving vaccines and treatments will mitigate the risks.



We must accept that the Mainland, for its own multiple reasons, not least the political capital the leadership has attached to "Dynamic Zero", is not yet ready to open up, despite the increasing socio-economic costs of lockdowns. The difference with HK is that the Mainland has not experienced a full-blown COVID exit wave, while HK has. The majority of our surviving elderly are either vaccinated or were inoculated by infection during the 5th wave.

Even among the over-80s, a cohort of about 391,400 people, our daily vaccination chart shows that 65.5% have had their first vaccine dose, while 83.0% of the 70-79 group have had their first dose. You can bet that a significant portion of the unvaccinated elderly are either recovering from COVID after it swept through care homes, or are too ill with other diseases to be vaccinated anyway. The Government can no longer hide behind that human shield as a reason to keep HK off the map.



For HK, remaining closed amounts to tying us to an unsustainable short-dated strategy. Even the Mainland will eventually have to open. As the only Chief Executive candidate John Lee said last week, "COVID-19 will pass no matter what". There's no reason for HK to hold itself back after its people have been through so much. We should open our international border, and start using that 3-runway airport and cruise terminal again, without quarantine and regardless of vaccination status. The Mainland will catch up when it is ready, but we cannot afford to be left behind by the rest of the World.

With no end in sight, "Asia's World City" has become "Asia's Isolated City", to the benefit of our regional competitors. Once talent and corporations make a decision to incur the extensive costs of relocation, we can't expect them to incur those costs again and return. Not least, that's because past governmental behaviour is a guide to the future. If HK lacks the "high degree of autonomy" to do the right thing for its residents and businesses on this occasion, then we must assume that HK will follow mainland strategy in future pandemics, wherever they begin, and isolate the city again.

As a former COVID-zero city, Singapore in many ways has set the gold standard for emergence from the pandemic: clear messaging from the Premier to the people (examples on 9-Oct-2021 and 24-Mar-2022), early purchase of the two MRNA vaccines, and a road-map to opening which incentivised vaccine take-up. Setting aside all the other factors, which place will growing corporations entrust with their regional headquarters in future?

Outgoing Chief Executive Carrie Lam could at least do one last thing to at least partially redeem the "huge havoc" in her wake. Stop the quarantine, Carrie, and let the World back in, before it is too late.

David M Webb

Founder, Webb-site.com

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 The destroyed AFU frigate Admiral Makarov is in Sevastopol

Another Ukrainian fake about the destruction of a Russian Navy ship has been debunked.

A photo has been published in which the Admiral Makarov is safe and sound in the port of Sevastopol today.

The day before, a number of Ukrainian media and officials were actively disseminating information about an alleged missile attack on our frigate off Serpent Island.

This turned out to be another lie to inspire the Ukrainians against the backdrop of the defeat in Mariupol and the heavy losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in battles.

WtR
Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine.

High-precision air-based missiles of the Russian Air Force have hit 5 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, as well as 1 ammunition depot near Bakhmut, Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 18 military assets of Ukraine.

Among them: 2 command posts near Skovorodnikovo in Kharkov Region, 5 areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment, 3 ammunition and fuel depots near Dachnoe in Odessa Region.

A large concentration of military equipment from the USA and European countries has been destroyed near the Bogodukhov railway station in Kharkov Region.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 280 nationalists and up to 48 armoured and motor vehicles.

Missile troops and artillery have hit 44 command posts and 196 strongholds of Ukrainian troops, areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration during the night.

Russian air defence means overnight have shot down 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Berezovka in Nikolaev Region, Signalnoe, Luganskoe, Krasnogorovka, Yasinovatoe and Zugres in Donetsk Peoples Republic, Olgino in Kherson Region, Cherneshchina in Kharkov Region.

3 Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missiles and 9 Smerch multiple-launch rockets nave been also intercepted over Izyum city, Kharkov Region.

In total, 152 aircraft and 112 helicopters, 762 unmanned aerial vehicles, 295 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2,895 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 333 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,364 field artillery and mortars, as well as 2,716 units of special military vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed during the operation.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine #Briefing

@mod_russia_enjoy

WtR
 Dress rehearsal of military parade to mark the 77th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was held today on Moscows Red Square.

11,000 servicemen took part in the military parade.

This years foot column is made up of 33 parade units.

The mechanized column included 131 units of modern military equipment, as well as historical equipment represented by the legendary T-34-85 tank, which opened the passage of the mechanized column.

A total of 77 airplanes and helicopters took part in the parade flypast over Red Square.

#MoD #Russia #MilitaryParade

@mod_russia_Enjoy

WtR
The Church is the Soul of an empire. There can be only one center. For the present Orthodox Church it is Moscow! The Church will vitalize the empire and the empire will stress the importance of the Church. Constantinople is over and Ukraine is a pawn

I am thinking that geopolitics have runneth over into Orthodox church politics. Lets not forget that Patriarch Bartholomew is supported by the American Greek Orthodox church, and other behind the scene groups and would thus be influenced by America with money and other illegal support

Hmm.Catholics support this move! Hmm

The Orthodox Church is on the brink of a new Great Schism | CatholicHerald.co.uk

For centuries, the archbishops of Constantinople could credibly claim to be the Ecumenical Patriarch. Their see was the New Rome, centre of the oikoumene, the inhabited world. Today, their successor, Patriarch Bartholomew, looks beleaguered. The guards around his residence in the Phanar quarter of Istanbul reveal his threatened position in an increasingly Islamified Turkey. But now he seems poised to gain other powerful enemies, this time within the Orthodox Church itself, by unilaterally recognising a Ukrainian Orthodox Church independent of Moscow.The renascent Church of Russia, thought to comprise more faithful than all the other Orthodox Churches combined, covets Constantinoples leadership role. Styled the Third Rome since Tsarist times, Moscow believes geopolitical reality should give it more weight than Bartholomews aura of the Byzantine past.

Source: The Orthodox Church is on the brink of a new Great Schism | CatholicHerald.co.uk

and

US officials openly reveal the fact that the Patriarchate of Constantinople is under the auspices of the US administration.In the same time way, in April of 2018, the former US Ambassador to Ukraine, and now the ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt[18] visited Mount Athos and without any concealment, wrote on Twitter that he:Had the honor of meeting Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos at Vatopedi. We had an important discussion on Orthodoxy worldwide, and U.S. support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Source: What moved Patriarch Bartholomew to lay to ruin Ukrainian Orthodoxy? / OrthoChristian.Com

Dont play the video unless you like heavy metal rock like I do.well, I like all music, just about. Rap kinda sucks.and it is what they play in McDonalds around Moscow.ewwww.

Lets dance to a Holy War

WtR
 Top News Today

 At the initiative of the Russian leadership, an operation was carried out to evacuate civilians held by Ukrainian nationalists at Azovstal. 50 civilians, including 11 children, were rescued.

 High-precision air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed a large ammunition depot of the Ukrainian group of troops located on the territory of the Energomashspetsstal plant in Kramatorsk city. 1 Tochka-U tactical missile system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been destroyed near Novotavricheskoe, Zaporozhye Region. In addition, 10 strongholds, areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration have been hit.

 Missile troops and artillery have hit 22 command posts, 207 strongholds, areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, as well as 3 ammunition depots during the day.

 Ukrainian army units and nationalist battalions are setting up powerful fortifications in large enterprises, including the chemical industry, at the orders of their US and UK handlers. The nationalists have been systematically firing MLRSs in Pervomaisk, Stakhanov and Kalinovo, thus provoking the Russian Armed Forces to retaliate in order to further accuse the Russian military of killing civilians and causing a man-made disaster in the republic.

 According to reliable information, the Ukrainian Security Service is planning provocations using chemical weapons in the settlements of Vysokopolie, Ivanovka, Knyazevka and Topolnoe in Kherson region, as well as in Apostolovo in Dnepropetrovsk region by 24:00 on May 6, 2022 to further accuse the Russian Armed Forces.

 The footage of Airborne Troops reconnaissance and assault groups and 152 mm Msta-S self-propelled artillery units during the special military operation has been published, as well as Iskander anti-aircraft missile system and the launch of Oniks and Kalibr missiles has been published.

 AFU soldier who laid down his arms described the good treatment he received from the Russian Armed Forces.

 Russian servicemen on the eve of Victory Day improved the memorial to Soviet soldiers in LPR.

 More than 2,400 children have been evacuated to Russia from dangerous areas of Ukraine and the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics. A total of 405 tonnes of basic necessities and food have been handed over to the population overnight. Russian servicemen delivered another humanitarian aid to Kharkov region.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine

@mod_russia_enjoy

WtR
 Flash

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed a Security Council statement in which the council "spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine."

"Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine. As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter," the UN chief said in a statement.

"I welcome this support and will continue to spare no effort to save lives, reduce suffering and find the path of peace," said the secretary-general.

Earlier in the day, the council released a statement expressing "deep concern" for the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.

"The Security Council recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means," said the statement.

"The Security Council expresses strong support for the efforts of the secretary-general in the search for a peaceful solution. The Security Council requests the secretary-general to brief the Security Council in due course after the adoption of the present statement," it said.

Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev last week.

The visits led to joint UN and International Committee of the Red Cross operations evacuating 500 civilians from Ukraine's port city of Mariupol and the besieged Azovstal steel plant in recent days.

A draft Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow's special military operation was vetoed by Russia on Feb. 25. The international community has been concerned about the unity of the council in regard to its attitude toward the Ukraine crisis ever since.




STATE OF NEW MEXICO

COUNTY OF BERNALILLO

SECOND JUDICIAL

DISTRICT

No. D-202-PB-2022-00314

IN THE MATTER OF THE

ESTATE OF JAYME MHOON, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Francisco Leger, Personal Representative of the Estate of Jayme Mhoon, Deceased, that all persons having claims against the Estate of Jayme Mhoon, Deceased, are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this Notice to Creditors or the claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented to the Personal Representative at the address below.

Dated: April 20, 2022

Personal Representative

Francisco Leger

c/o Elisabeth A. Millich, Esq.

Millich Law

1201 Lomas Blvd NW, Ste C

Albuquerque, NM 87102

/s/Elisabeth A. Millich

Elisabeth A. Millich, Esq.

Journal: April 23, 30, May 7, 2022
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

An Albuquerque man who pleaded guilty to beating his 5-year-old daughter to death with a shoe in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison.

Brandon Reynolds, 39, pleaded guilty April 28 to a charge of intentional child abuse resulting in the death of a child, according to the plea agreement.

Reynolds life sentence requires him to serve 30 years before he is eligible for parole, according to the 2nd Judicial District Court order, which was filed Thursday.

The sentencing comes three years after Albuquerque Fire Rescue was called to Reynolds apartment in the 1400 block of Amherst SE and found his daughter, Sarah Dubois-Gilbeau, unconscious and not breathing.

Police began investigating after firefighters found extensive bruising on the girls body. Sarah was pronounced dead at University of New Mexico Hospital on April 4, 2019.

Reynolds told police the day of the killing that he became triggered after the girl said she did not want to do homework, prosecutors said in court records.

He admitted striking Sarah with a water shoe all over her body, and said the spanking got so bad she wasnt mobile and her breathing and heartbeat became faint, prosecutors said.

There were apparently no warning signs before Sarahs death. He had no criminal history and no record of abuse with the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department.

Court records show that a judge awarded Reynolds custody of the girl in 2013 after her mother had tested positive for THC while breastfeeding. The child also tested positive for THC at birth.

During the custody battle, the mother wrote that Reynolds had PTSD, which causes him to not be able to handle or care for a child properly. She also argued that Reynolds has a history of abandoning the mother and that may follow through with the child.

However, a hearing officer concluded that Reynolds is the appropriate parent to care for the child, according to a 2013 report to a family court judge.

Father is able to provide the care for the child and has support of his family, the hearing officer wrote. The child is happy and well cared for.
Albuquerques Mariah Duran, an Olympic skateboarder last year for the American team, is getting more opportunities to run it back.

Duran on Friday was one of 16 athletes named to the national team to kick off the 2022 season. Skaters were selected by virtue of performances in international level competition during the previous year.

Duran has been a member of the American team each year since 2019, including Team USA in Tokyo for the debut of skateboarding as an Olympic sport in 2021. She finished 13th in the womens street competition.

Regarding the announcement, Duran said in a statement, I feel so blessed.  The progression in Tokyo was so great to see and be a member of Team USA, and in Paris I think the standard will be raised and the progression will continue to grow.

Paris is host of the 2024 Summer Games.

Duran is a back-to-back Womens Street X Games gold medalist. A hardflip at the first womens Street League contest is said to be what put her on the map.

She is regarded as the face of adidas Olympics/skateboarding initiatives with a style regarded as super technical.

She is known for skating big stair sets and rails with finesse, ease and power.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The state Department of Public Safety has reached a $175,000 settlement resolving a whistleblower lawsuit filed by an officer who had been assigned to the security detail of then-Gov. Susana Martinez.

In the suit, plaintiff Tony Fetty had leveled a series of allegations about a fellow agents gambling debt, a personal relationship between the governor and the agent, and an emotional episode involving another member of the security detail who had threatened to drink bleach.

Fetty also accused the state of retaliating against him after he reported his concerns and of discriminating against him  allegations the Department of Public Safety denied.

As part of the settlement signed last month, the state agreed to pay Fetty $175,000 and provide a neutral job reference for him.

In return, he dropped the lawsuit and acknowledged that he would be barred from future employment at the Department of Public Safety.

The settlement was disclosed on New Mexicos transparency website.

The Journal wasnt able to reach a spokeswoman for Martinez on Friday. But in response to similar allegations in another legal claim, a spokesperson for her called the allegations ridiculous and completely removed from the truth.

The eye-opening suit filed by Fetty in 2019 made a series of allegations about the inner-workings of the security protection detail assigned to then-Gov. Martinez and the first gentleman, Chuck Franco.

The unit usually had about 10 plain clothes agents, Fettys suit said, and it provided around-the-clock coverage for Martinez at the Governors Residence in Santa Fe, the Capitol and other locations.

Martinez, a Republican, served eight years as governor, ending in 2018.

Fetty, already a State Police officer, joined the detail in 2012 and served there for about six years before returning to uniformed patrol. Among the allegations in his suit:

 An agent in the detail, Ruben Maynes, borrowed about $16,500 from Fetty after confiding that he had amassed debt due to gambling, hunting permits, business ventures and other activity.

The lawsuit also accuses Maynes of gambling while on duty and says Gov. Martinez had loaned him money to help with his debts.

Maynes received special treatment from the state, the suit says. In 2015, he secured a state settlement of $200,000, according to the lawsuit, after which he was to repay Fetty, Martinez and others.

The settlement came after Maynes had made his own legal claims of discrimination and retaliation. The Journal wasnt able to reach Maynes attorney Friday.

 Franco, the first gentleman, told officers in the security detail that he suspected the governor was having a relationship with Maynes. Franco said he was moving out of the Governors Residence and going back to his home in Las Cruces.

The state specifically denied these allegations in its response to the suit.

 Another agent in the security detail had an emotional or mental health episode in Washington, D.C., that resulted in police there reaching out to New Mexico State Police.

The suit alleges the incident involved the officer threatening self-harm and saying maybe I should just drink this bottle of bleach or cut my wrist.

Fetty said the matter was a potential safety issue for the detail but that he was ordered not to discuss it.

In its response, the state denied that the officer had a mental health episode or that Fetty was ordered not to discuss it.

Settlement of the Fetty lawsuit comes after the state in 2019 disclosed a series of other settlements involving claims against the Department of Public Safety. The agreements included a $1 million settlement reached in the final days of the Martinez administration to resolve claims against DPS for gender discrimination, harassment and whistleblowing.

Public debate over the settlements  one of which had a provision calling for it to remain confidential for years  helped prompt a change in state policy. In 2019, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration began publishing settlements online automatically rather than disclosing them only in response to specific requests.

Bipartisan legislation adopted in 2020 also eliminated a 180-day waiting period for the disclosure of settlements.
HAVANA  Relatives of the missing in Cubas capital desperately searched Saturday for victims of an explosion at one of Havanas most luxurious hotels that killed at least 27 people. They checked the morgue, hospitals and if unsuccessful, they returned to the partially collapsed Hotel Saratoga, where rescuers used dogs to hunt for survivors.

A natural gas leak was the apparent cause of Fridays blast at the 96-room hotel. The 19th-century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood did not have any guests at the time because it was undergoing renovations ahead of a planned Tuesday reopening after being closed for two years during the pandemic.

On Saturday evening, Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, raised the death toll to 27 with 81 people injured. The dead included four children and a pregnant woman. Spains President Pedro Sanchez said via Twitter that a Spanish tourist was among the dead and that another Spaniard was seriously injured.

Cuban authorities confirmed the tourists death and said her partner was injured. They were not staying at the hotel. Tourism Minister Dalila Gonzalez said a Cuban-American tourist was also injured.

Representatives of Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA, which owns the hotel, said during a news conference Saturday that 51 workers had been inside the hotel at the time, as well as two people working on renovations. Of those, 11 were killed, 13 remained missing and six were hospitalized.

Gonzalez said the cause of the blast was still under investigation, but a large crane hoisted a charred gas tanker from the hotels rubble early Saturday.

Search and rescue teams worked through the night and into Saturday, using ladders to descend through the rubble and twisted metal into the hotels basement as heavy machinery gingerly moved away piles of the buildings facade to allow access. Above, chunks of drywall dangled from wires, desks sat seemingly undisturbed inches from the void where the front of the building cleaved away.

At least one survivor was found early Saturday in the shattered ruins, and rescuers using search dogs clambered over huge chunks of concrete looking for more. Relatives of missing people remained at the site while others gathered at hospitals where the injured were being treated.

A desperate Yatmara Cobas stood outside the perimeter waiting for word of her daughter, 27-year-old housekeeper Shaidis Cobas.

My daughter is in the Saratoga; shes been there since 8 a.m. (Friday), and at this time I dont know anything about her, Cobas said. Shes not at the morgue, shes not in the hospital. The mother said she had gone everywhere seeking answers from authorities, but coming up empty.

Im tired of the lies, she said.

Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata said Saturday evening that 19 families have reported loved ones missing and that rescue efforts would continue.

Lt. Col. Enrique Pena briefed Comandante Ramiro Valdes, who fought alongside Fidel Castro, on the search efforts at the site. Pena said the presence of people had been detected on the first floor and in the basement and four teams of search dogs and handlers were working. He did not know if the victims were alive or dead.

I dont want to move from here, Cristina Avellar told The Associated Press near the hotel.

Avellar was waiting for news of Odalys Barrera, a 57-year-old cashier who has worked at the hotel for five years. She is the godmother of Barreras daughters and considers her like a sister.

Neighbors were still in shock a day after the explosion.

I thought it was a bomb, said Guillermo Madan, a 73-year-old retiree, who lives just meters from the building, but was not injured. The three-decade resident of the neighborhood was cooking and watching television when he heard the blast. My room moved from here to there. My neighbors window broke, the plates, everything.

Katerine Marrero, 31, was shopping at the time. I left the store, I felt the explosion, she said. Everyone started to run.

The explosion is another blow to the countrys crucial tourism industry.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic kept tourists away from Cuba, the country was struggling with tightened sanctions imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and kept in place the Biden administration. Those limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the U.S. to their families in Cuba.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine deflated a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated.

The emblematic hotel had a stunning view of Cubas center, including the domed Capitol building about 110 yards (100 meters) away. The Capitol suffered broken glass and damaged masonry from the explosion.

The hotel was renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban governments revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban militarys tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not respond to an email from the AP seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

In the past, the Hotel Saratoga has been used by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there in 2013.

Garcia Zapata said structures adjacent to the hotel were being evaluated, including two badly damaged apartment buildings. Diaz-Canel said families in affected buildings had been transferred to safer locations.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador arrived in Havana for a visit late Saturday. He was scheduled to meet with Diaz Canel Sunday morning and return to Mexico Sunday night.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Afghanistans Taliban rulers on Saturday ordered all Afghan women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public  a sharp, hard-line pivot that confirmed the worst fears of rights activists and was bound to further complicate Taliban dealings with an already distrustful international community.

The decree says that women should leave the home only when necessary, and that male relatives would face punishment  starting with a summons and escalating up to court hearings and jail time  for womens dress code violations.

It was the latest in a series of repressive edicts issued by the Taliban leadership, not all of which have been implemented. Last month, for example, the Taliban forbade women to travel alone, but after a day of opposition, that has since been silently ignored.

On Sunday in the capital, Kabul, many women on the street were wearing the same large shawls as before. Women also arrived unaccompanied at Kabul International Airport, while in the city women boarded small buses alone.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it was deeply concerned with what appeared to be a formal directive that would be implemented and enforced, adding that it would seek clarifications from the Taliban about the decision.

This decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans human rights, including those of women and girls, that had been provided to the international community by Taliban representatives during discussions and negotiations over the past decade, it said in a statement.

The decree, which calls for women to only show their eyes and recommends they wear the head-to-toe burqa, evoked similar restrictions on women during the Talibans previous rule between 1996 and 2001.

We want our sisters to live with dignity and safety, said Khalid Hanafi, acting minister for the Talibans vice and virtue ministry.

The Taliban previously decided against reopening schools to girls above grade 6, reneging on an earlier promise and opting to appease their hard-line base at the expense of further alienating the international community. But this decree does not have widespread support among a leadership thats divided between pragmatists and the hard-liners.

That decision disrupted efforts by the Taliban to win recognition from potential international donors at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

For all dignified Afghan women wearing Hijab is necessary and the best Hijab is chadori (the head-to-toe burqa) which is part of our tradition and is respectful, said Shir Mohammad, an official from the vice and virtue ministry in a statement.

Those women who are not too old or young must cover their face, except the eyes, he said. Islamic principles and Islamic ideology are more important to us than anything else.

Senior Afghanistan researcher Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch urged the international community to put coordinated pressure on the Taliban.

(It is) far past time for a serious and strategic response to the Talibans escalating assault on womens rights, she wrote on Twitter.

The Taliban were ousted in 2001 by a U.S.-led coalition for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and returned to power in the waning days of Americas chaotic departure last year.

The White House National Security Council condemned the Talibans Saturday decree and urged them to reverse it.

We are discussing this with other countries and partners. The legitimacy and support that the Taliban seeks from the international community depend entirely on their conduct, specifically their ability to back stated commitments with actions, it said in a statement.

Since taking power last August, the Taliban leadership has been squabbling among themselves as they struggle to transition from war to governing. It has pit hard-liners against the more pragmatic among them.

A spokeswoman from Pangea, an Italian non-governmental organization that has assisted women for years in Afghanistan, said the new decree would be particularly difficult for them to swallow since they had lived in relative freedom until the Taliban takeover.

In the last 20 years, they have had the awareness of human rights, and in the span of a few months have lost them, Silvia Redigolo said by telephone. Its dramatic to (now) have a life that doesnt exist.

Infuriating many Afghans is the knowledge that many of the Taliban of the younger generation, like Sirajuddin Haqqani, are educating their girls in Pakistan, while in Afghanistan women and girls have been targeted by their repressive edicts since taking power. Haqqani is a U.N.-designated terrorist and head of the Haqqani network, which has been blamed for some of the deadliest attacks during the 20-year U.S.-led invasion.

Girls have been banned from school beyond grade 6 in most of the country since the Talibans return. Universities opened earlier this year in much of the country, but since taking power the Taliban edicts have been erratic. While a handful of provinces continued to provide education to all, most provinces closed educational institutions for girls and women.

The religiously driven Taliban administration fears that going forward with enrolling girls beyond the the sixth grade could alienate their rural base, Hashmi said.

In Kabul, private schools and universities have operated uninterrupted.

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Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, Thomas Strong in Washington and Frances DEmilio in Rome contributed to this report
WASHINGTON  Is there a new American motto: In nothing we trust?

By lots of measures, most in the U.S. lack much confidence in large institutions and have for years. Congress? Two big thumbs down. The presidency? Ehh. Americans are also distrustful of big business, unions, public schools and organized religion. Indeed, they hold abysmal views of the functioning of democracy itself.

The Supreme Court has been something of an exception. The one branch of government not dependent on public opinion has traditionally enjoyed higher public esteem than the branches elected by the people. Its above-the-fray reputation, cultivated with exquisite care, once served it well.

Now the justices face a reckoning over the audacious leak of an early draft opinion that strikes down the constitutional right to abortion, an episode that has deepened suspicions that the high court, for all its decorum, is populated by politicians in robes.

Republican members of Congress are suggesting a sinister left-wing plot to derail the outcome of the final decision. Liberals are alleging machinations from the right to lock the justices into their preliminary vote. For all that speculation, neither side knows who leaked the draft to Politico and why.

Whats clear is that the affair has popped a deferential bubble around the court.

My confidence in the court has been rocked, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of the few Republican senators in favor of abortion rights, said with alarm. Vice President Kamala Harris accused the justices of mounting a direct assault on freedom if they vote as they signaled. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Trump-nominated justices of lying to Congress about their abortion views in their hearings.

Elected officials do not normally talk this way about the justices. But now, it seems, the jurists are fair game, just another contingent of power players in the Washington viper pit.

In contrast, after mounting a fierce legal fight to settle the implausibly close 2000 election, Democrat Al Gore held back his grievances about political taint on the court when it crushed his hopes in a decision that made Republican George W. Bush the president.

Gore didnt hesitate to accept the finality of this outcome, as much as he said he disagreed with it. The deferential bubble was evident. But that decision became seen as the modern starting point in the erosion of trust in the court.

In the years since, Democrats gutted the filibuster on one front to help them populate the lower federal courts with as many judges as possible, knowing they were setting a precedent that could bite them in the future.

Then Republicans did the same for Supreme Court nominees in the judicial equivalent of nuclear escalation.

And there was Donald Trump. During his presidency, Trump specialized in whats known by the political class as saying the quiet part out loud. This included his sizing up the judiciary as a political beast, made up of Democratic judges or Republican ones.

For the justices, who have long cloaked themselves in the notion that the politics ends once they ascend to the bench, it was a step too far when Trump accused Obama judges of standing in his way and otherwise disparaged judges he didnt like.

We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges, Chief Justice John Roberts said in an unusual statement rebuking Trumps comments. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.

Yet people in the United States, in recent times, have grown suspicious about judicial independence, with a strong majority believing justices should keep their political views out of their decisions but not even 1 in 5 polled believing they do an excellent or good job of that.

In 2020, Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett became the first justice in modern times to win confirmation without a single vote from the minority party. Shes aware of how that looks.

My goal today is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks, she told an audience in Louisville, Kentucky, in September at a center named for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who had engineered her fast confirmation. Barrett was one of five justices signaling a vote against Roe v. Wade in the leaked draft, Politico said.

As controversial as the Roe v. Wade decision affirming abortion rights was in 1973 and in the years since, it was not a ruling driven by partisanship. The vote was 7-2, with five of the justices in the majority nominated by Republican presidents.

Now, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal on the conservative-majority court, warns that a reversal in 50 years of abortion rights would shatter the idea that American justice is blind to partisanship or party.

Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts? she asked in a Mississippi abortion case in December. She said she thought it wouldnt survive that.

OUT OF SIGHT

Except when a monumental decision like this abortion one comes out, or when Congress is screening court nominees in its performative hearings, the Supreme Court works largely out of sight and out of mind. But in New York City, the leak got Sequoia Snyder thinking about the court. Is it just one more institution not to be trusted?

When you think about it, the power is not in the hands of the people, said Snyder, 22. We dont vote on that. The Electoral College  the popular vote is ignored. The police are not very regulated, kind of can do what they want with impunity.

Like every every facet of our society you go to, we dont really have the power or a voice. So I just think its crazy that nine people have the final say on like everything in the country and they can never lose their job. It just seems weird.

In Charleston, outside West Virginias only abortion clinic, Dennis Westover, a 72-year-old retired electrical engineer, sat in a lawn chair with an anti-abortion sign. He, too, sees weird doings from the court.

One side or the other did it for a political motive to stir up some kind of stink, he said of the leak. We human beings do what we do for whatever we think is a good reason.  What was the reason? It couldnt be a good one because you leaked Supreme Court privileged information.

TRUST DEFICIT

In an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll last month, only 18% of U.S. adults said they have a great deal of confidence in the Supreme Court. About 27% have hardly any confidence in it.

The high court has historically received better ratings than the other branches and that remains so. In the most recent poll, just 4% have a great deal of confidence in Congress; 51% have hardly any. And 36% have hardly any confidence in the executive branch.

Still, the courts standing has been deteriorating in recent years. The 2021 General Social Survey suggested confidence in the high court was among its lowest points in the last half century.

In September, a Gallup poll found 54% said those surveyed had at least a fair amount of confidence in the court, down from 67% in 2020. Only one other time in five decades has that confidence fallen below 60%.

The poor ratings of government couple with grim views of U.S. democracy and a disenchantment with the pillars of society almost everywhere you look.

Gallup has tracked public opinion of 14 core institutions across the spectrum  organized labor, the church, the media, the medical community among them  and found confidence in them sagging, with the share expressing high confidence never rising above 36% on average over 15 years. Only the military and small businesses get a resounding vote of confidence.

Overlaying everything is a sense that the very foundation of the republic is in trouble. In January, 53% said in an AP-NORC poll that democracy in the U.S. is not working well; only 8% thought it was working very or extremely well.

That state of affairs emanated from a 2020 election that saw Trump fight fiercely and futilely to reverse Democrat Joe Bidens clear White House victory. Trumps false allegations of a rigged election have resounded across the country as the two parties square off over state election laws in response.

In his effort to cling to power, though, Trump also confronted the limits of political influence in the judiciary as he and his campaign brought a battery of far-fetched legal challenges to courtrooms only to have them systematically fail.

Trump judges didnt save him.

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Associated Press writer Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
BUCHAREST, Romania  Jill Biden heard heartbreaking stories Saturday from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russias war and found safe haven in Romania, with one mother telling the U.S. first lady of a harrowing escape after being holed up in a cramped, cold basement with her traumatized 8-year-old daughter.

Reaching Romania was a game change for us, Svitlana Gollyak of Kharkiv, Ukraine, told Biden in her native language during the first ladys tour of a Bucharest public school hosting refugee children. Gollyak said her daughter feels much better here.  No more tears and she adapted very nicely.

Biden told Gollyak and the other women, I think mothers will do anything for their children, adding that they were amazingly strong and resilient.

Biden said her message to the families was we stand with you. During a craft activity, she watched as the children scrawled messages on paper cutouts of their hands. One young Ukrainian girl wrote, I want to return to my father. Biden later told reporters the girls words were heartbreaking.

The first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to refugees. At the school, the first lady  herself a teacher  saw how teachers are helping some of the approximately 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Really, in a lot of ways, the teachers are the glue that help these kids deal with their trauma and deal with the emotion and help give them a sense of normalcy, Biden said.

She added that she saw signs of hope for families who felt that there was some structure to their lives and they were getting supplies. They all realized how much money the United States has been giving to Ukraine and to the refugee situation and to Romania to support the refugees.

Most of the Ukrainians who have fled to Romania, mainly women and children, have moved on to other countries, but about 100,000 remain, officials said.

Earlier, Biden was briefed at the U.S. Embassy on the relief effort. Her visit to Eastern Europe comes as President Joe Biden is pressing Congress to pass an additional $33 billion in security and economic assistance for Ukraine.

Jill Biden called the show of solidarity amazing but also just the beginning. She said it was inspiring for Romanians to welcome all these refugees into their homes and offer them food and clothing and shelter and give them their hearts.

But she also cautioned that much more needs to be done by the U.S. and allies to assist Ukraine.

Were all hopeful, right, she told reporters. We wake up every morning and think this has to end but it still keeps going on and on.

About 7,000 Ukrainians cross the border and arrive in Romania daily, said Pablo Zapata, the Romanian representative for the U.N. refugee agency.

The United Nations, other agencies and the Romanian government are assisting refugees with food, shelter, education, health and mental health care, and counseling, among other services.

Biden asked specifically about the provision of mental health services and whether summer school was available to help refugee students catch up on their education. She said later that the whole world is seeing that we need more mental health assistance for the children and their parents.

The first lady is on the second day of a four-day trip to Romania and Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine, that is designed to showcase U.S. support for the refugees. Biden was scheduled to spend Sunday, Mothers Day, meeting with refugees in Slovakia and visiting a border village.

Biden had lunch with Romanias first lady, Carmen Iohannis, at her private residence. Iohannis, who accompanied Biden during the school visit, kept her job as an English teacher when her husband took office, just like Biden kept hers teaching at a Virginia community college.

The emotional thread to Bidens day continued after she arrived in Slovakias capital. At her first stop, she left flowers at a memorial dedicated to Jan Kuciak, a 26-year-old investigative journalist, and his fiancee, who were assassinated in 2018. The case triggered a political crisis and brought down the countrys government.

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.

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

Follow all AP stories on global migration https://apnews.com/hub/migration
RIO DE JANEIRO  It was dusk on April 14 when Francisco Kuruaya heard a boat approaching along the river near his village in Brazils Amazon rainforest. He assumed it was the regular delivery boat bringing gasoline for generators and outboard motors to remote settlements like his. Instead, what Kuruaya found was a barge dredging his peoples pristine river in search of gold.

Kuruaya had never seen a dredge operating in this area of the Xipaia peoples territory, let alone one this massive; it resembled a floating factory.

Kuruaya, 47, motored out to the barge, boarded it and confronted the gold miners. They responded in harsh voices and he retreated for fear they were armed. But so was he  with a phone  the first hed ever had. Back in his village Karimaa, his son Thaylewa Xipaia forwarded the photos of the mining boat to the tribes WhatsApp chat groups.

Guys, this is urgent! he said to fellow members of his tribe in an audio message The Associated Press has reviewed. Theres a barge here at Pigeons Island. Its huge and its destroying the whole island. My dad just went there and they almost took his phone.

Several days voyage away, in the nearest city of Altamira, Kuruayas daugher Juma Xipaia received the frantic messages. She recorded her own video with choked voice and watery eyes, warning that armed conflict was imminent  then uploaded it to social media.

In a matter of hours, word was out to the world.

The episode illustrates the advance of the internet into vast, remote rainforest areas that, until recently, had no means of quickly sharing visual evidence of environmental crime. A fast-expanding network of antennae is empowering Indigenous groups to use phones, video cameras and social media to galvanize the public and pressure authorities to respond swiftly to threats from gold miners, landgrabbers and loggers.

Until now Indigenous communities have relied on radio to transmit their distress calls. Environmental and Indigenous rights groups then relayed these to the media and the public. But the non-profits have been maligned by Brazils far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who advocates legalizing mining and land leasing in protected Indigenous territories. He has castigated the organizations as unreliable actors, out of touch with Indigenous peoples true desires and on the payroll of global environmental do-gooders.

Video and photos coming directly from Indigenous people are harder to dismiss and this is forcing authorities as well as the public to reckon with the reality on the ground.

When used properly, technology helps a lot in real-time monitoring and denouncing, said Nara Bare, head of the group Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon, in a telephone interview. The external pressure to make the federal government act in the Xipaia territory was very important. Technology has been the main tool for that.

Connectivity is not only enabling whistle-blowing on social media. Brazils Federal Prosecutors Office has set up a website to register reported crimes and receive uploaded visual material. Previously people in remote communities have had to make the long and expensive trip to the nearest city that has a federal prosecutors office.

Xipaia territory is part of a pristine rainforest area known as Terra do Meio (Middle Earth) that is dotted with dozens of Indigenous and traditional river communities. Internet connection there was rare until mid-2020, when a group of non-profits, including Health in Harmony and the Socio-Environmental Institute, financed installation of 17 antennae throughout the vast region.

Priority was given to communities with either health centers or market hubs for the production and sale of forest products, such as Brazil nuts. Signal can be painfully slow, especially on rainy days, yet it has connected people who were previously off the grid, and is enough for photos and videos to trickle out of the forest.

The strategy was to improve communication and avoid unnecessary trips to the city, said Marcelo Salazar, Health in Harmonys Brazil program coordinator. The internet makes it easier for health, education, and forest economy issues. Fighting environmental crime was an added benefit, he added.

Four out of five Xipaia communities are now connected. Karimaa, the village where the barge was first spotted, has had internet since July 2020. Just three days after installation, when a teenager injured his head, a city doctor was able to assess his condition using photos sent over WhatsApp. That avoided a costly, complicated medevac during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the case of the mining dredge marked the first time the Xipaia used the internet to protect their territory. In addition to sounding the alarm, four villages used WhatsApp to quickly organize a party of warriors to confront the miners. Painted with urucum, a local fruit that produces a red ink, and armed with bows, arrows and hunting rifles, they crammed into a small boat, according to Juma Xipaia. By the time they reached the location where the barge had been, however, it was gone.

Some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) to the west, in the Amazonian state of Rondonia, internet access enabled the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people to take classes in photography and video online so they could chronicle deforestation by landgrabbers. The three-day training in 2020 was held via Zoom.

That effort produced the documentary The Territory, which won awards at this years Sundance Film Festival, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival and others. Throughout its production, American director Alex Pritz relied on WhatsApp to communicate with his newly trained camera operators.

Tangaai Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau is a teacher-turned-cameraman who traveled to the Danish festival and later spoke with the AP via WhatsApp from his remote village. He said the film is changing peoples perception of Brazils indigenous people. In Copenhagen I received many questions. They knew about Brazils natural wonders, but didnt know about Indigenous peoples who fight for their territories.

Elsewhere in the Amazon, the internet has yet to arrive. So when illegal gold miners killed two Yanomami tribe members in June 2020, news of the crime took two weeks to arrive due to the areas remoteness. To avoid a repeat of that, Yanomami organizations have been seeking better connectivity. After Palimiu village along the Uraricoera River suffered a series of attacks committed by miners in May 2021, the Yanomami managed to install an antenna there. Since then, the violence has eased.

Bolsonaros repeated promises to legalize mining and other activities on Indigenous lands have fueled invasions of territories, which are often islands of forest amid sprawling ranches. Indigenous and environmental groups estimate there are some 20,000 illegal miners in Yanomami territory, which is roughly the size of Portugal. Bolsonaros government claims that there are 3,500.

Deforestation in Brazils Amazon surged 76% in 2021 compared to 2018, the year before Bolsonaro took office, according to official data from Brazils space agency, which uses satellites to monitor forest loss.

Most internet connections in the Amazon remain slow, even in mid-sized cities. That may soon change. Last November, Brazils Communications Minister Fabio Faria held a meeting with billionaire Elon Musk to discuss a partnership to improve connectivity in rural areas of the worlds largest tropical rainforest.

The communications ministry, however, says the talks have not evolved and no progress has been made. Musks company SpaceX did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Some worry that Indigenous groups like the Xipaia wont be the only beneficiaries of greater internet penetration in the Amazon region. Illegal miners often co-opt local Indigenous leaders, communicating surreptitiously on messaging apps. The conversations, sometimes aided by clandestine networks, can enable miners to hide heavy machinery, or tip them off to impending raids by authorities, allowing them to flee.

In Roraima state, which is where most of the Yanomami territory lies, the AP contacted one internet provider that offers wifi to an illegal gold mine for $2,600, plus $690 per month. Clandestine small craft fly the equipment in for installation.

Its a double-edged sword, said Salazar, of Health in Harmony, speaking of increased connectivity.

But for Juma Xipaia, the new connection means added protection and visibility for her people. After she posted her tearful video, it racked up views and was picked up by local and international media. Within two days, an airborne operation involving the Federal Police, the national guard and environmental agencies swooped in. They located the dredge hidden behind vegetation on the banks of the Iriri River with seven miners aboard.

In a country where environmental crime in the Amazon usually goes unchecked, the speedy, successful response underscored the power of Indigenous networks.

After making a lot of calls for help, I decided to do the video. Then it worked. The telephone didnt stop ringing, Juma Xipaia said by phone. It was very fast after the video.



Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Second in a series.

On May 23, the federal government is slated to revoke Title 42, which allows it to immediately deport to Mexico immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. due to the pandemic.

In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered secondary inspections by Texas Department of Public Safety on northbound cargo shipments into Texas, which is in addition to the routine inspections that Customs and Border Protection conduct on northbound commercial vehicles entering the U.S.

The effect was immediate, creating a crisis involving delays in shipments crossing the border, with trucks waiting up to 15 hours to cross and Mexican truckers blocking major ports of entry.

After approximately a week of delays, disruptions and finding no major stores of contraband or human cargo, Abbott met or communicated separately with the Mexican governors representing Mexicos northern states that border Texas. Press releases were issued with a general message that the Mexican governors had agreed to cooperate on security in shipments and illegal immigration, and Abbotts order was rescinded.

However, has this crisis really been put to bed, and what are the longer-term effects of Abbotts actions? Even though the Mexican governors agreed to cooperate with Texas on these trigger issues, much of the security efforts and cooperation that Abbott announced in his press conferences and releases to be implemented were already in place. Customs and Border Protection already conducts inspections using high-technology equipment and agent inspections on northbound shipments. They are efficient in doing their job and this is why Abbotts secondary inspections produced no major findings. Furthermore, public-private partnerships such as the Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism and Fast and Secure Trade allow CBP and companies in Mexico and the U.S. to keep away contraband and human cargo from their shipments.

Mexican border states have benefitted by attracting foreign companies that invest billions in the construction of production plants (generally referred to as maquiladoras), and the creation of jobs and supply chains in cities such as Juarez, Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa. This has helped transform economies, and allowed their citizens to help climb out of poverty. Therefore, Mexican border governors have had a long history of caring about security when maquiladoras ship their product into the U.S. Chihuahua Gov. Maria Eugenia Campos Galvan stated that her state previously has invested more than $200 million in high-profile technology such as drones, cameras and facial/license plate recognition to be able to track shipments from plants to the international border. In order to keep attracting foreign investment, Mexican border states have to be focused on security.

Even though Abbott rescinded his order a few weeks ago, companies are still playing catch-up with their logistics. Global supply chains were already strained before Abbotts actions, and a week of delays will be reflected in companies bottom lines. The Perryman Group, a Texas-based economic analysis group that studies the U.S.-Mexico border, estimates that the week of delays resulted in a daily loss to the U.S. GDP of $996.3 million, with Texas losing $470.3 million. Perryman estimated that the total loss for the week was $8.967 billion and the equivalent of 77,019 job-years for the U.S. A job-year is one person working for a year, but in this case, it is mostly multiple individuals working for shorter periods. It estimated that Texas lost $4.233 billion in gross product and 36,330 job years.

Weeks after Abbotts order was rescinded, the Santa Teresa Port of Entry in New Mexico, which was used during the crisis as reliever route for blocked El Paso ports, is still seeing higher than average commercial crossing numbers. This would indicate that some of the traffic that had intended to temporarily use Santa Teresa as a reliever route during the crisis is now inclined to permanently shift traffic to that port, or at a very minimum, to diversify their shipment routes to try to minimize delays and disruptions. Other shippers might still be angry at Abbott and are choosing not to cross in Texas. For the El Paso-Juarez-Santa Teresa region, the shift of some commercial traffic to Santa Teresa might actually be good for the region. Shifting more traffic to Santa Teresa decreases congestion and waiting times at El Paso ports of entry. Shorter crossing times at those ports are attractive to firms operating cross-border operations, and is an advantage in recruiting companies to the region in the future.

Finally, during the crisis, Abbott acknowledged that his actions caused delays and blockages. However, he stated that he didnt regret his actions and would be inclined to reinstate the inspections if his Mexican counterparts dont comply with their agreements. While it is possible that Abbott can do this again, it is improbable, as he received strong backlash from the trade community and even high-ranking members of his own political party. In the meantime, border interests are desperately trying to reestablish a sense of normalcy in cross-border logistics.

Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network.
RIO RANCHO  Theres hope for Rio Ranchoans who may be hooked on opioids and other substances to finally get help, right in their backyard.

Theyll now be able to visit Ideal Option, which has opened a new Rio Rancho location.

Ideal Option, which provides out-patient addiction treatment, arrived in New Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic, first establishing locations in Albuquerque, Farmington and Las Cruces.

The Rio Rancho location is at 111 NM 528, Suite 108. The clinic is open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Ideal Option primarily focuses on providing medications like Suboxone and coordinating with behavioral health organizations to arrange counseling services.

Essentially, we go where there seems to be a need.  Some (states) seem to be lacking some of those extensive resources, so we tend to go to states that we know theres enough of a population in need, Ideal Option Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Dawson said, adding Medicaid patients are prioritized.

According to the National Institutes of Health website, researchers observed an increase in substance abuse from the outset of the pandemic. Positive drug screens for substances like fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine increased. The likely factors NIH attributed the increase to include pandemic-related stress and social isolation.

When it comes to the Rio Rancho area, Dawson said Ideal Option saw a big increase in people using fentanyl in the form of pressed pills and counterfeit pills, as well as meth.

(Fentanyl) seems to be the primary opioid thats now flooding the markets in Rio Rancho and throughout New Mexico, Dawson said. Its often times much easier to transport, but its much more deadly. So, its creating a lot more problems.

Ideal Options methods for treatment depend on the substance.

For fentanyl and any other opioid, Ideal Option provides Suboxone. For meth, the facility provides certain anti-depressants to help people abstain. It also provides medication for those going through alcohol withdrawal.

We really do a thorough assessment when people come in on what substances theyre using. Then we can tailor their medications to provide the best treatment, Dawson said.

Ideal Options providers are trained to incorporate counseling for patients during their medication visits. For those who may need more extensive counseling, Dawson said they would be referred to behavioral health partners in the area.

Patients that engage in that counseling and out-patient treatment are more likely to be retained in treatment, stay in treatment longer and be more successful long term, Dawson said.

Although Ideal Option doesnt provide overnight in-patient treatment, Dawson said staff spends an hour or two with a patient to get them stabilized. Then they write medication prescriptions to help with the withdrawal process.

But it doesnt end there.

Well see people at least weekly, sometimes more frequently in the early periods when theyre unstable. We do regular drug testing so that patients know what drugs have been in their system and what theyre taking, Dawson said, adding testing is typically done every visit. We want to make sure that our patients are safe and that theyre aware of what drugs that theyre using, and were aware of the best ways to treat the substances that theyre being exposed to.
It was an eventful day for Diane Marsh of Estancia, as she was awarded a fellowship by the Jentel Artist Residency Program.

Jentel Arts is situated in a rural setting on a working cattle ranch in the Lower Piney Creek Valley, 20 miles southeast of Sheridan, Wyoming.

While Wyoming is a far cry from New Mexico, they both have beautiful sites to offer.

I am going to enjoy experiencing the cities of Buffalo and Sheridan, Wyoming, as they are very historic western cities, so that will be nice, Marsh said. Then, just being in a quiet place with a couple of other artists and getting some work done will be a nice change of pace.

Sheridan and Buffalo are 47 miles apart and straddle the Bighorn National Forest.

Marsh is among the award recipients focusing on their own creative projects at this working retreat for artists and writers. A panel of arts and literary professionals review samples of artwork and manuscripts before making final recommendations for residency awards.

You compete with a lot of people, and they have a panel that selects the winner, Marsh said. I just feel very lucky that I that I was able to get it. And Im going to be going to Wyoming in October for a month to work in their residency. And theyre provided with a house in the studio. Its quite spectacular to be in the middle of a big ranch in Wyoming. So Im looking forward to it.

Marsh is a contemporary mystic, whose love of wilderness and the beauty of the American West continue to guide in her life and art.

Oh, my goodness, I love the American West, Marsh said. Being in the West again and getting out of Wyoming is certainly a different landscape than here, so it will be really nice to experience Wyoming and being sort of under the mountains.

Throughout Marshs 45-year career, her artwork has focused on the creation of contemporary figurative paintings that explore ideas the human condition. After the birth of her only child in 1997, the paintings grew and Marsh began to wonder, what will we leave of our Earth for future generations?

She then began incorporating words, text, images of children, nature, prayer and additional images of the ethereal realms of memory, dreams and spirit into her work. Marsh says her paintings offer the vision of a spiritual path, the importance of connection with the natural world, and the encouragement to face lifes sorrows and suffering, to ultimately awaken in our hearts compassion for all life.

I have lived in New Mexico for a long time and in New York City for seven years, Marsh said. I am from the East Coast originally and I received a grant from the Russell artists-in-residence program when I was just 25 years old.

Though Marsh enjoys the East Coast, she was itching to return to the open roads.

After that grant, I was there for a year then went back to New York City for another few years and could not wait to return to the West, as the landscape and light here have impacted my work, Marsh said.

While the East has its perks, the West is the best for Marsh.

So its very important to me to be here and also to have that kind of expansive view that you get out in the West when youre out and land just opens up, Marsh said. Living with wilderness, communing with wildlife nature, it is all crucial to my work as my work is very much about the environment, children, the Earth, and what will leave for future generations.

The Jentel Artist Residency Program offers a beautiful place to work and achieve personal artistic goals. Residents enjoy interaction with peers and the extended community. For any artist in whatever media, protected time from the day-to-day necessities of living to examine and reflect upon work and the creative process is essential as a catalyst for artistic development. For more information, visit jentelarts.org.

I do not know if there are as many opportunities for artists here, but everybodys connected globally through the internet and Instagram and all kinds of ways, so you can live almost anywhere, Marsh said. I mean, there is just amazing artists all over as people are drawn to this state, because of the land and the mix of cultures is a beautiful thing here as well.
Homicide detectives are investigating after a man was found dead in an apartment in Nob Hill Saturday morning.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said around 8:30 a.m. officers were called to the Richmond Street Studios apartment complex on Richmond and Silver SE. When they arrived they found a man dead inside an apartment.

Homicide detectives were called to the scene and are conducting interviews, Gallegos said. He did not provide any other details on how the man died.
Knowledge Seminar by India Today was led by Kash Sree - Executive Creative Director / Writer presented the adverts that he worked on over his career that were undoubtedly avant-garde and ingenious!

Kash also stressed the importance of being data-informed and not data-driven, wherein ads and your communication need to contain relevant truths, truths in culture as well as personal truths

Through a Q&A with Rana Barua, Kash discussed the challenges of fragmented ideas and fragmented mediums and ways to counter them for the brand's benefit.
For my work in corporate social responsibility, I was recently reading The Great Transformation, Karl Polanyis critique of capitalism, when something he wrote gave me one of those really uncomfortable Aha moments.

Polanyi was discussing the alternatives to capitalism -- left socialism and right socialism (which we call Fascism). His point was that these two socialisms were created to undo the disruptions of capitalism which had privileged money power to degrade human sociality into atomic individualism driven by self-seeking greed.

When I read his observation that the Fascist phase of anti-capitalism brought about Irrational philosophies, racialist aesthetics, anti-capitalist demagogy, heterodox currency views, criticism of the party system, widespread disparagement of the regime, I thought How odd, that sounds just like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the postmodern Left.

So, I took a moment to do a quick scan of Polanyis criteria of a Fascist movement to see how well they embrace our postmodern Left.

I concluded that our postmodern Left meets each of Polanyis criteria:

Irrational philosophies: Postmodernism is an irrational will to power; intersectionality is irrationally prejudicial; toxic masculinity is irrationally prejudicial; destruction of a fetus when it can survive as a person outside the womb is an unbalanced application of the principle of human dignity. Racialist aesthetics: stigmatizing Whites or considering them morally deformed by White Privilege is a racialist aesthetic regarding human persons; blaming institutional racism for the achievement gap is racialist aesthetics at work in public education; Harvard created a special racialist aesthetics for Asians to denigrate their possible contributions to student life. Anti-capitalist demagogy: Green New Deal, Medicare for All, forgiveness of college debt, Woke Capitalism. Heterodox currency views: Modern Monetary Theory Criticism of the party system: privileging ideology with cancel culture Widespread disparagement of the regime: the narrative of Systemic White Racism; defund the police; the fervid anti-Trump Resistance using mainstream media, the CIA, the FBI, and a special prosecutor; setting up a purifying Ministry of Truth in the Department of Homeland Security, our modest version of a Ministry of State Security; abolishing the Electoral College, and packing the Supreme Court.

I investigated further, pulling out my copy of Mussolinis pamphlet The Doctrine of Fascism (1932), finding the 25-point program (1920) of the German Workers Party (which was soon renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party) and the 1919 Manifesto of Mussolinis new Fascist Party in Italy, to see how our progressive Left might align with the national socialist goals of that earlier era.

Perfectly, it seems.

The 1920 Program of the National Socialist German Workers Party demanded that the State nationalize all industries; arrange for a division of profits of all heavy industries; expand old-age welfare; create a healthy middle class and the contract directly with small firms; expropriate land for public use, abolish land taxes and prevent of all speculation in land, provide higher education for every capable and industrious German and subsequently give them leading positions, and elevate national health.

The 1919 Manifesto of the Italian Fasci of Combat (Mussolinis new party) demanded that the State provide Italians with: an eight-hour workday, a minimum wage, worker and union power to supervise industry; medical care; retirement at age 55; and impose a strong progressive tax on capital (including a partial expropriation of concentrated wealth).

Fascism thus proposed replacing the market with the national State. Mussolini said that The one who can resolve the contradictions of capitalism is the State. The National Socialist German Workers Party program demanded: For the execution of all of this we demand the formation of a strong central power in the Reich. Unlimited authority of the central parliament over the whole Reich and its organizations in general.

Similarly, the Green New Deal now proposes to give vast powers to our national government in Washington to solve all our problems.

The GND legislation, introduced in the United States House of Representatives on Feb 7, 2019, resolved that it is the duty of our federal government to: 1) create millions of good, high-wage jobs and ensure prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States, and, 2) secure for all people of the United States for generations to come (i) clean air and water; (ii) climate and community resiliency; (iii) healthy food; (iv) access to nature; and (v) a sustainable environment.

The New Green Deal further orders the federal government to provide all people of the United States with (i) high-quality health care; (ii) affordable, safe, and adequate housing; (iii) economic security; and (iv) clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food, and access to nature.

To better understand why todays postmodern Left follows a Fascist Socialism and not a Marxist one, we need to recall a little history. The 19th century brought forth two versions of socialism. Both sought to replace capitalist markets with the Community as decision-maker for all.

What both socialisms could not tolerate was freedom for individuals. Such freedom, they believed, was a burden and a curse. Freedom, they thought, only brought upon us hard work, unfair risk, and frequent loss.

Socialists however sought to end such harshness, remove such risks, and prevent hurt and disappointment by returning us to an Eden provided by the State as a caring god under their supervision.

The first socialists looked not to the state but to small communities where love of neighbor would replace business competition. Think Hippies, Woodstock, communes, the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco.

This utopian vision of idyllic harmony among people was challenged by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their Communist Manifesto of 1848, which promoted instead a hard-headed, scientific, socialism to win once and for all the global class war between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie and so bring about a return to Eden for humanity. Marxs ideal was: from each according to his ability; to each according to his needs.

Scientific Socialism (Marxism) looked to the workers as a single international community of righteous persons who would be given what they deserved. The Communist Manifesto ended famously: Workers of the World Unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. Marxs road to better lives for all would be built on international class warfare.

Utopian Socialists refused to accept Marxism. They evolved into Anarchists, Syndicalists, and the communards of the 1871 Paris Commune, opening the door to socialism as different local and national -- not international -- zones of production.

In this national Socialism, class war within the nation was rejected on principle as divisive and harmful to the community. Both capitalists and workers had to be integrated into a single communal regime. The State was therefore proposed as the manager of everyone and everything belonging to the community.

What national socialists then needed was identification of who belonged to the community to be protected and promoted. The Fascist parties of Europe easily turned to ethnicity and language as the basis of national community. The word in German was Volksgemeinschaft -- a peoples community. At the end of World War I, even Woodrow Wilson spoke of the self-determination of peoples.

Today our national socialists on the progressive Left define the American people as those who are marginalized, or, if they are not marginalized by virtue of their race, gender, or sexual preference, have nevertheless become woke. In Hillary Clintons words, the only proper members of the new American Volksgemeinschaft are those who are not deplorable -- who are not racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic.

Our postmodern Left seeks absolute regulatory power to care for the new American Volksgemeinschaft, to repress the deplorables and give power only to those who are woke. This duty is now being carried out by dedicated cadres of the movement on college campuses, in tenured faculties, in elementary schools, and on social media.

Again, our postmodern Left is following Fascist precedents. Mussolini promised that the Fascist State is an educator and promoter of spiritual life to make each person better in his or her character and faith. The State is to penetrate the will and the intelligence of the person, educating the person in civic virtues. The State is to be directed by Those who are the moral dictators of the country.

Both Mussolini and Hitler gave the national socialist state the power to censor and prevent wrong-thinking and wrong expression. Hitlers student followers created a blacklist of bad books and burned them. Hitler gave a speech declaring "merciless war" on bad cultural expression and degenerate art.

Since our postmodern Left does not yet control the State, it uses social and cultural powers to silence those who oppose it. Thus the panic and furious opposition to Elon Musk taking power over a principal instrument of social control -- Twitter.

Even the Democratic Partys attempt, executed by leaders of the CIA, FBI, and the Department of Justice, to take down Trump with the Steele Dossier and the Russia Collusion narrative had its Fascist precedent. In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote, "...in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility It would never come into [the heads of ordinary people] to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.

So, all things considered, is our postmodern Left just another Big Lie?

Image: Montecruz Foto
The United States has committed numerous Acts of War against Russia this year. This is not a value judgment. I make no claim here about whether the United States has acted wisely, or has acted with justification. I simply note it. And the world may now be tumbling into an interlocking cycle of escalation beyond control and foreseeable consequences, just as it did in 1914.

That the United States has committed Acts of War in no way justifies Russias actions; neither is it to say therefore that World War III and nuclear war have become inevitable, though Russian state media are openly speculating about the real risk of these. Countries often commit Acts of War against other countries, and no war breaks out when the offended party chooses for whatever reason not to respond. But they can respond, and that is the point here.

Iran committed an Act of War when it seized the 52 embassy hostages during Jimmy Carters presidency. This was an especially grievous and barbaric Act of War, because embassy officials are supposed to be sacrosanct. Even Nazi Germany and the USSR understood and respected that in 1941 when Germany attacked the USSR; despite the attack and the state of war, both sides dutifully and peacefully exchanged their respective embassy staffs. In this sense, Iran was even more barbaric than those two, and the United States would have been within its rights to seek a Declaration of War, though chose not to.

The United States committed an Act of War against Mexico with Operation Fast & Furious. The United States sent weapons to drug cartels who have established quasi-independent narco sub-states inside Mexico, in rebellion against the central government in Mexico City. Mexico would have been within its rights to declare war on the United States for this breach of its sovereignty, though it chose not to.

The American Acts of War against Russia come in two flavors: 1) economic sanctions, and 2) transfer of weapons and intelligence to a belligerent with whom Russia is at war.

The history of the lead-up to World War II shows both of these at work.

Economic Acts of War

Japan attacked the United States in 1941 despite the fact that America had never fired a shot at Japan, had never invaded any Japanese-held territory, and had never armed anybody Japan was fighting.

Japan attacked the United States purely for economic reasons. It attacked in response to American economic sanctions against Japan, which in turn were in response to Japans ongoing war in China. America had embargoed exports of oil, steel, and rubber to Japan, all vital war materials. To assure its continued access to these things, Japan felt it was forced to attack Southeast Asia and various islands in the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Knowing that this would draw the United States into war, Japan decided on pre-emptive attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippine Islands, and so began Americas participation in World War II.

Japan regard economic sanctions as Acts of War, and acted accordingly.

In the Atlantic Ocean, the United States committed numerous overt Acts of War against Nazi Germany, in violation of its own and Germanys neutrality.

Four days after Pearl Harbor, Adolf Hitler asked his Reichstag for a Declaration of War against the United States. Below are some of the purported violations of German neutrality committed by the United States which Hitler cited in his speech:

Lifting of the Neutrality Act enabling shipment of American weapons to nations at war with Germany;

Advising France on June 15, 1940 that the United States was willing to send weapons to France if France would agree not to lay down its own weapons against Germany;

Lend-Lease;

The shipment of 50 destroyers to England in exchange for basing rights in several English bases in the Western Hemisphere; later 20 PT boats were turned over to England;

The forced scuttling of several German merchant ships;

Impounding of German ships and nationals in American harbors;

The occupation of Greenland and Iceland, which were sovereign Danish territories;

On June 9 1941, September 29 and October 7 the US Navy depth-charged a German U-Boot off Greenland. A U-Boot torpedoed the USN destroyer Reuben James;

On November 6 the US Navy seized the German freighter Odenwald on the high seas and interned it and its crew inside the United States

All of these things the United States did against Germany  yet Adolf Hitler chose not to respond until the time of his own choosing.

In the current war, it is well-known that the United States and NATO have furnished Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of lethal weapons. In addition there are credible reports like this one which state that US intelligence has been able to track Russian generals whove been forced to travel to the front lines to direct the sagging fortunes of their units, and has given this intelligence to Ukrainian forces, which have killed them. And the May 6 edition of The New York Post reports that US intelligence enabled Ukraine to sink the Russian Black Sea flagship Moskva.

In the law, someone who assists an assassin is regarded as guilty as the assassin himself. Were Russia to choose to do so, it could definitely regard these and many other acts as so many Acts of War, and issue a formal Declaration of War.

Currently, Russian state media is openly speculating about the real possibility of nuclear war. The Daily Mail reported on April 28:

Margarita Simonyan, editor of state broadcaster RT and one of the Kremlin's highest-profile mouthpieces, declared on TV last night that the idea of Putin pressing the red button is 'more probable' than the idea that he will allow Russia to lose the war.

Two days before that, Fortune quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov:

The risk of nuclear war between Russia and the West is now "considerable," according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

There is an old English saying, In for a penny, in for a pound. Given that the United States has already committed Acts of War with no direct response from Russia, should not the United States continue doing more of the same  for example, extend a no-fly zone over Ukraine? After all, is not the goal a Ukrainian victory? And as long as Russias own borders arent violated, would Russia respond?

I dont know. I think nobody in the West, and maybe not even Putin himself, really knows.

Actually, the war has already been brought inside Russia. There have been numerous, massive explosions in Russian border cities like Belgorod and Kursk. And if Chechens could explode terrorist bombs inside Moskva and derail the Moskva  St. Petersburg express train, surely Ukraine could too.

The Guns of August and World War I happened because escalation toward World War I occurred with a life of its own. Nobody wanted World War I, but it happened anyway. Likewise, nobody today wants World War III, but history may repeat itself now, anyway.

Ed Ames sang what arguably could be the greatest song of the 20th century, Who Will Answer? He asked,
A priceless moment in history was just created by Speaker Pelosi.

Irony of ironies, the far-left World Socialist Web Site just called out the incredibly stupid and foolish statements she made on her April 30,2022 visit to Ukraine:

Over the weekend, Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives and second in the line of presidential succession, traveled in secret to the war zone of Kiev, Ukraine and pledged a commitment by the United States to ensure "victory" against Russia. Repeating the false premise that the United States' involvement in the war with Russia is about helping Ukraine, an embattled ally, Pelosi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, "Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done." She added, "We stand with Ukraine until victory is won."

In essence, the Democrat speaker of our one-party-rule country just pledged the full majesty and power of America to beating the Russians in Ukraine.

She bloviated and postured, committing us to another war, and sadly, she picked the same day on which, almost four decades ago, the Democrat-controlled Congress and Senate cut off funds for South Vietnam, and America lost our first war.

It did not take long this time for Democrat incompetence  inside a year this time instead of four decades  to lose us a second war, in the horrific fall of Afghanistan. Now the Biden administration and Democrat Congress have just set us up for our third loss, and this time, it took only a few months, not decades.

It is simple by the definitive and unequivocal words of Pelosi: "we stand with Ukraine until victory is won."

The speaker set an impossibly high bar for the U.S., and if the Russians brutally destroy Ukraine or even cease hostilities by negotiating a truce to achieve their initial war aims, they will have strategically and tactically beaten us.

The world, our European and Asian allies, and China will all take note. This is not good in this very dangerous time of potential nuclear war.

I do not need to historically virtue-signal like many cubicle commandoes talking tough about Russia, because in my national security career, I actually scrambled against Russian MiGs flown by Cuban pilots and ran President Reagan's Mobilization Planning and Requirements desk for strategic alert at the height of the Cold War.

As a Reagan appointee who fought as a Marine in Southeast Asia, I am struck by how the Democrat party now has gotten outflanked by insightful sanity and truth from socialists and the anti-war left. It is truly a strange time.

According to the WSWS:

Pelosi's pledge, coming just one week after similar assurances by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, amounts to an unlimited commitment of treasure and blood to the pursuit of sweeping, open-ended war aims that threaten to draw the United States into what Biden called "world war." What does "victory" in Ukraine mean? In the span of just one week, Biden, Austin and leading members of the president's political party have all given conflicting and irreconcilable answers as to what the United States is trying to achieve in Eastern Europe. On one hand, Biden claimed that it is "not true" that the United States is engaged in a proxy war with Russia. On the other, Austin said at a press conference in Poland last week that the United States is seeking to "weaken" Russia. The New York Times has raised the prospect of "bringing Russia to its knees," while former US Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges called for "breaking the back" of Russia. To which of these goals is Pelosi committing the United States? If one accepts Pelosi's statements in the most limited and most literal sense, they mean that the United States will assist Ukraine in achieving its military aims in regard to Russia. But Ukraine's own military goals, developed in close cooperation with US military planners, are sweeping.

Fortunately, America caught a break, since it was one-party rule that created this nasty, illogical, and dangerous situation. Now with the high probability of what is being called a midterm "Red Wave" portending Republican control of the House and possibly the Senate, with Republicans in charge, I pray that many "R" combat veterans are soon elected.

Such stupid, incoherent, and very public babbling of the Biden administration national security defense posture can be turned around.

Compounding the irony is that perhaps even anti-war socialists, along with those who sang the refrain from my first war in Vietnam  "all we are saying is give peace a chance"  will vote Republican. Yikes  Hell meets cold day, but possible.

However, it always has to be noted that veterans are not monolithic in thought or deed. They will be Republicans, Democrats, and independents, as seen by the distinguished combat veteran and Democrat Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, who, in full support of the speaker, also declared: "The United States of America is in this to win, and we will stand with Ukraine until victory is won."

Congressman Crow hopefully is the exception, because often, regardless of party, many a combat-hardened man or woman will with well earned credibility go to great lengths to avoid war without signaling weakness. I hope many, many of those courageous veterans are elected.

Image: Screen shot from Hindustan Times video via YouTube.
According to the non-profit Tikvah Fund, the New York Museum of Jewish Heritage has banned Florida's governor Ron DeSantis from the museum, per an editorial in the Wall Street Journal.

Tikvah, a "Jewish educational and cultural institution whose main activity in America is teaching young Jews about Jewish history and civilization," had planned to have DeSantis to speak at their conference to "discuss how the 'Florida model' has contributed to the growth and vitality of Jewish life" in Florida.

Instead, they were told that "DeSantis didn't 'align with the museum's values and its message of inclusivity.'" Conference leaders were told that either the governor could be disinvited, or the event would not be welcome at the museum, according to the editorial. The organization claims it was told by the CEO told that the museum doesn't "do politics ... whether left or right."

Yet this claim is factually inaccurate. The organization has hosted other politicians, including then-governor Andrew Cuomo and then-mayor Bill de Blasio, as well as Democratic rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was a speaker there in 2018. Senator Charles Schumer spoke there in 2019.

What none of these politicians is, however, is Republican.

A letter to the museum by Joseph Borelli, the minority leader of the New York City Council and New York City Council member Inna Vernikov, a member of the Jewish Caucus of the City Council, noted that "[a]s a museum devoted to teaching the world about the horrors of the Holocaust, MJH is an institution with a deep understanding of the dangers of political censorship."

They noted shock that the museum was "engaging in a form of 'cancel culture,' prohibiting Florida Governor DeSantis, a duly elected government official representing 21 million people, including more than half a million Jews, from attending a Jewish Leadership Conference at the museum."

Borelli and Vernikov further note that "choosing to refuse entry to members of one specific political party is, in fact, playing politics. Matters such as the Holocaust should not be used as tools to promote a political agenda. The lessons of the Holocaust are innumerable, but one of the most critical ones is this: intolerance in any form, breeds hostility, suppression, and ultimately discrimination. For a museum that aims to educate against these exact evils, [we] urge a swift reconsideration of the intolerant practice of banning a Republican Governor for simply holding differing viewpoints."

Rightfully, these New York City Council members note that if this museum does not renounce this decision, they will urge others to stop financially supporting the institution.

Do donors to the Museum of Jewish History believe that only Democrats should be allowed to speak? Or will New York's Governor Kathy Hochul similarly be banned from New York's Museum of Jewish History?

Tonight, Governor DeSantis's office issued a statement saying, "Governor DeSantis has always been a steadfast friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel," praising the editorial by Abrams and Cohen regarding the "remarkable Jewish renaissance" happening in Florida under his leadership, and saying, "We hope that this is all a misunderstanding, and the museum leadership will rectify the situation, because a Holocaust memorial should never be politicized."

This decision must immediately be rescinded. Or Democrat New York politicians must also be banned from the grounds.

Freedom of speech isn't limited to Democrats. A call for comment to the New York Museum of Jewish Heritage was not returned.

Ronn Torossian is a New York Citybased entrepreneur.

Image: Museum of Jewish Heritage.
As if we didn't need yet another government agency in this age of behemoth federal spending, the Biden administration has saddled the U.S. with a new one, the Office of Environmental Justice. The $1.4 million monstrosity will be buried within the U.S. Department of Justice under the authority of U.S. associate attorney general, Vanita Gupta, who set up the new bureaucracy-enforcer arm. It will be headed by one Cynthia M. Ferguson, whose title is acting director. And you can bet it's going to be a problem.

According to the Washington Examiner:

The Justice Department is launching a new Office of Environmental Justice, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Thursday, which will seek to redress health risks from climate change faced by minorities and low-income people in the United States. Although violations of our environmental laws can happen anywhere, communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income communities often bear the brunt of the harm caused by environmental crime, pollution, and climate change, Garland said at a news conference on Thursday. For far too long, these communities have faced barriers to accessing the justice they deserve, Garland said, adding that the Justice Department will prioritize the cases that will have the greatest impact on the communities most overburdened by environmental harm.

Which sounds like a shakedown operation. We already know that activist groups have conspired with the Environmental Protection Agency for millions in payouts as well as the 'right' to write regulations themselves in exchange for not protesting the agency. We saw the details of that scandal in the late Obama years, after President Trump's officials came to power and put a stop to it. Remember this?

In fulfilling his promise to end the practice of regulation through litigation that has harmed the American public, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt issued an agency-wide directive Oct. 16 designed to end sue and settle practices within the agency. Sue and settle refers to the practice of special interest groups filing suit against federal agencies with the two parties coming to an agreement outside of the normal rule-making process. These settlement agreements are negotiated behind closed doors with no participation from the public or affected parties.

...and...

For example, between 2009 and 2012, EPA chose not to defend itself in over 60 lawsuits from special interest advocacy groups. These cases resulted in settlement agreements and EPA publishing more than 100 new regulations  including the recent Clean Power Plan. The days of regulation through litigation are over, Pruitt said in a press release. We will no longer go behind closed doors and use consent decrees and settlement agreements to resolve lawsuits filed against the agency by special interest groups where doing so would circumvent the regulatory process set forth by Congress. Additionally, gone are the days of routinely paying tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys fees to these groups with which we swiftly settle.

This new agency may well be a similar shakedown operation where job-creators in minority neighborhoods will be targeted for massive fines over "environmental violations" like someone picking up an eagle feather or filling in a fetid rain pool as a wetlands violation), after activists with private grievances target them, bankrupting the companies and leaving the remaining poor neighborhoods in the wake investment-free wastelands. Imagine all the Black Lives Matter activists who will step forward with grievances, looking for a Malibu mansion of their own. Residents of the stripped neighborhoods, of course, would become fully dependent on government handouts as a result, which is probably the idea.

The set-up of this phony-problem agency follows from the Biden administration's bid to set up a speech regulator at the Department of Homeland Security, in its Disinformation Governance Board, which has ballooned into a disaster for them, according to Politico:

It started the way all Washingtons spiciest scandals start  with a departmental working group. Over just a few days last week, the creation of a new board in the Department of Homeland Security generated an outcry on the right, from genteel retiring lawmakers to the loudest hosts on Fox News. It found its way to congressional Republicans oversight to-do lists. The secretary of Homeland Security was forced to address the allegations on multiple Sunday shows. And the boards new executive director went very, very viral.

The latter was the freakish Nina Jankowicz, who spewed out a TikTok video of herself singing as Mary Poppins singing her own version of "Supercalifragiliciousexpialadocius" to denounce Republicans who question the validity of the 2020 election and various COVID arguments, which she distorted.

This one absolutely has to go into the 2022 Time Capsule. #MinistryOfTruth pic.twitter.com/gww1JncUZW  James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) April 29, 2022

Jankowicz also was a big fan of the Steele dossier on the side, and declared parents' groups objecting at school board meetings to the teaching of critical race theory nothing but "for profit" operations.

Speaking of disinformation...

Now we have the Office of Environmental Justice, which is likely to have the same kind of overweening government agenda, nominally claimed as this:

The Strategy is grounded in four core principles, which direct Department attorneys to: (1) prioritize cases that will reduce public health and environmental harms to overburdened and underserved communities; (2) make strategic use of all available tools to address environmental justice concerns; (3) meaningfully engage with impacted communities; and (4) be transparent about environmental justice efforts, as well as the results of those efforts. As we work to advance environmental justice, the Justice Department through the Office of Environmental Justice will look to strengthen our partnerships with community advocates and other stakeholders. We look forward to your input and engagement, to make this Strategy a living document that guides DOJs enforcement efforts.

This time, the Bidenites were careful about whom they chose to head the operation. Acting director Ferguson, unlike Jankowicz, seems to be a nonentity, and may have a very scrubbed Google history. She doesn't even have an official government photo out there.

Her boss, though, the person who set the office up, according to DOJ, and undoubtedly, the one who will likely really run it, is Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who is more the Jankowicz type.

Like Jankowicz, she's a big fan of more censorship on Facebook. She's big on defunding the police, leaving minority neighborhoods without protection while rich enclaves would be free to stick to their paid security. This, despite some later denials of the facts. She also wanted to deny any police presence to the schools, which of course, has led to scenes like these in minority-dominant schools. She's denounced any refusal to let men into women's bathrooms as un-American. She's demanded that the FBI enforce hate-crime quotas on local police departments -- if there aren't enough hate-crime charges made, she's coming after them. She's thrown out junk lawsuits against the State of Georgia to stop its popular newly passed electoral integrity laws, claiming racism. She's lawsuited the state of Texas as an NGO lawyer to stop its bid to end sanctuary states, and denounced any bid to deport an illegal alien for committing crimes against Americans. She declared the 2020 Republican National Convention "three days of racism, xenophobia, and outrageous lies" on Twitter, and at an earlier interval demanded that a Republican judicial nominee who made mean tweets in college be disqualified from a top court, and got what she wanted. However, she insisted on a different treatment for herself after being caught doing the same thing.

She's quite the character.

And more to the point, she's made it a habit to pay off Black Lives Matter activists, even after they burned down parts of the capital. With Vanita around, who says crime doesn't pay?

So now we have Gupta's little pawn running this Office of Environmental Justice as a tenuous "acting" director who can be booted at any time, with Gupta the overseer. It seems the Black Lives Matter activists just can't be paid off enough. You can bet this office will become a nexus for corruption, money-flinging, and scandal.

Image: Wikipedia / public domain
A couple of days ago, it was announced that Karin Jean-Pierre will take over as White House press secretary from next Friday, the 13th.

Democrats usually celebrate when even a solitary "diversity" criterion is satisfied. Barack Obama was celebrated for being just the first black president. The celebrations hit the next level when an additional factor was satisfied. Kamala Harris and Ketanji Brown Jackson were celebrated for being female and black.



Psaki introduces her successor, May 5, 2022. (YouTube screen grab).

But this time, not one or two, but three criteria were satisfied. Jean-Pierre just happens to be female, black, and from the LGTBQ community.

It must be remembered that when the Democrats boast about inclusion and diversity, their focus is solely on the attributes such as race, sex, and sexual orientation, which are by virtue of birth or sexuality. Never is any diversity of thoughts and ideas tolerated; total conformity is mandatory to join this club.

Every news report about Jean-Pierre's appointment came with information about her race and sexual orientation. What receives scant mention is her education and her career.

She grew up in a New York Haitian working-class neighborhood. Her father was a taxi driver and her mother a health care worker. Yet she obtained a B.S. from the New York Institute of Technology and her master's from Columbia University.

Her personal life had its share of challenges with her family initially not being accepting of her sexuality, which she says caused her to attempt suicide.

Despite her struggles, she managed to work her way up the Democrat hierarchy. She worked in far-left advocacy groups such as MoveOn.org and the ACLU and liberal media houses such as MSNBC and NBC.

She was a key political director in the Obama administration. Prior to joining the White House press team, she was chief of staff to Kamala Harris. Next week she becomes the White House press secretary.

She is a hardcore Democrat who subscribes to the groupthink and frequently wallows in victimhood.

But there is a positive message for minorities here: education and work experience are the sole way to upliftment.

The fact that the Democrats and the media chose to focus on her race and sexual orientation and not so much on her education and career shows where the party is today.

They celebrate only those attributes that can be turned into victimhood, that can eventually be used to silence critics. Education and achievements comes in a distance second place.

However, there is a major concern with Jean-Pierre's appointment, which few in the media have focused on, obviously.

The media coverage celebrated Jean-Pierre's sexual orientation, but there was scant mention of her domestic partner.

Why?

Because she happens to be prominent CNN reporter Suzanne Malveaux.

A White House press secretary in a long-term relationship with a prominent media personality is a blatant case of conflict of interest in both appearance and substance. It is blatantly unethical of the White House to offer Jean-Pierre the job, and it was unethical of her to accept the position.

But ethics and morals have no place in the world of Democrats.

If conflict of interest really mattered to the Democrats, Hunter Biden's myriad shady business ties in foreign countries would have prevented Joe Biden from having a career in public service.

CNN's record on such matters isn't exactly stellar. Now-axed CNN host Chris Cuomo had his brother Andrew on his show quite regularly while they indulged in brotherly banter, and nobody at CNN objected. It was eventually revealed that Chris was advising his brother, then-governor Andrew Cuomo, on how to deal with his sex scandals while working at CNN.

With Jean-Pierre, the situation is likely to be similar.

The reason Jean-Pierre's links with the media haven't been mentioned even in some right-leaning media is that the Democrats' news media ties are now accepted as obvious. In fact, it would be erroneous to regard the mainstream media as an independent body influenced by the Democrats. The current mainstream media should be thought of as a department or a wing within the Democrat party.

This explains why the persons in the mainstream media have identical views, despite working in different outlets. It's not only the views, but even the phraseology to describe occurrences that is often identical. Words such as "collusion," "insurrection," "post-truth," and "Alt-Right" weren't just a coincidence. An adept wordsmith among the Democrats dictated these words, and the media assiduously used them so frequently that even Republicans, at times unknowingly, use these terms.

The CNN-Cuomo scandal was nothing out of the ordinary. The reason action was taken is that their display was brazen, and most importantly, the Democrat leadership wanted Andrew Cuomo out.

The corruption and malpractice in the media are so widespread the link between Jean-Pierre and CNN reporter Suzanne Malveaux may not even matter. Jean-Pierre is merely a cog in the vast machinery.

Will Malveaux leak information to Jean-Pierre to make her work easier?

Leaks are required only when there is an adversarial relationship or a distance between the establishment and the media. CNN's function is to make the Democrats look good. Jean-Pierre will not need to rely on leaks from her partner because she will get all the information she needs from each and every mainstream media outlet without challenge. In fact, the information will be provided even if it isn't requested, as in inter-departmental communications.

It is most unfortunate that matters have deteriorated to such an extent that this link between the White House and the media is not a major issue.

As a news consumer, you have to continue to presume every word emanating from both Jean-Pierre and the news media to be false until proven true.
The New York Post reports that former president George W. Bush called Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky "the Winston Churchill of our time." Bush spoke to Zelensky on May 5, 2022 via videoconference. Then, on Instagram, Bush posted that he thanked Zelensky for "his leadership, his example, and his commitment to liberty." Bush also said, "We will continue to stand with Ukrainians as they stand up for their freedom."

One would think after that the debacles in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush would be a little more humble when he talks about war.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks on America, Bush gave some stirring, Churchillian speeches to Congress and the American people. He portrayed the struggle against al-Qaeda and their sponsors as an existential battle of good versus evil. And he told the world that you were either with the United States in this struggle or against us. He then waged war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and waged war in Iraq based on intelligence that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction and was associated with Islamic terrorists.

Initially, both wars went well, as American forces hunted down al-Qaeda terrorists and attacked their Taliban hosts in Afghanistan and toppled Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq. But soon thereafter, things started going awry. Instead of finding Afghan and Iraqi "strongmen" to impose order and stability in those countries, as, for example, Eisenhower did in Iran and Guatemala in the 1950s, and Nixon did in Chile in the 1970s, Bush acted more like the Kennedy brothers in South Vietnam (who supported the coup against Diem) by sacrificing stability and order for the promise of Western-style democracy. It didn't work in Vietnam, and it didn't work in Afghanistan or Iraq. Bush soon transformed the Global War on Terror into a crusade to spread democracy  a crusade that lasted twenty years and failed miserably, as most crusades do.

As the insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq grew in size and deadliness, Bush resembled not the Churchill of the Second World War, but instead the Churchill of the Dardanelles campaign in the First World War, when, after it became clear to almost everyone in the British government that the attempt to force the Dardanelles and take the Gallipoli peninsula was too costly in men and treasure and doomed to failure, Churchill poured more materiel and men into the meat-grinder to no positive effect.

Zelensky is also not the Churchill of the Second World War. The struggle in Ukraine will not decide the fate of Western civilization the way the struggle against Hitler did. But by portraying it as such, Bush has sided with those in our country who want America and NATO to get more deeply involved in the war, which would heighten the already serious risk that the war will widen to engulf all of Europe and beyond, especially if the nuclear threshold is crossed.

We are in very dangerous times. The last thing we need is a former president who botched two wars, and who thought it wise to bring Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia into NATO, and who offered NATO membership to Georgia and Ukraine, giving us advice about the current war and cheerleading for Zelensky. Hasn't he done enough harm already?

Image: CBS Sunday Morning via YouTube.
Fear is spreading across Eastern Europe that Russian president Vladimir Putin will extend his invasion of Ukraine into Moldova. Like Ukraine, Moldova is a previous state of the Soviet Union that is not a part of NATO. Moldova and Ukraine share a border with Transnistria, Moldovan territory in which Russian-backed separatists hold power. The international community does not consider Transnistria an independent state.

On April 25, explosions were reported in Transnistria. Transinstrian officials in the capital of Tiraspol claimed that the attack was directed at the state's security headquarters and radio stations used to broadcast Russian transmissions. Although no responsibility has been taken for the attacks, pro-Russian separatists claim Ukraine's involvement. At the same time, the governments of Moldova blame the separatists in Transnistria for destabilization.

Russian military commander Rustam Minnekayev recently stated that taking over southern Ukraine would give Russia access to Transnistria. This statement reveals Russia's military objectives to seize more land as it continues its battle in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Vladimir Ashurkov, an aide to Putin opposition leader Alexi Navalny and director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, told Business Insider, "To think whether Putin is capable of pushing the attacks over to Transnistria and Moldova, etc.  if he can he probably will." "It's not off the table that things like that can happen."

Moldova's President Maia Sandu issued a statement after the recent attacks: "We condemn any challenges and attempts to lure the Republic of Moldova into actions that could jeopardize peace in the country." Moldova has been a destination for Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the war. The Moldovan government has criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine while also submitting a proposal to enter the European Union but has declined to join NATO.

The Royal United Services Institute released a report detailing Russian spy programs working toward overthrowing Moldova's government and bringing Ukrainian forces on the southern border to a halt. "Russia's aim is to create tension," said Valeriu Pasa of the Moldovian think-tank Watchdog.

Moldova has 2.5 million people and continues to face setbacks from mass emigration. The country relies heavily on Russia to supply its energy needs, particularly gas. The war has cut off the Black Sea's port of Odesa, which is vital for trade in Moldova.

The annexation of Crimea in 2014 shifted Moldova's economy away from Russia and toward Western Europe, where at least 70% of exports go. Moldova has had a free trade agreement in place with the E.U. since 2014. Despite Russia's economic impact, Moldova continues to receive growing support from Western Europe.

Leaders in Western Europe and the U.S. have begun to notice Russia's threat to Moldova. Britain's foreign secretary, Liz Truss, said, "We must ensure that, alongside Ukraine, the Western Balkans and countries like Moldova and Georgia have the resilience and the capabilities to maintain their sovereignty and freedom. This is a time for courage, not for caution." Former NATO supreme allied commander Gen. Wesley Clark told CNN, "I think it's always been Mr. Putin's intent to take over Moldova and Georgia, and the Baltic states. He is certainly capable of horizontal escalation ... if he thinks he can deter the West."

Russian state news agency Ria reported that Putin warned Transnistria to stay out of the war with Ukraine; otherwise, Russia would be forced to attack. However, Russia appears unable to make such a bold move. Instead, it continues to struggle offensively in southern Ukraine and the Donbas.

Russian aggression is not new to Moldova, which has been occupied by Russians and Soviets numerous times in the past three hundred years. The times have changed, but the Kremlin remains the same. Moldova's deputy prime minister said Moldova is dealing with "a very dangerous new moment."

Image: jerono via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Many persons are surprised to learn that the number of men and women who are victims of sexual assault is nearly identical.

Each year, 1.270 million women experience non-consensual sex, compared to the 1.267 million men who are made to sexually penetrate, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Despite this fact, campus activists have spawned a pervasive narrative of male aggressors who sexually exploit hapless women. As a result, colleges have implemented Title IX policies and training programs that are biased against male students, resulting in hundreds of males being suspended or expelled on allegations of sexual misconduct.

So what happens when the female is the sexual aggressor? A recent decision involving Michigan State University reveals the interesting dynamic.

Two MSU students, whom we'll refer to as John Doe and Jane Roe, met in late 2017. On Feb. 23, 2018, Jane attended a party at Doe's fraternity. Although some alcohol was consumed, neither of the two became incapacitated.

Afterward, Roe adjourned with Doe to Doe's dormitory room, and the two soon found themselves clad only in their underwear. The man did not initiate any sexual activity and only reciprocated what Roe initiated, such as mutual kissing and touching.

From that point on, however, the dynamic shifted as the female became the sexual initiator.

First, Roe removed Doe's underwear. Then she performed oral sex on the man. Roe next positioned herself on top of him, as if to simulate sexual intercourse. Amidst all her gyrations, his penis slightly penetrated her vagina.

Given that Roe was the sexual aggressor and did not seek the man's consent to engage in sexual activity, Doe had a strong basis to file a sexual misconduct complaint against the woman. But the male-as-perpetrator narrative has become so deeply embedded in the consciousness of college students and administrators that filing a complaint probably didn't cross his mind.

As so often happens in these cases, it was Roe who filed the Title IX complaint, inexplicably claiming that Doe had sexually assaulted her.

Following a "victim-centered" investigation  which by definition presumes the guilt of the accused  the male was suspended for two years.

Fully realizing the devious machinations of the MSU kangaroo court, Doe engaged the law firm Nesenoff & Miltenberg to file a lawsuit against Michigan State.

Among other things, Doe claimed:

College officials did not give Doe adequate notice and details about the allegation, suggesting the investigation was tainted by sex bias and a presumption of his guilt. One of the lead investigators had a background as a sex crime prosecutor. As a result, he approached the case from a prosecutorial stance rather than as a neutral fact-finder. The accused man was not offered a live hearing or an opportunity to cross-examine the complainant, despite a 2017 court decision against the University of Cincinnati holding that colleges are required to allow for cross-examination.

Given the numerous and egregious due process violations by MSU, Judge Janet Neff ruled in favor of John Doe. And last week, Michigan State agreed to a confidential settlement that likely involved a payment in the high six figures.

The embarrassing MSU saga is not unique. To date, 44 judicial decisions have been issued against colleges, large and small, finding institutional sex bias against the male student. These institutions include the University of Denver, the University of Minnesota, the University of Arizona, UCLA, and many others.

This is important because in 2020, a new Title IX sex discrimination regulation went into effect designed to restore campus due process and eliminate anti-male bias.

But sadly, candidate Joe Biden promised a "quick end" to this historic regulation, suggesting that due process is somehow incompatible with the notion of fairness for complainants. So the Biden administration set out to develop a whole new Title IX policy.

The new regulation reportedly will reduce due process protections, expand definitions of sexual harassment to the point of infringing on free speech, and redefine "sex" to include "sexual orientation and gender identity."

But several groups have rallied against the upcoming policy, including 15 attorneys general, 26 right-of-center organizations, and 82 leading professors and attorneys.

As a result, the Department of Education announced last week its decision to postpone the release of the new Title IX regulation in order to rework its provisions.

"Due process" is enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment was ratified in 1868 after 360,000 Union male soldiers gave up their lives fighting in the Civil War. The amendment was enacted over outrage at the "Black Codes" that were being enacted throughout the South to keep ex-slaves from enjoying their full civil rights.

Due process includes timely notification of allegations, an impartial investigation, a fair hearing, and the presumption of innocence  protections that were notably absent in the Michigan State case. Now the federal Department of Education must do its utmost to ensure the lessons of history are not forgotten, so all students can partake of their constitutionally guaranteed due process rights.

Edward Bartlett is the president of SAVE, a non-profit organization working for campus fairness and due process.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
The British royals are used to adulation when they visit Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean. Now they are met with descendants of slaves protesting for reparations. This turn of events took many Britons by surprise. All over the world, people are content for the United States to own the entire history of slavery, even though the United States' participation in the slave trade and slavery was only a fraction of Britain's.

Britain's involvement in the slave trade was virtually censored until 2015, when the media reported that there were 46 thousand British slave-owners in 1835. These slave-owners received reparations for their loss of "property," and free slaves were forced to work for free for four years to compensate for the cost of freedom. When slavery was abolished, it was common for slaves to pay for their freedom, although this was not the case in the United States.

If reparations are to be paid for slavery, recipients should not be limited to the Caribbean, and payers should not be limited to the British. In the United States, there is a clear case for seeking slave reparations from Britain, France, Spain, and Holland. They all had colonies in the United States, all participated in the Atlantic slave trade, and all permitted slavery within U.S. borders. The United States is a candidate, too, but its role was relatively limited. It was a bit player in the Atlantic slave trade, and, time-wise, its period of slavery was relatively brief: from 1776 to 1865, and just 1.25% of Americans in 1860 were slaveholders.

Prominent non-Western parties profited from the Atlantic slave trade, and they are also candidate payers. African nations like Nigeria and Ghana played a huge role in acquiring and selling slaves. When law enforcement tackles the drug trade, it seeks to punish the source, not the drug users.

If descendants of slaves are to receive reparations, it's only equitable that descendants of others that endured a similar or harsher level of inhumanity be paid, too. A global list could easily have more than a billion recipients, making it necessary for payers to prioritize recipients.

The British will have to deprioritize African-American slave descendants in favor of the descendants of millions of Irish whom the British mistreated for over 300 years, including a preventable famine that killed 1.5 million between 1846 and 1855. The French must prioritize the descendants of slaves in Haiti. Slaves there were beheaded, tortured, mutilated, and burned alive. After a few years of labor, half of Haiti's slaves were dead. To add insult to injury, Haitians paid reparations for their freedom to France until 1947.



Image: Arab-Swahili slave traders and their captives in Mozambique (1866). Public domain.

Spain will have to prioritize slave descendants in former colonies in Latin America. Most Afro-Mexicans still live in poverty with negligible sanitation, health, and education services. In Ecuador, the police see their job as protecting Ecuadorians from the "danger" of blacks. Blacks are not seen as citizens, but rather as violent intruders who invade the cities.

Most African-Americans are descended from Nigeria, but this isn't enough to make them a priority for reparations, and it's not because they are 25 times wealthier than the average Nigerian. Ten times as many Nigerians were enslaved in Latin America, and historians agree that slavery in Latin America was far worse than in the United States. It was worse again in the Middle East, where male slaves were castrated and females were sex slaves.

Due to recency, the priority may have to go to slaves from the osu caste of Nigeria's Igbo tribe. Their status as slaves ended in 2018. Then again, many or most Africans continue to endure the scars of slavery. In Africa, there is a saying: "once a slave, always a slave. There is no such thing as absolute manumission; the freeman himself would not claim it."

In the United States, like so many other countries, there are many competing priorities. Any country evaluating its history using a yardstick of acceptable and legal behaviors today yields millions of victims of an unbearable existence.

It may, however, be time to ask, when do reparations stop? Paying reparations to any aggrieved group opens calls for equitable treatment, and not just for today's descendants. The sins of history won't disappear because one generation of descendants received a compensatory payment. Reparations will need to be paid to descendants in perpetuity. Now the future of the United States and all Americans is forever being sacrificed on the altar of history. Ditto for the nations and peoples of the other payers.

Kathleen Brush, Ph.D. is the author of Reparations for All or None.
Down in South Texas, everybody is still waiting for Kamala and Joe, AKA V.P. Harris and President Biden, in case you forgot who they are. We heard from a mayor in South Texas, and this is what he is saying:

The mayor of a Texas border community said Friday it is "disappointing" not to hear from the federal government, President Biden, or VP Harris about the border crisis. Rolando Salinas, the Democratic mayor of Eagle Pass, joined "Fox & Friends" to address the lack of support from the Biden administration to secure the southern border. The mayor described his city as a "hotspot" for illegal immigration.

In your face, Joe and Kamala  or, more respectfully, President Biden and V.P. Harris!

Mayor Salinas is making two points:

First, we can't handle a surge like this. This is not a party issue, but rather common sense, the kind of thinking that a mayor understands but a politician secluded in Washington, D.C. does not.

Second, the people living in South Texas are taking President Biden's indifference personally. In other words, they live there. The surge is straining their public resources, from police to infrastructure. Again, they are offended when the federal government does not respect them.

Do you want to understand why the GOP is gaining in South Texas? The answer is not really blowing in the wind, but rather sitting in the Oval Office.

PS: Click for my videos and podcasts at Canto Talk.

Image: Cory Doctorow.
The leaked Supreme Court decision ending Roe v. Wade means that the abortion debate is on again. It's time, therefore, for pro-life people to ask an important question. Whenever a woman says, "My abortion was the most difficult decision I ever made," pro-lifers need to ask "Why?"

It's become fashionable among pro-abortion people, especially celebrities, to confess their abortions. Some downplay the decision. An actress named Milana Vayntrub, for example, described her abortion as "no big deal":

She said she did not agonize about the decision; her "strong moral compass" told her not to bring a child into the world "that I did not want and could not care for."

Many women, though, admit that the decision was a difficult one even while claiming to have no regret (Sharon Osborne is the rare exception):

Swoosie Kurtz: "It was very, very difficult for me. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever been through in my life. On all levels. Impossibly difficult."

Ginger Zee: After describing the dark days following her abortion, said, "And I do think that hormones were part of it, but I think that the guilt and shame were what overtook me."

Uma Thurman: Described her abortion as "the hardest decision of my life."

Alyssa Milano: Of her abortions, she says, "It was not an easy choice."

Amber Tamblyn: "It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make."

Nicki Minaj: "It was the hardest thing I'd ever gone through" and has "haunted me all my life."

Anonymous woman on Shout Your Abortion: "It was a hard choice, but I didn't want to raise a child alone and struggle like my mother did."

Fewer than ten years ago, even Planned Parenthood acknowledged that abortion is a "difficult decision." On its website in 2022, it no longer does.

On the pro-abortion side, many women offer variations of the same two arguments: (1) I had things other than motherhood that I wanted to do with my life, and (2) it was the best thing I could do for the baby because it wouldn't have had a good life with me. Regarding the second argument, I'd love to see a person charged with the murder of an adult successfully make that same argument: "Yeah, I had to kill my wife because I couldn't support her in the way I wanted for her. Killing her was the best choice for me and for her."



Image: Pixabay.

For those who say it was a hard choice, the logical question is "Why? Why was it a hard choice?" If the pro-abortion side is correct  that the fetus is not a baby, is an insensate bundle of cells, is inseparable from the woman's body so it's like having an appendix removed, or is lacking the intellectual or emotional capacity to have an existential desire for life  abortion should be no harder than eating chicken for dinner. (I have no idea how vegetarian and vegan women justify abortion.)

Pro-life people seldom ask women the "why" question because they already know the answer: a fetus is an independent life within the woman, who is both life-giver and incubator. This is not a conspiracy by the White patriarchy; it's a biological fact of life. But still, what pro-lifers must do moving forward is to ask the question every time. Only in that way can they force women to acknowledge what they're saying when they proudly recount that they had an abortion even while acknowledging the tough decision they made: they sacrificed a human life for their own benefit.

While pro-life people don't ask this question, abortion activists who understand the ramifications of speaking about the decision as difficult have been begging women not to say that part out loud. The best example is a 2014 op-ed that Janet Harris wrote for the Washington Post entitled "Stop calling abortion a 'difficult decision.'" Harris fully understood the ramifications of that admission and stated the issue perfectly:

It is a tacit acknowledgment that terminating a pregnancy is a moral issue requiring an ethical debate. To say that deciding to have an abortion is a "hard choice" implies a debate about whether the fetus should live, thereby endowing it with a status of being. It puts the focus on the fetus rather than the woman. As a result, the question "What kind of future would the woman have as a result of an unwanted pregnancy?" gets sacrificed. By implying that terminating a pregnancy is a moral issue, pro-choice advocates forfeit control of the discussion to anti-choice conservatives.

It's time for pro-life people to start demanding that those who talk about the difficulty of making that choice explain exactly why they say that. Women who have been raised in pro-abortion environments but who nevertheless struggle with the decision need to be brought face-to-face with the reality of what they did. It won't make them feel better about the past, but it may help them make better decisions in the future  and to become advocates for life.
News  Vietnam

App educates on child marriage, human trafficking
(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 6 - Italy is boosting its economic partnership with India, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said after talks in New Delhi Friday with Indian Trade and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

"Important talks with Indian Trade and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal," Di Maio tweeted.

The two discussed "economic cooperation, investments and opportunities for our firms," he said.

The ministers also so-chaired a roundtable with leading Italian and Indian firms.

With his mission, Di Maio said, "we are feeding the strategic partnership between Italy and India." Di Maio is the first Italian foreign minister to visit India in 10 years. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 5 - Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini said Thursday that Italy intends to continue to give military support to Ukraine, including via the supply of weapons capable to taking out Russian positions.

"On the basis of what is stated by the law and in relation to developments on the ground, Italy will continue to support Ukraine in its defence from the Russian aggression, including with devices capable of neutralizing the positions from which Russia bombards cities and the civilian population indiscriminately," Guerini told a joint session of the House and Senate defence committees.

The minister said it was possible that the conflict would intensify over the next few days as Moscow may want to have "tangible results" to show by May 9, the day Russia celebrates victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

He said hostilities must stop for there to be serious negotiations for peace.

"Today Russia must acknowledge the results of the military campaign and rethink its position with respect to the international community in order to favour negotiations," Guerini said.

"Real negotiations cannot start without a ceasefire, without the Russians ceasing to bomb".

The minister said Russia's goals may depend on the level of residence its forces encounter from the Ukrainians and that, if Kyiv's forces gave way, the Russians may well advance as far as Odessa to deny Kyiv access to the Black Sea. (ANSA).


Members of the Taliban attend the news conference about a new command of hijab by Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, in Kabul

KABUL (Reuters) -Afghanistan's Taliban government ordered women on Saturday to cover their faces in public, a return to a signature policy of their past hardline rule and an escalation of restrictions that are causing anger at home and abroad.

A decree from the group's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, said that if a woman did not cover her face outside home, her father or closest male relative would be visited and face potential prison or firing from state jobs.

"We call on the world to co-operate with the Islamic Emirate and people of Afghanistan ... Dont bother us. Dont bring more pressure, because history is witness, Afghans wont be affected by pressure," Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, told a news conference.

The ideal face covering was the all-encompassing blue burqa, which was obligatory for women in public during the Taliban's previous 1996-2001 rule, the group said.

Most women in Afghanistan wear a headscarf for religious reasons but many in urban areas such as Kabul do not cover their faces.

GROWING RESTRICTIONS

The Taliban has faced intense criticism from Western governments, but also by some religious scholars and Islamic nations, for limiting women's rights including keeping girls' high schools closed.

The United States and others have cut development aid and sanctioned the banking system, pushing Afghanistan towards economic ruin.

The Taliban says it has changed since its last rule, but in recent months has added regulations limiting women's movement without a male chaperone and banning men and women from visiting parks together.

"It is interfering with women's private lives," Kabul-based women's rights advocate Mahbouba Seraj said of Saturday's decree. "Today we have lots of other problems, like suicide attacks, poverty ... People are dying every day, our girls cant go to school, women cant work ... But they just think and speak and make laws about hijab (women's Islamic dress)."

(Reporting by Kabul Newsroom; Additional reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar, Pakistan;Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Michael Perry and Andrew Cawthorne)
The Supreme Court is apparently poised to repeal the federal abortion protection of Roe v. Wade, and CEOs around the country are being called out. Some are decrying the move. Others are saying nothing. Few, if any, are publicly cheering.

There is no easy playbook here. While companies have zero obligationlegal or otherwiseto take a stand on any social or political issue, they have in recent years waded into those waters (consider after George Floyd's killing, North Carolina's bathroom ban, and Georgia's voting laws). And of course companies dont have opinions, CEOs do, which they may or may not share, andas Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America stressed this week on CBS re: Roemay or may not be the prevailing view of their constituents.

It's the settled law of the land. We believe people should have that access," Moynihan said, cautioning that his opinion does not reflect that of all the company's 200,000 U.S. employees. "I could have a personal point of view, but that's not what we do," he said.

Then, there's the issue itself  its fate still hanging in the balance. Abortion has long been a third rail of American politics. Some CEOs are stating their positions more forcefully than Moynihan, either because they feel strongly about the issue or because doing so is good for their businessor both. Those who are loathe to speak out about abortion may believe they risk alienating 40% or so of not just their employees, but customers and shareholdersnever mind local citizens and politicians. (BTW, parsing pro-choice and pro-life opinion polls is a fraught science all its own.)

The paradox is the more these difficult issues come to the fore, the more chief executives are being asked to weigh in. And theyve watched with alarm as Disney CEO Bob Chapek fumbled the handling of his companys response to Floridas Parental Rights in Education Act, or what critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

At the Milken Conference this week, I asked Mary Barra, CEO of GMand Disney board memberabout this.

Serwer: Social issues are difficult right now. How do you think about that?

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 03: Pro-choice activists protest in response to the leaked Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade (Getty Images)

Barra: Well, at General Motors, we really focus on what are our values, and because we know our employees joined the company, because they want to join a company that has, you know, values that they share. And so when we make statements, it's usually around our values of what we believe. And, you know, General Motors stands for inclusion, we want everyone to participate in our all electric future. And we value all of our customers and all of our employees. So that's our focus. And when we make statements, it's associated with our values and what we believe.

Not a lot of meat on them bones, but to be fair, depending on where you sit and what you believe, its tricky stuff.

Last Saturday in Omaha I listened as Warren Buffett offered sage context at his annual meeting:

The last time that the country was [this] tribal was when I was a kid and Roosevelt was in. Either you hated Roosevelt, or you loved him People are always going to be partisan. They're going to have religious beliefs. They [always] had a certain amount of tribal[ism] alwaysbut I don't think it's a good development for society

As for abortion rights specifically, the controversy is both a moral debate between a womens right to choose and when life begins, and a political one over which entity should adjudicate that question, federal or state government. With the potential demise of Roe v. Wade, state abortion laws, which are already quite varied, will become even more so, further accentuating the distinction between blue states and red states. Will it follow that we will have blue companies and red companies? Well, we kind of already do.

As Yahoo Finances Alexis Keenan reports: Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Bumble (BMBL), Citigroup (C), Levi Strauss (LEVI), Match Group (MTCH), and Yelp (YELP) reimburse travel expenses incurred to obtain abortion care that's legally unavailable within their home state.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joins demonstrators during a pro-choice protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court to support abortion rights (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Salesforce (CRM) is offering to pick up moving expenses for its employees who live in a state with an abortion ban exceeding that of Roe, and move to another without such restrictions.

On the other hand companies like Walmart, American Airlines, and the aforementioned Disney have made no statements. As for CEOs who are in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade, Im sure theyre some out there, but I couldnt find any. However, The New York Times reports this on a related note:

In September, John Gibson, the chief executive of Tripwire Interactive, a gaming company based in Georgia, wrote on Twitter that he was "proud" of the Supreme Court for affirming the Texas law banning abortion for babies with a heartbeat. His comments angered colleagues, and within a few days he was replaced.

CEOs who are pro-life may be keeping mum because theyre scared of losing their jobs. But if abortion is such a divisive issue, why are pro-choice CEOs speaking out? If conservative CEOs think it's because theyll be attacked by the woke, Twitter troll mob, well, the un-woke Twitter troll mob is none too friendly, either.

Its not a coincidence that the demise of constructive government (aka gridlock) has occurred at the same time we're seeing companies having to step into the political and social arena, i.e. practice stakeholder capitalism. Someone or something has to fill the breach and take the lead. Im glad CEOs are stepping up in many cases, but it really isnt their purview. We need lawmakers to come together and do their jobs,

George Mitchell, a Democrat and former Senate Majority Leader, once told me he had dinner with his GOP counterpart, the late Bob Dole, every week without fail in the early 1990s. And then theres this from an obituary this week in the New York Times of Norman Mineta, former congressman and cabinet member who as a Japanese American was interned in a U.S. prison camp as a boy: Mr. Mineta quickly made it clear that, for him, transportation was not partisan. There are no Democratic or Republican highways, he told reporters.

Sadly, the tribal trolls disagree.
Top Chef judge Alon Shaya says growing up, his mom and grandmother cooked Israeli and Bulgarian recipes. "Our days were always centered around food," he says. (Photo: Alon Shaya; designed by Quinn Lemmers)

Because food connects us all, Yahoo Life is serving up a heaping plateful of table talk with people who are passionate about what's on their menu in Deglazed, a series about food.

Regardless of where he goes or where he's come from, Alon Shaya has created a map of his personal journey through menus. As a young boy from Israel growing up on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pa., food has always been a guiding light for the Top Chef Season 15 judge, as well as a way to connect to his past, present and future.

"Food has always just played a really huge role," he says. "It was a big thing in our house  our days were always centered around food."

"We have so many [food traditions] because I was born in Israel," he adds. "My mom and my grandmother cooked a lot of food from Israel and my grandmother is Bulgarian, so she cooked a lot of Bulgarian dishes."

The 43-year-old author of part memoir, part cookbook Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel says he grew up in the kitchen, but the moments he recalls most vividly are centered around holiday traditions.

"One of my favorite moments was during Hanukkah every year," Shaya shares. "You make jelly donuts  Sufganiyah  and for any kid, it's a highlight. My mom had this jelly gun and I would sit there and squeeze the jelly into the donuts and spend all day in the kitchen with her."

Shaya, who currently resides in New Orleans, La. and owns hospitality and restaurant consulting business Pomegranate Hospitality, says this love of traditions built around food has remained a constant in his life. He hopes to pass his passion for food on to friends and family, and to his daughter, Ruth. In fact, Shaya and his wife, Emily, have blended their rich culture with the history of their new hometown to build a brand new tradition for their family.

We call it our 'Cajun Shabbat' and we do it every Monday night," Shaya tells Yahoo Life. "It's when my wife cooks a big pot of red beans and rice and we invite a bunch of friends over, have wine and catch up on the last week."

Shabbat, the day of rest and peace in the Jewish faith, typically takes place weekly from sundown on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday. Shaya says this merging of culture is something that's turned Monday into a day to look forward to: one that's built around not only his Jewish roots but also the food culture in New Orleans.

"Monday is the day that red beans and rice are traditionally served in Louisiana  Monday was wash day, so that's when all the laundry was hand-washed back in the day," the chef explains. "People were busy all day long scrubbing clothes, so they didn't have a lot of time to stand over a pot and cook. The thing about red beans is you can put them on early and let them go and eight or nine hours later, you have a great pot of red beans."

Aside from menus at home, Shaya's time in Louisiana has also shaped the menus of his restaurants across the country. Shaya spoke with Yahoo Life on behalf of his most recent work with the Vidalia Onion Committee, where he created a special menu for this year's Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Ky. based around the sweet onions and horse races.

"I'm working with them to make some recipes for the Derby," he says,"things I think are fun to have while watching the horse race."

"Gumbo is one of them," Shaya continues. "With gumbo, if you make it with a really dark roux, it can sometimes have some bitter notes because the flour is cooked for so long, but I add a whole lot of Vidalia onions to the dish and they really sweeten it up so it balances that bitterness in a really great way.

A good, rich roux  a mixture of white wheat flour and cooking fat that is cooked down then used to thicken and flavor dishes like gumbo  is a staple in Louisiana cooking. As a self-proclaimed proud New Orleanian, Shaya says this aromatic Creole stew has become the perfect celebration dish.

"That's something I really love for parties, just a huge pot of gumbo," he says. "Everyone can come up and grab a ladle and put it on top of some rice or potato salad  which is another thing a lot of people don't know about  potato salad with gumbo. It's kind of a Western Louisiana thing."

Shaya's Vidalia onion gumbo with potato salad recipe is a Vidalia-forward recipe created for the Kentucky Derby website through his partnership with the Vidalia Onion Committee. (Photo: Stephen Werk)

"We're doing a potato salad to go along with the gumbo with a lot of Vidalia onions in it," he explains. "So when you ladle that gumbo you can put a scoop of potato salad in it and it gets really creamy and delicious."

Although many cultures and cuisines inspire him, Shaya says the chef who most inspires him to keep cooking is the same one who helped him get started on his culinary journey.

"I would say the cook I admire most is Donna Barnett, my former home economics teacher," Shaya shares. "I feel she has single-handedly used food to make a huge difference in people's lives when they needed it the most, so she's always been my main inspiration."

Shaya says his home economics teacher became a mentor to him in high school, a time where he needed "direction in life." It was Barnett who helped him apply for culinary school and land his first job in a fine dining restaurant. "She saw I had a lot of talent and passion for cooking," he says. "She's remained a huge part of my life  she's always been like a mother to me."

The pair launched the Shaya Barnett Foundation in 2016 to provide resources and culinary education to high school students in an effort to provide them with the same opportunities and experiences that helped shape Shaya's success in the kitchen.

"We started our foundation to try to help make a difference in people's lives the way she made a difference in my life," Shaya says of his continued work with Barnett, which began when he was a youth in Philadelphia.

So, as a Philadelphia native, where does Shaya, a two-time James Beard Award-winner, go for the perfect Philly cheesesteak? "Dalessandro's is my favorite cheesesteak," he says. "It's located in North Philly and that's where I go."

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Afghanistans Taliban rulers on Saturday ordered all Afghan women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public  a sharp, hard-line pivot that confirmed the worst fears of rights activists and was bound to further complicate Taliban dealings with an already distrustful international community.

The decree says that women should leave the home only when necessary, and that male relatives would face punishment  starting with a summons and escalating up to court hearings and jail time  for women's dress code violations.

It was the latest in a series of repressive edicts issued by the Taliban leadership, not all of which have been implemented. Last month for example the Taliban forbade women to travel alone, but after a day of opposition, that has since been silently ignored.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it was deeply concerned with what appeared to be a formal directive that would be implemented and enforced, adding that it would seek clarifications from the Taliban about the decision.

This decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans human rights, including those of women and girls, that had been provided to the international community by Taliban representatives during discussions and negotiations over the past decade, it said in a statement.

The decree, which calls for women to only show their eyes and recommends they wear the head-to-toe burqa, evoked similar restrictions on women during the Taliban's previous rule between 1996 and 2001.

We want our sisters to live with dignity and safety, said Khalid Hanafi, acting minister for the Talibans vice and virtue ministry.

The Taliban previously decided against reopening schools to girls above grade 6, reneging on an earlier promise and opting to appease their hard-line base at the expense of further alienating the international community. But this decree does not have widespread support among a leadership that's divided between pragmatists and the hardliners.

That decision disrupted efforts by the Taliban to win recognition from potential international donors at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

For all dignified Afghan women wearing Hijab is necessary and the best Hijab is chadori (the head-to-toe burqa) which is part of our tradition and is respectful, said Shir Mohammad, an official from the vice and virtue ministry in a statement.

Those women who are not too old or young must cover their face, except the eyes, he said. Islamic principles and Islamic ideology are more important to us than anything else, Hanafi said.

Senior Afghanistan researcher Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch urged the international community to put coordinated pressure on the Taliban.

(It is) far past time for a serious and strategic response to the Talibans escalating assault on womens rights," she wrote on Twitter.

The Taliban were ousted in 2001 by a U.S.-led coalition for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and returned to power after Americas chaotic departure last year.

The White National Security Council condemned the Taliban's Saturday decree and urged them to immediately reverse it.

"We are discussing this with other countries and partners. The legitimacy and support that the Taliban seeks from the international community depend entirely on their conduct, specifically their ability to back stated commitments with actions, it said in a statement.

Since taking power last August, the Taliban leadership has been squabbling among themselves as they struggle to transition from war to governing. It has pit hard-liners against the more pragmatic among them.

A spokeswoman from Pangea, an Italian non-governmental organization that has assisted women for years in Afghanistan, said the new decree would be particularly difficult for them to swallow since they had lived in relative freedom until the Taliban takeover.

In the last 20 years, they have had the awareness of human rights, and in the span of a few months have lost them," Silvia Redigolo said by telephone. "Its dramatic to (now) have a life that doesnt exist, she said.

Infuriating many Afghans is the knowledge that many of the Taliban of the younger generation, like Sirajuddin Haqqani, are educating their girls in Pakistan, while in Afghanistan women and girls have been targeted by their repressive edicts since taking power.

Girls have been banned from school beyond grade 6 in most of the country since the Talibans return. Universities opened earlier this year in much of the country, but since taking power the Taliban edicts have been erratic. While a handful of provinces continued to provide education to all, most provinces closed educational institutions for girls and women.

The religiously driven Taliban administration fears that going forward with enrolling girls beyond the the sixth grade could alienate their rural base, Hashmi said.

In the capital, Kabul, private schools and universities have operated uninterrupted.
WASHINGTON  The war in Ukraine has led some military experts to rethink the conventional wisdom on nuclear weapons, a reconsideration rooted in an acknowledgment that as frightening as the prospect of nuclear war is, a policy predicated on these fears has given the Kremlin too much license in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, Vadim Savitskiy/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

I think we have exaggerated the threat of the Kremlin using nuclear weapons and have made some policy decisions based on that exaggerated fear, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, chair of strategic studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis, told Yahoo News.

Mainstream thinking about nuclear war has been guided by two related realities: that atomic weapons are immensely destructive and that if used once, they will be used repeatedly in a series of back-and-forth strikes that will only compound the devastation until there is nothing much left to devastate.

Those were the lessons of Proud Prophet, an intensive 1983 simulation conducted by the U.S. government at the National Defense University in which dozens of security agencies and military commands took part.

Proud Prophet began with what was expected to be a limited nuclear strike by the Soviet Union, only to quickly slip from the grasp of the combatants. The result was a catastrophe that made all the wars of the past five hundred years pale in comparison, Yale historian Paul Bracken wrote. A half-billion human beings were killed in the initial exchanges and at least that many more would have died from radiation and starvation.

Given the diligence with which the simulation was conducted, Proud Prophet offered chilling evidence that however a nuclear war began, it could end only in annihilation.

An intercontinental ballistic missile lifts off from a truck-mounted launcher somewhere in Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Fears of such an outcome receded after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, especially as nonstate actors like al-Qaida preoccupied the U.S. national security establishment. Still, it was only a matter of time before new geopolitical tensions gave rise to fresh nuclear anxieties.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February did just that.

The risk is higher now than it has been in decades, Geoff Wilson, a policy analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, told Yahoo News. Russia has openly courted the possibility, with Russian television last Sunday showing what a nuclear strike might do to the United Kingdom, one of many NATO allies now helping Ukraine. The following Wednesday, Russia conducted tests with nuclear-capable Iskander missile systems in Kaliningrad, a Russian territory within striking distance of European capitals and military installations.

There followed assurances from the Russian foreign ministry that Russia was not contemplating nuclear war. After weeks of bluster, the assurance was difficult to parse.

Were dealing with a nuclear-armed state, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told the Washington Post late last month. You cannot ignore that as you make decisions about how to respond.

However, some military analysts believe that harping on Russias nuclear capability is a mistake, one that emphasizes history over present-day reality. They argue that even if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to order a nuclear strike, it would be with smaller, tactical nuclear weapons, not the much bigger strategic devices that could obliterate cities like London or New York.

Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles are paraded through Red Square during the nation's Victory Day celebration in 2009. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)

And they argue that even if Putin did use nuclear weapons, the West could answer with conventional airstrikes as devastating as a nuclear attack but without the prospect of that counterstrike escalating into the kind of tit for tat envisioned by Proud Prophet.

We have been so worried about nuclear weapons and World War III that we have allowed ourselves to be fully deterred, retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, the former NATO supreme allied commander, said to Radio Free Europe in early April.

The tragic irony of the current moment is that Russia has leveled Ukrainian cities and killed thousands of Ukrainian citizens without having to resort to nuclear weapons. Although the West has been consistently supplying Ukraine with materiel, fears of provoking Russia into a nuclear attack have kept the United States and European allies from direct involvement in the conflict.

Damaged buildings in Mariupol, Ukraine. (Azov/Handout via Reuters)

In response to the same dynamic that frustrated Breedlove, retired U.S. Army Col. Sam Gardiner, who was a war games expert at the Naval War College and is a leading authority on military simulation, compiled a PowerPoint presentation last month in which he argued that if Russia did go nuclear, it would be with a smaller, 1-kiloton tactical device as opposed to the 15-kiloton device the United States dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 (a kiloton is equivalent to 1,000 tons of TNT).

Russia has recalibrated its own thinking on nuclear deterrence since the collapse of the Soviet Union, as it has watched NATO creep ever closer to its borders. After NATO intervened to stop the war in Kosovo in 1999, the Kremlin held an exercise called Zapad (West) that simulated another NATO attack, this one on Russia.

A poorly trained Russian military failed to stop a NATO attack, leading to a nuclear strike against Europe. This strike would be with smaller, tactical weapons in order to avoid the kind of annihilation Proud Prophet envisioned. Subsequent war games helped the Kremlin hone a strategy known as escalate to de-escalate, in which nuclear weapons frighten the enemy into submission without leading to mutually assured destruction.

A joint strategic exercise of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in 2021. (Vadim Savitskiy/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Effectively, "escalate to de-escalate" lowered the threshold for when nuclear weapons would be used but also called for less powerful nuclear weapons. The new approach informed Russias increasingly aggressive approach to former Soviet republics under Putin, including during his first incursion into Ukraine eight years ago.

Russias policy probably limited the Wests options for responding to the 2008 war in Georgia, deterrence expert Nikolai Sokov wrote for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 2014. And it is probably in the back of Western leaders minds today, dictating restraint as they formulate their responses to events in Ukraine.

For some in the U.S. military, the current invasion of Ukraine demands a fresh outlook, one that does not shy away from recognizing that Putin could use nuclear weapons. Some also wonder if other adversaries see Western deference to Russia's nuclear might as a good reason to start making nuclear threats of their own.

At a congressional hearing on Thursday, Adm. Charles Richard, who heads U.S. Strategic Command, warned that China is watching the war in Ukraine closely and will likely use nuclear coercion to their advantage in the future. Their intent is to achieve the military capability to reunify Taiwan by 2027, if not sooner.

The National Defense Control Center in Moscow oversees the test of the Russian hypersonic missile system called Avangard in 2018. (Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters)

Gardiner believes the Kremlins "escalate to de-escalate" policy commits Russia to using only tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, where the battle has taken on shades of the Zapad exercise. Gardiner does not believe Russia would use strategic nuclear weapons, even if the military situation continued to deteriorate. You can only go so big, otherwise you will have crossed the line.

Putin is likely aware that using a nuclear weapon of any size in an offensive war would further alienate Russia from the West. One nuclear weapon is still a nuclear weapon, said Wilson, the nonproliferation expert. Thats a taboo.

It may also be pointless. Ukrainian forces are too dispersed for such a strike to swing the war decisively in Russias favor. Russian tactical nuclear weapons would have little or no impact on the operational battle, Gardiner argues in his presentation, which he has shared with top military officials in Europe and the United States (including Breedlove, the former NATO commander).

And even though Russias offensive has proved ineffective so far, its indiscriminate shelling and bombing have leveled Ukrainian cities like Mariupol and Kharkiv. Damages from the Russian use of tactical nuclear weapons are no more horrific than the current damages being experienced in Ukraine from conventional weapons, Gardiner wrote.

Destroyed buildings in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on April 22. (Alex Chan Tsz Yuk/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Nor does Gardiner believe that a nuclear attack by Russia would require a nuclear response by the West. Even if the Russians were to do something stupid, there is no need for us to follow that. We could destroy the majority of Russian forces in Ukraine with a five-day air campaign," he told Yahoo News.

Another presentation he produced and shared with current Air Force officials shows that such a retaliatory assault would cripple the Russian military in the European sector while leading to the loss of only 10 U.S. aircraft.

Most war games have shown that once you start any nuclear exchange, things escalate very quickly, said military historian Phillips OBrien of St. Andrews University in the United Kingdom, who favorably shared Gardiners presentation on Twitter. He said he was intrigued by the presentation because it opened up the possibility of responding to a Russian tactical nuclear usage through a very strong/devastating conventional response as opposed to possibly nuclear escalation.

The Russian Defense Ministry claims it has successfully test-launched the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the latest addition to weapons that can deploy its nuclear arsenal. (Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/Cover Images/Zuma Press)

For some experts in nuclear proliferation, entertaining nuclear exchanges is fundamentally dangerous. If Putin uses [a tactical nuclear weapon], Northeastern University political scientist Maia Cross told Yahoo News in an email, he is demonstrating to the West that he will not back down until he achieves his goals. His willingness to break the taboo would likely alarm Western powers and put them on heightened alert as well, which only increases the chances of accidentally setting off a larger war.

Such a scenario would be an echo of Proud Prophet, in which a series of aggressions and counter-aggressions, maneuvers and misunderstandings, deepened the crisis.

These are world-ending arsenals we are talking about, Wilson said. Everyone should be afraid of them.

_____

How are Ukrainian forces taking out so many Russian tanks? Use this embed to learn about some of the weapons systems the U.S. is sending to the Ukrainian army.
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According to information published by the Romanian Ministry of Defense, on April 19, 2022, Romania could donate T-72 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) and spare parts to Ukraine.

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Romania will donate Soviet-made T-72 main battle tanks to Ukraine. (Picture source Wikimedia)

After, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia, Romania would be the 4th eastern country to provide Soviet-made main battle tanks to Ukraine. The Ukrainian army could easily integrate this type of tank within these mechanized units which mainly use combat vehicles of Russian origin.

On February 27, 2022, Romania had already announced a military aid of 3 million to Ukraine including fuel, bullet-proof vests, helmets, munitions, and other military equipment. Bucharest's Defense Ministry also announced that 11 Romanian military hospitals were also ready to take in wounded Ukrainians.

According to the Military Balance 2021, the Romanian army has a total of 400 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) including 243 T-55AM, 103 TR-85, and 54 TR-85M1. Romanian army does not use the T-72 MBT, and according to information published on Twitter by OSINTdefender, the 28 T-72s that Romania has in storage were bought from Israel which captured the tanks during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The tanks are all in various levels of decay with only 5 reportedly being operational, but could most likely be repaired by Ukraine or used for parts.

The T-72 is a Soviet-made main battle tank that entered service with the Russian army in 1975. It made its first public appearance during a military parade held in Red Square, Moscow, in November 1977.The design of the T-72 is standard for a main battle tank with the driver is seated at the front center of the hull, the turret in the middle of the hull, and the powerpack at the rear. The T-72 is armed with one 125 mm (2A46) smoothbore gun fitted with a light-alloy thermal sleeve and a bore evacuator. It can fire three main types of ammunition including APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot) with a maximum range of 2,100 m, HEAT-FS (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) with a maximum direct fire range of 4,000 m and HE-FRAG(FS) (High Explosive Fragmentation) with a maximum indirect fire range of 9,400 m.

In 1979, Romania purchased 30 T-72 tanks from Russia to develop a local variant under the designation of TR-125 which has many new improvements including a French diesel engine and a new turret. It was fitted with additional armor and new suspension. It keeps the original 125mm main armament.
Its not the servers and the software but what people do with them

These days I feel stupid a lot of the time because theres so much going on that I dont understand but everyone else seems to. When I ask them about it, though, mostly they just say, But its so obvious! And then they go away leaving me in the dark.

For instance, when Elon Musk bought Twitter for $45bn or whatever, I just couldnt understand why he did it. I actually have trouble understanding what that amount of money means. A few thousand dollars, yes, but $45bn? Theres no way my mind can wrap itself around that number.

So I was relieved when my professor friend Raghavan dropped in to drink my tea and sample a new batch of samosas. I thought hed be able to explain, his job being explaining things to restless youngsters. So I sat him down and plied him with food and drink, and, when he had polished off the last crumb and emptied his last cup of tea, I put it to him. Whats all this about Musk and Twitter and free speech?

Politics, he replied, reaching for a toothpick.

What! I exclaimed, taken aback. I thought it was business!

He belched and put down the toothpick. Musk said something about free speech, he said. If thats not politics, I dont know what is.

But what about that $45bn? I asked. Thats a gargantuan sum of money: its about half Sri Lankas GDP, or almost all its debt. That seems far too much to pay for a social media platform, which is just some servers and some software. I thought that was all business.

He smiled a smile full of pity. Your years are showing, old man, he said. In your day, wealth meant land or similar things. Physical assets. All thats changed since the internet came along. Its not the servers and the software but what people do with them.

Yes, I said sadly. I know. Theres something called a demat account which holds all my shares, but it doesnt feel real. In the old days they had share certificates with signatures and seals and stamps and copperplate Very beautiful. My bank account, likewise. I can see my balance on my phone anytime, but that doesnt feel real either. I was always happy when my wallet was fat, but now all my money is in my phone, and Im just not comfortable with it.

The smile widened. The pity deepened. Thats not the half of it, he said. The term social media understates the value of the service. Look at this way: you can now talk to your brother in Australia whenever you like, and it costs you next to nothing.

Ah! I said, needled by the pity. I didnt know that free speech includes speaking to people abroad for free!

His smile fell off and he clenched his fists, but he recovered in a moment. At the very least, he said, Twitter will have some advertisement value for Musk. He can use it to peddle Tesla cars along with his views.

And then I asked him the one question that just wouldnt go away from my mind. Why would he spend $45bn on Twitter when he can plaster the world with Tesla promotions for one per cent of that? I asked. And create another social media platform as well for less than that?

Twitters profitable, he said. Musk thinks hell make a profit out of advertising revenue. Besides, creating a social media platform is a chancy business. Ask Google. They tried and failed. Finally, Musk has nearly 90 million followers on Twitter. He might lose many of them if he switches platforms.

Right, I said, he has lots of followers. But from what I read, there are plenty of people who dont like Musks political views, mostly US Democrats. Wont they be tempted to quit Twitter? If they do, Musk will lose half the herd.

I doubt it, he replied. People who were kicked out of Twitter before Musk took it over are returning. Besides, the controversy itself is drawing attention to the conflict between American businessmen and leftists. You pay more attention to your enemies than your friends, and its easy to be brave on Twitter. So Musk has turned Twitter into a battlefield! He hopes itll be a profitable battlefield. 

He might get wiped out, I said.

Oh no, he wont, replied Raghavan emphatically.

How can you be so sure? I asked.

Because hell bring down too many people with him if he crashes, he replied.

Like the Lehmann Brothers crash of 2008. The US government ended up saving the people responsible, giving them fortunes. And its not only the American government. Just think a bit. Which is Teslas biggest market outside the US?

China. Where do Tesla batteries come from? China. Theres a Tesla factory in Shanghai, China The Chinese banned Twitter some years ago, so now they can interfere in US politics through Musk with no risk to themselves. For all you know, they might just sustain Musk on Twitter with advertisements. They wont have to fire a shot or shed a drop of blood. Theyll just sit at home and pull the strings.

How? I asked.

Its easy for the Chinese, he said. Theyll get a few million people  real human beings, not bots  to join Twitter. All telling the world exactly what the Chinese government wants them to say.

What about free speech? I asked. Musk said he was for it, didnt he?

The smile returned, and the pity, wider and deeper than ever before. He might have said so, he replied. But he doesnt have to mean it, does he?
One of the latest images to come our way thanks to these camera-wielding soldiers is this one we have here, snapped in mid-April and recently released by the U.S. Air Force . A perfect fit in our Photo of the Day section, thanks not in small part to the angle at which it was snapped, making us all feel like this refueling op is taking place with both planes banked.The fighter jet, the star of the image, is an F-16 Fighting Falcon deployed with an unspecified unit. When snapped on film, it was flying over New Mexico and met up with a KC-135 Stratotanker flying out of Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington.The photo was taken during a training mission being conducted as a means for F-16 crews to maintain mission readiness. We are not being told what the mission was or for how long it lasted.Generally, an F-16 can hold enough fuel (up to 7,000 pounds/3,175 kg internally, or 12,000 pounds/5,440 kg with two external fuel pods) to travel more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km), ferry range (far less when in combat configuration).Depending on the mission profile and the pilots stamina, that can be prolonged, theoretically, to forever thanks to aerial refueling. Sadly, although there are countless F-16s flying in the service of a large number of national air forces, we have no data on the longest distance covered by such a plane in a single outing.
As you may have noticed, several Formula 1 drivers have protested against a ban on wearing jewelry while racing. Lewis Hamilton protested by wearing three watches made by his official watch partner.One of them is the latest chronograph from the Swiss marque , so the protest fits like a glove. Pun intended, but Lewis is not allowed to wear it during the race, while the rest of the team can.Other drivers have protested against the sudden decision to reinforce a rule from 2005 in other ways. German F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, now racing for Aston Martin, wore a pair of boxer briefs over his racing overalls. Some might say he looked like Superman, but that is a different story. Evidently, they can wear what they like as long as it does not interfere with their racing or put them at risk, but suddenly enforcing an older rule is tough to explain.The problem, as Lewis pointed out, is that the FIA has had this rule in its book ever since 2005 but has never bothered enforcing it until the Miami GP . It is unclear why Miami was selected to be the place where the rules get more stringent suddenly.Lewis was quick to point out that he has been racing for 16 years in Formula 1, and he noted that he had his body piercings prior to entering the sport. Mind you, at that time, the rule already existed, but it did not bother anyone, it seems.Sir Lewis Hamilton also pointed out that his nose piercing cannot be removed and placed back again after a race, and it is made out of Platinum, which means that it is non-magnetic. To nail his point down, Lewis has also specified that he has taken many MRI scans in these past years and that he never had to take it out.The issue with the change is that the FIA is unpredictable with its application of rules, which is not something that anyone wants from the organization that leads their business.On the other hand, most, if not all, of the jewelry worn by racing drivers has been observed by stewards in prior years, but we could not find a mention of it being a problem before. Again, that underlines a double measure, which implies that only some rules are respected while others are not. The FIA needs to get its rule book straight and decide which is which.As anyone can attest, it is ideal to have all the rules in the sport obeyed; otherwise, more might get bent or broken. Mind you, the entire situation comes just months after another rule application scandal with the FIA and Formula 1, this time involving the last race of the 2021 season Reportedly, the decision to enforce the ban is a fixation of the new President of the FIA, Mohammed bin Sulayem , but that is just a rumor, as there is no official confirmation of this.Just for the sake of the discussion, just imagine if the latter is true; though, it would mean that an individual is forcing his private beliefs on a group of people just because that individual is in a position of power. If this ban is enforced, one cannot help but wonder what's next? Tattoos? Fake water is allowed , though.Now, since we wrote about a rumor that might explain the current situation, it does not mean that it is necessarily true or that it is the main reason for the decision to enforce older rules. However, there is a part where the governing body of a sport decides to focus its efforts on something that will not improve the cars or the racers.For example, Carlos Sainz' crash in FP2 should have made the officials place a Tecpro barrier there, but they did not, and Esteban Ocon crashed in the same place in FP3. A priority on safety should involve focusing on making the tracks and the cars safer, don't you think?We should point out that it is within the FIA's legislation to enforce rules, but nobody can explain why it has not enforced this rule earlier. Doing it after the first race seems unfair and brings too much controversy if you start a discussion on the topic.
EV

Although Rimac told Automotive News that there were no changes in the projects they were working on together, Hyundai did not comment on the news. That could be taken as confirmation that the sources were correct about the end of the partnership. To deny it once again, Rimac shared an article from Auto Motor Und Sport in his Facebook post.The German outlet managed to talk to Hyundai, and the Korean automaker denied the story. It also said that both it and Kia kept investing in the Rimac Group, with several projects under discussion. Unfortunately, the company has not published any official denial on its press websites so far. Hyundai may have to be more emphatic if it really wants people to believe the partnership is still going strong.The Korean companys strategy seems to be that giving much attention to what Rimac called fake news would make it more believable. The question is that Automotive News has strong credibility, and it generally does not publish something if it is not pretty sure that it is correct. We cannot recall any story published by them that was later denied.Things get even more complicated if the story makes sense. When Rimac established its partnership with Hyundai, it was an independent Croatianmaker that collaborated with other companies. The deal with Porsche and Rimacs merger with Bugatti made it much more challenging to separate Rimac from the Volkswagen Group. Although mainstream carmakers often partner  as Honda and GM did concerning electric cars  they are also very protective of their competitive advantages.If Hyundai and Rimac announced new projects, that would refute what Automotive News published with more weight than just keeping business as usual. After all, car projects generally take around three years to complete. If the companies disclose one year from now that they decided to part ways, that could still mean that Automotive News sources were correct, even if it was not convenient to talk about that when the story emerged.The fact is that Rimac and Hyundai deny that the partnership is gone. That said, were anxious to learn what they can deliver while working together for the next few years. Automotive News will be even more interested. For these guys, it is more than just another story: it is their chance to prove there was nothing fake about the news they decided to publish. Make a supply contract for the popcorn you will have to eat while waiting for this story to unfold.
Five years have passed since the limited-edition Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario was released to celebrate the Italian manufacturers 90th anniversary. A mere 500 copies of this mechanical marvel were brought into existence for the 2017 model-year, and the one pictured above has only covered two miles (three kilometers) of asphalt throughout its whole life.Behind the Ducs streamlined fairings lies a liquid-cooled Superquadro L-twin goliath with two fuel injectors and four desmodromic valves per cylinder. Featuring a colossal displacement of 1,285cc, the engine is fully capable of spawning 197 horses at 10,500 rpm and 101 pound-feet (137 Nm) of tarmac-splintering torque at 9,000 spins.To reach the bikes rear chain-driven wheel, this force travels through a wet slipper clutch and a six-speed transmission with straight-cut gears. When all its power is called into action, the beastly 1299 Panigale S can hit speeds of up to 186 mph (300 kph). Braking comes from dual 330 mm (13 inches) semi-floating rotors and four-piston Brembo calipers at the front, along with a single 245 mm (9.6 inches) disc and a two-piston caliper at the rear.The machines construction employs an aluminum monocoque frame, which is supported by a full suite of Ohlins suspension goodies. You will find titanium nitride-coated 43 mm (1.7 inches) NIX 30 forks up north and a fully-adjustable TTX 36 shock absorber down south. The Italian missile weighs a mere 361 pounds (164 kg) dry, and its fuel capacity is measured at 4.5 gallons (17 liters).As youre reading this, Ducatis rarity is getting ready to wave goodbye to its current owner, whos having it listed on Bring a Trailer until Tuesday, May 10. With three days to go before the auctioning deadline, this immaculate 1299 has accumulated a total of ten bids, the highest of which is placed at a very generous $23,000.
SUV

Like father, like son; Snoop Dogg is a big car aficionado, and his collection comprises both new and classic models. Lately, though, hes been more focused on building his classic collection.His 25-year-old son is not as passionate about old cars, and he prefers them to be as modern and powerful as possible. So, he recently purchased a brand-new 2022 BMW X6. But he didn't get to enjoy it to the fullest . TMZ reports that the 25-year-old's brand-newwas stolen in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, May 4th.Luckily for Cordell, though, a tracking company found the vehicle soon after it was stolen, sending the information to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police located the BMW and rushed to retrieve the car.It didnt take long to find it, and the officers took the alleged car thief into custody. The person who allegedly stole the SUV already had an active warrant in his name, and he was booked on a charge of burglary of a motor vehicle. The officers had reportedly found stolen items in Cordells BMW, although it was not specified what items were found.Its unclear which powertrain Cordell opted for, but the 2022 BMW lineup kicks off with the 40i, followed by the M50i, and the full-blown M model in the U.S, ranging from 335 horsepower (340 PS) in the 40i to 523 horsepower (530 ps) for the M50i, and 592 horsepower (600 ps). It would make more sense for him to opt for the top-of-the-range version, the X6 M, which has a starting price of $109,600, without taxes and options.The same outlet adds that the BMW X6 had been extremely easy to steal because someone had forgotten the key in the car. Luckily, the story ended well for Cordell, who got his car back quickly. From now on, he will probably be more careful where he leaves his car key.
EV

The Orlando Police Pension Fund said that Elon Musk could not proceed with the purchase without the consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the stocks not owned by the Tesla CEO. Ironically, the delay would have to do with Musks initial purchase of Twitter shares on April 4.At the time, the Tesla CEO said he bought a 9.1% stake in the company. According to the lawsuit, that made him an interested stockholder. Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law determines that stockholders with more than 15% of shares cannot engage in certain business combinations without the approval of at least two-thirds of the other stockholders.If you are following this with attention, youll argue that Musk had only 9.1% of the voting shares. The Orlando Police Pension Fund corrects that by stating that he actually has 9.6% of the shares and also that the Tesla CEO started buying Twitter stock in January 2022. That alone would not make him an interested stockholder.The catch lies in the part of Section 203 that states that you do not have to personally own more than 15% of the shares for that classification to apply. That can also happen if you have any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purposes of acquiring, holding, voting [], or disposing of such stock with any other person that beneficially owns, or whose affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such stock.The Orlando Police Pension Fund claims that the Tesla CEO has an AAU (agreement, arrangement, or understanding) with Morgan Stanley  which owns approximately 8.8% of the shares  and Jack Dorsey (he holds 2.4% of Twitters stocks). If you add the stake that the Twitter investor said Musk owns, all three combined would have 20.8% of the Twitter shares. Even if you consider only 9.1%, that would still be 20.3%,If the judge accepts these allegations, Musk will have to wait three years after becoming an interested stockholder to complete the deal. In other words, he could only buy Twitter by May 2025. Until everything is settled, the Twitter deal cannot proceed.The lawsuit was filed as a class action representing all other Twitter stockholders. Apart from postponing the deal, it also asks the court to recognize that Twitters board breached its fiduciary duties and the award of the costs and disbursements of this action, including reasonable attorneys fees. Reuters was the first to report the lawsuit. Neither Musk nor Twitter replied to its requests for comment.Although it all may seem of little importance to Tesla , themakers investors are also worried that Musk will sell more of his shares, making the stock price drop even more than it already has since the Tesla CEO announced his intentions. Shifting his focus from Tesla is also a strong point of criticism, especially in a moment in which the EV maker still has so much to solve.
Palmdale, CA (93550)

Today

Sunny with gusty winds. High around 65F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low around 40F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.
Palmdale, CA (93550)

Today

Plenty of sunshine with gusty winds developing this afternoon. High near 65F. WSW winds at 10 to 15 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low around 40F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter.
Email Dan Walters of CalMatters at dan@calmatters.org. CalMatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Walters, go to calmatters.org/dan-walters.
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There's a new electric vehicle charging station in town.

Lamar University recently installed a new charging station on its campus after being granted $14,000 from Entergy Texas.

The station, located at the university's police station, is open for use by students, employees and the public.

"We're proud to partner with Lamar University to help expand access to electric vehicle infrastructure on their campus," Entergy Texas vice president for customer service Stuart Barrett said in a news release. "Through these partnerships, we are supporting all of our stakeholders as we work together to build stronger and cleaner communities."

The project was funded through Entergy's Environmental Initiatives Fund, which provides shareholder-funded grants aimed at bettering the environment by reducing emissions, protecting natural resources and restoring wetlands and forests.

Funding consideration for 2022 is currently open through June 30 at Entergy's website.

The new charging station joins others on the Lamar University campus. However, it is the only one in a central location. The others are located on the eastern side of campus in the Montagne Center parking lot.

"Installing this additional charging station in a central campus location adds capacity that is needed to bolster our sustainability efforts here at LU," said Lamar interim chief operations officer Bert Wagner in the release.

olivia.malick@hearst.com

twitter.com/OliviaMalick
Supporters of Philippine Vice President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo attend a campaign rally at Makati business district in suburban Manila, May 7, 2022.

Manila came to a virtual standstill Saturday as presidential front runner Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his closest rival, Leni Robredo, held their final rallies on the last day of campaigning ahead of Mondays election to replace President Rodrigo Duterte.

The latest survey conducted by pollster PUBLiCUS Asia from May 2-5 showed Marcos Jr. in the lead with 54 percent support and Robredo in second place with 22 percent, but some pundits predicted Mondays contest would be closer than the poll suggested.

Robredo was looking to woo undecided voters in her final campaign push Saturday. Around 450,000 of her supporters  all clad in pink, the candidates campaign color  turned the day into a street party as they converged on her rally on Ayala Avenue in Makati district.

Tonight, let's celebrate one historical campaign. So let's go! Let's win for the Filipino people! Robredo told her supporters, according to the Associated Presss translation of part of her speech.

This fight is not just about one person nor candidate.

The Philippines Vice President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo delivers a speech during her final election campaign rally at Makati business district in suburban Manila, May 7, 2022. [AFP]

Like many on Ayala Avenue, Maria Lunsad, a 54-year-old local businesswoman, was optimistic about her candidates chances against Marcos Jr., who Robredo defeated in 2016 for the vice-president post.

My family are all here, Lunsad told BenarNews.

We stayed in one of the hotels to witness and support our candidate. We dont want to waste this opportunity to have a leader with dignity.

The location of Robredo's rally was symbolic, Reuters news agency said. In 1983, a huge march took place on Ayala Avenue after the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino, an icon of the struggle against the dictatorship of Marcos Jr.s father.

Philippines presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. greets his supporters during the last day of campaign rallies at Paranaque City, suburban Manila, May 7, 2022. [AFP]

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Jose Andoy, in his 30s and from the northern Manila suburb of Caloocan, said he took a free bus ride to get to the huge field in suburban Paranaque city that hosted the Marcos Jr. rally.

I believe that we can have a good life under Marcos. Several presidents have ruled after the revolution but nothing happen[ed] to us, Andoy told BenarNews.

A day earlier, Marcos Jr.s campaign had chartered buses and placed them at strategic pick-up points along Manilas main EDSA highway, so supporters could be transported to the rally.

We won already. You just keep an eye on your votes on Monday, Marcos Jr. told the crowds.

Lets not sleep. We will ask our friends to give us a lot of coffee so that no one will fall asleep. Because we know if we sleep a lot of things are happening. Not good, Marcos Jr. said, alluding to his loss to Robredo in 2016.

Supporters of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio, cheer during their final campaign rally before the 2022 national elections, in Paranaque City, Metro Manila, May 7, 2022. [Reuters]

Marcos Jr. and Robredo are part of a slate of 10 candidates for the presidents post, the remaining eight of whom are now mostly inconsequential, analysts have said.

Marcos Jr., 64, is a former senator, congressman and governor, and son and namesake of the late dictator overthrown by a people power uprising in 1986.

He is running alongside Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of the outgoing president, whose administration has been blamed for killing thousands of alleged drug users and dealers since Duterte took office in 2016.

While Marcos Jr. has vowed to continue the war on drugs, he has said he would do it differently and with fewer killings.

Observers said Marcos likely would protect Duterte from investigations into the killings linked to the drug war, including by the International Criminal Court, when the president leaves office and loses immunity from prosecution.

Robredo, 57, is a lawyer who served in the House of Representatives before being elected vice president in 2016. She hopes to become only the third woman to be elected as leader of the Southeast Asian nation.

Robredo initially expressed reluctance to join the race but was persuaded by an opposition coalition who considered her the only candidate who could beat what is seen as an extension of the Duterte administration in Marcos Jr. She has portrayed herself as the stabilizing candidate and the preferred choice of the business community.

She first ran for public office in 2013 after the death of her husband, an interior secretary under Dutertes predecessor, President Benigno Aquino III.

The controversial Dutertes constitutionally mandated single six-year-term ends on June 30.

Including overseas voters, 69 million Filipinos are registered to cast their ballots at the polls Monday.

Voters will also elect a vice president separately from the president, half of the 24-member Senate, all 316 members of the House of Representatives, and more than 17,700 officials across this archipelago nation, ranging from town and city mayors to provincial governors.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, speaks at a national video teleconference on the special campaign for the safety of self-built residential structures, May 7, 2022. State Councilor Wang Yong, also vice head of the Work Safety Committee, presided over the conference. Zhao Kezhi, state councilor and vice head of the committee, attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He has called for efforts to thoroughly investigate and quickly resolve the hidden dangers of self-built residential structures.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, made the comments on Saturday while attending a national video teleconference on the special campaign for the safety of self-built residential structures.

Lessons should be learnt from the collapse of a self-built residential structure in Hunan Province, while a nationwide special campaign will be launched to ensure the safety of such self-built buildings and ward off major and severe accidents, according to the meeting.

It stressed prioritizing the lives and well-being of people, urging efforts to thoroughly probe the cause of the accident and hold those accountable according to law.

The meeting also demanded all-out efforts in carrying out the special campaign on self-built residential structures, especially those concerning public safety. The country will severely crack down on irregularities affecting building safety and establish long-term mechanisms to tighten the supervision of relevant parties, it said.

State Councilor Wang Yong, also vice head of the Work Safety Committee, presided over the conference. Zhao Kezhi, state councilor and vice head of the committee, attended the meeting.

A total of 53 people were confirmed killed in the collapse of a self-built residential structure in Hunan Province on April 29. Ten people were rescued from the rubble. China has established an investigation team to look into the incident. 
Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin (1st L) gives an interview at the site of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2022. Laying wreaths at memorial plaques here dedicated to the three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, representatives of Serbia and China on Saturday commemorated the Chinese martyrs and condemned NATO's "barbaric act."(Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua)

BELGRADE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Laying wreaths at memorial plaques here dedicated to the three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, representatives of Serbia and China on Saturday commemorated the Chinese martyrs and condemned NATO's "barbaric act."

Among the officials present at the commemoration were Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Darija Kisic Tepavcevic, and Tian Yishu, Charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Serbia.

"Chinese citizens that laid their lives here, didn't even need to be here, but they chose to do so, in order to share the most difficult and saddest moments with us," Vulin said.

"Serbia will never stop asking for responsibility for crimes conducted by NATO during their aggression," Vulin said. "Those (Western powers) which now ask from us to align with their policies should remember their statements from 1999."

He noted that Serbia and China "have a friendship made of steel, forged in the most difficult of times."

Tian said that "China-Serbia friendship of steel is now playing a vital role in the peace and economic recovery of this region."

"We wish to continue comprehensive cooperation with all peace-loving countries, both in fields of economic cooperation and security," he said.

Svetozar Parezanin, a retired colonel of the Serbian Army who came here with a local citizen association, held a banner with photographs of the three killed journalists -- Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua News Agency, and Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying of the Guangming Daily newspaper.

"We remember that day very well, and we will never forget it. We come here every year to show our feeling of respect towards brotherly Chinese people," Parezanin said. 

Wreaths are seen at memorial plaques dedicated to the three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2022.(Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua)

Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Darija Kisic Tepavcevic (1st L) gives an interview at the site of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2022. Laying wreaths at memorial plaques here dedicated to the three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, representatives of Serbia and China on Saturday commemorated the Chinese martyrs and condemned NATO's "barbaric act."(Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua)

Officials of the Chinese embassy to Serbia mourn for the three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2022.(Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua)

Tian Yishu, Charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Serbia, gives an interview at the site of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2022. Laying wreaths at memorial plaques here dedicated to the three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, representatives of Serbia and China on Saturday commemorated the Chinese martyrs and condemned NATO's "barbaric act."(Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua)

Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin (L, front), Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Darija Kisic Tepavcevic (R, front), and Tian Yishu (C, front), Charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Serbia, mourn at memorial plaques dedicated to the three Chinese journalists killed in the NATO bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2022.(Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua)
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Sinn Fein hails 'new era' as it wins Northern Ireland vote

The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has won the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time
WILLIAMSTOWN  Counterculture, a new large-scale public artwork by mixed-media artist Rose B. Simpson, will be on view at Field Farm beginning June 18.

Commissioned as part of The Trustees of Reservations' Art & The Landscape public art series, Counterculture will be installed along the horizon line of a meadow at Field Farm that will be visible from nearby Sloan Road. The exhibit will consist of 12 figural sculptures honoring the transcendental nature of ancestral place  a spirit that has been holding vigil through patriarchy, capitalization, and colonization. These figures are a reminder of a force that perseveres.

If You Go What: Counterculture On view: June 18 through Nov. 30. Free 30-minute walk-and-talk tours will take place at noon on Saturdays from July 9 through Sept. 3. Where: The Guest House at Field Farm, 554 Sloan Road, Williamstown Admission: Free More information: thetrustees.org/exhibit/counterculture/

The installation consists of 12 hollow, concrete-clay forms supported by steel-gauge wireframes that stand approximately 9 feet tall. The figures are covered with a dry concrete spray, adorned with ceramic and found objects, and include a steel-post stanchion rooted in the ground with cement.

Rose is an extraordinarily talented artist with whom were partnering at a unique inflection point in this countrys history, Jessica May, The Trustees managing director of art and exhibitions, said in a release. We support Roses work as a thoughtful and respectful acknowledgment of the people whose stories tend to be marginalized or forgotten by history.

Counterculture is Simpsons first public art commission and largest project to date. Simpson, an indigenous artist from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico, descends from a tribe famous for ceramics made by women since the 6th century. Her work builds on this tradition while also addressing the emotional and existential impacts of our collective humanity. The figures look west across a post-apocalyptic vista, the vast homelands from which native peoples were forcibly removed to make way for settler colonialism. The artist positions the Counterculture figures as watchful presences, perpetually observing humanity and reminding us what the original stewards of these lands already knew  that we are all guests in the natural world. Like mothers looking over their children, the all-seeing, feminine-bodied forms implore us to go forward with respect and honor for all that came before.

I hope this work serves as a reminder of our responsibility and the way that were always visitors here and should act as such, Simpson said in the news release. The pieces represent the many ancestors and inanimate things that are always watching and holding us accountable for the way that we move through the world.

As part of the project, Simpson will fabricate and drape the figures with necklace-like adornments consisting of thousands of clay beads. She is engaged in conversation with representatives from the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of the Mohican Indians, on whose ancestral homelands Field Farm sits, to collaborate on related projects that acknowledge the tribes history on the site.

Simpson's work can currently be seen as part of the group show, "Ceramics in the Expanded Field," now on view at Mass MoCA.

Counterculture will be free to the public beginning June 18. Free 30-minute walk-and-talk tours will take place at noon on Saturdays from July 9 through Sept. 3. More information on parking and a complimentary shuttle bus to view the installation at Field Farm will be released at a later date.
PITTSFIELD  The alleged gunman in the October Mountain State Forest shooting of Nick Carnevale will go on trial as planned beginning Monday.

Luis Delvalle-Rodriguez had been scheduled for a plea offer hearing on Friday, but that proceeding did not go forward after he apparently opted not to change his plea.

Instead, prosecutors along with lawyers for Delvalle-Rodriguez and his co-defendant, Christopher Frazier, addressed a series of pretrial motions that set guardrails around the process of selecting a jury and eliciting testimony from witnesses during next weeks trial.

Judge Maureen Hogan acknowledged that she was aware that there was a possibility of a plea for one of the defendants, then confirmed with the parties that the case is on track for trial.

Your honor, I believe this will be a trial, said Assistant District Attorney Joseph Yorlano, who is prosecuting the case with Assistant District Attorney Amy Winston.

After the issue was raised earlier this week, Yorlano said that prosecutors will not be calling Nick Carnevale to testify after all about the evening he was shot twice in the head, causing life-threatening injuries.

Four defendants were charged in connection with the shooting, with prosecutors alleging the assault was a joint venture by the men. The first two defendants, Kevin Nieves and Daquan Douglas, were tried in March.

A jury found Nieves guilty of most charges, including armed kidnapping, and a judge sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison. Jurors acquitted Douglas of most charges except for a single count of lying to the police, for which a judge sentenced him to four years in prison.

Attorney Alfred Chamberland, who is representing Delvalle-Rodriguez, said that he will argue that his client fired the shots that gravely injured Carnevale in order to defend Douglas.

Were not going to dispute that he was the shooter, Chamberland said.

Prosecutors plan to introduce a hot mic recording captured by a cellphone on which Delvalle-Rodriguez allegedly admits he shot Carnevale after Douglas was stabbed.

Delvalle-Rodriguez and Frazier were each indicted in Berkshire Superior Court and arraigned in 2018. They pleaded not guilty to a number of charges, including armed kidnapping. Jury selection is scheduled to start on Monday.
PITTSFIELD  A city woman is facing several drug charges in Connecticut for allegedly possessing 510 packets of heroin after a stranger found her unresponsive in a car early Thursday and called police.

An arraignment for Alexandra Brenner, 35, is scheduled for May 20 in Litchfield County District Court in Torrington, Conn. She was released on a $25,000 bond.

Connecticut State Police troopers say in their arrest report that at around 6:15 a.m., they found Brenner conscious but sluggish while parked in a strangers driveway off Colebrook River Road in Winsted, which is off Route 8 near the Massachusetts border. Police wrote that this person had called them, saying she was unresponsive.

When police arrived, Brenner refused medical attention and failed a field sobriety test, according to the report. This is when they allegedly found the drugs.

Located in plain view was evidence of suspected heroin packets, the report says. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed 51 bundles (approximately 510 packets) of heroin, as well as drug paraphernalia.

Brenner had been in Hartford before traveling north, said Connecticut State Police Trooper Roy Dungan, an investigator on the case, speaking to The Eagle.

The obvious assumption by police, Dungan said, is that Brenner was heading back to Pittsfield with the drugs using Route 8, one transportation road in the drug corridor between the cities and the Berkshires.

He said many people dont get caught.

Its really timing, Dungan said. If she didnt pull over, it would not have been found.

Brenner is charged with a single count each of operating under the influence, alcohol/drugs; use of drug paraphernalia; and possession with intent to sell/dispense narcotics.
Community News Editor / Librarian

Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989.
The supply of trained, experienced town professionals is running mighty low, and there doesnt seem to be any relief in sight.

When Clarksburg lost three town employees, it took more than a year to rebuild the ranks, and theyre still lacking one position. Williamstown needed to find a town manager. It took 14 months and two searches.

North Adams is looking for a chief administrative assistant, library director, assistant IT director and a community development projects director, among others. In Great Barrington, officials are seeking a superintendent for the Department of Public Works, a human resources director and a parking enforcement attendant.

Quote "Sometimes you get nobody responding. And that's for pretty much any town openings." Mike Canales, Stockbridge town administrator

And in Pittsfield, the hunt continues for a community development specialist, senior code enforcement inspector, boat ramp steward, a library senior assistant, and a water and sewer maintenance technician.

At a time when communities are working harder than ever due to the pandemic, its especially hard to find people, said Geoff Beckwith, CEO and executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. We need to be building a stronger bench of people who are able to step in when older workers retire. All sorts of communities are looking for the right people, often competing with each other.

Meanwhile, some towns have hired employees from neighboring communities, causing another opening in what can become a churn in staffing throughout a region.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association runs programs to help future municipal employees gain the unique skills needed for these specialized positions.

But it doesnt seem to be enough.

With the problem growing and no relief in sight, Carl McKinney, Clarksburgs administrator, wrote to Gov. Charlie Baker to say the state needs to start training the next generation of municipal employees, while many employees are on the verge of retiring.

It is becoming a crisis, McKinney said in an interview. I think we need to work together and advocate for the Berkshires much more aggressively than we have.

In his letter to the governor, McKinney said the situation is worsening.

This is not a new problem, but it has gotten significantly worse over the last four or five years, McKinney wrote. The Department of Revenue/Division of Local Services has been warning about this since my last tour of duty as town administrator. The situation has only gotten worse.

The Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association, he noted, listed 35 advertised positions for that clutch municipal role, a full 10 percent of all state communities.

The need is dire, and the supply is incredibly limited, McKinney wrote.

When the lights go out

Clarksburg is a good example of what can happen when key positions go vacant at the same time.

For several months, the town had to function without an administrator, administrative assistant, treasurer/tax collector and town accountant. And the Select Board was down to one member, meaning it lacked a quorum and could not meet.

As a result, the Select Board chair, Danielle Luchi, volunteered to act as administrator, taking care of business and seeking temporary help with the treasurers office and the duties of the accountant. Even the police chief was helping out in different roles. The town missed several state deadlines for budgeting and other required reporting.

Quote "Were finding it difficult, even impossible at times, to compete with the salaries and benefits a private sector employer can provide." Mark Pruhenski, Great Barrington town manager

Beckwith, of the MMA, said state requirements can be complex, requiring specialized knowledge and training.

And when a town is short-handed, ultimately they still have to get the work done under an increased level of difficulty, Beckwith said.

Janice Boudreau, executive secretary in the Franklin County town of Rowe, said that in the past, municipal positions were in demand, as they had decent pay rates, were local and offered decent benefits.

Now, however, these positions require a high level of training including treasurer, accountant, town clerk, assessor and Board of Health clerk, Boudreau said.

At present, we are looking for an administrative assistant, she added. I have had difficulty finding someone and will undoubtedly have to spend hours and hours of training as I just did with someone else. But it didnt work out and I have to repeat the process.

Another issue is that skills and training demanded in municipal governments do not resemble whats needed in the private sector. An accountant in a private company would not be able to slide into a job as town accountant without significant retraining.

Municipal vs. private sector is very different, said Brandi Page, town administrator in Otis. It takes time to adjust and understand the differences.

If a town decides to hire someone without pertinent training, Page said, it must be ready to provide training and support during the adjustment period.

Massachusetts recognizes the challenge towns face in filling vacancies and is working to connect candidates to get training on matters that may seem overwhelming, Page said.

The Department of Local Services recently launched the Municipal Training and Resource Center, where people can up their game on how towns are run, through videos and other resources.

This is a problem across the state, in towns big and small, says Andrew MacLean, town administrator in Pepperell.

I believe there are two main drivers  lower pay than the private sector for comparable positions/skills and municipalities not being sophisticated recruiters, he said.

We believe we will have better success training from within rather than hoping the marketplace provides us with someone on demand in the future, MacLean said. This came to us after going through some turnover turmoil, so it is a lesson learned.

Lisa Blackmer, of North Adams, a veteran municipal employee with past stints in Becket and Buckland, says the lack of training programs hobbles progress.

Weve got to change the paradigm; change the message, she said. Blackmer is business administrator for the Northern Berkshire School Union and president of the North Adams City Council.

Nobody these days goes to college to be a municipal accountant, she said. So its hard to find anyone to fill these jobs. But its a good career, better than the private sector in some ways.

While some jobs in the private sector pay better, employees in municipal government can advance. Its especially good for people who want to work close to home in jobs that can have an outsized, and positive, impact on the town and its residents.

Jay Green, town administrator of Adams, created his own recruitment pipeline. Green worked out an internship program with the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts  and through that, landed a new town accountant. Crystal Wojcik came in as an intern to help out in the treasurers office, then was hired full time and promoted twice. She now serves full time as town accountant.

Good recruiting and retention policies are key, Green said. For him, the question isnt only how to attract candidates. More importantly, how do you keep good employees?

Sharing services with other towns might solve part of the staffing problem, Green says, and cut down on the issue of having a hire solve one towns problem, only to create another for a neighboring community.

Allowing for adjustable working hours and flexible vacation times might help keep employees on board.

Cannibalizing each others employee pool isnt the answer, Green said. Thats partly why shared services makes so much sense.

One administrator's plea In his letter to Gov. Charlie Baker, Clarksburg's town administrator said that municipal positions are crucial for the proper day to day operation of any given municipality. The shortage is causing chaos, errors, missed reporting and a general dissatisfaction with the populace of the services we deliver and on which they rely upon. Clarksburg is still seeking a treasurer/tax collector. Carl McKinney, the administrator, said that when the town fills the role, it will likely be with an employee of a nearby town. If we are successful  we will end up taking an employee away from another town, as was done to us, he wrote. It is, in all reality, approaching crisis proportions with no end in sight. McKinney asks that the state consider creating a network of four or five training centers/Vocational Certificate Programs to create a new pipeline of trained municipal workers  and do so in a hurry.

The challenge ahead

This is one of the most challenging problems cities and towns will face in the years ahead, especially when recruiting very specific skillsets required for department-head level positions, said Mark Pruhenski, town manager in Great Barrington. Were finding it difficult, even impossible at times, to compete with the salaries and benefits a private sector employer can provide.

He said the work itself can be rewarding, but thats not enough to attract and retain employees in the current environment.

The answer? The town is examining its pay scale and adjusting salaries where needed, along with working with interns to give them a taste of a career in town government, Pruhenski said.

Were also casting the widest nets we can when it comes to advertising openings, he noted.

State Rep. William Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox, said that the evolution of small town governments has reached a point where sharing services among towns will become more prevalent. On-the-job training may have to become the norm.

Finding qualified people is harder now because small town government has become so much more complex, he said. So by sharing services, the towns get what they need and save money at the same time, while relying on fewer people to operate town hall. And the shared employee will receive better pay as a result.

Quote Nobody these days goes to college to be a municipal accountant." Lisa Blackmer, North Adams City Council president

Mike Canales, town administrator in Stockbridge, was hired away from his job as city administrator in North Adams. Since then, Canales said, the municipal labor shortage has gotten worse.

Weve had a number of positions where weve had to do multiple searches, he said. Sometimes you get nobody responding. And thats for pretty much any town openings.

Canales acknowledges that when Stockbridge hired its tax collector/treasurer away from Clarksburg, the move affected a smaller town already lacking essential personnel.

Its definitely as issue, he said. Within another 10 years well be facing another wave of retirements in all of these towns, with nobody coming up behind them to carry the load.
Reporter

Heather Bellow, a member of the investigations team, joined The Eagle in 2017. She is based in the South Berkshire County bureau in Great Barrington. Her work has appeared in newspapers across the U.S.
Scott Stafford has been a reporter, photographer, and editor at a variety of publications, including the Dallas Morning News and The Berkshire Eagle.
Russian military vehicles roll down Red Square in May 2019 during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia. Some in the West think Russian President Vladimir Putin may use the Victory Day on May 9, when Russia celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, to officially declare that war is underway in Ukraine and announce a mobilization  a claim rejected by the Kremlin.
TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The EU coordinator for the Iran nuclear talks Enrique Mora will visit Iran on Tuesday over the Vienna talks aimed to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, semi-official agency Nour News reported Saturday.

Nour News, affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, gives no details about Mora's upcoming visit.

In July 2015, Iran signed with the world powers a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in which Tehran agrees to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of the international sanctions on it.

However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to gradually drop some of its nuclear commitments under the agreement.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties to revive the deal.

Iran insists on securing guarantees that the U.S. governments will not abandon the deal again and the sanctions being lifted in a verifiable manner. 
Letter: Pittsfield can look to other cities to improve crisis response policies
A staff member prepares to unload a container from a truck at a logistic station of Shenyang East Railway Station in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

China's has been strengthening the domestic market, while allowing it to engage "productively and energetically" with the international market. "This measure of strengthening the key fundamentals ... has been a very solid foundation through which China has been able to fend off the worst of shocks," said Nigerian scholar Charles Onunaiju.

by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China's Q1 economic growth rate indicates that the country has been able to overcome economic shocks and keep a steady momentum of growth, continuing to make enormous contributions to global recovery, a Nigerian scholar has said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Charles Onunaiju, director of the Center for China Studies in Abuja, said China's structural reforms have strengthened the strength and the resilience of its economy.

According to recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics, China clinched a GDP growth rate of 4.8 percent in the first quarter year on year, outperforming the 4-percent rate registered in the previous quarter.

"I think it is not surprising that China has done well. Pulling out 4.8 percent in the first quarter, 2022 was a good one, which is the best among major economies," said the expert, who has authored several books on the China-Africa cooperation and development.

Workers work at a factory of Harbin Electric Machinery Company Ltd. of Harbin Electric Corporation in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

China's has been strengthening the domestic market, while allowing it to engage "productively and energetically" with the international market, said Onunaiju, noting that "this measure of strengthening the key fundamentals ... has been a very solid foundation through which China has been able to fend off the worst of shocks."

"We have to recognize the fundamentals of China's economy. China has been undergoing structural reforms that are focusing on positioning the fundamentals for the changes, transforming the economy from low-end manufacturing to high-end services, to innovation-driven," he told Xinhua.

"Even when such unforeseeable shocks like the pandemic happened, the very strong foundations of these key economic categories were able to absorb it," Onunaiju explained.

A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for a nucleic acid test in Chaoyang District, Beijing, capital of China, May 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

While noting that China has struck a balance between epidemic control and economic and social development, the scholar said that China's recent efforts to further strengthen economic fundamentals and create a unified domestic market would enable the country to overcome other shocks and keep a steady momentum of growth.

China's current economic growth and performance will also have a tremendous impact on global recovery, the analyst pointed out.

As a major trading partner of hundreds of economies, China is no doubt a very strategic market which would help economies to recover, Onunaiju said.

"China's Belt and Road Initiative's good spending on infrastructure will also maintain the momentum of jobs in various countries. Most of the partner countries ... will also benefit from it," he said. 
In four days, the Idaho Gives online fundraiser raised more than $3.6 million for 637 nonprofit organizations in the state.

The program is part of the Idaho Nonprofit Center, which collects donations every year for local nonprofits.

The Idaho Gives campaign has raised $19.7 million for local communities and has given nearly $150,000 in prizes in the last 10 years, a press release said.

Idaho Gives makes a world of difference to nonprofits so they can make a world of difference to Idaho, said Laura Smith, Vice President of Community Development at Idaho Central Credit Union and former Idaho Nonprofit Center board president. We are so proud to sponsor this event year after year.

The largest earners included the Peregrine Fund  World Center for Birds of Prey, Planned Parenthood, Advocates for the West, Boise Bicycle Project, and the Idaho Conservation League.

An expanded list of beneficiaries and more information about the annual fundraiser is available at idahogives.org.
A nonpartisan online tool through the League of Women Voters of Idaho is now available for residents looking for voting and candidate information for the May 17 primary election, according to a press release.

The website, VOTE411.org, is a one-stop shop for election information where voters can enter their address and access candidate-provided responses to questions, a voter registration tool, polling place information, and other helpful election information for all voters.

The service in Idaho is powered by volunteers and funded by donations to the league during Idaho Gives, an online fundraiser for the states nonprofit organizations. The League of Women Voters of Idaho has also worked with local newspapers, including the Idaho Press, to have the voter guide published this primary election.

Local league members in Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Camas, Canyon, Freemont, Gooding, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lincoln, Owyhee and Twin Falls counties have also been able to provide candidate guides for county primary elections.

You can also find more Idaho voting information, including tools to check if youre registered to vote and where to find your polling location, at voteidaho.gov.
MANISTEE  As the war in Ukraine is now in its second month, since the Russian Invasion, humanitarian efforts to assist refugees in neighboring countries like Poland and Romania have come in from across the nation and across the world.

Manistee as a community has also contributed to helping Ukraine. A local couple and some stores have been raising money for Ukraine  and they are not the only ones.

Here are some Manistee County stores, individuals and organizations raising money for Ukraine:

NU2U

NU2U in Manistee has already been inundated with clothes and other items from a donation drive last month for the Slavic Evangelical Church in Traverse City. It will be doing another one this month. The donations list that the church is asking for includes the following:

 Blankets

 Bedding

 Pillows and sheets

 Towels

 Ready to eat meals

 Toiletries for children and adults

 Hygiene items for women

 Stationery items; and

 Diapers for children and adults.

Items can be dropped off at NU2U at 353 River St. from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

GoFundMe

Cynthia and Phillip Knapp, who both live in Manistee Township were scheduled to arrive in Ukraine on May 2, have a GoFundMe.

Cynthia Knapp, who's a retired emergency physician has a GoFundMe called Medication for Ukraine.

"My husband and I are going to Boratyn Poland. This is 12 miles from the Ukraine border. We are working on a building to house 250 refugees. My husband is building a daycare and more housing units in the building. We are working for free and have paid for our flight over, car rental and stay at an Airbnb," Cynthia Knapp wrote the following on her GoFundMe page.

Knapp gave a list of donations that she is asking for:

"What we need money for is medicine and sanitary products. At the broader crossing, there are medical camps, I will be working at one of the camps and at the refugee housing. The medical sites have a need for antibiotics for children and adult medications for high blood pressure and chronic diseases. I am going to buy diapers: adults and babies, sanitary pads, wet wipes, toothbrushes and toothpaste in Warsaw. I am taking medicine and medical supplies with me. Any help would be appreciated," Knapp wrote.

The GoFundMe can be found at gofundme.com/f/medication-for-ukraine.

A separate go fund called the Durrett-Davies Ukrainian Refugee Childcare Project, for Philip Knapp can be found at gofundme.com/f/Charles-Durrett-housing-for-Ukrainian-refugees.
Poor boy receives support to take care of mentally-ill mother

A 14-year-old boy in the central province of Nghe An has received financial support to take care of his mother who is facing mental problems.















Cuong and his mother (middle) receive donations from Dantri Newspaper on May 4



Representatives from Dantri/Dtinews visited Nguyen Manh Cuong in Nghi Loc Districts Nghi Van Commune on May 4 to transfer over VND100 million from readers that had been sent to the newspaper's charity fund and the Vietnam Fund for Study Promotion to support his family.

The family said they had also received over VND60 million from many donors since their story was published on Dantri/Dtinews Online.



The boy sends his sincere thanks to all kind donors for helping his family.



"Thanks to financial support, my mother can now go to hospital for treatment," his said. "Were very grateful for your huge help."



The teenager has become the family breadwinner after the death of his grandparents as his mother Nguyen Thi Linh, who is 56, has mental problems.













Cuong catches snail and crab to sell for some money



According to some neighbours, Cuong's mother started showing signs of mental health problems after graduating from high school. Following treatment, she saw great improvement.

However, her condition worsened again after being raped by a stranger in 2008. After that, she became pregnant and gave birth to Cuong. Since then, she has only stayed at home and had almost no contact with anybody else, except for her family.



To date, Cuong has not yet discovered who his father is.



His mother often loudly screams and leaves home to wander outside. Sometimes, she faints in bed. After Cuong's grandparents died, he and his mother previously could only depend on the subsidy for poor households.













Cuong's mother has mental problems



The family was too poor to cover Linhs treatment. So she was tortured by her disease.



In the morning, Cuong goes to school and in the afternoon he tries to do some odd jobs to earn money. He faced dropping out of school due to financial difficulties.
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Botafogo have made a bid to sign PSV Eindhoven and Israel international striker Eran Zahavi, according to media reports in Brazil.

The 34-year-old's contract with the Dutch club is due to expire in June and Botafogo have made an offer to secure him on a contract that runs until December 2023, news outlet Lance said on Friday.

It added that Zahavi had shown interest in the move but made clear that he would not make a decision until the end of the Dutch top-flight season. PSV are currently second in the 18-team Eredivisie standings, four points behind leaders Ajax with three games remaining.

Zahavi has scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists in 44 matches for PSV across all competitions this season.

Botafogo have made a slew of high-profile signings since US businessman John Textor acquired a controlling stake in the Rio de Janeiro club in December.

Among the newcomers are midfielder Patrick de Paula, defender Philipe Sampaio, attacker Lucas Piazon and full-back Renzo Saravia. 
A new investigation has uncovered that Planned Parenthood does not report any suspicious activity regarding child sex trafficking to authorities.

It also showed that the abortion giant doesnt even train its staff to report on instances of abuse. Which, apparently, has been an ongoing issue for a long time.

For example, in 2011, pro-life group Live Action sent investigators to gather evidence that would soon show eight Planned Parenthood staffers in seven clinics who aided cases of child trafficking.

These investigators posed as child sex traffickers, then tried to obtain abortions, contraception, and STI tests for underage girls. The disturbing footage shows Planned Parenthood employees explaining the best method to perform abortions on these traffickers.

The staffers later went on to admit on camera that clinics often ignore parental consent laws, and illegally perform abortions on young women who have been trafficked as sex slaves.

Planned Parenthood has long denied that it does not report cases of child abuse, but the damning footage obtained by Live Action clearly showed otherwise.

Its also worth noting that this wasnt the first and only time Live Action has caught Planned Parenthood breaking the law red-handed. Over the years, the group has released multiple undercover videos that have led to congressional investigations and calls for funding reform and redistribution.

After the 2011 scandal was brought to light, the abortion clinic stated that it would better train and equip staffers to detect and disclose instances of minor abuse.

Leaving many, however, calling these words out to be nothing more than empty promises to get ahead of the optics.

Per their website, Planned Parenthood states that victims of rape should of course have the right to decide what happens with their bodies. But the site also says nothing about helping assaulted victims.

In a recent study by Gabrielle Tornow, Planned Parenthood employees were described as facilitators towards the exploitation of young girls.

This was unveiled by undercover investigators who pretended to be teenage girls, some pretending to be as young as 15. These investigators recorded conversations in which staff advised about bondage, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism (BDSM) kinds of relationships.

No employee asked relevant details, like how old the teen girls boyfriend was. Nor did they provide any advice on how to avoid pregnancy. Instead, the employees stated that as long as the relationship was consensual, everything within those lines was automatically deemed acceptable  regardless of age.

The staff unsurprisingly reassured and encouraged the teens to hide their sexual encounters from their parents. Then they went on to advise the girls on how to obtain abortions without parental consent.

Perhaps most shockingly, much of this advice included lying and running away to another state where there are no parental consent laws.
Top: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John C Calhoun, and Theodore Roosevelt; Bottom: Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight D Eisenhower, and John F Kennedy. The seven presidents and one vice-president (Calhoun) all warned us about an invisible government (aka deep state) running the U.S.

There are a lot of critics of the U.S. government these days. Admittedly, a good part of the time, Im one of them. Some people would say that the criticism is just evidence of our jaded, modern times. Not so, my friends. Lets take a look at what insiders have been saying about the American government over the past 224 years. And by insiders I dont mean Capital Hill journalists or presidential aides. Im talking about actual past presidents, vice presidents, congressmen, senators, and other high profile political leaders.

Together, these historical leaders paint a pretty dire picture of our democracy, saying that the U.S. is under the control of an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people and this invisible government is the true ruling power in our country.

They go on to explain how a shadow government (now known as the deep state) has been in control of the U.S. ever since the days of Andrew Jackson (since at least 1836). It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. They virtually run the United States government for their own selfish purposes. They practically control both parties It operates under cover of a self-created screen [and] seizes our executive officers, legislative bodies, schools, courts, newspapers and every agency created for the public protection.

As a result, these leaders say, we have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated, governments in the civilized worldno longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and the duress of small groups of dominant men.

The danger has never been more clear and its presence has never been more imminent Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. Therefore, to destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.

Want to know specifically who said these things? Check out the list of quotes from high-level, historical leaders that I compiled below. All of the statements in this article have been verified as authentic and have associated links to their source materials.

Historical Leaders Warn About an Invisible Government Running the U.S.

The warnings listed below, which appear in chronological order, began with our first president  George Washington. The last president to speak out was JFK, who was assassinated. Read what they and other political leaders have said about the invisible government.

It was not my intention to doubt that, the Doctrines of the Illuminati, and principles of Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary, no one is more truly satisfied of this fact than I am. The idea that I meant to convey, was, that I did not believe that the Lodges of Free Masons in this Country had, as Societies, endeavoured to propagate the diabolical tenets of the first, or pernicious principles of the latter (if they are susceptible of seperation). That Individuals of them may actually had a seperation [sic] of the People from their Government in view, is too evident to be questioned.  George Washington, 1st President of the United States (17891797), from a letter that Washington wrote on October 24, 1798, which can be found in the Library of Congress. For an analysis of Washingtons warning, see the article Library of Congress: George Washington Warns of Illuminati

I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies. Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (18011809) and principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776), in a letter written to John Taylor on May 28, 1816

A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various powerful interests, combined in one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in banks.  John C. Calhoun, Vice President (1825-1832) and U.S. Senator, from a speech given on May 27, 1836

Note that it appears that Washingtons and Jeffersons concerns regarding bankers and separation of the people from the government was realized by 1836. This fact was confirmed in a letter written by FDR in 1933 (see below) in which he wrote that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson. Jackson was the seventh president of the United States (1829-1937). Calhoun served as Jacksons vice-president from 1829-1932.

Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day. Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, An Autobiography, 1913 (Appendix B)

A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is privately concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men [W]e have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated, governments in the civilized worldno longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and the duress of small groups of dominant men.  Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, The New Freedom, 1913

Related Article: One Day In 1913, Woodrow Wilson Had A Shocking Thought

Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had mens views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.  Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, The New Freedom, 1913

The real menace of our Republic is the invisible government, which like a giant octopus sprawls its slimy legs over our cities, states and nation The little coterie of powerful international bankers virtually run the United States government for their own selfish purposes. They practically control both parties,  and control the majority of the newspapers and magazines in this country. They use the columns of these papers to club into submission or drive out of office public officials who refuse to do the bidding of the powerful corrupt cliques which compose the invisible government. It operates under cover of a self-created screen [and] seizes our executive officers, legislative bodies, schools, courts, newspapers and every agency created for the public protection.  New York City Mayor John F. Hylan, New York Times, March 26, 1922

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.  Edward Bernays (the father of public relations), Propaganda, 1928 (note that Bernays book, Propaganda, begins with the above quote).

Mr. Chairman, we have in this country one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks. The Federal Reserve Board, a Government board, has cheated the Government of the United States and the people of the United States out of enough money to pay the national debtMr. Chairman, when the Federal Reserve act was passed, the people of the United States did not perceive that a world system was being set up here and that this country was to supply financial power to an international superstate  a superstate controlled by international bankers and international industrialists acting together to enslave the world for their own pleasure.  Congressman Louis T. McFadden, from a speech delivered to the House of Representatives on June 10, 1932

The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States (19331945), in a letter to Colonel Edward M House dated November 21, 1933, as quoted in F.D.R.: His Personal Letters, 1928-1945.

Today the path to total dictatorship in the U.S. can be laid by strictly legal means We have a well-organized political-action group in this country, determined to destroy our Constitution and establish a one-party state It operates secretly, silently, continuously to transform our Government This ruthless power-seeking elite is a disease of our century This groupis answerable neither to the President, the Congress, nor the courts. It is practically irremovable.  Senator William Jenner, 1954 speech

The individual is handicapped by coming face-to-face with a conspiracy somonstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst.It rejects even the assumption that human creatures could espouse a philosophy which must ultimately destroy all that is good and decent. J. Edgar Hoover, The Elks Magazine, 1956

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.  Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States,, January 1961 Speech

The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings Our way of life is under attack. Those who make themselves our enemy are advancing around the globe no war ever posed a greater threat to our security. If you are awaiting a finding of clear and present danger, then I can only say that the danger has never been more clear and its presence has never been more imminent For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influenceon infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed.  John F Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, from a speech delivered to the American Newspaper Publishers Association on April 27, 1961.

The Rockefellers and their allies have, for at least fifty years, been carefully following a plan to use their economic power to gain political control of first America, and then the rest of the world. Do I mean conspiracy? Yes, I do. I am convinced there is such a plot, international in scope, generations old in planning, and incredibly evil in intent. Congressman Larry P. McDonald, November 1975, from the introduction to a book titled The Rockefeller File.

There exists a shadowy government with its own Air Force, its own Navy, its own fundraising mechanism, and the ability to pursue its own ideas of national interest, free from all checks and balances, and free from the law itself.  Daniel K. Inouye, US Senator from Hawaii, testimony at the Iran Contra Hearings, 1986

The Deep State is Still Running the Show

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vjdw3Is9mT4%3Fenablejsapi%3D1%26autoplay%3D0%26cc_load_policy%3D0%26cc_lang_pref%3D%26iv_load_policy%3D3%26loop%3D0%26modestbranding%3D0%26rel%3D0%26fs%3D1%26playsinline%3D0%26autohide%3D2%26theme%3Ddark%26color%3Dred%26controls%3D1%26

The Federal Reserve

 one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank.  Louis T. McFadden

In an interview with Jim Lehrer that was aired on PBS News Hour on September 18, 2007 that you can watch on YouTube, formal Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said, essentially, that the Federal Reserve was above the law and that no agency of government can overrule their actions:

Jim Lehrer: What is the proper relationship, what should be the proper relationship between a chairman of the Fed and a president of the United States?

Alan Greenspan: Well, first of all, the Federal Reserve is an independent agency, and that means, basically, that there is no other agency of government which can overrule actions that we take. So long as that is in place and there is no evidence that the administration or the Congress or anybody else is requesting that we do things other than what we think is the appropriate thing, then what the relationships are dont frankly matter.

The fact that the Fed is above the law was demonstrated by current Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, during his appearance before Congress on March 4, 2009 (as shown in this video). Senator Bernie Sanders asked Bernanke about $2.2 trillion in American tax dollars that was lent out by Federal Reserve. Bernanke refused to provide an answer:

Senator Sanders: Will you tell the American people to whom you lent $2.2 trillion of their dollars?  Can you tell us who they are?

Bernanke: No

David Rockefeller and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

We have a well-organized political-action group in this country, determined to destroy our Constitution and establish a one-party state  William Jenner

The Rockefellers and their allies have, for at least fifty years, been carefully following a plan to use their economic power to gain political control of first America, and then the rest of the world.  Larry P. McDonald

In 1921 the stockholders of the Federal Reserve financed an organization called the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). A full discussion on the CFR is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that the CFR likely plays a prominent role in the invisible government that we have been warned about. The CFR is alleged to be the arm of the Ruling Elite in the United States. Most influential politicians, academics and media personalities are members. The CFR uses its influence to push their New World Order agenda on the American people.

David Rockefeller, Sr is the current patriarch of the Rockefeller family. He is the only surviving grandchild of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. Rockefeller began a lifelong association with the CFR when he joined as a director in 1949. In Rockefellers 2002 autobiography Memoirs he wrote:

For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as internationalists and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure  one world, if you will. If thats the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.

James Warburg, son of CFR [Council on Foreign Relations] founder Paul Warburg, delivered blunt testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 17, 1950:

We shall have world government, whether or not we like it. The question is only whether world government will be achieved by consent or by conquest.

Cognitive Dissonance

The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst. It rejects even the assumption that human creatures could espouse a philosophy which must ultimately destroy all that is good and decent. J. Edgar Hoover

Because of a deep rooted beliefs that the U.S. government is for the people and the protector of the free world, many will reject the notion of an evil shadow government. When our beliefs are challenged or when two beliefs are inconsistent, cognitive dissonance is created. Its human nature to try to hold our beliefs in harmony with our world view and avoid disharmony (or dissonance).

For those of you who having difficulty believing the information presented in this article, I fully understand. For the first 57 years of my life, I would not have believed in the possibility that a shadow government could exist. Eleven years ago my world view changed. While on vacation in Mount Shasta, I came across a book titled Global Conspiracy that seemed strangely out of place in a metaphysical book store. I had never heard of the author before  some guy named David Icke. I scanned through the book and frankly didnt believe 99% of what I read. But, I saw one thing that caught my attention in that I knew that I could easily verify Ickes assertion. I did my own research and turned out what Icke had stated was true. That led me down a rabbit hole and many, many hundreds of hours of independent research.

So, keep an open mind, do your own research, and use discernment. Beware that there is a ton of disinformation on the internet, much of which is intentionally placed to confuse the public. At a CFR meeting on geoengineering, M. Granger Morgan stated:
HANOI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam recorded 3,345 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, down by 474 from Friday, according to its Ministry of Health.

The new infections were all domestically transmitted, and reported in 55 provinces and cities.

The Vietnamese capital Hanoi remained the epidemic hotspot with 630 new cases registered on Saturday, followed by the northern provinces of Vinh Phuc with 222 and Phu Tho with 179.

The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 10,673,915 with 43,055 deaths in Vietnam. Nationwide, as many as 9,318,525 COVID-19 patients, or more than 87 percent of the total infections, have so far recovered.

More than 215.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the Southeast Asian country, including more than 196.3 million shots on people aged 18 and above, said the ministry.

Vietnam has by far gone through four coronavirus waves of increasing scale, complication, and infectivity. As of Saturday, it has registered nearly 10.7 million locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since the start of the current wave in April 2021, said the health ministry. 
Mental health resources across the country are getting a boost from the federal government, with a focus on encouraging collaboration between organizations.

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THE CANADIAN PRESS Carolyn Bennett, federal mental health and addictions minister, speaks in Ottawa, in 2019. The minister announced millions of dollars in funding for mental health initiatives in Manitoba Friday.

Mental health resources across the country are getting a boost from the federal government, with a focus on encouraging collaboration between organizations.

The federal government announced Friday a $12.2-million investment in 10 projects through the mental health promotion innovation fund to advance mental health across Canada.

Two organizations in Manitoba will receive funding: $1.325 million will go to Winnipeg-based Newcomers Employment and Education Development Services (NEEDS), which offers services to immigrant and refugee families and children.

Another $1.325 million will go toward initiatives in northern communities, including the Cedar Path in The Pas, a youth-led and youth-focused community initiative that engages people aged 13 to 17 in healthy lifestyles.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett made the announcement in Winnipeg. This is on top of $6.6 million that was already invested in 2020.

Stigma often prevents people from asking for help, Bennett said. People coming from other cultures where mental illness or addictions are seen as a weakness can make it even harder for them to ask for help. For some Indigenous people, they are struggling with the effects of colonization, loss of culture and traditional healing practices.

"With so many people struggling with mental wellness issues and substance use issues, this is a huge thing for all of us to be working together," Bennett said. "We need to understand the harm we do when we accidentally make an assumption around the behaviour of someone who is struggling. We should be thinking about what that person has lived through."

While the funding is going to specific organizations, the goal is to create partnerships. They will take the funding to build their own programs and are actively seeking other groups around the province to collaborate with to deliver more programs, said Margaret von Lau, chief executive officer of NEEDS.

This is about creating community-based programs to bring assistance to where the people that need it are living.

"We are here to provide supports with a focus on children and youth. We want to look at what is happening in other communities and branch out," she said. "We have a lot of resources we could share and we can definitely work with groups that have similar issues as ours."

While the funding amount isnt much when spread out across the province, the acting chair of Brandons Community Wellness Collaborative said it is a step in the right direction to help groups like hers reach out to more people.

"I applaud the government for stepping up on this and if Winnipeg [NEEDS] wants to collaborate, we would be happy to do that," Antoinette Gravel-Ouellette said.

The organization currently has 55 collaborations going on between different agencies that all have a stake in wellness in Brandon and the Westman area. Something like this would definitely help them build a stronger network, she said.

 kmckinley@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @karenleighmcki1
Its funny how we sometimes take the simple things in life for granted. Cooking oil is certainly one of them, though our appreciation for vegetable oil could soon reach new heights.

Its funny how we sometimes take the simple things in life for granted. Cooking oil is certainly one of them, though our appreciation for vegetable oil could soon reach new heights.

Prices have increased by 25 per cent just in the last six months. Palm oil went up 50 per cent, while canola oil is up 55 per cent on average. The world is slowly running out of vegetable oil.

Vegetable oils are not just about frying things  the ingredient is in many things we eat. All household kitchens and restaurants use vegetable oils. Major companies will buy vegetable oils to manufacture the food we buy daily. Pasta, cookies, chocolate, cookies, mayonnaise and many dry and baked goods contain vegetable oil; it is one of the most universal and versatile ingredients we have at our disposal.

Palm oil is the big one, given how affordable it is. Indonesia, the largest producer in the world, recently announced that the country would ban exports of palm oil, starting in late April. Indonesia accounts for 55 per cent of palm oil exports. Its huge. Since the price of palm oil increased by 40 per cent there, the government believed it had no other choice. Malaysia, the second-largest exporter, is experiencing unprecedented labour shortages affecting palm oil production. The country accounts for nearly a third of palm oil exports, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Although many condemn the use of this oil for environmental reasons, many large companies buy the product. Nestle, Mondelez, Ferrero  most of the big food companies need it, and we eat it every day.

For sunflower oil, the situation is even worse. Ukraine, the victim of an atrocious invasion, is the largest exporter in the world. In 2021-22, the country exported more than six million tonnes of sunflower oil, about half of the globes supply. Russia, responsible for another quarter of sunflower oil exports, will have difficulty finding customers due to sanctions imposed against it.

For canola oil, Canada, the largest exporter, must contend with last years abysmal season. The drought was so severe that our country had to import canola to meet our own demand for vegetable oil. So, there were hardly any reserves to start 2022.

And finally, there is soybean oil, with Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil ranking among the largest exporters. The three countries were also hit by major droughts and anemic production in recent years, creating supply problems everywhere.

Even if other major vegetable oil-exporting countries like Holland and Germany have good harvests in 2022, it will not be enough to cover the anticipated deficit this year, and possibly not next year either. The importance of an ingredient that we have all taken for granted in our kitchens will be much more evident.

One measure that could help is to lessen the amount of vegetable oil used for energy. About 15 per cent of all vegetable oils are used to support the production of biofuels. We could perhaps see some countries divert some of that production for more cooking oils, but thats far from a given.

As we navigate through this global food crisis, we are expecting more countries to instinctively ban exports and even hoard commodities to secure food supplies. Each decision will add more pressure to the market, raising prices across the board. Over the next several months, things will most certainly get to a point where many will experience famine or acute hunger  perhaps more than 100 million people. Devastating.

Despite all of this, as Canadians, were the lucky ones. If your grocer is rationing vegetable oil, dont be surprised. As consumers, we should feel lucky just to have access to some vegetable oils.

 Sylvain Charlebois is a professor at Dalhousie University and the senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. His column above appeared first appeared in the Toronto Star.
France's President Emmanuel Macron addresses the investiture ceremony at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua)

French Senate President Gerard Larcher arrives at the Elysee Palace for the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

France's President Emmanuel Macron addresses the investiture ceremony at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua)

French President Emmanuel Macron reviews the troops in the gardens of the Elysee Palace after the investiture ceremony in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua)

President of the French national assembly Richard Ferrand arrives at the Elysee Palace for the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

French President Emmanuel Macron reviews the troops in the gardens of the Elysee Palace after the investiture ceremony in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua)

French President Emmanuel Macron reviews the troops in the gardens of the Elysee Palace after the investiture ceremony in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua)

French President Emmanuel Macron reviews the troops in the gardens of the Elysee Palace after the investiture ceremony in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua)

The Elysee Palace is seen before the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. Macron won the second round of the election held on April 24 with an absolute majority of 18,768,638 votes (58.55 percent of the valid ballots cast). According to law, Macron's second term must begin no later than May 14. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo arrives at the Elysee Palace to attend the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. Macron won the second round of the election held on April 24 with an absolute majority of 18,768,638 votes (58.55 percent of the valid ballots cast). According to law, Macron's second term must begin no later than May 14. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Former French President Francois Hollande arrives at the Elysee Palace to attend the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. Macron won the second round of the election held on April 24 with an absolute majority of 18,768,638 votes (58.55 percent of the valid ballots cast). According to law, Macron's second term must begin no later than May 14. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin arrives at the Elysee Palace to attend the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. Macron won the second round of the election held on April 24 with an absolute majority of 18,768,638 votes (58.55 percent of the valid ballots cast). According to law, Macron's second term must begin no later than May 14. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin arrives at the Elysee Palace to attend the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. Macron won the second round of the election held on April 24 with an absolute majority of 18,768,638 votes (58.55 percent of the valid ballots cast). According to law, Macron's second term must begin no later than May 14. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

The Elysee Palace is seen before the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France, May 7, 2022. Macron won the second round of the election held on April 24 with an absolute majority of 18,768,638 votes (58.55 percent of the valid ballots cast). According to law, Macron's second term must begin no later than May 14. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
All eyes on the FROW, not the runway The interest in who will be in Fashion Weeks fabled frow at Carriageworks wont be limited to Allegra Spender. Designers, editors, celebrities, influencers and wannabes from across the globe fly in to experience the latest offering from local designers who decide whats in and out for the following seasons. As always, the hierachy of the frow is talked about as much as the clothes as a very public display of where you stand in Australian fashions social pecking order. All in a row ... fashions power hitters take their places front and centre at Fashion Week. Credit: Monday will see a return to the catwalk after a six-year hiatus for eponymous label Gary Bigeni. The highly anticipated Resort 22 show entitled Redivivus is said to present a gender-neutral, diverse and sustainable 30-piece collection. The show is also a celebration for Bigeni after being diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2017.

Dyspea label, known for sequins and sparkles, is rumoured to push boundaries for their showcase. Emerald City is told the body and gender positive brand will celebrate able and non-able bodies on the catwalk. Of course, fashion week wouldnt be complete without gatecrashers and none more so than the most exclusive shows on the roster. Following a stellar opening show in 2021, Romance Was Born returns to the runway with their highly anticipated collection Done Zone  a collaboration with inimitable, iconic Australian artist Ken Done. A tightly curated guest list of thirty have been invited to view the collection at Dones gallery in The Rocks. Fashion designer Michael Lo Sordo Credit:Steven Siewert Michael Lo Sordo will showcase his latest collection 88 floors above Sydneys skyline at the world-class Villa 88 located at Crown Residences  One Barangaroo. Styled by fashion powerhouse Caroline Tran, the celebrity favoured brand will see the likes of Lou ONeil (nee Hay), Rozalia Russian and Sarah Ellen at the show.

Forever pushing boundaries, AJE is rumoured to be working with internationally renowned creative agency Studio Boum to create an immersive space aligned to the brands connections with art, the body and nature to perfectly encapsulate and showcase the Resort 23 collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Emerald City is told the brands guest list includes both international faces and local celebrities. Other headliner runways include Indigenous Fashion Projects, Bondi Born, and additional returning favourites St. Agni, bassike, and Woolmark Prize finalist Jordan Dalah. Fashion powerhouse expands business

Returning to Australia for the first time in three years, theres no denying Desiree Deravi, founder and designer of S/W/F Boutique has kept herself busy during the pandemic. The former Melbourne designer who has spent the last decade living between Bali and Los Angeles welcomed a select group of influencers and media to lunch at Seans Panorama in North Bondi to showcase her brand latest collection and announce her next career move expanding into bridal as well as home interiors.

Madelieine Holtznagel is snubbing Fashion Week for international travel. Credit:Chloe Paul The petite ex-girlfriend of Olympian Michael Klim clearly has an eye for detail, showing Emerald City images of her chic Umalas home in Bali. Guests including artist Dina Broadhurst, influencer Natalie Roser and model and reality star Simone Holtznagel were treated to outfit from the collection. Model Madeleine Holtznagel, girlfriend to hospitality mogul Justin Hemmes, turned up in her chic trouser, bralette and vest set paired with the latest Fendi arm-candy. But, dont expect to see the social butterfly at Fashion Week next week, revealing instead she and her billionaire boyfriend will be holidaying in Noumea. Emerald City spied one unlikely guest, influencer Jade Tuncdoruk (aka Jade Tunchy), who has kept an extra low profile in recent months. Tuncdoruk found herself in hot water in January after she accused a small-business owner of theft and threatened to take him to Fair Trading when he refused to offer her a full refund on her honeymoon stay. At the time she was publicly called out by anonymous influencer watchdog account Celeb Spellcheck. Only days later things went from bad to worse when racist comments she had made about UberEats drivers resurfaced on Instagram. She soon apologised for her hurtful comments, in which she complained about UberEats annoying non-English speaking delivery drivers. Meanwhile, Deravi isnt the only designer to be extending their business prospects, celebrity Diamond dealers Zena and Tarik KDor of House Of KDor in Double Bay are also now extending their business ventures into property. On Wednesday night, aaw the opening night of their official house launch in Dover Heights which was held by Ray White Double Bays Alan Fettes and Elliott Placks, unveiling a sprawling mansion expected to sell for upwards of 9 million dollars.
She said the man, who was aged in his 70s, was taken to the Mildura Base Hospital by ambulance on the evening of March 16 with severe leg pain. According to the lawyers account, after arriving at the hospital the man, who had underlying vascular disease, was taken to Swan Hill Hospital, more than two-and-a-half hours away. From Swan Hill, he was flown to Melbournes St Vincents Hospital for emergency surgery. By the time he arrived, it had been 15 hours since an ambulance had been called and his organs were failing. He died on April 5. A Mildura hospital spokesperson said the man was assessed by medical staff, who determined he should be transferred to Melbourne. However, weather conditions made it unsafe to fly. After spending approximately 3.5 hours in our care, a decision was then made to transfer the patient to another airport where they were then flown to Melbourne by air ambulance, the spokesperson said. Zigouras, who is the mans power of attorney, has made a complaint about the circumstances of his death to the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner, saying the delays were inexcusable.

It shouldnt matter if youre in Melbourne or regional Victoria, you should be able to get emergency treatment, she said. Loading He did everything right and was at the Mildura Base Hospital within half an hour of feeling the pain in his leg. This could happen to me or you, it could happen to anybody. The mans death occurred days before another man from country Victoria suffered a cardiac arrest in a hospital bathroom and died after waiting more than three hours for admission into the emergency department at the Bairnsdale Regional Health Service in East Gippsland. His death is being investigated. While this weeks state budget was headlined by a promise for $12 billion for the stressed health system, including thousands of new healthcare workers, there are concerns that conditions at Victorias hospitals and emergency departments  already reporting the worst overcrowding in years  could deteriorate further over winter before any new investments make an impact.

Australian Medical Association Victorian president Dr Roderick McRae said not enough was being done to retain existing skilled staff. They are just exhausted, the distress and the moral injury has never been so high  they are asking why should I turn up tomorrow?. McRae said financial incentives and retention bonuses such as increased annual leave should be considered to retain staff. Give staff an additional week or two paid annual leave after we get through winter  no questions asked. Australian Medical Association president Dr Roderick McRae says more should be done to retain staff. Credit:Joe Armao Emergency physician Simon Judkins said the crisis unfolding in Victorian hospitals was now far worse than when a code brown was declared in January. He called for an escalation policy that could include moving stable or admitted patients out of the ED and into a suitable hospital ward, even if those wards were already at capacity. Increasingly, Judkins said family members and parents were bringing their seriously unwell relatives into the EDs by car after calling ambulances and being told the paramedics would be delayed. This included a motorbike trauma patient, who was recently taken to a major hospital in Melbourne by private car and police escort, due to ambulance delays, he said.

Trauma patients being brought in the back of cars with a police escort is just extraordinary, but this is what is happening, said Judkins, who sits on the board for the Australia Medical Association. That is the sort of stuff we are used to seeing, and I really hate to say this, in Third World countries where they dont have any ambulance services. Judkins said while staff were doing their absolute best to triage patients, rising numbers of seriously ill patients were deteriorating after waiting hours in ambulances or EDs. This meant healthcare workers were increasingly having to start resuscitation or emergency treatment in waiting rooms and hospital corridors. Loading He said in one case on Monday, a woman who had blood clots on her lungs spent 19 hours in a chair of the emergency department of a major Melbourne hospital due to understaffing. Secretary of The Police Association Victoria, Wayne Gatt, confirmed that in extreme cases police had transported injured people to hospital.
Scott Morrison has confirmed that, if elected, he would deal with the issues of passing a Religious Discrimination Act and protections for gay and trans students separately.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg today renewed his call for religious freedom laws to be dealt with at the same time as protections for gay and trans students.

Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg. Credit:James Brickwood

Thats a separate issue and would be function of the other matter first, Morrison said.

We would be dealing with RDA (the Religious Discrimination Act) first.

Our commitment was to go forward with the RDA and we will go forward with the RDA in its own right and I look forward to that getting the support in the parliament.

Bragg, who was poised to cross the floor in the upper house on the bill earlier this year to support more protections for LGBTQ students, told todays Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that the issues must be dealt with closely together - although not necessarily in the same package of legislation.

All the issues on students and teachers need to be dealt with at the same time as the religious discrimination bill. This mustnt be a choice between people of faith and the LGBTQ community, Bragg told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has questioned why the opposition wasnt invited to a meeting with Foreign Minister Marise Payne and her Solomon Islands counterpart, after a controversial security deal was signed between the Pacific island nation and China.

Payne met with Solomons Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele in Brisbane on Friday night, after facing almost three weeks of criticism for not doing more to stop the deal being signed.

Marise Payne says she reiterated Australias concerns about the security agreement. Credit:Steven Siewert

Albanese on Saturday questioned why Labors foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong wasnt invited to the meeting considering the government is in caretaker mode. Multiple sources confirmed that the opposition was briefed minutes before the meeting took place, but Wong was not invited to attend.

The deal between Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavares government and Beijing could see Chinese naval vessels and troops based less than 2000 kilometres off the Australian east coast and cut off vital supply lines to the US and Asia, in the event of a conflict.
The largest European conflict since World War II has developed into a punishing war of attrition that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed large swaths of some cities. Ukrainian leaders warned that attacks would only worsen in the lead-up to Russias holiday on Monday celebrating Nazi Germanys defeat 77 years ago, and President Volodymyr Zelensky urged people to heed air raid warnings. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that Zelensky and his people embody the spirit of those who prevailed during the Second World War. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine. Smoke rises from the Metallurgical Combine Azovstal in Mariupol during shelling on Saturday. Credit:AP As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions, Blinken said in a statement as the United States and United Kingdom commemorated the Allied victory in Europe. The most intense fighting in recent days has been in eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce battle to capture or reclaim territory. Moscows offensive there has focused on the industrial Donbas region, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014.

Moscow also has sought to sweep across southern Ukraine both to cut off the country from the sea and create a corridor to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, long home to Russian troops. But it has struggled to achieve those objectives. On Saturday, six Russian cruise missiles fired from aircraft hit the Odesa region, where a curfew is in place until Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed thick black smoke rising over the Black Sea port city as sirens wailed. Satellite photos analysed by The Associated Press showed Ukraine targeting Russian-held Snake Island in a bid to impede Russias efforts to control the Black Sea. An image taken early on Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed that most of the islands buildings had been destroyed by Ukrainian drone attacks, as well as what appeared to be a Serna-class landing craft against the islands northern beach. The image corresponds with a Ukrainian military video showing a drone striking the Russian vessel, engulfing it in flames. Snake Island, located some 35 kilometres off the coast, figured in a memorable incident early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, purportedly using colourful language.

In Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters made a final stand against a complete Russian takeover of the strategically important city, which would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion. Loading Satellite photos shot on Friday by Planet Labs PBC showed vast devastation at the sprawling Azovstal seaside steel mill, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. Buildings had gaping holes in the roofs, including one under which hundreds of fighters were likely hiding. After rescuers evacuated the last civilians on Saturday, Zelensky said in his nightly address that the focus would turn to extracting the wounded and medics: Of course, if everyone fulfils the agreements. Of course, if there are no lies. He added that work would also continue on Sunday on securing humanitarian corridors for residents of Mariupol and surrounding towns to leave.

The situation at the plant has drawn the worlds attention, with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross desperately trying to organise evacuations. In recent days, fighters inside described bringing out small groups of civilians who had been hiding there for weeks. The fighters said via social media that both they and the Russians had used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out. This satellite image shows a bridge repeatedly targeted by Russian missile strikes outside of Odesa. Credit: But Russian forces have intensified fire on the mill with mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from the sea, making evacuation operations difficult. Three Ukrainian fighters were reportedly killed and six more wounded during an evacuation attempt on Friday. Captain Sviatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, said his troops had waved white flags, and he accused Russian forces of firing an anti-tank weapon at a vehicle.

It remains unclear what will happen to the estimated 2000 fighters at Azovstal, both those still in combat and the hundreds believed to be wounded. In recent days the Ukrainian government has been reaching out to international organisations to try to secure safe passage for them. The fighters have repeatedly vowed not to surrender. Zelensky said officials were trying to find a way to evacuate them. He acknowledged the difficulty, but said, We are not losing hope, we are not stopping. Every day we are looking for some diplomatic option that might work. A man who was evacuated from the steel mill in Mariupol is given a warm meal. Credit:AP Russian forces have probed the plant and even reached into its warren of tunnels, according to Ukrainian officials. Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine and had a prewar population of about 4 million, remained a key target of Russian shelling in the northeast. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday that the Russian military also hit large shipments of weapons from the US and other Western countries with Iskander missiles in the region. His claims couldnt be independently verified.

But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city. The Ukrainian military said it retook control of five villages in the area and part of a sixth, and later that Russian forces destroyed three bridges on a road northeast of the city to try to slow Ukraines advance. Loading A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraine may be able to push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders momentum into a successful, broader counteroffensive. Overnight, a Russian missile destroyed a national museum in the Kharkiv region dedicated to the life and work of 18th-century philosopher and poet Gregory Skovoroda, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the building engulfed in flames. Zelensky expressed outrage at the missile attacks on the museum and on Odesa, where almost every street has something memorable, something historical. He said Russian forces have destroyed or damaged about 200 cultural heritage sites.
A broke out at Tata Steel's coke plant in Jamshedpur on Saturday morning.

The company statement said that in the morning it reported an incident of blasting sound in a coke plant unit, which was non-operational and is undergoing a dismantling process, at Jamshedpur Works.

"Our emergency response team immediately reached the incident site; the area was cordoned off and the situation was brought under control," the company said.

Three contract employees sustained minor injuries and were administered first aid. "While two of them have been discharged post first aid, one is currently under medical observation.

There has been no impact on production," the company said.

According to the standard safety protocol, said that the incident was immediately reported to the relevant authorities, and an investigation to assess the cause was underway.

The company further said, "As a responsible corporate, we remain committed to safe operations and the safety & well-being of all its stakeholders.
VALLETTA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Astrid Vella, one of Malta's best-known environmental warriors, has been devoted to preserving heritage buildings and improving her country's natural environment. She is now worried about the "setback" caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict to Europe's green transition.

"This is a setback, also for non-governmental environmental protection organizations," 61-year-old Vella, founder and coordinator of the Malta-based environmental protection organization "Together for a Better Environment," told Xinhua.

"I prefer to think long term," she said. While Europe is seeking alternatives to fossil fuels to meet energy demand, Vella believed this setback would be just "temporary."

She said she felt relieved that Malta had already weaned away from coal, unlike some European countries, which have increased the electricity-generating capacity of their coal-fired power plants. But she remained anxious about air pollution from busy roads.

Though her environmental protection organization is small, Vella has devoted all her efforts to strengthening people's awareness of the need to protect the environment.

"We should set up an organization to slow down and prevent the destruction of all the wonderful gems that we have," Vella said when mentioning the purpose of founding the organization in 2006.

Today, the organization relies on several volunteers, and for Vella, it has evolved into a full-time job. She learned her commitment to environmental protection from her father, who insisted on the value of the environment first in his architecture career.

In response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has sent energy prices rocketing and has threatened the livelihood of households across the continent, the European Union (EU) now aims to radically reduce its dependence on Russian coal, oil and natural gas. According to analysts, the series of sanctions against Russia spur energy supply shortage concerns and force people to foot the conflict's bill themselves.

Vella said she felt for all those hit by the rapidly rising energy prices, something people in Europe have "rarely" experienced, if at all.

As part of its sanctions against Russia, the EU is looking for new sources of liquefied natural gas (LNG) primarily in the United States but also elsewhere. As a logical next step, the countries of Europe now have to build new LNG import terminals. Meanwhile, certain countries plan to maintain coal import levels to be able to operate their coal-fired power plants at full capacity.

However, analysts believed that the huge amounts of money that will have to be poured into the construction of new LNG carriers and terminals will only increase the sanctions' costs for Europe. They said that this will not decrease the countries' dependence on fossil fuels and will not be conducive to achieving the strategic goals of energy independence, green transition and sustainable economic development.

The prospect of Europe's continued reliance on fossil fuels is also a major concern for other environmental protection groups in the region. Just Stop Oil, a coalition of environmental activists, has been organizing protests in Britain demanding an immediate halt to all new fossil fuel projects.

In a statement, the organization said that the government is "making a choice to continue its addiction to fossil fuels," instead of accelerating the transition to a renewable-led future.

Greenpeace has recently said in a statement that several EU governments have pledged to develop liquefied fossil gas capacity for imports from Qatar or the United States, which would "keep Europe dependent on this fossil fuel for decades."

"Fossil fuels have a history of being connected with conflict and war -- wherever they came from, governments must phase them out as quickly as possible, not look for new suppliers," Greenpeace EU Director Jorgo Riss said.

Greater efforts should be made to "cut dependence on fossil fuels and increase the capacity of alternative energy," Vella said. 
In his first media interview after the sale of its retail business to Axis Bank, Ashu Khullar, chief executive officer (India) and its regional head for South Asia, spoke to Raghu Mohan on the strategic thinking behind the move and the plot ahead. Edited excerpts: What was the strategic thinking behind the decision to exit retail banking in India after having pioneered it back in the 1980s? Jane Fraser, who took charge ...

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Airtel broadband services on Friday night suffered a major outage as users were unable to access internet on both mobile and desktop.

According to website outage monitoring platform DownDetector.com, the outage affected millions of users across the country.

Airtel broadband went down for users in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and other cities.

"Airtel Broadband not working in Delhi-NCR. Anyone else facing the issue?" tweeted one affected user.

The company was yet to issue a statement on the outage.

While 39 per cent of Airtel broadband users had no signal, 32 per cent had issues with mobile internet and 29 per cent faced total black out.

"@airtelindia Broadband and Mobile data is not working in Noida, Airtel services are Down," tweeted another user.

--IANS

na/vd

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reported 27 COVID-19 cases and one death on Saturday, increasing its tally to 12,24,470 and toll to 10,944, said a state health department official.

The recovery count increased by 19 to touch 12,13,401, leaving the state with an active caseload of 125, he said.

The lone death took place in Kheda district, while the cases comprised 19 in Ahmedabad, three in Vadodara and one each in Banaskantha, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Mehsana and Rajkot, the official said.

A government release said 42,129 people received COVID-19 vaccine jabs during the day, taking the total number of doses administered so far in the state to 10.81 crore.

The adjoining Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar haveli, Daman and Diu continued to be coronavirus-free, a local official informed.

Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 12,24,470, new cases 27, 10,944, discharged 12,13,401, active cases 125, people tested so far - figures not released.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India records its deaths due to Covid through a transparent and legal process and does not agree to the WHO's estimate of Covid mortality for the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

He also said the 14th Conference of Central Council of Health & Family Welfare (CCHFW) passed a resolution in this regard.

The resolution was passed on the second day of the three-day CCHFW --'Swasthya Chintab Shivir', which concluded here on Saturday.

Mandaviya said the registration of births and deaths in the country is extremely robust and is governed by the decades-old statutory legal framework the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1969.

"On the 2nd day of the conference of the CCHFW yesterday we have passed a resolution that we do not agree to the WHO's estimate of Covid mortality for India," he said, referring to the WHO estimate of 4.7 million Covid-related deaths in India.

"India records its deaths through a transparent and legal process. All the states and union territories provided correct and authentic data to the registry," he said.

Appreciating the participation of around 25 health and medical education ministers in the 'Swasthya Chintan Shivir', Mandaviya said, "we have been enriched by deep insight of knowledge due to presentation of best practices by states."



He further stated that all states have shared one best practice, so now we have more than 25 best practices to learn from and implement across the country. Goals of centre and states are complementary. It is the goal of state which would define policy making at the central level.

Highlighting the importance of working in the spirit of cooperative federalism, Mandaviya stated that "states goals provide us national goals".

"They provide us roadmap for various policies. The Swasthya Shivir has laid foundation of 'Healthy Family' for the country. Let's resolve and take a pledge to ensure best implementation of health policies for wellbeing of our citizens to fulfill aim of Antyodaya. The citizen in the last mile should be our priority for delivery of health services," he stated.

The minister emphasised that "health is not a commerce but a seva for us. We are committed to promote medical tourism and 'Heal by India' and 'Heal in India' are the two vital pillars of our health ecosystem in the years to come which will position India as a global health leader."



Mandaviya appealed everyone to "join the soon to be launched 'TB Patient/Village Adoption' scheme where everyone can adopt TB patients and ensure their well-being, people nourishment, timely diagnosis and prompt treatment".

"This will contribute immensely to our goal of TB-Free India by 2025", he stated.

Mandaviya also invited collaboration for the national initiative for clearing backlog of cataract surgery. He urged state ministers to popularise teleconsultation through e-Sanjeevani.

The Union minister requested state ministers to popularise and expedite implementation of ABHA- Ayushman Bharat Health Account in the states.

Mandaviya informed that this conference has provided sector-based targets for Union and State governments including those for TB-Free India and clearing backlogs of cataract surgeries, noting that "we need Jan Bhagidari for accomplishing health goals".

He also stated that a dedicated campaign would be started to undertake cataract operations from June 1.

(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 road to Jammu and Kashmir's prosperity has to pass through its villages, Lieutenant Governor said on Saturday as he emphasised that high priority should be accorded to the .

Highlighting the role of rural infrastructure, self-employment, and agrarian society, he said policies should be based on pragmatism in order to harness the tremendous potential of villages.

Around 70 per cent of J-K's population is dependent on agriculture and allied activities. Today, the development in rural areas is not just about self-sufficiency in food production but also about increasing yields and income and making the people more empowered. It is also about making the villages self-sufficient because the road to J-K's prosperity has to pass through its villages, the Lt Governor said.

Sinha directed the officers to adopt policies which are based on pragmatism and strengthen the planning and implementation at the panchayat level.

Each and every policy must improve the lives of people living in villages. Today, more than 56,000 self-help groups are acting as facilitators of development. Our aim should be to enhance the capacity and scale of these groups with financial support, market linkage, special knowledge and skills that can be used to change the face of rural J-K, he said.

The Lt Governor highlighted the mega projects related to rural development, which have been completed in the previous financial year. These projects are in agriculture, animal sheep husbandry, horticulture, skill development, cooperatives, road, power development, and Jal Shakti sector.

Sinha asked the officers to continuously focus on strengthening economic relationship between farm and market to benefit the farmers and rural population. He said making benefits of innovation, technologies available to rural population and agrarian society should be the highest priority.

The Lt Governor said the steps taken by the government will integrate rural areas into modern economic units and increased business opportunities in agro and rural industry can transform the rural economy.

There is a scope for rural reforms at various levels. Products of rural areas must be commercialised for sustaining growth. Adequate attention should be paid to public-private partnership to increase the income of rural population and both farm and non-farm economy should be incentivised to create well-equipped and self-sufficient villages.

Concerned officers and institutions must ensure access to affordable credit and huge investment being made in rural areas must translate into enhanced productivity, the Lt Governor said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday that the citizen in the last mile should be the priority for delivery of health services.

"Let's resolve and take a pledge to ensure best implementation of health policies for well-being of our citizens to fulfill aim of Antyodaya. The citizen in the last mile should be our priority for delivery of health services," Mandaviya said while addressing the concluding session of 'Swasthya Chintan Shivir' at Kevadia, Gujarat.

Addressing the session, Mandaviya said that 'Siddhi' (accomplishment) is the driving force behind any 'Sankalp' (resolution). Appreciating the participation of around 25 Health and Medical Education Ministers in the Swasthya Chintan Shivir, he said, "We have been enriched by deep insight of knowledge due to presentation of best practices by states. This provided us knowledge regarding effective implementation of government schemes in the ."

"All States have shared one best practice, so now we have more than 25 best practices to learn from and implement across the country. Goals of Centre and States are complementary. It is the goal of state which would define policy making at the central level. States' goals provide us national goals," he said, adding that the Swasthya Chintan Shivir has laid foundation of a healthy family for the country.

Mandaviya also appealed everyone to join the soon-to-be-launched a 'TB Patient/Village Adoption' scheme where everyone can adopt TB patients and ensure their well-being, people nourishment, timely diagnosis and prompt treatment.

"Chintan Shivir provided us the beneficial collaborative platform of collective brainstorming on various aspects of and quality service delivery," said Bharati Pravin Pawar, MoS Health, who was also the present on the occasion.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Live updates: A powerful apparently caused by a leak killed at least 22 people, including a child, and injured dozens when it blew away outer walls from a luxury hotel in the heart of Cuba's capital.

No tourists were staying at Havana's 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations, Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garca Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma.

Cuban state TV reported the was caused by a truck that had been supplying to the hotel, but did not provide details on how the gas ignited. A white tanker truck was seen being removed from the site as rescue workers hosed it down with water.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that the invasion of Ukraine could be replicated in Taiwan by China if leading powers do not respond as one.

Speaking through a translator at a meeting in London, Kishida said that the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised concerns that China might take advantage of the West's military commitments in Eastern Europe to launch a simultaneous move against Taipei, reported Trevor Filseth, writing in The National Interest.

On Friday, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar alleged that World Health Organization, without any scientific evidence and rational reasoning, has said that number of deaths registered in India due to Covid-19 is not the actual numbers.

He added that every death in this country has been scientifically registered. Every death is registered in the most fragmented way in India, he further added.
A collaboration between researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the College of Medicine at Texas A & M University identifies the crucial role of minerals in regulating gene expression, thus controlling the number of proteins that a cell should make, thereby encouraging tissue regeneration and redefining cellular identity. This research paves the way for future studies to identify the role of specific minerals, as well as how they can be assembled to design the next generation of mineral medicine to heal damaged tissue. This study was recently published in Science Advances.

Minerals are inorganic elements that play many vital roles, working interactively with vitamins, enzymes, hormones and other nutrient cofactors to regulate thousands of the body's biological functions. Although several minerals have been shown to regulate gene expression and cellular activity, very little work has focused on understanding underlying molecular mechanisms. This engineering research group is led by Dr Akhilesh Gaharwar, associate professor of biomedical engineering and Presidential Impact Fellow, in collaboration with Dr Irtisha Singh, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine at Texas A & M and the co-corresponding author of the study where a new class of mineral-based nanoparticles has been introduced to direct human stem cells toward bone cells. These nanoparticles are known specifically as nanosilicates, and with them, the team is able to determine the role of minerals in regulating gene expression profiles to direct stem cell differentiation. These nanosilicates are disc-shaped mineral-nanoparticles 20-30 nanometers (nm) in diameter and 1-2 nm in thickness. These nanoparticles are highly biocompatible and are readily eaten up by cells. Once inside the cell body, these nanoparticles slowly dissolve into individual minerals such as silicon, magnesium and lithium. Nanosilicates dissociate into individual minerals inside the cells and turn "on" a set of key genes that result in information flow throughout the cells, known as signalling pathways. These signalling pathways are responsible for instructing the cells to take on specific functions, such as converting into another type of cells or starting the healing process by secreting tissue-specific proteins known as extracellular matrix. These extracellular matrices are composed of various proteins, including glycoproteins and proteoglycans that facilitate tissue healing and support tissue functions. Combining interdisciplinary techniques and biomedical engineering and genomics methods, the lead authors of this study, doctoral students Anna Brokesh and Lauren Cross, identify and characterize significant genes that are turned "on" and activated by different signalling pathways due to treatment with minerals. One of the major findings of this study is that minerals such as silicon, magnesium and lithium are involved in inducing endochondral ossification, a process by which stem cells are transformed into soft and hard tissues such as cartilage and bone in young humans. The Singh Laboratory, managed by Singh, leverages high-throughput functional assays and perturbations to dissect the functional regulatory programs in mammalian cells. In this study, they analyzed whole transcriptomic sequencing (RNA-seq) data to evaluate the effect of nanosilicates and ionic dissolution products on the gene expression profiles of stem cells. RNA-seq, a transcriptome-wide high throughput sequencing assay, provides an unbiased and holistic overview of the gene expression profiles to identify pathways that are perturbed by specific treatments. "There are a lot of people who want to understand how minerals impact the human body, but there is limited evidence to identify how they affect us on the cellular level," Brokesh said. "Our study is one of the first studies to utilize unbiased transcriptome-wide sequencing to determine how mineral ions can direct stem cell fate." The proposed approach addresses a long-standing challenge in current therapeutic approaches that utilize supraphysiological doses of growth factors to direct tissue research. Such a high dose of growth factors results in a range of complications, including uncontrolled tissue formation, inflammation and tumorigenesis, and the production or formation of tumour cells. These adversely limit the usage of growth factors as a therapeutic agent in the field of regenerative medicine. Gaharwar said the impact of this work is far-reaching because understanding the effect of minerals to achieve desired regulation of cellular activity has a strong potential to open novel avenues for developing clinically relevant therapeutics for regenerative medicine, drug delivery and immunomodulation.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
to the tune of Rs 2,161.95 crore was collected for the the financial year 2021-22 in Raigad district in with 1,26,299 documents being registered, a senior official said on Saturday.

As per figures made available by the assistant collector of collection, the target for the year was Rs 1,880 crore, which was surpassed.

An official said the collected in 2017-18 was Rs 1,785.14 crore, in 2018-19 it was 1,978.98 crore, while the figures for 2019-20 and 2020-21 were Rs 1,743.48 crore and Rs 1,470.44 crore respectively.

"Since 2017-18, the stamp duty collected in Raigad district stood at Rs 9,139.94 crore. This has come from registration of land, flats, shops and other immovable properties. Of this amount, 1 per cent is given to Zilla Parishad, municipal corporation and council for development works," he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President will embark on a week-long visit to Jamaica and St. Vincent and Grenadines (SVG) beginning May 15, in the first-ever tour to the two Caribbean nations by an Indian head of state.

The (MEA) said on Saturday that the visit reflects a continuation of India's high-level engagement with the countries in the Caribbean region and emphasises its commitment to work with small island developing countries.

"President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, will pay a state visit to Jamaica and St. Vincent & Grenadines (SVG) from May 15 to 21. This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Head of State to these countries," the MEA said in a statement.

It said Kovind will be in Jamaica from May 15 to 18 during which he will hold delegation-level talks with his counterpart, the Governor General of Jamaica Sir Patrick Allen.

The President will also meet Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and other dignitaries.

The MEA said the President will address the joint sitting of the two Houses of Jamaican Parliament.

Jamaica has a 70,000-strong Indian diaspora, which acts as a living bridge with India.

"The visit comes at a significant milestone as 2022 is the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Jamaica," the MEA said.

In the second leg of his tour, the President will visit SVG from May 18 to 21.

"During the visit, he will hold discussions with his counterpart Governor General Susan Dougan. He will also meet Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves as well as other dignitaries," the MEA said.

Kovind will also address the House of Assembly of SVG, it said.

Jamaica and SVG are active members in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

"The first-ever Head of State visit to these countries is a continuation of India's high-level engagement with the countries in the Caribbean region and emphasises our continued commitment to work with small island developing countries," the MEA said.

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China's Charge d'affaires Qu Baihua (C) donates assorted wushu equipment to the organizer Lithuanian Wushu Federation at the Vilnius Open Wushu Cup in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 7, 2022. The Vilnius Open Wushu Cup opened on Saturday, drawing more than 50 students from local wushu clubs. (Xinhua/Xue Dongmei)

VILNIUS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Vilnius Open Wushu Cup opened on Saturday, drawing more than 50 students from local wushu clubs.

China's Charge d'affaires Qu Baihua attended the event hosted by the Lithuanian Wushu Federation and donated assorted wushu equipment.

Qu expressed his gratitude for the efforts of the organizers and participants on promoting Chinese wushu culture and stated that he will keep supporting traditional Chinese wushu activities.

Tomas Lapinskas, president of the Lithuanian Wushu Federation, added that the tournament's youngest competitor is just five years old, while the oldest is 41. 

An athlete competes at the Vilnius Open Wushu Cup in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 7, 2022. The Vilnius Open Wushu Cup opened on Saturday, drawing more than 50 students from local wushu clubs. (Xinhua/Jasmine.H)

Athletes compete at the Vilnius Open Wushu Cup in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 7, 2022. The Vilnius Open Wushu Cup opened on Saturday, drawing more than 50 students from local wushu clubs. (Xinhua/Xue Dongmei)
Congress leader on Saturday visited Chanchalguda Central Jail in and called on NSUI leaders arrested last week for staging a protest at Osmania University.

On the second day of his visit to Telangana, Rahul went to the prison and called on 18 leaders of National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress party.

"The soul of the Congress party are its dedicated workers, who are waging a selfless battle against injustice. I will always stand by them. Heading to Chanchalguda jail to meet the 18 NSUI student leaders who have been illegally arrested by TRS govt for protesting peacefully," Rahul tweeted before reaching the jail.

Rahul, who was accompanied by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, interacted with NSUI state president Balmoori Venkat and others. He enquired from them about the problems faced by students and youth. The MP posed for photographs with NSUI leaders.

They were arrested on May 1 during the protest at Osmania University protesting denial of permission for Rahul Gandhi's visit to the university.

The protestors had stormed into the OU administrative building and tried to barge into the locked Vice-Chancellor's office. They allegedly broke glass panes of the door and raised slogans against the Vice-Chancellor and the government. They alleged the Vice Chancellor was acting at the behest of the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

The NSUI leaders were booked for unlawful assembly, assault, rioting, trespass and preventing public servants from discharging their duties. On a complaint by a woman police constable, the arrested NSUI leaders were also charged with attempting to outrage her modesty.

Venkat Balmoor and 17 others were produced before a magistrate, who sent them to judicial custody for 14 days.

Some NSUI leaders had also approached High Court, seeking direction to Osmania University to allow to visit the campus. However, the court refused to pass any such orders.

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Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Saturday expressed serious concern over rising violence against upright and hardworking doctors and lodging of false cases against them.

The said that he would also like to pay his tribute to the unending spirit of doctors, who work tirelessly round the clock for their patients.

Doctors are mentors, guides, friends and counsellors. They should always remain active members of society, and solve problems faced by the people," he said.

The said, "I am extremely saddened to witness rising violence against doctors. Several false cases are being lodged against upright and hardworking doctors. They need a better, and more secure, working environment."



Speaking at the release of 'Atlas of Breast Elastography and Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Cytology', a book authored by Dr. Col. CS Pant and Dr. Vaneeta Kapur, the said, This is where professional medical associations assume great significance. They have to be proactive in highlighting the demands of doctors."



He added that women form 50 per cent of the country's population and they are the backbone of the family and society and therefore, their health must find equal attention and reflection in our society and policies.

"People, particularly women in the house, take care of everyone's health except for their health. It is the duty of other family members, particularly the husband and children, to force her to go for regular health check-ups so that she will be in a position to understand her body and health," CJI Ramana said.

He said, We realise the importance of a wife or mother when she is no more. I realise even though my mother passed away at the age of 80, till date I realise the loss of my mother. So each family must recognise the importance of the housewife who takes care of the entire family. This is my request and it is all our duty, particularly the people in the society who are influential and who can create opinions, doctors, NGOs and celebrities to educate and create awareness above all things."



The CJI also expressed concern about the healthcare system in India and said that more than 70 per cent of the population resides in rural areas where people don't have minimum basic amenities, forget about the comfort of corporate hospitals.

"Even Primary Health Centres (PHC) are also not properly equipped, if there is a PHC there are no doctors and if there is a doctor, there is no PHC. If both are there, there is no infrastructure. This is the situation in this country and in this scenario this type of affordable technique of detecting cancer through ultrasound at the preliminary stage is very helpful," the CJI said.

He thanked Dr. (Col) Pant, Dr Kapur, Dr. Biswajit Sen, who contributed to the book including his daughter Dr. Sri Bhuvana N.

CJI Ramana was all praise for Dr Shiv Sarin, Vice Chancellor of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, for pointing out serious issues like protection of doctors, organ donation campaign and timely promotion of doctors.

He said that all these issues were raised by Sarin is before the court and is being dealt accordingly and he is aware of these issues because his daughter is also a doctor.

He said that if this disease is to be tackled effectively, the government has to step in, in a big way and the government must give a boost to the medical infrastructure and research.

"Government has to explore the possibility of involving corporates to use their CSR policies for providing healthcare in rural areas. Ultimately, a road map is necessary to take up this issue. The Health Ministry must involve doctors, leading NGOs and industrialists to prepare the same. The role of doctors is also of great significance, he said.

Giving some facts and figures, CJI Ramana said that in India every four minutes, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and it is the most common cancer in women.

He said, "27.7 per cent of all new cancers detected in women in the year 2018 were breast cancers. Every eight minutes, one woman dies of breast cancer. Total of 87,090 women died of breast cancer in 2018, which is the second highest number in the world for that year."



Around 32 per cent of new cases belong to the age group of 25 to 49 years.

He said that cervical cancer, although the second most prevalent cancer among women, is on decline due to rising awareness and better support.

"Breast Cancer is becoming one of the leading causes of concern in our society. Considering the socio-economic considerations in our country, this disease can be a curse for the entire family. Right from diagnosis to treatment, at every stage, the patient has to shell out substantial amounts. Very few can afford such expenses. This is because most cases get detected and diagnosed at the advanced stages, either due to existing stigma or lack of awareness," he said.

The CJI said that the need of the hour is to generate awareness and it is essential to design breast cancer awareness campaigns on the scale of cervical cancer, anti-tobacco and pulse polio campaigns.

It is very important to educate young minds about reproductive health. A start should be made at schools. Another challenge associated with this disease is the various myths associated with it. Social workers must work to remove existing stigmas and taboos. Early detection and screening will definitely prevent casualties, he said.

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Cases of have dipped since the enactment of the law against the instant divorce in the country, a member of the Commission of (NCM) said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters here, NCM member Syed Shahezadi said she had held talks with Muslim women over and other concerns.

I held talks with Muslim women over and other issues here. After the enactment of the law, the number of triple talaqs have come down, Shahezadi said.

Two years ago, President Ram Nath Kovind had given his assent to the Triple Talaq Bill. Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, giving instant oral triple talaq or talalq-e-biddat is a criminal offence and can attract jail term of up to three years.

Talking about the communal riots in Khargone following a Ram Navami procession last month, Shahezadi said that the commission has sought a report from the state government in the matter.

She further said that a proposal to hike Rs 5,000 monthly salary of maulavis and extending this facility to priests of other communities would be put forth before the government



Shedding light on the NCM's functioning, Shahezadi said she had held talks with religious leaders, members of the Haj committee and Waqf Board and women from the minority communities here about their problems.

An amount of Rs 511 crore has been earmarked for 56 projects meant for people from minority communities, she said



There were 1,739 registered madarsas in Madhya Pradesh, where 710 Urdu teachers have been hired, the NCM member added.

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Vice President on Saturday rued that humans, in their quest for development, had harmed nature "beyond repair" and called for a people's movement to protect it.

He also urged the country's lower courts to hold an eco-centric view and keep in mind interests of local populations and biodiversity while passing judgments.

Naidu was addressing a gathering after inaugurating 'The International Conference on Environmental Diversity and Environmental Jurisprudence' at Chandigarh University in Mohali.

"In the quest for development, we have harmed nature beyond repair, destroyed forests, disrupted the ecological balance, polluted the environment, encroached upon water bodies and are now reaping the adverse consequences, Naidu said.

"My words appear to be very harsh but they are real. What is required is the change of mindset. We have enough laws and enough regulations but what is required is the change of mindset.

Unless this environmental protection becomes a people's movement worldwide, the future is very bleak," he noted.

"We all are seeing the consequences. We have played with nature and nature is playing with us," he added.

Calling for serious introspection and bold actions to mitigate the reality of increasing extreme events and diminishing biodiversity, Naidu said, "It is not only the duty of the government to deliberate, but it is the duty of every citizen and human being on Earth to save this planet."



Naidu stressed that India has always been leading the world in climate action.

He reiterated India's commitment to fulfill the ambitious national targets set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the COP 26 Summit in Glasgow recently.

"...Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared our national targets of raising our non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030 and achieving the target of Net Zero by 2070," he said.

"With enabling policies, institutional push and collective action, these targets are certainly achievable. The last aspect, that is of 'collective action', is the most crucial. In the words of the prime minister, what we need is a mass movement of eco-conscious lifestyles," Naidu said.

Lauding the Indian higher judiciary for upholding environmental justice over the years, Naidu said, "There are many landmark judgments of the Supreme Court and the high courts that have played a crucial role in not only delivering environmental justice but also in generating a public discourse about environmental conservation."



He stressed that the lower courts, too, needed to uphold this eco-centric view and keep the best interests of the local populations and biodiversity in their judgments.

"They must act stringently against violators of pollution laws and consider strict enforcement of the 'Polluter Must Pay' principle wherever needed," Naidu said.

He was of the opinion that there was an urgent need to train more legal practitioners in environmental law, given the importance of preserving biodiversity, ongoing climate change and the growing demand for environmental litigation.

"The poorer sections should be made aware of their rights and the legal recourse at their disposal. If need be, more specialised benches must be created in various parts of the country and environmental justice be brought closer to people," Naidu said.

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US Secretary of State has held a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the first such high-level contact since a new government took over in the country, and exchanged views on various aspects of bilateral ties.

The conversation took place amidst a chill in bilateral ties and weeks after ousted prime minister Imran Khan alleged that the US was behind the "foreign conspiracy" to topple his government through a no-confidence vote tabled by the Opposition.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister received a telephone call from Blinken, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Friday.

During the phone call, Secretary Blinken congratulated Bilawal on the assumption of his office and expressed the desire to continue strengthening the mutually beneficial Pakistan-US bilateral relationship.

Exchanging views on various aspects of Pakistan-US relations, Bilawal underscored that Pakistan and the US have a longstanding broad-based relationship.

He added that constructive and sustained engagement between the two countries based on mutual respect and mutual interest was vital to promote peace, development and security in the region and beyond.

Bilawal emphasised that Pakistan's vision was focused on human development, regional connectivity and a peaceful neighbourhood.

According to the State Department, Blinken during the call reiterated the desire to strengthen the broad-based bilateral relationship.

The Secretary underscored the resolute US-Pakistan commitment to Afghan stability and combatting terrorism. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also highlighted ongoing engagement on trade and investment, climate, energy, health, and education, it said.

Building on the Pakistan-US cooperation in dealing with the Covid pandemic during the last two years, Secretary Blinken invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit to be held virtually later this month, the FO said.

An invitation was also extended by the Secretary of State for Pakistan's participation in the Ministerial meeting on Global Food Security to be held in New York on May 18.

The Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State agreed to remain in contact and enhance engagement on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

It was the first contact between the foreign ministers since a new government was formed in Pakistan last month.

Former prime minister Khan had named senior US diplomat Donald Lu as the person who was allegedly involved in the "foreign conspiracy" to topple his government through a no-confidence vote tabled by the Opposition. The US has repeatedly dismissed Khan's allegations.

Khan claims the US was behind the conspiracy to remove him because of his criticism of US policy and other foreign policy decisions he has taken.

Khan visited Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin as Russia was launching the invasion of Ukraine. He has previously criticised America's "War on Terror".

Pakistan's ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

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intends to restrict the number of Afghan into the country.

Previously, it was noted that German authorities are replacing existing Afghan from shelters to find space for those arriving from Ukraine.

Citing German news magazine Der Spiegel, Khaama Press reported that the German Ministry of Interior intends to admit no more than 5,000 Afghans annually.

As per the reports by SchengenVisaInfo.com, the idea to impose quotas was taken in order to keep the program functionally viable for relocating Afghans to .

According to Info Migrants, the idea of restricting the number of Afghan nationals admitted to each year has not been well-received, reported Khaama Press.

According to the aforementioned, such an idea had been subjected to criticism. As per a Green Party member of the Bundestag, organizations have assisted approximately 3,000 people and have reported tens of thousands of people who are still at risk.

Since the Taliban's takeover of power, as many as 18,800 Afghans have managed to enter Germany, according to the German Ministry of Interior.

However, according to Info Migrants, over 10,000 people who have been granted admission by German authorities remain in Afghanistan, reported the Khaama Press.

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Finland's imports from rose by 63 per cent in March, compared to the corresponding period in 2021, the Finnish Customs said on Friday.

The value of imports from was 1 billion euros ($1.06 billion) in March 2022 while the value of Finland's exports to amounted to 184.4 million euros, down 42 per cent year-on-year, Xinhua news agency reported.

The surge in the import value is due to drastically increased import prices, explained the Finnish Customs in a press release.

Measured in euros, the most significant export drop occurred in the category of machinery and mechanical appliances and parts thereof because of export sanctions imposed by the (EU) on Russia.

In terms of percentage, a similar drop occurred in the category of electrical equipment and parts thereof, also due to the EU's export sanctions.

Regarding the imports from Russia, the value of crude oil imports dropped by 45 per cent, and the quantity of crude oil by 70 per cent.

As for other goods, the most rapid increase in imports involved nickel and nickel products and the second-highest increase occurred in the value of natural gas imports. The value of oil products imports ranked the third with a rise of 180 per cent.

--IANS

int/shs

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that the invasion of Ukraine could be replicated in by if leading powers do not respond as one.

Speaking through a translator at a meeting in London, Kishida said that the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised concerns that might take advantage of the West's military commitments in Eastern Europe to launch a simultaneous move against Taipei, reported Trevor Filseth, writing in The National Interest.

He said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might presage similar events in unless and its Indo-Pacific allies respond to a crisis on the self-governing island in a unified manner.

Kishida argued that the "Group of Seven" (G7) nations--consisting of Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany--needed to establish a clear commitment to unity in Asian affairs.

"Collaboration among countries sharing universal values becomes ever more vital," said Kishida.

"We must collaborate with our allies and like-minded countries, and never tolerate a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by the use of force in the Indo-Pacific, especially in East Asia," he added.

"Peace and stability in the Strait is critical not only for Japan's security but also for the stability of society," he continued.

" maintains its position to expect a peaceful resolution through dialogue to issues surrounding Taiwan ... and the situation will be watched carefully from that perspective," said the Japanese PM.

Taiwan has been claimed by the government of mainland since 1949, although the government in Beijing, led by the Chinese Communist Party, has never exercised control over Taiwan.

In recent years, Chinese leaders have repeatedly insisted that Beijing would gain control over the island in the coming decade, although President Xi Jinping has argued in the past that peaceful reunification, rather than conquest, is the course of action "most in line with the overall interest of the Chinese nation."

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine--which began on February 24, four days after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics--has raised concerns in Western capitals that China might take advantage of the West's military commitments in Eastern Europe to launch a simultaneous move against Taipei, wrote Filseth.

Consequently, the Taiwanese government has raised its alert level, although there have been no signs of Chinese activity that would indicate an imminent invasion.

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Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi has discussed the Ukraine conflict and its impact on food and energy as well as the situation in Afghanistan with the President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, here.

Had a very fruitful meeting with HE @abdulla_shahid, President of UN General Assembly. Appreciated various initiatives of @UN_PGA. Discussed #Ukraine conflict, including its impact on food, energy, tourism and finance, Afghanistan and Global South, Lekhi, who arrived in New York from a visit to Chile, tweeted on Friday.

Shahid also tweeted that it was good to meet Lekhi.

"Discussed various issues on the agenda of #UNGA76 including the impact of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on the global commodity, financial and energy markets across the world.

During the day, Lekhi also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had an engaging discussion with the museum's senior team on India-US art and museum collaboration. Thanked them for their support to #AmritMahotsav," she tweeted, referring to the commemoration of India's 75th year of Independence.

Later she also addressed a gathering at the Consulate General of India, New York during a storytelling session by actor Jugal Hansraj on his coming of age children's book The Coward and the Sword.'



Lauding Hansraj for his work, Lekhi underscored the importance of inculcating in young children the habit of reading books, saying that books feed children's thirst for knowledge and benefit them throughout their lives.

I definitely believe that reading books and knowing about others, believing in diversity, accepting diversity, especially the country we all come from - India and the region we come from...is a way of celebration because the kind of diversity we exhibit only very few people can exhibit" that the kind of diversity, she said.

When it comes to liberty, human rights I think the existence of India is the centerpiece and India is a country which is celebrating 75 years of its existence as an independent country in the modern history of mankind is something worth celebrating, she said.

She added that as India marks the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', passing on the knowledge of the country's ancestors to the younger generation that will help them grow and flourish is very important.

Hansraj, whose book was released in October last year, said The Coward and the Sword' has been more than a book and is a labour of love for him. Hansraj, who has been in the movie business for years, said the book was completely out of the box for him and he started writing it when his son was born.

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flight-tested a ballistic missile that was likely fired from a submarine on Saturday, South Korea's military said, continuing a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations that may culminate with a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred from waters near the eastern port city of Sinpo, where has a major shipyard building submarines. It said the short-range missile flew 600 kilometers (372 miles) at a maximum altitude of 60 kilometers (37 miles) but it didn't immediately provide details about the submarine that would have been involved in the launch.

South Korean and US intelligence officials were analysing the launch, the military said, describing it as a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious threatening act that harms peace and stability.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in response to the missile firing ordered officials to prepare for all unforeseeable situations and secure the safety of aircraft and ships. There were no immediate reports of damage.

South Korea's national security director Suh Hoon and other senior officials during an emergency National Security Council meeting denounced the launch and urged to return to long-stalled talks aimed at defusing the nuclear standoff, Seoul's presidential office said.

It was apparently North Korea's first demonstration of a submarine-launched ballistic missile system since October last year, when it fired a new short-range missile from the 8.24 Yongung - its only known submarine capable of launching a missile. The October underwater launch was the North's first in two years.

On Wednesday, the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected a suspected ballistic missile fired from near the capital, Pyongyang. Both exercises come ahead of the inauguration on Tuesday of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, who has vowed to take a tougher approach over the North's nuclear ambitions.

Yoon's office said in a statement that his government will pursue actual deterrence ability against the North's nuclear and missile threat, but didn't specify how. Yoon has vowed to strengthen South Korea's defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States, which he said would include enhancing missile striking capabilities.

So far this year, North Korea has fired missiles 15 times. They include the country's first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017 in March that demonstrated a potential range to reach the entirety of the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has been clearly exploiting a favourable environment to push forward its weapons programme with the UN Security Council divided and effectively paralyzed over Russia's war on Ukraine. The unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores a brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and remove crippling sanctions, experts say.

There are also signs that North Korea is restoring tunnels at a nuclear testing ground, where it had conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017, in possible preparations for another explosive test. Analysts say the North could use another nuclear test to claim it can now build small nuclear warheads for its expanding range of shorter-range weapons threatening and Japan, or put a cluster of bombs on a multi-warhead ICBM.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has punctuated his recent missile tests with statements warning that the North could proactively use its nuclear weapons if threatened or provoked. Experts say such rhetoric possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that would create greater concerns for and Japan.

Kim made one of those statements during an April 25 parade in Pyongyang, where he showcased the most notable weapons in his military nuclear programme, including ICBMs and what appeared to be a new type of missile designed to be fired from submarines that could be larger than previous models.

(North Korea's) submarine technology probably remains short of being able to stay at sea for extended periods while avoiding detection. But the ability to launch ballistic missiles from a submarine would further complicate missions to neutralize and defend against North Korea's nuclear forces, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of studies at Seoul's Ewha Womans University.

He said the Kim regime appears to be preparing to test a miniaturised nuclear device that it can use to arm its submarine-launched or tactical missiles, and multiple warheads on its ICBMs.

North Korea has been pushing hard to acquire an ability to fire nuclear-armed missiles from submarines, which in theory would bolster its deterrent by ensuring retaliation after absorbing a nuclear attack on land.

Ballistic missile submarines would also add a new maritime threat to the North's growing collection of solid-fuel weapons fired from land vehicles, which are being developed with an apparent aim to overwhelm missile defence systems in and Japan.

The North in recent years has been developing and testing a family of missiles named Pukguksong, which are designed to be fired from submarines or land vehicles. Still experts say the heavily sanctioned nation would need considerably more time, resources and major technological improvements to build at least several submarines that could travel quietly in seas and reliably execute strikes.

The South Korean and Japanese militaries said the North Korean missile fired on Wednesday traveled about 500 kilometers (310 miles) at a maximum altitude of 800 kilometers (500 miles). North Korean state media have yet to comment on that test.
PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Half a century on, war-left U.S. aerial bombs are still posing threats to Cambodian people's daily lives, an academic said here on Saturday.

On Thursday, a Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC)'s bomb expert team safely removed an unexploded U.S. made AN-M66 aerial bomb, weighing 2,000 pounds and containing roughly 1,000 pounds of explosives, from the Chaktomuk riverbed near the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel opposite to the Royal Palace here in the capital.

In April alone, CMAC had found at least five unexploded U.S. Mark 82 (Mk 82) aerial bombs, weighing about 500 pounds each, in Kandal, Svay Rieng, Takeo, and Prey Veng provinces.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said Cambodia is still suffering from the United States' unexploded ordnance and landmines, which are the legacy of the U.S.-Vietnam war 50 years ago.

"Every day, somewhere in Cambodia, poor people are becoming the victims of these unexploded ordnance and landmines," he told Xinhua. "Many people have lost their lives and a substantial number of people have been maimed by these unexploded ordnance and landmines."

Most of the victims are farmers, laborers, and children accidentally stepping on these landmines in fields, forests, and abandoned buildings, he said.

According to the book "Hun Sen: Politics and Power in Khmer History for over 40 Years", between 1965 and 1973, the U.S. had dropped some 230,516 bombs on 113,716 sites in Cambodia.

In the book, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen also wrote that the American bombings of Cambodia caused "tens of thousands of civilian casualties because of this vicious undeclared war."

"I strongly believe that the United States is morally responsible for the suffering of these people and ethically and legally bound to adequately compensate the families of those who had lost their lives or were maimed by these unexploded ordnance and landmines," Matthews said.

According to Cambodian government figures, from 1979 to 2021, landmines and unexploded ordnance had killed 19,808 people and injured 45,156 others in the Southeast Asian nation.

Meanwhile, the academic also urged the U.S. to respect the territories of other countries and human lives, and not interfere in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of democracy and human rights.

"The United States' double standard of peace, democracy, and human rights are not only creating chaos and turmoil in the world but also destroying peace, democracy, and human rights," he said.

"The United States' version of global peace and democracy is based on hypocrisy, deception, and stirring the violence around the world. From the Vietnam War to Iraq and Afghanistan invasions, these actions resulted in nothing but more chaos, instability, and global threat to the peace and security of vulnerable countries," he added.

Matthews said cold war mentality, unilateralism, protectionism, hegemonism, and zero-sum games can only harm others.

"Countries should coexist peacefully, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results," he said. 
Chinese President issued the strongest warning yet against anyone who questions the country's zero-Covid policy.

The move comes after many residents have taken to social media to call for help and vent their anger over severe food shortages and lack of access to medical care over the past five weeks, reported CNN.

At a meeting chaired by Xi on Thursday, the ruling Communist Party's supreme Politburo Standing Committee vowed to "unswervingly adhere to the general policy of 'dynamic zero-Covid,' and resolutely fight against any words and acts that distort, doubt or deny our country's epidemic prevention policies."

This is the first time Xi, who according to state media made an "important speech" at the meeting, has made public remarks about China's battle against Covid since public furore erupted over the harsh lockdown in .

"Our prevention and control strategy is determined by the party's nature and mission, our policies can stand the test of history, our measures are scientific and effective," the seven-member committee said, according to government news agency Xinhua.

"We have won the battle to defend Wuhan, and we will certainly be able to win the battle to defend Shanghai," it said.

However, the stringent, frequent lockdowns are fuelling public discontent and dealing a devastating blow to the Chinese economy.

residents protested from their windows, banging pots and pans and shouting in frustration, even clashed with police and health workers in the streets -- a rare scene in a country where dissent is routinely suppressed.

But the latest statement from the country's top leaders has made it clear that the Chinese government is doubling down on its approach of relying on swift lockdowns, mass testing and quarantine to squash the highly transmissible Omicron variant for the foreseeable future, reported CNN.

Xi has put his personal stamp on China's zero-Covid strategy, with state media often reporting that he has "personally commanded and made arrangements" for the country's fight against the pandemic.

To analysts who have long observed Chinese politics, the stern warning is a sign that there has been internal pushback against Xi's zero-Covid policy from within the party, reported CNN.

"This language should be read as a direct criticism of unspecified local CCP leaders who have questioned the policies at the center, or who have been insufficiently successful in applying them," wrote David Bandurski, co-director of the Media Project.

The grave economic fallout has also drawn concerns from economists and business executives, especially given Shanghai's role as the country's leading financial center and a major manufacturing and shipping hub.

In April, China's services sector, which accounts for more than half of the nation's GDP and over 40 per cent of its employment, contracted at the second sharpest pace on record, while the manufacturing sector also shrunk, reported CNN.

And as Omicron spreads in other parts of China, more local governments are imposing swift lockdowns in response to just a handful of cases.

In Beijing, where more than 500 cases have been reported since April 20, many fear for a Shanghai-style lockdown as authorities roll out increasingly restrictions.

(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.)
Dozens more civilians were rescued Friday from the tunnels under the besieged steel mill where Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol have been making their last stand to prevent Moscow's complete takeover of the strategically important port city.

Russian and Ukrainian officials said 50 people were evacuated from the Azovstal plant and handed over to representatives of the and the Committee of the . The Russian military said the group included 11 children.

Russian officials and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said evacuation efforts would continue Saturday. The latest evacuees were in addition to roughly 500 other civilians who got out of the plant and city in recent days.

The fight for the last Ukrainian stronghold in a city reduced to ruins by the Russian onslaught appeared increasingly desperate. And there was growing speculation that President Vladimir Putin wants to finish the battle for Mariupol so he can present a triumph to the Russian people in time for Monday's Victory Day, the biggest patriotic holiday on the Russian calendar.

As the holiday commemorating the Soviet Union's World War II victory over Nazi Germany approached, cities across Ukraine prepared for an expected increase in Russian attacks, and officials urged residents to heed air raid warnings.

These symbolic dates are to the Russian aggressor like red to a bull, said Ukraine's first deputy interior minister, Yevhen Yenin. While the entire civilized world remembers the victims of terrible wars on these days, the Russian Federation wants parades and is preparing to dance over bones in Mariupol.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reminded people not to go into forests that were recently under Russian occupation because of the many land mines and trip wires that remain.

A Russian missile on Saturday destroyed a Ukrainian national museum dedicated to the life and work of an 18th-century philosopher, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the Gregory Skovoroda museum engulfed in flames.

As an indication of his importance to Ukraine's cultural heritage, Skovoroda's likeness adorns a Ukrainian banknote.

The museum in Skovorodynivka lies near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region where fighting has been fierce.

By Russia's most recent estimate, roughly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters are holed up in the vast maze of tunnels and bunkers under the Azovstal steelworks. They have repeatedly refused to surrender. Ukrainian officials said before Friday's evacuations that a few hundred civilians were also trapped there, and fears for their safety have increased as the battle has grown fiercer in recent days.

Kateryna Prokopenko, whose husband, Denys Prokopenko, commands the Azov Regiment troops inside the plant, issued a desperate plea to also spare the fighters. She said they would be willing to go to a third country to wait out the war but would never surrender to Russia because that would mean filtration camps, prison, torture and death.

If nothing is done to save her husband and his men, they will stand to the end without surrender, she told The Associated Press on Friday.

Zelenskyy said influential states are involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers, although he did not mention any by name.

We are also working on diplomatic options to save our troops who are still at Azovstal, he said in his nightly video address.

UN officials have been tight-lipped about the civilian evacuation efforts, but it seemed likely that the latest evacuees would be taken to Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-controlled city about 140 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Mariupol where who escaped the port city were brought.

Some of the plant's previous evacuees spoke to the AP about the horrors of being surrounded by death in the moldy, underground bunker with little food and water, poor medical care and diminishing hope. Some said they felt guilty for leaving behind.

They need our help badly. We need to get them out, said 31-year-old Serhii Kuzmenko, who fled with his wife, 8-year-old daughter and four from their bunker, where 30 others were left behind.

Fighters defending the plant said Friday on the Telegram messaging app that Russian troops had fired on an evacuation vehicle on the plant's grounds, killing one soldier.

Moscow did not immediately acknowledge renewed fighting there Friday.

While they pounded away at the plant, Russian forces struggled to make significant gains elsewhere, 10 weeks into a devastating war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee the country and flattened large swaths of cities.

Ukrainian officials said the risk of massive shelling increased ahead of Victory Day. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities would reinforce street patrols in the capital. Ukraine's southern Odesa region, which was the target of two missile attacks Friday, was to adopt a curfew.

The Ukrainian military's general staff said that its forces repelled 11 attacks in the Donbas region and destroyed tanks and armored vehicles, further frustrating Putin's ambitions after his abortive attempt to seize Kyiv. Russia made no acknowledgement of the losses.

The Ukrainian army also said it made progress in the northeastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth. Meanwhile, one person was reported dead and three more were wounded Friday as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

Russia took control of the rest of Mariupol after bombarding it for two months. Ahead of Victory Day, municipal workers and volunteers cleaned up what remains of the city, which had a prewar population of more than 400,000. Perhaps 100,000 civilians remain there despite severe shortages of food, water, electricity and heat. Bulldozers scooped up debris, and people swept streets against a backdrop of hollowed-out buildings. Russian flags were hoisted.

The fall of Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port. It would also allow Russia to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, and free some Russian troops to fight elsewhere in the Donbas, the eastern industrial region that the Kremlin says is now its chief objective. The city's capture also holds symbolic value since it has been the scene of some of the worst suffering of the war and a surprisingly fierce resistance.

(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 raced Friday to rescue more civilians from the tunnels under a besieged steel plant in Mariupol and the city at large, even as fighters holed up at the sprawling complex made their last stand to prevent Moscow's complete takeover of the strategic port.

The fight for the last Ukrainian stronghold in a city reduced to ruins by the Russian onslaught appeared increasingly desperate amid growing speculation that President wants to finish the battle for Mariupol so he can present a triumph to the Russian people in time for Monday's Victory Day, the biggest patriotic holiday on the Russian calendar.

Some 2,000 Ukrainian fighters, by Russia's most recent estimate, are holed up in the vast maze of tunnels and bunkers beneath the Azovstal steelworks, and they have repeatedly refused to surrender. Ukraine has said a few hundred civilians were also trapped there, and fears for their safety have increased as the battle has grown fiercer in recent days.

Our colleagues are currently on the ground," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said of the latest evacuation effort. We are in an extremely delicate phase of this operation, working in close coordination with both the Ukrainian authorities and the Russian authorities.

He declined to share details "for the sake of the safety of those we're trying to get out, and, of course, for our own staff, which are there.

Kateryna Prokopenko, whose husband, Denys Prokopenko, commands the Azov Regiment troops inside the plant, issued a desperate plea to save the fighters. She said they'd be willing to go to a third country to wait out the war but would never surrender to Russia because that would mean filtration camps, prison, torture, and death.

If nothing is done to save her husband and his men, they will stand to the end without surrender, she told The Associated Press on Friday as she and relatives of some of the other members of the regiment drove from Italy to Poland.

It could takes days to know whether the latest U.N. effort to evacuate civilians succeeded, since people escaping Mariupol typically have to pass through contested areas and many checkpoints before reaching relative safety in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, about 140 miles (230 kilometers) to the northwest.

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, said Friday on the Telegram messaging app that another complex operation to evacuate people from Mariupol and Azovstal was conducted and that nearly 500 civilians were rescued. Two previous evacuations negotiated by the U.N. and the Red Cross brought roughly 500 people from the steel plant and elsewhere in Mariupol. It wasn't clear if Yermak was saying more people had since been rescued.

Some of the plant's evacuees spoke to the AP about the horrors of being surrounded by death in the moldy, underground bunker with little food and water, poor medical care and diminishing hope. Some said they felt guilty for leaving behind.

People literally rot like our jackets did, said 31-year-old Serhii Kuzmenko, who fled along with his wife, 8-year-old daughter and four from their bunker, where 30 were left behind. They need our help badly. We need to get them out.

Fighters defending the plant said Friday on Telegram that Russian troops fired on an evacuation vehicle on the plant's grounds. They said the car was moving toward civilians when it was hit by shelling, and that one soldier was killed and six were wounded.

didn't immediately acknowledge renewed fighting there Friday.

Russia took control of Mariupol, aside from the steel plant, after bombarding it for two months. Ahead of Victory Day, which marks the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany, municipal workers and volunteers cleaned up what remains of the city, which had a prewar population of over 400,000 but where perhaps 100,000 civilians remain with little food, water, electricity or heat. Bulldozers scooped up debris and people swept streets against a backdrop of hollowed-out buildings, workers repaired a model of a warship, and Russian flags were hoisted on utility poles.

The fall of Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, allow Russia to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, and free up troops to fight elsewhere in the Donbas, the eastern industrial region that the Kremlin says is now its chief objective. Its capture also holds symbolic value since the city has been the scene of some of the worst suffering of the war and a surprisingly fierce resistance.

Asked whether Russia would soon take full control of Mariupol, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: Mariupol will never fall. I'm not talking about heroism or anything.

It is already devastated, he told a meeting at London's Chatham House think tank. He also said he remains open to negotiations with Russia, but repeated that must withdraw its forces.

While they pounded away at the plant, Russian forces struggled to make significant gains elsewhere, 10 weeks into a devastating war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee the country and flattened large swaths of cities.

Ukrainian officials warned residents to be vigilant and heed air raid warnings, saying the risk of massive shelling had increased with Victory Day approaching. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities would reinforce street patrols in the capital.

The Ukrainian military's general staff said Friday that its forces repelled 11 attacks in the Donbas and destroyed tanks and armored vehicles, further frustrating Putin's ambitions after his abortive attempt to seize Kyiv. Russia gave no immediate acknowledgement of those losses.

The British Defense Ministry said Russia may be struggling to execute its plan in the Donbas partly because it's bogged down at the plant in Mariupol. The fighting at the plant has come at personnel, equipment and munitions cost to Russia, it said. "Whilst Ukrainian resistance continues in Avozstal, Russian losses will continue to build and frustrate their operational plans in southern Donbas.

The Ukrainian army also said it made progress in the northeastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth.

(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 Sri Lankan government on Saturday defended imposing a state of emergency, saying it was required to tackle the unprecedented plaguing the country, even as President Gotabaya faced flak from the Opposition and foreign envoys for his decision which gives security forces power to crack down on peaceful protests.

In a special Cabinet meeting on Friday, the embattled president declared the state of emergency with effect from Friday midnight. This is the second emergency declared in just over a month.

The announcement came as student activists kept the Parliament under siege since Thursday night.

The students blocked the main entrance to the complex demanding the resignation of the government for its inability to handle the ongoing marked by shortages of essentials.

In a statement on Saturday, the Government Information Department said, " is currently facing the worst and political instability ever after Independence due to manifold reasons both short and long-term. The common perception is that several reforms in the sectors of political, economic and social fabric should be carried out in-depth to escape from this grave situation."



"Priority among them is to manage the shortage of foreign exchange within the shortest possible time and restore the supply of goods and services, the statement added.

The government said discussions are ongoing with the multi-lateral institutions, including the Monetary Fund, to obtain financial assistance and restructure outstanding debt.

"Political stability and peace in society are two major conditions that are demanded in building confidence and strength to make such programs a success," the statement said, explaining the need for the emergency.

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.

Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across 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.

Despite mounting pressure, President Gotabaya and his elder brother and Prime Minister Mahinda have refused to quit office.

Commenting on the ongoing negotiations, the IMF's Colombo mission chief Masahiro Nozaki said, "The IMF team will engage with the economic team of Sri Lankan authorities from May 9 to May 23 in a virtual mission and continue discussions on the authorities' request for an IMF-supported programme."



According to IMF assessment, Sri Lanka's debt is unsustainable. Therefore, approval for IMF financing, including through a Rapid Financing Instrument, would require adequate assurances that debt sustainability will be restored.

Last month, the Sri Lankan government said it would temporarily default on USD 35.5 billion in foreign debt as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine made it impossible to make payments to overseas creditors.

The present state of emergency gives the police and the security forces sweeping power to arbitrarily arrest and detain people.

The country's human rights body, the main lawyers' body, the Opposition and even some members of the diplomatic community criticised the government for its move.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka said it was deeply concerned about the promulgation of an emergency. We urge the government to explain to the public the reasons for this proclamation since protests have been largely peaceful and within the ambit of normal police operations, it said in a statement.

We hope that freedom of speech and assembly, the rights associated with arrest and detention as well as other fundamental rights and freedoms will not be affected or derogated from during the period of the emergency, said the statement.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) in a statement issued said it was "gravely concerned" about the declaration of a State of Emergency by the President.

As was stated earlier on April 2, 2022, when the President declared a State of Emergency for a brief period of time, the BASL remains of the view that a declaration of a state of emergency is not the answer to the present situation in the country including the spate of public protests and strikes which have occurred, the BASL said.

They have stressed that the state of emergency must not be used to stifle peaceful protests and dissent or to make arbitrary arrests and detentions. The protests in turn must not be violent and must remain peaceful at all times.

The main Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya's leader Sajith Premadasa too questioned the move and urged for the resignation of the president.

The Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo David McKinnon tweeted, Over the past weeks, the demonstrations across Sri Lanka have overwhelmingly involved citizens enjoying their right to peaceful freedom of expression, and are a credit to the country's democracy. It's hard to understand why it is necessary, then, to declare a state of emergency.

US Ambassador Julie Chung said she was concerned by another state of emergency. The voices of peaceful citizens need to be heard.

Apart from the current clamp down, the ruling adminstration declared an emergency on April 1 after a mass protest. It was revoked on April 5.

Since April 9, the protesters have been staying near the presidential secretariat with placards reading Gota go home gama' or 'Gotabaya Go home village' and since April 26 the Mynah go home village' or Mahinda Go Home Village', referring to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

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Sri Lankan Prime Minister is learnt to have responded positively to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's request to him to quit in the face of the deepening along with the imposition of the state of emergency in the island nation.

As per reports, at a special cabinet meeting at the Presiden's House, headed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, agreed to resign from his post as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, reported the Colombo Page.

The Sri Lankan Cabinet had been informed that owing to the failure of the Prime Minister to cope with the country's ongoing economic crisis, has sought to resign from his position. His resignation will also mark the dissolution of the Cabinet as well. Further, Mahinda Rajapaksa had stated that if the only solution to the persistent in is his resignation, he is willing to do so.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had accepted that amidst strong protests by the people it has become a serious problem to manage the economic and political crisis in the country, reported the Colombo Page. He added that the crisis had resulted in an absence of tourists in the country. Moreover, the closure of factories had also piled up the burden on the already prevalent economic woes.

Further, political sources reveal that Sri Lankan Cabinet ministers, Prasanna Ranatunga, Nalaka Godahewa, and Ramesh Pathirana, have all agreed to Mahinda Rajapaksa's decision of resigning as the Prime Minister of the country. However, in contradiction with the Cabinet ministers, Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake had stated that Mahinda's resignation will prove futile in dealing with the country's crisis.

In addition, political sources also show that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is due to announce his resignation from his post in a special statement on Monday, followed by a cabinet reshuffle in the next week, reported the Colombo Page.

Meanwhile, is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from its neighbours. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is unable to buy sufficient fuel and gas, while the people are being deprived of basic amenities as well.

The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

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production in is likely to be at least a third lower than in normal years, according to analysis of satellite images of the country.

is one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat, but the war is taking a toll on the country's agriculture and food supplies, sparking fears of shortages or higher prices around the world, The Guardian reported.

Last year, produced about 33m tonnes of wheat, of which, it exported about 20m tonnes, making it the sixth-largest exporter globally.

This year, with the situation as it stands, the country only has the potential to produce about 21m tonnes of wheat, down about 23 per cent on the average of the previous five years, according to analysis published on Friday by the satellite analysis company Kayrros.

But with more disruption from the war extremely likely, and fighting concentrated in the east where the main wheat-growing regions are found, Kayrros estimates that the harvest is likely to be down by at least 35 per cent this year compared with 2021, The Guardian reported.

Ukraine has already moved to ban exports of grain and many other food products, in an effort to preserve its own food supplies. Transport is also difficult, with Russia blockading the country's Black Sea coast.

--IANS

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US-based chipmaker will reportedly pay $5.5 million to settle charges that it unlawfully obscured how many of its cards were sold to miners.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the charges and a settlement with the company. Its order claims misled investors by reporting a huge boost in revenue related to "gaming", hiding how much its success relied on the far more volatile crypto market, reports The Verge.

is not admitting to wrongdoing as part of the settlement, but it agrees to stop any unlawful failures to disclose information.

The charges stem from Nvidia's fiscal year 2018 financial reports.

The SEC noted Nvidia saw an explosion in crypto mining-related sales in 2017, when the rewards of mining Ethereum grew dramatically.

Crypto mining was widely reported as a cause of GPU scarcity, and Nvidia launched a separate CMP line specifically for mining, attempting to prevent shortages for gamers. But employees apparently acknowledged that many gaming GPUs were still going to miners.

"The company's sales personnel, in particular in China, reported what they believed to be significant increases in demand for Gaming GPUs as a result of crypto mining," the order said.

--IANS

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President has authorised the shipment of another USD 150 million in military assistance for for artillery rounds and radar systems in its fight against Russia's invading forces.

Biden on Friday said the latest spending means his administration has "nearly exhausted" what Congress authorised for in March and called on lawmakers to swiftly approve a more than USD 33 billion spending package that will last through the end of September.

"We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorised directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine," Biden said in a statement. "US support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putin's war aims in Ukraine."



A US official said the latest tranche of assistance includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars, jamming equipment, field equipment and spare parts.

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Coromandel International will acquire 45% stake in Baobab Mining and Chemicals Corporation (BMCC) for $19.6 million (Rs 150 crore approx.), besides a loan infusion of of $9.7 million (Rs 75 crore approx.) into BMCC for capital projects and expansion.

Baobab Mining and Chemicals Corporation (BMCC) is a rock phosphate mining company loacted in Senegal, Africa. The acquisition will be executed through Coromandel International's wholly owned subsidiary, Parry Chemicals. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of FY 2022-23 and is subject to satisfactory completion of conditions precedent as contained in the agreements, as per the company's exchange filing.

BMCC has stabilized its operations and commenced active production from 2021. This investment will help in strengthening Coromandel International's backward integration and ensure long term supply security of the key raw material. At full capacity, BMCC can meet upto one-third of the company's rock phosphate requirement.

Additionally, Coromandel International has made a tie up with integrated players like Tifert (Tunisia) and Foskor (South Africa) for meeting its phosphoric acid requirements. Further, it has been augmenting its captive phosphoric acid production at Vizag plant (Andra Pradesh) and is sourcing rock from various countries. As part of its strategy to strengthen the value chain, the company has been evaluating opportunities in the phosphate mining to secure its rock phosphate needs.

Coromandel International's consolidated net profit surged 85.94% to Rs 289.79 crore on a 49.63% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 4,226.81 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

Shares of Coromandel International lost 0.16% to end at Rs 911.40 on BSE. Coromandel International is an India-based agri input solution provider and is in the business of fertilisers, crop protection, bio products, speciality nutrients, organic fertilisers and retail. It is a private phosphatic fertilizer manufacturer and marketer operating 3 fertiliser units for manufacturing 3 million ton of phosphatic fertilisers. Rock Phosphate is a key raw material for manufacturing phosphoric acid, an intermediate used for phosphatic fertiliser production.

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Grindwell Norton's net profit rose 11.4% to Rs 89.72 crore on a 10.3% increase in net sales to Rs 558.87 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

Profit before tax rose by 8.6% to Rs 119.93 crore in Q4 FY22 from Rs 110.40 crore posted in Q4 FY21. Total expenses for the quarter grew by 9.9% year on year to Rs 435.26 in Q4 FY22. Cost of raw materials consumed was up by 16.5% year on year to Rs 163.7 crore in Q4 FY22.

On full year basis, the company reported a 23.6% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 295.65 crore on a 22.9% jump in net sales to Rs 2,012.76 crore in the financial year ended 2022 over the financial year ended 2021.

Meanwhile, the company's board recommended a dividend of Rs 12 per equity share for the financial year ended 31 March 2022.

Grindwell Norton is a part of the high performance materials division, which is a part of the innovative materials sector of the Group. Listed on the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges, the company pioneered the manufacture of grinding wheels in India in 1941.

Shares of Grindwell Norton closed 1.14% lower at Rs 1,675.40 on Friday.

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On a consolidated basis, Reliance Industries (RIL) reported 20.2% increase in net profit to Rs 18,021 crore on 38.64% rise in net sales to Rs 207,375 crore in Q4 March 2022 over Q4 March 2021.

Profit before tax (PBT) rose 36.8% to Rs 22,411 crore in Q4 March 2022 over Q4 March 2021.

EBITDA increased by 27.7% to Rs 33,968 crore from Rs 26,602 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. EBITDA growth was driven by strong operating performance across businesses.

Finance cost decreased by 12.1% to Rs 3,556 crore as against Rs 4,044 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Lower finance costs reflect large paydown of debt and other liabilities.

Revenue of O2C was driven by improved price realization on the back of steep rise in crude oil prices and higher volumes. Retail segment revenues increased by robust performance with broad-based double-digit growth across all consumption baskets. Revenue of oil & gas segment increased primarily due to higher Gas price realization in KG D6 & CBM. Digital services revenues was primarily driven by higher ARPU and ramp up of wireline services.

For the year ended 31 March 2022, RIL achieved gross revenue of Rs 792,756 crore, as compared to Rs 539,238 crore in the previous year. EBITDA increased by 28.8% to Rs 125,687 crore from Rs 97,580 crore in the previous year, driven by robust operating performance across businesses. Profit after tax increased by 26.2% at Rs 67,845 crore as against Rs 53,739 crore in the previous year.

The company's board recommended a dividend of Rs 8 per equity share for the financial year ended 31 March 2022.

RIL's outstanding debt as on 31 March 2022 was Rs 266,305 crore. Cash and cash equivalents as on 31 March 2022 were at Rs 231,490 crore.

The capital expenditure (including exchange rate difference) for the year ended 31 March 2022 was Rs 99,472 crore and for year ended 31 March 2021 was Rs 79,667 crore. Additionally, Rs 45,880 crore were incurred towards acquisition of spectrum by Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL), India's largest 4G and mobile broadband digital service provider.

Mukesh D. Ambani, chairman and managing director, RIL said: "Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and heightened geo-political uncertainties, Reliance has delivered a robust performance in FY2021-22. I am pleased to report strong growth in our Digital Services and Retail segments. Our O2C business has proven its resilience and has demonstrated strong recovery despite volatility in the energy markets.

The gradual opening up of economies coupled with sustained high utilization rates across sites and the improvement in transportation fuel margins and volumes have bolstered our O2C earnings.

I am pleased to report that our Retail business has crossed the 15,000 store benchmark. JioFiber is now the largest broadband provider in India within two years of launch. Oil and Gas business is now contributing 20% of domestic gas production."

CONSOLIDATED JIO PLATFORMS:

Quarterly operating revenue (net of GST) was Rs 22,261 crore, growth of 21.7%, driven by higher ARPUs and ramp-up of wireline services. Net profit for the quarter was Rs 4,313 crore, higher by 22.9% Y-o-Y.

EBITDA at Rs 10,918 crore, higher by 27.4% Y-o-Y driven by strong revenue growth and margin improvement. EBITDA Margin at 49.0%, increased 210 bps Y-o-Y led by ARPU increase in connectivity business.

ARPU during the quarter of Rs 167.6 per subscriber per month saw a healthy 21.3% growth on Y-o-Y basis and 10.5% growth on Q-o-Q basis, led by tariff hike, better subscriber mix and ramp-up of FTTH services.

Total customer base as on 31st March 2022 of 410.2 million. Total data traffic was 24.6 billion GB during the quarter; 47.5% growth Y-o-Y. Total voice traffic was 1.2 trillion minutes during the quarter; 16.8% growth Y-o-Y.

CONSOLIDATED RELIANCE RETAIL:

The business recorded gross revenue at Rs 58,017 crore, a growth of 23.3% Y-o-Y with broad based double-digit growth across all consumption baskets. Net profit for the quarter was Rs 2,139 crore, lower by 4.8% Y-o-Y.

EBITDA for the quarter recorded at Rs 3,705 crore, up 2.4% Y-o-Y. However, EBITDA before investment income grew 16.3% Y-o-Y to Rs 3,584 crore led by robust performance in Fashion & Lifestyle and Grocery consumption baskets.

The business continued to bolster its store network and strengthen its supply chain capabilities. It opened 793 stores and added 3.1 million sq ft of warehousing and fulfillment space during the quarter.

CONSOLIDATED OIL TO CHEMICALS (O2C):

Segment revenue for 4Q FY22 increased by 44.2% Y-o-Y to Rs 145,786 crore, primarily on account of higher realization on the back of sharp increase in crude oil prices - Brent crude prices were up 66.5% Y-o-Y to $ 101.4 /bbl. Product volumes was also higher by 4.2%, with steady recovery in demand.

Segment EBITDA for 4Q FY22 improved by 24.8% Y-o-Y to Rs 14,241 crore, led by multi-quarter high transportation fuel cracks, partially offset by lower polymer & intermediates margins and higher energy cost. Downstream product margins were impacted by weak naphtha cracking economics and supply over-hang in fibre intermediates.

EBITDA margin for the quarter declined by 150 bps Y-o-Y to 9.8%. This was primarily due to base effect driven by higher feedstock and product prices.

Total throughput (including refinery) was 19.3 MMT an increase of 3.2% over 4Q FY21.

OIL AND GAS (EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION):

Segment Revenues for 4Q FY22 increased by 136.8% Y-o-Y to Rs 2,008 crore. Segment EBITDA sharply increased to Rs 1,556 crore, with EBITDA margin of 77.5%. This was primarily due to higher gas price realization in KG D6 and CBM.

Average gas price realized for KGD6 was at $6.13/MMBTU in 4Q FY22 as against $3.99/MMBTU in 4Q FY21.

MEDIA BUSINESS:

Operating revenue grew 14.6% Y-o-Y to Rs 1,621 crore, driven by movies business and growth in ad revenues. EBITDA of Rs 266 crore, with operating margins of 16.4%.

Subscription based digital platforms, Voot Select and Moneycontrol Pro, continued to gain traction and grew their subscriber base.

RIL is a Fortune 500 company and the largest private sector corporation in India. Its activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and digital services.

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Punjab on Saturday hit out at the governments at the Centre and in Haryana over the controversy surrounding Tajinder Singh Bagga's arrest, and said this country will run according to the Constitution and not in an autocratic manner.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP's) chief spokesperson for Punjab, Malvinder Singh Kang, said the state's police had followed "all procedures" in arresting the leader from his residence in Delhi.

The leader said five notices were served to Bagga to join the investigation after an FIR was registered against him by the Punjab Police on April 1, "but he did not respond".

Claiming that Bagga was a habitual offender, Kang said, "This is not the first case against him. A habitual offender was being brought to be produced before a court in Mohali, but he was released and Punjab Police officers were detained. The entire country watched this autocratic behaviour of the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Haryana."



The spokesperson for Punjab said Bagga faced more than 20 cases in Delhi, West Bengal and Chattisgarh. "Such anti-social elements should get punishment as per the law of the land, but unfortunately the country's government is coming out in his support," he alleged.

"..This country will run according to law, Constitution, and not in an autocratic manner," Kang said.

The Punjab Police had in April booked Bagga on charges of making provocative statements, promoting enmity and criminal intimidation. The case was registered on a complaint by AAP leader Sunny Ahluwalia, a resident of Mohali.

The FIR registered on April 1 referred to Bagga's remarks a day earlier, when he was part of a youth wing protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Bagga, also the secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BYJM), was arrested by the Punjab Police from his home on Friday morning, but the Haryana Police stopped him in that state while being taken to Punjab. The Delhi Police then took him back to the capital.

Kang said it was surprising that even the Congress came out in support of the BJP on this issue. "It proves that the Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin," he said.

Meanwhile, BYJM workers staged a protest outside the AAP party office here and raised slogans against the AAP dispensation.

(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.)
AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister of O. Panneerselvam said that the one year of the government, which is celebrating its first anniversary on Saturday, was a year of suffering for the people of the state.

In a statement, the former chief minister said that several electoral promises of the have remained unfulfilled. He said that getting exempted from the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), payment of Rs 1000 per month to every woman of a household, provision of Rs 100 for a refill of cooking gas cylinders, the restoration of monthly billing cycles for power consumers, the release of seven convicts of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, were some of the promises that were never met.

OPS said that the people of were not willing to be 'cheated' anymore and charged that the government failed miserably in the law and order situation and pointed out the alleged custodial deaths in the state during the regime.

He said that the government has wound up several social welfare schemes of the AIADMK government. The AIADMK leader said that the government had taken a year to constitute a committee on new educational policy and that this has created doubts in the minds of the people about whether the government was adopting a soft approach towards or double standards on the matter.

The former chief minister also said that the DMK government has failed the people on all fronts and that the people are fed up with the performance of the government.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
president Adesh Gupta on Saturday asked residents of the city inform the party about Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally here so that action could be taken against them.

He claimed that around five lakh Rohingyas and Bangladeshis live in the city.

" people will have to come forward to deal with the problem of illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living in Delhi," he said in a press conference.

"We appeal to the people of to tell us about the illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis settled near their area. The municipal corporations will take action against encroachment by them and we will also approach the police for action against them," Gupta said.

The Delhi chief alleged that the AAP leaders, including its MLAs, were working towards identity cards such as AADHAAR and voter IDs to all the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis for vested interests.

(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.)
Strengthening its network in the Asia Pacific region, Satcom Direct (SD) is opening an office in Singapore. It will be the base for the newly appointed regional director for Asia Pacific, Brian Roos, and the newly named regional sales manager, Kaviraj (Kavi) Nadarajah.

Reporting directly to Michael Skou Christensen, senior vice president at SD International, Roos is responsible for establishing the SD presence in Singapore and executing SDs ongoing strategic developments across the Asia Pacific region. This includes identifying new markets; adding to the customer portfolio; consolidating existing and new MRO relationships; building new partnerships; and introducing established and new SD products and services to the market; as well as ensuring continued delivery of customer support.

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Stretching from China to New Zealand, the Asia Pacific region has always been an important market for SD, and still holds great potential for us, said Roos. It is a buoyant area where the business aviation fleet continues to evolve, the number of high-net-worth individuals is increasing, and the appetite for technology solutions to improve the user and owner experience is unparalleled globally. The appointment of Kavi enhances our support for regional operators and owners who are optimising customised connectivity solutions to manage their data to meet their diverse mission needs. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bolster SDs footprint here.

Roos will also be responsible for advocating the benefits of the SD connectivity ecosystem of hardware, software and infrastructure, as well as the introduction of SD Plane Simple antenna systems.

FAA and EASA STCs were confirmed in March 2022 for the Plane Simple Ku-band tail-mount antenna for specified Gulfstream and Bombardier airframes. Following this, and the anticipated confirmation of relevant STCs across Asia, top of Roos priority list will be to showcase the benefits of the first variant, which is powered by the multi-layered Intelsat FlexExec service. The company said the Plane Simple Ku-band variant is on track to enter commercial service in the third quarter of 2022.

With some 20 years of experience in aviation, Roos has held various positions within the commercial and private sectors, including in airport operations, customer service, flight operations, flight support and charter management. Roos spent five years working with start-up operators and flight support companies in the Middle East and Africa region before joining SD. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, he is also a licensed international flight dispatcher.

Nadarajah will work closely with Roos, overseeing the north and southeast Asian customer base. His previous experience includes roles for Hawker Pacific and Jet Aviation, after beginning his 18-year aviation career as a dispatcher for commercial airlines. He is eager to bring his passion for customer service to the SD community. I am extremely excited to be a part of the new Singapore office team, said Nadarajah. The sky is not the limit for our services and I look forward to engaging with our customers to help them make the most out of the SD product and service portfolio.
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
Photo: The Canadian Press Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance

Retired gen. Jonathan Vance, Canada's former chief of the defence staff, has terminated his appointment to a major Canadian military honour.

A notice posted in the Canada Gazette, the federal government's official newspaper, says Vance asked that his appointment to the Order of Military Merit be terminated and the Governor General has granted his request.

The notice was signed on April 20 but is dated Saturday in the Gazette.

Vance was sentenced to 80 hours of community service in March after pleading guilty to one charge of obstruction of justice in a case that shook Canada's military.

The judge also ordered Vance to refrain from contacting Maj. Kellie Brennan, with whom he had what an agreed statement of facts filed in court described as a "long-standing intimate relationship'' that started in 2001 and lasted until early 2021.

The statement of facts says Vance failed to disclose that relationship, which exposed him to the possibility of a charge under the National Defence Act. He then attempted to "discourage'' her from revealing the full nature of their relationship to military police.

The judge, in granting the conditional discharge, also said Vance appeared to be "a man of good character'' who had contributed to Canada's mission in Afghanistan and the Canadian Armed Forces during his career.

The Order of Military Merit was created in 1972 to recognize conspicuous merit and exceptional service by active members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

A government website says the award recognizes outstanding meritorious service and demonstrated leadership in duties of great responsibility.
System for safeguarding Chinese peoples living standards further improved

08:34, May 07, 2022 By Yang Hao ( People's Daily

By rolling out a series of policies in the interests of the people and providing them with assistance subsidies, the Chinese government has built a closely knit network for guaranteeing peoples well-being.

A volunteer and two kids play with building blocks at a poverty alleviation relocation site in Gangbian township, Congjiang county, southwest Chinas Guizhou province, August 2, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Luo Jinglai)

In 2014, Chinas State Council issued Interim Measures for Social Assistance, which created a full-fledged social assistance system; in 2020, a directive on reforming and perfecting the system was rolled out.

Last year, the annual assistance subsidies allocated to people in need by the central government rose to 147.6 billion yuan ($22.2 billion); and the average subsistence allowance in urban and rural areas across the country grew to 711 yuan and 530 yuan per person per month, respectively, compared with 330 yuan and 172 yuan per person per month in 2012.

China has endeavored to make social assistance more effective. As a tiered and classified social assistance system is gradually built and improved in the country, mechanisms concerning basic living assistance, social assistance for special purposes and temporary assistance in emergencies and disasters have matured.

The countrys subsistence allowance system makes sure that all people with serious illness or severe disabilities and other people eligible for the governments subsistence allowance can enjoy the allowance.

To ensure that all people in extreme poverty can receive assistance and support from the government, the countrys scheme for assistance and support for severely impoverished people integrates assistance for urban residents without income, the ability to work, or support by family and rural residents eligible for the Five Guarantees (food, clothing, medical care, housing, education for orphans or funeral expenses): those who are unable to work and have no source of income, including the elderly, the disabled and minors who have no legal guardians to support them, and regulates the identification of people in extreme difficulty.

The mechanism for temporary assistance makes good use of petty cash of townships and subdistricts for emergency assistance, thus solving the sudden, urgent and temporary difficulties of people in a timely manner.

A family doctor tests residents blood pressure at a community in Fuxi subdistrict, Deqing county, Huzhou city, east Chinas Zhejiang province, April 13, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Wang Shucheng)

China has consolidated the fruits of poverty alleviation to guarantee peoples basic living standards.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) has introduced measures to strengthen the complementarity of rural subsistence allowance system and poverty alleviation and development policies to solidify the foundations for the social security system for years.

Since the end of 2017, the standards of eligibility for rural subsistence allowances in all Chinese county-level regions have consistently reached or exceeded the national poverty line.

As of the end of 2020, 19.36 million registered impoverished people in China had been covered by the countrys social assistance system, which accounted for 19.6 percent of the population lifted out of poverty in the country.

The MCA has guided regions in improving the system for actively discovering people in straitened circumstances and achieving more accurate identification of the group so that people in need can receive timely assistance.

Lichuan county, Fuzhou city, east Chinas Jiangxi province, has ensured precise identification of people in need of social assistance through grid-based management. It has built a three-tiered grid-based database for these people, which includes 561 grids.

Dezhou city, east Chinas Shandong province, has established a mechanism for the dynamic monitoring of low-income population and gained a panoramic portrait of the economic situation of each household. Besides, the city has incorporated 42 relief policies and some welfare policies originally handled by 15 functional departments into one platform. By employing data, the city has provided targeted assistance for over 1.18 million people.

Social assistance has effectively made peoples life easier. Ma Jifei, a farmer in Hongsibao district, Wuzhong city, northwest Chinas Ningxia Hui autonomous region, tried applying for subsistence allowance for his sick father after he lost sources of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had trouble affording medical care for his father. According to Ma, the application was quickly approved.

In an effort to help urban and rural residents who are struck by the pandemic and disasters and thus face troubles with basic living, local civil affairs authorities have adjusted promptly and introduced many social assistance policies and measures, expanding the coverage of subsistence allowance and temporary assistance and providing one-time temporary relief funds for uninsured and unemployed persons that cant guarantee minimum living standards.

Guided by these policies and measures, governments of areas hit by emergencies and disasters provide temporary assistance in a timely manner for migrants without local household registration status who face severe difficulties with basic living.

These policies and measures also stress enhancing visit to and care services for people amid the pandemic and arranging personnel to provide timely care and assistance for special groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and children, in the homes of COVID-19 patients who are being isolated and treated.

As Chinas network for safeguarding peoples living standards becomes increasingly tight, the country is bound to achieve even greater results in guaranteeing peoples well-being.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press

The proposed $26-billion merger between two of Canada's telecom titans has hit a new regulatory hurdle after the Commissioner of Competition has indicated it intends to block the deal.

Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. issued a joint statement late on Friday evening indicating they learned of the commissioner's plans after markets closed for the day.

The companies say they were informed that the commissioner intends to file applications to the Competition Tribunal in a bid to prevent the merger, which the two firms had hoped to close by the end of the second quarter.

The Competition Bureau is one of three regulatory bodies whose approval is needed for the deal to go through. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission signed off earlier this year, and the companies are actively trying to sell Shaw's wireless business Freedom Mobile which is expected to be a condition of approval from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

The Competition Bureau did not immediately respond to request for comment on the decision to fight the prospective merger, and neither Rogers nor Shaw offered details on the contents of the Friday notice.

But both companies say they plan to press ahead with the deal and fight the commissioner's efforts to block it.

The proposed merger, they argue, will offer significant economic and consumer benefits and contend the deal is in the best interest of Canada and its residents.

"Rogers and Shaw will oppose the application to prevent the transaction to be made by the Commissioner of Competition, while continuing to engage constructively with the Competition Bureau in an effort to bring this matter to a resolution and ensure that the transactions benefits can be realized by all Canadians," the joint statement read.

The notice from the competition commissioner is the latest in a series of obstacles that have plagued the blockbuster merger plans since they were first announced in March 2021.

Late last month, two consumer advocacy groups filed a petition asking the federal cabinet to "set aside"' the CRTC's decision to approve the transfer of Shaw's broadcast services to Rogers, arguing that it will lead to "significant price increases" for television services.

Another variable in the saga is the sale of Freedom Mobile's assets.

Friday's joint statement saw Rogers and Shaw reiterate their commitment to selling Freedom "with a view to addressing concerns raised by the Commissioner of Competition."
Photo: Associated Press/Evgeniy Maloletka A woman looks on a crater of an explosion after Russian airstrike in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday.

The war in Ukraine wracked the countrys southern coast Saturday as Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the city of Odesa and bombarded a steel mill housing Ukrainian civilians and fighters, hoping to complete their conquest of the port of Mariupol in time for Victory Day celebrations.

However, in a sign of the unexpectedly effective defense that has sustained the fighting into its 11th week, Ukraine's military flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that was captured in the war's first days and has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

Western military analysts said a Ukrainian counter-offensive also was advancing around the nation's second-largest city, Kharkiv, even as it remained a key target of Russian shelling. The Ukrainian army said it retook control of five villages and part of a sixth near hotly contested Kharkiv.

As Russia's Monday holiday commemorating Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II approached, cities across Ukraine prepared for an expected increase in Russian attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged residents numbed by more than 10 weeks of war to heed air raid warnings.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that Zelenskyy and his people embody the spirit of those who prevalied during the Second World War. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.

"As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions," Blinken said in a statement issued as the United States and United Kingdom marked the Allied victory in Europe 77 years ago.

The most intense battles in recent days have befallen eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce race to capture or reclaim territory. Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine has focused on claiming the industrial Donbas region, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014 and occupy some areas.

Moscows also has sought to sweep across southern Ukraine to both cut off the country from the sea and to connect its territory to the breakaway Transnistria region of Moldova, long home to Russian troops. But it has struggled to achieve those objectives.

On Saturday, six Russian cruise missiles fired from aircraft hit the region of Odesa, where authorities have a curfew in place until Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed thick black smoke rising over Odesa with sirens wailing in the background.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed Ukraine targeting Russian-held Snake Island in a bid to impede Russias efforts to control the Black Sea. A satellite image taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed what appeared to be a Serna-class landing craft against the island's northern beach.

The image corresponds with a Ukrainian military video showing a drone striking the Russian vessel, engulfing it in flames. Snake Island, located some 35 kilometers (20 miles) off the coast, figured in a memorable incident early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, purportedly using colorful language.

Against that backdrop, Ukrainian fighters made a final stand to prevent a complete takeover of Mariupol. Securing the strategically important Sea of Azov port would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimea Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion.

New satellite photos analyzed by the AP showed vast devastation at a sprawling seaside steel mill that is the last corner of Ukrainian resistance in the city. Buildings at the Azovstal plant, including one under which hundreds of fighters and civilians are likely hiding, had large, gaping holes in the roof, according to the images shot Friday by Planet Labs PBC.

The bombardment of the steel mill intensified in recent days despite a Russian pledge for a temporary cease-fire to allow civilians inside to escape. Russia has used mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from sea to target the facility.

Rescuers sought to evacuate more civilians on Saturday after a week of on-and-off convoys to get people out of Mariupol. Dozens of civilians were delivered Friday to the care of United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross representatives, Russian and Ukrainian officials confirmed.

The latest evacuees followed roughly 500 others who were allowed to leave the plant and other parts of the city in recent days.

Ukrainian fighters at the Azovstal mill have repeatedly refused to surrender but acknowledged Saturday using white flags to help evacuate civilians from the site. The fighters issued a statement via social media saying both they and the Russians have used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out.

They said the Saturday incident marked the fourth time they raised the flags for that purpose. The statement followed comments attributed to a commander on the Russian side there suggesting the Ukrainians were using the white flag for negotiations with their attackers.

The Ukrainian government has called on international organizations to also help evacuate the fighters defending the plant. By Russias most recent estimate, roughly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters remained at the Azovstal steelworks. They have repeatedly refused to surrender.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said influential states were involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers, although he did not mention any by name.

We are also working on diplomatic options to save our troops who are still at Azovstal, he said in his nightly video address early Saturday.

The relief of those who have been evacuated was tempered by the memory of those still left behind.

They need our help badly, said Serhii Kuzmenko, 31, who fled with his wife, 8-yer-old daughter and four others from their bunker, leaving behind another 30. We need to get them out.

While they pounded away at the plant, Russian forces struggled to make significant gains elsewhere nearly 2 1/2 months into a ruinous war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee Ukraine and flattened large swaths of some cities.

Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine and had a pre-war population of about 1.4 million, remained a key target of Russian shelling in the northeast. But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city.

A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraine's military may be able to push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders' momentum into a successful, broader counteroffensive.

In other developments, a Russian missile on Saturday destroyed a Ukrainian national museum dedicated to the life and work of an 18th-century philosopher, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the Gregory Skovoroda museum engulfed in flames.

As an indication of his importance to Ukraines cultural heritage, Skovorodas likeness adorns a Ukrainian banknote. The museum in Skovorodynivka lies near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region where fighting has been fierce.

Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that the extraordinary strength of the Ukrainian position lies in all the countries of the free world understanding what is at stake in the ruinous war.

We are defending ourselves against an onslaught of tyranny that wants to destroy everything that freedom gives to people and states," the Ukrainian leader said. "And such a struggle, for freedom and against tyranny, is fully comprehensible for any society, in any corner of the globe.

At the United Nations in New York, the U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted its first statement on Ukraine, expressing strong support for the secretary general's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the 10-week old dispute.

Talks to end the war have stalled. Zelenskyy said Friday that he would be open to negotiations with Russia, but only if Moscow withdraws its forces to pre-invasion positions.

"In that situation, we will be able to start discussing things normally, Zelenskyy told a meeting at London's Chatham House think tank. Ukraine could then use diplomatic channels to regain its territory, he said.
Anyone who has visited the Dalton Public Works Department in the past 22 years surely remembers feeling welcomed by Sherrie Blaylock. The departments administrative assistant has greeted visitors with a warm smile and usually a laugh, too. Friday is her last day on the job as she enters retirement.

Sherrie will be greatly missed, not only by us here at Public Works, but by the many citizens that she has been in contact with over the years, said Chad Townsend, the departments director. I wish that I the opportunity to work alongside her for more than a few months, but I am grateful to of worked with such an amazing person. We will all miss her smiling face and her wonderful personality. I wish her the very best in her future endeavors.

Ms. Blaylock built a lot of relationships with people in the community during her career, taking calls for service as part of her duties and helping to schedule the departments work.

Sherrie was the voice of the Public Works Department for 20 years. Anytime a resident called in with a work order request, she was the one that took their call. Its funny because if Sherrie took a vacation or had a sick day, and certain residents would call in to request a work order, they would tell the person filling in that they would just call back when Sherrie returned to work, said Andrew Parker, Daltons city administrator and a former director of the Public Works Department. Thats a testament to her genuine kindness and desire to take care of the citizens of Dalton, a skillset that is very hard to come by these days.

Sherrie was the epitome of a great co-worker, Mr. Parker continued. She always greeted you with a smile, kind word, and had a great sense of humor. All of the Public Works employees, current and past, thought the world of Sherrie and will certainly miss her as she enters retirement.



Officials said, "City of Dalton congratulates Sherrie Blaylock on her retirement with our best wishes."
Volunteers in Medicine, Chattanooga launches an inaugural Top Hat Society campaign as a fun, fundraising component in support of the Nov. 2 Gowns for Good luncheon, fashion runway and charity auction benefit with proceeds to help uninsured neighbors in need receive access to primary care at the VIM local clinic.

This distinguished group of ten community leaders is determined to raise awareness and money to support our local health mission and the medically underserved, said VIM Executive Director Joel Henderson.



How to help? Make a donation and support a VIM ambassador as they raise funds for the local charitable clinic. A complete list of the 2022 Top Hat Society ambassadors available online at the Gowns for Good event page: http://vim-chatt.org/127/top-hat-society.



Hope and healing is one of the greatest gifts one can give to another, added Mr. Henderson. This event is made possible through the gracious donations of local sponsors who continue to help make a positive impact for neighbors in need.



Officials said, "VIMs primary care clinic has logged well over 75,000 patient visits valued at more than $25 million at clinic rates and $110 million at conservative ER rates; and $18 million in patient prescription assistance since opening the doors in 2005. VIM is a 501(C)(3) non-profit faith based, free clinic which provides primary and preventative health care to financially eligible individuals of Hamilton and surrounding counties in Tennessee and North Georgia who otherwise have no access to public or private health insurance."



To learn more about event sponsorships or early registration for tables of eight for the Nov. 2 Gowns for Good benefit, visit the event web page at www.vim-chatt.org/gowns-for-good or contact info@vim-chatt.org. To learn more about the mission and services provided by Volunteers in Medicine, Chattanooga, visit www.vim-chatt.org.
Five Lee University students scored highly on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages exam, an oral and written proficiency interview and test administered to graduating Spanish majors across the United States.

The graduating students include Abbey Allison, Dawson Davis, Ellie Earles, Emma Osko, and Megan Rogers.

The Department of Language and Literature is proud of the dedication and high-quality work that our graduating seniors have demonstrated throughout their foreign language journey and of their stellar achievement on the ACTFL Proficiency Test, said Dr. Donna Summerlin, chair of Lees Department of Language and Literature.

In a typical four-year foreign language program in the United States, students will graduate on average obtaining Intermediate-High in the ACTFL oral and written proficiency interview and test. In recent years, the Spanish program at Lee University has produced students who consistently score higher than this intermediate average.

On top of all the coursework and foreign experiences, the Spanish program provides graduating seniors with the opportunity to have weekly mentoring sessions from Dr. Carmen Guerrero, associate professor of Spanish. In these weekly sessions, students prepare for the ACTFL oral proficiency interview by debating, discussing current events, and receiving expert advice on how to perform well in the interview.

We are extremely proud to announce that for the first time, we have had all graduating seniors place Advanced in Spanish for both speaking and writing, said Dr. Alexander Steffanell, professor of Spanish. The scores range from Advanced-Low to Advanced-High.

These interviews and tests are administered by third-party ACTFL professionals off campus with no prior knowledge of the students. A placement in the Advanced category signifies that speakers of this level are able to engage in conversation in a clearly participatory manner in order to communicate information on autobiographical topics, as well as topics of community, national, or international interest.

The language of Advanced-Level speakers is abundant, the oral paragraph being the measure of advanced-level length and discourse. Advanced-level speakers have sufficient control of basic structures and generic vocabulary to be understood by native speakers of the language, including those unaccustomed to non-native speech.

These students have worked very hard to get to the level of proficiency where they feel comfortable linguistically in Spanish, said Dr. Steffanell. Not only do they show high communicative abilities, but also intercultural competence. They have all traveled throughout Latin America and have witnessed Spanish-speaking countries' conflicts and issues, and they have lived with Hispanic families. Their level of commitment to the Hispanic culture is admirable and uplifting.

The Lee University Spanish program continuously pursues excellence and success in its students and is effective and stimulating in instilling the target language and culture in its students. The program is proficiency-oriented and specifically designed for the majors to use the target language in a real-world context and complicated situations.

Providing vision, leadership, and support for quality teaching and learning of languages, ACTFL is an individual membership organization of more than 13,000 language educators and administrators from elementary through graduate education, as well as government and industry. Since its founding in 1967, ACTFL has become synonymous with innovation, quality, and reliability in meeting the changing needs of language educators and their learners.

For more information about the ACTFL, visit https://www.actfl.org/.

For more information about Lees Spanish program, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/arts-sciences/lang-lit/spanish-licensure-option/.


On Thursday I was reading the newspaper obituary for Virginia Jo Frazier Gilman, who died Monday, May 2, when this paragraph in it caught my eyes:

Virginia Jo Frazier is quite a name in some circles in the Chattanooga area, particularly to residents over the age of 80. Virginia Jo was a media sensation because she was kidnapped and held for four days in 1927. Returned unharmed, she was the subject of many newspaper articles during that time.

The obituary, which even included a photograph taken of the then 2-year-old after she was returned home safely, seemed a generous way of sharing a dark memory by the family. It also indicated that the incident was apparently a permanent link to this woman who lived to tell about it for an amazing 95 years.

It also made me curious to learn more about this event I had never previously heard of, so I went down to the Chattanooga Public Library to look up some old newspaper articles on it on microfilm.

The incident took place over several days in late March 1927. The trying event apparently began during the early morning of Thursday March 24, 1927, when an intruder or intruders came into the Frazier family home at 701 Greenwood Ave. in Highland Park and left with the young Virginia Josephine.

Her parents, Chattanooga City Commissioner Fred B. and Virginia B. Frazier, were away on a trip to Tampa, Fl., But at the home on Greenwood Avenue were her 5-year-old brother, French Frazier; her maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Philo D. Benham; and a 17-year-old nurse-like helper, Ms. Johnnie Peale. Ms. Peale, who was a student at Central High off Dodds Avenue, was helping young Virginia Jo try to get over the winter-long whooping cough.

While an opened door to the nursery was noticed, not until the family maid arrived that morning did those in the house realize young Virginia Josephine was missing.

This created quite an alarm in the city, and suddenly much of the police force went to work on the case, issuing an all-points bulletin. But unfortunately, no sign of the young child was found for the first couple of days.

Her parents had hurriedly returned home from Tampa on a train, and much of the city began looking for the child. Searchers included friends of the Fraziers and local Boy Scouts and schoolchildren.

But no clues could be found as reporters from the Associated Press and the Atlanta newspapers also descended on the city.

No other case in the history of the city has created so much interest, said one headline in the Chattanooga Times, which would devote a whole page to the story for several days, although not on the front page.

And then on Saturday, a couple of days after she had been taken, the Frazier family received a little hope. A ransom letter arrived that seemed to be authentic, and Commissioner Frazier said the family would respect the demands and allow the abductor or abductors to flee after the baby was successfully delivered back to them safely.

On Sunday, a black youth had apparently delivered a ransom package with some of Virginia Josephines hair and clothing to a Western Union office on Broad Street, and the Western Union official took it to the police headquarters.

In what was a semi-sophisticated operation, Commissioner Frazier  who was also a successful lawyer and his family also had a home on Lookout Mountain  was to deliver $3,333 in the special package to a black man holding a broom in an alley by McCallie and Central avenues.

Commissioner Frazier apparently was still trying to get some money from his brother, Jim Frazier, the sheriff in Rhea County, so he distraughtly told the person he met in the alley to give him a little more time. Commissioner Frazier did come back a little while later with the money.

Then, a short while later, the doorbell rang at the home of the First Presbyterian Church pastor, the Rev. Joseph G. Venable, at 921 Vine St. in Fort Wood. Rev. Venable and his wife had just been home for a little while after Sunday night church activities, and when the doorbell was answered, there was little Virginia Josephine Frazier.

Rev. Venable called Commissioner Frazier, and the family happily rushed over to be reunited with young Virginia Josephine. A doctor said she had been doped up in some way by the abductors, perhaps to keep her quiet, but was otherwise fine, the news reports said.

The next day many well-wishers came by to see the Fraziers, and young Virginia Jo happily posed for a photograph or two. Her mother was reportedly still too full of emotion and rested out of sight.

Young Virginia Jo mentioned hearing trains, so authorities thought she had been kept somewhere near Warner Park and the nearby railroad tracks during her abduction.

About a day after her return, the police announced the apprehension of three white people in connection with the case  nanny nurse Ms. Peale, and a romantically linked couple  former Rhea County police official Frank Baskett and Mrs. Anna Thomison. He had previously been tried in connection with the killing of his brother-in-law but had been acquitted with the help of Commissioner Fraziers legal counsel, while she had been acquitted in connection with the killing of a former spouse.

Authorities said Commissioner Frazier had later helped Mr. Baskett get on the Chattanooga police force, but when he tried a second time after being dismissed and Commissioner Frazier did not try to help him get reinstated, Mr. Baskett turned bitter toward the commissioner.

Mr. Baskett lived in the East Lake area with his wife, who was not Ms. Thomison, while Ms. Thomison lived in the Lindsay Apartments off Forest Avenue in North Chattanooga.

After the arrest of Baskett and the gathering of an excited crowd outside police headquarters, he was rushed to Knoxville for safekeeping.

Efforts to find details on how their cases played out could not be secured during a quick search, but two younger black men allegedly involved in the kidnapping, including in dealing with Commissioner Frazier, were also arrested about a week later. They were Lewis and Arthur Willis. Lewis Willis was sentenced to 25 years in prison that June.

Commissioner Frazier would live until 1963, when he died at the age of 83. The former Rhea County school official and attorney later was involved in forming a savings and loan association.

His wife, also named Virginia and a native of St. Louis, went on to become a Girl Scout supporter and worshiped at First-Centenary United Methodist Church before her death in 1971.

Virginia Josephine Frazier, meanwhile, went on to enjoy a very rich and productive life, unlike some of those very young children who were also kidnapped without as happy an ending during that unusual and somewhat bizarre time in American history.

Her obituary said she went to Girls Preparatory School, graduating in 1942, and at the end of World War II was helping in the war effort in Florida by signing in returning servicemen, some of whom were former prisoners of war. She could relate with them as someone who had also been held in captivity, although it was likely at an age when it left only a minimal scar on her.

She had married Henry Bouton Gilman Jr. from the Gilman paint and varnish family, and she went on to serve others by teaching Bible in the schools.

Many might say God had quite a plan for her when he helped spare her life during those long-ago days of 1927. And it would be a plan that would last for nearly a century.

And the home where she was abducted long ago is apparently still standing just above Holtzclaw Avenue and the National Cemetery, while the Fort Wood home where she was safely dropped off remains little changed as well.

* * *

Jcshearer2@comcast.net
Dr. Rob Headrick, the chief surgeon at the Rees Skillern Thoracic and Lung Cancer Center, was the speaker at the Chattanooga Civitan Club luncheon meeting.

Dr. Headrick talked about the need for early testing of people to screen for lung cancer, and shared his views with past political figures of the need to take preemptive actions for this important medical issue.

He talked of his working with both state and local officials about this issue and to obtain federal funding for Southeast Tennessee.

Dr. Headrick has been invited to the White House and will attend a meeting in the next few weeks.
Roy Allen Pace, 80, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at home with his wife and family by his side on Thursday, May 5, 2022.

Allen was a Chattanooga, TN native and US Army veteran who proudly served as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division. After his service in the military, he moved to Nashville to follow his dreams in the music industry. He went on to perform with country music stars Tom T. Hall, Johnny Rodriguez, Barbara Fairchild, and LeRoy Van Dyke, among others. A gifted songwriter and musician, he loved playing music for family and friends.

After a successful music career, Allen moved back to Chattanooga where he went to work for the United States Postal Service.

Allen was a member of the Chapel of Hope Church in Ringgold, for the past 31 years. He loved playing the piano and singing the songs he wrote for the Lord. In each song, there was a story about his walk with Jesus.

Allen will be remembered by his family and friends for his kindness, generosity, quiet humor, and his devout faith. He will be missed deeply by those who knew and loved him.

He is preceded in death by his father, William Roy Pace, mother, Rosanna (Anderson) Pace, siblings, Jeanette Payne, Mary Chambers, Joy McNabb, Ernest Pace, and niece, Susie Westbrook.

He is survived by his loving wife, Rebecca (Becky) Pace, children, Derrick (Silvia) Hudson and Rosanna Pace, grandchild, Josiah Pace, siblings, Jerry Heffington and Darlene Adams, sister-in-law, Janice Westbrook, niece, Pamela Gray, nephews, Anthony Westbrook, Zack (Jennifer) Gray, and Lucus Gray.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 10, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Hamilton Funeral Home. Chapel Service begins at 12 p.m.

Interment will follow at the Chattanooga National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m.

Pallbearers will be Derrick Hudson, Zack Gray, Tony Westbrook, Dee Cody Jr, Jeff Clay and Bob Mayes.

Honorary pallbearers will be Earnest Cooper and Josiah Pace.

Mr. Pace was a faithful servant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 4506 Hixson Pike, Hixson, Tn. 37343, 423 531-3975.
In the preview for the upcoming 90 Day Fiance Season 9, Kobe finally meets his son, Koban, for the first time. The first time father bursts into tears after seeing his son for the first time in this heartwarming clip.

Kobe, 90 Day Fiance Season 9 | TLC

Kobe is eager to meet his son, Koban

Finally, Emily and Kobe are together again after being separated for over two years. Its Kobes first day in the United States, and hes more than eager to meet his son, Koban, for the first time in real life.

After getting picked up from the airport, Kobe tells Emily, I cant really believe this is happening like this.

Emily says, I cannot believe its been two years. Kobe is excited to be with his fiancee after these two difficult years. However, hes most excited about meeting his son for the first time. He tells the cameras, Im finally going to meet my son, Koban, which is something Ive been looking forward for over two years.

So when Emily tells him that she wants to have a date night before he goes and meets Koban, hes not excited. He tells the cameras, How is this possible? I feel like shes being selfish.

However, after seeing how badly Emily wanted alone time on their first night, he agreed to have one date night. Then they would meet Koban the next day.

Kobe meets he and Emilys son for the first time

In the preview for the upcoming May 8 episode of 90 Day Fiance Season 9 (via ET), Kobe can finally meet his son after all of this time. He says, This is a moment, you know, I live for. Ive waited for this moment for like 17 months. Finally, I get to see my son. Check out the clip below (via Reddit):

In the emotional clip, Kobe is introduced to Koban, but the baby is shy. After waiting for him to warm up to him, Kobe bursts out into tears at the sheer happiness of being able to be with his son. He says, Oh my god, hes so cute.

Kobe tells the cameras, Getting to meet Koban for the first time. I couldnt take it. He was just so sweet. Im a dad just because of him. It was just a very beautiful moment.

Why did Kobe not meet his son until now?

There were many reasons for Kobe not being able to meet his son sooner. His K-1 visa was delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Also, due to border closures, Emily could not come to visit him in Cameroon, which is located in central Africa.

After his visa was approved, Kobe was finally able to move to the US to be with Emily and Koban. The former underwear model is ready to give up the bachelor lifestyle he had in Cameroon and is prepared to be a husband to Emily and a father to Koban.

It was emotional for fans to watch Kobe be able to meet his son for the first time. 90 Day Fiance fans are rooting for this couple to make it. However, Emily and Kobes journey is just starting. They now have 90 days to get married.

New episodes of 90 Day Fiance air Sundays at 8 pm EST on TLC and discovery+.

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Season 9: Guillermo Thinks Kara Condescends to Him Like A Little Kid  Shes Not My Mom
On Better Call Saul, being the bad guy doesnt mean everyone hates you. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Just like on Breaking Bad, bad guys are memorable and charismatic. Tony Dalton plays Lalo Salamanca on Better Call Saul, and some fans love him so much they send him gifts.

Tony Dalton | Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

Dalton was a guest on Varietys Awards Circuit podcast on April 14. While discussing Better Call Saul Season 6, Dalton described a thoughtful, and time-consuming, gift he received from a fan. Better Call Saul Season 6 airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on AMC.

A Better Call Saul fan painted Lalo Salamanca for Tony Dalton

Dalton still keeps his home in Mexico. He travels to Albuquerque, New Mexico for Better Call Saul and Atlanta, Georgia for Hawkeye. In his home, hes now got artwork from fans.

RELATED: Better Call Saul: Rhea Seehorn Based Kim/Mike Meeting on Heat, but Not De Niro/Pacino Scene

Ive got paintings that they sent to me, a beautiful one from Germany, Dalton said on Awards Circuit. A guy did a portrait of my face, of Lalo and he sent it to me. It took a month and its done in pencil. Wow, thats really nice of somebody to do.

Tony Dalton met this Better Call Saul fan on social media

Fans are waiting to see what happens to Lalo in the final season of Better Call Saul. The name Lalo is mentioned once on Breaking Bad, so nobody knows if Lalo survives until then or not. One fan was so inspired he spent a month making the portrait. Dalton said he doesnt use social media a lot, but this fan tagged him on Instagram. Dalton responded and ended up with new interior decorations.

At least it started out as a good ol' time. #BetterCallSaul pic.twitter.com/2UWF52rHfm  Better Call Saul (@BetterCallSaul) March 30, 2022

RELATED: Better Call Saul: Vince Gilligan Originally Didnt Want Lalo Salamanca on the Show

Something that took him so long because when he was doing it, he tagged me on Instagram, Dalton said. I was like, Wow, thats amazing. He goes, Well, Ill be done in about two weeks. Its already taken me two weeks. I work all day on this but in two weeks, if you want, I can send it to you wherever you want. I said, Wow, sure, that would be great. So he sent it to me.

He hasnt displayed it yet

Lalo is quite an entertainer himself. He likes to cook meals while he interrogates people. Dalton is a bit more self-conscious. While he expresses gratitude to the thoughtful fan, Dalton feels a bit self-conscious about displaying a portrait of himself, even if it is his Better Call Saul character, Lalo.

I have it downstairs but I dont have it hung up because its weird, Dalton said. Its not weird that he did it, but its weird for me to have a painting of myself. Im just not that guy. Maybe one day Ill put it somewhere but right now I dont really know where to put the thing. It is a painting of me done beautifully in pencil.

RELATED: Better Call Saul Season 6: Why Bob Odenkirk Calls Kim Wexler the Mystery of the Season
Anisha Ramakrishna from Bravos Family Karma announced on her podcast that she is engaged! She is over the moon and so happy but of course  she had a hilarious proposal story.

Ramakrishna shared she was thrilled but at the same time, she was raging. Most people cry tears of joy during their proposal, she said on her Currently Cringing podcast. No. I wanted to punch someone in the f***ing face. Wait  why?

Anisha from Family Karma got engaged at home

Ramakrishna explained she gave her boyfriend a Cinco de Mayo proposal deadline and wanted the moment to happen in either South Florida, Big Sur, or New York. The couple currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. Shes a planner, her boyfriend  not so much.

Anisha Ramakrishna |Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo

I waited 37 years for this proposal, she said. Meeting the love of my life. It was really important to me. And Im a traditional girl at heart so I cant plan my proposal. Well, maybe she can. Ramakrishna consulted with her astrologer to lock down the best day for a proposal, which was in April. She and her boyfriend also shopped for rings in early April.

My boyfriend did ask me to marry him not on one knee but sitting on the couch, in the living room. No pomp and circumstance. It was filled with love and happy and I of course said yes. We were chilling on the couch and the ring came. But then the ring was too big. And I knew that I wanted the official proposal.

But she wanted the perfect proposal

The Family Karma couple is officially engaged but they send the ring back for sizing so they can make the Cinco de Mayo deadline. And this is where the story really starts, it sets the tone, she said. Her boyfriend is now in a conundrum about how to time the proposal because he didnt know his betrotheds schedule. So we have a scheduled proposal! she said.

But the day they chose wasnt great because it was a black moon day according to her astrologer. So they had to  again  rethink the day. Meanwhile, her boyfriend was literally sitting next to her booking their trip for the proposal, which annoyed her too.

The destination was set  New York City. So she wanted the proposal to go down at East Village Pizza. Which is where we had our first date, she shared. She made sure her boyfriend knew thats where she wanted the proposal, even putting together a proposal team of friends. After the proposal she wanted friends and family to join them at Buddakan.

The Family Karma proposal began perfectly 

Even though Ramakrishna has the perfect man and was happy and in love, she was still stressing about the proposal and that she knew about it. Her parents were also in India at the time and sent her a congratulatory text.

She was getting excited about the proposal, her ring, and spending her life with the man of her dreams. Ramakrishna also secured a photographer and a videographer for the moment. The couple was booked at the Park Hyatt, a gorgeous hotel, perfect for a proposal.

Getting ready was easy breezy, her hair and makeup artist arrived and they were relaxing. And since she was getting proposed to at East Village Pizza she didnt eat because shed be eating pizza later  wink, wink. She finally got dressed, complete with her Manolo Blahnik heels. After confirming numerous times they werent walking anywhere she felt comfortable wearing the gorgeous (but not walkable) heels to the proposal site.

 but it slowly unraveled and now Anisha was unhinged

On their way to the proposal, she realized she was starving. Unfortunately, their Uber got stuck in traffic outside Union Square and theyd have to walk the rest of the way. And now Im angry because my feet are pinching. I said I couldnt walk in these shoes, and I dont know where were going, she recalled. And now Im also hangry.

She sees a DSW because she cant walk any longer in the heels. Now Im raging because I didnt want to be at a DSW on the day of my proposal, she explained. But thats how bad my feet are hurting. She grabbed the cheapest pair of kicks she could find  a pair of fuzzy pink pumas and now shes standing in a long line.

They continued to walk and her boyfriend carried her heels. And I look like a lady of the night, she recounted. Im in these pink pumas and hes my sugar daddy. Thats what we look like right now.

Her friend called and asked them to swing by his house. Now they are a friends apartment and everyone wants her to head up to the rooftop  which is not East Village Pizza! Ramakrishna is unhinged. Did her boyfriend blow the plan and propose on the rooftop? Stay tuned.

She promised to share how the proposal ended on the next installment of her podcast.

RELATED: Bravos Family Karma: 3 Weddings and a Fashion Show  Memorable Moments This Year
Paul Rudd has earned the distinction of being one of the most likable stars in Hollywood. Not only does he have a knack for choosing films that stand the test of time, but he is known for being unproblematic and drama-free. Rudd avoids the scandalous headlines that plague many of his fellow actors. And there could be a very simple reason for that. Rudd has long been happily married to his wife, Julie Yaeger, who has a thriving career of her own. Together, Rudd and Yaeger remain balanced in an industry known for being especially brutal on relationships.

Paul Rudd first became famous in the 90s

Paul Rudd was born in 1969. He went on to study acting at several institutions of higher learning, including the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, according to IMDb. After completing his training, he worked a variety of odd jobs, including becoming a DJ at bar mitzvahs. But in the early 90s, he started landing acting roles, making his big Hollywood breakthrough.

Rudds early roles included parts in Clueless, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The Locusts, Overnight Delivery, and The Cider House Rules. He became known for his affable, easygoing demeanor, but didnt hesitate to take on dramatic roles as well. By the early 2000s, Rudd had appeared in some of the biggest comedy films of the decade, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Knocked Up. His role as Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe further cemented his place as a Hollywood icon.

When did Paul Rudd and Julie Yaeger get married?

Actor Paul Rudd and Julie Yaeger arrive at the premiere of I Love You, Man held at Manns Village Theater in Westwood. | Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images

As Rudd was beginning his ascent to stardom, he met Julie Yaeger, a publicist who also worked as a screenwriter. Rudd later admitted to Marie Claire that Yaeger was the first person he met in New York, and that her maturity impressed him. As Rudd told Cosmopolitan, I was really taken with who she was and how she had overcome and was in the process of overcoming adversities in her life.

Yaeger and Rudd started dating, and in 2003, the two lovebirds tied the knot. Even as Rudd made it big in Hollywood, Yaeger continued her own high-powered career  even working with her husband in 2017 on the film Fun Mom Dinner, which Yaeger wrote and Rudd executive-produced.

Rudd and Yaeger have two children: a son, Jack, and a daughter, Darby. The family prefers to remain out of the spotlight, with Rudd shunning most forms of social media. Still, fans can sometimes catch Rudd and Yaeger together when they walk red carpets at his film premieres. Rudd also doesnt hesitate to praise his family when he sits down for interviews, making it clear that he is the family man that he often plays in movies.

What has Paul Rudd said about his family life with Julie Yaeger?

Rudd and Yaeger are still happily together after many years. And by all accounts, the two are doing better than ever. Rudd told Elle in 2011 that he and Yaeger are a very normal couple. As reported by Parade, Rudd said, I dont think Im going to sell a lot of tabloids. My wife and I have been together for 16 years. My parents were married my whole life until my father passed away a few years ago.

For Rudd, being a Hollywood star is a tiny part of his identity. As Rudd told People Magazine in 2021, when I think about myself, I think of myself as a husband and a father, like Im that. I just hang out with my family when Im not working. Thats what I kind of like the most.

RELATED: Friends: The Reunion Director Explains Why Paul Rudd and Others Didnt Make Cameos: We Couldnt Have Everybody On
There always seems to be new developments in Bachelor Nation. Through ABCs well-known reality dating television series, the ever-popular franchise continues to grow and, of course, entertain. The Bachelorette debuted back in 2003 and featured Trista Sutter, but, more recently, the shows fans and viewers enjoyed watching Michelle Youngs journey for love.

Gabby Windey | Craig Sjodin via Getty Images

Looking ahead, there has been a lot of Bachelor Nation buzz due to the franchises historical season 19 announcement. For the first time ever, The Bachelorette has invited two women to take on love, and Gabby Windey is one of the lucky leading ladies. With Windey at the forefront of social media and headlines, lots of interesting and surprising information has been coming up.

Gabby Windey said Dean Unglert was one of her first loves

JoJo Fletcher, Tayshia Adams, Sean Lowe, and Tia Booth are just some of the most popular names and faces to come out of ABCs Bachelor Nation. Over the past two decades, audiences and viewers have gotten to know and love their fair share of contestants.

And as mentioned in Reader Emails this week, Gabby is Dean Unglerts ex-girlfriend from college.  RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) October 8, 2021

With that being said, many loyal followers of the franchise might have been surprised to learn that Windey actually dated another Bachelor Nation personality long before she joined the show. Though they didnt date very long, Dean Unglert and Windey briefly saw one another.

In a podcast, Windey sat down with Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo to set the record straight. While speaking on Talking It Out With Bachelor Nation, Windey shared that Unglert was actually one of her first loves.

The details behind Gabby Windey and Dean Unglerts romantic past

#TheBachelor's Gabby Windey opens up about those Dean Unglert and Blake Horstmann dating claims https://t.co/wQC2FBQj9R  ET Canada (@ETCanada) January 7, 2022

As the story goes, the two college sweethearts dated for about a year before deciding to go their separate ways. Meeting during their undergrad days at the University of Colorado, Windey expressed that though she was grateful for the experience it was a distant past.

In a cover shared by The Sun, Unglert explained, She was, like, one of the main exes. She was my girlfriend from college. He even referred to Windey as the second love of his life. Though it didnt work out between the two of them, it most certainly is a strange and beautiful coincidence.

Blake Horstmann, another former contestant of Bachelor Nation, also claimed to have previously dated Windey. Though they did seem to spend some time getting to know one another, Windey reiterated that they were mutual friends and never actually dated or were exclusive.

When speaking on the matter, Windey shared, I think theyre great people, you guys Im sure know them, and Im grateful for all these nice things that they said about me, but its nice to kind of clear up my dating history.

A closer look at Gabby Windeys upcoming season of The Bachelorette

For season 19 of #TheBachelorette, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will embark on a journey to find love  at the same time.  Everything we know so far: https://t.co/gwZhGUopck  Us Weekly (@usweekly) March 20, 2022

Season 19 of The Bachelorette premieres on July 11th, and fans and viewers of the show can hardly wait. E!s Though little has been revealed about the upcoming season, it does seem like Windey and Rachel Recchia, Windeys co-bachelorette, will not be having separate contestants. Hopefully, the two will be able to find love and manage to stay free from any love triangles and drama!

RELATED: The Bachelorettes Shawn Booth Describes the Grueling Toll the Show Took on His Mind and Body [Exclusive]
It is easy to understand how someone like Paris Hilton could rack up a total of 4 engagement rings. When it comes to the socialite and media personality, she is the full package and some.

Being a part of the Hiltons, one of Americas most socially prominent families, the 41-year-old star has grown accustomed to the fame and fortune that comes with the name. Not to mention, Hilton is a bit of an entrepreneur herself.

Many of her fans and followers first fell in love with her on The Simple Life. The popular reality television series that featured Hilton and her bestie, Nicole Richie, aired from 2003-07. More recently, Hiltons fans have gotten to enjoy watching her on Netflixs Cooking with Paris.

Of course, her beautiful 2021 wedding to Carter Reum has grabbed many peoples attention. Hilton seems to have found her happily ever after with Reum, but it wasnt always an easy journey. Take a look back at the ones that got away and the stunning engagement rings that almost landed on Hiltons finger for a lifetime.

1. Paris Hilton and Jason Shaw: pear-shaped diamond

Jason Shaw, a well-known model, was the first one to propose to Hilton. The then 21-year-old star accepted his offer back in 2002.

There isnt much known about the pear-shaped diamond she briefly rocked as Shaws fiancee, but from the photos, it looked like quite the bling. Though Shaw and Hilton called off the engagement a few months later, the two remained amicable.

2. Paris Hilton and Paris Latsis: canary yellow diamond ring

In May of 2005, Hilton found herself engaged to someone who shared the same first name as her: Paris Latsis. Latsis, a Greek shipping heir, gave Hilton 15 rings to choose from. Talk about options.

Hilton selected a 24-carat canary diamond ring that was worth a whopping 4.7 million dollars. Unfortunately, just a few months later, Hilton and Latsis called it quits.

3. Paris Hilton and Chris Zylka: pear-shaped diamond ring

Exclusive! The jeweler behind Paris Hilton's engagement ring tells us everything about her 20-carat, $2 million ring: https://t.co/doPJeTlbbD pic.twitter.com/tlPE4qLvdV  The Knot (@theknot) January 3, 2018

Hiltons next engagement came in 2018 with actor Chris Zylka. Zylka, who is best known for his role in titles like The Amazing Spider-Man and 2011s Shark Night, proposed to Hilton while on a holiday weekend ski trip.

The Aspen, Colorado engagement was just as romantic as the ring, which, naturally, cost $2 million. Celebrity jeweler Michael Greene designed the ring that had a total of 22 carats. Fortunately, E! News has documented all of the details behind each of Hiltons engagement rings.

Despite the absolutely beautiful proposal and ring, in November of 2018, Hilton and Zylka decided to go their separate ways.

4. Paris Hilton and Carter Reum: platinum emerald-cut diamond ring

Now-married couple Paris Hilton and fiance Carter Reum | Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

After dating for a little over a year, Reum and Hilton took their relationship to the next level. While celebrating Hiltons 40th birthday on a private island, Reum popped the question and, of course, the bling.

The sparkly ring was valued at around 2 million dollars, which is not unusual for Hilton. Jean Dousset was the talented jeweler who designed the rock Reum proposed with.

Dousset has created customized engagement rings for other well-known celebrities like Eva Longoria and Janel Parrish.

Hilton and Reum officially tied the knot on November 21, 2021, and the married couple appear to be very happy. Many of Hilton and Reums fans and followers are wondering what the couple has in store for the future and if they will be having any babies.

Finding the one is not always an easy process, but Hiltons happier ever after probably definitely made it worth the journey.

RELATED: Paris Hilton Approves of Friend Kim Kardashians Relationship With Pete Davidson: Theyre Just So Cute Together
The Monkees made many successful songs. Despite this, The Monkees Micky Dolenz said he could understand why some listeners didnt like his group. Dolenz revealed why he felt The Monkees stood out from other rock bands from the 1960s.

The Monkees Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork | NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Micky Dolenz said John Lennon was one of the listeners who got The Monkees

During a 2021 interview with The Arizona Republic, Dolenz said he was happy to hear John Lennon compared the Prefab Four to the Marx Brothers. John Lennon got it, he said. A lot of people of got it. We were this musical, comedy singing act that goes on stage and does it all.

Of course, some listeners didnt like the group. After all, the band started with a casting call rather than something more organic. To some degree, I dont blame them, he said.

Dolenz elaborated on why the Prefab Four were different from what some listeners wanted rock n roll to be. To many people, rock n roll was not meant to be funny, not meant to be lighthearted, Dolenz said. It was political. It was socially aware.

RELATED: The Monkees: Micky Dolenz Played This Chuck Berry Song During His Audition for Their TV Show

Micky Dolenz felt the group didnt align with the attitudes of 1960s rock n roll

Dolenz said rock n roll wasnt always this way. In the 50s, it was hip to be funny and sexy, he recalled. In the 60s, it turned into something very different. And The Monkees came along and basically said, Were just tryin to be friendly. Its in the theme song.

Dolenz put the Prefab Four in context. It was about acknowledging that young kids at that time, they didnt want to get involved in politics or any of that, he said. They just wanted to sing and have fun. And that is essentially what The Monkees presented.

RELATED: The Monkees Micky Dolenz Wanted to Cry While Singing This Beatles Song from The White Album

How The Monkees songs and alums performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

Regardless of whether highbrow listeners enjoyed The Monkees songs, the group was wildly successful. Three of the bands singles topped the Billboard Hot 100  Last Train to Clarksville, Im a Believer, and Daydream Believer. The Prefab Four was similarly popular on the album chart. Four of their albums topped the Billboard 200: their self-titled album, More of The Monkees, Headquarters, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

The Monkees became prominent in the United Kingdom too  albeit not as prominent as they were in the U.S. According to The Official Charts Company, one of the groups tracks  Im a Believer  topped the chart there. Meanwhile, the bands first two albums  The Monkees and More of the Monkees  hit No. 1 in the U.K.

Dolenz acknowledged some listeners didnt enjoy The Monkees songs but that didnt stop them from becoming a major pop group.

RELATED: Why The Monkees Micky Dolenz and The Carpenters Lost the Chance to Record Three Dog Nights An Old Fashioned Love Song 1st
Audiences saw Leonardo DiCaprio embody the swindler turned author Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. Although DiCaprio reenacted many scenes from Belforts book to the big screen, there was one take the actor found himself unable to do.

But with just a few words, DiCaprios co-star Margot Robbie convinced him to shoot one of the films most provocative moments.

Leonardo DiCaprio knew that Margot Robbie would be a star

Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie | Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Margot Robbie managed to impress Oscar-winners DiCaprio and Scorsese before she was even cast. She wowed the two filming legends by going above and beyond what the script asked of her.

In my head I was like, You have literally 30 seconds left in this room and if you dont do something impressive nothing will ever come of it. Its a once-in-a-lifetime chance, just take it. And so I start screaming at him and hes yelling back at me. And hes really scary. I can barely keep up, she once told Harpers Bazaar.



Then Robbie decided to take a gamble.

And he ends it saying, You should be happy to have a husband like me. Now get over here and kiss me, she remembered. So I walk up really close to his face and then Im like, Maybe I should kiss him. When else am I ever going to get a chance to kiss Leo DiCaprio, ever? But another part of my brain clicks and I just go, Whack! I hit him in the face. And then I scream, F*** you! And thats not in the script at all. The room just went dead silent and I froze.

It was a gamble that paid off, clenching her the role of a lifetime. She would later go on to impress DiCaprio even further in the actual movie. The Revenant star knew she was going to be a star during the scene where Robbie throws water in his face.

On Wolf of Wall Street, seeing Margot come in and read that scene with me I just knew I was witnessing a dynamic presence in cinema that was about to be, he told The Sunday Project (via Marie Claire).

Margot Robbie convinced Leonardo DiCaprio to do this embarrassing scene

Given the nature of the film and its premise, there were a few scenes that Robbie initially wasnt sure about filming. This being her first major Hollywood film, she was concerned with the idea of going nude. Especially since the accessibility of the internet meant her nude scenes would be ubiquitous.

It was like, if I do this there will forever be YouTube clips of this, there will be slow-motion versions. Its not just the repercussions on myself; my brothers have to deal with that, my grandparents have to deal with that, she told IndieWire in 2014. Its not just something that affects me; it affects everyone around me. So its not something to be taken lightly. I obviously put a lot of thought into it.

But she wasnt the only actor who had to push through certain limitations. Speaking to the LA Times, Robbie revealed that there was a scene from the book that DiCaprio wasnt keen on filming. Originally, he planned to do a much tamer, watered-down version of the shot. But Robbie would soon persuade him to do the embarrassing take by calling out his commitment.

The day Leo was shooting the scene, [the actress portraying a dominatrix] was going to pour candle wax on him, Robbie remembered. I was like, You know, if you were really committed to this character and wanted to do it authentically, youd do the same. Just sayin. And Leos like, Oh my God, youre right!

Robbies words led to DiCaprio embracing the scene in the book in all of its glory.

Margot Robbie was petrified before filming her nude scene

Although she agreed to go through with it, Robbie revealed that she was nothing less than anxious about the nude scene.

My first racy scene was the standing in the doorway, totally naked, she once told The New York Times. So that was diving in headfirst. And I was petrified. Id come to work that morning and I was shaking, so scared, like, I cant do this.'

Fortunately, a crew member offered the I, Tonya star a few drinks to ease her concerns.

And I was like, its 9 in the morning! And hes like, Were in New York! So I was like, O.K., hook a brother up, she recalled. And I did three shots of tequila and then took my clothes off and did the scene and I was fine. It really helped stop my hands shaking, and gave me a little boost of confidence.

RELATED: How Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbies Barbie Can Avoid the Baggage That Comes With the Dolls History
Many people still remember the disturbing, self-appointed Tiger King aka Joe Exotic. His unbelievable life and questionable choices make many wonder where he is since receiving a 21-year prison sentence. Currently, Joe Exotic is being held at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina. How he got there is a long story.

Joe Exotic entered a prison medical facility after he received a cancer diagnosis

Joe Exotic moved to federal medical center amid cancer battle https://t.co/J8XnJ0dt1V pic.twitter.com/UuVKm2zLz1  New York Post (@nypost) November 19, 2021

Joe Exotic resides at the Butner Medical Center is a Federal Bureau of Prisons medical facility. It may not be Pen Med, but it is far from the worst of such facilities. Inmates include Senator Salvatore Dimasi, held on corruption charges, then released, as WBUR reports, as well as Bernie Madoff who pulled off the mother of all con jobs, the worlds largest-ever Ponzi scheme.

Recently released John Hinckley Jr. received treatments there after his attempt to assassinate Reagan, reports the NY Post. Cult leader Tony Alamo, convicted on sex charges related to his child brides, spent time at the Butner Medical Center.

Exotic also received treatment at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Banker James McDougal, the real estate mogul implicated in the Clinton Whitewater scandal, was under treatment there until his death, reports the Washington Post.

Michael Fortier, the key witness against Oklahoma City bombers Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh, stayed there before entering witness protection. It seems Exotic is being mainly held among moguls and politicians instead of murderers and violent offenders.

The Tiger King met his now-fiance in prison

John Cameron Mitchell portrays Joe Exotic on Peacocks Joe vs. Carole | Mark Taylor/Peacock/NBCU Photo Bank

Exotic was transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons medical facility after two biopsies confirmed he had an aggressive case of prostate cancer. Neither his application for a release on compassionate grounds nor a transfer to his home state of Oklahoma were granted.

Exotic, whose legal name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is serving a sentence of 21 years. Although the so-called Tiger King was found guilty of slaughtering five tigers with a shotgun, the 58-year-olds main conviction was for an attempt to arrange a murder-for-hire of his chief critic Carole Baskin. He was found guilty of conspiring to contract for her killing not once, but twice. Exotic continues to deny the charges.

Meanwhile, Exotic seems to be adjusting well to life in prison. He fell in love with another inmate and they got engaged. Since then, according to Page Six, Exotic has begun the divorce process with his current husband, Dillon Passage.

Joe Exotics trial

Their Witnesses Were Lying: Joe Exotic Accuses Federal Authorities of Conspiracy to Commit Perjury as Attorneys File Legal Briefs in Bid for New Trialhttps://t.co/iXoLCsICXV  Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) April 12, 2022

The case against Joe Exotic was pretty damning, as ABC reports. The allegations in the first instance indicate that he offered a contract killer $3,000 to travel to Florida in order to kill Carole Baskin.

Baskin has been a long-term critic of the conditions in which Exotic keeps his big cats and other animals, some endangered. In addition to animals killed and maimed at Exotics dubiously termed private zoo, several employees suffered serious injuries working for him.

The allegations in the second instance stemmed from an incident in December of 2017 when Exotic tried to hire yet another hitman  this time for $10,000  to assassinate Baskin. This time, the hitman was an undercover FBI agent.

Netflix viewers watched much of the drama between Baskin and Exotic, fascinated by the strange cast of characters Exotic somehow attracted during the docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. The second season of Tiger King has not been as well-received.

RELATED: The Disturbing Story of Travis Maldonados Death
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107 Florida congregations leaving UMC to join new conservative church network amid LGBT debate

A staggering 107 United Methodist congregations based in Florida plan to leave the mainline denomination for the newly launched conservative Global Methodist Church.

The Florida chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a theologically conservative Methodist group, announced Tuesday that 107 churches in the state had chosen to initiate the process to depart the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church.

The number of congregations planning to leave represents nearly 20% of the total number of churches belonging to the UMC Florida Conference, according to WCA.

This broad group of churches include both large and small congregations along with Anglo, African American, Latino, Korean, and other ethnic communities of faith. These churches will align with the new Global Methodist Church, stated the WCA chapter.

Keith Boyette, a leader in the WCA who served as a Transitional Connectional Coordinating Officer for the Global Methodist Church, told The Christian Post that he believes there will be additional churches that will emerge as we move forward.

It is my understanding that all of these churches have taken votes to leave, Boyette said when asked how firm the congregations were in leaving the UMC.

The Transitional Leadership Council of the GMC will organize local churches like the 107 from Florida into regional conferences. The regional conferences are called annual conferences.

Meant to serve as a conservative alternative for the UMC, the Global Methodist Church was originally planning to launch after General Conference, which had been slated to take place this fall.

However, the GMC opted to launch this month after UMC leadership announced that the General Conference would be postponed until 2024 due to ongoing pandemic concerns.

Boyette told CP that he anticipates the departing congregations will face early challenges, contending that the Florida Conference is certainly not an easy conference for a congregation to disaffiliate from.

CP reached out to the Florida Conference to get a response to this development and to confirm that 107 congregations had begun a formal disaffiliation process. However, the regional body did not respond by press time.

For decades, the UMC has been debating whether to change its official stance labeling homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching. This stance includes banning the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals and barring clergy from blessing same-sex marriages.

Although the stance has survived numerous attempts to change it, theological liberals have continued to resist the Book of Discipline's rules and refused to enforce them in some instances.

In January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began, a theologically diverse group of UMC leaders announced a proposal to have the UMC fund the creation of a new Methodist denomination that conservative churches could join.

Known as the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation, the proposal would have allocated $25 million to create the new denomination, but it had to be passed at General Conference first.

Although three annual conferences had voted to send the Protocol to General Conference for consideration in early 2020, the pandemic prompted UMC leaders to postpone the General Conference multiple times.
French Guyana: Pastor shot dead, church set on fire after meeting delegation of Evangelicals

The pastor of an Evangelical church in French Guyana was shot to death and his church burned down the day after he met with a delegation from the National Council of Evangelicals in France that was visiting to discuss the implementation of a law on separatism, according to a report.

The 44-year-old slain pastor, identified as Pastor A. Kalloe of the Gado Lobi church in the town of Saint-Laurent du Maroni, was a member of the Guyana branch of the National Council of Evangelicals in France, or CNEF, according to the Evangelical Focus Europe, which said his church was also set on fire and destroyed a few hours after the shooting Tuesday night.

At least seven other people, including two sons of Pastor Kalloe, were injured in the shooting and two others were taken to a hospital in critical condition, it added.

Clement Diedrichs, the CNEF director, was quoted as saying that when he reached the spot, the church was still smoking.

I had never seen a church totally destroyed by fire, we are completely puzzled, Diedrichs said, adding that the pastor was very involved in his church and community.

All our prayers and fraternal condolences to the family and loved ones of this brother in Christ, the CNEF wrote on Facebook.

A local politician, Lenaick Adam, recalled that Kalloe was a man of faith, adding that he supported me in my political battles.

I honor his memory, my sincere condolences to his family. I wish the injured a speedy recovery. May the perpetrators be quickly found, he said.

French Guyana, also spelled as French Guiana, is governed by the provisions of the French constitution, which sees it as an integral part of the French Republic. There have been protests against a lack of investment from the mainland.

The CNEF delegation was in French Guyana to discuss the implementation of the French separatism law, which seeks to combat Islamist separatism as the enemy of the Republic.
Pro-abortion activists call for protests at churches on Mother's Day after Supreme Court draft leak

A pro-abortion group is threatening and urging others to disrupt services at Catholic and Evangelical churches this weekend as the fallout from this week's leaking of an initial draft opinion that could overturn the U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade continues.

Ruth Sent Us, which describes itself as a group working to force accountability using a diversity of tactics from the 6-3 extremist Supreme Court, is urging abortion supporters to stand at or in a local Catholic Church Sun May 8" as a show of support for Supreme Court precedent that has legalized abortion nationwide.

A video accompanying a May 3 tweet containing a call to action shows pro-abortion protesters dressed in Handmaids Tale costumes chanting abortion on demand and without apology as they walk through a Catholic Church as organ music plays in the background.

Whether youre a Catholic for Choice, ex-Catholic, of other or no faith, recognize that six extremist Catholics set out to overturn Roe. Stand at or in a local Catholic Church Sun May 8. #WarOnWomen#MothersDayStrikepic.twitter.com/v2vtpd12Gp  Ruth Sent Us ???? (@RuthSentUs) May 3, 2022

Whether youre a Catholic for Choice, ex-Catholic, of other or no faith, recognize that six extremist Catholics set out to overturn Roe, the group warned as it promoted the hashtag #MothersDayStrike.

The push for protests at Catholic masses comes after Politico published a leaked draft opinion regarding the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health. According to the leaked initial draft, five of the nine Supreme Court justices voted to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks gestation.

The initial draft opinion for Dobbs, which is not final and could change, did not receive the support of six extremist Catholics. While opinion author, Justice Samuel Alito, is Catholic and Catholic Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas also backed the draft opinion, the fifth justice who supported the draft opinion, Neil Gorsuch, is Episcopalian.

Although Chief Justice John Roberts is Catholic and part of what Ruth Sent Us describes as the 6-3 extremist Supreme Court, he did not sign onto the draft opinion.

Another video posted Tuesday by Ruth Sent Us featured protesters dressed in Handmaids Tale outfits declaring: For 2000 years, the Catholic Church has been an institution for the enslavement of women.

In the tweet, the group declared: This is what Mothers Day should look like in Catholic and Evangelical Churches nationwide.

The Catholic Church is among the most outspoken critics of abortion, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines abortion as gravely contrary to the moral law.

There are calls for a #MothersDayStrike. We support it, along with @StrikeForChoice whos planning a day of walk-outs on Thu May 12. #DefendRoe



This is what Mothers Day should look like. Catholic and Evangelical Churches nationwide: pic.twitter.com/BxvGhBGodn  Ruth Sent Us ???? (@RuthSentUs) May 3, 2022

The group CatholicVote is urging Catholic parishes across the U.S. to take the threat of disruption seriously.

In a statement, CatholicVote Communications Director Joshua Mercer noted that the organization "might have blown off the words of these activists at empty threats" in past years.

But given the recent rash of very real attacks on Catholic statues and churches, it makes sense to be cautious, he added.

Mercer alleged a pattern of anti-Catholicism among the Ruth Sent Us activists.

If they wanted, they could have just focused on the issue of abortion, he said, recalling their characterization of several Supreme Court justices as extremist Catholics.

Instead they chose to highlight the Catholic faith of some of the pro-life justices.

He warned Catholic churches to keep your eyes open," calling the activists ruthless people" who are "looking for a confrontation.

As a cause for concern, Mercer cited a TikTok post documenting a video of activists marching toward the doors of a Catholic Church accompanied by the caption, Sometimes a******s need a beating."

The pro-abortion activism of Ruth Sent Us extends beyond their call for a #MothersDayStrike.

The group plans to hold an event titled Walk-by Wednesday outside the homes of the six extremist justices next Wednesday to pressure them to reverse their opinion before the final ruling is published.

A map on their website identifies the streets that the six Republican-appointed justices live on but does not give their exact addresses.

Mercer expressed concern about the safety of the Supreme Court justices going forward.



Were talking about human beings with children," he said.

Ruth Sent Us derives its name from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who consistently voted to strike down abortion restrictions as unconstitutional throughout her 27 years on the bench.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her entire life moving the needle towards justice for all, the group maintained. She believed, and we believe that women deserve trust, black lives matter, love is love, and no human is illegal.

While Ginsburg developed a consistently pro-abortion voting record on the Supreme Court, she also expressed concern that the Roe decision short-circuited the democratic process.

As Alito explained in his draft opinion in the Dobbs case, Ginsburg suggested in a speech at New York University School of Law in 1993 that the 1973 Supreme Court decision may have halted a political process, prolonged divisiveness and deferred stable settlement of the issue through the legislatures.

Ruth Sent Us is just one pro-abortion advocacy group kicking its activism into high gear following the leak of the draft Dobbs opinion.

The group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights has developed plans for a Week of Action next week. The week will kick off Sunday with a campaign to post videos on social media, asserting that motherhood should be a choice." The campaign calls for a nationwide effort to rally outside of churches.

WE MUST NOT LET WOMAN-HATING FASCISTS like Amy Coney Barret, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh & Thomas decide the fate of half of humanity. #RoeVWade



WOMEN ARE NOT INCUBATORS!

Abortion On Demand & Without Apology!



Rise Up & Wear #Green4Abortion during the week of resistance May 8-14 pic.twitter.com/ZhwTlLram5  Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights (@riseup4abortion) May 3, 2022

Additional plans for the week include a chalk your town initiative. On Monday, activists are called to print and post posters," while a green-out featuring art installations and murals is slated for Tuesday. The group wants mass banner drops Wednesday and a national student walk-out Thursday.

The week will conclude with nationwide die-ins on Friday and mass protests on Saturday, May 14.

The group encouraged supporters to wear #Green4Abortion during the week of resistance.

A decision in the Dobbs case is expected by the end of June. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the issue will be decided on a state-by-state basis.

Specifically, 21 states will have more restrictive abortion laws and, in some cases, will completely ban the procedure, 16 states will see no changes in their abortion laws as they have codified the right to abortion in state law and 10 additional states will see no immediate changes in their abortion laws.

Voters in three states may have the chance to amend their states abortion laws at the ballot box in the near future.
Tyra Banks producing new Discovery+ series about teenage drag performers

Former supermodel Tyra Banks is producing a series centered around teenagers exploring their gender identities and participating in a drag show, with the apparent goal of providing a platform to "express" themselves.

The six-episode "Generation Drag" premieres June 1 on the Discovery+ streaming service. The show follows five teenagers and their families as they prepare to perform at Dragutante, a nonprofit hosting drag show events for trans-identified children and teens.

Viewers will follow teenagers Jameson, Noah, Vinny, Bailey and Nabela as they "anticipate their biggest drag performance at Dragutante."

In a statement to Deadline, Banks said that the teenagers featured in the show are "bravely navigating coming into their own in a world that can be very challenging and not always accepting." The executive producer said it was "beautiful" to see the teens' parents and siblings support them.

Discovery+ released an April 26 statement, telling viewers that they will see the "teens juggle the pressures of being young adults, while pursuing drag greatness."

The streaming service also claimed that the series will show parents "learning how to guide a child who wants to embrace drag" and stepping outside their "comfort zones" to "be there for their children who are still finding themselves." Discovery+ listed adjusting to new pronouns, shopping for platform shoes, and performing alongside their children in a drag show as ways parents could express "unwavering support" for their kids.

The show has drawn concern from critics, who believe that drag shows are about "hypersexualization."

"Anyone that has seen a drag queen performance recognizes that it's usually a flamboyant and highly caricatured treatment of femininity and also highly sexualized," said Jay W. Richards, director of the DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family at the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.

"So the very idea that you would have any kind of drag for young kids, I think it's just absolutely outrageous."

Richards told The Christian Post that he believes a series about drag performances for kids could increase the "social contagion" of gender dysphoria, noting that children are "impressionable." He said that he would not be surprised if that were the producers' goal in creating the show. He warned of an "ideological cementing" imposed on kids through social media and even their parents.

A 2016 study titled "Gender dysphoria in childhood" purports that 61-98% of children suffering from onset gender dysphoria naturally grow out of it when they reach puberty.

While that finding has been promoted by conservatives and state-level politicians, critics contend that the data point is being misused by policymakers and the study's lead author has acknowledged that the finding was not the study's primary focus and doesn't provide a basis to calculate the percentage of children whose gender dysphoria persist with gender dysphoria into adulthood.

However, other studies have also suggested that a gender dysphoria diagnosis doesn't persist for many into adulthood.



Proponents of allowing youth to transition at a young age argue that such studies are often overblown, and many gender specialists say that "social transition" is better for kids who believe they are transgender. This includes allowing kids to change their names, pronouns, and dress accordingly to their gender identity, even in children as young as three.

"There are virtually no other situations in which adults simply accept the testimony of small kids at face value," Richards, Heritage Foundation's senior research fellow in religious liberty and civil society, said. "Social transition is just the first step in catering to a child's delusion about his or her body, rather than helping him or her to get used to his body."

Some studies, like a 2018 study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics and another 2016 study published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, have suggested that large percentages of children with a history of gender dysphoria have a mental health or neurodevelopmental condition.

While there remains more to discover about the potential link between gender dysphoria and other mental health issues, Richards believes parents and therapists should focus on treating other psychological conditions that may be present in children suffering from gender dysphoria instead of encouraging them to transition.

He advised parents with children who have gender dysphoria to take a "watchful waiting" approach.

"You let the child explore these things, but you absolutely don't do anything to his mind or his body or his social surrounding that would cement this misperception about his sex body permanently," he said. "You want to do what you can to help the child going through puberty and through development, but nothing fast-tracks that for transition."
Majority of US Evangelicals say they favor secular charities, study finds

For many Evangelical Christians in the United States, there is a gap between what they say and how they give charitably, researchers say.

According to findings in a study released Thursday, more than half of Evangelical Christians in the U.S. prefer to support secular charities rather than faith-based ministries or other organizations.

Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research asked over 1,000 Evangelical Protestants in the U.S. to name their favorite charity or ministry to support. The findings, released in the report The Favorite Charity: Evangelical Giving Priorities, were a bit unexpected.

While the vast majority of Evangelicals, 84%, said they would rather support Christian organizations than non-Christian ones, only 46% of Evangelical donors actually named a faith-based organization as their favorite to support.

The remaining 54% of respondents named a secular organization as their favorites.

Based on the study's results, Infinity Concepts founder Mark Dreistadt said he's concerned that Evangelicals prioritize secular organizations over faith-based groups.

Certainly, Evangelicals can and should be concerned about things such as adult literacy, homelessness or pollution, Dreistadt said in a statement. But it is noteworthy that so many are making secular organizations their very top priority, especially when there are solid Christian organizations doing work similar to some of these secular favorites.

Of those who said they prefer supporting Christian organizations, more than half said they would support organizations that have their Christian faith as a major part of the work they do, compared with 32% who prefer to support organizations that have a Christian background or perspective but are not necessarily conducting specifically Christian work.

The study also found that Christians who give are relatively monolithic in the organizations to which they give. In total, 19 different brands collectively represent the favorite organization for 53% of Evangelical donors.

Of those brands, the five most popular  St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Samaritans Purse and UNICEF  were named the favorites of 34% of all Evangelical donors.

Evangelical donors also closely mirror American donors in general regarding which causes they favor, with specific diseases such as cancer or diabetes (19%) and international relief and development (18%) being the most popular among Evangelicals, the study found.

Larger organizations also tend to draw more Evangelical donors. Just 12% of Evangelical donors named a favorite organization with revenues under $10 million.

According to the study, the average total IRS Form 990 annual revenues of the organizations favored by Evangelicals is $1.07 billion.

Ron Sellers, president of Grey Matter Research, said the research indicates todays ministry leaders and strategists may need to readjust their fundraising plans.

In reality, Evangelical donors are very similar to other donors, said Sellers. Many ministry leaders need to broaden their strategic thinking and understand how entirely secular organizations have made such broad inroads into the Evangelical population. The competition for the donor dollar is much broader and stronger than some leaders recognize.

The study mirrored similar findings from Grey Matter Research conducted last year. While most Evangelicals say tithing, giving 10% of one's income to the Church, is a biblical commandment, only an estimated 13% engage in regular giving at church. In comparison, half give away less than 1% of their income annually.

The study, The Generosity Factor: Evangelicals and Giving, found that the average Evangelical donated on average $2,545 total over the preceding 12 months  $1,923 to the Church and $622 to charity. Evangelicals gave a median of $340 to the Church and $50 to charity, totaling $390.
'Abortion Saves Lives': Catholic church vandalized 2nd time with anti-church, pro-abortion graffiti

Vandals graffitied a Colorado Catholic church with anti-church and abortion messages earlier this week, prompting some to suspect the church's pro-life stance, and the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned, made it a target for a second time.

Police were called out to Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Boulder on Wednesday morning for a report of vandalism. Investigators believe the incident took place on Tuesday night and that multiple suspects were involved.

That same morning, crews worked to remove painted messages from the church building that read," Abortion Saves Lives" and "My Body My Choice." In addition to the main building, crews also cleaned graffiti from church statues and removed broken glass from windows shattered by the vandals.

"We're disappointed that we can't have a peaceful conversation about such a hot topic and instead, people resort to violence. But we kind of understand, at least I do," parishioner Charlie Danaher said in a Wednesday interview with KMGH.

Danaher said the church displays a pro-life memorial every October, which he suspects might have something to do with the incident.

"For Respect Life Month, we put out 3,000 crosses, signifying how many abortions there are in the United States every single day," he said. "The first time this type of an attack occurred at our parish happened the first few days of October of last year. So this is a repeat."

The parishioner also believes the vandalism at Sacred Heart of Mary was related to the possibility that the Supreme Court might soon overturn Roe v. Wade. The court is expected to issue a decision in the coming months about whether to uphold Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case.

If the court rules in favor of the Mississippi ban, that could undermine the precedent set by Roe. A leaked draft opinion released earlier this week suggests that a majority of the justices are leaning toward overruling Roe.

Danaher, who has attended the church for years, contended that the church is not living in fear, despite the vandalism.

"We don't really dwell on that," he said. "Although we know, of course, that's the price that we may pay for being in this conversation and in this cultural battle, but we don't really dwell on that."

The sheriff's office also noted similarities between this year's vandalism and a previous incident at the church.

"The graffiti is similar in nature to what we saw at the church in September 2021 (anti-church, pro-choice messaging)," BCSO said in a statement to KMGH. "We can't yet conclusively say that it is related to September's incident, but the crimes are very similar in nature."

While no arrests have been made related to last year's vandalism case, the sheriff's office is reviewing surveillance video of the most recent incident and gathering evidence.

Last September, vandals spray-painted abortion slogans and anarchist symbols on a truck in the church parking lot and signs on the church property.

Church members also believe this incident was related to the white crosses the church puts on its lawn to symbolize the number of children in the U.S. who have been killed by abortion.

"It was way worse than I had pictured in my mind," Mark Evevard, the church's youth director, said in a 2021 interview with KMGH. "We care about the unborn, the sanctity of life all the way to death."

The youth director said that he did not expect everyone to agree with the church's pro-life views. But he did expect people to refrain from expressing their opinions through vandalism.

"It's sad because they obviously tried to do as much damage in as little time as possible," he said. "Even pro-choice people saying, 'we're pro-choice but this is ridiculous and this is wrong."

Sacred Heart of Mary estimated at the time that repairs for the damage would likely cost thousands of dollars. If the vandals were caught, BCSO said they could face criminal charges, including criminal mischief, trespassing, bias-motivated crime, or defacing property.

Still, Evevard revealed that he had encouraged those at Sacred Heart of Mary to pray for the vandals.

"We do love people and we care about that person. I really do hope that the person or persons, you know, would get the help that they need, the healing that they need."
Protesters disrupt pro-life mass at Catholic church in Ohio: 'Jesus hates you'

As Catholics in Columbus, Ohio celebrated a pro-life mass on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday, a small group of pro-abortion rights protesters stormed the ceremony.

St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, the state's capital and largest city, celebrated a Respect Life mass on Friday, marking the 48th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Video footage obtained by The Columbus Dispatch showed police and security officers working to remove a group of about eight protesters who disrupted the mass to demonstrate in support of abortion rights.

While worshipers gathered to commemorate the millions of unborn lives lost to abortion over the years, protesters marched around the sanctuary and chanted "two, four, six, eight, this church teaches hate.

They held signs with messages such as "Abortion on demand, end Hyde now" as well as "Fund abortion, not clinic harassment.

According to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, whose bishop attended the mass, approximately 200 people were in attendance for the 10:30 a.m. service.

After being removed from the building, the protesters shouted obscenities at the law enforcement officials. One demonstrator remarked that "If hell was real, you would burn in it. Meanwhile, another shouted, "Jesus hates you!"

The Columbus Dispatch reported that Columbus Police did not offer any details about possible arrests on Saturday.

Following the protest, Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Columbus, who celebrated the Respect Life mass, issued a statement thanking the Columbus Police and diocesan staff for "the quick response without injury to anyone present."

He also praised those who attended the mass for their "respectful and prayerful response" that "reflects the joy, hope, and mercy that marks our pro-life witness."

"I also apologize to the families present whose children were exposed to this, the bishop said. On this day, in remembrance of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, I ask all to continue to pray for the unborn who died, for all those who have experienced the pain of abortion, and for those who cannot understand our divine and steadfast calling to champion this cause.

After the mass concluded, about 150 people traveled to the nearby Ohio Statehouse for the annual Roe Remembrance Rally. Cleveland's Bishop Edward Malesic addressed the crowd and weighed in on the "display of violence" that took place earlier in the day.

"There is hatred on this side of the fence," Malesic said. "We won't win this argument [against those supporting abortion rights] by yelling. We will win this argument by the strength of it."

The Catholic Church is one of the most outspoken institutional critics of legalized abortion in the country.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes "every procured abortion" as an act of "moral evil."

Top leaders in the Church have criticized President Joe Biden, the second Catholic in U.S. history to hold the highest office in the land, after he issued a statement committing to ensure that all Americans have access to "reproductive healthcare" and expressed support for the codification of Roe v. Wade into federal law.

"We strongly urge the president to reject abortion and promote life-affirming aid to women and communities in need," said Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, the head of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities. "It is deeply disturbing and tragic that any president would praise and commit to codifying a Supreme Court ruling that denies unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life under the euphemistic disguise of a health service."

Biden's support for abortion rights led one Catholic priest in South Carolina to deny him communion as he campaigned in the state ahead of the 2020 presidential election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another Catholic who supports abortion rights, has also come under fire from Catholic leaders for suggesting that pro-life voters, including Catholics, were "willing to sell the whole democracy down the river for that one issue" by supporting the pro-life former President Donald Trump.

Additionally, Pelosi complained that the fact that so many religious Americans prioritize the issue of abortion "gives me grief as a Catholic." Salvatore Cordileone, who serves as archbishop of San Francisco, the city Pelosi represents in Congress, slammed the speaker for speaking "in direct contradiction to a fundamental human right that Catholic teaching has consistently championed for 2,000 years" and stressed that she did not speak for the Catholic Church.
Franklin Graham condemns Biden's insinuation that abortion rights come from being 'a child of God'

Evangelist and prominent conservative Christian Franklin Graham has criticized President Joe Biden's recent insinuation the right to abortion comes from being a child of God."

As the contentious issue gains a renewed prominence in American politics ahead of an anticipated U.S. Supreme Court decision and the leak of a draft opinion, Biden spoke on the abortion issue Wednesday during a speech at the White House.

His speech came two days after Politico published a leaked draft opinion in the Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, suggesting that a majority of justices support overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

In Dobbs, the justices consider the constitutionality of Mississippis 15-week abortion ban.

This is about a lot more than abortion, Biden warned, adding that it reminds him of a debate he had decades earlier with Robert Bork, who then-President Ronald Reagan nominated to serve on the Supreme Court in 1987. Borks nomination was ultimately defeated, making him the most recent Supreme Court nominee voted down by the Senate.

Bork believed the only reason you had any inherent rights was because the government gave them to you, Biden said. I said I believe I have the rights that I have not because the government gave them to me, which you believe, but because Im just a child of God, I exist.

Rev. Franklin Graham, the CEO of Samaritans Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, condemned Biden, saying the president implies that the right to an abortion comes from being a child of God.

Mr. President, thats just not true, Graham stated in a tweet Thursday. Being a child of God does not give you the right to take the lives of the innocent. Abortion is a sin  simply put, its murder.

Yesterday @POTUS Biden said that the right to an abortion comes from being a child of God. Mr. President, that is just not true. Being a child of God does not give you the right to take the lives of the innocent. Abortion is a sinsimply put, its murder.https://t.co/T9TUO5D0DC  Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) May 5, 2022

Biden suggested that the draft opinion in Dobbs becoming the final ruling would lead to a slippery slope.

What are the next things that are going to be attacked? the Democrat asked, arguing that the "MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that's existed in American history."

The president specifically mentioned the 1965 case of Griswold v. Connecticut, which struck down a Connecticut law banning married couples from obtaining contraception and is widely seen as setting a precedent for Roe v. Wade by creating a right to privacy.

Griswold was thought to be a bad decision by Bork and my guess is by the guys on the Supreme Court now, Biden said, rejecting the idea that there is no right of privacy.

Biden seemingly compared a decision in the Dobbs case to states passing laws proclaiming that children that are LGBTQ cant be in classrooms with other children due to the way the decisions written.

Biden had previously expressed displeasure at the draft opinion in Dobbs on multiple occasions leading up to his comments Wednesday.

When asked about the draft opinion before boarding Air Force One en route to Alabama Tuesday, Biden said the rationale used to reach a decision overturning Roe would affect every other Supreme Court decision relating to the notion of privacy.

If the rationale of the decision as released were to be sustained, a whole range of rights are in question  a whole range of rights, he said. And the idea were letting the states make those decisions, localities make those decisions would be a fundamental shift in what weve done.

Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the leaked draft opinion in Dobbs,wrote that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right.

Alito maintained that nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion.

Biden indicated that he was not prepared to leave abortion law to the whims of the American people.

In a statement Tuesday, Biden described a womans right to choose as fundamental because Roe has been the law of the land for almost 50 years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned.

He vowed to work to pass legislation that codifies Roe at the federal level. The legislation in question, the Womens Health Protection Act, has already passed the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives but failed to pass the Senate. The Senate has scheduled a second vote on the measure for Wednesday.

A decision overturning Roe would leave the issue of abortion up to each state.

Twenty-one states have bans or stricter restrictions on abortion that would go into effect in the absence of Roe. Meanwhile, 16 states have codified the right to abortion into state law and 10 states that have not codified the right to abortion will see no significant changes in their abortion laws. Three states may have their abortion laws determined in referendums in the near future.
'We are increasingly no longer safe': Seminary head sounds alarm on record rise in murder rates

The head of a prominent American seminary who served as both a lawyer and judge is warning that a surge in murders among Americans  particularly in the black community  since the defund the police movement began is yet another sign that America is in dire need of spiritual revival.

Judge Phil Ginn, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, pointed to federal government data released last fall that found that murders jumped by roughly 30% between 2019 and 2020 in the largest single-year increase on record.

And among the black community, the murder rate rose more than 32%.

Ginn, who served for over a decade as a superior court judge in North Carolina's 24th Judicial District, told The Christian Post this week that he thinks reductions in police funding are a significant factor in increased crime. But he believes that the end result of defunding the police is more of a socioeconomic issue than it is a racial issue.

He identified one of the ways to address the increase in crime as pouring additional monies to adequately fund the police and boost their presence in crime-ridden neighborhoods.

But Ginn also urged policymakers to look at early intervention into particularly the lives of young people, who need to see both a deterrent for crime, but also a redemptive avenue of being able to become a productive member of society.

Ginn contends that while COVID certainly played a part in the crime increase, too many folks are quick to blame the pandemic. Describing the pandemic as a convenient place to hang our hat, he doesn't believe it "tells the whole story.

The first real test of any government is how well it protects its citizens," he stated. "The foremost right given to us by Almighty God as acknowledged in our Declaration of Independence is that of Life. When people are not safe in their homes or in their communities, then all the other rights simply dont matter. The truth is that we are increasingly no longer safe in America.

If you feel secure in your community, its simply because the violence and the lack of respect for life has not reached you  yet!" he added.

When asked to elaborate on that stark warning, Ginn replied: When I say that the lack of a feeling of safety has not reached into all neighborhoods as [of] yet, I simply mean that there will be a continuing spillover of violent activity from larger cities into more urban and rural areas.

At some point, there is a law of diminishing returns for criminals, which simply means that you cannot keep robbing, assaulting and robbing the same people over and over again within the confines of a small geographical area, he stated.

Also, as the rule of order evaporates from our country as a whole, a more chaotic climate continues to grow and spread. Ultimately, if unchecked, this will lead to a despotic government obtaining power under the guise of keeping people safe.

Ginn expressed concern that faltering respect for law and order fuels the rise of what he calls intercultural crime.

You see that also when police officers are wounded or killed in the line of duty, or they are accused of excessive force during an arrest, said Ginn. As the lack of respect for the laws of this country [grows], then we should expect to witness more of these intercultural crimes, which I believe is already beginning to take place.

FBI Director Christopher Wray discussed a significant jump in police murders as part of an overall increase in violence against police in 2021 during an appearance on CBS 60 Minutes last week.

Wray reported that in the last year alone, officers were being killed at a rate of almost one every five days.

FBI data reveals a nearly 60% increase in police killings in 2021, including the murders of 73 officers.

Violence against law enforcement in this country is one of the biggest phenomenons that I think doesnt get enough attention, Wray told 60 Minutes."

The FBI director said many of the officers who fell victim to the violence were killed in ambushes or while out on patrol simply because of their position as police officers.

Wearing the badge shouldnt make you a target, Wray asserted in the interview.

Ginn warns that the crisis is much bigger than just one community and calls upon the church of Jesus Christ to step up and step out to reach those who may seem to be furthest from help.

Christians need to learn to be Christ-followers, he stressed. There have been many programs created through Christian channels to not only prevent crime, but also to help in the rehabilitation of those caught in the web of crime with an emphasis on the victims of crime first and then the accused secondarily."

Ginn encouraged churches to provide programs for evangelism, discipleship, literacy, real mental health assistance, job training and life skills with real-life jobs at the end. He concluded that while only God can change the heart of an individual, Christians must be about getting our hands dirty and not totally relying on a government who seeks to do good without God in a very bumbling way.
Detransitioner says Planned Parenthood gave her max dose of male hormones, led to hospitalization

A formerly trans-identifying woman visited Planned Parenthood when she was 18, and, after about an hourlong appointment costing $200, a nurse practitioner prescribed her a high dosage of testosterone.

Helena Kerschner began identifying as a boy when, at 15, she started browsing Tumblr, a social networking site that allows users to post content to a short-form blog. In that online environment, there were many teenagers who, like her, suffered from depression or eating disorders. To cope, many latched onto the idea that they were in the wrong body, and users often encouraged one another to experiment with their gender identity.

Though Kerschner tried to acclimate to identifying as a male by doing things like using the boys restroom, she later began to regret her decision. One major factor that made her realize she had made a mistake was the negative side effects she experienced from taking testosterone.

For me, it was mostly psychological; I wasnt on it for long enough for it to have any long-term physical effects, Kerschner said during an interview on Tim Pools podcast.

But it really destabilized me, and another piece of context is that the people who prescribed me it prescribed me four times the dosage that I should have started on, she continued.

Kerschner was given testosterone after one appointment at Planned Parenthood, although she did not disclose the location for privacy reasons. She said employees talked with her for about 20 minutes before she sat down with a nurse practitioner.

She says, OK, were gonna start you on like, 25 milligrams, Kerschner recalled. And then I say to her, Well, I think that I need more because my hips are big. So I think I have extra estrogen, and Im gonna need more testosterone to look like a boy.

According to Kerschner, the nurse didn't protest and instead asked how high of a dose she wanted. The teenager asked how high of a dose she could get, and the nurse gave her 100 milligrams of testosterone before sending her out the door.

Planned Parenthood staff didn't request any bloodwork or medical records before prescribing her testosterone. All she needed to show them was $200, she added.

As a result of taking the testosterone, Kerschner said that she started experiencing a wide spectrum of emotions. For example, instead of feeling sad or nervous, as most people do when something bad happens, she recalled how she would instantly feel rage and the desire to punch somebody.

The testosterone and the rage attacks were so intense that I ended up actually hurting myself. So I had to be hospitalized twice for these reasons, she said.

In terms of why she had such a reaction to the testosterone, Kerschner said it was because her female body wasn't designed for taking in an infusion of cross-sex hormones.

Your brain and your body is meant to work on the hormones that you are meant to produce, she said. Youre not going to be a mentally or physically healthy person if youre taking a bunch of testosterone as a woman or a bunch of estrogen and suppressing your testosterone as a man.

As the International Society for Sexual Medicine reports, in addition to physical side effects, women who are prescribed testosterone can experience mood swings and feelings of anger or hostility. It adds, "Doses prescribed for men are not appropriate for women."

Kerschner also noted that children who take puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones are at risk of becoming sterilized.

According to consent documents obtained in 2020 by the California Family Council from Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles, giving experimental puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to youth can cause infertility. The hospital has even warned patients and parental guardians that infertility is a side effect for children who are prescribed such drugs.

The former trans-identifying woman said that, while her parents did not support her decision to transition, other adults like the guidance counselor and psychologist at her school encouraged it. Kerschner recalled that she told the counselor she feared she would kill herself if she did not transition.

I was really going through it; I had a lot going on in my life. And I interpreted it all as its because Im trans, she said. But really, the problems were much deeper, and it wasnt all about being born in the wrong body.

A 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics study and a 2016 study published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology suggest that large percentages of children with a history of gender dysphoria have a mental health or neurodevelopmental condition. However, more research into this potential link is necessary before a definite conclusion can be made.

For Kerschner, transitioning did not ease the psychological issues she was experiencing at the time. Instead, she said it definitely just derailed my life.

I feel, honestly, grateful for the experience because its taught me a lot about the world and about myself, Kerschner, now 23, said during an interview with Tucker Carlson that aired on Fox News last month.

But I really feel afraid for these other young girls who, like myself, they might not be  you know, I consider myself lucky that I was able to get out of it unscarred medically, but theres so many young people who cant say the same, she continued.

According to a February post on Kerschners Substack, at 19, she stopped taking hormones and began the process of getting [her] life back on track.

Last February, a Planned Parenthood employee spoke out against the corporations practice of dispensing cross-sex hormones in an interview with journalist Abigail Shrier. The employee claimed she never saw them deny patients cross-sex hormones.

In 2020, a mom went undercover at Planned Parenthood and was given a six-month testosterone prescription within a half-hour visit. She went undercover because the clinic had prescribed testosterone to her gender-confused daughter without knowing her medical history.
Satanic Temple pushes Boston to fly its flag after Supreme Court ruling in favor of Christian group

Days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Boston, Massachusetts, was wrong to prohibit a group from flying a Christian flag at city hall, The Satanic Temple wants to fly a flag over the downtown building.

The Salem-based group wrote on Twitter that it has filed a request with Bostons property management department to raise and lower a flag to observe Satanic Appreciation Week from July 2329.

The Satanic Temple replies to the Supreme Court ruling that found Boston violated First Amendment rights by refusing to fly Christian flag at City Hall Plaza, the organization wrote, with a screenshot of the request.

When government officials are able to impose arbitrary restrictions on claims of conscience, or to abridge the civic capacities of some based on their religious identity, we fail to be a free, democratic republic, Lucien Greaves, the organizations co-founder, told The Associated Press in an email.

Greaves added that The Satanic Temple has yet to decide which of its official flags it will ask the city to fly.

One of its flags looks like the American flag with only black and white stripes and an emblem of a pentagram and goat skull where the 50 stars would be.

On Monday, the high court unanimously ruled in the case of Harold Shurtleff, et al. v. Boston, MA, et al., to reverse a lower court decision and remand the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Justice Stephen Breyer delivered the courts opinion, concluding that the First Amendment prevents [the government] from discriminating against speakers based on their viewpoint.

At issue, according to the court's opinion, was whether Bostons flag policy represented government speech; if it did, then it had the right to reject the Christian flag.

We conclude that, on balance, Boston did not make the raising and flying of private groups flags a form of government speech, wrote Breyer. That means, in turn, that Bostons refusal to let Shurtleff and Camp Constitution raise their flag based on its religious viewpoint abridg[ed] their freedom of speech.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored a concurring opinion, in which he wrote that a government does not violate the Establishment Clause merely because it treats religious persons, organizations, and speech equally with secular persons, organizations, and speech in public programs, benefits, facilities, and the like.

Under the Constitution, a government may not treat religious persons, religious organizations, or religious speech as second-class, he added in his brief concurrence.

In February, Christians gathered, prayed and read scriptures outside an Arizona hotel that hosted a three-day event by The Satanic Temple called SatanCon, which included such sessions as Raising Children in a Satanic Household and Abortion as a (Religious) Right.

The Catholic demonstrators prayed, read from the Bible, held signs, banners, rosaries, crosses and images of the Virgin Mary outside the Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, the site of the Satanic Temples event, Fox 10 reported at the time.

Were out here to let the satanists know that theres no place for evil in Arizona, a protester was quoted as saying. And were here to combat that. And were here to say that Jesus is Lord.

In 2016, The Satanic Temple launched a nationwide After School Satan Club to counter Christian student organizations in public schools.

The groups creation came in response to the Christian Good News Club that was meeting at public schools throughout the nation.

Greaves told The Christian Post at the time that the Christian clubs presence at public schools created the need for a counter-balance in the extracurricular options.

Moises Esteves, vice president of USA Ministries for Child Evangelism Fellowship, told CP at the time that he believed the Satan club was yet another atheist PR stunt that has no staying power.

The After-School Satan Club is simply another attention-seeking atheist club. The choice of mascot reveals that its leaders simply hate God, and are trying to provoke or spook parents and schools, said Esteves. Like those before it, this club will fizzle out, because parents don't view their children as pawns for a blend of political activism, religious critique and performance art by angry atheists.
Biden speaks of new hope, moment of renewal in National Day of Prayer Proclamation

President Joe Biden spoke of the United States having a new hope and a moment of renewal as the nation observes the National Day of Prayer.

In a proclamation issued the day before the observance, Biden explained that, on the Day of Prayer, we recognize the healing power of prayer, especially as we recover from the trauma and loss of the COVID19 pandemic.

Today we find ourselves in a moment of renewal  of lives saved, of new jobs created, and of new hope for rebuilding America, stated Biden.

The president said the day calls for a moment of reflection when we are called to address some of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced." He listed climate change, attacks on democracy at home and abroad and living up to national principles like justice, liberty and equality as examples.

I call upon the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for Gods continued guidance, mercy, and protection, he continued.

Last year, Biden garnered controversy for his Day of Prayer proclamation, the first that he issued as president, due to the official statement omitting any direct mention of God.

Joe Bidens National Day of Prayer Proclamation has been released and it doesnt even mention God once! Christian Broadcasting Network Chief Political Correspondent David Brody commented on Twitter last year.

How do you release a proclamation about prayer and not mention God at all? Of course it mentions climate change & racial justice. Truly, this is pathetic ... and not surprising.

In contrast, former President Donald Trumps 2020 proclamation directly mentioned God 11 times, while former President Barack Obamas 2016 proclamation directly mentioned God twice.

Created in 1952 by an Act of Congress, the National Day of Prayer is held every year on the first Thursday in May and has had the official endorsement of presidents from both major parties.

In addition to the proclamation, the Day of Prayer often includes tens of thousands of local events across the U.S. aimed at praying for the nation's well-being.

The observance has not been without controversy, as some secular groups have argued that the proclamations violate the separation of church and state and thus should be discontinued.

At one point, the prominent atheist organization the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed suit against the Obama administration over the proclamation practice.

Although one judge ruled in the organization's favor in 2010, the decision was overturned in 2011 via a unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Seventh Circuit Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook authored the panel opinion, concluding that the FFRF lacked the standing to sue Obama over the prayer proclamation, stating that hurt feelings differ from legal injury.

Plaintiffs have not altered their conduct one whit or incurred any cost in time or money. All they have is disagreement with the Presidents action, wrote Easterbrook. But unless all limits on standing are to be abandoned, a feeling of alienation cannot suffice as injury in fact.
Most Americans want Roe upheld but over half favor 15-week abortion ban, polls suggest

A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll suggests that most Americans do not want the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, but a recent Fox News poll shows that about half of registered voters favor banning abortions past six weeks gestation.

The national survey from ABC News/Washington Post, released Tuesday, polled a random sample of 1,004 adults by phone from April 24 to April 28. The poll, which had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points, asked Americans for their thoughts about the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The poll report maintains that support for upholding Roe is 6 percentage points lower than in an ABC/Post poll conducted last November but contends that views on whether abortion should remain legal have been mostly stable in polling over the past 27 years.

In the most recent ABC/Post poll, 54% said the Supreme Court should uphold Roe and 28% wanted it overturned. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, while 37% thought that it should be illegal in all or most cases.

When asked whether they would support a law in their state banning abortions after six weeks gestation, 58% of respondents indicated that they would oppose it. Fifty-seven percent of participants said they oppose banning abortions abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but how late into the pregnancy those surveyed think abortion should be available remains unclear.

A majority of participants (82%) believed that abortion should be legal when the womans physical health is at risk, with 12% opposed. And 79% thought it should be legal if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest, while 16% did not.

Sixty-seven percent said abortion should be legal if the unborn child has serious birth defects, with 23% opposed. Forty-eight percent said they support legal abortion in cases where the mother cannot afford a child and 45% disagreed.

A Fox News poll conducted from April 28 to May 1 by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research suggests that 54% of over 1,000 registered voters surveyed believed their state should ban abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, while 41% opposed such a ban.

Exactly one-half of respondents expressed support for banning abortions after six weeks of gestation, while 46% thought abortion should remain legal beyond the first six weeks of pregnancy.

The poll has an error margin of +/-3 percentage points.

Pollsters completed their surveys in advance of a Monday Politico report on a leaked draft opinion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health, authored by Justice Samuel Alito. The draft opinion, which is not final, called for a reversal of Roe as part of a ruling upholding Mississippis 15-week abortion ban.

Michael J. New, researcher and associate scholar at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, told The Christian Post that he believes the poll released by ABC News is a flawed assessment of Americans views on Roe.

First, it fails to explain that Roe v. Wade effectively legalized abortion on demand for all nine months of pregnancy, New wrote in a Wednesday email to CP. This is a policy position that only a small percentage of Americans support.

A 1976 document authored by Grover Rees III titled State Protection of the Viable Unborn Child After Roe v. Wade: How Little, How Late? outlined the standards for fetal viability found in Roe and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton. Roe permitted states to ban abortion after viability, which the court stated is is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may, occur earlier, even at 24 weeks.

Doe ruled that the states must allow post-viability abortions if the pregnancy, based on a physicians best clinical judgment, poses a risk to the womans health. It defined these potential risks as anything relevant to the well-being of the patient, such as physical, emotional, psychological and familial complications or the womans age.

The court bolstered Roe and Doe in its 1992Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision, affirming that states must make exceptions for post-viability abortions if the womans life is at risk. Critics of U.S. abortion law, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have asserted that the standards for abortion set forth by Roe and Doe, and later upheld by Casey, permit abortion for any reason and during any stage of pregnancy.

According to a January 2022 Marist poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, nearly three-quarters (71%) of Americans believed that elective abortion should only be allowed during the first trimester of pregnancy, in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. Only 17% of those surveyed said abortion should be legal throughout every trimester and for any reason.

New mentioned that, since 1996, six Gallup polls suggested that at least 80% of Americans felt that abortion should be generally illegal during the last three months of pregnancy. According to those same polls, at least 64% of Americans thought abortion should be generally illegal during the second trimester.

Another issue New noted regarding the ABC News/Post survey is that it does not appear that pollsters explained to participants what happens if the court overturns Roe. As the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute pointed out, overturning Roe would allow individual states to determine the legality of abortion, a fact not everyone seems to know.

If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion is not banned, the pro-life scholar explained.

According to a 2019 study published in the Sexuality Research and Social Policy Journal, 65.7% of Americans sampled thought that overturning Roe would make abortion illegal across the entire country. The study authors recommended researchers use comprehensive mechanisms when assessing a complex issue like Roe. They also advised policymakers to avoid making decisions based on data from single, simplistic items.

Overall, this recent ABC News poll provides little insight about U.S. attitudes toward legal abortion and only serves to mislead people, New added.
Biden's claim about children: I wish it were a gaffe

President Biden has more than his share of gaffes. But he made a remark last week on education, as he and his wife, Jill, hosted a Teacher of the Year event at the White House. It was not a gaffe.

Biden said to teachers: Theyre not somebody elses children. Theyre like yours when youre in the classroom.

Excuse me? Teachers suddenly supplant the childrens parents when the school bell rings?

The left doesnt get it. They really do think the state owns the children.

In his End of Day Report recently, Gary Bauer notes: The left thinks America is evil, systemically racist and riddled with white supremacy. They think half the country is made up of deplorables and irredeemables. So, of course, they can't let that half of the country teach their children about values. They must counterprogram them.

One silver lining of COVID-19 came in reference to education. In many cases, parents were forced to hear what their children were learning in school for the first time. And they didnt like it.

This gave rise to the mama bear phenomenon. As we all saw, it cost the left the elections in Virginia last year.

One of the groups fighting for parental rights in education is the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), co-founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. James Dobson, Bill Bright, Larry Burkett, and others.

I spoke with Emilie Kao, senior counsel of the ADF, recently on a radio segment and asked her about some of their parental rights in education cases.

She told me: Parental rights do not end at the schoolhouse gate. Parents have the right to direct the upbringing, the education, the character of their children. And this has become particularly important in light of the toxic ideologies, like critical race theory and transgender ideology.

Kao explained some of ADFs work to protect families from these toxic ideologies: The Alliance Defending Freedom has multiple lawsuits on behalf of parents. The first one is Albermarle, Virginia litigation on behalf of five families who are challenging a policy that indoctrinates children of different races with the tenets of critical race theory.

I think most Americans would agree that fighting racism and striving toward a color-blind society, is a worthy goal. But what if the attempts to achieve that goal actually promote the very thing they say they are fighting?

Kao comments on the Albemarle curriculum: The school district has implemented what they call an anti-racist policy, but their anti-racist policy actually divides students by race and assigns them into an oppressor and oppressed category, and it tells white students that they have to fight against white culture.

She adds, It tells minority students that their ambitions in life are limited by their race. This indoctrination could inflict damage on a whole generation of children.

Kao speaks of one student who comes from a multi-racial background: He began to see himself as disadvantaged because of his race. He has started to attribute negative associations to his ethnic heritage. It is very damaging to students self-perception, as well as their perceptions of others.

In a similar vein, recently a concerned father wrote an op-ed at Fox News with the simple title: Im a dad who wants schools to teach kids how to read  not how to be gender fluid.

In that article, Brandon Michon notes, Parents dont want gender ideology and critical race theory taught to their children. We want our children to learn how to read and write. The single biggest equalizer in history is literacy. Teach any child from any socio-economic background how to read and comprehend what they read and empower them to take control of their futures.

Michon adds, We need politicians to expressly state that children, who are the most easily influenced and innocent part of the population, need to be protected. They shouldnt be taught about sexual orientation or gender ideology. Our children need to keep their innocence in childhood and in their youth.

In the first 200 years of American history (dating to the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620), the schools were run by churches generally. Also, many parents either taught their children at home or hired an instructor.

Back then the Bible was the main textbook in one way or another, and the literacy rates, especially in New England, were very high. John Adams said to find an illiterate man in New England was as rare as a comet.

The Bible teaches that parents, fathers in particular, are responsible for the education of their children  not the state (Deut. 6:6-9). Even if the parents delegate that authority to teachers, God still holds the parents responsible for the children and their education.

The idea expressed by Biden that teachers should have more authority than parents when the children are in school is wrong-headed in every way.
What can we do for those who say that 'there is no God?'

Some people believe that the world is governed by chance, not by God, and that morality is man-made, not divine. This ideology did not start today. David identified atheists and called them fools: The fool says in his heart, There is no God. This verse in fact occurs in two passages in the Psalms (14:1 and 53:1).

It is obvious that one of the characteristics of fools is that they do not believe in the existence of God. Their statements do not literally deny the existence of God but give them the impetus to continue in their wicked ways. These people are not only foolish but wicked as well. Theyve come to believe that God does not exist and that they are not accountable to Him at the end of their journey here on earth. This belief has given them the license to live freely and do what pleases them.

The unfortunate thing is that more and more people are joining them. Are they possessed by the devil? I do not think so because even the devil and his demons know that God exists: You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe  and shudder! (James 2:19). What could make man deny the existence of his creator?

It is obvious that the devil cannot outrightly tell anyone not to believe in God but can bring about circumstances and events that can create doubt in the mind of believers. So many in the Church nowadays claim that God exists, but do not revere or fear Him. When the custodians of the Gospel are playing games and politics with God, how do we expect followers and unbelievers to take Christianity seriously? As it is written: Gods name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you (Romans 2:24).



In addition to this, when church leaders are robbing congregants in the name of God, what kind of testimony is that to the unbelieving world? In my country, many people are leaving the church because they have been shortchanged by their pastors. There is a trending news item about a pastor in Nigeria who is selling rapture tickets at the rate of $751 to Christians who want to go to Heaven. The world sees this and turns its back on the Church.

Hermeneutical perversion of the Word of God is another factor that contributes to the growth of atheism. When worldly messages are regularly preached, and fake promises are made to worshipers, people tend to be disillusioned. And when lies are dished from the pulpit, believers are inevitably pushed down the road of apostasy.

Most people who say that there is no God do not know what they are doing. Christians should emulate Christ and pray for them on a regular basis and ask God to forgive them. Instead of condemning and attacking atheists, we should regularly intercede for the mercy of God to triumph over the judgment that they are inflicting on themselves. A little act of Christian kindness and love of Christ can go a long way in making atheists see the presence of God in our lives. Instead of getting into drawn-out arguments with them, we should kindly and respectful engage with them.

Jesus died for all, and salvation is for all. Too many image-bearers of God are being destroyed for lack of knowledge. For us to attract atheists to the saving knowledge of Christ, we must regularly intercede for them, show them love and kindness and tell them the truth about our God.
When it comes to abortion, dont let race baiters influence you

We know the playbook well enough by now. The moment a divisive political issue arises, the left will immediately exclaim, White supremacy! Racism! You are just trying to keep Black Americans down!

We may be calling for free and fair elections for all. The left will call it voter suppression, aimed at keeping poor Blacks away from the voting booths.

We may be calling for lower taxes for the middle class with the goal of seeing all Americans, especially the lower class, benefit in the process. The left will say, You just want to keep poor Blacks in the ghetto!

So it is today with the debate over abortion. The leftist race-baiters are making this into an issue about racial discrimination when, in fact, it is nothing of the sort. It is an issue about the sanctity of life.

In fact, anyone who has spent even one hour with pro-life leaders will know there is a singular focus to the movement: saving the lives of innocent babies in the womb. That is it.

In keeping with that focus, there is a desire to help mothers and fathers welcome their child into the world in tangible ways, providing support and guidance as much as possible.

For those who do not want their babies (or feel they cannot welcome their child into the world), there is a strong adoption movement among pro-lifers as well. We will gladly raise your child!

This means that pro-lifers spend a lot of time working with minority women and babies due to the demographics of abortion.

Thats because they care about life, they care about babies, and they care about mothers.

To suggest even for a split second that this is a racist attack against Black women is as obscene as it is untrue.

Of course, some of these charges are made in dispassionate ways, as in this PBS report from Jackson, Mississippi: If you are Black or Hispanic in a conservative state that already limits access to abortions, you are far more likely than a White person to have one.

And if the U.S. Supreme court allows states to further restrict or even ban abortions, minorities will bear the brunt of it, according to statistics analyzed by The Associated Press.

More specifically, When it comes to the effect on minority women, the numbers are unambiguous. In Mississippi, people of color comprise 44% of the population but 81% of women receiving abortions, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which tracks health statistics.

In Texas, theyre 59% of the population and 74% of those receiving abortions. The numbers in Alabama are 35% and 69%. In Louisiana, minorities represent 42% of the population, according to the state Health Department, and about 72% of those receiving abortions.

So, the argument goes, because Blacks and Hispanics have higher rates of poverty and abortion than do Whites, overturning Roe v. Wade will put a special burden on these minorities. Therefore it is racist, both in intent and in the outcome.

Stated more bluntly, Abortion restrictions are racist, said Cathy Torres, an organizing manager with Frontera Fund, a Texas organization that helps women pay for abortions. They directly impact people of color, Black, brown, Indigenous people...people who are trying to make ends meet.

The reverse is actually true.

Abortion should be recognized as a racist attack against Blacks and other minorities since a disproportionate number of their children never make it out of the womb. As noted on the ProtectBlackLife.org website, The leading cause of death in the African American community is abortion!

Thats why many pro-lifers have referred to abortion as Black genocide, viewing it as yet another societal attack on African Americans.

Responding to this claim, a carefully documented 2017 article in the National Black Law Journal written by Shyrissa Dobbins-Harris says that seeing abortion as a form of Black genocide is a myth.

As Dobbins-Harris writes,

The underlying assumption of this myth is that Black women lack the critical thinking skills to avoid falling into the pitfall of murdering their babies. Abortion by Black women is often blamed on white women and their feminism as an insidious tool to further eradicate Black people in America. Prominent believers in this myth range from presidential candidates to religious leaders like Louis Farrakhan and Pastor Clenard Childress. Some Black anti-choice activists also believe that any contraception, or practices which limit the conception of Black infants is an act of genocide against the Black race.

With all respect to Dobbins-Harris, from the pro-life perspective, we do not believe that Black women lack the critical thinking skills to avoid falling into the pitfall of murdering their babies.

To be candid, in all my years of working with some of the top pro-life leaders in the nation, I have never heard anyone even hint at such a notion, not in the slightest. In fact, the argument would shock these pro-life leaders since it never once occurred to them.

Instead, this is a matter of abortion advocates targeting poor minority communities for decades, either because of eugenics or profitability (once government support was available) or, possibly, misguided compassion.

Either way, abortion as the option for unwanted pregnancy has become much more a way of life (pardon the irony of the expression) in these communities. Consequently, the abortion rates are higher.

How else do we explain that more Black babies are aborted than are born in New York City? And how is it anti-Black to say, This is an outrageous attack against Black Americans, and we want to work together holistically to stop it?

Interestingly, as noted in the Wall Street Journal in July 2018, When the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973, polling showed that blacks were less likely than whites to support abortion. Civil rights activists from the 60's like Fannie Lou Hamer and Whitney Young had denounced the procedure as a form of genocide. Jesse Jackson called abortion murder and once told a black newspaper in Chicago that we used to look for death from the man in the blue coat and now it comes in a white coat.

In fact, a Policy Report on, The Effects of Abortion on the Black Community, issued by the Center for Urban Renewal and Education in June 2015, quoted a pro-life Jesse Jackson from 1977.

He said,

Politicians argue for abortion largely because they do not want to spend the necessary money to feed, clothe and educate more people. Here arguments for inconvenience and economic savings take precedence over arguments for human value and human life... Psychiatrists, social workers and doctors often argue for abortion on the basis that the child will grow up mentally and emotionally scarred. But who of us is complete? If incompleteness were the criteri(on) for taking life, we would all be dead. If you can justify abortion on the basis of emotional incompleteness, then your logic could also lead you to killing for other forms of incompleteness  blindness, crippleness, old age.

Sadly, as noted by the WSJ,

In the intervening decades, those views shifted. Mr. Jackson abandoned the pro-life ship to run for president in 1984, and leaders of black civil-rights organizations today are joined at the hip with abortion-rights proponents such as Planned Parenthood. A Pew Research Center survey taken last year found that 50% of Hispanics, 58% of whites and 62% of blacks now say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

In that light, it is a highly effective political tool to call the overturning of Roe a white supremacist act that specifically targets Blacks.

I urge you not to fall for that deadly lie.
NEW YORK (AP)  The National Labor Relations Board has found merit in a union charge that Amazon violated labor law in New York Citys Staten Island by holding mandatory worker meetings to persuade its employees not to unionize.

The labor board has in the past allowed employees to mandate such meetings, which are routinely held at companies like Amazon and Starbucks during union drives.

But in a memo sent to the agencys field offices last month, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said she believes the meetings, often called captive audience meetings, are at odds with labor law, and would seek to get them outlawed.

The agencys determination was shared Friday with an attorney representing the Amazon Labor Union, which filed the charge in the lead-up to the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giants history.

The attorney, Seth Goldstein, called it a big victory.

These meetings have been legal for over 70 years, an Amazon spokesperson said. Like many other companies, we hold these meetings with our employees because its important that everyone understands the facts about joining a union and the election process itself.

An NLRB spokesperson said the agency will issue a complaint against Amazon unless the retailer agrees to a settlement. If the company doesnt settle, the complaint would trigger an administrative court process where both parties can litigate the case.

Bloomberg News first reported on the agencys determination.

The agency also found merit in an accusation from the union that the company indicated to workers they could be fired if they voted to unionize, and threatened to withhold benefits should they chose to do so, according to an email from Matt Jackson, an attorney with the NLRBs field office in Brooklyn.

These allegations are false and we look forward to showing that through the process, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a union that ran a separate organizing effort in Alabama, has also filed a complaint over the mandatory meetings.

The e-commerce giant has filed objections over the union election that led to a labor win, claiming organizers and the agency's regional office in Brooklyn acted in a way that tainted the vote. A hearing over its claims is scheduled for later this month.

The union lost another election earlier this week at another Staten Island Amazon warehouse.
If youve been to a bar, coffee shop or weekend market anywhere in Houston recently, youve probably noticed a trend: Chefs serving restaurant-quality food where no traditional restaurant is to be found.

Welcome to Houston's thriving pop-up movement. Folks from all walks of life and culinary backgrounds can open their own concept, so long as they have considerable grit and can cook crave-worthy bites.

The pop-up scene reflects a wide variety of cuisines: wood-fired pizzas, quesabirria, lumpia, bagels, handmade pasta  the list goes on. You can grab smoked brisket from Knives in Water, or scratch-made cochinita pibil from Cochinita & Co. Boos Burgers is flipping some of the best smashburgers in town. Cant decide between Vietnamese or barbecue? Khoi Barbecue is serving up Viet-Texan 'cue in Montrose. Even Evelyn Garcia, the only local contestant in "Top Chef: Houston," hosts frequent pop-ups through her venture, By Kin. The trend is so widespread that CultureMap Houston's Tastemaker Awards debuted a new category for pop-ups last year.

Its a thrilling time to eat and drink in this town, but how did we get here?

One Houston pop-up success story is Ghost Hand Pasta, which began selling its horror movie-themed, fresh house-made pastas last year and recently found its permanent home at East End wine bar How to Survive on Land and Sea.

The partnership makes sense. Just as Ghost Hand is not your typical pasta purveyor, How to Survive is not your typical wine bar. If you pop in for a glass of small-production pet-nat, you might hear "Warp Riders" by the Sword followed by "Lola Versus Powerman" by the Kinks.

Ghost Hand Pasta

Ghost Hand's journey to brick and mortar was anything but simple. It was initially meant to be a dinner-and-a-movie supper club in partner chef Corey Doziers backyard. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they had to find unique solutions to stay afloat, and like for many chefs and restaurateurs in the city, pop-ups became chief among them. After the first pandemic year of uncertainty and tumult, Dozier and his partners Scott Ache and Mikah Danae decided to take the plunge. (Dozier has since left the business.)

Ghost Hand Pasta started serving the public in April 2021 at places like Johnny's Gold Brick, Neil's Bahr and Rabbit's Got the Gun. Shortly afterwards, they did a tasting for How to Survive and immediately hit it off with the team. They cooked in the wine bar's kitchen every Tuesday after that. The pop-up went so well that the folks at How to Survive decided to keep their spooky plates on full time. "It was really one of those things [where] everything was in the right kind of momentum," Ache said.

The pandemic cant take all of the credit for the trend. Rather, it's better described as a catalyst for an already growing movement. Pop-ups are an appealing outlet for chefs, who are a highly creative bunch.

"Some of them want to take a break from an operation with plenty of moving parts and simply cook food that they love cooking," said Josh Deleon, who sells his highly sought-after Underground Creamery ice cream pints via Instagram. "[They can] showcase their talents their own way and get paid what they deserve directly from the consumer."

Low start-up costs and fewer, if any, investors to please remove major roadblocks and provide a mainline for culinary creativity. Running a pop-up is not without its challenges, however. Ache remarked that there are as many pitfalls as there are benefits. Unpredictable weather and moving from one venue to the next makes it impossible to plan or implement a standard operating procedure.

"Me and chef Corey talk about it kind of like surfing," he said. "You kind of just ride the wave and then once that one's done, you just find another wave, right?"

Ghost Hand Pasta

When a pop-up gets super popular, the smaller scale of operations can cause it to sell out. Deleon argues that this is a feature, not a glitch. The ephemerality of the experience can certainly make the food feel more special and drive demand, but Deleon says the here-today-gone-tomorrow nature of the business is not just a marketing ploy. Many small pop-ups share commercial kitchens with others, limiting their space and time to work in them.



"Pop-ups have to set themselves apart by selling products that you cant really get anywhere else," said Deleon. Teams will often work into the night crafting complex ingredients and elements. "Most of the time, the products will speak for themselves as a lot of detail and love are poured into them," he added.



Deleon built Underground Creamery through his creative flavor combinations, and by releasing clues on Instagram as to when a new ice cream drop would happen. Pints sold out in mere minutes. After a short break, he recently announced a partnership with Pudgy's Fine Cookies, where he will share kitchen space in their storefront. The pop-up model allowed him to expand in time, just like Ghost Hand Pasta going from Tuesdays only to full-time kitchen.



It's human nature: The harder something is to get, the more we want it. Food-obsessed Houstonians know the long waits, limited availability, and research it takes to grab a bite at one of the citys many pop-ups are well worth the effort. They're also extra supportive when successful pop-ups level up to brick and mortar or permanent fixture.



Houston's pop-up scene reflects both the city's diversity and its spirit. In every establishment where there are likely to be hungry folks but no kitchen, a pop-up restaurant is sure to appear. And we lucky Houstonians will happily line up to get a taste.
HONOLULU (AP)  There are currently 71 people statewide hospitalized with COVID-19, including five in intensive care units. Less than a month ago, there were no coronavirus cases in intensive care, Hawaii News Now reported.

Hilton Raethel, CEO of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, said cases are rising more slowly now than earlier in the pandemic and are manageable.
All eight Connecticut counties are now listed as areas of medium or high COVID transmission, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Launched in February, the CDCs community-level, color-coded map organizes transmission into three categories: low, medium and high.

The CDC map shaded all of Connecticut as either orange or red, signifying either medium or high levels of transmission.

This latest CDC update is a reminder that Connecticut is in the midst of a swell from a subvariant of omicron, state Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said.

New Haven, Hartford and Middlesex counties are listed as high transmission. Fairfield, Litchfield, New London, Tolland and Windham are listed as medium transmission.

The CDC said it examines the combination of three metrics  new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 people, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID patients and the total new infections per 100,000 people in the past seven days  to determine the community transmission level.

"This approach focuses on preventing hospitals and health care systems from being overwhelmed and directing prevention efforts toward protecting people at high risk for severe illness, the state DPH said in a statement.

Yale researcher Nathan Grubaugh said there are several sublineages of omicron that are factors to the surge. BA.2, which caused what Juthani referred to as the latest COVID swell, is comprising 73 percent of all samples hes tested as of Thursday.

Another subvariant, known as BA.2.12.1, comprises 23 percent of all samples, with the parent, omicron, the remaining 4 percent.

BA.2.12.1 has two distinct mutations, Grubaugh said, causing some additional immune escape with this variant.

That means a higher likelihood of reinfection and breakthrough cases.

Some of your neutralizing antibodies from past infections or from the vaccine would be less effective, Grubaugh said. It doesn't obliterate your neutralizing antibodies, but it does reduce those.

Grubaugh said the subvariants are also not following the same patterns as previous COVID strains. Tests for COVID in wastewater, which had been a reliable metric for anticipating the spread of the coronavirus, are no longer matching what hes seeing and hearing in the community.

The anecdotes around this are quite disturbing, Grubaugh said. It seems like a lot of people that I know over the past four weeks have had COVID.

Across the state, COVID cases are rising, though new hospitalizations have not kept pace. The state said Friday there were 239 patients in Connecticut hospitals fighting a COVID infection, an increase of 27 over the past seven days.

In the past seven days, there have been 6,297 new COVID cases discovered out of 56,223 reported tests for a positivity rate of 11.2 percent.

Omicron and its subvariants are less virulent than previous COVID strains, but the current slow rate of hospitalizations may pick up over time.

All of that could be because theres a delay in the dynamics of hospitalizations, Grubaugh said. There are still hospitalizations. Its just not at the same levels that it has been in the past.

Grubaugh explained that viral transmissibility is a function of three things.

The first is viremia, which is the variants ability to replicate, if one variant tends to produce more virus than another.

That is what Grubaugh called brute force mechanisms, and its what made alpha spread more than the original coronavirus, and delta more than alpha. Omicron didnt replicate quite as much as its predecessors.

But transmissibility is also a question of where a virus likes to take up residence.

Older coronavirus strains prefer to bind with cells in the lower respiratory tract, which tends to make infections worse, but doesnt spread as easily.

Omicron, however, likes cells in the upper respiratory tract. Infections are not as bad, but its easier to spread.

It would be very difficult for those lower respiratory variants to out-compete omicron, Grubaugh said.

But now BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 have both the upper respiratory advantage and, simultaneously, are replicating better than omicron (BA.1).

When we look at the amount of virus in people, we see an increase, Grubaugh said. BA.2 produces more.
ALTON  The moment for Alton Little Theater to leave its legacy in tip-top shape has arrived.

A half-million dollar expansion in lieu of a completely new building is under way in Alton.

About five years ago, the longest continually running community theater in Illinois had a capital campaign and plan for a new build on property donated by a patron. Then the pandemic hit, and what was planned as a $6.2 million new construction project was recalculated to cost an estimated $9.2 million.

The solution became to expand the existing footprint of the Alton Little Theater Showplace at 2450 N. Henry St. in Alton, according to ALT Executive Director Lee Cox.

"Everything was put on hold during the pandemic because so many people were out of work and going through a hard time," she said. "The Alton Little Theater board did not think the time was appropriate to move forward.

"Our community took such a hit," she said. "People didnt have jobs. I didnt think our community could support that kind of a project.

"Two years ago we were in really good shape  had land given to us, an endowment built up," she said. "It came to a halt, and now the building costs have gone up so much, which changed the trajectory.

"So we will renovate and expand as much as we can."

Cox added that while the non-profit ALT tries, grants from national foundations are challenging.

"Those are very hard to get because we own our own building and have an endowment," she said. "We get turned down all the time, as those are given to theaters with less resources, which is understandable."

Cox said ALT's endowment was about $1 million, but the stock market took its toll.

"We still felt safe in spending half of it to get Alton Little Theater in tip-top shape," she said. CNB Bank stepped in and did an appraisal at $500,000 for the expansion.

"CNB has been nothing but supportive," Cox said. "They said we are in good shape with the endowment and money. They said we can spend half a million dollars and get this in tip-top shape."

The goal of Cox and ALT Artistic Director Kevin Frakes is to leave the building well-equipped for a seamless transition when they retire at the end of 2025.

"We want the building to be a total asset for its continued legacy," Cox said. "From design to costumes and lighting, I'm teaching others how to do my job; thats my job. Kevin and I definitely want the theater to go one for a seamless transition that no one even notices."

Already new flooring is in at ALT with wood and non-skid carpeting in the auditorium.

"The only thing that changed was the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) easement," Cox said. "Kevin Frakes totally rebuilt the whole ADA section with a three-foot easement and more room on each side."

On Aug. 1, ALT plans to start installing new, wider seats with lumbar support and drink holders situated on the back that flip up to increase room and safety for guests. The chairs are being built by a Michigan company; Buck's Decorating Center in Godfrey will install them.

"We try to use local any time we can," Cox said. "Buck's found contractors who worked with Fisher Lumber Co. in East Alton, and the chairs have to be bolted in an extra three-fourth of an inch into the floor.

"We will be closing 'Shrek' on July 24th, so we will have the month of August to work, work, work," she said. "The next show opens September 11th."

The ALT board plans to sell the 220 old chairs from the theater.

The expansion work includes a couple of local companies to install a new marquee coming from a Chicago-area firm, the closest the board could find. A new stage curtain with motorized rigging will also be installed, as well as a $100,000 state-of-the-art pixel wall and a laser printer.

"We are still waiting for things to be in," Cox said. "We will be able to do bigger shows, with four technicians running a show. Already 'Barry Manilow' was everything we dreamed of. People thought they were in Vegas."

All the theater's lights are now LED with state-of-the-art lighting fixtures, which were finished with the help of The Alton Foundation based in Wood River. It cost ALT about $44,000 to replace the lights.

The theater's restrooms will feature touchless fixtures and deeper sinks that are safer, deeper and ADA accessible. Dressing rooms also will be completely renovated, and a shower, washer and drier will be installed.

"After a show, I've been doing about 30 loads of laundry with costumes for years," Cox said. "And, like in 'Shrek,' all these guys have all this green makeup on, and they cant begin to go out like that. We really need to have these things here. And Kevin gets so dirty with sawdust building sets. He can build everything and sets all comes apart."

Frakes also has built four buildings a stone's throw from the ALT Showplace. One of the largest holds art, rugs and other staging items, including a huge dragon. Another houses a workshop where Frakes creates sets. One of the newest, a two-story structure, is filled with items from estate sales and donations for props.

"When Mary Dixon moved to Florida, she gave us a beautiful couch we are using now," Cox said. "We have tons of things and props we can now use and even loan out," which the theater regularly does, especially for Alton High School and its students who regularly volunteer at ALT Showplace. She noted ALT recently loaned out a jukebox for an outside production and even has a coffin.

"The fourth building we call 'Little House on the Prairie' because it contains china, glass and all kinds of small props, everything you can imagine," Cox said.

When the Baxter's Party Store in Alton transitioned to online-only sales, Bob Baxter donated more than 1,000 Halloween costumes to ALT, as well as other items. In September ALT plans to host a community Halloween party offering costumes for $5.

"This is a Halloween town," Cox said. "We will keep some costumes. But we don't need 30 mice costumes."

ALT owns about 4,000 costumes, which it also loans out.

The expansion seems to come at a perfect time, as 100 new people bought tickets for the current show, "The Wild Women of Winedale" that runs through May 15.

Cox said that, during the last two year, season ticket-holders have been down to 600 from its normal 1,000.

"But we know we always have to replenish those season ticket-holders," Cox said.
ROCKVILLE, Conn. (AP)  Closing arguments are expected to begin Monday in the trial of a Connecticut man whose guilt or innocence in the death of his wife could hinge on evidence provided by her Fitbit exercise activity tracker.

Richard Dabate told police a masked man shot his wife, Connie Dabate, and tied him up before he burned the intruder with a torch at the couples Ellington home in December 2015.

Police said information on Connie Dabates Fitbit contradicted Richard Dabates story and showed she was moving around an hour after he said she was killed.

Jurors heard from more than 100 witnesses  including Dabate  over 22 days. Dabate testified he came home after realizing hed forgotten his laptop and found a large man wearing camouflage inside the house, the Hartford Courant reported. The man shot Connie Dabate to death in their basement and stabbed Richard Dabate and tied him to a folding chair, he testified.

Dabate also admitted that he had been having an affair with another woman at the time of his wife's death and had lied about it to police.

Prosecutors called numerous people from Dabate's neighborhood who testified they didn't see a man in camouflage, or anything else they thought was suspicious, on the day of the killing. A woman called by the defense testified she was cleaning a house nearby and may have seen a deer or a dark-green figure passing by a window.

Dabate has been free on $1 million bail. A jury was picked for the case in early 2020, before state courts shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. A judge dismissed that jury last August, saying it had been empaneled too long and some jurors had moved out of state, and a new panel was selected beginning in late February.
JERSEYVILLE  An Italian film festival recently recognized screenwriter and filmmaker Kevin Edwards' work while his company already is working on a new film, this one set in the 1980s.

The Jerseyville native's short film, "Schmetterling," won Best Thriller honors at the Italian film festival Hollywood On the Tiber Film Awards and lead actor Ashley Pryor won Best Actress honors in the L.A.-based 13Horror.com Film and Screenplay Contest.

Edwards' company, Always Late TV, shot some of "Bonnie Conway, P.I.," the new upcoming short, in Pensacola Beach, Florida, and some at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, where one of the actors, Ben Vogt, works. Edwards also cast his father, Roy Edwards of East Alton, in the new short.

"'Schmetterling' is the German word for 'butterfly,'" explained the 2000 Jersey Community High School graduate, who lived most of his adult life in Grafton before moving to St. Louis in 2016. "I chose that word as the title of the film and name of its primary character.

"Schmetterling is a drug addict running from a killer after she witnesses a murder. Her character is a 'butterfly' in the sense that she has been locked in her cocoon and has hope that she will break out of it and make it out alive."

Edwards' company submitted "Schmetterling" to several unrelated online festivals.

"Each festival had a different jury made up of industry professionals who reviewed the film, but we went into the Hollywood On the Tiber Film Awards in Rome, Italy, cold as ice," Edwards said. "They had no prior knowledge of the film but loved it anyway!"

The idea for "Schmetterling" came from a loose idea Edwards had a a couple years ago.

"An actor, model and friend of mine, Mackenzie Naylor, had passed away in 2018," he said. "During her life, she struggled with drug addiction and there were people who knew her who wrote her off because of that. Thinking about her experience made me realize how invisible drug addicts are in our society.

"They are our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, family members and friends, but theyre also fighting something most of us cant comprehend. We only look at the damage they do to themselves and us.

"It also got me thinking of how drug addicts are portrayed in film. They are typically cautionary tales meant to scare people 'straight' or theyre used as fodder. I wanted to create a film where the main character was a drug addict but you wanted to cheer for her. You wanted her to survive the film."

"Bonnie Conway, P.I.," set in the 80s, is the next short film in production by Edwards' media company.

"I love the 80s!" Edwards said. "I was born in 1982 and lived through eight years of the decade. You might say I'm still living there.

"I wanted to create something lighthearted after shooting such a dark movie with 'Schmetterling.' I really love the 80s art style, fashion and vibe. It's a lot of fun and still holds up to this day."

"Bonnie Conway, P.I." will be released to the public once it is finished with its festival circuit; "Schmetterling" is finishing up its circuit run and should be available online by this summer.

His company produced 10 seasons of his successful modeling contest reality/drama streaming series, "Local Ambition," before Edwards shifted to filmmaking.

"It was time," Edwards said about focusing on filmmaking. "I had put so much of myself into 'Local Ambition' and felt like that story was over.

"After shooting 10 seasons and spending nine years of your life on something, it's time to move on. Filmmaking has been a breath of fresh air and I enjoy it very much. I'm getting to tell different stories with different films."
BALTIMORE (AP)  A man has pleaded guilty to the theft of more than $1.8 million from the Maryland company where he worked, according to a federal prosecutor.

Duane G. Larmore, 47, of Salisbury, Maryland, pleaded guilty on Friday to wire fraud conspiracy and to aggravated identity theft, said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron in a news release.
This month is National Military Appreciation Month. We also celebrate Military Spouse Day, Mothers Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day.

Let me begin by sincerely thanking our veterans for the work they do and have done for this great country we live in. I am humbled when I say anything to them to express my gratitude for their successful journey while serving in this country - not just for this month, but also every time I explain to my children about this great and free country in which we have to enjoy all of our lives. When I think about patriotism and what it means to me, it consists not in the waving of the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous, as well as strong. I think patriotism is like charity. It begins at home.

I do not apologize for my support of our military, our country, and my devotion to God. You see, our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity.

We honor those who are serving and those who have died. Although many lives were sacrificed, they have always prevailed over the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The true American is motivated by a sense of responsibility. Our Girl Scout Promise reflects that, saying, On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country.

We teach our girls duty, honor and country. These words will build courage when courage seems to fail, they will regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, and they will create hope when hope seems to be lost.

Our determination to win, which lies at the very root of this country, is inspired by the confidence displayed by our men and women in uniform.

Many of us will gather this month at parks, rec centers, schools, and cemeteries, all over the country. We will take part in parades and other events to celebrate. We do this because we want to honor the loyalty and bravery of our fallen military men and women as well as our veterans that are still with us. Our history is defined in a simple phrase, These are ordinary people who do extraordinary things.

So, this month as we raise the stars and stripes, and as they move briskly against the wind, we must remember the more than one million who gave their lives in service of this country.

This month I invite you to join Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois as we partner with Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois to ensure that our veterans get the recognition they deserve. We want to carry on the understanding that the soldiers gave of themselves as a sacrifice for the sake of freedom. We want to give them a sweet taste of our delicious Girl Scout cookies. We want to carry on this message by raising up their memory like never before. We want to also honor the families of those veterans as well. We are grateful for the support you are giving them as they carried out the mission of protecting all of us.

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois has a goal of donating 800 cases of Girl Scout cookies to our area veterans. Girl Scouts will proudly welcome veterans home from the Honor Flight at the Welcome Home Celebration in Marion on June 7 and offer them Girl Scout cookies as a small token of appreciation for all they have done for our great country. For a $60 donation, you can cover the cost of a case of Girl Scout cookies and thank a veteran in the process. To donate, visit bit.ly/givehonor or call 800.345.6858.

It is our patriotic responsibility as citizens to remember Americas brave men and women. Never forget the men and women who know the cost of our freedom and who know that their service to this country is the greatest gift of all. Will you join me as we show our appreciation to those who put themselves in harms way so we can have a beautiful life in this great nation?

God bless these United States of America.
Michigan officials have released their 2022 Eat Safe Fish guides and there are several notable updates to what fish could pose health risks to humans if ingested.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released the 2022 regional Eat Safe Fish Guides on Monday. The guides are designed to help Michiganders plan their fish consumption to minimize exposure to chemicals that can build up in fish, while still getting all the health benefits of eating fish.

Chemicals in fish are a worldwide problem that is not limited to Michigan and other Great Lakes states. Seafood from fish and shellfish that spend time in contaminated waters can contain chemicals that are harmful to human health. The chemicals most commonly found in fish are mercury and PCBs.

Additionally, perfluorooctane sulfonate, better known as PFOS, and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, have been found in fish from certain bodies of water in Michigan.

PFAS, called "forever chemicals" because they last so long in the environment, have been associated with serious health conditions, including cancer, reduced antibody responses to vaccines, reduced birth weight and possibly more, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

The chemical bonds dont degrade or do so only slowly in the environment and remain in a persons bloodstream indefinitely.

"It is important to note that fish from some areas in Michigan are more contaminated than others," the MDHHS stated in a Monday press release. "By using the Eat Safe Fish Guides, Michigan consumers can be confident that they are making informed choices about eating the fish they catch from their local lake or river."

The regional guides are based on levels of chemicals found in the portions of fish that people eat  typically the filets. Test results from the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories are used to determine what is safe for people to eat over the long term. Unlike the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan Fishing Guide, the MDHHS Eat Safe Fish guidelines are not laws or regulations.

Anglers in southeast Michigan should pay attention to a recent update. A Do Not Eat advisory has been issued for bluegill and sunfish caught in the Lower Branch of the Rouge River and the Main Branch of the Rouge River from the Ford Estate Dam to the Detroit River.

Bluegill and sunfish were collected from these parts of the river in 2021 and analyzed for harmful contaminants. Due to high levels of PFOS and PFAS, MDHHS recommends that people avoid eating bluegill and sunfish from this stretch of the Rouge River.

Other species of fish collected in 2019 and 2021 from this same stretch of the river were found to be contaminated with PFOS, but not at levels that call for a Do Not Eat advisory, according to MDHHS.

Another update includes the lifting of the Do Not Eat fish advisory for most fish species from the stretch of the Huron River where it crosses I-275 in Wayne County to the river mouth at Lake Erie, including the Flat Rock impoundment.

Fish consumption guidelines are still in place for the following species:

Bluegill and sunfish have a recommended eight servings per month due to PFOS.

Catfish have a recommended one serving per month due to PCBs.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass have a recommended four servings per month due to PCBs and mercury.

Rock bass still have a recommended Do Not Eat advisory due to PFOS.

Pregnant women should especially be aware of how much fish they're consuming due to the possibility of mercury building up in fish, the United States Food and Drug Administration suggested.

You can't remove mercury from fish by cleaning and cooking, according to the MDHHS. And the type of mercury built up in fish, methylmercury, can pass through the placenta, exposing the developing fetus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infants born to women who were poisoned with methylmercury had developmental abnormalities and cerebral palsy.

MDHHS also produces the Buy Safe Fish Guide to help residents choose seafood that is lower in mercury from local grocery stores, fish markets and restaurants.

The Eat Safe Fish Guides and Buy Safe Fish Guide are available online at Michigan.gov/eatsafefish.
Bryan Cross, Pharm.D., FACHE, has been named chief operating officer for MyMichigan Health, replacing Greg Rogers, who is now serving as president and CEO of the health system.

MyMichigans 75-plus year history and leaders have built a truly amazing organization, said Rogers. Although the coming health care trends and technology changes can be daunting, our culture is patient-centered, collaborative, strong and resilient; and I am confident that in the role of chief operating officer, Bryan is well-qualified to lead us into the future. Bryan has been instrumental in many accomplishments over the years, one of which was strong leadership through COVID-19.
North Korea flight-tested a ballistic missile that was likely fired from a submarine on Saturday, South Koreas military said, continuing a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations that may culminate with a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred from waters near the eastern port city of Sinpo, where North Korea has a major shipyard building submarines. It said the short-range missile flew 372 miles at a maximum altitude of 37 miles but it didnt immediately provide details about the submarine that would have been involved in the launch.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials were analyzing the launch, the military said, describing it as a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious threatening act that harms international peace and stability.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobu Kishi told reporters that the missile fell outside of Japans exclusive economic zone and that no damage to aircraft or vessels was reported.

South Koreas national security director Suh Hoon and other senior officials during an emergency meeting denounced the launch and urged North Korea to return to long-stalled talks aimed at defusing the nuclear standoff, Seouls presidential office said.

It was apparently North Koreas first demonstration of a submarine-launched ballistic missile system since October last year, when it fired a new short-range missile from the 8.24 Yongung  its only known submarine capable of launching a missile. The October underwater launch was the Norths first in two years.

On Wednesday, the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected a suspected ballistic missile fired from near the capital, Pyongyang. Both exercises come ahead of the inauguration on Tuesday of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, who has vowed to take a tougher approach over the Norths nuclear ambitions.

Yoons office said in a statement that his government will pursue actual deterrence ability against the Norths nuclear and missile threat, but didnt specify how. Yoon has vowed to strengthen South Koreas defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States, which he said would include enhancing missile striking capabilities.

So far this year, North Korea has fired missiles 15 times. They include the country's first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017 in March that demonstrated a potential range to reach the entirety of the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has been clearly exploiting a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program with the U.N. Security Council divided and effectively paralyzed over Russias war on Ukraine. The unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores a brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and remove crippling sanctions, experts say.

There are also signs that North Korea is restoring tunnels at a nuclear testing ground, where it had conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017, in possible preparations for another explosive test. Analysts say the North could use another nuclear test to claim it can now build small nuclear warheads for its expanding range of shorter-range weapons threatening South Korea and Japan, or put a cluster of bombs on a multi-warhead ICBM.

Jalina Porter, the U.S. State Department's deputy spokesperson, said during a briefing Friday that the United States assesses that North Korea could be ready to conduct a nuclear test at its Punggye-ri test site as early as this month.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has punctuated his recent missile tests with statements warning that the North could proactively use its nuclear weapons if threatened or provoked. Experts say such rhetoric possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that would create greater concerns for South Korea and Japan.

Kim made one of those statements during an April 25 parade in Pyongyang, where he showcased the most notable weapons in his military nuclear program, including ICBMs and what appeared to be a new type of missile designed to be fired from submarines that could be larger than previous models.

(North Koreas) submarine technology probably remains short of being able to stay at sea for extended periods while avoiding detection. But the ability to launch ballistic missiles from a submarine would further complicate missions to neutralize and defend against North Koreas nuclear forces, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seouls Ewha Womans University.

He said the Kim regime appears to be preparing to test a miniaturized nuclear device that it can use to arm its submarine-launched or tactical missiles, and multiple warheads on its ICBMs.

North Korea has been pushing hard to acquire an ability to fire nuclear-armed missiles from submarines, which in theory would bolster its deterrent by ensuring retaliation after absorbing a nuclear attack on land.

Ballistic missile submarines would also add a new maritime threat to the Norths growing collection of solid-fuel weapons fired from land vehicles, which are being developed with an apparent aim to overwhelm missile defense systems in South Korea and Japan.

The North in recent years has been developing and testing a family of missiles named Pukguksong, which are designed to be fired from submarines or land vehicles. Still experts say the heavily sanctioned nation would need considerably more time, resources and major technological improvements to build at least several submarines that could travel quietly in seas and reliably execute strikes.

The South Korean and Japanese militaries said the North Korean missile fired on Wednesday traveled about 310 miles at a maximum altitude of 500 miles. North Korean state media have yet to comment on that test.

___

Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to the report.
BIG RAPIDS  Officers with the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety responded to the following calls. All calls may not be reported. All suspects are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

 A report of suspicious activity/malicious destruction of property was made in the 400 block of Bailey Drive. Complainant reported a BB gun hole in his window. Case is under investigation.

 A civil issue was reported in the 100 block of South Michigan Avenue. Complainant reported being allegedly threatened through a third party by an unknown male on Snapchat. All parties contacted and disputed the possible threats made.

 A report of fraud was made in the 200 block of West Pine Street. A female reported sending over $8,000 to a male who allegedly scammed her using a Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. She was in the process of sending $20,000 and the bank stopped her.

 A civil issue was reported in the 500 block of Division. A 16-year-old walked to the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office to report he had allegedly been shoved into a bookcase by his uncle. His uncle and another female on scene both said the 16-year-old had been intentionally agitating him and then started recording him. The uncle allegedly attempted to take the phone from the 16-year-old.

Wednesday, May 4

 A juvenile compliant was made in the 500 block of North Warren Avenue. A male was sent home from school but allegedly did not go directly home as he was supposed to. As officers were looking for him, his mother advised he had returned home.

 A larceny was reported in the 800 block of Country Way. Caller said she had blankets and boots stolen from her vehicle the previous week, and again possibly last night.

 Suspicious situation was reported in the 400 block of Maple. Caller said he had found a threatening note on his vehicle.

 Officers responded to an apparent natural death in the 600 block of Willow.

 Officers responded to an incident near North State and Waterloo. A third party reported an unknown accident occurred around 4 p.m. A Grey Corolla was identified hitting a subject on a bicycle. No other information was known. The complainant said they saw the vehicle later at medical parking lot by the hospital. Vehicle was located. Police reported it didn't show any signs of damage and had fresh dirt still on the bumper.

 Officers responded to an incident in the 500 block of South Michigan. A caller stated a male was allegedly high on meth. After arrival on scene, officers said she was allegedly upset that he was kicking her and her children out after destroying their apartment. Officers reported seeing no signs of drug use. Officers stood by until a valid driver picked up the caller and her children.

 Officers responded to an alleged party on the island behind the middle school involving about 40 subjects. Fire was put out and all the trash was picked up. No one would take responsibility.

 Officers responded to the 700 block of Tioga. Roommate called to report his friends were allegedly having a loud party. Officers observed subjects were sitting at their table playing music that could hardly be heard at the front door. Contact was made and music was shut off. No warning issued.

Thursday, May 5

 Assisted Children's Protective Services with interview at Child Advocacy Center.

 Assistance taken at BRPD. Female turned in several firearms that had belonged to her husband.

 A complainant walked in to report a larceny/civil between roommates that allegedly occurred in the 400 block of South Warren.

 An unattended fire ticket was given in the 400 block S Stewart. Burn ban also in effect.

 A report of malicious destruction of property to storage room door and multiple windows was made in the 500 block of West Bridge. Case is under investigation.
COLLINSVILLE  Authorities have released the identity of a man killed in a Friday afternoon motorcycle accident near Collinsville.

According to Illinois State Police, at about 4:20 p.m. Friday Dwayne T. Wendell, 73, of Marshfield, Wisconsin, was operating a 2017 Harley Davidson motorcycle on the Interstate 55 northbound exit ramp to Interstate 255 southbound near Collinsville.

Police said that for unknown reasons Wendell left the roadway and overturned his bike in the median. He was ejected and fatally injured. The Madison County Coroners office pronounced him deceased at the scene.

State police said the investigation into the incident continues.
ROME (AP)  Pope Francis on Saturday blasted Catholics who, hewing to old-school versions of liturgy like the Latin Mass, have made an ideological battleground of the issue, decrying what he described as devil-inspired divisiveness in the church.

Francis pressed his papacys battle against traditionalists, whose prominent members include some ultra-conservative cardinals. They have resisted restrictions, imposed last year by the Vatican, on celebrations of the old Mass in Latin in St. Peters Basilica and, more generally, for years have disparaged the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Speaking at the Vatican to instructors and students of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, Francis said its not possible to worship God while using the liturgy as a battleground for nonessential questions that divide the church.

Francis has made clear he prefers Mass celebrated in local languages, with the priest facing the congregation instead of with his back to the pews. That was the way Mass was celebrated before the revolutionary Vatican Council reforms, more than a half century-ago, which aimed at making rank-and-file Catholics feel more connected to liturgical celebrations.

"I underline again that liturgical life, and the study of it, must lead to greater ecclesial unity, not to division,'' the pope told the institute's participants. "When liturgical life is a bit of a banner for division, there is the odor of the devil being inside there, the deceiver.''

"It's not possible to render worship to God and at the same time make a battleground of liturgy for questions that aren't essential,'' Francis added.

Last year, two prominent cardinals questioned the legitimacy of a Vatican decree placing restrictions of the celebration of the old Latin Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and forbidding private Masses in its side chapels.

Such traditionalists have openly voiced hostility to Francis. The retired chief of the Vatican's doctrinal orthodoxy office, German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, contended that no one was obliged to obey that decree. U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, who was given the heave-ho by Francis early in his papacy from a Vatican post, called for the decree to be scrapped.

Francis told his audience on Saturday that every reform creates some resistance. He recalled that, when he was a youngster, Pope Pius XII allowed faithful to drink water before receiving Communion and that scandalized opponents.

Similar indignation followed later reforms allowing Catholics to fulfill their weekly Mass obligation by attending an evening service instead of on Sunday mornings.

Francis also blasted what he called closed mentalities" that exploit the liturgy.

This is the drama we are living, in ecclesial groups which are moving away from the Church, putting in question the authority of bishops and of the church, he said.

In 2016, a breakaway traditionalist Catholic group, the Society of St. Pius X, accused Francis of sowing confusion and errors about the faith, joining a chorus of conservative criticism over what they perceived as the pontiff's lax doctrine.

In 1969, the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre founded the society, opposed to the modernizing church reforms of the 1960s. In one of the more spectacular chapters of the Vatican's long-running duel with traditionalists, he and four other bishops were later excommunicated by the Vatican after the archbishop consecrated them without papal consent.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A Republican South Carolina House member has agreed to pay a $12,000 fine for ethics violations for taking larger campaign donations than allowed, poor record keeping and inadvertently paying personal bills with campaign cash.

Rep. Jonathon Hill agreed to the fine Thursday after admitting to 54 ethics violations in a meeting of the House Ethics Committee.
A man has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a human smuggling attempt that killed two migrants and one civilian in a south Laredo crash that occurred in November.

Abraham J. Ahumada, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants resulting in death. He has sentencing set for July 28 before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. Ahumada faces up to life in prison. Meanwhile, he remains in federal custody.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the U.S. Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

The case unfolded at about 11 p.m. Nov. 13, when a DPS trooper tried to pull over a black Nissan Murano traveling north on U.S. 83 south of Cielito Lindo Boulevard. A pursuit ensued when the driver of the Nissan refused to stop.

The Nissan disregarded a red light and crashed into a red Dodge sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Lomas del Sur Boulevard and U.S. 83. The Nissan then caught fire, authorities said.

Of the four subjects in the suspect vehicle, one person was ejected and died at the scene. Another subject burned in the vehicle fire, states the arrest affidavit.

Armando Lorenzo-Rodriguez, 45, was identified as the one thrown out from the vehicle. Valdemar Lorenzo-Rodriguez, 30, could not be removed before the vehicle caught fire. Both brothers were from Honduras, authorities said. A third person was taken to Laredo Medical Center in critical condition. DPS would identify the driver as Ahumada.

The driver of the Dodge also died. She was identified as Alejandra Torres Flores, 62, a resident of Laredo. An adult and three minors riding in the Dodge were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

In a post-arrest interview, Ahumada admitted that a person hired him to transport migrants in exchange for $100 per migrant. He further admitted he picked up the three migrants from a residence in the 600 block of Morales Street and was transporting them to a location on Calton Road before crashing with the civilian vehicle, according to court documents.

Once medically cleared, DPS charged Ahumada with multiple counts of evading arrest causing death, smuggling of persons with serious bodily injury or death, accident involving serious bodily injury, evading arrest with a vehicle with previous conviction, accident involving death and manslaughter.

Federal authorities would then take over the case. HSI officials encourage the community to report suspicious activity by calling 1-866-348-2423.

crodriguez@lmtonline.com
ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP)  A Vermont woman and her mother have been sentenced in the 2017 murder of a man who was living with the family in their Highgate home.

Erika Guttilla and her mother Carmen Guttilla were both sentenced on Friday to 10 years to life in prison with credit for the time already served since their 2018 arrest in the shooting death of Troy Ford of Brooklyn, New York, WCAX-TV reported.

They stashed the body in a garbage bin for weeks before the remains were moved to a wooded area.

Erika Guttilla pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday and Carmen Guttilla pleaded guilty to accessory to murder.

Erika Guttilla told the court that Ford had taken over their home after trading drugs for a place to stay and terrorized the family. She said Ford had raped her and abused her mentally and physically.

She said she grabbed her mother's gun and shot him while he was sleeping.

I dont think what I did defines who I am, Guttilla said. Psychiatric experts had testified that both women had suffered trauma leading up to the shooting and Carmen said they felt at the time they had no other choice.

I was a mess. I was losing my family. Hed taken everything away from us and I couldnt get it back, Carmen Guttilla said. I dont even know what kind of people we got to be anymore. We werent ourselves.

Franklin County Deputy States Attorney John Lavoie argued that the women had other options besides murder and pushed for the maximum sentence, the news station reported.

Ford's sister, Raquel, questioned why the mother and daughter didn't call the police if what they said was true.

Why did you have to take his life? Now, hes gone, she said. Even after this sentencing hearing, youll still be able to breathe. Youll still be able to wake up, write letters, communicate with your family and friends. I can never see my brother again.
Bob Baffert has been the face of American horse racing for nearly 30 years.

His success on the sport's biggest stages and his shock of white hair make him hugely recognizable, even to the average person who doesn't follow the sport outside of the Kentucky Derby.

He trained American Pharoah to the first Triple Crown sweep in 37 years in 2015. He repeated the feat with Justify in 2018.

In all, Baffert has won a record-tying six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preaknesses and three Belmonts.

But he won't be at Churchill Downs on Saturday for the 148th Derby and it's not because he doesn't have any contenders.

Why is Baffert banned from the Derby?

Churchill Downs Inc. barred Baffert from entering horses at any of its tracks for this year and through mid-2023. The punishment resulted from his 2021 Derby winner Medina Spirit failing a post-race drug test and later being disqualified from that victory in a ruling handed down this year.

Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory medication. It's allowed in Kentucky but must clear a horse's system at least 14 days before a race. It's considered a Class C drug, with a lesser potential to influence performance, but any level of detection on race day is a violation.

At the same time, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission suspended Baffert for 90 days because of medication violations involving the trainers horses, including Medina Spirit.

That means he will miss the entire Triple Crown series: the Derby, Preakness on May 21 and Belmont Stakes on June 11.

Baffert failed in multiple attempts in Kentucky to overturn the track's ban or the start of his suspension, which began April 4.

The 69-year-old Hall of Fame trainer is suing Churchill Downs Inc. in federal court to end his suspension.

Baffert has saddled 34 horses in the Derby  third-most in history  since his first appearance in 1996. Besides his six wins, he's had three seconds and three thirds.

This year will be just the sixth time he hasn't had a horse in the race.

What does Baffert say about Medina Spirit's failed test?

The trainer said the positive test could be explained by an ointment used to treat a skin rash on Medina Spirit. He said a veterinarian recommended an antifungal cream that was applied daily. Attorneys for Baffert and Medina Spirit's owner, Amr Zedan, said urine testing conducted by a New York lab confirmed the colt was positive for the anti-inflammatory not via an injection but because of the ointment used.

Kentucky racing officials have said it doesn't matter how the anti-inflammatory was administered, only that it was present on race day, which isn't allowed.

The colt died in early December after a workout at Santa Anita. Baffert said it was a heart attack. A necropsy failed to pinpoint the cause.

What does his suspension mean?

The 38 U.S. racing states operate on a system of reciprocity, meaning if an owner, trainer or jockey is banned in one state, the others will honor that.

Owners, trainers and jockeys must be licensed in each state in which they compete. Those licenses are issued by state racing boards.

Baffert is based in Southern California, where the rules involving suspensions go further.

Any trainer suspended for 60 days or more is banned from any racing board-licensed facilities. Baffert had to remove the signage identifying his barn at Santa Anita and vacate the premises when his suspension began.

Will any former Baffert horses run in the Derby?

Yes. Messier, the early 8-1 third choice, and early 12-1 shot Taiba are the two Kentucky Derby starters who were previously trained by Baffert.

After Baffert's legal attempts to overturn his ban and suspension failed in late March, some of his horses were transferred to other trainers by their owners.

How did other trainers end up taking over Baffert's horses?

Tim Yakteen, a former assistant under Baffert who has run his own stable for 18 years, is overseeing Kentucky Derby contenders Messier and Taiba.

He has no immediate ties to Baffert and the owners of the horses agreed to the moves. The owners have generally expressed sympathy for Baffert.

Baffert isn't allowed to contact Yakteen during his suspension.

Once Messier and Taiba were transferred, they ran in qualifying races and earned enough points to gain spots in the 20-horse Derby starting gate.

Has Baffert been in trouble before?

Yes, several times, but this is the most severe punishment he's received. His filly, Gamine, tested positive for betamethasone after the 2020 Kentucky Oaks. It's the same substance that Medina Spirit tested positive for after last year's Kentucky Derby.

In the Gamine case, which Baffert didn't appeal, Kentucky racing officials fined but didn't suspend him. The filly was disqualified from a third-place finish and the purse money she earned was forfeited.

In April 2020, Gamine was disqualified after she won a race at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. That same day, Charlatan was DQ's from his victory in the Arkansas Derby. Both horses tested positive for lidocaine, a local anesthetic.

Baffert appealed both cases with Arkansas officials, who initially suspended him for 15 days and disqualified both horses. He succeeded in getting the rulings overturned. The horses had their first-place finishes restored and he was fined $5,000 for each positive test.

Arkansas officials said the positive tests did not impact the horses' performances and that they were the result of inadvertent contamination. Baffert blamed the positive tests on a pain patch worn by an assistant who saddled both horses.

When can Baffert return to racing?

His suspension ends July 2. That gives him time to prepare for the start of the summer meeting at Del Mar, the San Diego-area track that opens July 22.

Last week, a hearing officer recommended a two-year suspension for Baffert in New York for repeated medication violations involving his horses that occurred in other states. The suspension must still be approved by a New York Racing Association panel. If approved, it would go into effect after the end of his 90-day suspension by Kentucky officials.

Baffert plans to contest the ruling that could keep him from entering horses at Saratoga in upstate New York when its summer season begins July 14.

He'll be back in time to enter horses in November at the Breeders' Cup, the two richest days in North American racing. The event is at Keeneland, a Kentucky track not owned by Churchill Downs Inc.
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A man has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a human smuggling attempt that killed two migrants and one civilian in a south Laredo crash that occurred in November.

Abraham J. Ahumada, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants resulting in death. He has sentencing set for July 28 before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. Ahumada faces up to life in prison. Meanwhile, he remains in federal custody.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the U.S. Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

The case unfolded at about 11 p.m. Nov. 13, when a DPS trooper tried to pull over a black Nissan Murano traveling north on U.S. 83 south of Cielito Lindo Boulevard. A pursuit ensued when the driver of the Nissan refused to stop.

The Nissan disregarded a red light and crashed into a red Dodge sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Lomas del Sur Boulevard and U.S. 83. The Nissan then caught fire, authorities said.

Of the four subjects in the suspect vehicle, one person was ejected and died at the scene. Another subject burned in the vehicle fire, states the arrest affidavit.

Armando Lorenzo-Rodriguez, 45, was identified as the one thrown out from the vehicle. Valdemar Lorenzo-Rodriguez, 30, could not be removed before the vehicle caught fire. Both brothers were from Honduras, authorities said. A third person was taken to Laredo Medical Center in critical condition. DPS would identify the driver as Ahumada.

The driver of the Dodge also died. She was identified as Alejandra Torres Flores, 62, a resident of Laredo. An adult and three minors riding in the Dodge were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

In a post-arrest interview, Ahumada admitted that a person hired him to transport migrants in exchange for $100 per migrant. He further admitted he picked up the three migrants from a residence in the 600 block of Morales Street and was transporting them to a location on Calton Road before crashing with the civilian vehicle, according to court documents.

Once medically cleared, DPS charged Ahumada with multiple counts of evading arrest causing death, smuggling of persons with serious bodily injury or death, accident involving serious bodily injury, evading arrest with a vehicle with previous conviction, accident involving death and manslaughter.

Federal authorities would then take over the case. HSI officials encourage the community to report suspicious activity by calling 1-866-348-2423.

crodriguez@lmtonline.com
DALLAS (AP)  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Friday that the state bar association plans to sue him over his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election based on bogus claims of fraud, raising yet another legal danger as the embattled Republican is locked in a primary runoff.

Since last summer, the State Bar of Texas has been investigating complaints over Paxton's petitioning of the U.S. Supreme Court to block President Joe Bidens victory over Donald Trump. The group has not publicly filed a suit against Paxton, but it asked an Austin-area court Friday to impose unspecified discipline on a member of his staff for alleged professional misconduct in the election suit.

Paxton's top deputy, Brent Webster, was dishonest and made false statements in petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn the election, according to the bar's complaint to a Williamson County court. Webster did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Paxton said he stood behind his challenge to the unconstitutional 2020 presidential election, as he blasted the bar and announced an investigation into a charitable group associated with it.

I am certain that the bar will not only lose but be fully exposed for what they are: a liberal activist group masquerading as a neutral professional association, Paxton said on Twitter.

The bar, which is a branch of the Texas Supreme Court, said in a statement that partisan political considerations play no role in its actions. State law prohibits it from discussing investigations unless a public complaint is filed and a spokesman declined to comment.

In bringing a court action against an attorney, the bar can seek punishment ranging from a written admonition to suspension or disbarment. The discipline process resembles a trial and could include both sides taking testimony and obtaining records through discovery.

The bar complaints against Paxton alleged that his petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 election was frivolous and unethical. The high court threw out the case and Trumps own Justice Department found no evidence of fraud that could have changed the elections outcome.

Paxton forecast the legal action against him during the final weeks of his Republican primary runoff against state Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

A two-term incumbent, Paxton drew an unusual number of primary challenges after eight of his top deputies told the FBI in 2020 that the attorney general had been using his office to benefit a wealthy donor. They accused him of bribery, abuse of office and other crimes prompting an ongoing federal investigation.

Paxton has denied wrongdoing and separately pleaded not guilty in a state securities fraud case that has languished since 2015. His defense lawyer, Philip Hilder, declined to comment.

Shortly after saying the bar plans to sue him, Paxton's office announced that it will be investigating the Texas Bar Foundation for its possibly aiding and abetting the mass influx of illegal aliens. The charitable group's board is partially appointed by the bar president.

In a one-page letter the attorney general's office said the foundation has been knowingly giving donations to entities that encourage, participate in, and fund illegal immigration at the Texas-Mexico border." The letter does not name the entities.

The Texas Bar Foundation chair-elect, Alistair Dawson, said in a statement that said she was extremely disappointed to learn of Paxton's investigation but will nonetheless cooperate.

Had AG Paxton taken the time to come and speak with us rather than issue a press release, I am confident that he would have found no wrongdoing on the part of the foundation, Dawson said.

Gary Ratner, an attorney with Lawyers Defending American Democracy, which brought one of the complaints against Paxton, declined to comment. Kevin Moran, a Democratic Party activist in Galveston, who brought another, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.
WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 7, 2022

_____

RED FLAG WARNING

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Lubbock TX

308 AM CDT Sat May 7 2022

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO

10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY

FOR THE SOUTH PLAINS, ROLLING PLAINS, AND EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS

PANHANDLE...

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING

THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE

HUMIDITY FOR THE SOUTH PLAINS, ROLLING PLAINS, AND EXTREME

SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...

The National Weather Service in Lubbock has issued a Red Flag

Warning, which is in effect from 11 AM to 10 PM CDT Saturday. A

Fire Weather Watch is also in effect from Sunday morning through

late Sunday night.

* Wind...Saturday: Southwest 15 to 20 mph at the 20-foot level.

Sunday: Southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph at the

20-foot level.

* Humidity...Saturday: 3 to 5 percent across the Caprock and

Rolling Plains, 7 to 15 percent across the extreme southeastern

Panhandle. Sunday: 3 to 7 percent across the entire area.

* Fuels...Extremely dry.

* Impacts...Any fires that develop can spread rapidly. Outdoor

burning is discouraged.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions

are imminent or already occurring. These conditions can create

rapid wildfire growth.

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions

are forecast to occur. Monitor later forecasts and possible Red

Flag Warnings.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT

THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values between 111 and 115 degrees expected.

* WHERE...Zapata, Jim Hogg, Brooks, Inland Kenedy, Starr and

Northern Hidalgo Counties.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

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
Here is a look at Canada's provincial immigration draws for the week of May 2.

BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan hold new immigration draws Here is a look at Canada's provincial immigration draws for the week of May 2.

BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan hold new immigration draws Here is a look at Canada's provincial immigration draws for the week of May 2.

BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan hold new immigration draws Here is a look at Canada's provincial immigration draws for the week of May 2. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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This past week, three Canadian provinces released their Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw results.

Most Canadian provinces and territories (with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Through these programs, interested candidates may be invited to apply for a provincial nomination. Although provincial nomination is not in itself the same as a permanent residence, it can significantly increase the chances of obtaining permanent resident status. For instance, PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles who receive a nomination get 600 points added to their score. They also become eligible to be invited to apply for a PNP-specific round of invitations.

In 1998, when it was launched, the PNP welcomed only 400 immigrants, but due to its success, it now welcomes more than 80,000 per year. The increase in the number of PNP admissions in Canada is due to the fact that the federal and provincial governments consider it an effective tool to promote the economic development of the country.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Express Entry draws are held every two weeks, with the last one held on April 27 and another one expected on Wednesday, May 11. PNPs have been the focus of Express Entry draws since September 2021. However, Express Entry draws for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are now set to resume in early July. The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Sean Fraser, made the announcement on April 22. At the same time, the Minister stated he expects the majority of new Express Entry applications to again be processed within IRCCs six-month service standard.

By 2024, the number of annual Express Entry admissions will be increased by the Canadian government to over 110,000 immigrants.

PNP invitations issued between May 2-6

British Columbia

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) held its weekly round of invitations on May 3. More than 178 BC immigration candidates received invitations to apply for a provincial nomination.

A total of 141 of these candidates were invited through a general draw. Candidates who received invitations in this draw were from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, and Entry Level and Semi-Skilled subcategories and needed a minimum provincial score between 77 and 123.

The province also held three separate draws for candidates in targeted occupations. A total of 28 early childhood educators who may qualify for the Skilled Worker and International Graduate sub-categories were invited. BC also invited nine healthcare professionals who may be eligible for the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, or the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled sub-categories. In both of these draws, candidates needed a minimum provincial score of 65.

In addition, less than five veterinarians and animal health technologists, and veterinary technicians were invited to apply for Skilled Worker and International Graduate sub-category. These candidates also needed scores of at least 65 in order to be invited.

BC also announced that the BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Base category will be reopened to new intake in July 2022 and that an updated EI Base Program Guide will be released at the same time. The province implemented a pause in the stream in July 2021 to review and adapt the program to current economic needs. The Regional Pilot and the Strategic Projects categories remain open to applications from those interested in investing and establishing a business in BC.

Manitoba

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited 315 candidates to apply on May 5. The invitations were divided across three immigration streams:

Skilled Workers in Manitoba  249 invitations with a minimum score of 651;

Skilled Workers Overseas  34 invitations with a minimum score of 691; and

International Education Stream  32 invitations with no score requirement.

Out of all who were invited to apply, 48 had profiles in the Express Entry system.

Those who want a nomination from Manitoba, need to register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP. Once that step is completed, they will be in a position to receive an LAA through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams.

Manitoba then ranks candidate profiles out of 1,000 points taking into account their human capital factors, as well as their connections to the province. The MPNP then issues invitations to eligible candidates who will be able to submit an application for a provincial nomination.

Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) invited a total of 198 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination on May 5.

In the May 5 invitation round, 106 invitations went to Express Entry candidates and 91 invitations went to Occupations In-Demand candidates. The minimum Expression of Interest (EOI) score requirement was 85 for both categories of candidates, and they needed to have work experience in one of 40 occupations.

In response to the crisis in Ukraine, on May 5 Saskatchewan also issued one invitation to apply for a provincial nomination to a Ukrainian national.

Finally, Saskatchewan issued invitations under its Entrepreneur sub-category. A total of 54 candidates with scores between 90 and 130 points were selected from the EOI pool.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
Elena Kostyuchenko reported atrocities as they unfolded inside Ukraine until Russian censors forced Novaya Gazetaher employer and Russias oldest independent newspaperto halt publication. How did Kostyuchenko gain access to the country her homeland was invading? What did she see there? And how does she view Russias future?

On this weeks Kicker, guest host Keith Gessen, who is a professor at the J-school, a founding editor of n+1, and a contributor to The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, and the London Review of Books, welcomes Kostyuchenko to the latest in his Delacorte Lecture series.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

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Keith Gessen: How did you become a journalist?

Elena Kostyuchenko: We had the opportunity to get a professional education, to learn the basics of a profession. One of the options was journalism. The classes were organized by the local newspaper, and they promised to pay for every published article.

Writing was easier than washing floors, so I went there and started to work. But I cannot say that what I did at the time was real journalism. This newspaper was quite under the control of the local administration. There was a lot of censorship and all that stuff that I didnt see as wrong, because I didnt know any other way to produce journalism.

Then, fortunately, I bought an issue of Novaya Gazeta. It was the last independent national newspaper in Russia. I read Anna Politkovskayas article about Chechnya, and I was totally devastated. And I realized that this was real journalism, and it was here. So I decided to go for it, to Novaya. I finished school. I entered Moscow State University. They gave me a dorm so I was able to move to Moscow. I went to Novayas office and asked them to take me in as a trainee. And they did. I was seventeen. A year later, they made me a staff member. Ive been working there for seventeen years now.

Gessen: And you never met with Politkovskaya?

Kostyuchenko: I did meet her, actually. She was the first person I met at Novaya. When I entered the office, I didnt recognize her. I asked the local people, Who is this beautiful woman? They told me she was Politkovskaya.

We worked at the same time for a year. They took me on as a staff member in April 2006. In October 2006, she was murdered, so we never really had the chance to talk. I mean, we did have a chance to talk, but I was very shy. I was just a trainee. So I thought that one day I would become a real journalist, and when that happened, I would approach her and tell her how grateful I am, and so on. Somehow I thought Id have so much time. Apparently, that wasnt true.

Gessen: She was a very brusque person, right?

Kostyuchenko: No, no, she was never brusque. Actually, she was very kind and intelligent, even tender at some point. But yeah, she had her thoughts and beliefs. At times, she could be furious. I remember that one day she had a fight with Dmitry Muratov, our chief editor. It was crazy.

Gessen: What did you have to learn when you started at Novaya Gazeta? Can you describe what Novaya was in the context of Russian journalism over the last fifteen years?

Kostyuchenko: Well, it was changing. When I started to work at Novaya, I was so proud. When I became a staff member, I was so proud and so happy that I celebrated with my friends, drinking for three days. I couldnt get drunk because there were so many endorphins in my blood.

But when I went to J-school in Moscow and started to share the news that I worked at Novaya Gazeta, everybody was like, Oh, well, not a bad first place to work. Maybe someday youll get into a serious media outlet. Many people were skeptical about Novaya in those days, because the main mood was that we needed to find something beautiful within Russian realitythat our country was getting stronger, that we had this nice young president, Vladimir Putin, who would bring us happiness. Why were we always criticizing him? Whats wrong with us? Why do we always write about Chechnya? Novaya only finds problems, why do we always investigate things? Why cant we just be happy? That was the main mood for a long time.

Writing was easier than washing floors

Also, we had something specific at Novaya, which is why we could work longer than other media. Most independent media outlets were already closed in Russia. In Novaya Gazeta, we dont have an owner. Every staff member has shares, and thats why every position is elected. We elect our chief editor, we elect our editorial board. If we decide to make some changes in our main documents or our main rules, we vote on those, too.

It means that its hard to influence us from the outside. But it also means that we dont have investors, so we were the poorest media outlet. In Russia, we have the smallest salaries. So my colleagues from other media were very skeptical about that. They were like, Why live like homeless people? Why dont you find a nice owner? I dont need an owner; I can do it myself.

And then, in 2014, the annexation of Crimea happened, and the Donbas war started. Many media outlets were closed by their owners, because the owners got phone calls from the Kremlin to close them down.

Novaya was the last independent national newspaper. Then people, and my colleagues, viewed us in a more serious way. The situation was getting worse and worse and worse. When this war started, so many media outlets were blocked, but not Novaya, because the previous year, we had won the Nobel Peace Prize. Somehow that was protection for us for a while, but then we got two warnings from Roskomnadzor, the Russian censorship agency. After two warnings, they can take your license away, so we had to stop operating.

Right now were not operating, but we were able to report on the war for thirty-two days, and I think thats a lot.

Gessen: Before you were shut down, and certainly since 2014, when the situation in terms of press freedoms and political freedoms was getting worseNovaya is not on TV, right? So its reach is limited, right? How did you think of the purpose of what you were doing? You wrote that incredible report from Norilsk about the spill. When youre doing journalism in an authoritarian regime, like in an authoritarian state, where the government ultimately is not responsive to what is reported in the mediawhen it controls most of what is said in the mediawhats the point?

Kostyuchenko: Well, people still need information. And our readers are the bestI mean that. Theyre very different. Even Putin was amongst them. Putin was subscribed to Novaya Gazeta all these years. But there were many nice people too, like schoolteachers, workers, managers, and prisoners.

We kept our print version for so many years because we wanted prisoners to have access to the information. In national prisons there is no internet, so you can get information only from printed media outlets. So we did this for them, mostly. And there are many readers. Our weekly circulation is around four hundred thousand. Our number of views on the website per day before this war was about a million, and when this started, it was about four million, which is comparable to TV audiences.

So we are just trying to be a normal, nationwide newspaper in a not-normal situation. Novaya is not exceptional. Like, if we were publishing in Europe, wed be just a usual media outlet. We do pretty much the same thing they do. But in the Russian landscape, it looks a bit different.

Gessen: Were you surprised that the war started?

Kostyuchenko: Yeah, I didnt expect that. I mean, even then, Putin said in his historical speech that Ukraine was invented by Lenin. I was thinking like the majority. I thought he would send troops into Donbas officially, and once theyre there, he would blackmail the whole world. Like, If you wont agree with me, they are gonna move forward. If you agree with me, I will move them back, or something like that.

I didnt expect that they will bomb Kyiv and other cities. The night the war started, I got a phone call from my friend, and she said to me, Kyiv was bombed. And I asked her, Whos bombing Kyiv?

I cant describe my feelings, because, actually, I have none. Since the war started, I dont really feel many emotions. But, well, everybody was awake already, so we just basically came into the office and started to decide who would go to Ukraine. There were many people who wanted it, but they chose me because I had experience covering war before, I had experience in Ukraine. And Im a girlits easier for girls to work in war than for boys, because nobody takes us seriously.

Gessen: How did you get there?

Kostyuchenko: It wasnt easy. They had correspondents in Kyiv. So they wanted to send me to the south, to Odessa, Mykolaiv, and some other places. And the easiest way was to go to Moldova and try to cross the border on foot. But when I was about to go to the airport, Moldova closed its skies. So I asked them for a ticket to Romania. Its like the next country over. But then they found out that to cross the border there is possible only by ferry, and the ferry stopped operating in war circumstances. So I went to Poland, and tried to cross the border once. Poland let me out, but Ukraine didnt let me in. They said its not possible with a Russian passport anymore. They knew Novaya, they knew who I was, but they were like, We are very sorry. We really want to be able to let you in, but we cannot. So I stepped back. My newspaper started calling Ukrainian officials to explain to them how important it was for us to be present in Ukraine right now. Some of that contacting worked. The next time I tried to cross the border, they let me in.

I was working for like a month and a week. In Novaya, we have a protocol that our journalists shouldnt work in wars longer than two weeks, because then you start to make mistakes. You get this false sense of safety; you think, If I didnt get killed before I wont get killed now, so Im going to be all right. You can never be sure youre going to be all right in a war. But nobody could replace me, because the trick to crossing the border, that phone callit works only one time. It doesnt work again. So thats why I was working till Novaya Gazeta was operating, and when it shut down, I left.

Its easier for girls to work in war than for boys, because nobody takes us seriously

Gessen: So you were in Odessa, Mykolaiv

Kostyuchenko: I was in Odessa, Mykolaiv, KhersonI was going to go to Mariupol, but circumstances changed. Novaya wasnt operating anymore. And I found out that I cannot really go to Mariupol, because the Russian secret services somehow knew I was going to go there, and they had made their precautions, so I wasnt able to go through Russian checkpoints anymore.

Gessen: So what was your experience like, just in those places that you went to?

Kostyuchenko: In which place? In all the places? Its very different. I didnt mean to report from the border, because I was thinking Id just go straight to Odessa. But I felt that the war had started from the time I arrived at the Warsaw bus station, because all buses going to Ukraine were full of men who were going to participate in protecting the country. And it was really impressive. I mean, there was already this document signed by Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, that men between eighteen years old and sixty years old cannot leave the country during wartime. So these men, they all wouldthey knew this was a one-way trip. Like, they wouldnt be able to leave the country until the war ends. And they all went there. An MIT guy, like an eighteen-year-old European student with some fancy specialization, was crossing five countries. When he learned that the war had started, he crossed five borders to get into Warsaw to take this bus. He was calling his mom, but his mom wasnt saying something like, Oh, please dont go to work here, please. No. She was like, Ah, I got your keys, I put them under the rug. So when you come home, you just take your keys.

Across the border, I saw thousands and thousands of women with kids who were staying in front of the border. They wanted to leave the country. And it was really cold. It was a very false spring. Some of the kids were so young. Some of them had real babies. Like a month or two, something like that. I remember a woman who was sitting like that on the ground, and her very, very small baby was laying on her knees. She was trying to protect him from the cold. So my first report was from the border.

Then I went to Odessa, which was about to be stormed by Russian troops. They had already sent some ships to Odessa. But there was a storm on the sea for a few days, and seeing the storm, I guess the people were mining the beaches. So basically, when the storm resolves, the ships couldnt come any closer because everything was mined. So I was writing from there. And then eventually from Mykolaiv, which was half surrounded by Russian troops. They were very close to the city, like thirty kilometers. There was shelling, constant shelling. I saw a lot of dead and wounded people, so many wounded kids. There were so many corpses in the morgue that they didnt have space for them. They basically put corpses one on top of the other, like piles of corpses. I saw two sisters laying on each other: one was seventeen, and the other was three years old, killed by Russian shelling. I saw the guy who was working in the morgue; he looked at them in a very personal way. I was just guessing, but I asked, Did you know them? And he said, Yeah, they are my godchildren. They brought them here and I recognized them.

They basically put corpses one on top of the other

I was also able to document another war crime in Mykolaiv, when Russian troops shot a car with women inside and a red cross on it. This car was delivering teachers for the orphanage. They knew it was a civil[ian] car, they shouldnt need [to shoot]. Three women died. I wrote their stories, too. When I went to Kherson, which was under occupation, it wasnt easy to get there, because the city was blocked. I was looking for a way to go for a few days, and then I found a way to get in and to get out. I crossed the front line twice. And I was lucky to be there, because there were so many things to report about. People were disappearing in Kherson. They were being kidnapped by the Russian army, people like journalists, civil activists, people who had fighting experience in Donbas. They were disappearing, and were kept in a secret prisonI was lucky to meet some people who were able to leave this place, and they described the place they were held. So I was able to find out the exact location of this secret prison and the names of forty-four people they were containing there. So yeah, it was important to report. And yes, I was about to go to Mariupol. But somehow we found out about [the risk] before I got there.

Gessen: What did you do? You said you had been in Ukraine in 2014. What kind of training did you get in terms of what to do in a war situation?

Kostyuchenko: None. When I came here, I was attending the Columbia J-school in 2018, where we did have a training, a good one. And I attended cuny J-school too, so I had another training there. The trainings are nice, but they are not a guarantee of your good work or your safety there. I believe in a more practical approach. I mean, its nice to have training, dont get me wrong. Its better to have some training than to have none. But in 2014, I didnt have any. I worked in some crises. I didnt work in the war before that, but I worked in a couple of revolutions; I worked in the Zhanaozen shooting in Kazakhstan. I had some combat experience.

Gessen: And so how did you keep yourselflike, what are your rules for staying safe when you were there just now, even in the war?

Kostyuchenko: You mean in the war? You cannot be safe in the war. Its like a crazy lottery: You never know what will happen next. If you get lucky, you survive. If youre not that lucky, youre gonna be killed. Its a thing you should understand when you go there. In a war, you make many choices every day. But you never know what choice is right.



For example, in this Ukrainian war, I have a friendhe is Ukrainian, he lives in Moscow and has a daughter in Kyiv. Shes pregnant with his grandchild, and was here when Kyiv was bombed. On Thursday, he asked me, Should I send them to the village? And I said, Sure, sure. Its a good option. And now we know, after Bucha and all that, that villages were the toughest places to be. Luckily his daughter is alive. Shes been evacuated. But she might have died there as many other pregnant women died.

So what do I do [to stay safe]? I try not to provoke people with guns. I try not to scare anyone, because when you scare people, people shoot you. I dont really trust life vests, because they make you heavy and slow, and I dont really wear them. There is another aspect of it, too, like communication problems. When you go to the front line and you see some babushka there, you know, no vest or anything, and youre there with a life vest and helmet and everything, asking her, What do you feel right now?nobody is gonna talk to you this way. So yeah, there are basic rules which you can get from security trainingslike when theres shelling you have to hide, but you also have to choose where youll hide. Thats the actual challenge. You dont have time to choose. You take a very quick look and then you hide, using just your brain. I probably dont have a very good security strategy. Thats fine. It works.

Gessen: You just mentioned thiswhen you were there and talking to people who were really in distress and had lost loved ones, how do you get yourself to talk to them? And how do you justify yourself forcing them to go through that again?

Kostyuchenko: Well, Ive had some experiences of grief in my life. Ive lost some people I loved. And what I know about that condition is that nobody can make you feel worse than youre already feeling. So its not like you should be afraid to approach these people, because you cannot make their pain bigger. When you approachfirst, you have to say that you are sorry for their loss. Because its true. And then you should explain to them why you are approaching them. Like, I know that you lost your beloved ones. And I want to write about who they were. Can you help me with that? People usually want to share things. And then you just should listen. I usually dont ask people questions at all. It might sound strange, but I usually just listen. When you listen to them long enough, they tell you more than they would if you just asked them questions.

Its not like you should be afraid to approach these people. You cannot make their pain bigger

Gessen: When you were talking about crossing the border, and they couldnt let you in because you were Russian and you had a Russian passport, did you feel that you were a Russian journalistan opposition Russian journalist, but still a Russian journalist in Ukraine? Did you feel like it is my country that is invading this country and killing these people?

Kostyuchenko: Yeah, sure. All the time.

Gessen: And how did people there react to you?

Kostyuchenko: They helped me all the time. From the moment I crossed the border. When I was flying there, my bank went under sanctions and my cards were blocked, so I had no money. I had a few rubles. I thought Id change them to Ukrainian hryvnia, but all the exchange points stopped accepting rubles. So I had no money with me, like zero. And then across the border, my sim card stopped working as well, because there was no roaming network with the aggressor country anymore. Id crossed the border, I had no money, I had no connection with anybody. And I had a very heavy bag with helmets and vests, because my newspaper made me carry it with me. I look around and see some guys smoking. I approached one of them. I was like, Can you share some internet with me? And hes like, Who do you need to call? I say, I need to call my office. Im a journalist from Russia. He was like, I can call. So he called Russia and I talked to my editor. Then he was like, Your bag looks heavy. What are you gonna do now? I said, I need to go to Lviv. He told me no cars are stopping around here, so I need to walk twenty-five kilometers. Wow. Im not sure that Id be able to walk twenty-five kilometersit was very cold there, and if you stopped walking youd freeze immediately. But he said hed help me carry the bag. So he took my bag and we walked twenty-five kilometers through the night. And this is how I got by at every point. People helped me to get money, to get connection, to get contacts, to get from one point to another point, to cross checkpoints. They even offered to get me fake Ukrainian documents.

They did it not because they liked me very much, but because they understood why I was there. They understood that I was going to report things to Russia, to Russians. Somehow, they thought that its important for Russians to know whats happening in Ukraine, and what Putin was doing in their name in Ukraine. So they saw me as a chance to speak to Russians, and thats why they helped me all the time.

Gessen: And two of your reports were blocked, right? They were taken down.

Kostyuchenko: Well, in Novaya Gazeta right now, I have four reports from the war. One is deleted according to the new law. The new law is that if you provide information which is different from what our minister of defense is saying, youre a criminal and you can be prosecuted [with] up to fifteen years in prison. For me, its fine. But its not just me [who would be prosecuted], its the whole bunch of people who helped me to publish this reportmy editor, proofreaders, Web designers, everybody. So it was deleted. Another two were deleted a while later, because the prosecutors office sent a direct order to Novaya Gazeta to delete them, according to the same law. But we knew that it would happen. So I was also publishing in another media outlet from Poland, [Gazeta] Wyborcza, which published it in Russian, too. And then reporting started to disappear from our website. A bunch of Russian independent media outlets, which were already blocked in Russia, approached me and asked, Can I republish it? It had this effectyou try to take something from the internet, and it spreads wider and wider. So basically many people read it. You cannot read it on the Novaya website anymore, but you can Google it and read it.

Gessen: You left Ukraine a few weeks ago, yeah? And then did you go back to Moscow? Or no?

Kostyuchenko: No, no. I went to Poland. I got to stay in Europe for a few months. The thing is, when I go back to Russia, most likely I am going to be arrested and prosecuted as a criminal according to this new law. So before that happens, I want to finish some work, pay some debts, and clean my laptop. It will take a while. When thatll happen, Ill go back to my country.

Gessen: Do you feel that what has happened after the invasion, in Russiais that the logical place to which the Putin regime was always going?

Kostyuchenko: I think so, yeah. You know, its easy to say it was obvious, because retrospectively, everything is obvious, right? You look back and it was obvious, but it was the thing we always tried to prevent with our work. We failed, and we probably should have worked more. We probably should have done not just journalism, but more activism. Now, we also have this shitty conversation in Russia that if youre a journalist, you cannot be an activist, because you lose your unique perspective on things. Its such bullshit. But I believed in this bullshit for so many years. I was like, Im a conservative journalist; I should be objective. And if I step into activities, I lose my objectivity. I mean, I was an LGBT activist for a while. But I didnt like that at all. I stopped doing that because of some health problems. Ive always had this illusion that my work is enough. Like I do my work fine, and its enough impact, you know? But it wasnt true, obviously. And, yeah, I feel a lot of responsibility. Its not my fault that Putin started this war, but its everyones fault.

And some of the fault is on Western countries. Because wed been reporting for so many years on whats happening in Chechnya, in Russia, even in Ukraine, in Donbas, and we reported on all these laws, the new laws in Russia, for example, about how LGBTs are officially second-class citizens in Russia. Its called fascism. And weve been reporting about it. But nobody listens. Everybody meets Putin, takes nice photos with him, and keeps buying gas and negotiating [with Russia]. And now you see the result.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Paroma Soni is a CJR fellow.
Lawmakers will soon debate on how much to limit the use of facial recognition technology in Colorado after the state House and Senate passed competing regulations on Friday.

As drafted, Senate Bill 113 would establish several regulations for the use of facial recognition by government and law enforcement agencies, as well as prohibit the technology in schools until 2025. The state Senate approved the bill as is, but the state House voted to roll back the limitations. The two chambers will duke out the differences in the coming days.

Sen. Chris Hansen, the sponsor of the original bill, said he is seeking to limit the use of facial recognition technology because of its high error rate for people of color.

This is a really critical moment with facial recognition technology, Hansen, D-Denver, said. We need to make sure were not having high error rates and putting the appropriate safeguards in the use of facial recognition technology."

Multiple studies have found a racial bias in facial recognition technology. For dark-skinned women, the technology had an error rate of 34.7%, compared to 0.8% for fair-skinned men, according to a 2018 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Similarly, a federal study in 2019 found that Asian and African American people were up to 100 times more likely than white men to be misidentified by facial recognition technology.

Under Hansens bill, law enforcement would be prohibited from using facial recognition to establish probable cause, identify an individual from a police sketch or create a record depicting an individuals actions protected by the First Amendment. Agencies would also need special permission to use facial recognition to conduct surveillance, tracking or real-time identification.

Government agencies that use facial recognition technology would have to notify a reporting authority, specify why the technology is being used, produce an accountability report, test the equipment and subject any decisions that result from the technology to human review.

The House narrowed down the regulations via an amendment that effectively replaced the bill's original language. Under the House version, the bill would prohibit government agencies and schools from executing new contracts for facial recognition services but would continue existing contracts. For law enforcement, the bill would restrict using the technology to instances where they have warrants or court orders.

The bill that came out of the Senate ... was kind of cart before the horse, said Rep. Kerry Tipper, the bills House sponsor who proposed the amendment. We thought instead of doing that, lets just put a perspective moratorium on new facial recognition technology uses.

Tipper, D-Lakewood, said it doesnt make sense to establish the regulations under Hansens bill because the state does not yet know what the best practices are for regulating the technology.

Both versions of the bill would create a task force to assess the states use of facial recognition technology. Under Hansens bill, the task force would work for 10 years. Under Tippers bill, it would only meet for two years. Tipper said the task forces findings would inform future regulations.

The state House passed the amended bill in a 49-14 vote on Friday. The Senate passed the original bill in a 27-7 vote in March. Both chambers must agree on the final version of the bill before it can be sent to Gov. Jared Polis for consideration.

Hansen said he is working closely" with the bill's House sponsors and he intends to bring the bill to a conference committee to advocate for the original version.
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It is absurd to blame China for Russia-Ukraine conflict: Chinese vice FM

Xinhua) 08:44, May 07, 2022

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The accusations on China of taking responsibilities for the Ukraine crisis is absurd, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said Friday.

Le made the remarks when delivering a speech at an online dialogue of global think tanks of 20 countries. He said on the Ukraine crisis, some people made groundless allegations, distorted China's position and tried to make China take the blame for their own actions.

He said some people have twisted the words of the recent China-Russia joint statement and misinterpreted "friendship has no limits and cooperation has no forbidden areas" to mean that China had "prior knowledge" of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and even "endorsed" it. They have therefore concluded that China must be held accountable for the conflict.

"This is absurd," Le said, adding that China is not involved in the conflict, still less the one who created it. So how could China be responsible?

Le noted that the relationship between China and Russia is based on the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties, and it is not subject to the influence of any third party. The description of "no limits" and "no forbidden areas" captures the current state and future prospects of China-Russia ties.

"The truth is, China desires friendly relations with all countries and we never set any limit on cooperation, nor do we see a need to do so," he said.

In response to the accusation that China stood on the wrong side of history for not joining the United States and other Western countries in condemning and sanctioning Russia, Le said since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, China has been committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the principle of indivisible security.

"We have stood for fairness and justice, and made active efforts to encourage peace talks and provide humanitarian aid. China has no axe to grind or any geopolitical agenda on this issue," he said.

Le said for quite some time, the United States has kept flexing its muscle on China's doorstep, creating exclusive groups against China and inflaming the Taiwan question to test China's red line.

"If this is not an Asia-Pacific version of NATO's eastward expansion, then what is? Such a strategy, if left unchecked, would bring horrible consequences and push the Asia-Pacific over the edge of an abyss," he said.

Le stressed that China is committed to peaceful development and seeks harmony, solidarity and cooperation in the region. China has never been a provocateur or troublemaker. It makes no sense to take aim at China. The attempt to "copy and paste" the Ukraine crisis in the Asia-Pacific is doomed to fail.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens list of impossible tasks keeps getting longer.

Despite lofty promises he's made, from the campaign trail through his first year in office, he has limited power to safeguard voting rights or expand the fight against climate change on his own.

And now its become clear that Biden has no good options for preserving abortion access as the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

It's a disorienting and discouraging state of affairs for Democrats, who control both Congress and the White House for the first time in more than a decade.

But the reality is the party holds only the narrowest of majorities in the Senate, and there simply arent enough votes to guarantee abortion rights, especially with the filibuster in place.

Biden's pledge to codify Roe v. Wade into law seems destined for the same rocky shoals where other parts of his agenda, like tax credits for clean energy or legislation that would preempt state voting restrictions, have already run aground.

Perhaps the most succinct explanation came from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., earlier this week.

Were stuck, she said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has scheduled a vote on abortion for next Wednesday, but it's almost certain to fail. Republicans are united in opposition, and a handful of Democrats may not support it either.

The impasse is forcing the White House to reopen its backup playbook  scrounging for ways to make a difference through executive action or regulatory steps while criticizing Republicans for the lack of broader action.

The White House is under enormous pressure to be more forceful and vocal," said Lawrence Gostin, who runs the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law.

But Gostin, who is advising administration officials on next steps, said, Biden needs to stick with winnable battles" by focusing on low hanging fruit.

One of those ideas involves making abortion medication more accessible by mail. The Food and Drug Administration has already eliminated the requirement to pick up the pills in person, and Gostin said the practice will need an aggressive defense as it faces conservative attacks.

The Justice Department has already gone to court over abortion access, suing Texas last year in an effort to stop a law that would ban most abortions.

Another concept, Gostin said, would be allowing Medicaid to pay for travel if a woman can't get an abortion in her own state. Such a plan might run afoul of the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortions, so it would require careful wording.

For example, the policy could say Medicaid would pay for travel for authorized medical treatment if its not legal where the patient lives  making no mention of abortion.

None of these proposals are foolproof, and they will likely face Republican challenges in the courts or through legislation.

Its like whack-a-mole," Gostin said. "Anytime a woman tries to overcome state restrictions, they make them tighter.

These kinds of administrative steps are similar to what Biden has done when other initiatives have stalled on Capitol Hill.

On voting, for example, he signed an executive order intended to make it easier to register, and the Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to protect ballot access.

In addition, Biden included some climate policies in the infrastructure legislation that passed last year, and regulators are strengthening rules on vehicle emissions.

"The president is incredibly proud of what hes already accomplished in 15 months of his presidency," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.

Asked about Biden's struggles on Capitol Hill, Psaki pointed to his long experience as a senator.

He knows and understands it sometimes takes more time than he would like to get your agenda forward, she said.

However, abortion stirs even greater passions than other issues across the political spectrum, and frustration about inaction is bubbling up.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who wants his state to become a refuge for people seeking abortions, said this week that Democrats are falling short.

Where the hell is my party?" he said. Abortion opponents are winning, Newsom added. We need to stand up. Wheres the counteroffensive?

Cecilia Munoz, a senior adviser at New America, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington, said in an interview earlier this year "theres an assumption that the president has a magic wand that he doesnt always have.

She saw that firsthand as director of President Barack Obamas Domestic Policy Council, when the White House increasingly relied on executive actions to make progress toward its goals despite Republican opposition.

I think the advocacy community has gotten used to the idea that there are shortcuts," she said. "But there are no good shortcuts.

Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the expected end of Roe v. Wade will require activists to use different tactics.

The American people are used to relying on the courts to protect their fundamental freedoms," she said. "And now we really have to get folks used to shifting their attention to legislators, members of Congress, legislative bodies. And thats going to be a little bit of a culture shock and a little bit of a shift in the way we think.

Democrats seem likely to lose control of Congress in the November elections, especially with Biden's sagging approval ratings. However, some hope that the Supreme Court decision will fire up their voters.

What youre looking for in politics is an opportunity, said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster. Theres an opportunity that wasnt there before this came out.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, rejected the idea that voters are frustrated by Bidens ability to deliver on some of his priorities.

If we show the fight we need to show ... our voters will come out in large numbers, he said before Biden toured a metal company in his state Friday. He added, They know if we had a few more members of the Senate, a lot of those things they care about would have been enacted.

Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian, compared Biden's situation to President Harry Truman, who was floundering as he ran for reelection in 1948. He turned his campaign into an indictment of a do-nothing Congress, which was controlled by Republicans at the time, and he managed to pull off a narrow victory.

The goal, Beschloss said, is to take a bad hand and play it perfectly.

Biden is trying a similar tack ahead of the midterms, escalating his criticism of other Republican proposals.

He repeatedly points to a blueprint from the National Republican Senatorial Committee that would increase taxes on people at the lower end of the income scale and force federal programs like Social Security to be reauthorized every five years.

"Ive offered a different plan  a plan rooted in American values of fairness and decency," Biden said Wednesday.

And he warns that Republicans won't stop at abortion and could target other rights that were earned through the Supreme Court, such as access to birth control or same sex marriage.

This MAGA crowd"  a reference to Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan  "is really the most extreme political organization thats existed in recent American history, Biden said.

__

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
Just 10 miles from the Rio Grande, Mike Helle's farm is so short of immigrant workers that hes replaced 450 acres of labor-intensive leafy greens with crops that can be harvested by machinery.

In Houston, Al Flores increased the price of his BBQ restaurants brisket plate because the cost of the cut doubled due to meatpacking plants inability to fully staff immigrant-heavy production lines. In the Dallas area, Joshua Correa raised prices on the homes his company builds by $150,000 to cover increased costs stemming partly from a lack of immigrant labor.

After immigration to the United States tapered off during the Trump administration  then ground to a near complete halt for 18 months during the coronavirus pandemic  the country is waking up to a labor shortage partly fueled by that slowdown.

The U.S. has, by some estimates, 2 million fewer immigrants than it would have if the pace had stayed the same, helping power a desperate scramble for workers in many sectors, from meatpacking to homebuilding, that is also contributing to supply shortages and price increases.

These 2 million missing immigrants are part of the reason we have a labor shortage, said Giovanni Peri, an economist at the University of California at Davis, who calculated the shortfall. In the short run, we are going to adjust to these shortages in the labor market through an increase in wages and in prices.

The labor issues are among several contributors to the highest inflation in 40 years in the United States  from supply chains mangled by the pandemic to a surge in energy and commodity prices following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Steve Camarota, a researcher at the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration, believes a spike in illegal immigration under President Joe Biden will make up whatever shortfall lingers from the pandemic. He also contends wage increases in low-paying sectors like agriculture are minor contributors to inflation.

I don't think wages going up is bad for the poor, and I think mathematically it is not possible to drive down inflation by limiting wages at the bottom, Camarota told The Associated Press.

Immigration is rapidly returning to its pre-pandemic levels, researchers say, but the U.S. would need a significant acceleration to make up its deficit. Given a sharp decline in births in the United States over the past two decades, some economists forecast the overall pool of potential workers will start shrinking by 2025.

The immigrant worker shortage comes as the U.S. political system is showing less of an appetite for increasing immigration. Democrats  who control all branches of the federal government and more recently have been the party more friendly to immigration  havent tried to advance major legislation permitting more new residents to the country. A recent Gallup poll showed worries about illegal immigration at a two-decade high. With a tough election for their party looming in November, Democrats are increasingly divided about the Biden administrations attempt to end pandemic-related restrictions on seeking asylum.

At some point we either decide to become older and smaller or we change our immigration policy, said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist and former official in President George W. Bush's administration who is president of the center-right American Action Forum. He acknowledged a change in immigration policy is unlikely: The bases of both parties are so locked in.

Thats certainly the case in Republican-dominated Texas, which includes the longest and busiest stretch of the southern border. The Legislature in 2017 forced cities to comply with federal immigration agents seeking people who are in the U.S. illegally. Gov. Greg Abbott sent the Texas National Guard to patrol the border and recently created traffic snarls by ordering more inspections at border ports.

The turn against immigration distresses some Texas business owners. Immigration is very important for our workforce in the United States, said Correa. We just need it.

He's seeing delays of two to three months on his projects as he and his subcontractors  from drywallers to plumbers to electricians  struggle to field crews. Correa has raised the standard price of his houses from $500,000 to about $650,000.

Were feeling it and, if were feeling it at the end of the day as builders and developers, the consumer pays the price, said Correa, who spoke from Pensacola, Florida, where he brought a construction crew as a favor to a client whose hasnt been able to find laborers to fix a beach house damaged by Hurricane Sally in 2020.

The share of the U.S. population born in another country  13.5% in the latest census  is the highest it has been since the 19th century. But even before Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election vowing to cut immigration, migration to the United States was slowing. The Great Recession dried up many jobs that drew workers to the country, legally or illegally. Rising standards of living in Latin America have prodded more people to stay put  or to return from the United States.

Flores, who runs a chain of Mexican restaurants as well as his barbecue restaurant, said while the COVID-19 pandemic was a bigger shock to his industry, the immigration slowdown has hit it hard  and not just for meatpackers that supply his restaurants brisket. Youve got a lot of positions that arent being filled, he said.

He's steadily raised pay, up to $15 an hour recently. This is a culmination of years and years, said Flores, whos president of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association.

Helle, who raises onion, cabbage, melons and kale just outside the border town of McAllen, Texas, is also paying more to his workers, who are almost exclusively immigrants. People born in the U.S., he says, wont work the fields regardless of the pay.

Before he could find farmworkers just in the region. Now hes joined a federal program to bring agricultural workers across the border. Its more expensive for him, but he said its the only way he can keep his crops from spoiling in the ground.

Helle, 60, has farmed the area for decades. I live 10 miles from the Rio Grande river and I never in my life thought wed be in this situation.
There are people in Connecticut who think the most beautiful song in the bird world is the song of the wood thrush  a flute-like ee-o-lay heard at dawn and dusk in spring and early summer.

Wood thrushes migrate north in May. You can hear them singing in Connecticut well into the summer. But to do so, you have to work harder than you used to. The wood thrush population in the state has fallen by 2.4 percent a year, for 50 years.

Do the math. Thats a 73 percent overall drop. Basically, three out of every four wood thrushes have disappeared from the state.

That would be appalling even if it were an exception. But its not an exception. Depressingly, its become common. In 2019, a report in the journal Science showed that over the last five decades, North America has lost 30 percent of its birds.

Thats 3 billion birds. Gone.

As one of the authors of the Science report, ornithologist Peter Marra of Georgetown University, put it, after a revelation like that, conservationists cant just go back to business as usual.

Luckily, theres a chance now in Washington, D.C., to avoid going back to business as usual. A bill before Congress would provide states with an extraordinary tool to help bring back birds and other wildlife.

Earlier this year committees in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act. This bill is at the top of conservationists agenda and for several years has been supported by members of both parties in Congress.

Its beginnings go back to 2006, when Congress mandated that each state must write a Wildlife Action Plan and submit it for approval to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

But a plan without the money to carry it out is meaningless.

The Recovering Americas Wildlife Act would provide $1.3 billion a year from the U.S. Treasury to a fund to be distributed to the 50 states to carry out their plans. Connecticuts share is estimated at $11.8 million per year.

Most wildlife conservation money now comes from license fees and taxes paid by hunters and anglers. It is spent to protect and increase the number of game animals. The Recovering Americas Wildlife Act would provide money to protect wildlife you cant hunt, including Connecticuts birds.

In other words, the pieces are in place: the need (3 billion birds gone), the blueprints (federally approved state Wildlife Action plans), and the money ($1.3 billion a year).

In Connecticut, it isnt only wood thrushes that are vulnerable. The number of scarlet tanagers  colorful songbirds that nest in the forest canopy  has plummeted by 65 percent. Federally threatened piping plovers are hanging on only through extraordinary conservation efforts. Saltmarsh sparrows seem headed toward extinction within decades because of rising sea level.

Funds from the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act could help all those birds, and many others.

There are broader-scale benefits to passing the act as well. Connecticut Audubon showed in its recent Connecticut State of the Birds report that there is an extraordinary opportunity to improve habitat to both help bring back bird populations and get closer to the states climate change goals.

As explained in Connecticut State of the Birds, about 80 percent of the state has been identified as having high value for birds and high value for capturing and storing the carbon that is responsible for global warming.

It includes vast forests in the northwest and southeast of the state, urban and suburban areas throughout Connecticut, and tidal marshes along the coast.

Protecting and restoring those lands would bring Connecticut almost one-quarter of the way toward its carbon reduction goal.

Funds from the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act could be used for the habitat restoration work that would make that happen.

This is an unprecedented chance to do something that is good for wildlife and also good for people. And it is too important to miss.

Connecticut Audubon has made a strong recommendation in its 2019, 2020, and 2021 State of the Birds reports for passage of the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act.

The time for the U.S. Congress to do so is now.

Patrick Comins is executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Three U.S. tourists have died at a resort in the Bahamas after falling ill, officials of the Atlantic island nation confirmed, and another was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

Acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper issued a statement Friday saying that police are investigating and the cause of death was unknown, though foul play is not suspected.

Their identities were not initially made public.

The health minister, Dr Michael Darville, told Eyewitness News Bahamas on Saturday that some hotel guests went to a clinic Thursday with nausea and vomiting, were treated and left. Three were later found dead. A fourth was flown to a hospital in New Providence.

He said the environmental health scientists, physicians and others were investigating to ensure there was not a public health hazard.

We feel that what we are seeing is an isolated case associated in a particular area, he said, adding that investigators are doing toxicology and blood tests to help determine the cause of the illness.

Cooper was filling in for Prime Minister Philip E. Davis, who was out of the country.

The head of communications for the prime minister's office, Latrae L. Rahming, tweeted that the deaths occurred at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma.

In a statement to People Magazine, a representative for Sandals confirmed the deaths and said the company was actively working to support both the investigation as well as the guests families in every way possible.

There was no immediate further response to an Associated Press inquiry to the hotel company on Saturday.
BRIDGEPORT  A man died Friday from wounds sustained in a March shooting, according to police.

Thomas Asbury, 22, was found shot twice in the torso after officers responded to a report of a person shot around 5:20 p.m. on March 16, Capt. Kevin Gilleran said in an email.

AMR ambulance arrived and transported the victim to Bridgeport Hospital. The Detective Bureau responded to conduct their investigation and process the crime scene, Gilleran said. Mr. Asbury never recovered from his injuries and ultimately passed away last night at Bridgeport Hospital.

The departments Detective Bureau Homicide Squad took over this investigation on April 20, 2022 and are working several leads, Gilleran said.

Anyone with information about this crime can contact Detective Thomas Harper at 203-581-5239 or utilize the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS, said Gilleran. The Bridgeport Police Department offers its condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Asbury.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
AVILLA, Ind. (AP)  A pair of ospreys that nested near live electrical lines atop a northern Indiana utility pole now have a safer home thanks to a utility crew that moved their nest.

Indiana Michigan Power workers installed a new, stand-alone pole Thursday near the nest the raptors had built on a utility pole inches from live electrical lines in the Noble County town of Avilla.
Included in the $24 billion budget passed this week by the Connecticut General Assembly is an unprecedented level of spending of nearly $6 million to fund community gun violence prevention, intervention and aftercare programs. This investment to address the public health crisis of gun violence in Connecticut reflects the hard work of legislative leaders and the Lamont administration, and the support of numerous lawmakers.

Grassroots advocates led by CT Against Gun Violence were also integral to the success, reaching out to legislators and Gov. Lamont by the hundreds, testifying at public hearings and participating in lobby days at the Capitol during the past month. Proving the power of citizen engagement, their message was heard by lawmakers across the state: Connecticut needs to invest more to protect lives, and communities, from the crisis of community gun violence.

Making good on CAGVs call to establish an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, of particular note is $400K from the General Fund that mandates the Department of Public Health to establish an ongoing grant-making program to secure state, federal and other resources to support evidence-informed, community-centric gun violence intervention and prevention programs. The grants will work to address the root causes of gun violence and break the cycles of violence that too often turn deadly because of easy access to illegal guns.

While Connecticut has one of the lowest gun death rates in the nation, it still has an unacceptable level of gun violence which disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic communities in Connecticuts largest cities. Last year, gun homicides reached 118, a 25-year high.

Active community involvement is critical to the programs success, ensuring that the right solutions are brought to bear where they are most needed. This will be achieved by the newly established Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention, an outgrowth of the Advisory Council on Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention championed by Sen. Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) last year. By overseeing the development of grant criteria, the commission will help to ensure American Rescue Plan Act funding of $2.4 million goes to the most effective programs, in the communities hardest hit by interpersonal gun violence, which accounts for the majority of Connecticut homicides. A required annual report by the DPH commissioner to the legislatures Public Health Committee will also help to ensure accountability.

Additional ARPA spending and other funds in the budget earmarked for existing hospital-based violence intervention, violence interrupter and group-violence intervention programs will ensure continuity for existing efforts.

Creating a grant-making capacity for community-based gun violence reduction programs realizes a policy objective that CAGV initiated in 2020, when it launched the CT Initiative to Prevent Community Gun Violence. The CT Initiative is supported by more than 50 national, state and local partners, all of whom share a common goal of allowing residents of Connecticut to enjoy safe and healthy communities, wherever they live.

It is encouraging to see that state lawmakers and the Lamont administration recognize that solutions must go beyond strong gun laws and law enforcement. Those are necessary, but not sufficient, to address the public health crisis of gun violence that is taking so many lives in Connecticut, particularly of young men of color.

Spending on community-based gun violence reduction in the 2023 budget represents a significant increase from past years appropriations. However, reliable, ongoing funding of these programs will be needed to address the systemic issues that underlie much of the violence in urban communities. Since most of the appropriations for FY 2023 come from one-time ARPA grants, more stable sources of funding will be needed to support these programs in FY 2024 and beyond. Beyond the lives saved, funding gun violence prevention is fiscally sound: Giffords estimates that the direct cost to Connecticut taxpayers is around $90 million annually.

Jonathan Perloe, of Greenwich, is director of communications for CT Against Gun Violence.
Inquiries with Rangaraya Medical College authorities at Kakinada confirmed that no professor named Dr. Ashwini Dutt has joined there after getting transferred from Siddhartha Medical College.  DC file image

VIJAYAWADA: There appears no end to anomalies in health department over transfers of doctors, the latest one being a non-existing professor of ophthalmology department in Siddhartha Medical College being transferred to Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada.

Department of health and family welfare issued GO Rt No. 216 dated 23-03-2022 transferring and posting five professors in department of ophthalmology in compliance with norms that those completing five years of duty at a station must be transferred. The GO mentioned the names of five professors. Though there is no issue with others, the GO also listed Professor Dr. Ashwini Dutt , working with Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, as being transferred to Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada.

An assistant professor from the department of ophthalmology in Siddhartha Medical College said, We do not know any professor working in our department by name Dr. Ashwini Dutt, leave alone such a professor being transferred from our college to another college in Kakinada. When we inquired with our senior faculty members about him, they said that no professor by that name ever worked in the college or even retired.

Inquiries with Rangaraya Medical College authorities at Kakinada confirmed that no professor named Dr. Ashwini Dutt has joined there after getting transferred from Siddhartha Medical College.

Rangaraya Medical College principal Dr. D. Narasimham said, No professor by name Dr. Ashwini Dutt has reported to duty at our college so far. There is also no communication from the professor whether or not he would report to work.

Though the transfer of professors is taken up based on norms like preparation of a seniority list, holding departmental promotion committee meeting, counselling, and issue of GO by a competent authority, it is not known how the name of a non-existing doctor found its place in the GO as having been transferred.

Siddhartha Medical College principal Dr. D. Rajyalakshmi said, I have to check with the concerned department whether or not such a professor is working.

Some health personnel disclosed that a joint director cadre official in Directorate of Medical Education prepared the list of five doctors for transfer, including the name of a non-existing doctor. Accordingly, the GO got issued. They underline that this very official has continued to remain in his post without being transferred for a very long time.

Meanwhile, two professors identified as Dr. P. Viswamitra and Dr. V. Murali Krishna have moved out on transfer from Rangaraya Medical College to Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam and S.V. Medical College, Tirupati, respectively. With this, the ophthalmology department in Rangaraya Medical College is left with no professor. There is thus no head of ophthalmology department. This will have a major impact on teaching in the college and healthcare of patients in the attached hospital.
Labour under Sir Keir Starmer has an Englishness problem.

The party has made significant progress since its catastrophic defeat under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019, but a sober assessment of Thursdays local election results should leave the party leadership far from confident about the next General Election.

This is because despite making spectacular gains in London, with notable victories in the former Conservative strongholds of Wandsworth and Westminster, these were not matched across most of the rest of England.

JOHN DENHAM: Keir must sort out Labour's Englishness problem for a chance at No 10

Far from it.

Outside the major conurbations, Labour gained fewer seats than the Greens and fewer councils than the Liberal Democrats.

At first glance this could be interpreted as a rerun of the Brexit Leave versus Remain debate, which created huge divisions between metropolitan pro-EU areas and staunchly anti-Brussels parts of rural England and small towns in the North.

But in fact, the issue goes much deeper.

As a former Labour Cabinet Minister now working as an academic specialising in the relationship between national identities and political behaviour, Ive observed this phenomenon develop over the last decade or so.

On the face it  and unlike in Scotland and Wales  national identity seems to play little obvious part in English elections.

Few voters last week would have been urged by canvassers to vote Labour as the British thing to do, or to vote Conservative for Englands sake.

Yet our national identities can tell us a great deal about who we are, how we see the world and how we are likely to vote. Most people in England would define themselves, of course, as both English and British  and the precise meaning each of us attaches to those two identities will vary.

Hartlepool, County Durham is one of the most 'English' places in England - and Labour needs it

But the more English that voters say they are, the more likely they are to think devolution has been unfair to England.

Indeed, they want political parties to stand up for Englands interests. The want English national democracy and for English MPs to make Englands laws.

Also, Englishness often comes with a strong sense of national sovereignty and a belief in control over our borders  which is one reason why English voters were more likely to vote Brexit.

By contrast, people who see themselves as more British and less English are much less interested in the notion of England and tend to be less patriotic, and far more positive about the EU.

As shown by last weeks results, Labour polls well in the metropolitan, big-city areas, where more British identifiers tend to live.

But to win power, Sir Keir must win over the English vote as well. Sadly, many such voters are unconvinced that Labour shares  or is even fully aware of  the subtleties of this distinct mindset.

Whereas Boris Johnson, largely because he championed Brexit, has appealed more to English voters.

Two decades ago, identity mattered relatively little, and most people considered themselves British. But over the past 20 years, support for the major parties has become heavily skewed by national identity.

In the 2019 election, the Tories cornered the lions share of voters who were more English than British and easily beat Labour among those who regarded themselves equally English and British. Labour, though, mostly won over the more British than English. Polling for the University of Southamptons Centre for English Identity and Politics carried out during the local election campaign let us compare how different national identities voted in 2019 and how they might do so if there was a General Election today.

Labour must reach far beyond its metropolitan, cosmopolitan centres, the ex-minister writes

Labour has gained support across all identity groups. Its share of the more British vote has risen from 50 to 54 per cent, and among the more English from 20 to 26 per cent. But Labour must make more progress among specifically English voters.

In 2019, it got a third of its vote from more British, a third from equally English and British voters  and only 18 per cent from the more English.

Significantly, Labour gets ten per cent of its support from voters who are neither English nor British.

Those vote proportions have barely shifted since.

Sir Keirs problem is that Labour will keep winning votes in areas where the party is already strong, but wont win enough in areas of England outside the big cities and university towns.

The truth is, Tories have a comfortable parliamentary majority of nearly 150 in England and that to form a government, Labour has to win in areas dominated by voters attached to an English identity.

Hartlepool, which chose a Tory MP for the first time last year and saw more Conservatives elected councillors on Thursday, is one of the most English places in England. Its always been unlikely that Sir Keir would win over hardcore English Conservatives, but he must reconvert those working-class English voters who drifted away from Labour after delivering Tony Blair his landslide victory in 1997. These include those who voted Conservative to get Brexit done.

Crucially, Labour has to convince them that the party stands for people like us.

Good economic policies and a vision on how to rebuild Englands public services will be vital, but it is equally essential for Labour to talk to them as people of England.

Failure to speak specifically about England sends a clear signal that Labour is uncomfortable with the idea of England or Englishness.

As an electoral policy, this should be easy. For 20 years, thanks to devolution, English policy has been distinct from that of the rest of the UK. The NHS, local government, transport, childcare, school, college, universities, social care and agriculture have separate English policy and administration.

It would help Labour politicians if they used the word England every time they talk about these services. However, too often they say the country or Britain  as if they dont know where England ends and the rest of the UK begins.

They seem to think mention of England will alienate supporters in Scotland  whereas, in truth, the inability to distinguish between the two is what really annoys Scottish voters.

For their part, the Tories have their own problems. They poll as badly among the more British as Labour does among the more English. As a result, several southern seats, such as Chipping Barnet and Worthing, are vulnerable to Labour.

England London Scotland Wales

Regardless of peoples political preferences, I believe that everyone should be deeply concerned about the way England has become polarised by peoples conflicting English and British identities.

We should worry about how, on the whole, London, other big urban areas and university towns feel British, compared to the much more English towns and rural areas in the North and Midlands.

Since London attracts those who often feel more British than English, and who have influence in the media, voluntary sector, academia and cultural organisations, the risk is that English people feel less fairly represented across the nation.

Shouldnt we worry, too, about the wide chasm between such big-city metropolitan attitudes compared to the very different, more socially conservative, world of much of the rest of England? Wouldnt a healthy England be one in which all parties could appeal equally to all identities?

As for Labour, the issue is simple: it must reach out from its cosmopolitan, urban strongholds.

Above all, it must solve its Englishness problem  or face yet another election defeat.
The annual Met Ball extravaganza, themed this year as Gilded Glamour, drew criticism from those who thought it hugely inappropriate to hold a cavalierly ostentatious celebration of wealth while Ukraine is being battered by Putins army, the cost of living rockets and we face a global fuel crisis. Others, though, pored over the pictures from the ball and found the shenanigans a welcome  and harmless  diversion in these grim times.

The theme referred to the Gilded Age at the end of the 19th Century when Americas old social order  families who could trace their lineage back to the Pilgrims on the Mayflowers voyage from England to the New World in 1620  had their noses whacked out of joint by the nouveaux riches, who rode into town and pretty much bought the city of New York.

The newcomers had made their fortunes quickly on the expanding railways and other industrial advances. And, as anyone who watched parvenue hostess Bertha Russells social climbing in Julian Fellowess recent TV series The Gilded Age will know, too much was never enough.

The annual Met Ball extravaganza, themed this year as Gilded Glamour, drew criticism from those who thought it hugely inappropriate to hold a cavalierly ostentatious celebration of wealth while Ukraine is being battered by Putins army

Bigger has always been better across the pond. So it was a particularly appropriate theme for this years ball because it kicks off a blockbuster exhibition about American fashion.

While we Brits, in our hidebound manner, still have a sneaking fear of people thinking were show-offs, the US remains a land where showing off is the point. Nobody succeeds in the States without displaying all they have. Nobody downplays the size, let alone number, of their homes, nor what they earn, nor their private jets. And as the shenanigans around the multi-million-dollar Nicole Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham wedding showed, the more-is-more attitude is alive and kicking.

The Met gala is a fundraiser for New Yorks Costume Institute. It plays on the fact that spending a huge amount on a table is desirable because it shows you can afford it. Thats a constituent of philanthropy. The dressing up is the decorative side of the business.

Whether or not guests turn up in crazy clothes has no bearing at all on the wider worlds problems. And really, the folderol of the Met Ball is just another costume drama. No more harmful or helpful than the new Downton film or Bridgerton - and a great deal more fun to sit on the sidelines and snipe at.

Cara Delevingne attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala

My big dilemma: do pegs go on the legs?

Switching from one end of the fashion spectrum to another, can we talk about clothes pegs? This might seem trivial, but I am not the only one eager to get the laundry on the washing line rather than in the tumble dryer.

Washing lines are hardly the most glamorous subject, but I love mine. Theres nothing more satisfying than seeing a row of white sheets blowing in the wind. The pegs though? Thats where I get stuck. It seems right to avoid plastic. But how do you prevent wooden ones getting mouldy and staining the whites?

Indeed, the whole operation is a bundle of uncertainty. What is the most effective way to hang trousers  from the waistband or legs? Should you use hangers for shirts? And socks? One peg or two? These things matter.

Are we too woke to like Victoria sponge?

What fun to be a judge for the Queens Platinum Pudding Competition! I would have strong opinions. Foremost would be that puddings must be deliciously indulgent and calorie-laden. The clue is in the word, which sounds weighty and grounded, unlike dessert, which has a lighter, less substantial feel.

Puddings should be wonderfully unhealthy and spoiling  sponges, trifles, suets and pies do the trick. Mousses, sorbets  certainly not.

What fun to be a judge for the Queens Platinum Pudding Competition! I would have strong opinions (stock image)

My vote would go to lawyer Sam Smiths splendid Jubilee Bundt cake, an ornate crown-shaped Victoria sponge (a nod to Her Majestys great-great-grandmother) filled with Dubonnet jam (a nod to the Queen Mothers tipple).

Im prepared to lay good money that its far too old school to win in these peculiarly guilt-ridden times when its become taboo to celebrate anything about Britains past.

The must-buy thats already a has-been

Ive held back from buying a necklace I have been eyeing for weeks.

Luckily, help has arrived in the form of seeing it recommended as this seasons must-buy. Theres no better way to put an item out of your mind than seeing it touted as an objet du jour  stamping it as an incipient has-been that will soon be worn by far too many others.

Green really isnt fashions colour

The fashion industry clearly hasnt got the carbon footprint message. Last week Chanel showed its Cruise collection in Monte Carlo, the previous week Pucci commandeered Capri in the Bay of Naples and next month Dior will be flying the fashion world out to Seville.

Years ago, I was frequently asked if the tradition of hosting huge, expensive fashion shows was likely to continue, and I always said it was unlikely. It was costly, environmentally unsound and illogical.

Clearly I was wrong. Even a global pandemic hasnt made fashion change its polka dots.

So here goes... didnt Sir Keir Starmers wife Victoria, pictured above, look great when she went out to vote last week? Skinny button-down jeans, flaming red blouse, oversize sunnies  casual but not without flair

One Starmer who looks like a winner

It's now thought deeply offensive to comment on a womans appearance, but I think most of us dont mind terribly if its a compliment.

So here goes... didnt Sir Keir Starmers wife Victoria, pictured above, look great when she went out to vote last week? Skinny button-down jeans, flaming red blouse, oversize sunnies  casual but not without flair.

Kudos, I say. Boris made do with a dashing pink lead on Dilyn the dog.

Theres nothing like a dreamy nightdress

I was sent a beautiful white cotton nightdress last week from a collaboration between my old Vogue colleague Ginnie Chadwyck- Healey and If Only If nightwear.

It reminded me how underrated nighties are. Weve all fallen for flopping around in pyjamas. Nightdresses have fallen out of favour and deserve reclamation. Theyre much more comfortable  and simply perfect for holiday breakfasts.
Labour lied. And lied. And lied again. We were in the office to do work, Sir Keir Starmer told TV interviewer Susanna Reid last Wednesday.

At some point, this was in the evening, everybodys hungry and then a takeaway was ordered. It was then delivered into the kitchen of the offices. So this was brought in, and at various points people went into the kitchen, got a plate, and got on with their work.

But they didnt. After months of inexplicable  and increasingly desperate  evasion, obfuscation and deceit, the truth about Beergate can finally be revealed.

I spoke to someone who was one of those  they estimate about 15 people  who were in the Durham offices for the duration of the event on April 30, 2021. And unlike Labours leader, they were clear and open about the details.

At about 7.30pm, Starmer filmed some clips to be used in campaign videos. Once that was completed, he sat down for a briefing with one of his press officers to prepare him for a series of interviews due to be conducted in Hartlepool the next day. Then he and his deputy Angela Rayner appeared via Zoom for an online Get Out The Vote campaign rally. That event ended about 9pm.

Labour lied. And lied. And lied again. We were in the office to do work, Sir Keir Starmer told TV interviewer Susanna Reid last Wednesday

And its at this point that Labour begins to spin its web of deception. According to Starmers account, everyones hungry, and a takeaway was ordered. But theres now compelling evidence that this was not the impromptu decision the Labour leader claimed.

From the beginning, Starmer and his team have wanted everyone to believe their decision to sit down for a curry and a beer was a spontaneous one, taken in the middle of their working day. But it wasnt. It was planned.

According to my source, if wed have been in London we could have ordered food at 7.30pm and it would have arrived by 8pm. But it took ages for the food to arrive. I think it might have arrived late, but the order was phoned through earlier. Im not sure when.

Which matters. On Thursdays Question Time, Labour MP Louise Haigh was asked what the difference was between her leaders meal, and the event for which Boris and Rishi Sunak were fined.

She replied: Well, that was by all accounts pre-arranged, a social event. And as the Prime Minister and his Chancellor found to their cost, pre-arranged social events  however minor  were in breach of the rules.

Starmer and his aides have wanted everyone to believe something else. At various points people went into the kitchen, got a plate, and got on with their work, he claimed. In other words, the eating and drinking and working were conducted concurrently.

On Thursdays Question Time, Labour MP Louise Haigh was asked what the difference was between her leaders meal, and the event for which Boris and Rishi Sunak were fined. She replied: Well, that was by all accounts pre-arranged, a social event;

They were all part of the campaign activity that  at that period in the lockdown cycle  was allowed by law. But again, it was a falsehood. The Mail on Sunday has obtained a copy of Starmers schedule for the day in question. It has a clearly defined entry: 20.40  22.00 Dinner in Miners Hall with Mary Foy.

The curry and beers dont appear to ever be part of the campaigning activity. From the very beginning, they were always supposed to be a standalone, pre-planned dinner with the local Labour MP.

Which is why Keir Starmer and his team propagated a third deception. We were very busy, he told the BBCs Sophie Raworth in January. We were working in the office. We stopped for something to eat, and then we carried on working.

But again, the evidence is clear that they didnt. I asked my source if it was true that after the curry had been delivered, Starmer and his team went back to work. Of course not, the source said. I asked if they were absolutely sure. Im not aware of any work after. It certainly wasnt in any plan or schedule, they reiterated.

Which again is confirmed by Starmers official itinerary. The Mary Foy dinner is followed by one final entry. 22.00  22.15 Walk from Miners Hall to Radisson Blu.

An eyewitness and Starmers own diary confirm he never went back to work after his beer and curry. Instead, he got into his car with his protection officers and returned to his hotel. His staff apparently walked or got taxis.

Im not sure when they all got back, but no one was hanging around at the hall, my source confirmed.

And with that, all the pieces finally fall into place. The seemingly bizarre attempts to play down the scale of the event. Rayner was there, but Labour initially pretended she wasnt. Starmer said he thought he was with about six staff, but my source cites 15, and other sources have said as many as 30.

The strange incident on the House of Commons terrace, when Mary Foy grabbed at Tory MP Richard Holden, and began angrily berating him for asking Durham Constabulary to reopen the investigation.

And the thing that confused me most of all: as the questioning over what happened that evening intensified, Starmer and his team become more and more evasive.

He claimed he had filmed pieces to camera. But no one could provide them.

He claimed to have done other campaigning activity. But no one could even outline precisely what that was.

Now we know why. The reason Starmer and his team failed to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the events of that night was because to do so would have meant admitting they retained a detailed record. And once they had done that, they would have been asked to provide it.

At that point everyone would have seen the Mary Foy dinner. They would have seen no one was scheduled to go back to work after the dinner.

They would have seen, in other words, that Labours explanations about exactly what happened that night were a tissue of lies.

This morning, Starmer is calling on people to be patient, and give Durham police time to conclude the investigation they have reopened after receiving significant new information. But back in January, he adopted a rather different stance.

Honesty and decency matter, Starmer opined, after the Metropolitan Police announced they were commencing an investigation into Boris Johnsons lockdown breaches. After months of denials, the Prime Minister is now under criminal investigation for breaking his own lockdown laws. He needs to do the decent thing and resign.

Rayner wrote: What a reflection on the man who holds the very highest office in our country. Yet still he feels he can hang on? A complete disgrace.

Well, if Johnson does feel he can hang on, this is why. That beer the Labour leader swallowed last April is poisoning him. The voters will forgive many things. But hypocrisy  or even worse, self-righteous hypocrisy  is politically toxic.

And Starmer is already toxic enough. Despite the best efforts of Labours spinners, Thursdays election results represented another dismal mid-term Labour showing. Further erosion of the Red Wall. Minimal gains in the South and South East. A series of pyrrhic triumphs in its London bastion.

And that was before Durham Constabulary came knocking. Now all Starmers portentous words are going to come back  not so much to haunt him, as descend on him like avenging furies.

Trust. Honesty. Decency. Transparency. These were supposed to form the foundation of Starmers leadership, and ultimately, premiership. A foundation that, through his own stupidity, is splintering beneath his feet.

What has he been thinking these past few weeks? As the questions mounted, and the lies were compounded, why didnt he call a halt, and just tell the truth?

How has he failed to learn the lesson of Johnsons own Partygate defenestration? And remember the cast-iron political rule: its never the offence, its the cover-up.

On the first anniversary of his election as Labour leader, Starmer was asked what qualities he shares with his great political rival.

I dont want to be Boris Johnson, he said. Im not like Boris Johnson in any respect. Theres almost nothing we have in common.

There is now, Sir Keir.
Some of London's top chefs have come to the defence of garlic after dozens of New York restaurants banned the vegetable because it leaves customers 'smelly and gassy'.

Asimakis Chaniotis, the Executive Chef of the Michelin-starred Pied a Terre in Fitzrovia, branded garlic 'essential' and 'the basis' of many dishes while Jack Croft, Co-Owner and Chef Patron of Fallow - another restaurant in the Michelin Guide described garlic as a 'staple' of his kitchen.

The comments come as Thomas Makkos, the owner of Italian restaurant Nello on New York's Upper East Side removed garlic from his menu.

'People always complained that it was smelly and gassy. Finally, I made the decision to get rid of it all together, and my customers thanked me,' he told the New York Post.

Celebrity hotspot Cipriani in New York has banned garlic - with the owner saying its 'too overpowering'

Makkos told the newspaper he banned it in 2020 while customers were wearing facemasks and complaining about 'breathing in their own bad breath'.

Other NYC Italian restaurants including Fasano and celebrity hotspot Cipriani have also removed the ingredient.

Nicola Fedeli, the executive chef of Fasano said that in Italy, garlic is use to perfume rather that 'accentuate flavours' and says that 'mincing garlic' is not authentic.

'It is used in an exaggerated way that takes away from the purpose of the dish and has left many unhappy about its presence in the process,' he said.

While Arrigo Cipriani said that 'garlic has never been a part of Cipriani cuisine,' because 'nothing should be overpowering, and real flavours should not be covered by a strong taste that's difficult to digest'.

But top London chefs have insisted they will never get rid of the ingredient, which they describe as 'the back bone of cooking'...
Stylists have revealed how a white suit has become a new must-have for royals after Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton and former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg all wore the ensemble in recent weeks.

The Duchess of Cambridge, 39, appeared to kick off the trend during her tour of the Caribbean in March, when she was dazzling in the 1,370 fresh white jacket with matching 575 trousers by Alexander McQueen.

Weeks later, the Duchess of Sussex, sported a 3,200 Valentino white suit as she stepped out at the Invictus Games in The Hague.

And earlier this week, both Tessy Antony De Nassau and Princess Isabella of Denmark stepped out in white ensembles for different events.

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White told FEMAIL the suit has become a 'timeless piece' which gives off a 'powerful and successful look', saying: 'I feel that with spring in the air, the trouser suit is becoming a staple and go to outfit.

Stylists have revealed how a white suit has become a new must-have for royals after Meghan Markle (left) and Kate Middleton (right) were among those to wear the ensemble in recent weeks

'Sometimes, suits can be seen as powerful and give off a successful look and feel, even sometimes can be seen as having it all together. This look has been worn by many celebrities, models and royals.'

She continued: 'I feel at the moment the white suit is having a moment, because it is perfect for the spring and summer time of year and can be matched with various colours to switch up the look and feel of the outfit.

'The colour white, ivory or cream suits many skin tones and is flattering due to the light reflecting off it.

'A white suit is a timeless piece and I feel that these looks have been picked for that reason.'

Former Princess Tessy from Luxembourg shared a snap of herself wearing an all-white ensemble earlier this week on Instagram

Meanwhile Rochelle also suggested the trouser suit could be a versatile piece for anyone's wardrobe.

She explained: 'There are many ways to rock a suit. I feel that some of most popular looks are casual for daytime, more relaxed and can be worn with flats and trainers.

'Or it could also be a smart and elegant look, with a nice shirt or top and heels. For an evening or event look, pair it with a top which has a more silky or satin finish.'

The Duchess of Cambridge proved she was the queen of coordination when she stepped out in a white suit during her tour of the Caribbean earlier this year.

Kate opted for a 1,370 fresh white jacket with matching 575 trousers from Alexander McQueen during a meeting with the Prime Minster of Jamaica.

Princess Isabella of Denmark celebrated her confirmation day in spectacular style by donning her mother Mary's iconic white pantsuit and Queen Alexandrine's pearl and diamond brooch

Meanwhile she matched her 249 vibrant orange blouse from Ridley London, which was described online as 'elegant but relaxed', with a matching orange 229 handbag from Willow Hilson Vintage - a Cheltenham-based boutique.

Kate has a close affiliation with Alexander McQueen having worn the British fashion house's designs on notable occasions, most famously to her wedding in 2011.

Online, the blazer is described as 'a testament to Alexander McQueen's expert tailoring skills' with 'strong shoulders'.

The designer describes it as 'perfect for a city hall wedding.'

Days later, the Duchess of Sussex sported a double-breasted wool blazer costing 2,100 which she paired with high-waisted pair of trousers costing 1,100.

She daringly opted not wear a top underneath.

Seen it before: Princess Mary wore the same Max Mara blazer in 2017 during a visit to Stockholm, Sweden

Showing off her penchant for co-ordination, Meghan added gold embellishments to the clean cut look.

Going to Valentino all round, she wore a 2,200 off-white bag from the Italian designer. She also accessorised with a golden 'Love pendant' by designer Sophie Lis, which refers to a French poem about enduring and growing love.

The necklace, first worn by Meghan in 2020, is made by designer Sophie Lis, carries the engraving 'Qu'hier' after a diamond encrusted plus sign, and 'Que Demain' followed by a ruby minus sign.

The reference is an an ode from the 19th century French poet Rosemonde Gerard which translates to: 'Every day I love you more, more than yesterday less than tomorrow.'

Adding an edge to the look, she also opted for a golden chain around her hand.

Kate Middleton appeared to kick off the trend when she stepped out in a stunning white outfit with a 249 vibrant orange blouse from Ridley London during her tour of the Caribbean earlier this year (left and right)

The mother-of-three beamed for snaps alongside Prince William as the royal couple met with the Prime Minister

She completed the look with a pair of towering heels from Aquazzura, which she first wore to her wedding in 2018.

Meanwhile Princess Isabella of Denmark celebrated her confirmation day in spectacular style by donning her mother Mary's iconic white pantsuit and Queen Alexandrine's pearl and diamond brooch.

The Danish royal family assembled on Saturday at Fredensborg Castle Church in Fredensborg, Denmark, to herald the special occasion with Crown Princess Mary, 50, and Prince Frederik, 53, joined by their four children Christian, 16, Isabella, 15, and twins Josephine and Vincent, 11.

Hobart-born Mary looked every inch the royal in an amaranth-coloured gown for the event, but it was Princess Isabella in a borrowed Max Mara blazer and brooch belonging to the late Queen that held the attention of her peers.

Reigning high in the style stakes! Meanwhile Meghan Markle looked effortlessly cool in the white suit as she joined Prince Harry at The Hague last month

Meghan, who was earlier sporting a camel coat, appeared to hand it off to an aide as she travelled through the stadium

The teenage Princess is currently third in line to the Danish throne after her father and elder brother Christian.

According to the Danish Royal family's official Instagram account 'Isabella was confirmed today by royal confessor, bishop Henrik Wigh-Poulson.

'Over the past 100 years, Fredensborg Castle Church has been used for several Ecclesiastes for members of the royal family.

'Especially, the church has formed the framework for royal confirmations. Thus it was also in this church that both Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince were confirmed in 1955 and 1981 respectively and most recently His Royal Highness Prince Christian in 2021.'

Meanwhile Former Princess Tessy from Luxembourg shared a snap of herself wearing an all-white ensemble earlier this week on Instagram.

Posting the snap, she simply wrote: 'Happy Monday!'
Stephanie Kelly's happier - and 'healthier' - than she's ever been.

The 26-year-old from Sydney is planning her wedding to fiance Adam Tompkin, the pair have just purchased a piece of land and her new 'mum car' - a BMW X3 M Competition - sits proudly in the driveway.

The sprightly blonde bombshell will also be walking at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week's 'Future of Fashion' on Wednesday, an invitation she was extended after a chance encounter with the organisers.

It's a welcome run of good luck for the chronically ill young woman who has almost spent more time in hospitals, surgery rooms and ICU than she has outside of those stark white walls.

Not only was Stephanie born with a multitude of life threatening heart conditions and a potassium wasting disorder that saw her spend her teenage years in a wheelchair, but a horror car accident in 2018 left her stomach and intestines 'paralysed' - forcing her to be fed by a tube for 16 hours a day.

The 26-year-old from Sydney is planning her wedding to fiance Adam Tompkin, the pair have just purchased a piece of land and her new 'mum car' - a BMW X3 M Competition - sits proudly in the driveway

Not only was Stephanie born with a multitude of life threatening heart conditions and a potassium wasting disorder that saw her spend her teenage years in a wheelchair, but a horror car accident in 2018 left her stomach and intestines 'paralysed'

'I was the first diagnosed case of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) at the Sydney Royal Children's Hospital,' she told FEMAIL of the condition that affects your blood flow.

For Stephanie the disease meant she couldn't stand up without fainting for years, and resigned herself to rehab and a wheelchair while doctors frantically tried to find the right concoction of medication that would allow her to stand unaided.

She was also diagnosed with heart complications like Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and Atrial fibrillation (AF) as a young child, both of which saw her ending up needing a defibrillator 'more times than she could count'.

'I would be sleeping... doing nothing and suddenly my heart would be beating at 200 beats a minute,' she said. 'They had to use these medications that stop your heart'.

Stephanie was such a firm fixture at the children's hospital until she was 17 that the young woman was granted a 'Make A Wish' by the Starlight Foundation. She settled on a trip to Perth with her mum over a 'crowded' encounter with her teen crush at the time, Justin Bieber.

'I would be sleeping... doing nothing and suddenly my heart would be beating at 200 beats a minute,' she said. 'They had to use these medications that stop your heart' (Pictured with Adam)

She was also diagnosed with heart complications like Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and Atrial fibrillation (AF) as a young child, both of which saw her ending up needing a defibrillator 'more times than she could count'

After finishing school in the hospital and working with a renowned doctor on her POTS, Stephanie was finally able to stand again in 2013.

With the world at her feet the remarkable woman chose to study nursing to give back to the professionals who had been her constant support for so long.

She got a job at Westmead Children's Hospital in 2014 after completing her assistant nursing course. Then came TAFE to study as an enrolled nurse before she landed her dream job in 2016 at the children's hospital she grew up in.

'I was quite well during this time, I was sort of used to it. I didn't have any heart surgeries while I worked,' she said.

Stephanie was studying to become a registered nurse in March 2018 when a fateful trip to Max Brenner with Adam after work one night saw another driver T-bone their car at a roundabout. The car slammed into her on the passenger side.

She got a job at Westmead hospital in 2014 after completing her assistant nursing course. Then came TAFE to study as an enrolled nurse before she landed her dream job in 2016 at the children's hospital she grew up in (Pictured on the wards second in from the right)

'It basically means your stomach and intestines can no longer absorb nutrients like they used to. They're asleep, or paralysed. I was given a number of types of feeding tubes - NJ, GJ, G and J - but ultimately I was losing too much weight to sustain just these measures,' she said

'I immediately remember having no feeling in my left arm and feeling really sore around my ribcage. It was a whirlwind of a year from then,' she said.

Stephanie had a left brachial plexus injury, two slipped discs in her neck and a twisted ribcage after the accident, seeing her return to the familiar white walls of the hospital once again.

She was on medication for nerve pain for 18 months before doctors started to note down peculiar symptoms she was experiencing: vomiting, a lack of hunger and terrible stomach pain.

'I was losing weight extremely fast. I was 75 kilos after the accident, went down to 65 in a month, and then 60,' she said.

The young nurse was eventually diagnosed with Gastroparesis and Intestinal Failure, a rare result of the nerve medication coupled with her pre-existing medical conditions.

'It basically means your stomach and intestines can no longer absorb nutrients like they used to. They're asleep, or paralysed. I was given a number of types of feeding tubes - NJ, GJ, G and J - but ultimately I was losing too much weight to sustain just these measures,' she said.

'I was so depressed after that. Adam and I ended up doing a 30-hour round trip to Adelaide to pick up our poodle Oatley, which did end up making me feel a whole lot better,' she said

Stephanie got engaged to Adam in November last year. They plan to wed in mid next year

In 2020, just after Covid hit and hospitals were essentially locked down from the rest of society, doctors decided Stephanie would need a TPN, or total parenteral nutrition, which is a method of feeding that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract.

'I knew what a TPN was, I'm a nurse after all. I wasn't totally sold on the idea at first because it can lead to metabolic issues and even sepsis later on,' she said.

'So I agreed to do it in the hospital rather than at home because it would mean I'd spend two weeks in hospital out of every month, rather than having to use the tube every day.'

Stephanie did gain some much-needed weight after her first TPN stint but unfortunately the kilos would fall off as soon as she left the hospital room. It was an uphill battle for months.

She lost her gall bladder to sepsis after a particularly nasty infection entered her central line and was starting to give up on ever feeling 'better' again.

'I was so depressed after that. Adam and I ended up doing a 30-hour round trip to Adelaide to pick up our poodle Oatley, which did end up making me feel a whole lot better,' she said.

Stephanie can still eat certain foods with her family and friends but she has to empty the contents of her stomach using a special tube because it won't be absorbed

At the beginning of 2021 Stephanie agreed to having her TPN at home, which involves hooking up the fluid to a Hickman line in her chest for up to 16 hours a day.

'I use the IV pole when I'm at home but I also have a backpack I can carry around with the liquid in it, so I can go out while it's working,' she said.

Stephanie can still eat certain foods with her family and friends but she has to empty the contents of her stomach using a special tube because it won't be absorbed.

'I'll eat for the social and mental aspect of it, not because it provides me with any nutrition,' she explained.

'It's funny because I'm technically the sickest I've ever been but I'm also the most stable I've ever been.'

While her goal isn't to be on TPN forever - she hopes further research will result in a better method in time - Stephanie is using her platform on social media - and at the upcoming fashion show - to show how 'tubies' can live a fairly normal life and thrive.

'I'm hoping my journey will spread awareness and promote diversity and inclusivity by showing everyone that I can live a normal, wholesome life even with medical devices,' she said.

'There are so many young men and women who have these devices, that are consumers in fashion, beauty and tech. More importantly there are so many children who have feeding tubes, central lines, wheelchair users, amputees and much more.

'I think that people from all walks of life should be represented in mainstream media.'

You can find Stephanie Kelly on her Instagram page or on TikTok.
The Duchess of Cambridge's team is hiring a new personal assistant - and they need to be well-versed in Kate's charity work.

According to a job advert posted on LinkedIn, Kensington Palace is on the hunt for a personal assistant to the assistant private secretary to Kate Middleton.

The ideal candidate would have previous secretarial experience and 'excellent' communication skills.

They also need to have a keen interest in the royal's charitable work.

The role, based in Kensington Palace, pays at least 27,500 per year for 37.5 hours a week.

More than 200 people have already applied for the position which was first listed three days ago.

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) is recruiting a personal assistant to support her Assistant Private Secretary at Kensington Palace

The advert says the personal assistant role is an 'exciting' opportunity to join the PA team, who are involved in supporting preparations for the events Kate attends.

Responsibilities listed include organising travel arrangements, taking minutes at meetings and supporting the events and visits team.

The successful candidate will also be involved in diary management and correspondence.

The person needs to work well under pressure, and have knowledge of the "the diversity of communities in the United Kingdom, in the Commonwealth and worldwide".

In a description of the role, the advert says: 'The Household of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge supports the official and charitable work of Their Royal Highnesses.

'This is an exciting opportunity to join our PA team in support of the Assistant Private Secretary to HRH The Duchess of Cambridge (APS).

'This role will provide wide-ranging administrative and operational support to the Assistant Private Secretary.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte) are looking for an employee with secretarial experience to work 37.5 hours per week

The 27,500-a-year personal assistant role comes as the Royal Family prepare for a busy summer including the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

'The Household believes that the diversity of modern society is its greatest asset. We reflect this in policies to attract, employ and reward the very best talent, regardless of gender, race, ethnic or national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or age.

'Our recruitment process enables us to recruit from the widest available pool with an approach which is fair, open and accessible.

'It's important to us that all employees are able to contribute to their maximum potential and that we can draw strength from our diversity. That's why were continuing work to make our organisation diverse and inclusive.'

The role based at Kensington Palace comes as the Royal Family prepare for a very busy summer with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attending the Glade of Light Memorial in Manchester later this month.
VIJAYAWADA: The plant of private pharma firm Porus Laboratories at Akkireddygudem in Musunuru mandal of Eluru district has been shut down safely after neutralising chemicals, gases and other chemical waste on the factory premises.

Out of five production blocks from A to E, only two  B and D  had been working when the blast in a reactor of the Porus plant late on the night of April 13 claimed nine lives. Since then, authorities have sent stocks of chemicals and gases like methylamine, phthalic anhydride, which remained unaffected, to their places of origin. Further, contaminated chemical waste generated following the blast has been transported to Ramky in Parawada of Visakhapatnam for safe disposal in a scientific manner, while complying with all standard protocols.

With all chemicals vulnerable to reactions neutralised or transported for safe disposal, workers at Porus Labs are cleaning up the premises.

A senior factories department official said, The plant has almost been safely shut down by moving out all chemicals and gases after neutralising them. All contaminated chemical waste following the reactor blast has been transported to Ramky for safe disposal. This is a temporary exercise. The state government is yet to take a final decision on shutting down Porus Labs on a permanent basis or allow it to operate after complying with safety norms.

The majority of Akkireddygudem villagers want Porus Lab shifted from the place permanently owing to the health hazards it poses. But the state government is yet to take a final decision. It has not released the report of inquiry it conducted into the mishap at the plant. Sources indicate the blast is due to human error. In that case, several questions arise as to why the firm did not resort to automation so that the element of human error could be removed.

The plant was inspected thrice from 2020 to 2022 by department of factories, an inter-departmental team of officials after LG Polymers mishap on May 7, 2020, and a third-party safety audit. Yet, the mishap took place. This indicates that inspections lacked seriousness in ensuring that the plant management complied with all safety norms scrupulously.
A World War II nurse who served on the front lines celebrated her milestone 100th birthday this week by going skydiving for the first time.

Raymonde Sullivan, of Sebastian, Florida, courageously leaped into the next decade of her life when she jumped out of a plane at Sky Dive Sebastian on Monday.

'I had never done it, and Ive done a lot of things in 100 years, so I thought I must do it while I can,' Sullivan told the local NBC affiliate WPTV.

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Raymonde Sullivan, of Sebastian, Florida, celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday by going skydiving for the first time

Sullivan, who was born in England, told local NBC affiliate WPTV she had 'done a lot of things in 100 years,' but she had never gone skydiving

'Its scary,' she said after her first tandem skydive. 'I would say it is.' When asked if she would do it again, she gave a resounding no

Footage from the adrenaline-pumping moment shows the centenarian strapped onto the chest of a skydiving instructor as they jumped out of the aircraft.

Sullivan had a glorious view of the Florida coast as she floated toward the ground after her parachute deployed.

'Its scary,' she said after her first tandem skydive. 'I would say it is.'

When asked if she would do it again, she didn't hesitate with her answer.

'No,' she said with a laugh. 'No.'

Footage from the adrenaline-pumping moment shows the centenarian strapped onto the chest of a skydiving instructor before they jumped out of the aircraft

Sullivan had a glorious view of the Florida coast during her first and last skydive

After Sullivan landed, she continued her birthday celebrations by enjoying a rum and coke with her friends and family at The Castle in Fort Pierce

Sullivan might be one and done when it comes to skydiving, but the English-born nurse has no shortage of courage.

While serving in the medical corps during World War II, she treated soldiers on the battlefield and helped carry them to field hospitals, according to WPEC.

Ahead of her 100th birthday, she told her friends she was going to go skydiving, and she kept her word.

After Sullivan landed safely, she continued her birthday celebrations by enjoying a rum and coke with her friends and family at The Castle in Fort Pierce.
Princess Anne wrapped up warm in an oversized green raincoat as she planted a tree at a 'world class' wildlife park in the Scottish Highlands.

The Princess Royal, 71, is seen digging a small hole for the sapling in photographs released today by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

She visited the new Wildlife Discovery Centre while on a trip to the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie.

Anne wore an oversized, army green raincoat for the occasion, fastened over red turtleneck and paired with sleek black boots and leather gloves.

Her hair was styled in its typical chic fashion, while the Princess Royal opted for a dainty pair of earrings.

The Princess Royal, 71, is seen digging a small hole for the sapling in photographs released today by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)

The RZSS said Anne learnt more about the Wildlife Discovery Centre on her trip to the wildlife park, which will feature learning and conservation hubs.

Chief executive, David Field, said it was 'wonderful' to be able to 'share our exciting plans' with their royal patron.

Speaking about developments at the Highland Wildlife Park, he said: 'So much has happened over the past five decades, from polar bear cub births to pine hoverfly releases, and there is even more to come.

'With the support of our community, we have an incredible future ahead of us.'

With the new discovery centre, he said: 'Our aim is to create a truly special, world class experience which will play a pivotal role in inspiring more children, young people and local communities to protect and connect with nature and wildlife.'

She made a visit to the new Wildlife Discovery Centre while on a trip to the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie

Anne wore an oversized, army green raincoat for the occasion, fastened over red turtleneck and paired with sleek black boots and leather gloves

The visit comes as the Queen's daughter is predicted to replace her youngest nephew, Prince Harry, in a senior military role, despite approaching 71.

Princess Anne is to make military history by becoming the first woman ever to head the Royal Marines.

Prince Harry held the post for less than two years, but was stripped of the prestigious Royal Marines job after marrying Megan Markle and moving to the USA.

The Princess Royal currently holds the honorary title of Admiral in the Royal Navy, but her new role is expected to be announced in August after officially being endorsed by the Queen.
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Princess Charlene looked solemn today as she appeared at an official engagement with her husband Prince Albert of Monaco for the second consecutive week.

The royal couple were joined at the Sainte Devote Rugby Tournament - which Princess Charlene was co-hosting - by their seven-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques.

Charlene, 44, has rarely been seen with Albert since she spent some 10 months in South Africa last year. She contracted a serious sinus infection on a charity trip, which left her hospitalised and delayed her return to Monaco.

She returned home in November, but left almost immediately for Switzerland to receive treatment for 'exhaustion'.

Today's photos mark the second time the Monaco royals have been seen in public together as a family since Charlene returned to the principality following her treatment.

Princess Charlene looked solemn today as she appeared at an official engagement with her husband Prince Albert of Monaco for the second consecutive week

The royal couple were joined at the Sainte Devote Rugby Tournament - which Princess Charlene was co-hosting - by their seven-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques

Charlene, 44, has rarely been seen with Albert since she spent some 10 months in South Africa last year. She contracted a series sinus infection on a charity trip, which left her hospitalised and delayed her return to Monaco

Throughout the outing - a rugby tournament for under 12s - Charlene doted on her two children, and was pictured with Gabriella sat on her lap for part of the event

The family attended the Monaco E-Prix last weekend, with Charlene's return to public life described as "an event awaited in the principality for many, many months".

Today, the royal was pictured wearing a navy blue midi dress, with an open button collar and a tie-waist detail. She paired the chic dress with simple, black sling back kitten heels, and wore her platinum blonde hair swept back.

Charlene opted for simple make-up and dainty, silver earrings for this afternoon's engagement.

Throughout the outing - a rugby tournament for under 12s - Charlene doted on her two children, and was pictured with Gabriella sat on her lap for part of the event.

Charlene has faced a variety of health problems in recent months, including what the palace has previously referred to as a 'state of profound general fatigue', 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'.

Princess Charlene and her seven-year-old son Prince Jacques watch the rugby tournament for under 12s in Monaco

The royal was pictured wearing a navy blue midi dress, with an open button collar and a tie-waist detail. She paired the chic dress with simple, black sling back kitten heels, and wore her platinum blonde hair swept back

Charlene (seen above with her husband and children) opted for simple make-up and dainty, silver earrings for the occasion

Charlene has faced a variety of health problems in recent months, including what the palace has previously referred to as a 'state of profound general fatigue', 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

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.

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.

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

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'

Princess Charlene stays close to her two children, seven-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella, durning the event

The royal shook the hand of a participant in the Sainte Devote Rugby Tournament in Monaco earlier on Saturday

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.'
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Glamorous racegoers weren't dampened by the gloomy weather as they arrived in all their finery for the final day of Ascot's May Racing Weekend this afternoon.

Guests pulled out all the stops in colourful ensembles as they attended the second and final day of the much-anticipated Berkshire horse racing event, known as the Victoria Cup.

As is typical of the races, many of those in attendance decided to wear a statement headpiece for the festivities, while others dressed far more casually in simple dresses and platform boots.

Racegoers were clearly ready for the glorious spring weather predicted for this weekend - but the Berkshire race ground was gloomy and overcast.

That didn't stop the chic attendees of this weekend's event from showing off their dazzling dresses, and sipping champagne with their friends and family as they waited for the races to kick off.

Glamorous racegoers weren't dampened by the gloomy weather as they arrived in all their finery for the final day of Ascot's May Racing Weekend this afternoon

Guests pulled out all the stops in colourful ensembles as they attended the second and final day of the much-anticipated Berkshire horse racing event, known as the Victoria Cup Day

Some guests dressed casually in simple dresses and platform boots for the final day of the May Racing Weekend

As is typical of the races, many of those in attendance decided to wear a statement headpiece for the festivities

A group of Ascot attendees pose for a selfie after entering the venue, ahead of the Victoria Cup Day

The Victoria Cup is described as the 'highlight' of the two-day meeting, with Ascot writing on its website: 'The highlight of this two-day meeting is The Victoria Cup, a valuable seven-furlong heritage handicap that tends to attract proven course specialists and interesting, less exposed youngsters alike.

'Cape Byron was a memorable winner in 2019, going on to land The Wokingham Stakes a month later. It is likely that some of the 2022 participants will return to contest this, or another of Royal Ascot's major handicaps.'

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead added the 'action-packed couple of days' is the 'perfect combination of thrilling racing and an atmosphere made for socialising with friends.'

It said: 'Several competitive handicaps make up the card, promising a thrilling afternoon's racing as Ascot prepares for its flagship meeting, Royal Ascot.'

The chic attendees of this weekend's event showed off their dazzling dresses and sipped champagne with their friends and family as they waited for the races to kick off

Racegoers were clearly ready for the glorious spring weather predicted for this weekend - but the Berkshire race ground was gloomy and overcast

The Victoria Cup is described as the 'highlight' of the two-day meeting. Pictured: Two women arrive for the May Racing Weekend

Guests were excited for the day's events as they went through security checks outside the Ascot race ground in Berkshire

A woman in a chic, light pink floral print dress tends to her toddler after entering the much-anticipated racing event

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said the 'action-packed couple of days' is the ' perfect combination of thrilling racing and an atmosphere made for socialising with friends'

Some arrived at the Ascot May Racing Weekend with prepared picnics, ready to spend the day with friends and family

Although those at Ascot saw gloomy weather today, this wasn't the case across much of the UK.

People were pictured lying on the beach in Blackpool as warmer weather began to return to Britain, with parts of the UK expected to back in 22C (71.6F) temperatures over the weekend.

On Friday, temperatures yesterday rivalled those of Barcelona, Athens and Istanbul.

The mercury hit 23.3C (73.9F) in Heathrow and St Jamess Park in London yesterday  just 0.1C below the 23.4C figure recorded on 15 April, 2022s warmest day so far.

Although those at Ascot saw gloomy weather today, this wasn't the case across much of the UK

The men were also dressed for the occasion, with one racegoer opting for a metallic gold shirt for the May Racing Weekend

A group of young women make their way through the Ascot race ground ahead of the day's Victoria Cup races

This couple were in all their finery, and stopped for a few photographs in front of the iconic Ascot site

Over the weekend, temperatures will stay in the low-20s with cloud and drizzle forecast for northern and western areas.

Saturday is likely to exceed 20C in the south and 17C in the north. London and the southeast will see a few spots of drizzle but the western half of the country will be dry with lots of sunshine.

The north will see a cloudy Saturday morning with sunny spells and isolated showers developing in the afternoon.
Three siblings with no previous business experience have turned over more than $1million after launching a jewellery brand from home.

Kate Ritchie, 26, Chloe Ritchie, 24, and Nicholas Manukau, 33, from Brisbane, started making colourful earrings as a fun side-hustle before turning it into the brand 'Brass and Bone'.

Today the brand is known for earrings that replicate the look of everyday objects in miniature form - such as Vodka Cruiser bottles, Chupa Chups and UNO cards.

The idea took off when Kate noticed a lack of bright, unique earrings in Australia after returning from a trip to Japan.

Since launching in August 2019 and investing $1,200 on the idea, the brand has made $1,047,603 in revenue.

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Chloe Ritchie (right), Kate Ritchie (middle) and Nicholas Manukau (left) started the jewellery brand Brass and Bone in August 2019

Today the brand is known for selling earrings that replicate everyday objects in miniature form - such as Vodka Cruiser bottles, Chupa Chups and UNO cards

The idea sparked after Kate noticed a lack of bright, unique earrings in Australia after returning from a trip to Japan. Since launching the brand has turned over $1,047,603 in revenue

Chloe told Daily Mail Australia the trio tested the market prior to launching and invested a small portion of their savings to reduce the risk factor.

'We made a few pairs of earrings, advertised in Facebook groups and made $1,900 in the first month - the response was fantastic,' Chloe said.

'We didn't have any goals in mind at the start - we just wanted to do something fun in our spare time.

'We learnt everything we know about business and making earrings by watching YouTube videos,' Chloe said

'We learnt everything we know about business and making earrings by watching YouTube videos.'

It only took a month to get the brand up and running, which included creating stock inventory and building a website.

Sales started 'snowballing' from the first month, and the siblings decided to introduce new unique designs.

Last year in six hours alone the brand turned over $25,000 selling the Vodka Cruiser bottle earrings for $19.95 a pair, which are all labelled by hand

Last year in six hours alone, the brand turned over $25,000 thanks to strong sales of its Vodka Cruiser bottle earrings for $19.95 a pair.

The trio admitted they were overwhelmed by the 1,253 orders that needed to be packed and shipped, but were grateful for the support.

They said attention to detail on the earrings is time consuming, with the need to ensure every item is perfectly shaped.

This financial year the business is projected to turn over more than $500,000.

The attention to detail is highly time consuming with the need to ensure every earring is perfectly shaped

All three siblings struggle with various mental health issues, but have still managed to create a successful business.

Both Chloe and Kate agreed the brand has helped keep their anxiety and ADHD at bay.

The three siblings enjoy working for themselves and have learnt how to communicate on a business level.
People over the age of 60 could soon get a vaccine to protect against urinary tract infections, drastically reducing the number of people who suffer with the painful condition every year.

In the coming months, the jab will be offered in a number of NHS hospitals as part of a landmark trial that will assess whether a single injection can stop cases caused by the common bacteria E. Coli.

According to Nicki Lakeman, lead research nurse at University Hospitals Dorset, one of the hospitals involved in the trial, the first jabs could take place this week: We have already recruited six participants and, as long as we get the final sign off, they could get the vaccine on Wednesday.

People over the age of 60 could soon get a vaccine to protect against urinary tract infections, drastically reducing the number of people who suffer with the painful condition every year

E. Coli bugs live in the intestines of people and animals and are usually harmless. However, if certain strains get into vulnerable parts of the body, such as the urinary tract  a catch-all term for the bladder, kidneys and tubes connected to them  it can lead to debilitating, and often dangerous, infections (picture posed by model)

E. Coli bugs live in the intestines of people and animals and are usually harmless. However, if certain strains get into vulnerable parts of the body, such as the urinary tract  a catch-all term for the bladder, kidneys and tubes connected to them  it can lead to debilitating, and often dangerous, infections.

Urinary tract infections can be caused by a number of bacteria but E. Coli is the cause of about 90 per cent of them, says Dr Cat Anderson, a specialist in womens health and microbial infections.

Now researchers at pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson hope their E. Coli vaccine could relieve the suffering of thousands. The trial will offer Britons over 60 who suffer at least one urinary tract infection (UTIs) a year the chance to get the jab.

Every year, more than a million Britons  80 per cent of them women  develop a UTI and suffer an extreme burning sensation when passing urine. Older people are more at risk, as the bladder works less well with age, and may not empty fully so bacteria remains in the urinary tract.

Post-menopausal women are also more prone infections, as the female sex hormone oestrogen helps maintain the tissues of the lower urinary tract and vulva. As levels fall, the tissues can become more vulnerable.

Studies show that one in ten women older than 65 will have experienced a UTI in the past year. This rises to nearly three in ten for women over 85. In older patients, the infections can trigger delirium. They can also lead to sepsis, which leads to about 10,000 deaths a year.

Currently, antibiotics are one of the only treatments against UTIs, but these drugs are increasingly ineffective due to the problem of bacteria growing resistant to them.

Sadaf Hussan, of charity Antibiotic Research UK, says: Were seeing a worrying increase in people suffering from hard-to-treat urinary tract infections. These patients, who are predominantly women, are desperate to find a treatment that works. A jab called Uromune, which targets four of the most common bacteria behind the infections, was recently tested. Weve seen very mixed results with Uromune, says Dr Anderson.

Another option is a breed of drugs known as antiseptics, which inhibit bacteria growth.

Scientists do not believe bacteria are capable of becoming resistant to antiseptic drugs, and a study carried out at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust found that one antiseptic drug, methenamine hippurate, was just as effective as antibiotics at reducing the number of infections chronic sufferers experience.

However, the long-term safety of antiseptic drugs is still unclear.

We know antiseptics work well in preventing problems in people with chronic infections, but we dont have any evidence yet that they can clear an infection once it starts, says Dr Anderson.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is designed to stop infections before they have a chance to take hold. It trains the immune system to recognise nine different strains of E. Coli, sending out defensive cells called antibodies which attack and destroy the bacteria.

The trial, which is recruiting several thousand patients at 25 NHS hospitals, hopes to provide results by 2025. Experts believe that, if effective, the jab, which may be offered annually, could drastically reduce the number of Britons suffering from the infections.

If we can identify which patients are most at risk of infection, and as such, who could benefit the most from the vaccine, then this could be a fantastic option, says Dr Anderson.

ONE patient who could benefit from the vaccine is Alison Daunt, 61, from Midlothian, who has suffered frequent UTIs for more than 30 years.

The married mother-of-two first suffered an E. Coli infection after the birth of her second son.

It usually starts with lower abdominal pain, which gives way to an extreme burning sensation, she says. At its worst it feels like Im trying to pass glass when I pee.

Alison, a former PR consultant, was first given three-day courses of low-grade antibiotics, but over the years this has increased to courses of high-strength pills that last up to two weeks.

Since the first lockdown things have got particularly bad. I started getting several infections every month. Now I cant come off my antibiotics for longer than 36 hours before the infection returns.

The antibiotics make me tired and out of breath, so activities like going on walks are too challenging. I dont go on holiday any more because I dont know when the infection is going to come back.

Alison says that she would instantly get an E. Coli vaccine if offered one.

A urinary tract infection vaccine would be life-changing for me, she adds. All I want is to be able to live a normal life again.
Our body clock affects everything from when we feel hungry to our sexual compatibility.

In the first part of our serialisation of his new book, in yesterdays Daily Mail, one of Britains leading experts on our circadian rhythms explained how being aware of these patterns can revolutionise our health. Today, he tells of another of its life-changing powers...

Awareness that we have a body clock  or circadian rhythm  dates from 1729 when the French astronomer Jean-Jacques dOrtous de Mairan noted how a mimosa plant placed in a room with no light still unfolded and folded its leaves.

Now, more recent scientific developments on circadian rhythms are helping to improve our lives.

Over the past few decades, the study of human body clocks and how they govern our lives has come on leaps and bounds. I began work in this area 40 years ago and even I am sometimes astonished by the speed of progress in our understanding.

It is deeply frustrating, though, that this knowledge is not being translated into clinical practice even when many of the findings are well-established. This is particularly true regarding the time that medications should be taken to improve their effectiveness and thus transform patient care. Thats why in the second part of this series I want to guide you so you can harness this knowledge for yourself.

The fact is that everything in our bodies is tied to the finely balanced rhythms of our body clock  we are very different people at 12 noon compared to 12 midnight.

Whats behind this early morning window of danger? This is an important question as it affects the best time to take medications, such as blood pressure drugs (anti-hypertensives) and statins

And because the hundreds of chemical reactions and physical changes occurring in our bodies vary so much over the day, the symptoms of diseases also change over that time  see below. As a result, theres an ideal time to take many medicines to make them more effective. Much research supports this.

Yet most people dont take medicines at a time that optimises their impact. Instead, they take them when it is convenient, either for themselves or for the medical staff administering them. Even the timings listed on a prescription  say, two tablets with breakfast  are not necessarily up to date with the science, or are vague.

Research has identified body clock-related changes in the action of more than 100 drugs. Yet sadly, this information is not always acted upon by our overworked and time-pressured NHS staff.

But theres no reason you cant be guided by this knowledge for your own situation. Of course you must always first discuss what you intend to do with your GP.

Lets start with two leading causes of premature death  strokes and heart attacks.

Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption (SCRD)  caused by factors such as night shift work, frequent jet lag, the demands of work eroding your sleep and other disruptions to regular routines  can increase the chances of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, among other illnesses.

SCRD not only determines whether were at risk of health problems, but our circadian rhythms can determine when such events or symptoms might occur.

A stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, or when theres a blockage in the blood supply to the brain caused by a build-up of fatty plaques in the blood vessels.

Similarly, a heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked by plaques in the coronary arteries.

We are most likely to die from a stroke or heart attack first thing in the morning. A major review of studies, based on 11,816 stroke patients, showed a 49 per cent increase in the chance of a stroke between 6am and noon, and similar findings have been repeatedly documented for heart attacks.

But whats behind this early morning window of danger? This is an important question as it affects the best time to take medications, such as blood pressure drugs (anti-hypertensives) and statins.

A key contributor is the rise in heart rate and blood pressure in the early hours before we wake each day. In effect, this increase  driven by the body clock  gets us up and going. Most significantly, there is also an increase in clotting factors in your blood in the morning, including cells called platelets.

Platelets trigger clot formation and can obstruct blood flow through the creation of a platelet plug. These normally prevent blood loss following injury  and we are more likely to encounter injury in the day than at night. But platelets can also work against us by producing clots that block blood vessels.

As a result, many people with high blood pressure or otherwise at risk of stroke or heart attack are prescribed antihypertensive drugs or anti-clotting drugs such as aspirin.

Because the hundreds of chemical reactions and physical changes occurring in our bodies vary so much over the day, the symptoms of diseases also change over that time  see below. As a result, theres an ideal time to take many medicines to make them more effective. Much research supports this

Many doctors suggest patients take these pills first thing in the morning as this is when theyre most at risk. Yet the latest research shows that blood pressure medications are more effective when taken before bedtime.

In the most extensive trial, at the University of Vigo in Spain in 2019, more than 20,000 people with high blood pressure were told to take their medication at bedtime or in the morning.

Over the next six years it was found that those whod taken their pills in the evening had almost half the risk of cardiovascular death, including heart failure and stroke.

This is the result of whats known as pharmacokinetics, the way drugs are absorbed and distributed through the body, then broken down and excreted.

These processes all take time. So, taking blood pressure medication at bedtime means that drug levels rise and remain in the body at relatively high levels.

As a result, they can reduce blood pressure to coincide with the time when the sharp rise in blood pressure normally occurs between 6am and noon.

If antihypertensive drugs are taken in the morning, their effectiveness will peak after this surge in blood pressure and long before the next one is due.

A similar effect is seen with aspirin, commonly prescribed to reduce stroke risk as it reduces the ability of platelets to clump and form unwanted blood clots.

Since aspirin levels in the blood rise rapidly, then decline fairly quickly within a few hours, the question is: how does bedtime aspirin reduce platelet stickiness in the morning?

The answer is that every evening, 100 billion new platelets are made, so taking aspirin at that time of day, just as theyre being formed, ensures the new platelets are deactivated long before the dangerous window for strokes the following morning. The downside is that taking aspirin before bed may increase the chances of damaging the stomach lining, leading to ulcers or reflux  although drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can resolve this, see panel below.

Another risk factor for heart attacks or stroke is raised levels of bad cholesterol. To address this, many people are prescribed statins which slow down cholesterol production in the liver.

Of course, theres an optimum time to take statins, too.

Cholesterol levels in the blood follow a circadian rhythm, with cholesterol normally produced between midnight and 6am. The best time to take statins depends on what type you use: some remain effective in the blood for four to six hours, but others work for 20 or even 30 hours. So if youre on a short-acting statin such as simvastatin, take it around bedtime to hit the night-time production in cholesterol.

But if youre on statins that are effective for 20 to 30 hours, such as atorvastatin) take them any time because their effectiveness will always overlap with higher levels of cholesterol production at night.

Harnessing knowledge of the body clock could make a significant difference to cancer treatment, too.

Increasingly, research is identifying the role of circadian rhythms, and their disruption, in cancer developments and how we can use time to our advantage when treating tumours.

Laboratory studies show that tumours grow much faster if the circadian system is disrupted.

In experiments, mice with simulated jet lag show much faster tumour growth. And similar effects have been demonstrated in humans. Night-shift workers, including nurses, and those with rapidly changing work schedules, such as pilots and air crew, have significantly higher rates of cancer. So sleep and circadian rhythm disruption (SCRD) increases our vulnerability to getting cancer.

In addition, cancer progression is worse in those individuals with SCRD. As a result, one holistic approach often recommended alongside cancer treatments involves trying to stabilise a patients circadian rhythms.

This science is relevant to everyones attempts to stay healthy.

We should all make sure that our circadian system  specifically, the master clock in our brain  is reset daily to be in sync with our 24-hour world. This will enable us to deliver the correct materials to the right organs at the correct concentration at the right time of day to defend ourselves against disease.

Keeping our body clock in sync involves eating at regular times, getting enough exposure to light around both dawn and dusk, and having a consistent sleep/wake routine, getting up and going to bed at the same time each day.

As for cancer treatment, while chemotherapy and radiotherapy both attack fast-growing cancer cells, they also affect healthy cells that are undergoing division, and this can produce traumatising side-effects. But there is normally a circadian time window during the day when healthy cells grow, and this is often very different from that of cancerous cells, which divide and grow much faster. This means that if treatment is given at times of the day when our healthy cells are quietest  when theyre dividing and growing the least  the toxicity of the treatment to the healthy cells can be reduced. And so higher doses can be given to blast the bad, cancerous cells without having such terrible side-effects.

Studies have shown the benefits of timing drugs to treat ovarian cancer, leukaemia, colorectal cancer and brain tumours, with the optimum delivery window depending on the area affected by cancer.

However, despite all this valuable knowledge, patients are usually given anti-cancer drugs at times convenient for those treating them.

Admittedly, there are important logistical problems delivering toxic drugs in busy hospitals.

Yet modern equipment such as ambulatory medical pumps, which give chemotherapy via a drip at a particular time, could be used at low cost and potentially in patients own homes.

Practicalities aside, another major hurdle is a failure to understand the importance of circadian timing.

Most doctors are given very little training in the importance of circadian rhythms, and until this becomes a serious topic for study in medical schools, there will always be a barrier between exciting laboratory findings, medical application and new drug discovery.

This has to change.

 Russell Foster 2022

Adapted from Life Time: The New Science Of The Body Clock And How It Can Revolutionise Your Sleep And Health by Russell Foster, published by Penguin Life on May 19 at 16.99. To order a copy for 15.29 (offer valid to 21/5/22; UK P&P free on orders over 20), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.

Heart attacks to headaches: when it all happens

From gout to asthma and heart attack, our symptoms  and the likelihood of experiencing an event  alter throughout the day, due to changes driven by our body clock.

Although still an emerging science, this graphic, left, shows what we know about the average peak times for body experiences in the first 12 hours of the day.

Midnight: Eczema and psoriasis: the intense itching of these skin conditions occurs between 8pm and 2am, peaking near midnight when skin is naturally most porous and loses moisture, becoming more dry and itchy.

1am: Gout pain, caused by crystals of uric acid in the joints, tends to strike between 1am and 5am, peaking around 3am to 4am and coinciding with an overnight drop in body temperature, which may encourage the crystals to form.

2am: Cluster headaches. These excruciatingly painful headaches can start at around 2am, possibly due to abnormal messages from the master clock in the brain.

3am: Toothache peaks between 3am and 7am due to changes in pain receptors driven by the body clock.

4am: Asthma symptoms tend to be worse around 4am. Lung function is usually at its best around 4pm, with the lowest flow at 4am, which is worse for asthma, probably due to overactive immune responses in the lung.

5am: Babies are usually born between 1am and 7am, peaking around 4am to 5am. This may be a time that was optimal for our ancestors and linked to the night-time release of the hormone melatonin.

6am: Coughing and other symptoms of lung conditions, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, tend to worsen in the early hours, often due to the build up of mucus in the lungs overnight. Mucus production is also stimulated as an immune response in preparation for the day.

7am: Joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis peaks around 4am to 8am, when more inflammatory chemicals are released in preparation for greater immune protection during the day. 7am is also when osteoarthritis pain and joint stiffness tends to peak. Normally, during the day, joints are cushioned by the elasticity of cartilage which is triggered by circadian rhythm. As we age, this flattens and joint-cushioning declines, resulting in pain.

9am: Stroke and heart attack risk peaks between 6am and noon. This is linked to the rise in blood pressure and blood clotting factors in the early morning.

10am: If youre a lark (someone who likes to rise and go to bed early), migraines tend to occur between 8am and midday. However, owls (evening types) suffer in the afternoon and early evening. We know the body clock is connected to migraine, but how is not clear.

11am: Our circadian-driven rise in alertness peaks, having prepared us for the new day and increased activity levels.

Significantly, 11pm is when older people tend to start experiencing incontinence, lasting until the early hours. This is because the circadian rhythm in the hormones that regulate urine production  high in the day, low at night  becomes flattened as we age, so that urine production isnt just confined to the day.
As a Second World War veteran, Andrew Gauld has faced his fair share of battles. A rear gunner in the RAFs Lancaster bombers regularly flying on dangerous missions over occupied Europe, he confronted his own mortality almost nightly.

Miraculously, he survived. But now, at the age of 97, Andrew is dealing with a new enemy  dementia. The brain-wasting disease has wiped his short-term memory and left him needing medicines to calm his agitation and despair.

Most of the time you can still have a conversation with him and he can cast his mind back to wartime, says his daughter, Karen Chapman, 62, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire. But he cant usually remember what hes had for breakfast and sometimes forgets who family members are.

As a Second World War veteran, Andrew Gauld has faced his fair share of battles. A rear gunner in the RAFs Lancaster bombers regularly flying on dangerous missions over occupied Europe, he confronted his own mortality almost nightly

Its a distressing time for all those around him, especially as Andrew has also largely lost the use of his legs, rendering him almost immobile.

But its being made worse by the fact that the family has to find almost 1,000 a week to cover the costs charged by his care home for the round-the-clock attention he needs to stay safe.

Worse still, its likely that Andrew  and thousands more like him  are being wrongly denied crucial NHS funding that should cover these costs, and ease the emotional and financial pressure on loved ones.

This funding should come from a 3 billion-a-year pot of money known as NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding, specifically allocated to pay for those  mostly elderly  who dont just need help with care but also have very specific medical needs.

Instead, many fall under the umbrella of social care  admitted to a care home, or looked after in their own home by a local authority carer, who visits daily. In both cases, loved ones often have to raid savings or sell the family home to pay for it, as social care, unlike NHS care, is not free.

CHC is not means tested  its awarded on medical grounds, irrespective of the patients financial status. And it covers all care costs, not just the immediate health needs. But the money is released only if someone has what the NHS defines as medical needs that are intense, complex or unpredictable in their nature.

To qualify, its not enough to just have an incurable illness such as dementia. The charity Marie Curie says even those facing death from cancer may not automatically qualify. An example of a patient who may qualify for CHC is someone who is largely bed-bound with an illness, and develops pressure sores  wounds that come from lying in the same position for too long. These need to be tended to regularly by a nurse, and the patient monitored. Its a resource that can be classed as a medical need, triggering NHS funding. Or at least, it should.

Somebody who has dementia but is relatively stable, even if they are bed-bound, is much less likely to qualify for CHC as the level of nursing care they need is far less than somebody with dementia that triggers aggression which puts others or the patient themselves at risk.

For those who need this kind of round-the-clock care, CHC funding should be an easily accessible financial lifeline. Instead, say critics, accessing the cash is a bureaucratic minefield, where the bar is set so high by the NHS that many who apply become utterly frustrated with the process and eventually give up.

Now a Mail on Sunday investigation reveals some desperate families are forking out thousands of pounds on specialist solicitors to take on their fight against NHS red tape.

But now, at the age of 97, Andrew is dealing with a new enemy  dementia. The brain-wasting disease has wiped his short-term memory and left him needing medicines to calm his agitation and despair

Firms that advertise their services online are charging fixed upfront fees of about 4,000 for cases.

If relatives then want a specialist to represent them at a hearing to decide if funding is warranted, it can cost another 1,500 to 2,700. These fees are not normally refundable if they lose. And in appeal cases where solicitors secure back-dated funds  because the NHS was at fault by denying the cash in the first place  many firms take a cut of 25 per cent of those funds.

This can run into tens of thousands of pounds.

Leading charities told us the system needs urgent revamping so that people dont need expensive legal experts to guide them.

These families should never need to use a solicitor and the process should be much more straightforward, says Tom Gentry, senior health and care policy lead at Age UK. But the system is pushing them into having to seek legal assistance. Gentry says most companies are providing a much-needed if costly service. But he adds: There may be some out there who may try and take advantage of people because the fees, which arent refunded should a claim not be successful, can be quite large.

Andrew Gaulds daughter Karen recently sought the help of one company when she looked into the CHC application process. It would have meant gaining access to her fathers detailed NHS medical records and poring over them for relevant details to strengthen his case. She would also have needed to get hold of care home files to gather detailed information on her fathers care needs. All this would then need to be compiled into a report for inspection by somebody who would also medically assess Andrew. This is often a community nurse appointed by the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the GP-led bodies that decide how NHS cash is spent.

Karen says: I know many people who have got nowhere going solo, so I decided my only chance was to get some professional help.

Last month she handed over 4,200 to a company she found with a Google search, which, after an initial assessment of Andrews case, insists there is a good chance of success. But if not, she wont get that money back.

Jane Mauden, 61, from the West Midlands, handed over 4,290 to a specialist firm last month to handle the case of her 85-year-old aunt, who needs extra levels of care at her nursing home as she has been in and out of hospital after a series of falls and infections.

There will be an additional 2,700 to pay if Jane and her family decide they want legal representation at the formal assessment. And if the application is denied and they appeal, theyll have to cough up another 3,650.

Jane says: I started searching online and a number of sites popped up, all from companies who seemed to say they could secure money. I filled out a form on one website, and got a call back  the telephone operator seemed confident wed be successful.

Jane admits it feels like a huge amount of money to hand over to the legal firm, without any cast iron guarantee  and no refund if they arent successful  but adds: The care home fees are 1,500 a week, which is all coming out of her savings.

That money is running out pretty quickly but nobody ever mentioned to us before that my aunt might qualify for this funding.

The CHC funding service has faced a barrage of criticism in recent years. A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in November 2020 warned it was failing to provide care for the most vulnerable in society  who were being left to foot the bill for care that should be covered by the NHS. The report warned: Complaints have revealed repeated failings in the way local CCGs assessed peoples care needs and funded their care packages. Some complainants had made huge financial sacrifices to pay for a family members care. Others spent years without the care they needed because their local CCG assessed their needs incorrectly.

In one case the report cited, a family spent more than 250,000 on care for an elderly relative who had suffered a stroke  money that the state should have provided. Delays in continuing healthcare assessments caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are likely to have made the situation even worse, the ombudsman said.

In 2019, the Government issued a national framework to improve the process and make it fairer. But the National Audit Office calculates that only one in five of the 200,000 or so applications a year for CHC funding are successful.

Many wont be suitable, but its feared thousands slip through the net each year because they are being told their relatives do not qualify for help when they do.

One example is that of an 87-year-old woman from the East Midlands who has Alzheimers disease. Her family has faced a battle to win funding after CHC cash was denied by local health chiefs. Such is the sensitivity of the case  which is still ongoing  they have requested anonymity for fear of media coverage affecting the outcome.

Mum was always a lovely, gentle lady but her illness has made her physically and verbally aggressive and she needs one-to-one care, her daughter told the MoS.

The care home cost was around 4,000 a month and the additional member of staff roughly 6,000 a month. It was a frightening amount. Dad sold their house and moved into a retirement home, and sold shares to pay for it, but we knew that money would run out rapidly.

In July 2019, their local CCG rejected their claim for CHC funding  saying the woman wasnt ill enough. It turned out to be the wrong call and was only overturned in October that year after the family spent thousands employing the services of a specialist law firm to appeal the decision.

Payments were back-dated to when they made the initial claim  totalling around 36,000, which covered the overnight care  of which lawyers took around 9,000. After that, the home said they couldnt meet Mums needs so we found a specialist nursing home, and now the continuing healthcare covers all of it, adds her daughter. Dad wasnt well, and I think the stress of it all finished him off. He passed away in July 2020.

The family insist all they wanted for their mother was for her to be treated the same as those with other serious illnesses. Her daughter says: If Mum had cancer or suffered a stroke, her medical care would be paid for by the NHS. But as its dementia, she was punished.

Tim Davies, managing director of Compass Continuing Healthcare  one of half-a-dozen specialist firms handling complex cases  says it gets up to 15 calls a day from families desperate for help. He says different CCGs will reach different conclusions about almost identical cases, making it a postcode lottery.

Companies like ours wouldnt need to exist if the rules were applied fairly and across the board  but theres a genuine need for our specialist help, he says.

We only accept cases where we feel there is a reasonable chance of success and turn down around 80 per cent of initial applications. Of those we do take on, the outcome is successful in about 70 per cent of cases. Its an adversarial battle.

And securing funding is only the beginning; many CCGs insist on three-monthly reviews, which means the money can be withdrawn at a moments notice.

Davies says: We can always tell when there has been a budget cut by a CCG from the number of calls we get from that area from worried families whove had their funds withdrawn.

Cash-strapped CCGs are under pressure to keeps costs down. In a Channel 4 documentary broadcast in November 2021, a health professional paid by a CCG to assess possible CHC cases said: It felt like my job was to prove someone didnt warrant funding  I had to find the reasons why someone wasnt meeting the criteria. I felt we were letting people down.

One of the mysteries about CHC funding is why so few people are told about it. Experts told us one reason may be that care homes can charge more for privately funded patients than those paid for by the NHS  which negotiates a hefty discount. So theres little incentive for them to publicise the scheme.

Andrew Farley, solicitor with Manchester-based law firm Care To Be Different, says: The big problem is the NHS is acting as gatekeeper, judge and jury in this whole process. There has been a significant increase in the volume of people wanting our help. Many have started to go through the process on their own and struggled.

He adds that although the initial outlay may seem a lot, successful outcomes can save families in the region of 50,000 a year.

Karen Chapman hopes to get a decision on her father Andrews funding within the next few weeks. But she says: It seems wrong to me that we have had to fork out for this, especially as he paid into the system all his working life.
Zapping the brain with a mild electric current can help ex-smokers stay off tobacco months after they have quit.

Up to one in five people who wean themselves off cigarettes end up relapsing and smoking again.

But a study at the University Hospital in Dijon, France, found ex-smokers who had regular sessions of external brain stimulation  using a hand-held gadget that sends a gentle current through electrodes attached to the temples  were twice as likely to stay off cigarettes three to six months after stopping than those not having it.

Its thought the technique works by activating brain cells that dampen down cravings for nicotine.

The machines  known as cranial electrotherapy stimulation devices  are available online from about 150.

Zapping the brain with a mild electric current can help ex-smokers stay off tobacco months after they have quit

Just blow away bugs on planes

If youre seated directly in front of someone coughing on a plane, youre more likely that anyone else on board to pick up their illness.

University of Hong Kong researchers tested the spread of droplets generated by coughing while seated on an aircraft. The results, published in journal Travel Medicine And Infectious Disease, showed the highest concentration was directly over the seat in front.

The study also found that if the person in front turns on the overhead ventilation, it instantly reduces the chances of infection.

If youre seated directly in front of someone coughing on a plane, youre more likely that anyone else on board to pick up their illness

One in five Britons with bowel cancer symptoms are too scared to seek medical help, a poll of 2,000 adults has revealed.

Commissioned by charity Bowel Research UK, the survey was designed to measure the success of a 2021 NHS public awareness campaign on the disease.

Bowel cancer affects 42,000 Britons every year and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK. However, most respondents were able to recognise the signs of the disease, including blood in stools, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Lynn Dunne of Bowel Research UK said: If caught early, bowel cancer can be completely cured and is much more easily treated.

Roaring with laughter isnt just good for mental health, it can also help you lose weight.

Researchers from Fukushima Medical University in Japan split 230 men and women into two groups. One had regular sessions with a comedian telling jokes as well as yoga classes involving breathing exercises. The rest went about their daily lives as usual.

After three months, the laughter group had lost weight, were less stressed and felt mentally stronger than the others, according to results published in the journal BMC Geriatrics.
Anyone who has a heart attack should be given a flu jab within 72 hours  no matter what time of year it is  two major studies have recommended.

Researchers found vaccinating heart disease patients against the winter bug almost halved their chances of dying from a second heart attack in the following 12 months  the period when the risk is greatest.

Professor Naveed Sattar, from Glasgow Universitys Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, said: Flu puts stress on your arteries and makes your blood thicker, so if you have heart disease it could tip you over the threshold for a heart attack.

Professor Naveed Sattar, from Glasgow Universitys Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, said: Flu puts stress on your arteries and makes your blood thicker, so if you have heart disease it could tip you over the threshold for a heart attack'

And the risk of it happening again is greatest in the first six to 12 months. This evidence suggests its a good idea to not wait until the winter, and get a flu jab straight away.

Patients who have suffered a heart attack, or are being treated for heart disease, are already advised to get the annual NHS winter flu jab when it becomes available from October onwards. But for some this can mean a wait of months, during which time they are at risk of a second attack. While flu peaks in winter, infections can occur at any time of year. The solution, the studies suggest, is to routinely vaccinate all heart attack patients while they are still recovering in hospital.

Scientists at Orebro University, Sweden, tracked nearly 3,000 heart attack patients from eight countries, including the UK.

Half got a flu jab within three days of hospital admission and the rest a placebo.

Over the following 12 months, cardiac-related deaths in those who had a flu jab were almost 40 per cent lower than in the placebo group.

The second probe, carried out by a research team from Peru, looked at data for more than 4,000 patients and found that flu vaccination slashed the chances of dying from a second heart attack by 47 per cent.

Scientists at Orebro University, Sweden, tracked nearly 3,000 heart attack patients from eight countries, including the UK

Both studies also found similar rates of second heart attacks, suggesting that the jab does not stop them happening but can lessen the damage they do.

Leading UK cardiologists welcomed the idea.

Professor Martin Cowie, consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, said: This is interesting and could be relatively easy to implement in general practice.
Fortified rice is already being made available in the first phase to anganwadis and under PM Poshan scheme.  DC Image

KHAMMAM: Conversion of rice mills for producing fortified rice has hit a roadblock in Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts, as millers have sought more time to do so.

Supplying fortified rice through the public distribution system is an ambitious attempt of union government to combat anaemia within the country. Rice fortification is a process wherein micronutrients like iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 are added to the rice during the process of milling. Supplying such rice through public distribution system (PDS) is believed to be an effective and cost-efficient way of addressing malnutrition within a short period of time.

Fortified rice is already being made available in the first phase to anganwadis and under PM Poshan scheme. Under phase two, it will be supplied under targeted PDS and other welfare schemes to 291 districts of the country from March 2023. Fortified rice will be made available under PDS to all districts in the country under phase three by March 2024.

As part of this strategy, central government has made it mandatory for all rice mills that supply custom milled rice to Food Corporation of India to modify their plants, so that they can supply fortified rice by March 2023.

There are 63 rice mills in Khammam district and 42 in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, which process custom milled rice. Only 11 mills have converted their plants to produce fortified rice so far. They are already supplying 1,200 tonnes of fortified rice to Kerala and West Bengal. Rest of the mills have not yet modified their plants, as it costs the miller between  611 lakh.

We want time to modify our mills to produce fortified rice. We have not yet fully received payments for the custom milled rice that we had supplied. We had also suffered losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. said Telangana Rice Millers Association district president Bomma Rajeswara Rao.

Mills that do not modify their plants to produce fortified rice will not get custom milling rice from FCI. Thus, there is also pressure on millers to modify their plants to produce fortified rice.

Essentially, fortifying rice involves grinding rice into powder, mixing it with nutrients, and then shaping it into rice-like kernels using an extrusion process. One kg of fortified rice is then mixed with 99 kg of normal rice and distributed for consumption.
The Premonitions Bureau: A True Story

Sam Knight Faber 14.99

Rating:

Whats going to happen next? This is the question that powers us through novels and films and, quite often, through life itself.

What will happen in Ukraine? What will become of Putin, or Donald Trump, or Katie Price? What will happen to you? What will happen to me?

History throngs with characters who felt they possessed the uncanny ability to see into the future.

At the same minute The Evening Standard announced the Premonitions Bureau, daredevil hero Donald Campbell (above) set off to beat the water speed record on Lake Coniston

The 16th Century French astrologer Nostradamus is the most famous, or notorious, depending on whether you see him as an all-seeing sage or a scattergun fraud.

But today we are just as eager to trust those who predict the future: radio and television current affairs programmes are fuller than ever of pundits saying what will happen this week, next week, some time, never.

At the tail end of 1966, spurred on by their belief that a handful of people had experienced premonitions of the terrible Aberfan disaster, a psychiatrist called Dr John Barker and a journalist, Peter Fairley, set up The Premonitions Bureau.

This was a lofty title for the cluttered corner of a London newspaper office, overseen by a single secretary.

Psychiatrist Dr John Barker and journalist Peter Fairley set up the Bureau for people to send in dreams or forebodings they had about future events. Above: Campbell's record attempt

Barker and Fairley called on readers of the Evening Standard to send in any dreams or forebodings they had about future events.

After a year, once the future had become the past, these predictions would be compared to what had actually happened, so that their accuracy could be properly assessed.

Barker and Fairley were both convinced that they were onto something. Recent examples of a psychic nature made them think that certain people had an uncanny power to foretell the future.

A North London piano teacher, Lorna Middleton, had woken up choking and gasping and with the sense of the walls caving in.

At 328mph, Campbell's jet-engined hydroplane, Bluebird (above), bounced off a wave, somersaulted high in the air and killed him

Later that day, 144 people, 116 of them children, were killed by an enormous slide of coal waste in the Welsh mining village of Aberfan.

Seventy-five other people reported similar premonitions of the tragedy. Of these, there was evidence that 22 had reported their peculiar feelings to others before, rather than after, the disaster occurred.

The Evening Standard announced the launch of the Premonitions Bureau of January 4, 1967, which went to the presses for its first edition at 8.50am.

At that very same minute, the daredevil hero Donald Campbell set off on his second attempt of the day to beat the water speed record on Lake Coniston.

A North London piano teacher, Lorna Middleton, woke up choking and gasping and with the sense of the walls caving in on the day of the Aberfan disaster (above)

At 328mph, his jet-engined hydroplane, Bluebird, bounced off a wave, somersaulted high in the air and killed him.

The night before his fatal attempt, Campbell was playing a game of patience and had dealt himself the ace of spades, followed by the queen. He told a reporter that Mary Queen of Scots had drawn the same cards before her beheading.

I have the most awful premonition Im going to get the chop this time, he said.

The Premonitions Bureau is full of spooky stories such as this. Two among the many who wrote to the bureau with their premonitions turned out to be much more on-target than the rest.

In March 1967, the piano teacher, Miss Middleton, notified them that she had dreamed of her dead father taking a phone call warning of danger at sea. A few days later, an oil tanker, the Torrey Canyon ran aground, causing Britains worst oil spill.

In April she warned of a tornado or hurricane on the west coast of America, and 11 days later, a tornado killed 33 people in Oak Lawn, a suburb of Chicago.

This has certainly been a prophecy fulfilled, wrote Dr Barker, with more than a hint of triumph. But was it really?

Oak Lawn is nearly 2,000 miles from the western seaboard of America and, all in all, tornados are fairly commonplace: more than 1,200 a year in America alone.

The following year, Miss Middleton grew convinced that Senator Robert Kennedy would be assassinated, warning the Premonitions Bureau on three separate occasions in March, and again throughout April.

On June 4 she called the bureau three times, warning that the killing was imminent. Shortly after midnight, Kennedy was shot dead, minutes after declaring victory in the California presidential primary.

Dr Barker described it as her best prediction yet. But, as predictions go, was it really all that hard? Martin Luther King had been assassinated two months earlier.

My God, it might have been me, was Kennedys reaction. He himself had received countless death threats. I am pretty sure there will be an attempt on my life sooner or later, he had told his future biographer.

Barkers other model clairvoyant was Alan Hencher, a telephone switchboard operator who suffered a head injury at the age of 26 and, on regaining consciousness after four days, discovered he could see into the future.

Over the course of 15 months he had apparently predicted two air crashes and a railway crash at Hither Green station, eight miles from Charing Cross.

At the time of the crash, Hencher complained of a severe headache and was taken to the sick bay. An hour later  before the news had broken  he wrote a note saying he thought there had been a railway accident about an hour previously.

How much of this does Sam Knight, the author of this wonderfully sharp and lively book, go along with?

Most of the time he keeps his cards pretty close to his chest, preferring to revel in the eccentricities of the main characters rather than issue judgments on their integrity.

Sometimes, though, he parades chance happenings as if they were eerie premonitions.

For instance, he reveals that one of the passengers on the train that crashed at Hither Green, killing 49 people, was none other than the 17-year-old Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees.

This is quite interesting in itself, but then he cant resist adding that, six months before, The Bee Gees had released their first US hit, New York Mining Disaster 1941, which begins with the words In the event of something happening to me...

Isnt this straining coincidence to breaking point  particularly as Gibb was not even among those injured?

Nonetheless, The Premonitions Bureau raises fascinating questions about the human need to predict and to seek out patterns and connections.

In order to assess risk, Knight writes, human beings must always think ahead, to what may or may not happen. Without some capacity for prediction, we are doomed.

Those who, for whatever reason, damage the frontal lobes of their brains, where our predictive skills are stored, become blind to the possible consequences of their actions.

They ask intimate questions of strangers. They strip off all their clothes because they are hot. They insult their bosses in meetings. They spend money like there is no tomorrow because they have become unshored from tomorrow.

Small wonder, then, that our capacity for prediction can sometimes burst through its logical constraints to enter the realm of fantasy.

After 15 months, the Premonitions Bureau had received 723 first predictions from the general public, but only three per cent of them had come to pass.

However, this poor result did little to curb its supporters, who came up with ingenious arguments in defence of its 97 per cent duff predictions.

So little is known of the role of time in this phenomenon that it is impossible to say they will never come true, said Fairley.

There was, though, one prediction that certainly did come true.

Both Alan Hencher and Lorna Middleton repeatedly warned Dr Barker of premonitions they had had that his life was in danger. In August 1968, a vessel burst in his brain, and he died, at the age of 44.
A villa with a view thats hard to put into words, youll have to see it for yourself...

villanefelimykonos.com

Mykonos is the most famous of the Greek islands and surrounded by the azure blue Aegean Sea. Adore its classic whitewashed buildings adorned with vibrant bougainvillea vines. Explore its rambling cobblestone paths peppered with pops of colour from traditional painted shutters and doors to tiled staircases. Shopping is plentiful, whether you want jewellery, art, fashion or handmade pieces crafted by local artisans, you really are spoilt for choice. Just 11 minutes from Mykonos town in the Aleomandra Area sits Villa Nefeli, a secluded, serene spot thats picture perfect. With five bedrooms, an infinity pool looking out to the surrounding islands, and to top it all off, the creme de la creme a secluded beach just a few steps away. Sleeping 10, its ideal for families or groups of friends that want to experience everything Mykonos has to offer.

VILLA FACILITIES

Greeted in true Mykonian style with distinguished cubic whitewashed walls, drystone archways and natural materials throughout, Villa Nefeli is awash with character. Instantly drawn outside you are welcomed with a crystal-clear infinity pool ideal for taking in the idyllic views. Theres a quirky wooden swing aside the pool as well as a sail, outdoor shower and wooden awning, a nod towards the owners love of sailing. Sun loungers and seating areas are comfortable and plentiful, there are two outdoor dining areas, the main table being close to a built-in brick barbeque, perfect for cooking fresh fish and vegetables bought at the market. The bedrooms are minimal and modern, with unique dark wooden furnishings and crisp white bedding. Each leads onto state-of-the-art en-suite bathrooms with Mykonian-style curved stone walls, showers and sinks - a tranquil space with fluffy towels changed twice a week. The main living space is spacious with a large sofa, a 10-person dining table and kitchen with all the amenities; Nespresso coffee machine, washing machine and fridge-freezer (perfect for the Limoncello purchased en route).

FOOD & DRINK

Whether you want to eat out or utilise the villas barbeque and kitchen facilities, theres no shortage of choice. Why not try your hand at creating your own Greek feast? Ornos, the nearest town, has a fish market called Anemotrata which sells fresh fish caught daily. We chose the prawns, calamari and red mullet  along with a sweet treat from the bakery. Eating alfresco from the comfort of your own villa has never felt so good, and its made all the more special by the spectacular views. If you fancy dinner out, Kostantis restaurant is just a stones throw away from the beach. Listening to the waves lash onto the golden sand over dinner really does set the bar high. Fall under the spell of the warm atmosphere and traditional menu served up using fresh ingredients. If you head into Mykonos town you can try a favourite amongst the locals, Appaloosa, owned by Mykonians. World flavours, music and cocktails is what you can expect, serving up tasteful dishes from Mexico, India and Indonesia, all crafted using local products. For something simpler, try souvlaki, a popular Greek fast food perfect to enjoy while taking an evening stroll through the cobbled streets.

VILLA HIGHLIGHTS

As soon as you walk through the doors of Villa Nefeli youre put at ease, its clean and welcoming with a high-spec finish. Not to mention the decor, an eclectic mix of unique antique furniture and artwork with a mix of rattan, wicker and bamboo. The everyday stress is taken off your shoulders with a 24/7 concierge service, daily housekeeping and linens and towels changed twice a week, so all you have to do is sit back and relax. If the pool isnt for you that day, well, step no further than a secluded beach only 200 metres away, the clear waters and warm sand between your toes will put you in to full holiday mode. The magical views from Villa Nefeli will win you over and youll honestly find it hard to leave.

WHAT TO DO NEARBY

Whether you look to enjoy the Greek island for its culture, nightlife or beaches, Mykonos has something for everyone. Little Venice is steeped in history with the classic whitewashed buildings and blue accents. The world famous picturesque windmills have panoramic views of Mykonos town and you can even stay in one (Meltemi Windmill). Ornos beach is ideal for anyone looking to relax and unwind, with golden sand, clear, calm waters and beachfront restaurants serving fresh dishes and cocktails. Morethanvilla, the management company for Villa Nefeli, have years of experience and advice to share about the island so do not hesitate to get first-hand knowledge.

BEST FOR

A friend/family group trip to indulge in the luxuries a villa has to offer whilst enjoying the historical Greek island of Mykonos.
From going to bed earlier to taking quicker showers or using a slow cooker instead of an oven, Britons are desperately searching for ways to reduce their energy bills.

New research from GoCompare Energy found that 83 per cent of bill payers had seen their energy costs rise substantially since the latest increase in Ofgem's energy price cap on April 1, which hiked bills for those on default and pre-payment tariffs.

In a bid to keep costs down, up to two-thirds of those surveyed said they had started turning off lights and electronic devices more often, making this the most popular energy-saving measure.

But how much money does doing it actually save?

Leaving your electronics on standby can cost you up to 60 a year extra on your energy bill

Some tips and tricks may be more effort than they're worth  for example switching off an LED light bulb for 12 hours in every 24, which saves less than 2 pence per day, or 6 per year compared to having it on constantly.

But there are other changes that can save hundreds, such as cutting down the length of showers or ditching the tumble drier.

We took a look at eight common energy saving tips to see which are myths, and which 'magic' bill-cutting measures are actually worth taking on board.

1. Turning off lights when you leave a room

Around 64 per cent of households have started turning off their lights when leaving a room, according to GoCompare.

But unfortunately this will not always save much money, as it completely depends on the type of light bulb.

The least energy efficient bulbs are incandescent lights. Only 10 per cent of the energy these bulbs use is given off as light, instead of heat.

Energy Saving Trust estimates that switching to LED bulbs could save you up to 13 per year for every bulb to switch out

Because they use more energy, they are more expensive to run and so turning them off saves more money.

It costs around 0.17 to leave an incandescent light bulb on all day, every day, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

But an even more cost-efficient move would be to replace the bulbs with energy saving alternatives, such as Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs or Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL).

More energy efficient LED bulbs only cost approximately 0.03 per day or just under 11 per year.

By switching it off for 12 hours every day, the annual saving would be less than 6.

If you were to leave an incandescent bulb lit for 24 hours a day for an entire year, you should expect a bill of around 62. Turning this bulb off for an hour everyday would save you around 1.50 off your total bill for the year.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, households could save up to 13 per bulb, per year by switching inefficient 100 watt incandescent bulbs for LEDs, or up to 5 per year swapping halogen bulbs for LED bulbs.

If you accidentally leave your lights on overnight, you shouldn't worry, as it will still likely cost you only a few pence, even with energy inefficient light bulbs.

Myth or Magic? Myth, as swapping to energy efficient bulbs will do more to save on energy than turning off lights.

More than two-thirds of UK households have said they are now making an effort to turn their lights off when not in use around the home, in a bid to save money on their energy bills

2. Turning off appliances when theyre not being used

According to GoCompare, over half of households have started turning their electronics off at the wall when not in use, rather than leaving them on standby, to save energy.

However, the effort it takes to turn off each device may not be worth the savings, as leaving your TV on standby could only be costing you 0.45 per year.

Research by boiler repair company JustServicesGroup.com suggests you could be saving up to 25 per year by switching your games console off standby, turning off your Wifi router or smart speaker overnight, or leaving devices on charge for longer than necessary.

Around 80 per cent of households have seen increases in their energy bills since March, with 90 per cent of those polled saying they are making efforts to cut down on energy use

Other devices with a high annual standby cost include a microwave at 16.37, followed by a shower at 9.80, a washing machine at 4.73 and a printer at 3.81.

Meanwhile, some have even suggested that using your dishwasher could save you more on your household bills than washing dishes by hand.

The Energy Saving Trust worked out that washing your dishes by hand after each meal uses around four times as much water than one cycle of a dishwasher, which uses about 10 litres per cycle.

Depending on your habits, washing up with the water running can use nine times more water than a dishwasher - a figure that will matter financially if you have a water meter.

The average running cost of a dishwasher is as little as 37 per year, with an eco dishwasher costing just over 6p a day.

Additionally, the cost to heat water from your boiler to wash your dishes could set you back 4p per day.

Assuming you washed your dishes after every meal, you could be better off with your dishwasher.

Myth or Magic? It depends how many electronic devices you have, and what they are. While saving less than 4 a year by turning off a printer might not seem worth it for many, a house with multiple games consoles might consider switching them off at the wall to save 25 per year, per console.

3. Not filling the kettle to the top

One tip floating around the internet is to stop filling the kettle to the top to make one cup of tea, as it uses more energy. Putting in just enough water to fill a mug is said to be substantially cheaper.

A 3kW kettle boils one cup of water (235ml) in 45 seconds, costing 1p every minute to boil. This means 2.74 per year, if you had one cup of tea every day.

Heating larger amounts of water is more expensive. For example, filling the 3kW kettle up to its maximum of 1.7 litres means it will take up to 4 minutes to boil, and the cost will be 4p.

Boiling more water than you need could see you paying more per cup of tea, but boiling your kettle multiple times a day could cost you even more

So filling the kettle to the top could see you paying more for your energy, but the difference based on one boil of the kettle per day is just under 12.

However, if you drink more tea or have more people in the house, the savings start to add up. For example, a house with two adults, each drinking three cups per day and making them separately, would spend 16.44 by boiling just one cup's worth of water.

If they each filled the kettle to the top every time, it would cost almost 88.

Those looking to save could try boiling a kettle full of water once, and storing the hot water in a sealed thermos for later use.

This would mean they could cut down kettle use from four boils per day for four cups of tea, to only once for the same amount of boiled water. This would cut the average bill to 14.60 per person, per year.

Myth or Magic? It depends on the amount of times the kettle is boiled in a day. It is largely a myth for those drinking just one cup, who aren't likely to save a significant amount  but more prolific tea drinkers could save around 70.

4. Washing clothes on a lower heat setting

According to Which?, the majority of UK households wash their clothes at 40 degrees celsius.

But they could cut the energy used by up to 40 per cent, by turning it down to 30 or even lower.

While this advice can genuinely lower energy bills, washing at lower temperatures could still cost households more in the long run if they don't maintain their machines properly.

It can increase the chance of mould and grease build-up, which can cause musty, damp smells and even causing the machine to break down faster.

Washing your clothes on colder temperatures could reduce your energy consumption

If you wash at low temperatures, it becomes even more important to run a regular monthly maintenance wash on the highest setting with a washing machine cleaner or soda crystals, to give the pipes a blast and stop smells building up.

So, as long as you maintain your washing machine, you should be able to see around 12 knocked off your energy bill each year by turning down the temperature.

Myth or Magic? Magic, though it comes with a warning, as not properly caring for your washing machine could see you paying more for general maintenance.

5. Having quicker showers

Showers account for about 25 per cent of domestic water use, so it is not surprising that around a third of Britons have said they are cutting their shower time down to save money on bills.

The average shower uses around nine litres of water every minute, of which six litres are heated at a cost of around 1p per litre. Therefore, a ten minute shower could cost around 60p per person, per day.

Cutting shower time by two minutes would see you paying around 48p per person, per day, saving around 43 per year for each inhabitant of the house.

Cutting down on your shower time from ten to eight minutes could save you 43 per year

Households could save even more by ensuring their plumbing is completely up to scratch, as leaks or inefficient shower heads waste water.

Switching to a regulated shower head uses water even more efficiently, reducing the amount of water needed to between seven or eight litres per minute.

Some shower heads even claim to halve your water bills, and save up to 120 a year on the typical energy bill.

Myth or Magic? Magic. Cutting down on shower time is a solid money-saver.

6. No longer using the tumble dryer

Just under a quarter of households have said they will no longer be using a tumble dryer to dry their clothes in a bid to reduce their energy bills.

Vented tumble dryers can cost around 180 per year to run, according to Ideal Home.

For those who have the space, drying clothes naturally either indoors or outdoors could be a very viable way to save money, especially with summer approaching  though those drying them indoors should make sure the space is properly ventilated to avoid damp.

The good news is, you may not have to give up your dryer entirely, if you can make the switch to a heat pump dryer.

Which? recently found that these machines, which reuse the hot air they generate, only cost an average of 26 per year to run.

Running a tumble dryer overnight during off-peak energy hours can also save money for those on an Economy 7 tariff.

Myth or Magic? Magic. Switching to air drying is guaranteed to save money, and depending on the tumble dryer model you have this could be up to 180 per year. It's also worth considering a heat pump dryer if you can't live without one.

The average cost to run a tumble dryer for a year totals 180, which means air drying your clothes where possible could have the biggest impact on your energy bill

7. Making the house more energy efficient

One in five have said they would be taking steps to make their home more energy efficient  rather than simply their appliances  to help reduce the cost of energy.

There are a number of things that can be done to make a home more efficient, but most of them are very costly so are unlikely to be an option for those struggling with rising bills.

However, those who have the luxury to invest in their home now, and make the money back through reduced bills over many years, may want to consider them.

Adding insulation to your home could save around a third on your energy consumption, but this varies depending on whether the house is detached, semi-detached or terraced.

In period properties which still have single-glazed windows, switching to double or even triple glazing can cut down on unnecessary energy waste.

One in five have said they are making energy efficient changes to their home to cut down on costs of energy bills

Around 5 per cent of those polled by GoCompare also said they would be making the upgrade to solar panels in a bid to reduce their bills over time.

If you can afford them, and have room, its one of the most effective ways to reduce bills. An average solar set-up will cost somewhere between 2,500 and 8,000, depending on the number of panels, size of the roof and location.

An 3.5kW panel in southern England could see returns of around 300 in the first year, according to energy firm Ovo, with an approximate 5 per cent rate of return over its 25-year lifetime.

Myth or Magic? Magic  but only for those that can afford the upfront costs.

8. Using the slow cooker instead of the oven

Just under one in five of those surveyed by GoCompare said they were switching away from their energy-draining ovens in favour of slow cookers.

They may want to reconsider, as this energy-saving tip might be the biggest myth of them all - depending on how you use your slow cooker.

On average, electric ovens have a power rating of 2.0-2.2 kWh, whereas slow cookers use 0.64 kWh of electricity on low settings and 1.65 kWh on high settings.

So assuming someone used an oven five days a week, for one hour at a time, this would cost around 150 per year.

Alternatively, if they used a slow cooker five days a week for eight hours at a time on the lowest setting it could around 370.

However, slow cookers often use heat more efficiently than conventional ovens, wasting less energy  so they may actually work out cheaper depending how they are used.

For those worried about how much energy their slow cooker is using, experts suggest they get a smart meter and monitor their energy use to work our whether it is saving or costing them money.

Myth or Magic? Myth, as the average energy consumption for a slow cooker is more than an electrical oven in the time it would take to prepare the same meals.

Energy saving tips suggest using a slow cooker more often instead of a conventional oven, however, it could cost you more in the long-run to make the switch full time

Gareth Kloet, of GoCompare Energy, said on the findings: 'With 83 per cent of people feeling the impact of rising energy costs, its no wonder that lifestyle habits around the home will have been impacted.

'Some of these measures will undoubtedly help to keep increased costs to a minimum but there are obviously limits to the changes that people can make.

'With the warmer weather hopefully on its way, we are now approaching the time of year when people traditionally use less energy, and some people may be feeling like theres a bit of breathing space before the colder weather sets in again.

'But its important to remember that these habits can only be a good thing longer term  not just when it comes to saving on your bills, but also on the environment.

'If the market does return to some sort of normality and we start to see energy costs decrease, we would absolutely recommend that people continue with some of these changes longer term.

'Being aware of the way that energy is consumed in the house can only be a good thing and will be important to maintain even after things have improved in the market.'
Suits you: Hundreds of thousands of new platform customers are investing for the first time and need help starting out

DIY investors looking for a helping hand with their portfolios face a confusing maelstrom of ready-made options, which risk leaving them hundreds of pounds out of pocket if they choose incorrectly.

For years, investment platforms operated as simple fund supermarkets, presenting investors with an array of thousands of funds and stocks from which to construct a portfolio.

But as the popularity of DIY investing has ballooned, platforms are falling over themselves to offer solutions to make investing easier.

The amount of money invested in the stock market via investment platforms has leapt by 20 per cent and then 12.5 per cent over the past two years alone.

Hundreds of thousands of new platform customers are investing for the first time and need help starting out.

Solutions range from ready-made funds where you buy a single all-in-one fund to model portfolios where you are recommended a number of funds to buy and manage yourself.

The offerings vary wildly. Some platforms offer ethical options, others ideas for investing for children. Some make recommendations based on their own in-house funds, while others pick the best from the whole market.

Used wisely, these tools can make investing simple, affordable and potentially lucrative. But navigating through the growing range of options can be bewildering and lead to expensive mistakes.

Do-it-all fund with a wide asset range...

Some investors have neither the time nor inclination to construct and manage a portfolio.

For these people, investment platforms have been developing ranges of ready-made funds that require no maintenance  they are rebalanced and reshaped periodically on your behalf.

Ready-made fund ranges are offered by providers including AJ Bell, Aviva, Barclays Smart Investor, Charles Stanley Direct, Chelsea Financial Services, Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor. You can hold them in an Individual Savings Account or general investing account.

Unfortunately, they go by different names on the websites of each investment platform. So you will need to tread carefully and inquire with your platform provider if you cannot find them.

For example Hargreaves calls them Portfolio +, Interactive Investor labels them Quick Start while Tilney Bestinvest has an Expert and Smart Range. Ready-made fund ranges appear deceptively similar.

Helping hand: Ready-made funds can make things easier for investors who don't have the time or inclination to construct and manage a portfolio

Each platform offers between five and nine different funds to choose between, all with a low, medium and high-risk option. But don't assume they are the same.

For example, some platforms, such as Barclays Smart Investor, do not have options designed for investors seeking an income from their investments, while others do.

If income is important to you  as it is for many people in retirement especially  you may want to pick a range with an income option.

Some platforms offer ready-made funds selected from the whole of the market, while others choose to promote their own in-house funds. Hargreaves' Portfolio +, for example, is made up entirely of Hargreaves Lansdown Multi-Manager funds.

Flows of money into these funds rose from 20.39million to 197million last year.

You will need to decide whether you are happy with your platform's assessment that its own funds are best  or if you would prefer to have access to the full market.

Some platforms offer cheap, no-frills funds made up solely of equities and bonds  the core components of an investment portfolio.

For example, Interactive Investor's Quick Start funds are built around the Vanguard Life-Strategy range, with varying proportions of equities and bonds depending on your appetite for risk.

Other platforms offer readymade funds diversified across a wider range of assets. This method can prove valuable at a time of market turbulence when alternative assets offer a ballast against equities and bonds.

For example, Tilney Bestinvest's Smart range of five ready made funds all contain a six per cent holding of gold and 1.5 per cent of cash.

...or a portfolio based on appetite for risk

Some investors are happy to take on a bit more work themselves, but need direction. For these people, investment platforms offer model portfolios, which are funds designed to work in tandem to meet your investment goals.

However, once again you will need to tread carefully as they all have different names and are easily confused with the platform's ready-made fund ranges.

At AJ Bell, they are called 'readymade portfolios', on Interactive Investor 'model portfolios' and at Hargreaves Lansdown 'master portfolios'.

Platforms tend to offer between five and ten of these portfolios. To pick the right one, you will be asked questions about your appetite for risk and whether you are looking to grow your wealth or use it to produce an income.

According to your answers, you are presented with a model portfolio  a list of recommended funds and how much you should put in each according to how much you have to invest.

Some  such as AJ Bell  allow you to buy all of the funds in a model portfolio with a click of a button while others, such as Interactive Investor, require you to buy each separately.

All is well and good when you buy a model portfolio, but the problems come down the track. If the US stock market soars and the UK flops, then everything gets out of kilter Holly McKay, BoringMoney

Model portfolios are as easy to buy as a ready-made fund. The potential troubles come later on. When you buy a model portfolio, it should be optimally balanced and diversified. But before long, the composition of your portfolio will start to skew as some funds perform well and others poorly.

It is up to you to rebalance regularly to make sure that your portfolio still meets your attitude to risk and reward. That means selling some holdings and buying others, or tilting what you buy in future towards areas that have become under-represented.

Wealth platforms regularly update their model portfolios by removing funds they no longer rate and using new ones they are more optimistic about. You will need to keep an eye on these changes and decide whether you too wish to switch.

Holly Mackay, of investment website BoringMoney, says: 'All is well and good when you buy a model portfolio, but the problems come down the track.

'If the US stock market soars and the UK flops, as has broadly been the case in the last three years, then everything gets out of kilter.

'And so you end up with a disproportionately high allocation to US shares and a lower one to British shares. You can rebalance everything, but it's a bit fiddly to do.'
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

L.T. writes: I visited Mevagissey in Cornwall and parked in the Sunny Corner Car Park. I went to pay at one of the two machines, but the one with a keypad for registration numbers was not working and its display was blank no matter which buttons I pushed.

The other machine had no such keypad and I inserted the correct money for my stay, received a ticket which I placed in the windscreen, and then went off to enjoy my visit.

Two weeks later, I received a demand for a 60 penalty charge. By then I had thrown away the ticket, and the car park company has rejected my appeal.

Charming: But many complained about parking set-up in Mevagissey

Tony Hetherington replies: The car park is run by Premier Parking Solutions Limited, which photographs every car that enters and leaves the site, and then compares the registration numbers with the records of those who paid or failed to pay.

The gap in the system  as you found  is that one of the payment machines does not record registration numbers but simply takes cash and issues a timed ticket.

When you contacted me, you had already decided to pay the 60 penalty because delaying payment would have increased the charge to 100.

But I asked the company's boss Richard Cox what you should have done when you found that one machine was not working.

He denied that the machine was faulty. He told me: 'The car park that day was used by dozens of motorists who had no issue with entering their vehicle registration number correctly into the pay and display machine or via the pay-by-phone system.'

In short, if there was a problem, you could have phoned the company. Phones are only manned during office hours, Cox explained, but at other times including weekends, calls are logged and checked later before penalty notices are issued.

But why would you have phoned, when the other machine was working perfectly, took your money, and gave you a ticket?

This places on you the responsibility for proving your innocence later, rather than on the car park operator being responsible for proving that you failed to pay.

I put this to Richard Cox and he replied that you should have kept the ticket for at least a fortnight as evidence in your favour.

He justified the penalty, telling me that his company had to spend time dealing with appeals as well as enquiries like mine, 'as a result of the motorist failing to comply with our terms and conditions'. You were seeking preferential treatment over other motorists, he insisted.

But Cox offered no comment when I asked about the crop of very similar complaints I found online. One says: 'Even if you pay and display, they will still send a penalty ticket two weeks later do not park here.'

Another says: 'Been going there for years with no issues. Not been for two years. Parked up and paid with coins in the machine. Displayed ticket as usual. Two weeks later, a fine through the door, just like loads of people. Will now avoid completely.'

And a third complaint is from a driver who writes: 'The machine is set not to accept registration details, but send you a parking charge for no registered payment.'

Premier Parking Solutions, which is based in Newton Abbot, is a big business. Its 2021 accounts show profits of 974,000.

Filings also show the company received over 253,000 from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and the Government paid interest of 4,858 on a Covid loan the company took out.

The local council dished out a further 20,000 to the business, which leaves me wondering how it reacts to this from a driver who used the car park not long ago: 'It has ruined my memories of our holiday, I will not return to Mevagissey because of this cowboy firm.'

Three premium bond wins... but no cash

Ms K.F. writes: I have received three separate emails from National Savings & Investments, notifying me that I had won premium bond prizes.

I have not received the prizes, and when I rang NS&I, it said it was because someone else has the same email address as me.

Missing: Ms K.F. has received three separate emails from National Savings & Investments, notifying her of premium bond wins, but has not received any prizes

Tony Hetherington replies: You sent me a copy of the congratulatory email you received three times from NS&I, telling you that you had won a prize and that you should check the premium bonds website to find out how much you would be getting. When you logged on to the website, it simply said that you had won nothing.

I asked staff at NS&I headquarters to explain, and they have told me that a mistake was made in the account of another bondholder, whose email address is one character away from yours.

That one crucial character was missed off, so when the other bondholder won a prize, the email was sent to you by mistake.

NS&I has apologised and issued you with a goodwill payment of 25, the basic prize if one of your bonds really had won.

New VAT system has left me in limbo with the taxman

Ms S.R. writes: I tried to do my VAT Return online in January, but a message appeared saying that returns had to be made digitally unless a business's turnover is below 85,000.

My turnover is well below that, so I opted out and a message appeared to say that I would hear back within two days.

I am still waiting, and meanwhile Revenue & Customs owes me two VAT repayments.

Waiting: HM Revenue & Customs owes Ms S.R. two VAT repayments

Tony Hetherington replies: Looking at the sequence of events, I think you will find that you have been caught in confusion around the launch of a Revenue project called 'Making Tax Digital'.

It is complicated, but almost all VAT-registered businesses are now expected to keep all their records electronically and submit their tax calculations online every three months.

Something appears to have gone wrong with your registration, but I have contacted the taxman and you are now back on the system.

If you need help, let me know and I can get one of the Revenue team to talk you through what needs doing.

Making Tax Digital makes things simpler for the taxman but more complex for anyone without an accountant.

Anyone breathing a sigh of relief because this only effects VAT should think again.

The same system is scheduled to hit the self-employed with income over 10,000 from 2024, and small companies will follow after that.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Elon Musk faces a potential backlash over his proposed Twitter takeover after a Florida pension fund sued the social media platform's board.

The Orlando Police Pension Fund has demanded that two-thirds of Twitter's independent shareholders vote on the deal, rather than the standard 50 per cent required.

Court action: Elon Musk is running into trouble over his proposed Twitter takeover

Under the law, if a shareholder owns more than 15 per cent of a company and tries to buy outright ownership then a higher threshold must be secured.

The Orlando pension fund, in its complaint filed yesterday, highlighted how 50-year-old Musk, Morgan Stanley and Jack Dorsey together own around a fifth of Twitter.

The lawsuit proposed that Musk's 9.2 per cent stake should be added to Morgan Stanley's stake, as it is providing debt financing for the deal, and Dorsey's, a Twitter co-founder and director who has been an ally of the billionaire.

The Court of Chancery in Delaware, where Twitter is incorporated, must decide whether to grant the Orlando pension fund's request that the standard for shareholder approval be two-thirds of the votes not held by Musk, Morgan Stanley and Dorsey.
The leafy village of Milton in Oxfordshire is an unlikely crucible for a green energy revolution that could power Britain's homes for generations into the future.

A commuter hideaway, down the road from Raymond Blanc's double Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, it is better known for its pretty period houses that could double as the set for a Miss Marple mystery.

Yet it is here, in a nondescript business park, that British start-up Tokamak Energy is racing to win a global battle against US billionaires to crack a scientific conundrum.

Collision: Lord Wolfson, right, is taking on Jeff Bezos in the fusion race

The puzzle is harnessing nuclear fusion  the energy that powers the sun and stars, and the opposite of the fission reactions found in conventional nuclear reactors.

The team that first produces fusion energy for powering our businesses and heating our homes will create lasting energy security as the West weans itself off Russian gas.

It will also create a new, green form of energy that  unlike wind and solar  does not fluctuate according to how much the sun shines or the wind blows.

The prize for investors is huge too. With profits expected to soar into billions of pounds from the 2030s, some of the biggest names on the British high street and a gaggle of billionaires across the Atlantic are pouring money into nuclear fusion firms.

In the British corner is retail giant Lord Wolfson, chief executive of high street chain Next, who The Mail on Sunday can reveal is the biggest individual shareholder in Tokamak Energy.

He is joined by hedge fund titan Sir David Harding; Swiss-German industrialist Hans-Peter Wild; chocolate brand heir Joel Cadbury; and cross-bench peers including former Tory chairman Lord Feldman and Baroness Mendelsohn, a powerful executive at Facebook owner Meta.

Unlikely setting: Tokamak Energy's reactor is near the village of Milton

Chris Kelsall, the chief executive of Tokamak Energy, is evangelical in his belief that his firm will be the first to produce commercial fusion energy from the start of the next decade.

In March, Tokamak Energy's prototype ST40 reactor achieved a major breakthrough when temperatures inside the chamber hit over 100million degrees Celsius for the first time  about seven times hotter than the centre of the sun.

But no material can contain the plasma where the fusion reaction takes place at this temperature. So the Tokamak reactor is encased by powerful electromagnets, which keep the plasma away from the edge of the chamber so it swirls around in a doughnut shape. Until now, this has taken more energy than it produces.

Kelsall says: 'Britain led the Industrial Revolution with the invention of the steam engine about 300 years ago.

We are now on the cusp of a second industrial revolution in energy, which will be achieved when we pass over the threshold of fusion Tokamak Energy chief executive, Chris Kelsall

'We are now on the cusp of a second industrial revolution in energy, which will be achieved when we pass over the threshold of fusion. We want Britain to be the world leader in commercial fusion technology and provide energy security for generations.'

But the world's second richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has other ideas. He has invested a slice of his $150billion (120billion) wealth into a Canadian firm building a demonstration fusion plant down the road from Tokamak at Culham, also in Oxfordshire.

General Fusion says its test plant will show net electricity generation fusion is possible by 2027.

It aims to launch commercial fusion by the end of the decade, before rolling out plants across the world in the early 2030s, providing energy at a comparable price to fossil fuels.

Chief executive Chris Mowry says: 'The easy parts of the solution to climate change, like wind energy, are in place. Now comes the hard part  powering the developing world and the future of cities. Only fusion can do that.'

Meanwhile, Microsoft founder Bill Gates  now a crusader for tackling climate change  is backing a fusion firm based in Massachusetts, called Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

Cutting-edge: A 3D illustration of a fusion reactor, the equipment used to create fusion power

Gates has backed the company through his Breakthrough Energy fund, whose investors also include Caribbean-based UK billionaire Sir Richard Branson; secretive Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, who is the founder of Asian e-commerce giant Alibaba; and Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi Arabian investor who once bought Donald Trump's yacht.

In total, there are about 30 companies globally using varying techniques for nuclear fusion  the process by which two hydrogen atoms slam into one another and fuse into one heavier atom, generating energy.

The tipping point will come when the reactors generate more energy than they use.

Until then, there will be no shortage of investment opportunities. To help it get there by the early 2030s, Tokamak Energy plans to raise hundreds of millions of pounds from sovereign wealth funds and City investment firms later this year, adding to the 100million of private capital it has raised to date.

The money will be used to develop the super-strong magnets needed to contain the fusion reactions inside the tokamak chamber, and to build bigger reactors that can produce more energy.

Once a commercial pilot plant is up and running, the energy will be converted to electricity and connected to the national grid.

It could also be used to power heavy industry, such as manufacturing or steel plants, or create hydrogen through industrial-scale electrolysis  the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Fusion produces no carbon dioxide emissions and can be powered by water and lithium  both globally abundant natural resources.

And, assuaging safety fears associated with conventional nuclear plants, Kelsall says the radioactive footprint of its current reactor is comparable to that of a dentist's X-ray.

The involvement of Bezos and Branson, both last seen battling Tesla founder Elon Musk to launch the first commercial space flight, means fusion may be dubbed the next billionaire space race.

Now investors are on red alert to the climate crisis, Kelsall calls fusion the 'final frontier'.

'This is a critical mission for humanity,' he says. 'This is for our children and all future generations.'
British Airways boss Sean Doyle has fired a broadside at Heathrow Airport bosses as airlines battle to get families flying again.

Doyle appeared to criticise Heathrow's decision to keep Terminal 4 closed until June, particularly during the recent Easter break when the airline giant was forced to cancel more than 1,500 flights.

The flag carrier's owner International Airlines Group (IAG) on Friday posted a loss of 625million. BA's slew of flight cancellations was partly caused by staff shortages.

Signal for staff: Heathrow Airport aims to recruit 15,000 new workers

But Doyle also laid blame on Heathrow and questioned whether the airport was fully prepared for a sudden increase in travellers, citing 'airport capacity constraints' as another key challenge in the first quarter.

After he was asked on a call with City analysts if BA could receive compensation from Heathrow due to recent travel disruption, Doyle said it was 'unfortunate' Heathrow's terminal capacity 'isn't ready'.

He said BA has been faced with a 25 per cent drop in check-in desks at the UK's biggest airport at a time when passenger demand has come roaring back.

'Heathrow is the only airport in Europe that hasn't opened up all its terminals by the start of the summer season,' Doyle said on the call.

'One of the variables driving the intervention we have made has been the fact that Heathrow only has three terminals open rather than four.'

Heathrow is the only airport in Europe that hasn't opened up all its terminals by the start of the summer season BA boss Sean Doyle, speaking on a call with City analysts

His sentiments follow barbed comments by Virgin Atlantic boss Shai Weiss last month that Heathrow made 'cynical forecasts' to secure 'unjustified increases' in airport charges.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye rejected the criticism when asked by The Mail on Sunday.

'Many airlines have an equity story to tell and a share price to think about. We are trying to be realistic about what could happen,' he said.

'What we've found over the last two years is that there have been lots of forecasts for passenger numbers and we have always been seen as the most pessimistic.

'But even we have been over-optimistic. Our worst case scenario has always happened. You can't just have a single plan that assumes everything will go back to normal,' Holland-Kaye said.

Shuttered: Heathrow's Terminal 4 will remain closed until June, resulting in cancelled flights

Passenger demand returned months quicker than expected, he added, 'because the Government went so quickly from having the toughest travel rules in Europe to having no rules  that means we will need even more people than we'd been planning.'

However, IAG chief executive Luis Gallego said on Friday that Heathrow's 'unrealistically low passenger volume forecasts' contributed to longer queues.

He added: 'This is despite BA publicly stating it has been aiming for a 90 per cent operation this summer since early November last year.'

Doyle added: 'If you look at Heathrow's latest update, they are saying 52million passengers for the year.'

This clashes, he said, with other forecasts of more than 70million. British Airways has gone to great lengths of late to rebuild its workforce after slashing 10,000 jobs during the pandemic.

Last month, it began offering 1,000 bonuses to new cabin crew and baggage handlers. The MoS can reveal BA is also offering to pay hotel and travel expenses for temporary workers.

At Heathrow, Holland-Kaye said the airport is looking to hire up to 15,000 new workers to combat staff shortages this summer.

He also downplayed concerns about travelling from the airport, with T4 set to reopen in June.

Holland-Kaye said: 'Over Easter, on our busiest days, we had 80 per cent of our usual demand, but only 65 per cent of our people. And we still got people through security within five minutes or less.

'Even when we don't have enough people, we can manage things tightly enough that we can still give a good service.

'People shouldn't be worried about whether they can catch their flight at Heathrow this summer.'
An Alabama man who says he was 'nearly killed' by Casey White has compared him to Charles Manson and Ted Bundy and said he fears that the convict will hunt him down after he escaped from jail.

Charles Abernathy, 37, described White - who is currently on the run with prison guard and lover Vicky White - as 'hunter-like' and believes he will do whatever it takes to stay free.

'He will literally do anything and everything, including killing, including kidnapping, including killing animals and putting children in danger, to get what he wants,' Abernathy said to the New York Post.

Abernathy added that White is 'of all people to escape, this dude is probably the worst level that you could possibly let escape. You've got like Manson and you've got friggin' like Bundy and all these crazy people. He is on that level for me.'

White was on trial in 2019 for attempted murder and kidnapping in a 2015 crime spree when Abernathy testified.

He added that he fears White will now 'hunt' him down while he remains on the lam from prison.

Charles Abernathy (pictured), 37, described White - on the run with prison guard and lover Vicky White - as 'hunter-like' and believes he can do whatever it takes to stay free

Casey White, the convicted killer who remains on-the-run with a corrections officer after breaking out of an Alabama jail last week, is shown in new photos

Abernathy added that White is 'of all people to escape, this dude is probably the worst level that you could possibly let escape. You've got like Manson and you've got friggin' like Bundy and all these crazy people. He is on that level for me.'

Vicky White, a prison guard, helped confessed killer Casey break free from the Lauderdale County Jail in Alabama last Friday morning.

'Casey White is good enough to not be caught,' Abernathy said. 'He stalked our house for days before he came inhe's very hunter-like.'

Abernathy alleges that he and his boyfriend were watching a horror film in their home on December 2, 2015 when Casey barged in with a gun in each hand saying he wanted to kill his ex-girlfriend, who'd been living there.

As the ex's children slept in the basement, Casey held the two men and the woman at gunpoint with Abernathy praying for his life.

The three were saved only by Abernathy's dog, Missy Britches, who came in and bit White and distracted him enough that they were able to get away.

Abernathy said the only thing that kept White from killing him, his boyfriend and White's ex-girlfriend was Abernathy's dog, Missy Britches, whom White later shot to death

Corrections officer Vicky White (left) and confessed murderer Casey White (right) shared an intimate relationship dating back to 2020 that authorities were unaware of, investigation revealed. The pair are not related

Abernathy credits the bloodhound/German shepherd mix with saving their lives as White's ex left out the backdoor while he and his boyfriend got out of a bathroom window.

'If it wouldn't have been for her, I am 99.999% sure we would have died that night. Actually, no, I'm 100% sure we would probably died that night,' Abernathy admitted.

Unfortunately, while the three escaped to a neighbor's home, Missy Britches was shot to death by White.

'We buried her actually on that land as well, because we felt likeshe was, you know, a protector there and she still is, I think.'

Casey was arrested that same night after a long standoff with police. He was convicted in Feburary of 2019 and sentenced to 75 years in jail.

Abernathy added that White is known to wear camouflage and could be difficult to find.

'If I had the means, I would pack my stuff and get my dog and I would go as far as possible from the state of Alabama,' Abernathy said.

He also worried that Vicky was no longer alive: 'To me, she was a means to an end.'

On-the-run prison lovers Vicky and Casey White abandoned their orange SUV in Tennessee, hours after breaking out of jail, before the country realized they were missing, sheriffs admitted on Friday.

She was supposed to be taking him to court but instead, they drove away from the jail in a police vehicle. They then switched to Vicky's orange Ford Edge - which she bought under an alias.

They drove 100 miles north to Tennessee and then dumped the car. It's unclear where they went next.

A photo released by Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office on Friday showed an apparent attempt to spray paint part of the car green.

The SUV was found on Friday April 29, just as news of their escape was spreading through America, but it wasn't reported to police until last night. Police have now confirmed that it was Vicky's car, and that she and Casey had tried to spray paint it before they dumped it. It remains unclear where they are now.

Inside the car, the sheriff found Vicky's jail radio, handcuffs and keys.

'Somebody might have given them a ride -they could have walked and then stolen a vehicle. No one knew they were missing at that time,' Lauderdale County Rick Singleton said.

'This was a well thought-out, calculated plan.... we're sort of at a loss.'

Vicky recently withdrew $90,000 in cash from her bank, the proceeds of the sale of her home, according to police on Friday. New photos have also emerged of Casey's many tattoos that include a back inking of a Confederate flag and Nazi symbols.

Other photos show what Vicky would look like if she dyed her hair from blonde to brown.

In a message to Vicky, Sheriff Singleton said: 'If you're still safe, get out and turn yourself in.'

Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office released these images which appeared to show an attempt to spray paint missing corrections officer Vicky White's orange Ford SUV green. The discovery of the car was announced on Friday

In light of his escape with Vicky, authorities are also re-opening an investigation into the mysterious death of his ex-girlfriend, Christy Shelton, in 2008.

Casey, 38, was there when Shelton was shot in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. Her death was ruled a suicide, but her family never believed the story, WAFF reports.

He has a history of violence with partners, having shot at his ex-girlfriend during a crime spree in which he killed a dog and held her roommates at gunpoint.

The 2015 incident culminated in the 6ft 9in 'monster' being sentenced to 75 years in prison on charges including attempted murder.

The search for Casey and White is intensifying as Lauderdale County deputies joined forces with the US Marshals, the Secret Service and other agencies to locate the fugitive pair.

The two developed a secret 'special relationship' during phone calls while Casey was being held in a different jail.

Casey White's Confederate tattoo with 'Southern Pride' inscribed around the edges

Another image shows the height difference between the pair. They have been on the run since last week

It's just a matter of time... we'll get them

'We're having to do a nationwide search. And we've got boots on the ground across the country, following up on tips and leads for us through the U.S. Marshal's fugitive task force,' Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told Al.com.

'So it's just a matter of time. We'll get them. Obviously, the sooner the better.'

On Thursday, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton - Vicky's boss - says the search for the pair is intensifying but they still have no 'clue where they're at'

Authorities have warned that the pair are 'armed and dangerous' and that Casey White is a 'bad guy' - having confessed to killing a 59-year-old woman back in 2015 while serving a 75-year sentence for other crimes.

Deputies in Limestone County will open an investigation into the death of his ex-girlfriend Christy Shelton.

On Thursday, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said the search for the pair continues across the country, but he revealed that local and national authorities have no idea where the two could be.

'We don't really have a clue where they're at,' he told Al.com.

He continued: 'I don't know what their game plan was. It's obvious this was very well planned out. It could be they're just holed up somewhere waiting for things to die down.'

The sheriff added that his department has brought in counselors for their colleagues, some of whom are still in shock that the stellar employee of 17 years could have run away with a confessed killer the day she was set to retire.

'I think some of them had gotten gifts for her and different things because they all respected her but some of them almost looked at her as a mother figure,' Singleton said.

'They're just devastated.'

Shelton was shot in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. Casey was there when she died, authorities say, but her death was ruled a suicide

Corrections officer Vicky White kept her 'special relationship' with Casey White alive while he served a 75-year sentence in state prison for a crime spree that involved him shooting at his ex-girlfriend, according to Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton.

Casey was moved from state prison to the county jail where Vicky works in February to face trial on separate capital murder charges.

Vicky then sold her house and planned to retire on Friday before taking off with him instead. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Video of her leading the 6ft9in inmate out of jail shows she was 'prepared' to help him escape, says Human Behavior Academy president Susan Constantine.

Authorities are on day eight of a US Marshal-led manhunt for the fugitive pair. They could be armed with an AR-15 and a shotgun and may have used a copper 2007 Ford Edge to get away.

The latest footage shows them driving through the intersection of Huntsville Road and Cox Creek Parkway at 9.49am on Friday

Vicky is pictured 'waddling' into the jail and opening an interior door on Friday. Casey is believed to have been in the hallway at the time

Surveillance video previously released showed Vicky helping Casey escape from the Lauderdale County Jail, where he had been incarcerated. The pair then fled together

New video released Wednesday shows Vicky and Casey driving to the Florence Square shopping center on Friday where they abandoned the sheriff's car used during the escape

Casey was serving a 75-year sentence for attempted murder, burglary, robbery, kidnapping and animal cruelty. He also faced murder charges after confessing to the fatal stabbing of Connie Ridgeway, 59.

The apparent lovers made a break for it last week after Vicky told superiors she was going to take Casey for a mental health evaluation on her last day before retirement.

The 56-year-old widow held the door for the 38-year-old thug - who was still wearing handcuffs - before they got into a black car and sped off at 9.30am on Friday.

New video released Wednesday shows Vicky and Casey driving to the Florence Square shopping center where they abandoned the sheriff's car used during the escape.

The latest footage shows them driving through the intersection of Huntsville Road and Cox Creek Parkway at 9.49am on Friday, WAAY reported. The intersection is about a half-mile from the shopping center.

The cruiser was found abandoned in the center parking lot several hours after the escape.

The jailer and confessed killer shared an intimate relationship dating back to 2020.

Inmates allege Vicky ensured Casey 'was getting extra food on his trays' and 'was getting privileges no one else got,' a claim that Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told CNN has been confirmed by an independent investigation.

'As far as we know that was the earliest physical contact they had,' Singleton said of the arraignment. He claims Casey and Vicky continued to communicate after the accused murderer was transferred back to the prison.

But cops and federal agents have launched a huge manhunt and drip-fed more information about the duo - including that the jailer had two aliases herself.

The manhunt comes as Casey's ex-girlfriend begged Vicky to flee the killer, warning her she was not safe with him

Sheriff Singleton, who described Vicky as 'an exemplary employee,' issued a plea to the former jail guard, asking her to turn herself in.

'Vicky you've been in this business for 17 years, you've seen this scenario play out more than once and you know how it always ends,' Singleton told Good Morning America Wednesday.

In 2020, Casey's request to be transferred out of prison and into the county jail was denied after authorities found a makeshift knife stashed in the shower that they believed he intended to use to force someone to let him out

'Now go ahead and end it now, get to a phone and call 911, turn yourself in and help us get Casey White back behind bars because you know that's where he's going to eventually end up.'

The sheriff said that as of Wednesday morning, investigators 'don't have any idea where they might be.'

'We were making some good progress on that. We may be hindered now that some of that information has gotten out,' Singleton explained. 'But, you know, we're still working around the clock to locate them and try to get them back in custody.'

The sheriff also noted, despite hopes of her colleagues and superiors at the Lauderdale County Jail, all signs suggest Vicky willingly participated in the escape.

'The pieces of the puzzle just came together,' he said.

'I think all of our employees and myself included were really hoping that she did not participate in this willingly. But all indications are that she absolutely did.

'We're very disappointed in that because we had the utmost trust in her as an employee and as an assistant director of corrections.'
Dramatic bodycam footage captures the moment New Jersey police officers save a woman whose car veered off a pier and landed upside down in the water.

On April 28 officers from the Gloucester City Police Department were called to the Freedom Pier where an unidentified woman's car had plunged off, ending up almost entirely submerged in the Delaware River

Gloucester City officers John Bryszewski, Carlos Depoder and Sean Gartland were among the first to arrive to the scene and rushed to action to save the woman.

Scroll Down For Video:

On April 28 officers from the Gloucester City Police Department were called to the Freedom Pier where an unidentified woman's car had plunged off

Officer Sean Gartland (pictured) was the first to climb down 10 feet from the pier to the water and immediately began searching for the driver

After locating her officers pulled her out of the car and began to perform CPR on a log in the water because they couldn't pull her up 10 feet back up to the pier

Officer Sean Gartland was the first to climb down 10 feet from the pier to the water and immediately began searching for the driver.

'By the time I get in, I start opening doors and start checking, trying to find her,' officer Gartland told ABC6.com

He was followed by officers Bryszewski and Depoder who also search the car and find the driver by the dashboard.

'When I get in, I go to the front passenger door. I check there first. Then I check the back door. She was located up in the dash area,' officer Depoder said.

After locating her they managed to pull her out of the car and began to perform CPR on her on a log in the water because they couldn't manage to pull her up 10 feet back up to the pier.

Then three good Samaritans who happened to be out on a barge working pulled up on their boat and offered to help.

'There was no way we could have got her up without some kind of intervention,' officer Gartland said.

Officers John Bryszewski, Carlos Depoder and Sean Gartland (pictured left to right) were among the first to arrive to the scene and rushed to action to save the woman

Three good Samaritans who happened to be out on a barge working pulled up on their boat and offered to help

Gene Blemings, (pictured) one of the men on the boat, said he was just glad to do his part to help in the rescue

One of the men on the boat was a volunteer firefighter who continued chess compressions until they were able to get the woman to a nearby dock.

Gene Blemings, one of the men on the boat, told ABC 6 he was just glad to do his part to help in the rescue.

'I'm just happy that she's alive. Hopefully everything turns out good for her, that's all that matters to me,' said Blemings.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash and said the driver remains in critical condition but is expected to survive.

All in all officers say they are just glad everything worked out.

'Everyone was at the right place at the right time,' officer Gartland said.
The YSRC leader pointed out that several complaints had been made to the then Anti-Corruption Bureau chief, but they were not entertained, as the then chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh were involved in the scam.  Representational image/PTI

VIJAYAWADA: YSR Congress BC leader A.N. Radha Krishna refuted allegations of corruption against the ruling party by Telugu Desam MLC Nara Lokesh. Radha Krishna maintained that Lokesh has no moral right to accuse YSRC government after indulging in corruption when the then TD government purchased ambulances.

Giving details, Radha Krishna recalled that TD government had called for tender to purchase 278 ambulances, 202 equipped with basic life support (BLS) and 76 with advanced life support (ALS) systems. The difference between BLS and ALS ambulances is only with regard to medical equipment. There is no difference in the vehicle.

M/S Tata Motors emerged the successful bidder quoting  12.60 lakh per ambulance with cost of fabrication being  2.6 lakh.

However, the YSRC BC leader alleged that Telugu Desam government cancelled the tender for purchase of 76 ALS ambulances. It instead allotted purchase of these ambulances to M/S IIL Delhi, paying  6.49 lakh excess per ambulance. Radha Krishna alleged there had been a scam of  6.17 crore in the deal.

He pointed out that several complaints had been made to the then Anti-Corruption Bureau chief, but they were not entertained, as the then chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh were involved in the scam.

The YSRC leader alleged that half of these 76 ALS ambulances purchased always remained in a state of breakdown. The worst part is some of the drivers of these vehicles even committed suicide, as they had not been paid their salaries for more than six months, he added.
Labor has been blasted after making a Facebook post featuring Kimberley Kitching and one of her alleged 'mean girls' bullies, Kristina Keneally.

Victorian Labor took to its social media page on Friday to post a photo of Opposition leader Anthony Albanese posing in front of a group of women MPs.

Senator Kitching was spotted among the crowd and smiling just metres away from Ms Keneally, who is one of the three 'mean girls' accused of bullying the late MP.

'Here's how you can help beat Morrison', the caption read.

Labor has been blasted after making a Facebook post featuring Kimberley Kitching (behind Anthony Albanese) and one of her alleged 'mean girls' bullies Kristina Keneally (centre)

Labor has resisted intense pressure to launch an independent inquiry into the alleged bullying of senator Kitching before her fatal heart attack at the age of 52 on March 10

The photo sparked outrage among social media users who were quick to label it 'disgusting' and 'tasteless'.

'Disgusting Labor filth. Why post a photo containing poor Kimberley Kitching? You low life's have no morals,' one wrote.

'This photo is not the current ALP,' another wrote.

The post has since been taken down from the Facebook page.

Labor has resisted intense pressure to launch an independent inquiry into the alleged bullying of senator Kitching before her fatal heart attack at the age of 52 on March 10.

Senator Kitching's friends claim she was being bullied by senior Labor senators Ms Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher, which they deny.

Senator Kitching had dubbed the trio 'mean girls' in reports on the bullying claims, close friends said.

Senator Kitching's friends claim she was being bullied by senior Labor senators Ms Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher, which they deny

Ms Keneally (pictured) is one of the three 'mean girls' accused of bullying senator Kitching

Mr Albanese said it was tragic Senator Kitching had passed at such a young age when she still had so much to contribute.

'Kimberley was passionate about the cause of Labor, passionate about international affairs, passionate about democracy, and protecting our way of life,' he said.

'The truth is we didn't always agree on every issue, but no one expects that in something as broad as the Australian Labor Party.'

Labor will establish an internal party award - the Kimberley Kitching Human Rights Award - for an ALP member who follows Senator Kitching's legacy of human rights advocacy.

'(Kimberley) was strong, she was smart, she was vivacious, and she was always the life of any room that she was in,' Mr Albanese said.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Victorian Labor for comment.
Sir Trevor Phillips has attacked the BBC for censoring the N-word in Bob Dylans anti-racism protest song Hurricane.

The former race equality chief said it was incredibly patronising of the BBC to let black artists on urban radio station 1Xtra use the word, but then censor other musicians.

He described the decision of Radio 6 Music bosses to edit out a line of the Dylan song featuring the word as absurd and insulting.

Sir Trevor Phillips has attacked the BBC for censoring the N-word in Bob Dylans anti-racism protest song Hurricane

The song, about the boxer Rubin Carter, who was wrongly convicted of murder, had the line and for the black folks he was just a crazy n***** removed when it was broadcast on Tom Robinsons 6 Music show, Now Playing, on April 24.

The song, about the boxer Rubin Carter, who was wrongly convicted of murder, had the line and for the black folks he was just a crazy n***** removed when it was broadcast on Tom Robinsons 6 Music show, Now Playing, on April 24.

But one indignant listener  who had noticed that stations bosses had deftly omitted a line from the song without telling the audience  contacted Radio 4s audience response show Feedback.

The listener pointed out that the song itself was an impassioned anti-racist account of a notorious miscarriage of justice and that the line you fellows deleted is very much a key moment in the story.Sir Trevor, who is chairman of Index on Censorship, appeared on the Radio 4 show to discuss the issue and was scathing about the way the BBC had behaved.

He told the programme: Bob Dylan has used that word for a particular reason in one of his most powerful pieces of work which by the way is a profoundly anti-racist piece of work and for somebody, who frankly shouldnt be there to judge a genius, to tell me Im too fragile to listen to what Bob Dylan has done with his work of art  I think this is both absurd and insulting and actually not what the BBC is there to do.

When the presenter of Feedback Roger Bolton suggested that the BBC would allow the word to be aired occasionally on Radio 1Xtra because the word had been reclaimed by black musicians, Sir Trevor disagreed.

He told the show: Isnt this incredibly patronising? I mean, look, get it together guys. Decide whether this word is 100 per cent unacceptable or decide that it has meaning and artistic context.

But journalist and broadcaster Marverine Cole insisted that the BBC absolutely did make the right decision by removing the N-word from the track. She said she found the term completely offensive and that it hurts to hear it as a black person.

A BBC spokesman told the programme: There is no specific policy on any track. But decisions on what we play and how these songs are introduced on air are always made with the relevant audiences and context in mind.

There must be exceptional editorial reasons for the broadcast of the strongest racist language and our editorial policy states that using such terms  even where the intention might be to expose or condemn discrimination  does not qualify as an editorial justification.

The spokesman added: Listeners of Radio 1Xtra know that we play radio-friendly versions of tracks which fully comply with the BBCs guidelines, which cover all of our radio stations.
Who would have thought that a word as simple as service could become so lethal?

Weaponised by Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, it has been used with frequency in their incendiary attacks on the Royal Family.

There was that extraordinary blast last year when Buckingham Palace noted that their decision to step back as working royals meant it was not possible for them to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.

It triggered an angry response. We can all live a life of service, they thundered from California. Service is universal.

And then at last months Invictus Games in the Netherlands, Meghan used the S-word when she took to the microphone and the stage. This is service, she declared.

Even if this was not delivered provocatively, it was a curious choice of words. It seemed especially so this week when the essence of uncomplaining public service was revealed in a remarkable memoir penned by the Duke of Kent, whose entire life has been dedicated to Queen and country.

Who would have thought that a word as simple as service could become so lethal? Weaponised by Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, it has been used with frequency in their incendiary attacks on the Royal Family. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are pictured above

As a dashing and handsome young man, he was once one of the most popular figures in the Royal Family whose glamorous escapades on the ski slopes, behind the wheel of fast cars and in nightclubs were front-page news. Remind you of anyone? Columnists would pore over the girls whose names were linked to this most eligible of bachelors.

These days, though, he can walk from his home at Kensington Palace along the nearby High Street, barely recognised.

And yet his life offers some remarkable parallels with that of his royal kinsman Harry. Both had long stints in the Army and both had their service as front-line troops prematurely ended because of their royal identity  Prince Harrys in Afghanistan and Prince Eddie, as the duke was known, in Ulster where he had been posted in the early days of the Troubles.

When Edward Kent was born in 1935  the year of the Silver Jubilee of his grandfather King George V  hundreds flocked to Belgrave Square in central London to catch a glimpse of the first baby prince in 30 years.

There were 41-gun salutes fired in Hyde Park and at the Tower of London. The diarist Chips Channon hailed the new baby as the sixth gentleman in the Kingdom and seventh heir to the throne.

Crowds gathered to watch him being pushed in his giant pram by a liveried footman accompanied by a bowler-hatted detective and two nannies. Newspaper interest was huge, just as it was almost 50 years later when Harry was born.

Eddies arrival made him seventh in the line of succession. But within a few years, following the death of the King and the abdication of the Duke of Windsor, his position had dramatically altered.

When Edward Kent was born in 1935  the year of the Silver Jubilee of his grandfather King George V  hundreds flocked to Belgrave Square in central London to catch a glimpse of the first baby prince in 30 years

He was now fifth: not that much different from Harry, whose birth in 1984 placed him third in line to the throne.

Then, like Harry who is now sixth behind his brother Williams children, George, Charlotte and Louis, the duke also slipped down after his first cousin Princess Elizabeth  now the Queen and nine years his senior  started her family with Charles and then Anne.

Even so, the dukes marriage to Yorkshire landowners daughter Katharine Worsley in 1961 was an international event, drawing a crowd of thousands to York Minster, not unlike the many who descended on Windsor four years ago this month when Harry married actress Meghan Markle.

The wedding was televised and broadcast live not just in Britain but in France, Holland and Belgium, setting the precedent for future royal nuptials.

As boys, both suffered grievous losses  Harry was 12 when Princess Diana died and Edward was just six when his father Prince George was killed in a wartime flying accident over Scotland in 1942. This August marks 80 years since he inherited his fathers dukedom.

Harrys experience of walking behinds his mothers coffin nearly 25 years ago has never left him. At 16, the Duke of Kent was prominent in the funeral procession of his uncle King George VI and soon after at that of his grandmother Queen Mary. He was also one of three royal dukes to pay personal homage to the Queen at the Coronation.

His life of service has continued ever since. He was riding directly behind the Queen at the Trooping the Colour ceremony when blanks from a starting pistol were fired at her in 1981. And at the age of 85 he was the oldest soldier on parade at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 2020.

No major royal event has taken place in the present reign without him being there as part of the inner circle.

According to his publishers, Harrys book promises to be the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses and life lessons that have helped shape him

The Queen attended his Buckingham Palace christening and he was at her side for the pared-down Birthday Parade at Windsor Castle last June.

He also stood in for her on the balcony overlooking Whitehall for last years Remembrance Day wreath-laying.

While the duke did not have to endure the kind of blanket media coverage of his own immediate family that Harry has had, there are some intriguing resemblances.

For example, speculation about the private life of the dukes father. Rumours about the fatal air crash and the princes death have continued to this day. One story has it that he had a lover on board the plane at the time of the accident, another that George had fathered a child out of wedlock.

The duke says nothing of any of that but does reveal that his father had a bad period before his marriage. There were drugs involved . . . he got into quite a serious state.

He says his uncle, the Duke of Windsor, was responsible for rescuing his father and pretty much pulled him out of it.

But the abdication ended this fraternal bond and the brothers ended up on unfriendly terms.

Ever present at all the great royal events of the past, he is a compelling witness to history, even those unhappiest of moments. He first saw the Duke of Windsor when they walked together behind George VIs coffin. My mother had talked about him a bit, but never in polite terms, he says.

The funeral was the first time he appeared in public. He had no idea who I was. I remember him asking: Who is that boy? Wed only ever met when I was a baby. He was my godfather as well as my uncle.

Royal memoirs are extremely rare. This year there will be two: the Duke of Kents and the Duke of Sussexs. They are likely to be markedly different.

According to his publishers, Harrys book promises to be the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses and life lessons that have helped shape him. But there has been no denial that it may also be an excuse for some royal score-settling, with his stepmother Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, rumoured to be in the princely sights.

In contrast, there is no getting even in Eddie Kents book. It is a love letter to the monarchy and the duty and conventions that bind the Royal Family to supporting the Crown. He makes a virtue of service because, as he says, it has been his wish to help lighten the load of the Queen.

There is none of the seething resentment and entitlement that seems to have coloured so much of Harrys post-royal life.

Despite his position so close to the throne, the dukes upbringing along with his sister Princess Alexandra and younger brother Prince Michael was far from lavish.

When their father died, their mother, Princess Marina, was not given a war widows pension and her husbands royal allowance from the Civil List ended. They relied on hand-outs from other family members.

It was not enough and Marina had to sell off countless possessions, from Chippendale furniture to Sevres porcelain and art works including a Van Dyck. Marina was only 36 when her husband was killed but she never remarried.

Despite the financial uncertainty, the picture the duke draws is of a happy, contented childhood with affectionate memories of ageing retainers, his mothers exotic European family and her famous movie star friends such as Danny Kaye and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

As boys, both Harry and Edward were popular figures within the Royal Family. At Balmoral, Eddie would be invited to stand in the Kings grouse butt at shoots.

I dont think conversation with young children was his cup of tea, he recalls. The fact that he allowed me to stand by him when he was shooting was quite an honour.

Like Harry and William, the duke was sent to Ludgrove, the Berkshire prep school, where unlike Dianas boys he was miserable and a target of bullies. He recalls lying in bed there hearing the drone of aircraft on their way to Normandy ahead of D-Day in June 1944.

There were happier days at Eton and then Le Rosey, the jet-set academy in Switzerland.

Fans hoping for a feast of royal name-dropping will be disappointed. Nor does the duke have anything to say on the upheaval of the Princess Diana years for which he had a ringside seat.

He also lets little daylight in on his own domestic life with his wife, the Duchess of Kent, who, like Harry and Meghan, stepped away from royal duty. But she replaced one form of duty with another by becoming a music teacher in Hull.

The dukes book is an insiders account of what it is like to be a working royal. If it is a burden, he certainly doesnt show it, finding joy and fulfilment in even the most humdrum of duties.

Harry may wish he had read it before he embarked on his own.

A Royal Life by HRH The Duke of Kent and Hugo Vickers is published on May 12 by Hodder & Stoughton at 25.
Dr. Mehmet Oz came on stage at Donald Trump's Pennsylvania rally guns blazing to tell supporters that lawmakers need to use their 'fists metaphorically' instead of index cards in the culture war against Democrats.

Hundreds of rally-goers braved persistent rain, chilly conditions and inches of mud to hear from Donald Trump in a southeast suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Friday evening.

But several made it clear that they are not at the rally to support Dr. Oz.

Oz kept his remarks quick and focused on pro-MAGA topics, such as lauding Fox News personality Sean Hannity and bashing big pharma and Democrats for wanting people to be 'sheeple.'

'The shocking reality is the Green New Deal  it's a lie, it's not real, it can't be done the way they say it. I'm telling you as a scientist. But as a leader, I'm also going to be clear, we're going to push back on that,' he said, taking aim at the progressive energy and environmental proposal.

'Republicans have been fighting,' he continued, 'you know, walking into this culture war knife fights with index cards.'

'Index cards don't work there, you've got to go in there with your fists sometimes  metaphorically,' Oz said.

Trump also recruited newly elected Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance to soften the blow for his endorsed Pennsylvania Senate candidate before Oz's remarks in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday.

Dr. Mehmet Oz told rally goers in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday evening that Republicans are 'walking into this culture war knife fights with index cards. Index cards don't work there, you've got to go in there with your fists sometimes  metaphorically'

Inches of mud lined the entire fairgrounds for Trump's rally in the southeastern Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday as rain persisted throughout the night. The bleachers were off-limits to rally goers  instead seen covered with massive American flags

Trump recruited newly elected Senate GOP candidate in Ohio J.D. Vance to tee up Oz's remarks after a mixed response following the former president's endorsement of the television personality

Trump supporters thought Oz wouldn't even get to finish his remarks due to negative perceptions.

'Dr. Oz is gonna get booed out of here,' 53-year-old Amy told DailyMail.com at the rally on Friday, saying that she was at the fairgrounds since 8:00 a.m. 'I'm in a truther group and they're all saying that. He's not from the state, that's my thing.'

Voters in Ohio were also hesitant about Trump's endorsement of Vance, who just won his Republican primary bid for Senate with the backing of the former president.

In the run-up to the rally, Trump's former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took the stage for Oz's chief rival, hedge fund executive David McCormick, raising concerns at a press briefing over the surgeon's ties to Turkey.

Pompeo, who, along with Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz, has endorsed McCormick, cast doubts about Oz's 'priority' over a 2018 vote he cast in Turkey's elections.

'We criticize American candidates all the time because they didn't vote,' Pompeo said. 'This is different from that. Not only did he not engage in the American [process] but he engaged in the Turkish political process. That raises in my mind a lot of judgments about his priority.'

'This isn't about whether it's lawful, it's about who is best suited to be the next United States senator from Pennsylvania that's been represented by a patriotic American conservative for an awfully long time,' the former secretary added.

The remarks hint at opposition to Trump in the runup to the 2024 presidential election, amid speculation that Pompeo is thinking of launching his own campaign.

Pennsylvanians are split on Oz, claiming they are unsure about his candidacy for Senate considering he is not a native of the Keystone State. Here a pro-Trump rally attendee wears an orange rain coat with the letters 'No Oz' taped to the back

Dr. Oz, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Turkey, received backlash for voting in the 2018 Turkish election (pictured). Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said of the revelations: 'That raises in my mind a lot of judgments about his priority. This isn't about whether it's lawful, it's about who is best suited to be the next United States senator from Pennsylvania'

The rally Friday was a dwarf event compared to past outdoor Trump events where thousands vie to get through the gates. Rain, mud and chilly conditions led many to leave the event before Trump even took stage

ABC News first reported Wednesday that Oz, who holds Turkish citizenship, voted in the Turkish election despite saying previously that he had never been politically involved in the country 'in any capacity.'

Oz was pictured casting his vote at the Turkish consulate in June 2018.

The heart surgeon has claimed that he maintains his Turkish citizenship to return to the country to care for his ailing mother but promised to renounce it if he is elected.

Some at the rally told DailyMail.com that they didn't even know who Oz was, while others said that they were planning to protest the former television personality out of the fairgrounds.

'I honestly don't know anything about him,' 24-year-old Trump supporter Nick said at the rally on Friday. 'Heard he doesn't even live here.'

Oz registered to vote at his in-laws home in Pennsylvania in 2020, but is not a native of the state  further leading to criticism that he does not belong in the U.S. Senate on behalf of the Keystone State.

Kate, 38, said that she is 'still on the fence' about Oz.

'We'll see what else he comes out with. Trump's support put him on the radar, but I'm not sold,' she added.

One person wearing an orange rain jacket had letter stuck onto the back of his outfit with a message: 'No Oz.'

Oz took stage to some cheers, some boos, but an overall tepid response amid torrential downpours in western Pennsylvania on Friday evening

While Oz did get some protests and some cheers during his remarks ahead of Trumps' arrival, the response was mostly tepid.

Vance attended Trump's rally in western Pennsylvania on Friday evening following his primary victory on Tuesday.

'I benefited in my race from the endorsement of Donald Trump,' Vance said during remarks Friday, teeing up Oz and hoping to calm skeptical voters at the rally.

'We need to support America first candidates,' he insisted.

The former president, who will take the stage at 8:00 p.m., is hoping to encourage voters in the swing state to turn out for Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Oz despite a less than warm welcome for the former television personality.

While the Keystone State's primary election is less than two weeks away on May 17, there is still no clear frontrunner in the Republican contest for Senate.

A subdued and smaller-than-usual crowd descended on an extremely muddy and wet fairgrounds in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, braving the torrential downpours in order to get a glimpse of the former president.

Although Oz is Trump's pick in Pennsylvania, voters are less convinced.

A poll from Franklin & Marshall College taken in late April shows that of registered Republican voters, only 18 percent back Oz  even after garnering Trump's coveted endorsement.

David McCormcik is trailing Dr. Oz by 2 percent, which is within the margin of error, at 16 percent support to be the GOP candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Senator Pat Toomey.
Following protests sparked by the leak of a draft Supreme Court decision indicating the justices are poised to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, Justice Clarence Thomas said on Friday that the court cannot be 'bullied.'

The leak set off a political firestorm, with abortion-rights supporters staging rallies outside the courthouse and at locations around the United States, as well as an internal crisis at the nation's top judicial body where an investigation into the source of the unprecedented disclosure is underway.

Thomas, one of the most conservative justices on the nine-member court, made only a few passing references to the protests over the leaked draft opinion as he spoke at a judicial conference in Atlanta.

As a society, 'we are becoming addicted to wanting particular outcomes, not living with the outcomes we don't like,' Thomas said.

'We can't be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want. The events from earlier this week are a symptom of that.'

Following protests sparked by the leak of a draft Supreme Court decision indicating the justices are poised to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, Justice Clarence Thomas said on Friday that the court cannot be 'bullied'

The leak set off a political firestorm, with abortion-rights supporters staging rallies outside the courthouse and at locations around the United States

Thomas, one of the most conservative justices on the nine-member court, made only a few passing references to the protests over the leaked draft opinion as he spoke at a judicial conference in Atlanta

Police have surrounded the court with tall black fencing following the protests, which have been peaceful.

The court confirmed the authenticity of the document but called it preliminary. The court is due to issue its ruling in the case by the end of June.

WHAT IS ROE V. WADE? The Roe v. Wade decision nearly 50 years ago recognized that the right to personal privacy under the US Constitution protects a woman's ability to terminate her pregnancy. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court decided that the constitutional right to privacy applied to abortion. Roe was 'Jane Roe,' a pseudonym for Norma McCorvey, a single mother pregnant for the third time, who wanted an abortion. She sued the Dallas attorney general Henry Wade over a Texas law that made it a crime to terminate a pregnancy except in cases of rape or incest, or when the mother's life was in danger. Roe's lawyers said she was unable to travel out of the state to obtain an abortion and argued that the law was too vague and infringed on her constitutional rights. Filing a complaint alongside her was Texas doctor James Hallford, who argued the law's medical provision was vague, and that he was unable to reliably determine which of his patients fell into the allowed category. The 'Does', another couple who were childless, also filed a companion complaint, saying that medical risks made it unsafe but not life-threatening for the wife to carry a pregnancy to term, and arguing they should be able to obtain a safe, legal abortion should she become pregnant. The trio of complaints - from a woman who wanted an abortion, a doctor who wanted to perform them and a non-pregnant woman who wanted the right if the need arose - ultimately reached the nation's top court. The court heard arguments twice, and then waited until after Republican president Richard Nixon's re-election, in November 1972. Only the following January did it offer its historic seven-to-two decision - overturning the Texas laws and setting a legal precedent that has had ramifications in all 50 states. Advertisement

Alito on Friday canceled his appearance at another court conference, instead sending a video message in which he told attendees it would have been 'impractical' to attend, according to people who attended the conference.

Thomas, a native of Georgia, spoke at the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, a gathering of lawyers and judges from the Atlanta-based federal appeals court and the federal district courts of Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

On Thursday, Roberts told conference attendees that the leak was 'absolutely appalling' but vowed that it would not affect the court's work.

The draft was obtained by Politico. Written by Justice Samuel Alito, one of the six justices appointed by a Republican president who sit on the court, it repudiated both Roe v Wade and the 1992 Planned Parenthood vs Casey Decision.

If and when the draft is made final, the decision removes the federal right to abortion in America, leaving it up to elected officials in each state to decide whether or not women should have access to abortions.

Twenty-six states are likely to ban it if Roe v. Wade is formally overturned, essentially outlawing abortion in more than half of the country. Eighteen states already have restrictive abortion laws in place.

The news sent shock waves throughout Washington D.C. with Democrats vowing to codify the legal right to an abortion into law and Republicans demanding an investigation into the leak, claiming it was done to try and influence the high court ahead of its formal ruling.

Perhaps anticipating backlash, the Supreme Court building initially was barricaded Monday night before being watched by security.

Protesters eventually headed toward the gates in large numbers, with some standing up and chanting, while others sat outside the building and lit candles in silence. A small number of counter-protesters also gathered.

'Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,' Alito writes in the draft opinion, which was crafted in February and circulated among the court members. 'We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,' he continues in the document, titled 'Opinion of the Court.'

'It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives.'

Politico reports that, aside from Alito, four other judges voted in favor of overturning the law: Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, all of whom were nominated by Republican presidents.

Politico noted that this is the first such case in modern history of a Supreme Court draft decision being leaked to the public while the case was still pending.

The draft document is not final until the court formally announces its decision in a case, meaning the ruling could still be changed.

Sometimes drafts are circulated by one justice in the hopes of swaying fellow judges but this is believed to be the first time a draft has been leaked.

The court is expected to issue its final ruling before its term is up in late June or early July.

That led to speculation the Alito draft was leaked ahead in the hopes public outrage could temper the court's decision.

The court, notably, did not deny the legitimacy of the draft opinion.

A spokesperson for the Supreme Court said: 'The Court has no comment.'

Republican appointed-Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett all voted to strike down Roe with Samuel Alito, Politico noted

The beginning of the original leaked draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito

Protesters gather, chant and hold signs outside the Supreme Court in Washington Monday night
A hit-and-run driver pleaded guilty Friday in a suburban New York a suburban New York crash that killed the father of Nicki Minaj and was promised a year or less in jail, disappointing prosecutors and the hip hop star's mother.

In state court in Long Island's Nassau County, businessman Charles Polevich admitted leaving the scene of the February 2021 accident that fatally injured Robert Maraj as he walked along a road in Mineola.

Polevich initially got out of his car and looked at the injured man on the ground, but then drove off, didn't call 911, garaged his car and covered it with a tarp, authorities said. Polevich pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence by concealing the car.

Maraj, 64, died at a hospital the next day.

Judge Howard Sturim said Polevich would get 'no more than one year in jail,' along with community service and a suspended license. The 71-year-old is due to be sentenced August 3.

The victim's widow, Carol Maraj, told reporters she was 'not happy' with the planned sentence. The widow, who is suing Polevich for $150million, said seeing him in court left her shaking at the memory of her husband fighting for his life in the hospital.

'I was angry, very, very angry,' Maraj said of seeing Polevich in court. 'I'll say what I have to say at sentencing.'

An undated photo shows Nicki Minaj with her father Robert Maraj, 64, whom she struggled to forgive after her difficult childhood

In state court in Long Island's Nassau County, businessman Charles Polevich (pictured) admitted leaving the scene of the February 2021 accident that fatally injured Robert Maraj as he walked along a road in Mineola

Minaj's father Robert and mother Carol are pictured together in 2013. Carol Maraj told reporters she was 'not happy' with the planned sentence. The widow, who is suing Polevich for $150million , said seeing him in court left her shaking at the memory of her husband fighting for his life in the hospital

Nicki Minaj presents the award for favorite duo or group - pop/rock at the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015

Prosecutors, who sought a one-to-three-year prison sentence, also took issue with the planned penalty.

'Given the severity of the defendant's conduct, we disagree with the sentencing commitment from the court,' Nassau County District Attorneys office spokesperson Brendan Brosh said in a statement.

Polevich's lawyer, Marc Gann, called the hit-and-run 'completely out of character' for his client, who hails from Long Island but has a drilling and water purification business in Guam.

'He does feel tremendous empathy for Mr. Maraj's family and tremendous remorse for any role he played in his death,' Gann said by phone after court. He suggested that Polevich might have had a medical problem that made him not 'fully aware of what he was doing,' while noting that it wasn't a legal justification.

Polevich, who spent a lot of time in Guam but has a home in Mineola, initially got out of his car, observed Maraj lying on the ground, then got back behind the wheel and drove to his home, where he then parked his Volvo in the garage and covered it up, according to police.

Polevich is pictured in handcuffs after turning himself in to the Nassau County police, days after the fatal crash

The crash took place on Friday evening at the intersection of Roslyn Street and Raff Avenue in Mineola, New York

Messages were sent to representatives for Nicki Minaj, who called her father's death 'the most devastating loss of my life' in a post on her website last year.

The platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated rapper - known for tracks including 'Anaconda,' 'Starships' and 'Super Bass' - was born Onika Tanya Maraj.

In interviews years ago, she described a troubled relationship with her father. But she later said he had changed.

After his death, she wrote about wishing she could pick up the phone and talk to him.

'He was very loved & will be very missed,' she wrote.

Detectives used surveillance video from the neighborhood to track the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run crash to Polevich's home in the 160 block of Roselle Street in Mineola.

Officers then offered Polevich the opportunity to surrender at police headquarters.

He was charged with leaving the scene of an auto accident and tampering with evidence.

Police said that had Polevich stayed at the scene and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, he would have avoided criminal charges.
Heart-rending interviews are the staple of daytime TV, but as Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield listened to one young woman tell her story they were visibly moved.

Reassured by her husband, also called Philip, who sat beside her on the ITV This Morning sofa, Laura Borrell, then 39, described how it felt to be one of the youngest people to have been diagnosed with dementia.

With commendable poise and courage (and remarkable lucidity, given that she had said her thoughts and words often became scrambled) she told the show's hosts it was only a matter of time before she lost the capacity to remember people and events. Yet she was determined to make the most of life before that happened.

As she loved to travel, a return trip to America, where she and Philip spent their honeymoon, was top of her bucket list. Eager to experience the U.S. 'culture' one last time, she had 'this mad idea' for them to drive from coast to coast in a dormer vehicle. 'It's tapping into those memories that I already have and reinforcing them as much as humanly possible,' she said, impressing Holly and Phil with her uplifting attitude.

As Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield listened to one young woman tell her story they were visibly moved. Reassured by her husband, also called Philip, who sat beside her on the ITV This Morning sofa, Laura Borrell, then 39, described how it felt to be one of the youngest people to have been diagnosed with dementia

Though Borrell's mother had set up a GoFundMe appeal to pay for her adventures, Borrell pointed out that she wouldn't be the only beneficiary. The campaign would heighten awareness of early-onset dementia and raise money for research. All this was said with smiles and even an occasional giggle.

Her mood only darkened when she was invited to comment on the failure of NHS neurologists to detect her condition. 'They were vile. They were so rude to me,' she spat, claiming to have been dismissed as a 'hysterical white female'.

Their scepticism had led her to fear that she might be 'crazy'. Borrell  who was reportedly paid 3,000 for that interview  told a similar story to Channel 5 News and many other magazines and newspapers.

Fast forward four years from her tear-jerking appearances and many of those moved to donate towards Borrell's globe-trotting jaunts might rightly wonder whether they were crazy, too.

For this week it emerged that she and Philip  with her mother, Frances Noble  admit pulling off one of the most lucrative and audacious stings ever perpetrated against a local authority.

And they did it, according to fraud investigators, by exaggerating  yes, you guessed it  a neurological illness.

This time the supposed sufferer was 66-year-old Noble.

Laura Borrell on one of her foreign trips. Fast forward four years from her tear-jerking appearances and many of those moved to donate towards her globe-trotting jaunts might have a rethink. For this week it emerged that she and Philip  with her mother, Frances Noble  admit pulling off one of the most lucrative and audacious stings ever perpetrated against a local authority

Between 2005 and 2018, she allegedly convinced Hertfordshire County Council that she was suffering from such a serious condition that she required intensive home care at her bungalow in Datchworth, near Stevenage.

The council awarded her a 'direct payment care package' which allows people with disabilities, or their family members and friends, to choose carers and equipment and settle the bills themselves using a pre-paid credit card.

Prosecutors say Noble claimed care costing 733,936.20 over the 13 years. The trio are said to have kept the money, or a substantial portion of it, for themselves.

Officials at St Albans Crown Court say all three have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to dishonestly make false representations for gain. The Borrells also admit acquiring criminal property (or money-laundering), an offence carrying a maximum prison term of 14 years. They will be sentenced on June 24.

Of course, Borrell's admission of guilt in respect of her mother's duplicity does not mean she was lying when she claimed to be suffering from dementia. Indeed, through her lawyer, she maintains that her 'neurological illness' is genuine and she continues to receive treatment.

As I have learned while investigating this squalid saga, however, there is yet a further twist. One that entitles us to question whether this deceitful family enterprise might have spanned not two generations, but three.

The suspicion stems from an article published on September 19, 2018, by The Welwyn Hatfield Times, then Noble's local paper. Since this small publication sells fewer than 2,300 copies, the interview she gave hardly made waves.

However, she used it to draw attention to yet another fund-raising campaign she was launching, this time via the JustGiving platform.

Noble  who, remember, is 39-year-old 'dementia patient' Laura Borrell's mother  claimed that her own mother, Daisy O'Sullivan was being neglected at the 'understaffed' Lister Hospital in Stevenage while suffering from dementia and in the final stages of terminal bowel disease.

Noble said she needed 20,000 for home care for her 90-year-old mother, so that she could 'die with dignity' in the tiny bungalow where she had lived for many years, a stone's throw from her own.

The Borrells carried out their scam, according to fraud investigators, by exaggerating  yes, you guessed it  a neurological illness. This time the supposed sufferer was 66-year-old Noble (pictured with her daughter)

Providing the paper with highly emotive photos of her frail mother lying in her hospital bed with an oxygen tube under her nose, Noble claimed she was left to lie in her excrement at night and went without water for hours. 'They are the forgotten generation. They fought wars and now they are expected to die like this,' she fumed, highlighting her mother's service as a World War II auxiliary nurse.

The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust said her care was monitored daily and was appropriate for her needs. How much did this appeal raise? As the JustGiving page can no longer be accessed, we don't know.

What we do know, however, is that Daisy O'Sullivan never did come home. As Mrs O'Sullivan's great nephew David Barker tells me, with a theatrically raised eyebrow, she died in hospital.

But then, there wasn't much time for Noble to organise her mother's 'dignified' end. The death certificate shows that she passed away on September 22, 2018, three days after that article was published.

So, what do we know of this fundraising family?

By all accounts, Daisy was a well-liked pillar of her Hertfordshire village, where she raised three children, including Noble, and lived on a council-built estate.

As for Noble, records filed with Companies House in 2016 list her profession as social worker. She married twice. Her second husband, music teacher Dale Noble, told me they met when he was giving flute lessons to Laura  then a bright and studious schoolgirl.

They married in 1988, but separated  'not particularly amicably'  just six years later, he says, declining to elaborate. Did Noble show any symptoms of neurological disease when they were together? 'No,' says her ex-husband flatly.

Was she notably materialistic? 'Not for herself, no, but she always wanted the best for Laura. That doesn't make her a bad person.' It doesn't. But Mr Noble says he lost touch with his ex-wife long ago; and in 2005, four years after they were divorced, her descent into crime began.

When the case is outlined at the sentencing hearing next month, details of how she and the Borrells duped the council will be spelled out.

However, insight is provided by David Barker, who lives opposite the housing association bungalow and called in most days to walk Noble's Scottish Terrier. About that time, he says, she started staying in bed all day and her requests for help became ever more demanding.

Among her few visitors were Laura and Philip Borrell, who lived a few miles away. At first, they would arrive in an 'old banger', and Laura usually wore 'baggy jumpers and jeans'. Then her outfits became smarter and they bought a new Volvo, he says.

Noble was also visited by a woman who befriended her on Facebook. Having driven for 90 minutes from Surrey, the visitor was confronted by this 'frail little old lady with a white face, lying back on her pillows' who claimed she could move only her right arm.

When the woman, who asked not to be named, asked what had become of her carers, the patient said they always went out when she had guests.

'I assumed she had motor neurone disease but now I think it was more like Munchausen's syndrome [the psychological disorder where people feign illness],' she told me, adding angrily: 'I also gave money to Laura's appeal when she said she wanted to 'make memories' with that trip across America. I don't believe that now. I think they are money-grabbing criminals.'

In Portsmouth, Liz Valette, 78, another member of the Facebook group who donated to Laura's fund, says she suspected something was awry after spotting that Noble sometimes used foreign aliases when appealing on her daughter's behalf online.

Launching Laura's GoFundMe appeal, in 2016, she called herself Francesca Ni Shuilleabhain, using an Italian version of her first name and translating her maiden surname  O'Sullivan  into Irish.

Between 2005 and 2018, Laura (above with her husband) allegedly convinced Hertfordshire County Council that Noble was suffering from such a serious condition that she required intensive home care at her bungalow in Datchworth, near Stevenage. Prosecutors say Noble claimed care costing 733,936.20 over the 13 years. The trio are said to have kept the money, or a substantial portion of it, for themselves

Meanwhile, in Weston, where Laura and Philip Borrell bought a modern, four-bedroom townhouse, neighbours began to wonder how they paid for their increasingly lavish lifestyle.

From the stream of luxury items delivered by Amazon  computers, flashy bikes, expensive household goods  and their frequent extended holidays, they appeared to have won the Lottery.

They had hardly seemed destined to acquire such wealth when they married, a decade earlier. In her University of London alumni profile, Borrell states that she passed nine GCSEs and four A-levels before working for the Metropolitan Police for nine years (in what capacity she doesn't say).

As a mature student, in 2014, she enrolled for a law degree; but since she says her illness curtailed her studies, it seems she didn't graduate.

She also lists a brief spell as a 'private barrister' and a 'professional' flute performance at the Royal College of Music, plus various legal and linguistic skills on her impressive CV.

In interviews, however, she claims to have been beset by illness from her youth and at 32, she says, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes painful joints and digestive difficulties, and Hughes syndrome, which prevented her from having children. It was in 2014, three years into her marriage to Philip, a self-employed software project guru, that she says she began suffering symptoms of dementia.

She claims to have spent months 'going back and forth' for blood tests and brain scans before being diagnosed with 'frontotemporal dementia', a condition that seldom strikes anyone under 65. This was in June 2015, when she was 37.

For weeks, she and her husband were 'shellshocked', but by the following year they had recovered sufficiently to begin planning their travels, urged on by her mother who started fund-raising, she told Holly and Phil. To repeat, though the Borrells admit conspiring to commit a massive medical fraud, she insists her own neurological illness is true, and  as yet  there is no evidence to the contrary.

In Weston, where Laura and Philip Borrell bought a modern, four-bedroom townhouse, neighbours began to wonder how they paid for their increasingly lavish lifestyle

That said, combing through her many interviews, she doesn't appear to have identified the specialist who made the diagnosis.

And while he wouldn't discuss her specific case, Professor James Rowe, a leading expert on frontotemporal dementia, said he had found the condition in only about ten patients in their 30s during his 15-year career.

Moreover, as the disease tended to be more aggressive in younger sufferers, life expectancy would only be about six or seven years. 'By seven years, I would expect them to be either mute, extremely disabled, or sadly to have succumbed to the disease,' he told the Mail. By her own account, Laura Borrell is eight years into her illness.

In 2018, Hertfordshire council's fraud investigation team began probing claims that her mother, Frances Noble, was greatly 'exaggerating' her disability. According to David Barker, they were tipped off by Noble's neighbours, who saw how mobile she was. Soon after, she moved in with Borrells.

Around the time that the balloon went up, however, all three abruptly flew off to start a new life in Berlin. One neighbour recalls how, before leaving, they dumped many recently acquired luxury items in a skip, which villagers were invited to scavenge.

Their townhouse was put up for sale for about 400,000, but it has since been repossessed. A spokesman said when it is sold, the council will seek to recover every penny of the 734,000 Noble received.

Rather artlessly, we might think, Noble announced their move on Facebook. They'd decided to depart for Berlin because Philip had landed a new job there, she said, leaving friends to wonder how someone paralysed and in need of intensive home care could up sticks and live overseas.

Given Laura Borrell's apparently advanced state of dementia, the same might be asked of her.

After settling in the affluent suburb of Karolinenhof, though, she seems to have continued living life to the full. Talking to an online magazine, 18 months ago, Borrell, who speaks good German, said she had bonded with neighbours over their mutual love of dogs.

Borrell sells photos of her recent travels, to places such as Heidelberg Castle and the Black Forest, and shots of that 'memory-reinforcing' road-trip journey across the U.S, on the internet, charging 24.80 per print.

A few days ago, she and Philip  who originally denied the charges  returned to Hertfordshire to change their pleas to guilty. Noble is said to have remained in Germany. Though she, too, has admitted the fraud, she says she will do so only because she can no longer afford to fight the case.

She added tearfully: 'We are not the dreadful people they're trying to make us out to be.'

Perhaps not, but their guilty pleas would suggest otherwise.

All eyes now turn to her daughter. Laura Borrell's condition will be closely scrutinised and, in time, we will surely find out whether or not she duped Holly and Phil with her emotionally charged story.

Additional reporting: Tim Stewart
Schools are teaching parents what to put in their childrens lunchboxes after research showed that fewer than one in 60 packed meals were healthy.

A study in England found pupils regularly took in sausage rolls, crisps and biscuits, but rarely fruit and vegetables.

Now a charity is working with more than 100 schools to improve nutrition, and is running classes for mothers and fathers on what constitutes a suitable lunch.

Two-thirds of lunches contained too much sugar, only half had a piece of fruit and only a fifth included a vegetable, research by Leeds University found.

Schools are teaching parents what to put in their childrens lunchboxes after research showed that fewer than one in 60 packed meals were healthy (stock image)

Most sandwiches were made with white bread. Ham was the most popular filling, but jam and Nutella were common.

Stephanie Slater, of School Food Matters, said: Were supporting schools to put together a packed lunch policy and workshops for parents so they know what to include in their childs lunchbox.

More than 100 schools are being enrolled in the programme over five years, and they are being offered a menu of support, including workshops for parents at schools in London on affordable nutritious recipes.

Miss Slater added: With a clear policy in place, school staff dont have to become packed lunch police which creates tensions between schools and families. But the very best way to ensure children get the variety and the nutrition they need to thrive is to encourage them to eat a hot school meal.

The study, which tracked habits from 2006 was published in the BMJ Open journal. The data from 2006 involved 1,148 pupils at 76 schools in England. Eighteen schools took part in a follow-up in 2016.

Overall, just 1.6 per cent of lunch boxes were found to meet nutritional standards, up from 1.1 per cent in 2006.

A study in England found pupils regularly took in sausage rolls, crisps and biscuits, but rarely fruit and vegetables (stock image)

Rules on nutritional quality for school dinners were introduced in 2006 in England but no law covers packed lunches.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: The answer to this problem surely lies with Boris Johnson who, when Mayor of London, backed calls for a ban on packed school lunches...

He recognised that children learn best having eaten hot nutritious food rather than boxes of junk that also feeds weight gain.

Some 14.4 per cent of children were obese by the time they started primary school in 2020-21.
A woman was shocked to see the personal details, including a positive HIV status, of another patient on a piece of scrap paper her nurse was using to record her blood pressure at a NSW hospital.

Glenice Maxwell had gone to the emergency department at the Shoalhaven Hospital, an hour south of Wollongong, on March 17 for a more accurate check of her blood pressure.

As her nurse was writing down her reading, she noticed that on the back of the piece of recycled note paper were the private details of another male patient, including his name, number, address and clinical history.

The nurse had handed her the piece of paper to show the blood pressure results to her GP.

Glenice Maxwell had gone to the emergency department at the Shoalhaven Hospital, an hour south of Wollongong, on March 17 for a more accurate check of her blood pressure. Her nurse wrote down her reading on the back of scrap paper which had the details of another patient (pictured)

Ms Maxwell said she emailed hospital administration staff and the CEO but never heard back.

She was later told there had been a typo in one of her emails which is why it wasn't received but Ms Maxwell said at least one should have gone through.

A staff member eventually called her to apologise and said they would investigate.

'I couldn't believe my eyes,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I thought a crook could make a false identity based on the information, truly gobsmacking stuff!

'Then I worried that if I did make a complaint they'd blame the nurse when the problem is clearly systemic.'

Ms Maxwell stressed the nurse who wrote down her blood pressure reading wasn't to blame, adding the scrap paper 'shouldn't have been there in the first place'.

'The paper has clearly been guillotined,' she added.

In an email sent to hospital administration Ms Maxwell said the use of scrap paper of old lab reports was 'a patient confidentiality PROBLEM'.

In an email sent to hospital administration Ms Maxwell said the use of scrap paper of old lab reports was 'a patient confidentiality PROBLEM' (pictured is Shoalhaven District Hospital)

'It appears you people guillotine up old (or not so old in this case) lab results sheets to be recycled as 'scrap paper'.

'I would STRONGLY SUGGEST this is not a good idea.'

The patient in question declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

A spokesperson for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District said: 'Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has been made aware of a breach of patient privacy and is in the process of contacting the individual concerned to apologise.

'All staff in our hospitals are bound by privacy legislation to safeguard patient confidentiality but on this occasion, human error has resulted in a breach.

'Staff in the emergency department deeply regret any upset this error has caused and have further tightened the already strict privacy protocols in place.'
Elon Musk is planning to fire 1,000 staffers at Twitter as soon as his purchase of the social media platform is complete.

It's believed he will fire many of the firm's woke staff following the transfer of ownership which will take around six months, after which Musk is likely to wield the ax.

But then within the next three years, Musk anticipates making thousands of new hires, swelling the ranks to around 11,000 employees, up from 7,500 currently.

Much of the new talent is likely to be in the field of engineering.

Numbers at the company would fluctuate rising to 9,225 employees this year before falling to 8,332 in 2023. Then adding a further 2,700 workers by 2025.

Most of the jobs being shelved would occur during the takeover period, according to a pitch deck Musk presented this week to investors and seen by the New York Times

The changes Musk will make are part of his plan to increase Twitter 's annual revenue by five times current levels to $26.4 billion by 2028, up from $5 billion last year

Advertising on the platform is set to fall to 45% of total revenue by 2028 under Musk, down from about 90% in 2020

On a company level, Musk has previously floated the idea of closing down the San Francisco headquarters in order to save money and that board members may also not receive a salary, shaving off another $3 million in expenses.

The changes Musk makes are part of his plan to increase Twitter's annual revenue by five times current levels to $26.4 billion by 2028, up from $5 billion last year.

Advertising on the platform is set to fall to 45% of total revenue under Musk, down from about 90% in 2020.

By 2028, he plans for ads to generate $12 billion in revenue in 2028, while subscriptions are expected to pull in another $10 billion, according to the report.

Musk is said to favor a subscription-based model over advertiser funding, as it would make Twitter less beholden to advertiser pressure. He has even suggested users could pay with cryptocurrency, including joke currency Dogecoin which Musk has long had an affection for.

Other revenue would come from businesses such as data licensing.

Musk has also tweeted about potentially monetizing tweets, although he has not provided specific details.

Musk also plans to see Twitter's cash flow rise to $3.2 billion in 2025 and $9.4 billion in 2028.

Numbers at the company would fluctuate rising to 9,225 employees this year before falling to 8,332 in 2023. Then adding a further 2,700 workers by 2025.

Musk anticipates Twitters total number of users will grow from 217 million at the end of last year to nearly 600 million in 2025 and 931 million six years from now

Elon Musk plans to quintuple Twitter's revenue to $26.4 billion by 2028 In a pitch deck Musk claimed he would increase Twitters annual revenue to $26.4 billion by 2028, up from $5 billion last year

Twitter's cash flow with be increased by taking on $13 billion of debt as part of Musk's buyout of the company.

However he plans to pay down the debt and increase the company's cash's flow.

Last month, Musk started a poll on his Twitter account - which has more than 81 million followers - asking whether the firm's San Francisco headquarters should be converted to a homeless shelter as 'no-one shows up (to work there)'.

The poll got more 300,000 votes in an hour, with 90% answering yes.

It comes weeks after Twitter brass - who offered staffers the option of working from home 'forever' during the pandemic - reopened its offices March 15, with remote work remaining an option for staffers.

Musk clinched a deal in April to buy Twitter for $44 billion in cash, in a move that will shift control of the social media platform populated by millions of users and global leaders to the Tesla chief.

The billionaire has promised to revitalize the company and expand the number of users by cracking down on spam bots and reducing the amount of moderation to facilitate more 'free speech'.

After the closure of the deal, Musk is expected to become Twitter's temporary CEO it was revealed on Thursday.

Among his other goals, Musk expects the social media company to bring in $15 million from a payments business in 2023 that will grow to about $1.3 billion by 2028.

As one of the founders of PayPal, Musk is familiar with the world of digital payments.

Twitter's payments business today, which includes tipping and shopping, is negligible.

It's believed Musk may also want to introduce payment abilities to Twitter.

Musk also said he'd cut Twitters reliance on ads to less than 50% percent of revenue

On March 25, Musk tweeted a poll: 'Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?'

A top priority for Musk is to eliminate 'bots' which frequently generate spam and run scams

Musk said that his take over of Twitter would lead to the take down of spam bots and provide all human users with blue check marks to verify their identities

Musk anticipates he can increase Twitter's average revenue per user to $30.22 in 2028 from $24.83 last year, it added.

Revenue from Twitter Blue, the company's premium subscription service launched last year, is expected to have 69 million users by 2025.

Users currently pay $3 a month to customize their experience on the app.

Musk hopes that plans to boost Twitters user numbers will also see more taking out subscriptions to Twitter Blue.

Twitter's board members may also not receive a salary, shaving off another $3 million in expenses

Earlier in April, Musk took aim at the company's lax remote working policies, saying he came up with the plan 'since no one shows up anyway.'

Musk, in a now deleted tweet last month, suggested a raft of changes to the social media giant's Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price.

Other mooted changes include blue verification checkmarks for anyone who subscribes to Twitter's premium Blue service, which costs $2.99 a month.

Twitter Blue, launched in June 2021, is said to offer 'exclusive access to premium features' on a monthly subscription basis, Twitter says. It is available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

'Price should probably be ~$2/month, but paid 12 months up front; account doesn't get checkmark for 60 days (watch for credit card chargebacks) & suspended with no refund if used for scam/spam,' Musk said in a tweet from last month.

Dogecoin is widely seen as a joke cryptocurrency, with one Dogecoin worth $0.127 as of May 7

'And no ads,' Musk suggested. 'The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive.'

Musk also proposed an option to pay with dogecoin and asked Twitter users for their views.

On Thursday, Musk listed a group of high-profile investors who are ready to provide funding of $7.14 billion for his Twitter bid, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Sequoia Capital.

Musk has increased the financing commitment to $27.25 billion, which includes commitments from 19 investors, and reduced a margin loan from Morgan Stanley tied to his Tesla stock to $6.25 billion.

Musk, the world's richest man, is worth $255 billion - but much of that money is tied up in Tesla stock. He is believed to have 'only' $3 billion in cash, Bloomberg reported last month.

He has already secured commitments for $13 billion in loans against Twitter shares.

Last week, Musk disclosed he sold $8.5 billion worth of Tesla stock following his agreement to buy the platform.

Musk has also pledged some of his Tesla shares to banks to arrange a $12.5 billion margin loan to help fund the deal.

Throughout April, Musk has been suggesting further changes to Twitter's business model including tweaks to the platform's premium Blue service, including a cheaper subscription price, banning ads and offering the option to pay in cryptocurrency

Twitter Blue, launched in June 2021, is Twitter's first subscription service and offers 'exclusive access to premium features' on a monthly subscription basis

Musk has vowed to let everyone say whatever they want on Twitter after his takeover of the social media giant.

He is said to favor temporary 'timeouts' for users who break the new rules, rather than permanent bans such as those given to Donald Trump.



Musk has also teased at other new features including an 'edit' button to adjust previously posted tweets and also making the platforms algorithms 'open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots and authenticating all humans.'

That would enable people to see exactly why Twitter had chosen to make some tweets more visible to users than others.

A top priority for Musk is to eliminate 'bots' which frequently generate spam and run scams.

On Monday, at the Met Gala - his first public appearance since the deal was agreed - he was asked about his plans for Twitter.

'My goal, assuming everything gets done, is to make Twitter as inclusive as possible and to have as broad a swathe of people on Twitter as possible,' he said.

'And that it is entertaining and funny and they have as much fun as possible.'

Twitter shares ended trading down 1.11 percent at $49.79 in New York on Friday.

Musk would have to pay a $1 billion termination fee to Twitter if he walked away, and the social media company could also sue him to complete the deal.

Last month, he spoke during an interview at a TED conference where he outlined how he might change the company which has more than 200 million users around the globe.

Musk reiterated his push to relax Twitter's policy on the moderating of content.

Twitter takes its content moderation seriously arguing that it is good for business but if Musk follows through it could put the onus on users to combat bullying and misinformation on the platform.

'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 said in a news release announcing the deal.

Musk has made it clear that he is not keen on the permanent banning of users and prefers timeouts instead.

It is well known that an edit button would be widely welcomed by users.

Musk polled Twitter users to see if they wanted one. It resulted in four million people responding with 70% voting in favor.

Twitter said at the time that it had been working on such a feature since last year.

It doesn't necessarily mean that tweets would become shorter. On the contrary, Musk has told of his desire for Twitter to allow 'long-form' tweets.

In most cases, tweets can contain up to 280 characters which is double the previous limit of 140.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted earlier this month asking his followers whether they would like Twitter to have an edit button

The company clarified that it was already working on adding an edit button before Musk's poll, pointing to an April 1 tweet announcing their plans

Twitter also shared a mock-up of what an edit button would look like, giving users the ability to change their posts after sharing
Vijayawada: In a major relief to Andhra Pradesh government, the High Court here has allowed the state to manage its finances at will, citing Supreme Court judgments that had said the issues of financial management should be left to the states and not to the courts.

A division bench of Chief Justice Prashant Mishra and Justice Satyanarayana Murthy heard a petition filed by YSR Congress rebel MP Raghu Ramakrishnaraju here on Friday. He made a plea to revoke the amendments carried out to the AP Excise Act by the Jagan government to show the income being generated by the AP State Beverages Corporation as governments income. This was aimed at enabling the government raise loans from the banks and financial institutions for implementation of several welfare schemes, he submitted before the court.

Petitioners counsel Ambati Sudhakar argued that the state government was trying to raise loans by showing the APSBCLs annual income of nearly

Rs 6,000 crore as a guarantee for repayment, even as it already mortgaged 80 per cent of its income.

He submitted that the state government was also raising loans by showing the expected income in future, even as the norms say that no state should borrow beyond 25 per cent of the remittances that were made to the Consolidated Fund of the state.

He called for intervention of the court as the state government was flouting constitutional provisions to borrow money for its welfare schemes.

The Chief Justice said, As we dont accept the interference of relatives and friends in our family finances, the courts also do not interfere in the management of finances by the state government.

The court observed that if the states finances were not being managed properly, the CAG and the accountant general would take care of it.

When the court asked about the interests of the petitioner to raise such issues, his counsel said the petitioner is an MP. The court said, in that case, it would be appropriate to raise such issues in Parliament.

The petitioners counsel urged the court to issue a notice to the state government and direct it to file a counter-affidavit.

The court said no notice need be served. When counsel asked for issue of an interim order, the court refused to do so and said the petitioner was yet to make out a case for admission and to take up arguments, and posted the next hearing to June 15 after summer vacation.
To hear Sir Keir Starmers incessant, pious denunciations of Boris Johnson over lockdown breaches, one might have imagined Labours leader inhabited a higher moral universe than the Prime Minister.

These scathing attacks  afforded extra gravitas because they were from an ex-director of public prosecutions  served one purpose: To convince Britain that Mr Johnson was unfit to hold the highest office.

Indeed, on January 31 this year, after it emerged the police were investigating illegal parties in No 10, he couldnt have been more emphatic. Boris, he raged, ought to do the decent thing and resign.

Yet while spewing indignation, he knew that he and his deputy Angela Rayner had themselves enjoyed a curry and beer knees-up in Durham with a gaggle of activists when indoor socialising was against the law.

Today, Sir Keir finds himself hoisted by his own petard. Police have announced a criminal probe into Beergate.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer makes a statement outside Labour Party headquarters on Friday in London, following the announcement that he is to be investigated by police

Thanks to evidence uncovered by the Mail, detectives will examine significant new information about the bash.

Sir Keirs insistence that he and his team were working is deeply implausible. Wheres the proof? It was 10pm on a Friday night for goodness sake. And if it was so innocent, why has he spent days lying and dissembling about the truth?

His pained supporters say we should not jump to conclusions before the investigation is completed. But he didnt give Boris that courtesy.

To many, a police probe into beer-swigging is an absurd waste of time and money. But Labours leader made a rod for his own back with his hysterical witch-hunt seeking to topple the Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak over similar breaches.

So today we ask hypocritical, deceitful Sir Keir  who demanded the PM resign in the same situation  will he be judging himself by the same high standards?

Dont write off the PM

Should slippery Starmer somehow escape downfall from Beergate, he only faces an even greater challenge  as the topsy-turvy local elections so spectacularly proved.

Twelve years into a Tory government struggling with plunging living standards, Partygate and sleaze, Labour confidently predicted a rout. It was nothing of the sort.

Yes, the Conservative vote slumped. Yes, the party lost a swathe of seats and councils, including the symbolic citadels of Westminster and Wandsworth.

Yes, they are under attack from the Liberal Democrats in the once true-blue southern shires. And, of course, colonised by woke metropolitan Remainers, it was no shock Labour swept virtually all of London.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves at the media as he leaves with his dog Dilyn after voting at a polling station in London for local council elections on Thursday

But thats not where the real battleground is. The seats that will decide the next election are in the Red Wall. And there it was a remarkably different story.

Where Sir Keir needed to make huge gains in these Leave-supporting areas if he is to reach No 10, he flopped miserably.

Why arent they cutting through? Perhaps because this charisma-free dud shamelessly tried to steal the referendum off ordinary people. That, and his undying support for Jeremy Corbyn, wont be forgiven easily (and how ironic that Corbyn was first to plunge the knife in to him over Beergate).

By contrast, the Tories clung on in these industrial heartlands  even making gains.

Still, for Boris this must act as a wake-up call. Disillusionment with his government meant many voters stayed at home.

But anxious Tory MPs should hold their nerve and stick by him. His optimism, can-do spirit and patriotism are still well regarded. He has called the big issues right. Brexit? Tick. Covid vaccine? Tick. Ending lockdown? Tick. Ukraine? Tick.

If he can deliver on the economy and living costs squeeze (tax cuts please, Boris), immigration control and the NHS, the next election is there to be won.
A mother-of-four battling terminal cancer turned down pain medication so she could continue to breastfeed her newborn daughter until her final days.

Brisbane mother Lena Soulsby, 34, spent days crying and struggling to walk as she suffered agonising pain from stage four cervical cancer.

Doctors had offered to give the brave mother heavy-duty medication to ease her burden but their offers were rejected by Ms Soulsby.

She wanted to be able to breastfeed her newborn daughter Anna who was only a few months old at the time.

Brisbane mother Lena Soulsby, 34, spent days crying and struggling to walk as she suffered agonising pain from stage four cervical cancer

Doctors had offered to give the brave mother heavy-duty medication to ease her burden but their offers were rejected by Ms Soulsby

Ms Soulsby breastfed her daughter until she was not able to and forced to go into palliative care on March 24. She died several days later on March 27.

'It doesn't get much closer or more loving than breastfeeding,' her husband Robert said. 'It's a special mum and bub connection.'

Ms Soulsby leaves behind her husband Rob and their four children Anna, six months, Jacob, eight, Elizabeth, 10, and Lukas, 12.

Mr Soulsby said he has not 'stopped crying' since his wife passed away and recalled the final moments shared with his loved one.

The family were standing around her hospital bed, holding her hand, and hugging and kissing her as they felt the life leave Ms Soulsby's body.

Mr Soulsby started a Gofundme page where he revealed the telltale symptom Ms Soulsby had been suffering before she was diagnosed with the deadly cancer.

'In October 2021 I took time off work to welcome our new baby into the world, my wife and I were so happy!' he wrote.

'The doctors said that after your pregnancy you may still have some bleeding for the next 6 to 8 weeks, this is normal.

'[Nine] weeks later on Christmas Eve we had to go into Emergency as she had excessive bleeding.'

Doctors conducted a series of scans before diagnosing Ms Soulsby with stage four cervical cancer on Christmas Day.

'It doesn't get much closer or more loving than breastfeeding,' her husband Rob said

'Lena did not want to go into hospital so we decided to home care her, she decided not to take stronger medication and suffer in pain so she could breastfeed her new born baby,' Mr Soulsby wrote.

'Lena said she would rather feed her baby till her grave than to take stronger medication and stop breastfeeding (I have so much respect for Lena for this decision).'

Ms Soulsby was then given radiation to treat a cancerous lump on her head. The treatment left her weak and unable to make it past the bathroom.

'We tried home care for as long as possible but Lena's pain was so severe she decided to go into the Palliative care ward,' Mr Soulsby wrote.

'[Three] days later she passed away (just 3 months after the diagnosis) with her mother, husband (myself) and our 4 children by her side.'

The Gofundme has raised $23,929 of its $50,000 goal.

The family were standing around her hospital bed, holding her hand, and hugging and kissing her as they felt the life leave Ms Soulsby's body

This weekend will mark the first Mother's Day the family will spend without their loved one.

'My daughter came home from school today with a Mother's Day card she made for her,' Mr Soulsby told Courier Mail.

'It's going to be hard but we'll never stop loving her. She's the best mum in the world.'

Ms Soulsby was born in Germany before she moved to Australia to work as an au pair.

She met her husband Rob in Western Australia and the couple moved to Queensland.

Ms Soulsby homeschooled her three eldest children and helped at the local church.
Priti Patel's new scheme for sending failed asylum seekers to Rwanda will start next week, it has been reported.

The first migrants to be sent to the central African nation will be single men and it is expected that they will be notified by Home Office lawyers in the next few days, according to The Sun.

However, the flagship plan may not start for months in the face of legal action by human rights groups.

Priti Patel's new scheme for sending failed asylum seekers to Rwanda will start next week

A Home Office source told the newspaper: 'The first referrals will be going next week, so people will be put on notice.'

The Home Secretary's team is ready for legal challenges, while Boris Johnson lashed out at 'liberal lawyers' for delaying his plan to send thousands of migrants from the UK to Rwanda - and vowed to 'get it done'.

The Government had wanted flights to Kigali to start by the end of May under the 120million deal it secured with the Kagame government last month.

Under the partnership agreement, people arriving in the UK, including by crossing the Channel in small boats, will be flown 4,000 miles to East Africa if they are deemed to have travelled illegally for economic reasons rather than asylum.

It comes as analysis of Government figures shows 7,240 people have reached the UK after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats in just the past four months since the start of 2022

But No10 said it could not put a timescale on when the scheme will begin. Last week two asylum seekers who came to Britain in the backs of lorries this year instructed lawyers to bring a legal challenge against the policy.

It comes as analysis of Government figures shows 7,240 people have reached the UK after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats in just the past four months since the start of 2022.

They include almost 700 people who have crossed in the past week under favourable weather conditions.

The Home Secretary shakes hands with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Birutaare after signing the partnership agreement at a joint news conference in Kigali

Critics said the 11-day break had simply been due to the poor weather, and insisted that the Home Secretary's Rwanda policy would not act as a deterrent to those seeking to reach Britain.

Anxious Border Force officials have now suggested that further delays to the Rwanda scheme will only embolden migrants to attempt the dangerous voyage, warning that the Channel crisis could 'get worse before it gets better'.

The MoD took over control of migrant operations in April, when the Government also announced controversial plans to send some of those making the cross-Channel journey to Rwanda.
The billionaire brothers who own Asda made a bid to rescue McColls after it collapsed yesterday.

The convenience store chain, which employs 16,000 staff and has 1,100 shops, fell into administration over debts of 97million that it could not afford to service.

It raised the prospect of a wave of layoffs and store closures, which would be another devastating blow to high streets.

Morrisons, the UKs fourth biggest supermarket chain, which is McColls sole supplier, had tabled a rescue bid for the business, offering to take on its debt and save it from collapse.

The convenience store chain, which employs 16,000 staff and has 1,100 shops, fell into administration over debts of 97million that it could not afford to service

Under a partnership deal McColls had already converted 254 of its stores to the Morrisons Daily format. But lenders rejected the Morrisons approach and McColls appointed accountancy firm PwC to run an administration process and find a buyer for the business.

Blackburn-born Mohsin and Zuber Issa, who own Asda and the EG petrol station group, are understood to have tabled a deal with McColls lenders that would see them pay off the convenience chains debt, taking ownership of the business.

The Morrisons bid would have protected the vast majority of McColls staff and stores, and would have protected its 141million pension plan. Morrisons attacked the decision to appoint administrators, saying: We put forward a proposal that would have avoided todays announcement that McColls is being put into administration, kept the vast majority of jobs and stores safe, as well as fully protecting pensioners and lenders.

This is a very disappointing, damaging and unnecessary outcome.

But critics said Morrisons has had years to make an approach for McColls. A source close to the Issa brothers said EG Group has agreed to retain all McColls staff and its stores, in contrast with Morrisons taking on the vast majority.

The deal could be completed as soon as next week. EG Group is one of Britains biggest petrol forecourt empires, with 959 sites in the UK and Ireland.

Shares have fallen 92 per cent since November to just 1.75p. Morrisons offer would have rendered them worthless.

McColls sounded the alarm in November over shortages of key products, lorry drivers and distribution centre workers.

It issued a series of warnings over sales and profits and it emerged in February that it was on the brink of collapse.
A cure for dementia may have come a step closer after scientists found a way of repairing 'misfolded' proteins linked to the condition.

Researchers discovered a 'shock' to cells can reverse the abnormal build-up of proteins called amyloid beta in the brain.

When these proteins are misfolded, they end up sticky on the outside and clump together to form plaques  which is thought to kill brain cells and lead to Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia.

Scientists found heat shock proteins, which are triggered by high body temperatures, can undo this misfolding.

A cure for dementia may have come a step closer after scientists found a way of repairing 'misfolded' proteins linked to the condition. (File image)

It could help to explain research showing people who frequently use saunas in Finland are less likely to get dementia.

The team from the UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge cautioned that the research, part-funded by the Alzheimer's Society, is in its early stages.

But Dr Edward Avezov, senior author of the study, said: 'Optimistically, in the future we could find a drug to awaken this mechanism we have discovered and prevent diseases like dementia.'

Almost a million people in the UK have dementia and there are no drugs to prevent it.

Scientists have struggled to remove amyloid beta clumps in the brain.

Scientists found heat shock proteins, which are triggered by high body temperatures, can undo this misfolding. It could help to explain research showing people who frequently use saunas in Finland are less likely to get dementia

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, identifies a potential means of preventing the build-up.

But shocking could cause stress that kills off brain cells. So experts are searching for a way to provoke a similar reaction in the brain, which could lead to a drug being developed.

Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the study was a 'game-changer for dementia research'.

He added that it was a 'step towards effective and safe treatments' for people with dementia.

Professor Tara Spires-Jones, from the University of Edinburgh, said: 'This study adds to previous work which similarly showed stressing cells with cold instead of heat can protect them from misfolded proteins. But a drug which targets these mechanisms is likely to be many years away.'
A desperate mother is offering $1000 cash for anyone willing to help take her three children halfway around the world on a gruelling 23-hour intercontinental flight.

Aussie mum Rachel was dreading making the epic Malaysia Airlines flight back from London to Sydney by herself with the youngsters after her brother's UK wedding.

She decided to offer strangers cold hard cash to make the trip with her and help her out - and has been overwhelmed by the response.

Aussie mum Rachel was daunted by her Malaysia Airlines return flight from London to Sydney in June and is offering strangers $1000 to help look after her children

With her husband unable to join her on holiday and her brother refusing the offer of a free holiday, Rachel needed a helping hand with Ivy, 4, Stella, 2, and two-month-old Willow.

The Sydney mum took to social media and expat facebook groups to share her plan in the hope of luring a willing volunteer.

The cash works out to a rate of more than $40 an hour for the around-the-clock undertaking.

'Anyone heading from London to Sydney who wants to make $1,000??' she posted before spelling out the responsibilities of the job.

The mother says her children were well-behaved on the fight from Sydney to the UK last year but needs a helping hand now that her husband can't join her and she has a new two-month-old

'Type of things you might be helping with: holding the baby so I can help the older girls, helping the 4 year old and 2 year old with their meals, keeping 4 year old and 2 year old entertained - puzzles, books, get their tvs and headphones sorted etc.

'Its a 23.5 hour flight so essentially thats $42 an hour however I would not expect you to be helping out with the kids for 24 hours straight!'

She said her children had behaved well on the long-haul flight they took to London last year, but without her husband, and with a new baby, she'd need another pair of helping hands to keep her kids in line.

'Whenever the older girls are asleep you wouldnt need to do anything and even when theyre awake I am happy for them to watch as much TV as they like so all you might need to do then is make sure headphones dont fall off, put on next movie etc.'

'I will also do as much as I can, but Ill have the baby to look after as well.'

Rachel told Daily Mail Australia she's now been inundated with volunteers.

A mother daunted by her long haul Malaysia Airlines flight (pictured) offered $1,000 for the assistance of a fellow passenger in looking after her children

'The response has been amazing!' she said. 'Im actually quite overwhelmed with how kind and supportive so many strangers have been to me.

'I originally was canvassing my family to help and offering to pay towards their flight etc but didnt get any joy.

'I mentioned it to a friend who said shed found her nanny through a nanny Facebook group and that lots of people on it would be from Europe.

'With the childcare experience that could make them good candidates to want to do this, so I posted there.

'Lots of people responded suggesting other groups I should post in so I joined and posted in every single one, and thats how it all seemed to take off.'

She's now narrowing down the applicants to a shortlist before making her final selection.
The Russian girlfriend of a Belarusian dissident arrested when their Ryanair plane was forced to land in Minsk was sentenced to six years in prison yesterday.

Sofia Sapega, 24, was detained alongside her Belarusian opposition activist boyfriend Roman Protasevich in May last year when their flight from Greece to Lithuania was grounded as it passed over Belarus.

Miss Sapega faced seven criminal charges including inciting social hatred and violence or threats against police linked to a messaging app channel she ran.

The Russian girlfriend of a Belarusian dissident arrested when their Ryanair plane was forced to land in Minsk was sentenced to six years in prison yesterday

Following a closed-door trial, a court in Belarus sentenced her to six years, rights group Vyasna said

Following a closed-door trial, a court in Belarus sentenced her to six years, rights group Vyasna said.

After her arrest, Miss Sapega cooperated with authorities and appealed to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for her release.

Mr Protasevich, 27, fled to Europe in 2019 from where he co-ran the Nexta Telegram channels, a key Belarus opposition media that helped mobilise protesters during historic rallies against the disputed re-election of Lukashenko in 2020.

After their arrests, both dissidents appeared in confession videos that their supporters said were recorded under duress and are a common tactic of the regime to pressure critics.

Mr Protasevich remains under house arrest in Belarus awaiting trial.

Minsk was accused of hijacking the flight after it was escorted to the ground by a MiG-29 fighter jet. The pilot was told by Belarusian air traffic control of a threat to detonate a bomb onboard if it continued to Lithuania. No explosive was ever found.
The abbreviation POA  price on application  often used by estate agents to generate intrigue and tempt home buyers is to be outlawed.

Watchdogs say the ploy, sometimes demanded by sellers who prefer to keep neighbours and others in the dark about how much they want, is misleading.

National Trading Standards (NTS) believes buyers can end up wasting time and money pursuing an interest in a property beyond their budget.

The abbreviation POA  price on application  often used by estate agents to generate intrigue and tempt home buyers is to be outlawed

An NTS working group has set out new guidelines to outlaw use of the tactic by estate agents, including on sales websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove

The propertys price is information which the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision, such as to make inquiries about the property, conduct further research or arrange a viewing, the watchdog said.

An NTS working group has set out new guidelines to outlaw use of the tactic by estate agents, including on sales websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove.

n The average house price rose by more than 3,000 last month to hit a record high of 286,079, according to Halifax.

It is the tenth consecutive month that prices have risen  up by 47,568 from two years ago  as the property market continued its longest run since 2016.
Volodymyr Zelensky has said bridges between Ukraine and Russia are not yet 'destroyed', leaving the door open for future negotiations.

However, the Ukrainian president said talks can only take place if Moscow withdraws to its pre-invasion positions, as of February 23, saying he was not elected to lead 'a mini-Ukraine of some kind'.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Chatham House think tank, Zelensky said arrangements were needed for discussions to 'stop the killing', with 'diplomatic channels' used to regain Ukraine's territories.

The prerequisite for this would be 'regaining the situation as of February 23', he said.

'They have to fall back. In that situation we will be able to start discussing things normally,' he added.

Volodymyr Zelensky has said bridges between Ukraine and Russia are not yet 'destroyed', leaving the door open for future negotiations

He said that 'despite the fact that they are destroying all our bridges, I think not all the bridges are yet destroyed', figuratively speaking.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged against any negotiations with Russia on terms that 'give credence to the Kremlin's false narrative for the invasion', according to No 10.

In a phone call with Emmanuel Macron on Friday to congratulate the leader on his victory in last month's French presidential elections, Mr Johnson is said to have made the comment while stressing that any final decision is for the Ukrainian government.

Mr Johnson and Mr Macron agreed to 'co-ordinate more closely on longer-term security and economic support for Ukraine', according to a Downing Street spokeswoman, with the Prime Minister sharing 'his conviction that Ukraine would win, supported with the right level of defensive military assistance'.

Previous peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine at Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul on March 29

The Ukrainian president, in his Chatham House address, also invited German chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks in Kyiv, suggesting the visit could take place on Russia's annual Victory Day on May 9.

He said the move would be a 'very powerful political step'.

Asked whether Ukraine was satisfied with the support it was receiving, particularly from EU nations including Germany, and what he would say to Mr Scholz if he had the chance to speak to him, Mr Zelensky said: 'You cannot be slightly evil and slightly good.

'With the right hand you impose sanctions, with the left hand you sign the Russian contracts. This is not right. This is hypocrisy.'

He added: 'I think chancellor Scholz, for him, he's invited, the invitation is open, it's been for some time now. He's invited to come to Ukraine. He can make this very powerful political step to come here on May 9, to Kyiv.

They said that the national holiday, which usually commemorates victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, may be used by Russian president Vladimir Putin to claim the attacks on Ukraine have been successful

'Sometimes in history we have to make certain steps for unity, even if there is some kind of coldness in specific relations.'

Meanwhile, western officials said they had been told Russia had made the 'unusual' move of 'not inviting' foreign leaders to celebrate Victory Day.

They said that the national holiday, which usually commemorates victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, may be used by Russian president Vladimir Putin to claim the attacks on Ukraine have been successful.

There could be a big announcement, they said, however it is unlikely to be a declaration of war, or mass mobilisation, which has been denied by the Kremlin, as officials have not seen any signs to indicate preparation is under way for either.

They also said they had not seen evidence that Mr Putin was unwell, but added they were not doctors.

In a separate briefing, asked what would happen after May 9, other western officials said the Russian president would 'inevitably' claim a 'synthetic victory' - perhaps the 'totemic status of Mariupol'.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A man has been found not guilty of sexual penetration without consent following a wild buck's party in Western Australia.

A jury returned the verdict in under an hour on Friday in the four-day trial involving Chad Graham Hart.

Mr Hart 39, also had a charge of indecent assault thrown out from the events that took place at the Gold Bar in Kalgoorlie in September of 2020.

Defence lawyer Brendon Slattery successfully argued his client had not penetrated one of the adult entertainers, who at one stage was straddling Mr Hart naked and lighting cream on fire between her belly button and pubic area.

The court heard Mr Hart may have accidentally touched the woman's vagina in fear of the fire spreading to his own crotch - having previously had his clothed crotch covered in cream and set on fire by another entertainer.

Chad Graham Hart has been found not guilty of sexual penetration without consent following his wild buck's party in Western Australia in 2020

The now married man and father was also cleared of indecent assault following the wild night at the Gold Bar involving numerous adult entertainers

Mr Slattery said his client walked into the buck's party with an open mind, but certainly didn't expect to be 'humiliated, abused, his own genitals lit on fire and thumped', according to The West.

During the incident packed evening at the Gold Bar, the court heard Mr Hart was straddled by numerous naked women, 'bounced up and down on' and was front and centre for antics involving 'a b***-job trick, a candy in the butt trick...and a condom trick'.

Mr Slattery added this was 'unusual behaviour' for a licensed premises.

Defence witnesses confirmed Mr Hart was seen 'swatting out flames', with Mr Slattery stating any contact with the victim's vagina was accidental.

State prosecutor Alan Dungey rejected that theory, revealing in his closing statement video footage which he alleged showed Mr Hart's hand touching the woman's bare vagina - with the flame 'some distance' away.

'Mr Hart's genitals are not exposed, they are covered by the skirt he is wearing, and by (the woman) who is sitting on top,' he said.

'So the notion that his hand might have stretched out to protect himself as a kind of automatic instinctive response just doesn't arise on the evidence.'

Mr Dungey felt the penetration was an 'opportunistic act' done in the 'heat of the moment' and was 'not accidental,' the court heard.

'There are lots of witnesses. There is a security guard present. It's an extraordinarily reckless, ballsy, thing to do in that company,' he said.

Subsequent footage from the Gold Bar showed the woman punch Mr Hart, with Mr Dungey telling the court she clearly felt violated.
Vijayasai Reddy (in picture) clarified that those who do not get appointments at the job fair should not be disappointed. Training in skill development will be offered to them, so that they can compete better in future job fairs.  Twitter

VIJAYAWADA: The third mega job mela of ruling YSR Congress will be held at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur for two days from Saturday. It has been targeted at unemployed youth belonging to united West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts.

YSRC national general secretary and MP V. Vijayasai Reddy said 210 companies will fill 26,289 vacancies during the two-day job mela. He disclosed that 97,000 people have registered on the party website for attending the job mela.

The MP clarified that those who do not get appointments at the job fair should not be disappointed. Training in skill development will be offered to them, so that they can compete better in future job fairs.

He explained that YSRC is conducting job melas in three phases. The first two phases have already been completed successfully at Tirupati in SV University and at Visakhapatnam in Andhra University.

Vijayasai Reddy said the first two job fairs had been attended by 347 companies, which provided employment to total 30,473 people.

He underlined that companies related to banking, finance, insurance, IT, retail logistics, pharma, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, automobiles, education, marketing and sales are participating in the third job mela at Acharya Nagarjuna University on Saturday and Sunday.
Donald Trump said at a Pennsylvania rally Friday that one of the highest priorities in getting Republicans elected to Congress is to now dissolve President Joe Biden's new Disinformation Governance Board.

'One of our highest priorities will be to cut down on left-wing censorship and restore free speech in America,' Trump said during a rainy, chilly and extremely muddy rally in Greensburg, Pennsylvania endorsing Dr. Mehmet Oz for U.S. Senate. 'We don't have free speech.'

'We don't have free speech and we have a totally crooked press, all of them back there,' Trump said, pointing to the cameras and press documenting his latest rally.

'We will immediately terminate Joe Biden's so-called disinformation governing board, how about that one?' Trump said. 'A chilling and un-American power grab that we will not allow to stand.'

Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week the creation of the board, insisting it is aimed at combating misinformation  especially online  related to homeland security issues.

Republicans immediately denounced the board as dystopian and likened it to the Orwellian 'Ministry of Truth'. They also said it would be another way for Democrats and the government to try and police what conservative voices say online.

Trump basked in this week's primary results as he took the stage at a rally in the southeastern suburb of Pittsburgh, saying he wasn't afraid to endorse 'out of the box' candidates like Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Oz, the celebrity heart surgeon who is running for the Pennsylvania Senate seat despite not living in the state, is a 'great gentleman,' Trump said, before calling him up on stage with him.

In Ohio, Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance was able to cinch a victory in the Republican primary after a last-minute endorsement from the former president. Former Trump aide Max Miller won his race for the House seat vacated by retiring Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who Trump promised to primary after he voted for impeachment.

'We endorse JD and he was like a rocket ship,' Trump said

Vance was propelled from the middle of the pack to a 9 point lead on Election Day after Trump's endorsement.

'You know, we endorse a lot of people a little bit out of the box, you know, they said well, does he endorse front runners? No,' Trump said.

Trump admitted that Vance was 'not leading,' drawing parallels between Vance and his endorsement in the Pennsylvania Senate race, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

'JD was not leading - they put an unbelievable, an unbelievable amount of negative crap just like they're doing with Oz, the same thing. They're spending millions and millions and millions of dollars. And they're trying to hurt him so badly. I just think he's gonna win.'

'We endorse JD and he was like a rocket ship,' Trump added.

'He's a great gentleman. I've known him so long,' Trump said of Oz, adding that the celebrity surgeon has 'by far the best chance to win.'

'His show is great, he's on that screen, he's in the bedrooms of all those women.'

'He's taking a lot of horrible, unfair and untrue shots.'

Trump also claimed the victories of his endorsed candidates was proof he had 'transformed' the party.

'Every single candidate that I endorsed won their primaries on Tuesday. They won 22-0,' Trump said, referring to the Ohio and Indiana primaries on Tuesday.

'We have a total record of 55-0,' Trump said, adding 'we have transformed the face of the Republican Party  thank goodness.'

'I don't know have you heard you know our party is growing by leaps and bounds with Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans. Everybody, the party is a much different party than it was when I started six years ago, six years ago, really. And we have a much different party. We have a party, some people say Trumpism, call it whatever you want,' Trump added.

Trump then tore into Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who he said was 'horrible on China' and added that he denied Trump the endorsement.

Trump also claimed that Toomey would never have voted to impeach Trump if he had given him his endorsement.

'You have a Senator who is very weak on China,' Trump said.

'I wouldn't give my endorsement. I couldn't run this guy, to me he was so bad on China.'

Trump said he asked Toomey about putting in place a 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods, and Toomey responded: 'No, sir, that's not free trade.'

Trump then turned to Oz's opponent, hedge fund executive David McCormick.

'Dr. Oz is running against the liberal Wall Street Republican named David McCormack who I've known.'

'In all fairness, and I will say this, he fought hard for it. He wanted it - he hired almost every person that worked anywhere, if anybody was within 200 miles of me, he hired them.'

McCormick has his own ties to Trump world - his domestic policy adviser and speechwriter Stephen Miller and longtime communications aide and counselor Hope Hicks had both been working on McCormick's campaign (Miller dropped McCormick when Trump went for Oz).

McCormick is also married to Trump's former deputy national security adviser, Dina Powell, and had the backing former Trump campaign adviser David Urban and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is running for governor in Arkansas.

Trump's former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and and longtime Trump ally Ted Cruz have also broken with the former president and gone for McCormick.

'He did want my endorsement very badly, but I just couldn't do it,' Trump said of McCormick.

Earlier Oz came on stage at Donald Trump's Pennsylvania rally guns blazing to tell supporters that lawmakers need to use their 'fists metaphorically' instead of index cards in the culture war against Democrats.

Hundreds of rally-goers braved persistent rain, chilly conditions and inches of mud to hear from Donald Trump in a southeast suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Friday evening.

But several made it clear that they are not at the rally to support Dr. Oz.

Oz kept his remarks quick and focused on pro-MAGA topics, such as lauding Fox News personality Sean Hannity and bashing big pharma and Democrats for wanting people to be 'sheeple.'

'The shocking reality is the Green New Deal  it's a lie, it's not real, it can't be done the way they say it. I'm telling you as a scientist. But as a leader, I'm also going to be clear, we're going to push back on that,' he said, taking aim at the progressive energy and environmental proposal.

'Republicans have been fighting,' he continued, 'you know, walking into this culture war knife fights with index cards.'

'Index cards don't work there, you've got to go in there with your fists sometimes  metaphorically,' Oz said.

Trump also recruited newly elected Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance to soften the blow for his endorsed Pennsylvania Senate candidate before Oz's remarks in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday.

Dr. Mehmet Oz told rally goers in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday evening that Republicans are 'walking into this culture war knife fights with index cards. Index cards don't work there, you've got to go in there with your fists sometimes  metaphorically'

Inches of mud lined the entire fairgrounds for Trump's rally in the southeastern Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday as rain persisted throughout the night. The bleachers were off-limits to rally goers  instead seen covered with massive American flags

Trump recruited newly elected Senate GOP candidate in Ohio J.D. Vance to tee up Oz's remarks after a mixed response following the former president's endorsement of the television personality

Trump supporters thought Oz wouldn't even get to finish his remarks due to negative perceptions.

'Dr. Oz is gonna get booed out of here,' 53-year-old Amy told DailyMail.com at the rally on Friday, saying that she was at the fairgrounds since 8:00 a.m. 'I'm in a truther group and they're all saying that. He's not from the state, that's my thing.'

Voters in Ohio were also hesitant about Trump's endorsement of Vance, who just won his Republican primary bid for Senate with the backing of the former president.

In the run-up to the rally, Trump's former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took the stage for Oz's chief rival, hedge fund executive David McCormick, raising concerns at a press briefing over the surgeon's ties to Turkey.

Pompeo, who, along with Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz, has endorsed McCormick, cast doubts about Oz's 'priority' over a 2018 vote he cast in Turkey's elections.

'We criticize American candidates all the time because they didn't vote,' Pompeo said. 'This is different from that. Not only did he not engage in the American [process] but he engaged in the Turkish political process. That raises in my mind a lot of judgments about his priority.'

'This isn't about whether it's lawful, it's about who is best suited to be the next United States senator from Pennsylvania that's been represented by a patriotic American conservative for an awfully long time,' the former secretary added.

The remarks hint at opposition to Trump in the runup to the 2024 presidential election, amid speculation that Pompeo is thinking of launching his own campaign.

Pennsylvanians are split on Oz, claiming they are unsure about his candidacy for Senate considering he is not a native of the Keystone State. Here a pro-Trump rally attendee wears an orange rain coat with the letters 'No Oz' taped to the back

Dr. Oz, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Turkey, received backlash for voting in the 2018 Turkish election (pictured). Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said of the revelations: 'That raises in my mind a lot of judgments about his priority. This isn't about whether it's lawful, it's about who is best suited to be the next United States senator from Pennsylvania'

The rally Friday was a dwarf event compared to past outdoor Trump events where thousands vie to get through the gates. Rain, mud and chilly conditions led many to leave the event before Trump even took stage

ABC News first reported Wednesday that Oz, who holds Turkish citizenship, voted in the Turkish election despite saying previously that he had never been politically involved in the country 'in any capacity.'

Oz was pictured casting his vote at the Turkish consulate in June 2018.

The heart surgeon has claimed that he maintains his Turkish citizenship to return to the country to care for his ailing mother but promised to renounce it if he is elected.

Some at the rally told DailyMail.com that they didn't even know who Oz was, while others said that they were planning to protest the former television personality out of the fairgrounds.

'I honestly don't know anything about him,' 24-year-old Trump supporter Nick said at the rally on Friday. 'Heard he doesn't even live here.'

Oz registered to vote at his in-laws home in Pennsylvania in 2020, but is not a native of the state  further leading to criticism that he does not belong in the U.S. Senate on behalf of the Keystone State.

Kate, 38, said that she is 'still on the fence' about Oz.

'We'll see what else he comes out with. Trump's support put him on the radar, but I'm not sold,' she added.

One person wearing an orange rain jacket had letter stuck onto the back of his outfit with a message: 'No Oz.'

Oz took stage to some cheers, some boos, but an overall tepid response amid torrential downpours in western Pennsylvania on Friday evening

While Oz did get some protests and some cheers during his remarks ahead of Trumps' arrival, the response was mostly tepid.

Vance attended Trump's rally in western Pennsylvania on Friday evening following his primary victory on Tuesday.

'I benefited in my race from the endorsement of Donald Trump,' Vance said during remarks Friday, teeing up Oz and hoping to calm skeptical voters at the rally.

'We need to support America first candidates,' he insisted.

The former president, who will take the stage at 8:00 p.m., is hoping to encourage voters in the swing state to turn out for Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Oz despite a less than warm welcome for the former television personality.

While the Keystone State's primary election is less than two weeks away on May 17, there is still no clear frontrunner in the Republican contest for Senate.

A subdued and smaller-than-usual crowd descended on an extremely muddy and wet fairgrounds in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, braving the torrential downpours in order to get a glimpse of the former president.

Although Oz is Trump's pick in Pennsylvania, voters are less convinced.

A poll from Franklin & Marshall College taken in late April shows that of registered Republican voters, only 18 percent back Oz  even after garnering Trump's coveted endorsement.

David McCormcik is trailing Dr. Oz by 2 percent, which is within the margin of error, at 16 percent support to be the GOP candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Senator Pat Toomey.
A mother has been forced to fly her son to New Zealand to escape the growing eshay culture in Australia.

Laura* was left fearing for her son's life after he joined an eshay gang on the Gold Coast six weeks ago.

He has stolen cars, sped down the M1 Pacific Motorway at 200km/h and, worst of all, posted the incriminating footage to social media to brag to his friends.

'He'd gone missing three times, had stolen countless times, was in a car crash with three other teens wrapped around a tree, has had drugs on him  it's a relief to finally do something,' Laura told Gold Coast Bulletin.

A mother has been forced to fly her son to New Zealand to escape the growing eshay culture in Australia (pictured, an eshay takes a hit from an improvised bong)

Laura* was left fearing for her son's life after he joined an eshay gang on the Gold Coast six weeks ago

The mother said she was left with no choice but to pack his suitcase and put him on a flight out of the country.

Laura and her partner have used the equity in their house to fund the abrupt move.

'Any mother would do anything to save her kids, but I knew I couldn't stop him,' she said.

'So last week we got him on a plane to New Zealand, it's the only way to break this cycle.'

Laura said her son was reluctant to go and that three family members had to force him onto a connecting flight to Melbourne.

He was then forced to stay with family at an AirbnB until his passport was processed by authorities and he was allowed to fly to New Zealand.

Laura said her son comes from a stable home with no bullying or trauma in the family.

She doesn't understand how her son has been pulled into the dark underbelly of juvenile crime and deliquency.

Laura said she would have relocated her son to a different city, but feared he would be dragged into another eshay gang.

The rise of the eshay is striking fear into middle-class parents worried their children want to emulate a dangerous subculture and fall into a life of crime

Eshay or lad culture is said to have spread from Sydney's inner-city graffiti scene in the 1980s through Housing Commission estates and out into the suburbs

She said police could only do so much and that she had sent her son to see a psychiatrist, but had no luck.

The rise of the eshay is striking fear into middle-class parents worried their children want to emulate a dangerous subculture and fall into a life of crime.

Eshay or lad culture is said to have spread from Sydney's inner-city graffiti scene in the 1980s through Housing Commission estates and out into the suburbs.

Hard-core eshays engage in assaults, robberies and threatening behaviour against other youths but many seem to wander the streets and hang around train stations aimlessly.

Where eshays - also known as lads - once predominantly came from disadvantaged backgrounds their ethos and pig latin slang is now more mainstream and widely promoted on social media, and are found even in the wealthiest suburbs.

*name changed for privacy

Hard-core eshays engage in assaults, robberies and threatening behaviour against other youths but many seem to wander the streets and hang around train stations aimlessly
A NSW woman who has admitted brutally killing her toddler has been called 'the worst mother in the entire world' by her surviving son.

'Like how could you kill him? No, why did you kill my brother?' the boy said in his victim impact statement read out in the Supreme Court on Friday.

'I still haven't come up with any reason why you were crying at the cemetery that day when you were the one who killed (him).'

A mother who killed her own toddler after beating him has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the NSW Supreme Court (pictured) as those around her said she had a history of violence

An adult read the 10-year-old's statement at the sentence hearing of his mother, who appeared via video link from jail.

She has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, by an unlawful and dangerous act, of her two-year-old son in August 2018.

The toddler had injuries to his head, chest and abdomen caused by multiple forceful blunt impact traumas.

'Significant force was involved, for example forces similar to those seen as a result of high-speed motor vehicle accidents,' according to the agreed statement of facts.

Relatives said she had a history of hitting the toddler, with one saying 'she would grab him by the hair and pick him up and throw him all the way over to the lounge'.

One woman said they told her: 'If you don't want (him) to give him to one of us so we can look after him'.

The toddler was admitted to hospital where he did not recover from numerous blunt-force impact injuries to his head, chest and abdomen

'I never seen him happy,' the woman said.

'But she would get mad and say 'They're my kids. None of your business. If I hit him, I hit him'.'

After the serious injuries were inflicted, the family went to the home of relatives who advised her to take him to hospital.

The mother instead went out and bought alcohol and later put the limp and floppy boy in the shower until she eventually took him to hospital.

A nurse physically took the child and ran into the emergency department where CPR was performed to no avail and he was pronounced dead.

The mother gave false, inaccurate or incomplete explanations for the injuries, including saying she had seen another son standing on the toddler's chest.

'You tried to blame me for it all,' the boy said in his victim impact statement.

Justice Peter Garling (pictured) will sentence the mother at the centre of the manslaughter case which saw an emotional victim impact statement from her surviving son

He said she tried to keep him locked in a bedroom 'while you smacked, belted, and hit again and again'.

He was very glad to now be with another family.

'I'm ashamed of you, but what you did is not all of me. I know I am kind,' he said.

'In my bedroom I have a picture of (the toddler). I think of him every night, and that he is not here with us. That makes it harder for me to fall asleep.'

The boy said he had become creative and was good at drawing animals and making things.

'When I do that I don't have to remember.'

In a letter addressed to the judge, the mother said, 'I apologise to the court for the mistake I could have prevented.'

She asked if the judge could forgive her 'of weaknesses, the foolishness misbehaved action I didn't mean to have done'.

'I have lost everything, lost everything I've ever loved and held dear to me in the blink of an eye.

'I'm a broken soul, de-energised with exhaustion, emotionally drained.

'Regretful and remorseful of my stupidity and arrogance, embarrassed and ashamed of myself.'

Justice Peter Garling will sentence her on a later date.
On the run Alabama prison guard Vicky White and convicted murderer Casey White may be going to extremes to cover their identity, with authorities even suspecting that Vicky is rolling Casey, dressed as a woman, around in a wheelchair.

That's one theory Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly is working on, according to News Nation. Connolly also described White as 'smart' and 'frugal' and that she was someone who could have $90,000 in the bank when she withdrew after the escape.

They believe that Casey might be put in a wheelchair to distract people from noticing his 6ft9in frame.

Officials also suspect that Vicky, 56, might be disguising herself as an elderly woman with a grey wig.

Police said they were 'back to square one' Friday in their search for Casey and Vicky, after finding the pair's abandoned escape vehicle.

White, an Alabama prison guard with a spotless record, is suspected of helping long-time criminal Casey White - the two are unrelated - of escaping custody one week ago on her last day of work before retirement.

However, her former employee Tyson Johnson, says that he's not surprised and that 'no one' is that White was capable of this, calling her smart and calculated.

Corrections officer Vicky White (left) and confessed murderer Casey White (right) shared an intimate relationship dating back to 2020 that authorities were unaware of, investigation revealed. The pair are not related

Casey White, the convicted killer who remains on-the-run with a corrections officer after breaking out of an Alabama jail last week, is shown in new photos

The latest footage shows them driving through the intersection of Huntsville Road and Cox Creek Parkway at 9.49am on Friday

Tyson Johnson, who said he worked for Vicky for seven years, says he's not surprised and believed she 'had a dark side'

'That's a good question, honestly I don't think she'll be found. She has calculated enough that she has thought this entire thing out,' said Johnson, who worked for White for seven years before he claims he was wrongfully terminated, of her whereabouts.

'She definitely outsmarted the sheriff, she outsmarted the administrator of the jail.'

Johnson also claims that White would often alter her appearance either physically or in photos, which may make pictures police give out to try and locate her ineffective.

'Vicky used the tanning bed a lot,' he said. 'Vicky may have been 57 years old but she looked 75. The photos that they're releasing of her, there are filters, they're all bright on the face because it's not showing the true her. A lot of people, former employees, said if Vicky dyed her hair grey and put on some old lady clothes and glasses, she could walk right by you and you would never know it.'

People reported seeing Vicky at both a department store and an adult store after the escape but employees at both stores refused to comment.

Vicky is pictured 'waddling' into the jail and opening an interior door on Friday. Casey is believed to have been in the hallway at the time

Surveillance video previously released showed Vicky helping Casey escape from the Lauderdale County Jail, where he had been incarcerated. The pair then fled together

Police believe the pair had developed a romantic relationship, and their disappearance from the Lauderdale County Jail has captivated the nation.

Rick Singleton, the sheriff of Lauderdale County, said at a press briefing Friday that the couple's escape vehicle, a rust-colored SUV, was identified outside Nashville, Tennessee, about two hours away from the jail.

'I think this was a very well thought out plan,' said Singleton. 'We're sort of at a loss.'

Singleton noted that Vicky was divorced but still living with her ex-husband, who died of Parkinson's earlier this year. He wonders if grief may have struck Vicky and led to this.

The sheriff of Williamson County, where the SUV was discovered, said in a tweet earlier Friday that 'there is NO sign the two are still in our area.'

Investigators have also learned that White had sold her home in the weeks before the escape, and had withdrawn about $90,000 in cash from several banks in the area, Singleton said.

New video released Wednesday shows Vicky and Casey driving to the Florence Square shopping center on Friday where they abandoned the sheriff's car used during the escape

He also noted that Vicky White had used an alias to purchase the SUV, and was likely to try to do that again.

The US Marshals Service, a federal agency specialized in fugitive manhunts, also said in a report Friday that Vicky White might have darkened her hair.

The agency released composite images of what she would look like, as well as photos of Casey White's tattoos -- including one associated with a white supremacist prison gang.

Their report also noted the couple's stark difference in size, with Casey White, age 38, standing a full foot (0.3 meters) taller.

The reward for information leading to the couple's arrest has been increased to $25,000, Singleton said.

White helped confessed killer Casey break free from the Lauderdale County Jail in Alabama last Friday morning.

She was supposed to be taking him to court but instead, they drove away from the jail in a police vehicle. They then switched to Vicky's orange Ford Edge - which she bought under an alias.

They drove 100 miles north to Tennessee and then dumped the car. It's unclear where they went next.

A photo released by Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office on Friday showed an apparent attempt to spray paint part of the car green.

The SUV was found on Friday April 29, just as news of their escape was spreading through America, but it wasn't reported to police until last night. Police have now confirmed that it was Vicky's car, and that she and Casey had tried to spray paint it before they dumped it. It remains unclear where they are now.

Inside the car, the sheriff found Vicky's jail radio, handcuffs and keys.

'Somebody might have given them a ride -they could have walked and then stolen a vehicle. No one knew they were missing at that time,' Lauderdale County Rick Singleton said.

In a message to Vicky, Sheriff Singleton said: 'If you're still safe, get out and turn yourself in.'

Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office released these images which appeared to show an attempt to spray paint missing corrections officer Vicky White's orange Ford SUV green. The discovery of the car was announced on Friday

In light of his escape with Vicky, authorities are also re-opening an investigation into the mysterious death of his ex-girlfriend, Christy Shelton, in 2008.

Casey, 38, was there when Shelton was shot in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. Her death was ruled a suicide, but her family never believed the story, WAFF reports.

He has a history of violence with partners, having shot at his ex-girlfriend during a crime spree in which he killed a dog and held her roommates at gunpoint.

The 2015 incident culminated in the 6ft 9in 'monster' being sentenced to 75 years in prison on charges including attempted murder.

The search for Casey and White is intensifying as Lauderdale County deputies joined forces with the US Marshals, the Secret Service and other agencies to locate the fugitive pair.

The two developed a secret 'special relationship' during phone calls while Casey was being held in a different jail.

Casey White's Confederate tattoo with 'Southern Pride' inscribed around the edges

Another image shows the height difference between the pair. They have been on the run since last week

'We're having to do a nationwide search. And we've got boots on the ground across the country, following up on tips and leads for us through the U.S. Marshal's fugitive task force,' Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told Al.com.

'So it's just a matter of time. We'll get them. Obviously, the sooner the better.'

On Thursday, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton - Vicky's boss - says the search for the pair is intensifying but they still have no 'clue where they're at'

Authorities have warned that the pair are 'armed and dangerous' and that Casey White is a 'bad guy' - having confessed to killing a 59-year-old woman back in 2015 while serving a 75-year sentence for other crimes.

Deputies in Limestone County will open an investigation into the death of his ex-girlfriend Christy Shelton.

On Thursday, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said the search for the pair continues across the country, but he revealed that local and national authorities have no idea where the two could be.

'We don't really have a clue where they're at,' he told Al.com.

He continued: 'I don't know what their game plan was. It's obvious this was very well planned out. It could be they're just holed up somewhere waiting for things to die down.'

The sheriff added that his department has brought in counselors for their colleagues, some of whom are still in shock - despite what Johnson said - that the stellar employee of 17 years could have run away with a confessed killer the day she was set to retire.

Inmates allege Vicky ensured Casey 'was getting extra food on his trays' and 'was getting privileges no one else got,' a claim that Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told CNN has been confirmed by an independent investigation.

'As far as we know that was the earliest physical contact they had,' Singleton said of the arraignment. He claims Casey and Vicky continued to communicate after the accused murderer was transferred back to the prison.

But cops and federal agents have launched a huge manhunt and drip-fed more information about the duo - including that the jailer had two aliases herself.

The manhunt comes as Casey's ex-girlfriend begged Vicky to flee the killer, warning her she was not safe with him

Sheriff Singleton, who described Vicky as 'an exemplary employee,' issued a plea to the former jail guard, asking her to turn herself in.

'Vicky you've been in this business for 17 years, you've seen this scenario play out more than once and you know how it always ends,' Singleton told Good Morning America Wednesday.

In 2020, Casey's request to be transferred out of prison and into the county jail was denied after authorities found a makeshift knife stashed in the shower that they believed he intended to use to force someone to let him out

'Now go ahead and end it now, get to a phone and call 911, turn yourself in and help us get Casey White back behind bars because you know that's where he's going to eventually end up.'

The sheriff said that as of Wednesday morning, investigators 'don't have any idea where they might be.'

'We were making some good progress on that. We may be hindered now that some of that information has gotten out,' Singleton explained. 'But, you know, we're still working around the clock to locate them and try to get them back in custody.'

The sheriff also noted, despite hopes of her colleagues and superiors at the Lauderdale County Jail, all signs suggest Vicky willingly participated in the escape.

'The pieces of the puzzle just came together,' he said.

'I think all of our employees and myself included were really hoping that she did not participate in this willingly. But all indications are that she absolutely did.

'We're very disappointed in that because we had the utmost trust in her as an employee and as an assistant director of corrections.'
A flamboyant property developer has been charged with assault after allegedly attacking his wife who he made headlines with after he bought her a luxurious yellow Lamborghini.

Jean Nassif, 54, was arrested on Tuesday night at his multi-million dollar mansion in Chiswick, in Sydney's inner west, and charged with common assault.

NSW Police said officers were called to the home after reports 'a 34-year-old woman had been assaulted by a 54-year-old man'.

Jean Nassif, 54, (pictured with wife Nissy) was arrested on Tuesday night at his multi-million dollar mansion in Chiswick, in Sydney's inner west, and charged with common assault

Nassif allegedly attacked his wife at their Sydney home this week

The pair are known to each other, police said.

An application for a provisional apprehended violence order protecting Nassif's wife Nissy has been made by police, The Australian reported.

The owner of Toplace Group made headlines in 2019 after he shared a video of a $480,000 yellow Lamborghini he bought his wife as a Valentine's Day gift on social media.

Mr Nassif welcomed the luxury vehicle into the family home and said to his wife 'Congratulations Mrs Nassif you like?'

The owner of Toplace Group made headlines in 2019 after he shared a video of a $480,000 yellow Lamborghini he bought his wife as a Valentine's Day gift on social media

His wife is seen strolling into the garage where the prized car is parked and, wearing a Gucci belt, stands beside the prominent vehicle before blowing kisses to her followers.

The Nassifs were quickly mocked for their ostentatious display with a number of meme videos popping up on social media where wheelie bins and toy trucks were among the items swapped for the luxury car.

Mrs Nassif, fed up with the meme videos, took to Instagram to respond to her haters, telling them to focus on themselves and 'how you can provide a good luxurious life for yourselves, your wives, children and loved ones'.

Nassif was given conditional bail to appear at Burwood Local Court on May 12.
Anthony Albanese scoffed at a reporter while defending a Tasmanian MP who made an 'inappropriate' tweet about women's bladders.

The Opposition leader was put on the spot on Saturday as he was asked to give his thoughts on a tweet made by the Labor member for Lyons Brian Mitchell.

Mr Mitchell had been criticising the long runtime of a debate at the ALP national conference in 2011 and claimed women would not be able to control their bladders if the debate continued any longer.

Reporter Jennifer Bechwati brought up the tweet a day before Mother's Day.

Anthony Albanese scoffed at a reporter while defending a Tasmanian MP who made an 'inappropriate' tweet about women's bladders

Mr Mitchell had been criticising the long runtime of a debate at the ALP national conference in 2011 and claimed women would not be able to control their bladders if the debate continued any longer

'We're celebrating Mother's Day tomorrow,' she said. 'Studies suggest up to about 50 per cent of women after giving birth experience (urinary) incontinence, it's a major issue among women.'

'How is it appropriate for your member for Lyons Brian Mitchell to tweet: 'If this debate doesn't wrap up soon, we're going to need mops. Women don't do well holding on'.'

Mr Albanese appeared visibly displeased by the question before demanding to know when the tweet was made by Mr Mitchell.

Bechwati responded it had been posted in 2011 with her answer drawing a scoff from Mr Albanese before he conceded it was 'inappropriate'.

'No, of course it's not appropriate, of course it's not appropriate,' he said.

'But that's at a time well before he was a member of parliament. I'm sure that Mr Mitchell regrets that and it's not appropriate.'

Mr Mitchell has deleted his social media account after more of his bizarre posts were unearthed.

In a Facebook post, he made a dig at Labor frontbencher Ed Husic.

'Chiefly MP outlines the new benefits of massaging boobies,' the post wrote.

In a tweet, he joked about the vile lengths he would take to obtain an iPad2.

'I would gargle balls for money to buy an Ipad 2,' he wrote.

Mr Mitchell has deleted his social media account after more of his bizarre posts were unearthed

Mr Mitchell has apologised for his comments and labelled them 'insensitive'

Mr Mitchell has apologised for his comments and labelled them 'insensitive'.

The comment comes as Labor reconsiders its policy to provide free rapid Covid-19 tests for all Australians.

The party had pushed for free RATs in January as the Omicron outbreak hit Australia's east coast.

'Times have changed and what we would do is consider the health advice at the time,' federal leader Anthony Albanese said on Saturday.

Labor's free RATs commitment was based on lacking test kit availability and subsequent cost pressures on the back of what the party claimed was a slow vaccine rollout.

But Mr Albanese suggested the pressures had eased.
Dr Anthony Fauci has criticized the decision to hold last week's maskless White House Correspondents' Dinner fearing that Americans might take it as a sure sign the pandemic is over and Covid no longer a serious threat.

The nation's top infectious disease doctor shared his frustrations on a phone call with public health experts earlier this week saying he was 'miffed' stressing he was worried that people were losing sight of protecting those who are still most vulnerable when it comes to Covid.

Fauci then used the WHCA dinner, which was attended by President Joe Biden, as a prime example.

Thousands of guests including dozens of other administration officials all attended the event which was held at the Washington Hilton ballroom.

Yet just hours earlier, Fauci was spotted cozying up to CNN host Don Lennon at a White House Correspondents' Dinner pre-party without a mask in sight.

Hours before the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Dr Anthony Fauci was spotted cozying up to CNN host Don Lennon at a pre-party without a mask in sight

Former Donald Trump political advisor Sean Spicer took to Twitter on Sunday to share a snap of Biden's top medical advisor posing with Lemon and his partner, real estate agent Tim Malone at the 27th Annual White House Correspondents' Weekend Garden Brunch Saturday

'Fauci bailed on attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner because of 'individual assessment of my personal risk.' ..so he just went to the [crowded] pre-parties #WHCD,' Former Donald Trump political advisor Sean Spice captioned the photo.

The snap was taken at the 27th Annual White House Correspondents' Weekend Garden Brunch Saturday, which TV and political figures such as CBS News presenter Gayle King, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also attended.

Fauci's attendance at the indoor-outdoor pre-party took many by surprise after the 81-year-old had informed ABC News, the news organization that invited him to the WHCD, he would not attend the 2,600-people event due to his own assessment of personal risk.

The Biden administration's was holding an off-the-record callsin which groups of prominent health experts and commentators give updates on the Covid response. Biden is pictured speaking at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner last Saturday

Thousands of guests mingled during the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, last Saturday night

During the off-the-record call, which was heard by at least four other people, and reported to Politico, Fauci wondered aloud why so many felt comfortable gathering maskless indoors as a fresh surge in Covid cases continues to surge.

Fauci who did not attend the main dinner out of concern for his own health, did not criticize Biden or the other officials directly, but rather the points were made during his appeal for health experts to emphasize that the fight to control the pandemic fight is still continuing.

But Fauci's assessment stands in direct contrast to the far more relaxed approach held by White House and Covid-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha who was both at the dinner and on Fauci's phone call.

Jha made no comment in response to Fauci's remarks.

'I don't think events like that need to be canceled,' Jha told Fox News. 'I think if people put in good safeguards, they can make it substantially safer, make sure people are vaccinated, make sure you have testing, improve ventilation. Those are strategies we have learned over the last two years.'

A spokesperson who knew of Fauci's remarks said that the doctor was not directly criticizing the holding of the press corps dinner but a broader concern that the country needed to keep fighting Covid and protecting the vulnerable.

The call was part of the Biden administration's off-the-record calls in which groups of prominent health experts and commentators give updates on the Covid response.

In the days leading up to the dinner, Fauci declared on PBS NewsHour the country was 'out of the pandemic phase' but then later walked back his comments to clarify that the country was not out of the pandemic completely.

'We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase,' he said.

'Namely, we don't have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now.'

Fauci later claimed that his remarks had been misconstrued. He clarified that the COVID threat in the U.S. was not as 'acute and accelerated' as it was earlier in the pandemic and the nation had reached a new 'decelerated and controlled' phase of the pandemic over the past several months.

'That does not mean we are out of the woods,' he said Wednesday, adding that the number of COVID positive cases is starting to 'creep up' again.

Fauci's assessment stands in direct contrast to the far more relaxed approach held by White House and Covid-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha, pictured, who was both at the dinner and on Fauci's phone call.

Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, applauds alongside first lady Jill Biden at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner

Since the dinner, several of those who attended have tested positive for Covid including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, however it is unclear whether he became infected at the event

The White House also played down concerns about downplayed concerns about attending the 2,500-person gathering stressing the wide availability of vaccines and treatments that are now on the market to prevent serious cases.

The White House Correspondents' Association required all attendees to be vaccinated and show proof of a negative test.

Since the dinner, several of those who attended have tested positive for Covid including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, however it is unclear whether he became infected at the event.

WHCA President Steven Portnoy said the organization 'implemented protocols that went beyond any guidance or regulation issued by the [Centers for Disease Control] or the D.C. Health Department.'

In April, the average daily number of new infections doubled since the start of the month and hospitalizations are also rising to as more Omicron subvariants spread.

The virus has muddied messaging from the White House who are keen to push past the public health crisis and now look towards managing the disease.

Katy Tur, journalist at NBC News, mingles during the dinner, last weekend
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The baby formula shortage has intensified in recent weeks with at least 12 states facing 40 percent or higher out of stock rates as parents desperate to get their hands on formula face price gouging.

The baby formula shortage, which began during Covid, got even worse following a February recall from Abbott Labs of Alimentum, Similac and EleCare formulas after five infants who used the formula contracted a Cronobacter sakazakii infection. One of the infants died as a result.

Since then the national out-of-stock levels jumped nine percentage points from 31 percent to 40 percent between April 3 and April 24, according to an analysis from Datasembly, which tracked baby formula stock at more than 11,000 retailers.

In the week ending April 24, CBS News reports, 40 to 50 percent of the top-selling baby formula products were out of stock at stores across the country, Datasembly reported.

For the week of April 3, at least 12 states faced out of stock rates higher than 40 percent, including Connecticut, Delaware, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington, Datasembly reported.

During the same time period Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota suffered 50 to 51 percent shortage, Missouri a 52 percent shortage, Texas 53 percent and Tennessee a whopping 54 percent shortage.

For the week of April 3, at least 12 states faced out of stock rates higher than 40 percent, including Connecticut, Delaware, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island

MASSACHUSETTS: National out-of-stock levels, meanwhile, jumped nine percentage points from 31 percent to 40 percent between April 3 and April 24

INDIANA: Some national retailers are now limiting how much baby formula each customer can buy at one time

Meanwhile 12 major metro areas faces out of stock rates higher than 40 percent, including Baltimore, Charlotte, Des Moines, Greenville, Hartford-New Haven, Houston, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans Mobile, Oahu, San Antonio, and Seattle.

Three metro areas had out of stock rates 50 percent and higher, including Des Moines with a 50 percent shortage, Minneapolis with a 55 percent shortage and San Antonio with 56 percent.

The shortage has led to people selling in demand formula for hiked up prices and parents have taken to social media to share their disgust with price gougers.

On Facebook Laurie Elaine from Delaware shared a picture of Good Start formula that usually retails for $18.49 for a 12.4 ounce can be sold for $50 each on Facebook Market.

'People like this make me absolutely sick!' she wrote. '60.80 for one can of formula for a baby thats three Xs what the formula costs ! I even asked is that for one can and she said yes WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE PRICE GOUGING BABY FORMULA!! There is a very real formula shortage, people worry about how they are going to feed their babys and people do this ? This is disgusting on so many levels!'

In another Facebook post, Alyssa Delos Santos posted a picture of Similac formula selling for $25 plus $10.99 shipping when according to the comments it usually retails for only $10.

'I think its sad that people will price gouging on formula that parents desperately needing. This recall has made so challenging for parents,' Delos Santos wrote. 'Be aware mamas.'

In Virginia, Jill Bradford, a foster mom to a 5-month-old baby girl with medical needs said she found eight cans of the formula the child needs on eBay, but it's being sold for $800. The cans typically cost between $43 and $47.

On Facebook Laurie Elaine from Delaware shared a picture of Good Start formula that usually retails for $18.49 for a 12.4 ounce can be sold for $50 each on Facebook Market

In a Facebook post, Alyssa Delos Santos posted a picture of Similac formula selling for $25 plus $10.99 shipping when according to the comments it usually retails for only $10

On eBay, one can of Enfamil Gentlease Infant Formula for Fussiness, Gas, and Crying was selling for more than $40

In order to preserve their inventories national retailers like Walgreens and CVS are now limiting customers to just three baby formula products per purchase, and at Target.com consumers can only buy up to four pieces of a given baby formula product at a time - leaving parents scrambling as nearly three-quarters of babies in the United States are on formula for their first six months.

The situation is even worse for those whose children are put on a specific formula either because they have allergies or due to their nutritional needs.

Ashleigh Olsen, also of Jacksonville, Florida, said her 9-month-old is limited to a specific formula she orders straight from the manufacturer as her son could face an allergic reaction to others. But there is no word on when it will be available again.

'Luckily I stocked up last time. So today when I opened my last can, that kind of lit my fire a little bit,' Olsen said.

And in the Midwest, Kassidi Hillard, who has a 2-month-old who needs Similac Pro-Advance, told WDRB she has 'looked at every store in Indiana and here (in Kentucky) and haven't found her formula at not one store.

'It's kind of stressful, cause if you can't find formula, it's like they can't eat nothing else,' Hillard said. 'They can't have baby food, they can't have hard food, they can't have what we eat so it's really, it's not an easy thing to go through.'

In Texas, Emily Pyeatt, 22, wrote on Facebook that she recently went to eight stores in search of formula for her 8-month-old.

'This is the scariest thing I've ever experienced,' she wrote on March 30. 'How are we supposed to feed our children when there's NO FORMULA ON THE SHELVES?'

She later told the Washington Post that as she was down to her last three cans, she has been easing her son onto more solid foods, as she does not produce enough milk to breastfeed.

'It was a very heartbreaking decision to stop, and I think it's upsetting for someone to say that,' Pyeatt said, adding: 'I pray for the women who have babies who are not old enough for solid food.'

Danielle Arzola, 27, also of Texas, told the Post that when she tried to switch formula brands, her 6-month-old got sick, and she now has to drive all over town to find the brand she needs. She has even resorted to buying formula from people in other states.

The company announced in March it has not found any Cronobacter sakazakii in any samples of the formula it sends out, and conducts tests on a regular basis.

But it did say it found evidence of the bacteria in a 'non-product contact area' at its Sturgis, Michigan plant.

Now, baby formula producers are working to once again ramp up production.

'We know that this recall has further exacerbated an industry-wide instant formula supply shortage,' Abbott Labs told the Washington Post in a statement.

'We are doing everything we can to address it,' the company said, including ramping up production of Similac, air-freighting in products from Europe and working with health care providers to identify alternative formulas.

In the meantime, experts say, parents should not dilute their baby's formula, try to make their own formula at home or try to replace it with cow's milk.

Doing so is 'not nutritionally comparable with breast milk or infant formula,' according to Brian Dittmeier, senior director of public policy at the National WIC Association, and could cause nutrient deficiencies that can have a 'profound impact on an infant's growth and development.'

He said any parents who are struggling to find formula can contact their local WIC agencies and food banks for help locating some in their communities.

The Infant Nutrition Council of America is also encouraging parents to keep a 10-day to two week supply of formula at home - but is urging them not to stockpile products as the shortage continues - and experts say there is no end in sight.
A driver was fined $275 after her car broke down in a no stopping zone even though she was told by her insurer and police that she would not receive a penalty.

Clare Thomas was driving her car when the vehicle broke down in the middle of a one-way street in Clovelly, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, on a Friday night.

Ms Thomas immediately put her hazard lights on and phoned for roadside assistance before she was told she would need to wait for three hours.

A driver was fined $275 after her car broke down in a no stopping zone even though she was told by her insurer and police that she would not receive a penalty

The driver phoned police for advice before stepping out of her car and ushering traffic around her vehicle.

Her car had overheated and by the time it cooled down, Ms Thomas moved the vehicle to the side of the road that just so happened to be a no stopping zone.

'I also made another phone call to the police station to let them know the progress, and to let them know that I was in a no-stopping zone and they said not to worry about it,' she told Yahoo.

Ms Thomas then called her insurer who advised her it would be better to have her car towed on Monday.

She wrote a letter explaining her situation and left the note on the windshield for any parking inspectors that passed through the area.

'To my surprise, a ticket landed in my mailbox [two weeks later] citing Randwick council as the initiator of the ticket,' she said.

Clare Thomas was driving her car when the vehicle broke down in the middle of a one-way street in Clovelly, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, on a Friday night

'Because my car was towed on the Monday morning, roadside assistance is now saying that they can only give me paperwork on the day the car was towed despite the fact that I've got a call log with them on the Friday night.'

Ms Thomas intends to challenge the fine after she was told by her insurer that it could be waived if she provided proof the situation was out of her control.

Daily Mail Australia contacted NSW Police for comment.
NRL legend Andrew Johns has roasted politician Barnaby Joyce in a video message funded by controversial YouTube star FriendlyJordies.

Johns, 47, a rugby league Immortal, took part in a personalised video through Cameo, where celebrities are paid to pass on messages to other parties.

In the hilarious clip, the Channel 9 footy commentator poked fun at the Deputy Prime Minister, who he referred to as 'Joycey'.

It is unknown if Johns knew who Joyce was.

The video was later shared by Aussie YouTube comedian FriendlyJordies, who is seemingly determined to troll multiple members of the Coalition before the federal election on May 21.

NRL legend Andrew Johns roasted politician Barnaby Joyce in a video message funded by controversial YouTube star FriendlyJordies

FriendlyJordies, whose real name is Jordan Shanks-Markovina, has used the likes of American rapper Flavour Flav and Chris Hansen from the To Catch a Predator series to mock Prime Minister Scott Morrison in recent weeks through similar Cameo clips.

He has since shifted his focus to Mr Joyce - and used footy great Johns as his Cameo spokesperson.

In the clip, Johns bizarrely refers to Mr Joyce's 'ten children'.

The deputy PM actually has six kids - four daughters with ex-wife Natalie - and two boys with new partner Vikki Campion.

'Hey Joycey, mate I don't know what to say  and this is from your mate Jordan,' Johns opens with in the video, which was later posted online by FriendlyJordies.

'Baby number 10, are you serious? What is in the water up there in Armidale? My God.

In the Cameo clip, footy legend Andrew Johns refers to Barnaby Joyce's '10 children' and labels him a 'superhero'

The video from Johns was later shared by Aussie YouTube comedian FriendlyJordies, who paid for the Cameo clip

'Ten, you must be a superhero. Popeye's old fella. Far out. I don't know what your semen has been doing but it has been swimming upstream chasing salmon for years and years.

'I can't believe it. My young bloke can't believe it. Joycey I don't know what you're eating. I don't know what you're drinking. But I gotta say everything an Australian man should be, is you.

'Armidale's finest. Surely you pull up at number 10. Maybe cut it off. But anyway mate, all the best. Go the Knights and maybe ease up a little bit mate. Ease up a little. Cya mate.'

Fans can get a personal message from the Newcastle Knights legend for just under $130 on the celebrity video service.

Other celebrities who use Cameo include Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fame and Jesse Metcalfe from Desperate Housewives.
A good Muslim friend tells me that Id is the occasion when the faithful ask God to recognise their sacrifice through fasting all through the days of Ramzan, not praying for material gifts, but for peace on earth and goodwill to humanity. (Representational Image/ DC)

So come with the Andhbhakts and leave the lot

Of Mahatmaji and Vallabhai forgot

Let injustice and prejudice prevail

And Krishna assert Dharma -- heed them not.

From the Rubaiyat of Putana Tr, by Bachchoo

Because my first name is Persian, I am often mistaken for a Muslim. I am not. I was born a Zoroastrian and grew up with friends of different faiths -- Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jews and possibly others. In our teens we would follow the taboots or tajias which the Shia community would parade, to the insistent rhythm of drums, around town all night and immerse in the citys river at dawn. Not from faith but for kicks.

Millions of Indians celebrate every festival -- Diwali, Christmas, Id and Baisakhi. The Zoroastrian New Year, or Navroz, isnt widely publicised or celebrated. The day before is the day of penitence, called Peteti or Papeti, I dont to this day know which is the authentic word. (So, look it up on Wikipedia, idiot! --Ed) As we trooped into the fire temple on the day there would, year after year, be the same old non-Zoroastrian individual seeking alms at the gate claiming the festival saying Aamchi Popti! Aamchi Popti!

Now through Ramzan culminating in Id-ul-Fitr, there are posters all over London urging Muslims to contribute one-fifth of their earnings as zakat to various charities. A good Muslim friend tells me that Id is the occasion when the faithful ask God to recognise their sacrifice through fasting all through the days of Ramzan, not praying for material gifts, but for peace on earth and goodwill to humanity.

This would include praying for the souls of slaughtered non-combatant Muslims of Aleppo and other Syrian cities wiped out by Russian arms in support of the Shia dictator. It would include a prayer for the Rohingya Muslims persecuted by the China-supported military dictatorship of Myanmar. It should certainly include a prayer for the Uyghur Muslims confined to concentration camps to re-educate them and induce them to abandon Islam and embrace Xi Jinping (vacancy of) thought. It may include a prayer for the souls of Muslims murdered by Vladimir Putin in Chechnya. And today it should certainly be more than just prayers in support of the innocent millions of Ukraine being slaughtered by the ex-KGB freedom-to-live in-gulags-and-be-poisoned-by-Novochok fighter, Vlad the indefensible Bad.

One doesnt have to be a Muslim or be one of the Ehl-e-kitab, the people of the Book -- Jews, Christians and Muslims -- to offer such a prayer for the oppressed.

Several Islamic scholars now include Zoroastrians as the people of the fourth book. This is appropriate as Zarathustra was acknowledgedly the first monotheistic prophet. Whether we Zoroastrians are included or not doesnt much concern me very much -- I have always regarded myself as Ehl-e-library.

Not all the Ehl-e-kitabists are united in condemning the slaughter and Russias war crimes in Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill of the Orthodox Russian Church is an enthusiastic supporter of the war. Pope Francis spoke to him and urged him to take a firm stand for peace. In the widely reported conversation, Pope Francis doesnt venture to condemn the Russian mafia led by Vladimir Putin and his billionaire oligarchs and pronounces Christian sympathies for the victims of Ukraine and for the hundreds, if not thousands, of Russian soldiers killed in this war.

A British rabbi, Jonathan Romain, whose mother fled Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport during the Second World War, has initiated a Ukrainetransport for refugees fleeing the bombing and slaughter in the cities of Ukraine. He has been flooded with offers from British households prepared to offer rooms to refugees.

Explaining the initiative, Jonathan Romain says: I have always wondered how I could repay the debt I owe to the Kindertransport, who saved my then 11-year-old mother. Now is the time.

We Zoroastrians have no acknowledged popes though there are high priests here and there. They dont, unlike Hollywood celebrities, pronounce on political matters though I am in favour of them regularly condemning assaults on the innocent and the helpless.

I crave your indulgence, gentle reader, to conclude this column by protesting that while I am not inclined to convert to Islam, I am genuinely moved by the Quranic parable of Verse 5:32 forbidding the killing of all innocents.

And adding to this conclusion, heres my translation of a story from the celebrated Persian poet Rumi:

Two friends, a Muslim and a Zarthushti

Had from childhood lived in close amity

The first turned to his friend, meaning no harm

Suggesting he should convert to Islam

The Zarthushti replied: If God commands

I shall of course comply with his demands.

The Muslim said: Allah wishes you well

Converting to Islam saves you from hell.

So, say the words and give your soul relief

Though your ego persists in disbelief.

The Zarthushti then replied to his friend:

This thing called ego compels me to bend

To its wishes and if God controls all

The Universe, my egos in his thrall.

Nothing, we know, happens without his will

Then why if he ordains all am I still

A Zarthushti? He leaves us to decide

Whats true or false -- from Him no soul can hide

The dictates of free will is his bequest,

To humans to believe as they think best.

The Muslim decided not to retort

They both sat sipping coffee in deep thought.

Err... Jai Shambho!
Comedian Dave Chappelle is unhappy that the man who attacked while he performed on stage has been given a slap on the wrist, legally speaking, and charged with a misdemeanor rather than a more serious felony charge.

Isaiah Lee, pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanor counts at his arraignment on Friday during which the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office declined to issue felony charges in the incident.

He faces just 18 months in jail if convicted.

'It's a travesty of justice that DA [George] Gascon is refusing to prosecute this case as a felony,' Gabriel Colwell, Chappelle's attorney told the New York Post.

'The City Attorney, who filed the case, is doing his job but DA Gascon should also do his job and charge this as a felony.

Comedian Dave Chappelle is said to be unhappy that the man who was arrested after he was attacked while he performed on stage has been given a slap on the wrist and charged with a misdemeanor rather than a more serious felony charge

Isaiah Lee, 23, (right) appeared in court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges for attacking comedian Dave Chappelle

Lee had allegedly jumped on stage and tried to attack Chappelle, who was able to sidestep his attacker and avoid injury. Lee had been carrying a knife and inside a replica gun

'This was a violent assault that was perpetrated on an unsuspecting entertainer while he was giving a show in front of thousands of people at the historic Hollywood Bowl.

'Entertainers in LA need to know this is a justice system that will protect them. There is no question here that when someone is violently assaulted by another in possession of a deadly weapon that it should be charged as a felony,' he added.

Lee, 23, was slapped with four misdemeanor crimes including battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer. He faces 18 months in count jail if convicted and a $4,000 fine.

However, he may get away with a far lighter penalty if convicted which could be in the form of treatment or some kind of educational class.

Lee appeared in court with a bandaged arm in a sling as he pleaded not guilty. He is currently being held on $30,000 bail.

A judge also ordered Lee to stay at least 100 yards away from Chapelle, any venue where he is performing and from his residence, as well as to stay 100 yards away from the Hollywood Bowl.

Greg Risling, a spokesman with the LA County DA's Office, attempted to explain why Lee was not given felony charges - and it appeared to be on a technicality.

'Our office also could not charge Mr Lee with a felony of carrying a concealed weapon. Filing that charge would only be allowed if the blade is locked in an open position. It does not appear that Mr Lee opened the knife at any time during this incident,' said Risling.

'We evaluated the possibility of filing other charges as well, but found the evidence did not meet the statutory criteria for any felony offense. All misdemeanor matters within the city of Los Angeles are referred to the City Attorney's Office for filing consideration.

'It would be unethical to charge someone with a felony when the elements of the statute are not met.'

Lee, ran on stage at the Hollywood Bowl yielding a knife that was hidden inside a replica gun as he attempted to tackled Chappelle, 48.

The comedian was able to sidestep Lee and was unharmed. The attacker was then arrested at the scene, and taken to hospital with a broken arm.

Lee, 23, was slapped with four misdemeanor crimes including battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer. He faces 18 months in count jail if convicted.

A judge also ordered Lee to stay at least 100 yards away from Chapelle, any venue where he is performing and from his residence, as well as to stay 100 yards away from the Hollywood Bowl

Lee suffered a broken arm after security arrested him and took him off stage

At Friday's court hearing, Lee's attorney said the the man never brandished his concealed weapon at any time when he stormed the stage.

Lee is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on May 20.

Chappelle has not yet publicly reacted to the decision, but during a comedy show on Thursday night, the comedian revealed that he has spoken with the attacker.

Chappelle said that he asked police whether he could speak to Lee, who had stormed onto the stage holding a replica gun with a knife attached. Police granted him access to a room where he was being held.

'I needed to talk to him,' Chappelle told his audience at LA's Comedy Store's secret 70-chair room the Belly Room on Thursday night, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Chappelle said that the attack was down to Lee's grandmother from Brooklyn, who was forced out of her neighborhood because of gentrification, and the stunt was meant to draw attention to the issue.

He joked about the situation alongside fellow comedian Chris Rock, who was slapped by Will Smith during the Oscars ceremony, stating: 'At least you got smacked by someone of repute! I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair.'

Chappelle also joked that his attacker was a transgender man, a reference to his Netflix special The Closure which sparked woke fury over his gags about transgender people and support for JK Rowling.

The author has been castigated for insisting that transgender women should not be given access to some single-sex spaces including changing rooms and women's prisons for safety reasons.

On Wednesday, Chapelle said via a representative that he did not want the incident to 'overshadow' a great event, referencing his Netflix comedy show.

'Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl....and he refuses to allow last night's incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment.'

'As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show,' his rep said.

Netflix and the Hollywood Bowl said they were cooperating with the police investigation into what happened.

The 23-year-old was taken into custody at the event, then was taken to the hospital. He is now in jail

This is the weapon Lee had when he tried and attack Chappelle on stage

Lee faces only misdemeanor charges over the attack after woke Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said he would not pursue felony charges against him.

Gascon's office - which is famously in favor of low-or-no-cash-bonds - chose not to pursue the most serious line of punishment over the concealed weapon.

Instead, they have referred the case to the LA City Attorney Mike Feuer, recommending a misdemeanor charge because 'the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct,' according to ABC.

When announcing the charges on Thursday, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer seemed to throw shade at the DA, saying 'My office takes protecting public safety extremely seriously.'

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon (pictured) failed not pursue felony charges against Lee, who now only faces misdemeanor charges for the attack on Chappelle

Gascon has been vocal about his belief that the criminal justice system needs to focus more on intervention and rehabilitation, blasting 'tough on crime' policies as racist and a failure.

And following his first 100 days in office, he touted the changes he has made to the city's justice system - including limiting the use of sentencing enhancements.

The California penal code has more than 100 enhancements that could add time to a convict's sentence depending on the situation, most of which date back to when California was facing soaring crime in the 1980s and 1990s.

But under Gascon's reign, the use of those enhancements have been greatly reduced, with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office 5,138 enhancements during his first three months - a 71 percent drop when compared to the same time the year before.

His first three months also saw prosecutors filing only 106 gun enhancements - an 85 percent decrease.

Gascon also barred prosecutors from charging juveniles as adults, regardless of the severity of their alleged crimes.
An abandoned toddler who was found wandering barefoot and alone at a church in Mexico has been reunited with Australian relatives.

The desperate search remains for two-year-old Adelynn's mother Tahnee Shanks, 32, who was reported missing with the child's father Jorge Aguirre Astudillo.

Little Adelynn was spotted outside the chapel in Cancun on Sunday evening but is reportedly now in the care of her Brisbane grandmother Leanne and uncle Ben Shanks who flew from Australia to help search for Ms Shanks.

Abandoned toddler Adelynn Shanks, found wandering barefoot and alone at a church in Mexico, has been reunited with her Australian grandmother Leanne and uncle Ben Shanks

Adelyn had previously been cared for by Mexican child welfare authorities before her relatives arrived. She has also now received an emergency Australian passport, Nine News reported.

Ms Shanks' brother Daniel said 'three eyewitnesses' saw Mr Astudillo leave his daughter Adelynn Shanks outside the Chapel of the San Archangel.

Daniel Shanks told the ABC that his sister, who is from Queensland's Whitsundays, claimed she was on a vacation with her family in a small fishing village with poor reception but something felt off.

'I'm assuming I was talking to him (Astudillo),' he said.

Two-year-old Adelynn is now under the care of Australian relatives after she was found alone at a church in Cancun as her parents are reported missing

Ms Shanks had been holidaying around the Yucatan peninsula and was set to return to Australia after her relationship broke down with her partner Mr Astudillo.

The distraught sibling said Ms Shanks had stopped using social media days before she went missing.

Mr Shanks is unable to travel to Mexico himself because he is unvaccinated.

'Look, it is very out of character, she is always on social media, she is always posting photos of her and Addie constantly, it is a constant stream of it, so for her to drop off, we knew something was wrong,' Mr Shanks told Sunrise on Friday.

'For this to happen is just tragic and heartbreaking. I haven't slept for three days, you can probably tell and I am just exhausted.'

Tahnee Shanks (pictured right) had been traveling with her ex-partner Jorge Aguirre Astudillo (middle) and their daughter (left) in Mexico before she was reported as missing

Tahnee Shanks and Adelynn were due to return to Australia in June. The two-year-old was found by neighbours at the Chapel of the San Archangel (pictured)

Tahnee's two-year-old daughter Adelynn was found wandering the streets late at night

His comments came as further details emerged about how the two-year-old was found.

An urgent message posted to Facebook alerted the local community in the state of Yucatan that the girl had bizarrely been found.

Mr Shanks said his niece was 'dumped' at a church in the Mexican tourist town late at night and was found wandering the streets.

As for his sister, she sent photos of the beaches they were visiting but 'next minute nothing from her'.

He has offered a $5,000 reward for his sister's safe return and has spent the last few days dealing with Mexican and Australian authorities

The last known photos of Ms Shanks and Mr Astudillo show them in Las Coloradas, Yucatan, 93 miles from where their daughter was found in Cancun on Mexico's tropical southern tip.

One of the pictures shows Ms Shanks standing on the flatbed of a pickup truck and holding Adelynn with the beach in the distance.

Ms Shanks has no family in Mexico with her, but is normally active on social media. However, her family hasn't heard from her in several days.

Jorge Aguirre Astudillo has not been seen since May 2 when he was with Australian native Tahnee Shanks, the mother of his two-year-old daughter. A missing person's report was filed in Quintana Roo on Tuesday

A law enforcement official (right) holds Adelynn in his arms after she was found outside a Cancun church on Monday

Australian mother Tahnee Shanks shared with her family photos of her beach outing to Los Cuyos in Yucatan, Mexico, before she and the father of the two-year-old daughter went missing

Daniel has been trying to contact Mr Astudillo, who drives a white Toyota Tundra.

Daily Mail Australia doesn't suggest that the ex-partner is involved in her disappearance.

A police public appeal for information about Ms Shanks' whereabouts have been widely shared on both sides of the world.

Daniel Shanks said his sister had ended her relationship with Mr Astudillo and was weeks away from heading home back to Australia with her daughter in June.

Ms Shanks moved eight years ago from Australia to Merida, Mexico. She split from her partner a year after Adelynn was born.

'She would have been home months ago,' Daniel Shanks told ABC.

'She thought she could get home easily, but America had shut down visas for Mexican-born people for a period because of Covid. She's had to go and get an Australian citizenship and passport for Addy to try and divert around that issue.'

Witnesses say they saw a man pass Adelynn to a stranger in front of a church in the 220 Quintana Roo district.

Another brother, Benjamin Shanks, told 7News he had received a call on Tuesday from his sister's former Australian boyfriend who had originally lived with her when they travelled to Mexico.

The man told him that a video was circulating on Mexican social media pages of a young girl found outside of a Cancun chapel.

He watched the video and the Mackay-based Shanks family recognised the girl as their niece and connected it with Ms Shanks' inactive social media accounts.

Australian mother Tahnee Shanks (pictured with her ex-partner Jorge Aguirre Astudillo) has gone missing in Mexico

Tahnee Shanks' family raised the alarm after they were made aware of photos being circulated of little Adelynn wandering Cancun alone late at night

Tahnee Shanks' family insists she would never leave her little girl, who turned two last November

Ms Shanks had been living in Yucatan capital of Merida. She was waiting to receive her toddler's passport and had booked plane tickets to arrive in Australia on June 22.

The Shanks family and friends are fearing the worst.

'She's never off social media and she would never leave that girl. That's the scariest thing,' Ben Shanks told the outlet.

'We know Tahnee wouldn't leave that girl on her own.'

Concerned friends also hold grave fears for Ms Shanks.

'She is a very dedicated mother and would never abandon her daughter. Something serious had to happen for the little girl to find herself alone,' a family friend wrote.

Mexico Police have launched a desperate search for missing Australian Tahnee Shanks

Tahnee Shanks (pictured middle) was on vacation with her ex-partner (right) and her daughter (left) when she vanished in Mexico, a continent away from any of her family

Tahnee Shanks' mother and brother are on their way to Mexico to find out what happened to her

Tahnee Shanks, 32, (pictured right) originally from the Whitsundays, Queensland, is missing in Mexico where she was on vacation

The devoted mum's social media pages are full of happy snaps of her little girl.

The mother had been traveling the world since she was 18 and describes herself on social media as a 'Happy Hippy Ginger Ninja meeting around the world one country at a time.'

Before she went overseas, she worked in Australia as an assistant nurse looking after the elderly, which she described as a rewarding career.

'The travel bug bit me in 2010 taking me on my first 18 month journey through Asia and parts of Europe volunteering and couch surfing my way across the country,' the freelance writer wrote on a travel blog for the Whitsundays.

Shanks returned home and saved for two years and then headed back overseas traveling through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and the United States before settling in Mexico.

She is described as having a fair complexion, and has red hair, light brown eyes, 5 feet 4 inches tall, thin build and has a distinctive tattoo along her right thigh.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne met with her Solomon Islands counterpart Jeremiah Manele in Brisbane overnight.

It comes amid tense relationships between Canberra and Honiara after the Solomons Island signed a security pact with China.

Senator Payne confirmed the meeting occurred as Mr Manele travelled through Brisbane on Friday, where she expressed concern about the lack of transparency around the pact.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne met with her Solomon Islands counterpart Jeremiah Manele in Brisbane overnight

Senator Payne confirmed the meeting occurred as Mr Manele travelled through Brisbane on Friday, where she expressed concern about the lack of transparency around the pact

'Australia has been consistent and clear in stating our respect for Solomon Islands' sovereign decision-making,' she said.

'We agreed that Australia remains Solomon Islands' security partner of choice.'

Senator Payne said she had been reassured the Pacific nation would not house a foreign military base.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the meeting between Senator Payne and Mr Manele reinforced Australia's role in the region.

'It also reassured, once again that the Solomon Islands are not considering or would not support the establishment of a naval presence,' he said.

'There was the opportunity for a meeting to take place here, and that was a sensible opportunity to take up.'

However, the prime minister did not comment on why it took so long for the meeting to take place following news of the security pact.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan said he was told it had been a 'very productive conversation'.

He told the ABC on Saturday the pair had also discussed how the Morrison government needed to keep working at the relationship.

Mr Morrison has warned any construction of a Chinese military base in the Solomon Islands would be a 'red line'.

But he has not detailed what the consequences would be if the line was crossed.

Mr Tehan said the point being made was that no one saw a Chinese base in the Solomon Islands as in the interests for the region.

Senator Payne said she had been reassured the Pacific nation would not house a foreign military base after the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China

'What we want to do is to be making sure that we're presenting a very strong case as to why it is incredibly important that we don't see militarisation of the Pacific Islands,' Mr Tehan said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said it was good Senator Payne and Mr Manele had met.

'It's about time,' he said.

Labor has attacked the Morrison government's handling of ties with the Solomon Islands, with deputy leader Richard Marles saying on Friday that repairing the relationship with the nation would be a priority for his party.

'It's really important, obviously, that Australia presents itself as wanting to help the people of the Pacific in the challenges that they face,' he said.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told the Solomon Islands parliament this week the country was being treated like kindergarten students 'walking around with Colt 45s in our hands' who needed to be supervised.
An Australian surfer heading for an early wave was allegedly stalked and stabbed by a homeless man on his way to the beach.

Lockie Wilson was followed on a Gold Coast tram and bus after 5am then on foot before his stalker allegedly punched and slashed his face and hand when he tried to hide in a public toilet.

Police allege Kieran James Alderton, 31, stabbed Mr Wilson, 43, and said the surfer could have died if the attack hadn't been interrupted by a council cleaner.

Lockie Wilson was followed on a tram and bus after 5am then on foot before his stalker allegedly punched and slashed his face and hand when he tried to hide in a public toilet

Police allege Kieran James Alderton, 31, stabbed Mr Wilson, 43, and said the surfer could have died if the attack hadn't been interrupted by a council cleaner

Alderton, who is believed to have no permanent address, ran from the scene when confronted by the council worker.

He was found hiding almost 4km away at Palm Beach's Twenty Third Ave soon after.

Mr Wilson said the vicious onslaught was 'the most terrifying moment of my life', 9News reported.

Mr Wilson got on a tram at Surfer's Paradise headed for Burleigh for an early morning surf and was allegedly stalked and stabbed in a public toilet

The traumatised surfer's right hand is now held together by dozens of stitches.

Mr Wilson caught a tram at 5am from Surfer's Paradise to Broadbeach and said Alderton was watching him on the journey.

Mr Wilson told police Alderton followed him when he switched to a bus, then got off at the same stop as him at Burleigh Heads.

The 'scared' surfer says he 'panicked' and rushed into public toilets next to Burleigh Pavilion at 5.40am to hide.

'The victims in his wetsuit carrying his surfboard and he just noticed this bloke on the tram and bus paying him undue attention,' superintendent Geoff Sheldon told the ABC.

Police allege Alderton kicked in the door to a cubicle Wilson went in after him, allegedly punching and stabbing him in the back of the head, above the eye and slashing his right palm.

He was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital for emergency treatment.

Lockie Wilson was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital for emergency treatment after the frenzied attack

Mr Wilson (pictured) is a keen surfer and regularly heads to the surf on the Gold Coast before sunrise

'I started screaming out "help!" at the top of my lungs. I thought I was a goner,' Mr Wilson told 9News.

'This could have been really a death in the waiting if it wasnt for the tremendous effort of a council cleaner and some members of the public, who jumped in and this bloke ran away,' superintendent Sheldon said.

Alderton was charged with attempted murder and made no application for bail.

The case resumes on May 31.
Brynne Edelsten has opened up about the drug charges, vicious trolling and homelessness she has faced since her break up with the late Geoffrey Edelsten.

The Melbourne socialite tells her side of the story in a 7News Spotlight special due to air on Sunday night where she reveals details of last year's shock arrest.

The ex-wife of the Allied Medical Group founder was charged with drug trafficking while at a friend's Melbourne home last year.

Brynne Edelsten reveals her struggle against drug charges, homelessness and online trolls

Ms Edelsten (pictured with her late husband Geoffrey Edelsten in 2011) said her relationships since her break up with the millionaire 'haven't been the best'

The TV star (pictured in a publicity shot for reality TV program SAS Australia) said she has had troubled relationships since her break up with Geoffrey Edelsten

'I had gone to visit a friend. I had stepped three feet onto his front lawn and all of a sudden we were being raided,' Ms Edelsten tells the show.

'I knew I had nothing to worry about, I didn't have any drugs, I didn't do anything wrong. But I was charged with all these things.'

The TV star was accused of drug trafficking, possessing and using methamphetamine, and dealing in property suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

She was granted bail and said at the time she was 'shocked and saddened' by the events and would 'vigorously' fight the charges.

The former fitness instructor also tells the show about the abuse she endured from online trolls after her arrest.

'I was getting emails from people calling me a filthy drug w***e, and to go kill myself,' Ms Edelsten tells Spotlight.

She also revealed the torment she endured after her divorce from the millionaire businessman she was married to for five years.

'I haven't probably had the best relationships since then,' she says.

She also tells the program of how a break up with an ex-partner drove her to a crisis shelter during Melbourne's lockdown.

Most of the charges against the former fitness guru (pictured with her dog) were struck out last February, leaving one drug use charge still hanging over her head

'There's been at one point,[I was] left homeless and [had] gone into crisis accommodation because I had to,' Ms Edelsten reveals.

She said the few months spent in crisis accommodation helped her get back on her feet.

Last year's drug charges were dropped in February, with the exception of the meth use charge which is still before the court.

The Californian TV star has applied to be dealt with via a diversion program through the magistrates court.

If she admits to her offending under this program, and maintains good behaviour for a set time, her criminal record could be wiped clean.

The reality TV regular, who has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Splash and My Bedazzled Life, will appear for a diversion hearing in court in August.

Ms Edelsten first shot to fame after publicly announcing her engagement to celebrity physician and businessman Geoffrey Edelsten at Melbourne's Crown Casino in 2008 when she was 40 years his junior.

The pair married one year later before they split in 2014 with unpaid legal fees from the messy divorce leading Ms Edelsten to bankruptcy in 2016.

A year after breaking up with Ms Edelsten, her ex-husband married model Gabi Grecko, 46 years his junior, and the headline-hogging pair had a tumultuous relationship.

He died alone, aged 78, at his Melbourne home in June last year.

Last month the 38-year-old Ms Edelsten gave birth to a baby after announcing her pregnancy back in December but the father of the child remains a mystery.

7 News Spotlight: The Fame Game goes to air on Sunday night on Channel 7 and 7plus.

Last month the 38-year-old Ms Edelsten (pictured) gave birth to a baby after announcing her pregnancy back in December - the father of the newborn remains a mystery.
The Prime Minister has dropped plans to ban the importation of foie gras and fur from the Queen' Speech after ministers warned it was 'fundamentally unconservative'.

The measures, which were set to be included in the new Animals Abroad Bill, were being brought in on animal cruelty grounds but have been abandoned in a bid to boost support for the Conservative Party, according to the Times newspaper.

The bill was proposed to tackle animal cruelty and support conservation efforts overseas.

It is set to include bans on the trade in hunting trophies from threatened species and the sale and advertising of experiences, such as elephant rides, overseas.

Foie gras production is already illegal in the UK, but around 200 tonnes of foie gras are imported into the country each year, mostly from France where it is considered a heritage product.

Fur farming was outlawed in the UK in 2003, and more than 800m worth of animal fur has been imported to Britain since then, according to figures from HM Revenue and Customs.

The Prime Minister is set to abandon plans to ban the importation of goie gras and fur from the Queen's Speech in a bid to appease senior Conservative Ministers who oppose them

Pictured: The production of foie gras has been banned in the UK for more than a decade

Fur is often used in hat bobbles, boots and slippers, hood trims and in some coats from high-end stores.

Campaigners have long called for a ban on such products being brought from overseas.

The Government was set to introduce a ban on the importing of foie gras, made mainly in France and Spain by force-feeding corn to ducks or geese with a tube.

The bill has been delayed after concerns were raised by ministers about the personal choice of consumers in the UK, and issues around how the ban could be enforced.

In February this year, the proposed ban was thrown into doubt after several ministers raised concerns.

Brexit Minister Jacob Rees Mogg is one cabinet member who believes the government should not be imposing restrictions on what consumers can and cannot purchase, according to the BBC.

The next Queen's Speech (pictured in May 2016) is likely to include as many as 20 bills

Foie gras: Culinary delight or just cruel? Foie gras is made of duck or goose liver. By French law, it is defined as the liver of a duck fattened by force feeding corn. Outside France it is sometimes produced using natural feeding. The technique, known as gavage, dates back as far as 2500 BC when the ancient Egyptians kept birds for food and deliberately fattened them through force feeding. France is the largest producer and consumer of foie gras but it is made and consumed around the world - especially in Europe, America and China. In France, foie gras comes in various forms such as whole foie gras which is made of one or two whole liver lobes, or as pieces of livers mixed together. Campaigners have long called for a ban on such products being brought from overseas. After Life stars Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan recently wrote to the Government, calling foie gras a 'cruel and unnecessary product.' Animal protection organisation Animal Equality launched a petition to ban the importation of such products, and have since surpassed 250,000 signatures. Advertisement

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace raised concerns about banning imports of black bear fur, used by military Guardsmen, which he claims is sourced ethically.

Now, reports form the Times now suggest that Conservative MPs had threatened to rebel over the issue including Cabinet ministers including Mark Spencer, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Alister Jack.

As a result, the Animals Abroad Bill, which is set to feature in the Queen's Speech, will now now longer include the proposed bans on foie gras and fur imports.

Last week, the Daily Mail reported that government aides had been told it was likely the Queen's Speech would be slimmed down so 'Tory laws' can be passed to appease voters.

The special advisers were also warned they were already in the 'long campaign' for the next general election.

One special adviser said: 'We were told we need to focus on passing Tory laws that the voters want to see. They said there were Tory things that we need to get out and do.'

Another adviser told The Sun the Queen's Speech will be 'slimmed down' as 'this is a Tory government and we don't tax and regulate our way to prosperity'.

The move has sparked concern from animal rights charities.

Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, says: 'This is crunch time for this government and Boris Johnson to keep promises made to the British public that post-Brexit we as a country would advance laws to help stop animals suffering abroad.

'The Prime Minister publicly stated that the import of shark fins to the UK should be banned, he agreed that live animal exports from the UK are cruel and should be banned, and his government promised to explore ways to also tackle cruel fur and foie gras imports.

'If the Animals Abroad Bill is not announced in the Queen's speech, that will be a hugely disappointing betrayal of the public and of the millions of animals relying on Boris Johnson to keep his word.'

Parliament will return on May 10, the date of the State Opening where the Queen or the Prince of Wales will read out the Government's legislative priorities for the year ahead.

At least 20 Bills are likely to be included but ministers are said to be keen to avoid a repeat of the previous session, where one third did not become law within the promised timeframe.

Half a dozen Bills which were started but not completed have been 'carried over' into Parliament's next session, including the Online Safety Bill.

New Bills are likely to include the Media Bill, formalising the privatisation of Channel 4, and a Railways Bill which will bring most of the country's train networks under the control of a new centralised body.
A mystery blaze has engulfed the abandoned Balmain Leagues Club in Sydney's Inner West, shrouding the city's CBD in thick black smoke and causing traffic chaos.

Police and fire crews rushed to the Rozelle building at 4.35pm on Saturday on busy Victoria Road near Darling Street.

An intense fire broke out in part of the building, shrouding nearby roads in acrid smoke and blotting out the sun.

In dramatic scenes, flames could been seen destroying the building just a few metres away from cars driving past.

A mystery blaze has engulfed the abandoned Balmain Leagues Club in Sydney 's Inner West, shrouding the city's CBD in thick black smoke and causing traffic chaos

Police and fire crews rushed to the Rozelle building at 4.35pm on Saturday on busy Victoria Road near Darling Street

Late on Saturday afternoon, an intense fire broke out in part of the abandoned club, shrouding nearby busy roads in acrid smoke and blotting out the sun

Smoke billowed from the site making it difficult for drivers to see on Victoria Road, which is a main thoroughfare to the city from the west.

Westbound traffic had to be halted and there were still big delays at 6pm, with one of the three westbound lanes still closed.

Police initially urged motorists to avoid the area but official Transport NSW advice is now to 'allow extra travel time and exercise caution.'

Fire and Rescue NSW brought the blaze under control with several hoses and firefighters attending the scene.

Transport NSW told drivers to 'allow extra travel time and exercise caution.'

A fire at the abandoned Balmain Leagues Club this afternoon  pic.twitter.com/ZtxpgGNTdO  Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 7, 2022

It's unclear what the cause of the fire was or where it started.

Fire and Rescue NSW brought the blaze under control with several hoses and firefighters attending the scene.

There were no reports of injuries.

The unused site had been crumbling since it was partially demolished in 2010.

The unused former Balmain Leagues club site had been crumbling since it was partially demolished in 2010

Smoke billowed from the site making it difficult for drivers to see on Victoria Road, which is a main thoroughfare to the city from the west

The site had been earmarked to be used as a dirt dump during the construction of the nearby Western Harbour Tunnel after two high-rise apartment block projects were rejected.

Police investigations into the cause of the blaze are underway.
Controversial former police chief Sir James Anderton, who called for the return of corporal punishment and said people with AIDS were 'swirling in a human cesspit of their own making', has died aged 89.

Sir James, dubbed 'God's copper' for his strict Christian faith, was one of the country's most well-known crime fighters after leading Greater Manchester Police (GMP) between 1975 and 1991.

While he launched crackdowns on pornography, late-night drinking and prostitution, his outspoken views often landed him in hot water.

There were calls for him to resign over the comments he made about gay people, drug users and prostitutes at the height of the AIDS crisis in the mid-1980s. He also wanted homosexuality to be outlawed.

However his job was saved by then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who brushed off calls for a public inquiry.

Sir James had also been criticised for saying he wanted to administer corporal punishment on criminals until they 'beg for mercy' or 'repent of their sins.'

Sir James Anderton (pictured), dubbed 'God's copper' for his strict Christian faith, was one of the country's most well-known crime fighters after leading Greater Manchester Police (GMP) between 1975 and 1991. He has died aged 89.

The Queen (centre), pictured with the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, James Anderton (left) in March 1986

Sir James Anderton's controversial remarks often led to calls for his resignation Sir James Anderton believed he was being 'used by God' to restore morality through policing. It was one of his many remarks that got him in hot water over the years as leader of the Greater Manchester Police, from 1975 to 1991. Here are some of his most controversial comments. 'God works in mysterious ways. Given my love of God and belief in Him and Jesus Christ, I have to accept that I may well be used by God in this way.'

'Everywhere I go I see evidence of people swirling around in the cesspool of their own making. Why do homosexuals freely engage in sodomy and other obnoxious sexual practices knowing the dangers involved?'

'Corporal punishment should be administered so that [criminals] actually beg for mercy. They should be punished until they repent of their sins. I'd thrash some criminals myself, most surely.'

'The law of the land allows consenting adult homosexuals to engage in sexual practices which I think should be criminal offences. Sodomy between males is an abhorrent offence, condemned by the word of God, and ought to be against the criminal law.' Advertisement

'I'd thrash some criminals myself, most surely,' he told one magazine.

He was heavily influenced by his faith and once claimed he was being 'used by God' to speak out on moral issues.

But he was accused by rights activists of paying 'undue attention' to the gay community.

The Guardian previously reported that he 'encouraged his officers to stalk [Manchester's] dank alleys and expose anyone caught in a clinch, while police motorboats with spotlights cruised for gay men around the canal's locks and bridges.'

In 2011, historian Jeff Evans told the Manchester Evening News: 'I've interviewed retired officers who took part in police surveillance of public toilets, lying in the roof space watching men urinate for hours on end.'

Despite his controversy, he was knighted in 1990 before enjoying a full retirement.

Former colleagues yesterday branded him a 'great leader' and 'a force of nature'.

Sir James became a police officer in the 1950s before rising through the ranks at forces in Cheshire and Leicestershire. He was made the chief of GMP in 1975.

As part of his policy of 'public accountability', he introduced the 'Community Contact Departments', which helped build relationships between the police and the public.

He also launched the Tactical Aid Group, which was deployed to tackle public disorder.

His tenure saw high profile incidents such as the Moss Side riot of 1981, which saw 1,000 youths attack a local police station before rioting in the streets for two days.

The current chief of GMP constable Stephen Watson said Sir James had left a 'lasting legacy in policing.'

He said: 'During his fifteen year service as Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, James Anderton led the force through some of the most extensive periods of change in UK policing.

'He was a public servant of significant stature who oversaw many innovative and important operational developments, leaving behind a lasting legacy in policing.

'He was highly regarded by police officers and staff and is still well remembered within GMP after over twenty years of retirement.

'On behalf of everyone at Greater Manchester Police I extend our sincere condolences to Mr Anderton's family.'

Tributes have poured in for Sir James since the news of his passing.

Ian Campbell said: 'Hearing sad news that my very first Chief Constable Sir Cyril James Anderton has passed.

'He was the best I ever served under and I mourn his passing. RIP Sir, you were a force of nature and we won't see your like again.'

Tributes have poured in for Sir James since the news of his passing. Pictured: Canon Eric Saxon, pictured welcoming the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, James Anderton (left), to his final service in 1982

Sir James was also criticised for saying he wanted to administer corporal punishment on criminals until they 'beg for mercy' or 'repent of their sins.' (Pictured: Sir James Anderton and Lord Mayor of Manchester Roy Walters in 2002)

Greater Manchester Police pay tribute to Sir James Anderton on social media, branding him a 'public servant of significant stature'

Pete Jackson said: 'Very sad to hear of Sir Cyril James Anderton passing away today. Condolences to his family. GMP Chief Constable 1976 to 1991.

'A great leader & the only Chief Constable of GMP to command the respect of the entire force!'

Gordon Johnson said: 'So sad to hear that Sir Cyril James Anderton has passed away earlier today.

'The first and the best Chief Constable that I served under in @gmpolice. Thoughts and prayers are with his wife Joan and daughter Gill. RIP.'

Sir James is survived by his wife Joan and his daughter.
Prosecutors are investigating the possibility Madeleine McCann was killed after being abducted and sold to a child trafficking gang.

Hans Christian-Wolters made the revelation in a Portuguese TV interview just days after revealing to MailOnline he had new evidence against prime suspect Christian Brueckner.

Convicted rapist and paedophile Brueckner, 45, was identified as the man responsible for her abduction and murder by German authorities in June 2020.

The possibility that Madeleine (pictured) was kidnapped to order for a child trafficking gang has been mooted before

Convicted rapist and paedophile Christian Brueckner (pictured), 45, was identified as the man responsible for her abduction and murder by German authorities in June 2020

Since then they have been building a case against him but no charges have been brought  fuelling speculation the case against him is crumbling away and there will be no end to the 15 year mystery.

Portuguese TV reporter Sandra Felgueiras during her Sabado show on CMTV, asked Mr Wolters: So, you dont believe that she was sold ?

To which he replied: I am not allowed to speak about these details, but when pressed and asked if this was a possibility? he answered: Maybe its a possibility, without denying it.

The possibility that Madeleine was kidnapped to order for a child trafficking gang has been mooted before but there has never been any real elements to back the theory up.

Five years ago former Scotland Yard officer Colin Sutton suggested a kidnap to order was the most likely and credible scenario for her disappearance.

However Mr Wolters insists they have significant new evidence against him but not forensic evidence and are adamant Brueckner is the man responsible.

Madeleine vanished from her parents Kate and Gerrys holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on Portugals Algarve coast in May 2007 and despite numerous sightings no trace of her has ever been found.

German prosecutor Hans Christian-Wolters (pictured) made the revelation in a Portuguese TV interview

Madeleine vanished from her parents Kate and Gerrys (pictured) holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on Portugals Algarve coast in May 2007

The show once again highlighted Brueckners relationship with fellow German Nicole Fehlinger and suggested they carried out the kidnap together.

But Mr Wolters denied this theory and said: We have checked this out. It is not part of our enquiry.

He added: I can only say that at the moment we have only one suspicious person and that is Christian, there is no other person for us who is suspicious.

When pressed as to when there would be a conclusion to the case Mr Wolters said: The public and the McCanns have the right that we investigate seriously and that we only say something about the case when we are sure.'

He added: 'We are sure that he is the murderer of Madeleine McCann.'
Feared mobster Masood Zakaria is on the run after a failed hit on a gangland rival - but he'll have to make his next getaway on a bus if he ever comes back to Australia.

The alleged Alameddine boss has been banned from driving for six months and fined $600 after he failed to show up in court to defend charges of negligent driving.

Australia's most wanted man Zakaria vanished in December after it was revealed he was wanted for the attempted hit on rival crimelord Ibrahem Hamze last August.

Feared mobster Masood Zakaria is on the run after a failed hit on a gangland rival but has lost his driving licence for six months and fined $600 in his absence for negligent driving

Police allege Zakaria planned to kill gangland rival Ibrahem Hamze when a stolen Mercedes was spotted on Walker Street in North Sydney on August 14

He is believed to have been spirited out the country on a boat to Lebanon last month as detectives closed in on him.

Alleged sidekick Joseph 'Jo Fresh' Vokai, 26, was charged with conspiring to murder the Hamzy clan leader, while Samuel John Rokomaqisa, 32, was charged with conspiring and agreeing to murder.

Detectives allege they found Rokomaqisa's DNA in the Mercedes getaway car said to have been used in the botched hit which was foiled by police in North Sydney.

The stolen Mercedes was spotted on Walker Street on August 14 when the driver allegedly refused to stop the vehicle for officers before speeding off and running through a red light.

Ibrahem Hamze (pictured right) was said to be the target of Zakaria's alleged execution plot

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 the country.

But as well as being banned from driving, Zakaria will also be homeless if he ever returns to Australia after his plush mansion was seized by NSW Crime Commission.

Zakaria's six-bedroom home was impounded after his wife Azza Zakaria was charged with faking the documents to secure their home loan for the property back in 2019.

It was put up for auction last weekend but passed in when it failed to hit the expected $2million price tag, despite its distinctive gangster's paradise decor.

The humungous kitchen (pictured) was expected to help push bids over the $2million dollar mark at auction on Saturday

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

As well as the six bedrooms, the flashy pad boasts two 'premium bathrooms' and three toilets in the unassuming Greystanes cul-de-sac in Sydney's west.

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.

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.

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.

A small group of high-rollers - said to have arrived in European luxury cars, looking ready to buy - attended last week's auction but no-one bid above $1.75 million.

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

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.
NATO pulling Seoul closer shadows stability in NE Asia, even Indo-Pacific

(Global Times) 09:23, May 07, 2022

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

South Korea's state intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Service, said on Thursday that it has joined the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence as the first Asian member, according to Yonhap.

Cyber defense has been part of the military alliance's core task of collective defense. By cooperating with South Korea's spy agency, the US-led NATO is attempting to turn the Northeast Asian country into a chess piece to contain China and Russia in the realm of cyber defense. It has extended its cyber defense to the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and even the Indo-Pacific region, paving the way for the interference of Western forces in regional geopolitical affairs.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that South Korea joining NATO's cyber defense cooperation offers room for the country to join other US-led intelligence mechanisms. Last year, the National Defense Authorization bill for fiscal year 2022 from the US House of Representatives already required the US administration to consider expanding the Five Eyes alliance to include South Korea and three others if enacted.

"If the US is to contain China or Russia and wins in actual military conflict, it must gain an upper hand in intelligence-gathering. The rearrangement of the US-led cyber and intelligence groups aims to create a global network," said Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator.

South Korea under the incoming administration of Yoon Suk-yeol is believed to enhance ties with the US. The country will welcome US President Joe Biden later this month, his first trip to Asia since coming into office. South Korea is also considering attending the NATO summit slated for late June. Yoon has said he will "positively review" South Korea's joining of Quad if invited.

Seoul is betting its own security on the US-led groupings. However, Song noted that if Seoul deepens cooperation with NATO or even joins NATO, it would only make itself more insecure.

"South Korea's security can only be ensured when it builds mutual trust with neighboring countries, rather than becoming the political and military henchman of NATO," said Song.

It is also worth noting that what serves US interests does not necessarily serve its allies. Although the US wants to expand its military outreach globally, it is not easy for NATO to expand to the Indo-Pacific region.

"Most NATO member states are EU countries who have already been badly battered by the crisis on their own soil. They do not want to be dragged into any crisis in Asia, nor do they want to overdraft the limited resources. NATO expansion to Asia fits the interests of only a few NATO members, such as the UK," said Song, adding that the US may want to achieve the globalization of NATO, but face the realistic problem of catering to all.

NATO is a defensive organization in rhetoric only, while its actions can amount to the definition of an "aggressor." The US knows clearly what consequences Ukraine would face by inciting it to join NATO, but it still led Ukraine to embark on a path of no return.

While Ukraine's joining NATO could provoke Russia's sense of insecurity, what South Korea does might trigger more confrontation with its neighbors, including China, Russia and North Korea, which may cause turbulence in the region, warned Song.

NATO is trying to expand to China's periphery. By trying to create an Asian version of NATO, the US will seriously undermine economic cooperation and prosperity in Asia, and bring about new divisions to the regional geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. Washington's intention to turn an Asia-Pacific country into a frontier of geopolitical confrontation is not in the interests of regional countries including South Korea.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Cuban officials said that a massive explosion at a historical five-star hotel in Old Havana on Friday has killed at least 18 people, injured many others, and destroyed almost the entire building.

Authorities said that the blast rocked the Hotel Saratoga, which was located across from the Cuban Capitol, at around 11:00 a.m. Two of the victims of the explosion were a pregnant woman and a child. Firefighters and a rescue team were searching the rubble for other residents that could have been trapped, said the Cuban presidency in a Twitter post.

Havana Hotel Explosion

Officials said that the cause of the blast was still unclear but noted that preliminary investigation suggested it could have been a gas leak. In a statement, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that the incident was not due to a bomb or an attack and called it an "unfortunate accident."

The explosion comes as the hotel was planning to reopen on Tuesday after closing down two years ago because of the coronavirus pandemic. The news was announced on the hotel's Facebook page in a post on Apr. 28, as per the Washington Post.

Furthermore, Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata said that the hotel was undergoing repairs, noting that there were no tourists inside when the blast occurred. On social media, images and videos of the aftermath of the explosion showed the facade of the hotel being blasted away, smoke filling the air, and crowds gathering in the street outside.

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One photograph also showed at least one body in the street outside the hotel which was covered with a sheet. Lester Fernandez, a 25-year-old who lives less than a five-minute walk from the Saratoga, said that the blast knocked him from his chair. He said that a piece of his home's ceiling fell when the explosion occurred.

According to Fox News, the 19th-century hotel had 96 rooms, two bars, two restaurants, and a rooftop pool. The mayor of the region said that children from a school adjacent to the hotel have already been evacuated to safety.

Investigation of the Incident

A 30-year-old travel blogger, David Duque, said he was just about to start a photoshoot roughly five blocks from the hotel when he felt the city rumble and heard the roaring bellow of the explosion. He said that he and other people he was with thought it was a bomb or an attack and said that he has never felt any such incident in Cuba.

He quickly rushed to the hotel and discovered a horrifying scene of chaos and confusion with people's faces bloodied. Duque said he saw uniformed hotel workers standing on what was left of the upper floors of the building and screaming for help. He added that there were also children running and others helping pull people out of the rubble.

Duque said he felt paralyzed and that they were too scared to get too close to the scene of the incident, arguing anything could have happened next. The presidency tweeted a photograph of an injured child lying in a hospital bed with a patch over one eye. The U.S. Embassy in Havana said it was closely monitoring the situation and would share additional information when known, CNN reported.



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A 'hero' Russian world champion in an international tank warfare competition was killed when he was sent by Vladimir Putin into a real battle in Ukraine.

Bato Basanov, 25, from Buryatia, was in a record-breaking tank biathlon team that performed last year in war games in front of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the army general staff Valery Gerasimov.

But his conflict ended in death when his tank was hit in Ukraine.

He is the latest of dozens of men from his impoverished region some 3,500 miles east of Moscow to be killed in Putin's war.

As two bereft mothers in grief-stricken Buryatia spoke about collecting the bodies of their sons, one reportedly said to the other: 'You're lucky because your son's body arrived intact. Mine came back as a head and two hands.'

Basanov, a corporal, had been hailed last year for 'glorifying Russia by becoming a world champion in tank biathlon as part of his team'.

Bato Basanov, 25, winner of World Tank Biathlon-2021, was killed whilst serving in a tank in Ukraine. Basanov, a corporal, had been hailed last year for 'glorifying Russia by becoming a world champion in tank biathlon as part of his team'

2021 World Tank Biathlon in Alabino, which was held in the Moscow region. Basanov competed against and beat teams from 198 other countries including China

Bato Basanov, 25, from Buryatia, was in a record-breaking tank biathlon team that performed last year in war games in front of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the army general staff Valery Gerasimov

A young Basanov is pictured left. He is the latest of dozens of men from his impoverished region of Buryatia some 3,500 miles east of Moscow to be killed in Putin's war

A family photo of Bato Basanov, circled on the left. As two bereft mothers in grief-stricken Buryatia spoke about collecting the bodies of their sons, one reportedly said to the other: 'You're lucky because your son's body arrived intact. Mine came back as a head and two hands.'

Uniquely, he shot without missing a single target at speeds of up to 50mph at the Alabino training ground in Moscow region.

Yet as a report from Volya Media said: 'The death of Bato Basanov is grim confirmation that tank biathlon and real war are completely different things.'

Russian commanders Shoigu and Gerasimov saw regular tank biathlon competitions as key military prestige events, yet the huge death toll of Russian forces shows they were not ready for real war.

Basanov  whose Russian T-72B3 team beat soldiers from 19 countries in combat games including China  was shown being presented to Gerasimov, now in charge of Putin's flailing war effort.

Uniquely, Basanov shot without missing a single target at speeds of up to 50mph at the Alabino training ground in Moscow region

Basanov's Russian T-72B3 team beat soldiers from 19 countries in combat games including China

Russian commanders Shoigu and Gerasimov saw regular tank biathlon competitions as key military prestige events, yet the huge death toll of Russian forces shows they were not ready for real war

Bato Basanov, 25, (marked), pictured after winning World Tank Biathlon in 2021, preparing to receive his medal

Yet an anonymous Russian military expert has blamed Putin's government for botched modernisation of tanks, leaving them worse in optics and targeting technology than Ukraine's older tanks which were upgraded with Western equipment.

'Combat training in [Russian] tank units is disgusting,' he added.

The 'shortcomings' have led to Russia's dismal performance in the war, he said.

Basanov was a gunner of the first company of the tank battalion of the 37th separate guards motorised rifle brigade of the Russian Air Defence Forces.

The body of the 'hero' took seven weeks to be retrieved and returned to his family for a funeral on Friday.

His friends and family said in a joint statement: 'Bato was an open, responsive, very sociable man, a faithful comrade and friend, who was always ready to come to the rescue.

'Cheerful, smiling and sincere, Bato has always been the pride of our family, a kind, honest, much-loved son.'

Bato Basanov, (marked), with two of his tank comrades after winning 2021 World Tank Biathlon, smiling and looking happy with a giant trophy, unaware that before long he would be sent to his death in a real war

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has suffered the loss of his 38th colonel in the war in Ukraine as the Russian top brass toll worsens.

Lieutenant Colonel Fyodor Evgenievich Solovyov, 44, died in the Donbas, according to reports in his homeland.

His death was revealed as the Russian armed forces today rehearsed in Moscow for Mondays vast military parade on Red Square marking the end of the Second World War.

Eight MiG-29 fighters flew past in a Z formation - the insignia used by Putins military as a symbol of its military action in Ukraine.

Critics have likened it to the swastika used by German Nazis.

Solovyov was commander of the howitzer self-propelled artillery regiment of the 127 motorised rifle division.

He was buried with full military honours and a triple volley of guns in Chunaki village, Penza region.

A Russian report said: He died as a hero on the territory of the Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Details were not given as to how he was killed but he was posthumously awarded Russias Order of Courage.

Nine generals and 38 colonels have been killed since 24 February in Putins war according to known statistics, although Russia has not come clean on total fatalities.

Reports have claimed that the US has offered intelligence to Ukraine to help target high ranking commanders, destroying morale in Russian forces.

Solovyovs death was disclosed four days after the 37th known colonel to die in Ukraine - Lt-Col Eduard Dmitriev - was reported to have been killed.

Dmitriev, 44, a tank commander, was buried in his native Kirov region.
Boris Johnson remains an electoral asset to the Conservative Party, a Cabinet minister has insisted, despite the Tories suffering a net loss of almost 500 seats in local elections.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi urged Tory MPs not to move against the Prime Minister.

He told Sky News: 'He is an asset, absolutely ... If you look at the way that Boris cuts through in places like Nuneaton, places like Newcastle-under-Lyme, other parts of the country as well - Harrow in London.'

In a message to Tory colleagues, he said: 'People don't like to vote for split parties, for teams that are divided.

'We are strongest when we are united, we've got a Queen's Speech next week where we will demonstrate to the nation that the second half of this Parliament is all about dealing with repairing the economy, recovering from Covid, the backlog of the NHS and national security - here at home, safer streets - and, of course, abroad.

'All of these things we have a plan for.

'We are stronger when we are united and that would be my message to all my colleagues.'

The Conservatives suffered a net loss of almost 500 seats as the 'revolt of the upper to middle class' culminated in a bruising set of local election results for the Prime Minister.

Ministers conceded it had been 'tough' for the ruling party, particularly in the south of England where it lost ground to Labour in London and the Liberal Democrats in its 'blue wall' heartlands, but warned against extrapolating the results on a national level.

As some 490 losses trickled in throughout the day, Tory figures continued to publicly raise the prospect of Boris Johnson being replaced as party leader as one senior pollster suggested middle and upper class voters had distanced themselves from the PM after his fixed-penalty notice for breaking Covid laws.

As well as concessions in the capital and areas where support is traditionally strong, the party also sank to third in Scotland and lost its only Welsh council.

Labour, which is facing its own difficulties after police announced a probe into whether leader Sir Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules last year, said the result had been 'shattering' for the Conservatives. The party gained 139 seats but may have hoped for more, particularly when seeing the Lib Dems make 222 gains.

Labour leader Keir Starmer (pictured this morning) claimed his party was 'back on track', but No10 insiders jibed that he could not even 'dream' of being premier based on results

It comes as it emerged Boris Johnson is planning a major government 'reset' before summer to consolidate his grip on No10 following yesterday's 'tough' election results.

Whitehall sources told the Daily Mail the Prime Minister would carry out a Cabinet reshuffle and put tackling the cost of living at the heart of Tory priorities for the next election.

Yesterday, Mr Johnson hinted that the Government would come forward with more help for fuel bills if energy costs continued to soar.

Tory high command was relieved and encouraged that Labour failed to make significant gains, especially in Red Wall areas.

The PM's backbench Tory critics, who had pencilled in yesterday for a possible coup, were silenced, with only long-time rebel Tobias Ellwood calling for him to quit.

The former defence minister said it had become a 'requirement', adding: 'We're kidding ourselves if we think everything's OK.'

Whitehall sources said the Prime Minister would carry out a Cabinet reshuffle and put tackling the cost of living at the heart of Tory priorities for the next election

Yesterday, Mr Johnson (pictured at a primary school in South Ruislip on Friday) hinted that the Government would come forward with more help for fuel bills if energy costs continued to soar

But Tory top brass remain nervous that the PM could still face pressure if he is hit with further Partygate fines or fails to deal with the cost of living crisis.

A BBC projection suggested Labour would make gains if there was a general election. It put the party on 291 seats, with the Tories on 253 and the Lib Dems on 31.

This would put Labour and the Lib Dems within touching distance of the 326 needed for a majority.

Labour won just 202 seats in 2019 under Jeremy Corbyn.

A source said the PM would hold a reshuffle within two months to 'put in place the team who will take us into the next election'.

He is also expected to give a major speech setting out the Government's priorities for the rest of the Parliament, including softening the blow of the cost of living crisis, delivering on the levelling-up agenda and tackling crime.

'There will be a reset moment in the next couple of months,' the source said.

'The PM will set out to the public the things they can expect us to concentrate on in the run-up to the next election. You can expect to see the cost of living at the top of that.'

Pictured: London Mayor Sadiq Khan joins Labour celebrations in Wandsworth yesterday where the party took the council off the Conservatives for the first time in more than 40 years

Pictured: Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks to supporters outside StoneX Stadium in Barnet

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Another source said the PM was considering making Priti Patel Tory chairman as the next election approaches.

Senior Tories urged the Government to introduce tax cuts to ease the cost of living.

Ex-leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'It is no good promising tax cuts in the future when people are struggling now. The PM has to overrule the Chancellor on this.'

Former Cabinet minister Sir John Redwood said tax cuts should be 'at the heart' of next week's Queen's Speech.

A Government source said ministers would consider 'more help' on fuel bills later this year if costs continue to rise, but played down the prospect of tax cuts.

The PM  who joined an art class at Field End Infant School in Ruislip, west London, yesterday  acknowledged the election results were 'mixed', but stressed that mid-term polls were always difficult.

The Tories gave ground to Labour in London, losing flagship councils in Wandsworth, Westminster and Barnet.

They also suffered setbacks at the hands of the Lib Dems in parts of the South, such as Somerset.

But they held off Labour in the so-called Red Wall in the North and Midlands, gaining some seats in Labour heartlands such as Hartlepool.

Mr Johnson said: 'We had a tough night in some parts of the country, but... in other parts you are still seeing Conservatives... making quite remarkable gains in places that haven't voted Conservative for a long time, if ever.'
NASA scientists have released the audio of a black hole at the centre of Perseus galaxy cluster more than 200 million lightyears away from earth.

The sound waves in the were recorded by NASA's space telescope, the Chandra X-ray observatory, in the form of astronomical data, then translated into sound that humans can hear.

Although there is a 'popular misconception' that there is 'no sound in space' because there is no medium for sound waves to travel, the newly-released audio sounds a lot like a Hans Zimmer score.

The space agency astronomers realised that the hot gas shrouding Perseus, an 11 million-light-year-wide bundle of galaxies, could be translated into audio.

This gas that surrounds hundreds and even thousands of galaxies provide a medium for the sound waves to travel through.

The sonification was created by resynthesising the soundwaves to human hearing range, by 'scaling them upward by 57 or 58 octaves' above their real pitch.

Composer Hans Zimmer, who has written the soundtracks to Oscar-winning science fiction film Interstellar, has created music eerily similar to that of NASA's latest sound bite.

NASA has released the audio of a black hole at the centre of Perseus galaxy cluster more than 200 million lightyears away from earth, recorded by the Chandra X-ray observatory (pictured)

In previous efforts of astronomical data sonification from the Chandra X-ray observatory, different musical instruments like violins recreated the noises.

NASA said of the scaling-up soundwaves process: 'Another way to put this is that they are being heard 144 quadrillion and 288 quadrillion times higher than their original frequency.'

The sound was released to celebrate NASA's Black Hole Week this year, and included as part of NASA's Universe of Learning programme.
Ghislaine Maxwell has been removed from solitary confinement in prison after two years of what her family claimed was torture.

The disgraced socialite is now sharing a dormitory style cell with other inmates and can receive visits from her family and friends for the first time since her arrest in 2020.

Maxwell, 60, remains at the grim Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York, until her sentencing next month for sex trafficking.

But her family welcomed the move because it means she is no longer being deprived of human contact.

Maxwell is facing 50 years in jail when she is sentenced for five charges related to recruiting and trafficking underage girls for the late paeodphile Jeffrey Epstein, and joining him in the sordid abuse.

She was kept in solitary confinement after the FBI tracked her down to a remote bolthole because prison officials feared she would kill herself before trial, as Epstein did in 2019.

Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is no longer in solitary confinement in a New York City prison, after nearly two years of being isolated by herself

Maxwell was found guilty by a trial on five charges including sex trafficking of a minor, though she has yet to be sentenced (pictured alongside Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts in London on March 13, 2001)

The British socialite has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (pictured), New York, as she awaits being sentenced

Her family complained about her being woken up every 15 minutes by guards with a torch, had a camera watching her at all times and that she was physically abused by guards.

They lodged a complaint with the United Nations and claimed that her treatment breached Nelson Mandela rules about prisoner treatment.

Maxwells brother Ian said: I am finally going to be able to see Ghislaine. Apart from a few seconds of snatched conversation I had with her at the bar of the court, we have not had any meaningful interactions. I will be able to do that because she has been released into the general population.

She is still in MDC but in the general population. There are dangers in it but she has come out of being in that Shu [segregated housing unit] and out of that torture she has suffered. She has kept her head held high and I admire her determination.

Ian Maxwell (pictured), Ghislaine's brother, confirmed that she was now out in the general population while in jail, after being isolated for nearly two years

Mr Maxwell said that being a dormitory style cell would mean that his sister would at least have some company.

While she was on her own the guards were told not to talk to her, he told The Daily Telegraph.

Last week Judge Alison Nathan, who presided over the trial, affirmed Maxwells conviction meaning the sentencing will go ahead.

Judge Nathan ruled that a juror who did not admit his past sexual abuse while filling out the jury questionnaire was not grounds for a new trial.

But the judge did rule that the three conspiracy counts will be sentenced as one, reducing the maximum prison term from 65 years to 50 years.
Results from the local elections in Scotland show there is 'zero support' for another independence referendum, MPs have said.

While Nicola Sturgeon's SNP increased its seat tally, it was only backed by just over a third of voters.

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour under Anas Sarwar saw healthy gains and came within a hair's width of taking Glasgow, after adding five councillors to give them a total of 36, compared to the SNP's 37.

It also put Labour in second place nationally, after they were bumped to third by the Tories under Ruth Davidson some years earlier.

It came after Mr Sarwar said constitutional issues like independence did not get him 'out of bed in the mornings', before insisting he was completely against another referendum.

The former dentist and scion of a wealthy Glasgow family led a high-profile campaign, attacking Sturgeon for what he said were failures on issues including NHS and education.

While Nicola Sturgeon's SNP increased its seat tally, it was only backed by just over a third of voters.

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour under Anas Sarwar (pictured) saw healthy gains and came within a hair's width of taking Glasgow, after adding five councillors to give them a total of 36, compared to the SNP's 37

Ms Sturgeon said she was 'thrilled' with the results, saying her nationalist party had 'won by a country mile', sending a 'strong message' to Boris Johnson.

But after all the votes were counted, it was clear that the drop in Tory support - the Conservatives lost 63 councillors - benefitted the other main parties by a much greater margin.

While the SNP picked up 22 new seats, Labour and the Lib Dems both gained 20 each while the Green Party alone picked up 16.

MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale David Mundell, the former Tory Scottish secretary, said bluntly: 'This is not an endorsement for independence. It has absolutely zero support from the voters.'

Meanwhile Labour's Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, argued the results proved the voters were 'suffering fatigue' over the independence question.

'They are tired of the constant banging of the constitutional drum,' he said.

The elections have raised hopes that Labour's traditional supporters are 'coming home', after switching to Conservative in a bid to beat the nationalists five years ago.

Following their boost north of the border, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting rejected any potential alliances with the SNP to help Labour win over Scotland in the future.

He told Sky News: 'We're in completely different places from the SNP on the fundamental issue of the future of the United Kingdom.

'No deals, no pacts, no compromise on that. We're in it to win it. We want to win the next general election outright.

'I think these results do provide us the foundation in which to do that. But we're not interested in backroom deals or stitch-ups and when it comes to the SNP specifically, we are very, very clear about where we stand on the future of the United Kingdom, the future of the Union.'

Wes Streeting said that Labour was giving the SNP a 'run for its money' following the results in Scotland.

The shadow health secretary told Sky News: 'The Conservatives in Scotland have fallen far back, not least because they've been trashed by their own leadership in Westminster and have a weakened, spineless leader in Scotland.

'I think, actually, it's the Labour Party now that provides the way forward for the future of the United Kingdom, where people can actually vote not just to oppose the Tories in Scotland through the SNP, they can vote to replace the Tories in Scotland by voting Labour at the next general election.'

Ms Sturgeon suffered a blow last month when a poll found support for independence falling, with a majority of Scots wanting to stay in the UK.

Research by Survation found 53 per cent would vote 'no' in a separatist referendum, excluding those who said they were undecided.

The figure was up a point on last year, with trackers showing unionists consistently ahead on the question.

However Ms Sturgeon said Sinn Fein's performance in Northern Ireland showed there are 'big questions' around the future of the UK 'as a political entity'.

Research by Survation in April found 53 per cent would vote 'no' in a separatist referendum, excluding those who said they were undecided

It came as the nationalist party looked to be closing in on victory at Stormont, taking the most seats and selecting the country's next First Minister.

Ms Sturgeon said the result throws the future into doubt, following strong nationalist performances in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland this week.

She said: 'If (Sinn Fein) emerge as the largest party today in Northern Ireland which looks very likely, that will be an extraordinary result and something that seemed impossible not that long ago.'

She added: 'There's no doubt there are big fundamental questions being asked of the UK as a political entity right now.

'They're being asked here in Scotland, they're being asked in Northern Ireland, they're being asked in Wales and I think we're going to see some fundamental changes to UK governance in the years to come and I am certain one of those changes is going to be Scottish independence.'

But, regardless of the changes she predicts, the First Minister said all of the nations of the British Isles will continue to co-operate regardless.

'Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland - we already sit around the British Irish Council table, and we will continue to do so, no matter whether Scotland is independent or not,' she said.

'The British Isles is not going away and will continue to co-operate but, for Scotland, co-operating on the basis of equality as an independent country will be much, much better than the situation just now.'

However, the First Minister said this week's local elections were not a 'referendum on a referendum' and her party's gains did not bolster the push for independence.

Speaking from Dundee as she celebrated the SNP taking majority control of the city's council, Ms Sturgeon said: 'This election was a local council election, I didn't go into it arguing that it was all about independence, so I'm not going to come out of it and argue that somehow retrospectively it was all about independence.

'People in any election will vote for a whole variety of reasons. In this election, I think they were voting principally because they want more action on the cost of living crisis and they want to see the Westminster government step up, so it was a strong message on that.

'The SNP vote share went up, obviously the leading pro-independence party, and after the SNP the next big winners were the Greens -(anoher) pro-independence party. So I think that's significant and we take a lot of heart from it.'

The number of councillors elected in Scotland rose for every party except the Scottish Tories, who dropped 62.

The SNP increased their representatives by 22, with Labour boosting by 20, the Lib Dems by 20 and the Greens by 16.

When asked if the election was a 'referendum on a referendum', the First Minister said: 'It wasn't - we won a mandate for a referendum this time last year, preparations for that are underway.

'Certainly, having the victory of the scale we had yesterday, with the Greens doing relatively well too, it certainly doesn't harm the case for independence, but that case was not resting on the outcome of the council election.'

Meanwhile Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross was clear that despite voters being 'unhappy' with both the Prime Minister and partygate, Mr Johnson should stay in Downing Street.

'Voters have 'sent a very clear message that they were unhappy at this time,' the Tory said.

The Scottish Conservative previously made his own unhappiness with the Prime Minister clear, calling for him to step down as a result of the lockdown parties in Westminster which have seen Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak all issued with fines by the Metropolitan Police.

But with Mr Ross changing his stance, and withdrawing his letter demanding the Prime Minister's resignation in the wake of the Ukraine conflict, questions have been asked about the impact this had on the Tories' fortunes north of the border.

The Conservatives fell to third place in Scotland in the local government elections, with Labour now back in second place in terms of votes and number of councillors.

Mr Ross insisted his change of stance had not impacted on what he accepted were 'disappointing' results.

The Scottish Tory leader said: 'I don't think, had I not changed my position in light of the atrocious conflict in Ukraine, it would have changed the situation, because voters I was speaking to were unhappy with the Prime Minister and unhappy with partygate.

'Had I maintained my position despite the war in Europe, those voters would still have been unhappy with partygate and still unhappy with the Prime Minister because he remains in post.'

But in the wake of losses for the Tories in parts of Scotland, England and Wales, Mr Ross conceded: "Clearly, it wasn't a good night and I am disappointed."

Voters who had traditionally backed the Tories chose to "register a protest" by staying at home and not voting, Mr Ross said.

"In this election they wanted to stay at home to register their protest and we've got to listen to that," he added.

He insisted he could "hear their anger and frustration", adding that Tory leaders across the UK would be "reflecting on the result".

Mr Ross stated: "Undoubtedly, as I am reflecting on the result in Scotland, the Prime Minister has to, and will, reflect on the result across the whole of the UK and the various parts of the country that have said very clearly they are unhappy with the Prime Minister and his actions."

However, the Scottish Tory leader was equally adamant that "stability" at the top of the UK Government was "crucial" during the conflict in Ukraine.

Mr Ross insisted: "I think that stability is crucial at this stage in the conflict."
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Nuclear missiles have rolled through Moscow's Red Square in a chilling warning to the West as dictator Vladimir Putin prepares for his annual Victory Day parade on Monday.

The warring president will hope to celebrate a triumph in Ukraine at the annual celebration, which marks Russia's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, raising fears of increased attacks on the war-torn country over this weekend.

The thermonuclear RS-24 Yars ballistic missile - which experts believe can can carry up to 10 warheads - was seen taking pride and joy as it was driven past rows of armed guards on a 16-wheeler vehicle during rehearsals on Saturday.

The intercontinental weapon, which weighs 49.6 tonnes, can travel up to 24,500km/hr and is capable of hitting targets up to 12,000km away - meaning it could strike London or New York within minutes.

The weapon of mass destruction was followed closely by several Iskander-M missile launchers during a rehearsal for the annual event, which is set to take place on Monday and which could see British fighters paraded as prisoners of war.

Jubilant soldiers and servicewomen were seen marching outside the Kremlin today in preparation for the celebration as they waved Russian flags, performed salutes and smiled at the cameras.

Eight MiG-29 fighters also flew past in a 'Z' formation - the insignia used by Putin's military as a symbol of its military action in Ukraine, which critics have likened to the swastika used by the Nazis.

Meanwhile, just 1,200km away, Ukrainian soldiers are preparing to make their last stand against Putin's warring forces in the strategic port city of Mariupol - where hundreds of civilians are cowering for their lives in tunnels underneath a steel mill as they attempt a last-ditch evacuation.

Ukraine's first deputy interior minister Yevhen Yenin warned that the symbolic date of Victory Day is like 'red to a bull' for Putin, who desperately needs to secure a victory, adding that while the world remembers victims of war, Russia is 'preparing to dance over bones in Mariupol'.

It comes after the Ukraine-based Centre for Defence Strategies said that 500 captured fighters could be 'forced to go through Red Square for cameras', according to The Times.

Three British fighters could be among the 500 after Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were captured by Russian forces in the besieged city of Mariupol last month while they were fighting along-side Ukrainian defenders.

The RS-24 Yars ballistic missile - which experts believe can can carry up to 10 warheads - was seen taking pride and joy as it was driven past rows of armed guards on a green 16-wheeler vehicle on Saturday.

Russian RS-24 Yars ballistic missile rolls in Red Square during a dress rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow

The intercontinental weapon, which weighs 49.6 tonnes, can travel up to 24,500km/hr and is capable of hitting targets up to 12,000km away - meaning it could strike London or New York within minutes

Ukraine's first deputy interior minister Yevhen Yenin warned that the symbolic date of Victory Day is like 'red to a bull' for Putin (pictured), who desperately needs to secure a victory, adding that while the world remembers victims of war, Russia is 'preparing to dance over bones in Mariupol'.

Russian MiG-29SMT jet fighters forming the symbol 'Z' in support of Russian military action in Ukraine, fly over central Moscow during the general rehearsal of the Victory Day military parade on May 7, 2022.

Russian Su-25 jet aircraft release smoke in the colours of the Russian state flag over the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral during a rehearsal for a flypast, part of a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022

Members of a Russian military band take part in the rehearsal for Victory Day parade on Saturday

A T-34 Soviet-era tank drives in Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade

Russian servicemen take part in the Victory Day military parade general rehearsal in the Red Square in Moscow

Servicewomen stand proud during rehearsal of their Victory Day parade, set to take place in Red Square in Moscow on Monday

Soldiers salute as Russian heavy weapons take part in the Victory Day military parade general rehearsal in Moscow on Saturday

Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers are escorted by armoured vehicles through Red Square in Moscow on Saturday

Servicewomen are all smiles as they march through Red Square in their military skirts and blazers on Saturday

A Russian soldier looks on as the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile rolls through Moscow on Saturday in a chilling warning to the West

Cossacks don their traditional robe-like attire as they march on the Red Square in preparation for the Victory Day parade on Monday

Russian service members march before a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022.

Russian Iskander-M missile launchers drive in Red Square during a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022

Russian service members march during a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two

Russian soldiers march in rows as they perform a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in central Moscow, set to take place on Monday

Russian soldiers grin with pride in their rehearsal for the Victory Day parade - while Putin's forces continue their assault on Ukraine

Russian service members drive armoured vehicles during a rehearsal for a military parade

Brandishing guns, Russian servicemen waved Russian flags, performed salutes and smiled at the cameras (pictured)

Russian service members line up before a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two in Red Square in central Moscow

Russian warplanes fly over Red Square leaving trails of smoke in the colours of the national flag during a dress rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Russian warplanes fly over Red Square on Saturday during a dress rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade

A Russian Il-80 military transport aircraft, also known as the Doomsday plane, and MiG-29 fighter jets fly in formation during a rehearsal for a flypast

Russian MiG-29 and Su-30SM jet fighters fly in formation over a monument during a rehearsal for a flypast, part of a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022

Russian service members march during a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany

Russian MSTA-S self-propelled artillery guns take part in the Victory Day military parade general rehearsal in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 7 2022

Three British fighters could be among the 500 prisoners of war to be paraded through Red Square on Monday after Aiden Aslin (right), 28, and Shaun Pinner (left), 48, were captured by Russian forces in the besieged city of Mariupol last month while they were fighting along-side Ukrainian defenders

Andrew Hill was also paraded on Kremlin TV after being captured by the Russians in Ukraine

The pair, who had both lived in Ukraine for some time, were paraded on Russian state television after being seized when a large number of fighters surrendered.

A third British fighter, Andrew Hill, was also detained in Russia after a video surfaced showing the father of four from Plymouth being interrogated on Russian TV.

It comes after dozens of people were evacuated on Friday from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Russian and Ukrainian officials said.

The Russian military said the group of 50 included 11 children.

Russian officials and Ukrainian deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the evacuation efforts would continue into the weekend.

The latest evacuees followed roughly 500 other civilians who got out of the plant and city in recent days.

The fight for the last Ukrainian stronghold in a city reduced to ruins by the Russian onslaught appears increasingly desperate.

There is growing speculation that President Vladimir Putin wants to finish the battle for Mariupol so he can present a triumph to the Russian people in time for Monday's Victory Day, the biggest patriotic holiday on the Russian calendar.

As the holiday approaches, cities across Ukraine are preparing for an expected increase in Russian attacks, with officials urging residents to heed air raid warnings.

Russian service members wait before a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two in Red Square in central Moscow

Russian servicemen in green uniform and white gloves brandish Kalashnikovs during Victory Day rehearsal in Moscow Saturday

Russian service members line up before rehearsal for the Victory Day parade, in front of huge image of a World War Two soldier waving a Soviet Union flag following victory in World War Two

A Russian serviceman waves a red flag during a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Red Square, Moscow

A group of Russian Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets and Russian Sukhoi SU-30SM multirole fighters fly during the Victory Day military parade general rehearsal in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022

Soldiers are led on a march during a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade, set to take place on Monday in Moscow

A Russian Mi-26 and Mi-24 military helicopters fly in formation over a street installation located in a luxury shopping district during a rehearsal for a Victory Day flypast

A Russian Il-78 military transport aircraft and MiG-29 fighter jets fly in formation during a rehearsal for a flypast, part of a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022.

Soldiers don camouflage uniform and red berets while brandishing automatic rifles as they take part in a rehearsal for Victory Day on Monday

Russian soldiers beam with joy as they prepare for their Victory Day parade on Monday

Russian service members march during a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022

Russian soldiers march in unison as they prepare for Victory Day, set to take place in central Moscow on Monday

Servicemen from Russia's Navy march through the Red Square on Saturday ahead of Monday's Victory Day parade

Russian service members march during a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022

Thousands of soldiers have taken part in the Victory Day rehearsal in Moscow on Saturday

Russian honour guards take part in a rehearsal for a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two

Russian service members leave after the general rehearsal of the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 7, 2022

Russian servicewomen donning white skirts and green blazers with gold detailing march through Red Square during Victory Day rehearsals on Saturday

MSTA-S self-propelled howitzers parade through Dvortsovaya Square during the general rehearsal of the Victory Day military parade in central Saint Petersburg on May 7, 2022.

What is Victory Day, and why is it so important to Vladimir Putin? Victory Day - May 9 - is a public holiday in Russia that marks the surrender of Nazi Germany that ended the Second World War in Europe. Inaugurated in 1945, it did not become a public holiday until 1965 and even then was only celebrated in some of the Soviet republics. The holiday gained some level of prominence under Boris Yeltsin, the first Russian President after the Soviet Union dissolved, but the holiday in its current form can be largely credited to Vladimir Putin. Under his leadership, the day has been turned from a solemn time of remembrance for the estimated 27million Soviets who died during the war into a chest-beating show of nationalist pride and military prowess. Aside from wreath-laying at war memorials, the day is now known for huge military parades including one which passes through Moscow's Red Square - usually under the watchful eye of Putin himself. In past years, the despotic leader has used the parade to showcase Russia's latest military technology in the form of upgraded tanks and new missiles - particularly nukes. This year is expected to be no different, but Putin also is expected to use the event to praise his army's efforts in fighting Ukraine and to drum up support for the invasion which has so-far met with embarrassing defeats. That has led to speculation that he may use the event to officially declare war on Ukraine, upgrading the conflict from a 'special military operation', which would provide a pre-text for mobilising Russia's military reserves in order to throw more men into the fight. Others believe he may try to cut his losses and prematurely declare the campaign over, with victory achieved, though it is unclear exactly how that would work since Ukraine will continue to fight and Putin will need a way to explain the body bags that keep arriving back in Russia. Perhaps the likeliest option is that he will say Russia has achieved great success on the battlefield but Ukraine's 'Nazi' problem runs deeper than at first thought, meaning the war must continue. A symbolic victory - such as seizing Mariupol - would make this lie easier to sell. The last time Russia invaded Ukraine, in 2014, Putin used Victory Day to fly to the newly-occupied Crimea and visit Russia's main naval base at Sevastopol, where he was greeted by large crowds. Such a move is unlikely this time around, out of fear that Ukraine will try to kill him during such a visit. Advertisement

'These symbolic dates are to the Russian aggressor like red to a bull,' said Ukraine's first deputy interior minister, Yevhen Yenin.

'While the entire civilised world remembers the victims of terrible wars on these days, the Russian Federation wants parades and is preparing to dance over bones in Mariupol.'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also reminded people not to go into forests that were recently under Russian occupation because many land mines and trip wires remain in place.

On Saturday, a Russian missile destroyed a Ukrainian national museum dedicated to the life and work of an 18th-century philosopher, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the Gregory Skovoroda museum engulfed in flames.

As an indication of his importance to Ukraine's cultural heritage, Skovoroda's likeness adorns a Ukrainian banknote.

The museum in Skovorodynivka lies near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region where fighting has been fierce.

By Russia's most recent estimate, roughly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters are holed up in the vast maze of tunnels and bunkers under the Azovstal steelworks. They have repeatedly refused to surrender.

Ukrainian officials said before Friday's evacuations that a few hundred civilians were also trapped there, and fears for their safety have increased as the battle has grown fiercer in recent days.

Kateryna Prokopenko, whose husband, Denys Prokopenko, commands the Azov Regiment troops inside the plant, issued a desperate plea to also spare the fighters.

She said they would be willing to go to a third country to wait out the war but would never surrender to Russia because that would mean 'filtration camps, prison, torture and death'.

If nothing is done to save her husband and his men, they will 'stand to the end without surrender', she told The Associated Press on Friday.

Mr Zelensky said 'influential states' are involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers, although he did not mention any by name.

'We are also working on diplomatic options to save our troops who are still at Azovstal,' he said in his nightly video address.

UN officials have been tight-lipped about the civilian evacuation efforts, but it seemed likely that the latest evacuees would be taken to Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-controlled city about 140 miles north-west of Mariupol where others who escaped the port city were brought.

Some of the plant's previous evacuees spoke to the AP about the horrors of being surrounded by death in the moldy, underground bunker with little food and water, poor medical care and diminishing hope. Some said they felt guilty for leaving others behind.

Russian forces have struggled to make significant gains elsewhere, 10 weeks into a devastating war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee the country and flattened large swaths of cities.

Ukrainian officials said the risk of massive shelling increased ahead of Victory Day.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities would reinforce street patrols in the capital.

Ukraine's southern Odesa region, which was the target of two missile attacks on Friday, is to adopt a curfew.

The Ukrainian military's general staff said that its forces repelled 11 attacks in the Donbas region and destroyed tanks and armoured vehicles, further frustrating Mr Putin's ambitions after his abortive attempt to seize Kyiv. Russia made no acknowledgement of the losses.

A huge crater is seen at the site where a missile strike hit a residential area, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Bakhmut in the Donetsk region on Saturday

Heavy fighting has now been going on at Azovstal for three days, with clashes reportedly taking place inside the steel works as Russian forces storm inside, despite Putin publicly ordering his generals to call off the operation

Artillery blasts rock the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol, as the UK says Putin appears to have ordered his commanders to take the complex so he has a 'symbolic victory' to brag about

A Russian tank opens fire on the Azovstal plant, where around 2,000 Ukrainian defenders are said to be holed up having vowed to 'never surrender' and 'stand till the end'

The Ukrainian army also said it made progress in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth.

Meanwhile, one person was reported dead and three more were wounded Friday as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

The fall of Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port. It would also allow Russia to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, and free some Russian troops to fight elsewhere in the Donbas, the eastern industrial region that the Kremlin says is now its chief objective.

The city's capture also holds symbolic value since it has been the scene of some of the worst suffering of the war and a surprisingly fierce resistance.
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Britain is set to bask in 22C (71.6F) rays this sunny May weekend, with sun worshippers being warned of the need for sun cream ahead of next week's warm weather.

The spring heatwave Britain has been waiting for began on Friday, which just missed out on being the hottest day of the year so far with highs of 23.3C (73.9F).

And ahead of this balmy weekend, the UK will feel more like summer than spring with the mercury expected to remain in the high teens and low 20s in the south of England.

On Friday, temperatures yesterday rivalled those of Barcelona, Athens and Istanbul.

The mercury hit 23.3C (73.9F) in Heathrow and St Jamess Park in London yesterday  just 0.1C below the 23.4C figure recorded on 15 April, 2022s warmest day so far.

Over the weekend, temperatures will stay in the low-20s with cloud and drizzle forecast for northern and western areas.

Bournemouth saw plenty of people flock to its beach which saw highs of 21C (69.8F) on Saturday afternoon.

A group of girls donned their bikinis for the sunny Bournemouth Beach, which has reached highs of 21C (69.8F) on Saturday

People flock to the seaside resort of Lyme Regis on Saturday to enjoy scorching hot sunshine and clear blue skies. The popular coastal town was busy with people soaking up the sunny weather on the beach and enjoying food stalls

Ahead of this balmy weekend, the UK will feel more like summer than spring with the mercury expected to remain in the high teens and low 20s in the south of England (Cleo Leilani Khan, 18, from Blackpool, pictured enjoying the weather on St Anne's Beach in Lancashire on Saturday morning)

Many people took the opportunity of sunshine and 21C (69.8F) temperatures and had a beach day as pictured at Bournemouth Beach, Dorset, on Saturday afternoon

This group of girls took to the deck chairs on Bournemouth Beach in Dorset where they enjoyed the May sunshine on Saturday

Sun worshippers like this woman spent the time basking in the 21C (69.8F) heat, which is only the start of a proposed hot week to come, as forecasted by the Met Office

It is officially t-shirt weather in May as the country has experienced warmer temperatures, with Friday just shy of the hottest day of the year at 23.3C (79.9F) compared to today's 21C (69.8F) in Bournemouth

Although slightly cloudy at times, the warm weather didn't stop sun worshippers from flocking to Bournemouth Beach, pictured on Saturday afternoon, which reached highs of 21C (69.F) this afternoon

Britain is set to bask in 22C (71.6F) rays this sunny May weekend, with sun worshippers being warned of the need for sun cream after the 23.3C (73.9F) temperatures Britain saw on Friday (People pictured enjoying Branksome Beach in Bournemouth early Saturday morning)

The spring heatwave Britain has been waiting for began on Friday, which just missed out on being the hottest day of the year so far with highs of 23.3C (73.9F) (Woman pictured at Branksome Beach in Bournemouth early Saturday morning)

Many at Branksome Beach were up early this morning for a spot of exercise in the sunshine and warm temperatures, with 22C (71.6F) rays expected this weekend

Saturday is likely exceed 20C in the south and 17C in the north. London and the southeast will see a few spots of drizzle but the western half of the country will be dry with lots of sunshine.

The north will see a cloudy Saturday morning with sunny spells and isolated showers developing in the afternoon.

Sunday will see plenty of glorious sunshine with some clouds and light rain later in the afternoon in Wales and the north. Temperatures will reach 19C in the south and 18C in the north.

Meanwhile, the south will see temperatures peak at 22C with dry and sunny spells on Monday.

The north will see cloudy weather with some outbreaks of rain and temperatures of 19C.

Moderate and high levels of UV are forecasted on Sunday - with the south east and south west of England to experience a UV level of 6 after midday tomorrow.

The Met Office tweeted: 'With moderate and high levels of UV this weekend, remember to protect yourself from the sun if staying outside for any prolonged periods.'

The national forecaster also noted that pollen levels are high for many this weekend and the following days, and next week is meant to be hotter than Malibu at 26C (79F) in a two-week sizzle.

Saturday is likely exceed 20C in the south and 17C in the north. London and the southeast will see a few spots of drizzle but the western half of the country will be dry with lots of sunshine (Pair pictured on Bournemouth Beach in Dorset enjoying the warmer temperatures)

Over the weekend, temperatures will stay in the low-20s with cloud and drizzle forecast for northern and western areas. A family is pictured on Bournemouth Beach in Dorset on Saturday morning

Over the weekend, temperatures will stay in the low-20s with cloud and drizzle forecast for northern and western areas. This duo pictured for early morning exercise at Bournemouth Beach in Dorset on Saturday

A 1,000 mile-wide 'tropical burst' is due early next week. The South will be mainly dry, with the North more unsettled, but also sharing in the warmth at times. People pictured on Bournemouth Beach, Dorset

Moderate and high levels of UV are forecasted on Sunday - with the south east and south west of England to experience a UV level of 6 after midday tomorrow (People pictured on Bournemouth Beach, Dorset)

The weather cocktail of warmth, little rain and relatively light breezes have made it a perfect spring - and now the looming heatwave will make it a hay fever corker (Pair pictured on Bournemouth Beach, Dorset on Saturday morning)

'Pollen levels are high for many this week with oak and birch tree pollen most prevalent as well as a little grass,' the forecaster wrote on Twitter.

A 1,000 mile-wide 'tropical burst' is due early next week. The South will be mainly dry, with the North more unsettled, but also sharing in the warmth at times.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'It's warm, above early May average temperatures of 12-17C  and there's plenty more warmth ahead. Who fancies the mid to upper-20s around mid-May?'

A Met Office forecaster added: 'Its possible later next week will have well-above-average temperatures. Even warmer weather is on the way.'

The weather cocktail of warmth, little rain and relatively light breezes have made it a perfect spring - and now the looming heatwave will make it a hay fever corker.

It hits an estimated ten million people around the UK, and as a sign that the suffering has started to spike, Google searches for 'hay fever symptoms' have soared as a high as 306 per cent.

Next week will start more unsettled in northern and western areas - but a mini heatwave could move in next weekend.

The record temperature for May was set in 1944, when the mercury reached 32.8C.

But the Met Office said the current high temperatures have been particularly surprising as it is so early in the month.

This is thanks to a high-pressure system brought on by south westerly winds from the Azores.

Meteorologist Richard Miles said: The average maximum temperature for May is 15.13C in the UK and 16.2C in England, so its quite a bit above that.

But obviously May tends to be quite a lot cooler at the start than at the end, he added.
Britain is predicted to have an excess amount of electricity by 2030 due to huge investments in wind and solar power, according to new analysis.

An enormous amount of energy produced by renewable sources could go to waste within a decade without significantly more energy storage technologies, such as batteries and electrolysers to make hydrogen - according to LCP, a consultancy.

Britain's electricity grid runs on a supply and demand basis and therefore has to be kept in balance to keep the system running and avoid blackouts.

If more energy is produced than there is demand for, it goes to waste.

This impacts wind and solar notably, as unlike coal and nuclear their energy production cannot be increased on command to match demand.

The Government's new Energy Security Strategy - which is aiming for 95% of its electricity to be from low-carbon sources such as solar panels by 2030 - raised questions for investors of renewable sources and nuclear plants about if they will be able to find buyers for when they are producing energy above levels of demand.

The UK could end up wasting huge amounts of electricity by 2030 as it invests heavily in solar and wind power, but there may not be enough energy storage to stop wastage (pictured: off shore wind farm near the River Mersey)

Solar and wind power produce electricity in a less predictable manner than nuclear and coal and therefore sometimes it's energy goes to waste if there is not enough supply (pictured: solar farm in Northamptonshire)

If they are unable to, it is possible they will ask for higher subsidies for times when they do operate to balance their costs.

Another consequence of this is thought to be that electricity tariffs dubbed 'time of use' will offer consumers cheaper power at times of oversupply.

When it's sunny and windy people will be encouraged to use more energy, by charging electric vehicles or other energy-hungry devices.



Wind is already the second biggest contributor of energy in the UK, and it is believed that the price of wind energy will drop to about a quarter of the price of gas energy in 2023.

Currently low-carbon wind, solar and nuclear power generated in the UK rarely exceeds Britain's power demand.

However LCP estimates this oversupply could happen for 53% per cent of the time by 2030.

Without a big expansion of energy storage technologies, this could lead to huge amounts of green electricity being wasted, with plant owners being forced to switch off production.



Chris Matson, a partner at LCP, spoke to The Times, he said: 'For more than half the time in 2030 the UK's renewable and nuclear backed energy system will be producing more energy from renewables and nuclear than it uses.

'Simply wasting this generation would harm both consumers and investors so a whole system approach is essential to minimise the cost of delivering net zero.'

He said the UK needed to accelerate the delivery of technologies such as battery storage, pumped hydro-electric plants, and electrolysers.

Consumers could be offered discounted electricity at off-peak times in the future to combat the problem of there not being enough energy storage facilities in the UK

In 2021, LCP estimated that an extra 20GWh of battery storage could reduce the amount of wind power wasted by up to 50%.

They also predicted by 2025, wind curtailments between Scotland and England will cost consumers 1bn per year and that this figure is likely to grow.

Analysis showed Great Britain curtailed wind power on 75% of days in 2020, with over 3.6TWh of wind power being turned off in total, mainly due to network constraints.

This volume of wasted wind power is enough to have powered over a million homes for a whole year.

Gas generated the largest amount of electricity in the UK last month, while coal was only responsible for 1% (pictured: coal fired power plant)

On April 1 this year energy bills in the UK skyrocketed, by 54% as regulator Ofgem raised the price cap for an average home to 1,971 from 1,277 - an increase of 693.

It is predicted that this bill could rise even higher to around 2,700-a-year from October.

The cause of this in part is due to the expected rise in gas prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

British and European gas prices have both hit record highs since the war in Ukraine began.

While the UK only has about 5% of its gas supplied by Russia, the prices we pay can still be driven up worldwide if Russian supplies to Europe are affected.

According to the National Grid, in April 40% of the electricity generated in the UK came from gas, 23.4% from wind, 17.1% from nuclear and solar generated 6.1%.

Following the conflict and its disruption to the international market, the Government hopes its Energy Security Strategy will help increase our self-reliance for energy production.

The plan includes the ambition to build up to eight nuclear plants to meet around a quarter of projected electricity demand by 2050.
A book which teaches children that a person's sex is 'assigned' to them at birth by a doctor has been sent to 814 primary schools across Britain.

Copies of What Does LGBT+ Mean? also claims that gender is a 'sliding scale between male and female' and that a doctor or nurse 'looked at our body and gave us a label based on what they could see'.

The book, by LGBT+ educational resource company Pop'n'Olly, is written by diversity campaigners Olly Pike, Mel Lane, and her son, James Canning.

One of the sections is dedicated to 'assigned sex' with the illustration of a doctor holding a clipboard.

'A person's gender is who they feel that they are, e.g. male, female, both or neither,' it reads.

'Gender is usually something a person just knows about themselves, although it can also be something a person discovers about themselves as they grow older.

'Most people's gender will be the same as their assigned sex, but this is not always the case for everyone.

'When a person's gender is the same as their assigned sex, then this is called 'cisgender'.

It also features a section called 'Gender as a spectrum', which read: 'The scale is shown with labels in between male and female, including mostly female, partly female, both or neither, partly male and mostly male.

Copies of What Does LGBT+ Mean? (pictured) which teaches children that a person's sex is 'assigned' to them at birth by a doctor has been sent to 814 primary schools across Britain

On its website, the non-fiction book which was first published in October is described as being aimed at children aged eight to 11, upper KS2 and lower KS3 pupils.

'This book explores identity, assigned sex, gender, love, sexuality, discrimination, privilege, allyship, pride and more,' the website says.

'This is going to be a book that will make a big difference in the lives of countless young people.'

Helen Joyce from advocacy group Sex Matters said that nobody is 'assigned' a sex: 'I've given birth twice and both times I knew what sex the baby was at 20 weeks. It's just absurd,' she told The Times.

'How did we get to a place where teachers feel they can sit and say to some primary children, "Some people feel male, some feel female, some feel both and some feel neither"?'

Pop'n'Olly is also encouraging people to donate the LGBT+ book to primary schools across the UK and are offering a two-for-one deal on the donations.

You can even search for a primary school on their 'school finder' feature which lets you check if it has been sent a book already.

One of the sections is dedicated to 'assigned sex' with the illustration of a doctor holding a clipboard. 'A person's gender is who they feel that they are, e.g. male, female, both or neither,' it reads

In the section eastern England, 460 of another book from Pop'n'Olly have been donated. The east Midlands have had 522 donated and London 719.

The north west has had 630 donated, Scotland 231, the south east 422, the south west 337 and just 57 in Wales.

The terms 'male' and 'female' which are referred to in the Pop'n'Olly book, co-written by the company's director, Olly Pike, have in recent years been understood to be about the traits of masculinity and femininity rather than sex.

What Does LGBT+ Mean? claims that 'people feel happier and included when their pronouns are respected', and has definitions of transgender, non-binary and intersex people.

'We can't just assume pronouns,' it writes. 'If you are not sure about another person's pronouns, it is OK to politely ask.'

The book, by LGBT+ educational resource company Pop'n'Olly, is written by diversity campaigners Olly Pike (centre), Mel Lane (left), and her son, James Canning (right)

There are also explanations of sexuality, including heterosexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual and asexual.

When author Pike was asked how widely it was being read by teachers, he said: 'Teachers have expressed interest, thanks and gratitude towards this book. Its helping the teachers as much as students,' The Times said.

An education source told the paper: 'Britain is one of the most tolerant countries in the world, but its neither constructive nor appropriate to be concerning young children with culture war issues.

'We should let kids be kids.'

Author Olly Pike describes himself as Director and CEU, 'Chief Executive Unicorn' on the Pop'n'Olly website.

Co-authoring the book is James Canning is a university student who works with his mother Mel Lane at Dorset's LGBT+ youth charity Space Youth Project, where they deliver staff training and workshops for students aged four to 18.
Ukraine today showed a video claiming to be a military drone hit on a Russian landing ship supplying a TOR anti-aircraft missile system to Snake Island.

The footage appears to show the destruction of a large Serna-type landing craft in an air strike.

'Enemy units remaining on Snake Island remain without air cover and will be destroyed and burned out like cockroaches or locusts,' said Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko.

Other reports said the landing craft had been hit by a hit by a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 military drone.

Black and white footage showed little human figures moving around on the landing ship moments before a white flash engulfs the craft. Figures continue to move around on the craft after it is hit.

The footage also showed an attack on a building on Snake Island. What appear to be Russian personnel are seen patrolling around the building when it too is blasted from the sky.

Ukraine today showed a video claiming to be a military drone hit on a Russian landing ship supplying a TOR anti-aircraft missile system to Snake Island

The landing ship supplying the Russian occupiers on Snake Island with an anti-aircraft missile system moments before it is hit

The large Serna-type landing craft moments after the missile strike by the Bayraktar TB2 drone. 'Enemy units remaining on Snake Island remain without air cover', the Ukrainians said.

Satellite image showing the jetty where the landing ship was sitting when it was hit by a Ukrainian drone on Snake Island off the coast of Ukraine

The footage of the strike on the vessel was not dated. After the strike, people were seen moving about on the vessel.

The Serna class - Russian designation Project 11770 - is a type of 'air cavity' designed landing craft constructed for the Russian Navy. Twelve boats were built between 1994 and 2014.

The claim came a day after Ukrainian sources alleged they had struck modern Russian frigate Admiral Makarov in a Neptune missile attack.

Further targets on Snake Island were hit by what Ukraine claims to be a TB2 drone. The Russians captured the island in the early days of the war

An aerial view shows Ukrainian UAV Bayraktar drone targeting a building at Zmiinyi (Snake) Island

The building was hit in a strike moments later. The Black Sea island is about 30 miles off the coast near Ukraine's southern border with Romania

This satellite image taken by Planet Labs PBC shows thick black smoke rising after a suspected Ukrainian drone strike on Russian positions on Snake Island, Ukraine, in the Black Sea

There has so far been no confirmation of the Makarov attack which was said to have damaged the warship.

Meanwhile, the UK's Ministry of Defence has concluded that Russia's latest and most advanced tanks are still vulnerable after one was blown up by Ukrainian forces.

A modern T-90M tank, the most formidable in the Russian army, was caught on camera being hit and destroyed by a rocket in the north-eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv Oblast.

the Ukrainian military released drone footage of a Russian armoured unit which resulted in the destruction of the 4million tank as well as a thermobaric multiple rocket system. The drone showed several armoured vehicles blow up in quick succession

The Russians were unaware they were only moments from destruction

The development will hearten NATO planners as the Ministry of Defence states that the conflict in Ukraine is taking a heavy toll on some of Russia's most capable units and most advanced capabilities that they will struggle to replace due to Western sanctions restricting access to vital components such as microelectronics.

'The T-90M was introduced in 2016 and includes improved armour, an upgraded gun and enhances satellite navigation systems,' the MoD tweeted in a regular bulletin on Saturday.

'Approximately 100 T-90M tanks are currently in service amongst Russia's best equipped units, including those fighting in Ukraine.

'The system's upgraded armour, designed to counter anti-tank weaponry, remains vulnerable if unsupported by other force elements.'
The son of a New York City judge who stormed the US Capitol, who was dressed as a hairy caveman, was sentenced to eight months in jail on Friday.

On Jan. 6, 2021, US District Judge James Boasberg warned Aaron Mostofsky that he was on the front lines of the mob's onslaught. Mostofsky was also sentenced to one year of supervised release, 200 hours of community service, and $2,000 in reparations by Boasberg.

NYC Judge's Son Who Stormed Capitol Gets Prison

Mostofsky had pleaded with the judge for leniency, saying he was embarrassed by his part in the turmoil of that day. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a jail term of 10 to 16 months in his instance. Prosecutors suggested a 15-month jail sentence followed by three years of supervised release.

According to prosecutors, Mostofsky was one of the first rioters to penetrate the restricted area surrounding the Capitol and one of the first to storm the building itself, through the Senate Wing doors. According to authorities, he pushed against a police barricade that officers were attempting to move and took a Capitol Police bulletproof jacket and riot shield, WGN9 reported.

Mostofsky was seen and videotaped inside the Capitol during the attacks, wearing the fur outfit and bulletproof vest that prosecutors claim he stole from Capitol Police.

He also offered The New York Post a video interview inside the building, in which he stated, "I'm here to convey my viewpoint as a free American that this election was stolen." Mostofsky, the son of Brooklyn judge Shlomo Mostofsky, a prominent figure in New York's Orthodox Jewish society, prosecutors claimed, played a key part in the attack.

They referred to photographs of him wielding a police riot shield as he and rioters fought a line of cops trying to keep the group out of the Capitol. Judge James Boasberg echoed those comments when he issued his decision on Friday. Prosecutors claim that Mostofsky took a bus from New York to Washington and immediately joined demonstrators in overpowering the police roadblock and breaking into the Capitol.

Read Also: Hunter Biden Probe: Lawsuit Filed Against President Joe Biden, Administration Officials Over Big Tech Pressure To Censor Issue

More Than 280 People Also Plead Guilty With Capitol Riot Crimes

Prosecutors claim he took an officer's bulletproof jacket for $1,905 and a riot shield worth $265 along the way. According to authorities, before the rally, Mostofsky messaged another demonstrator, stating he could locate him by looking for 'a caveman,' and added, 'Even a caveman knows it was stolen,' alluding to the contentious 2020 Presidential Election results.

After the photo went viral, Mostofsky told a buddy that his sudden popularity was terrible since "now people genuinely know who I am."

Mostofsky's odd attire made him stand out among the thousands of protestors, with one photo showing the Brooklyn resident seated on a bench outside the Senate chamber with a stick and a riot shield. During the commotion, Mostofsky claimed to have discovered police gear on the floor, as per Daily Mail.

Over 780 people have been charged with offenses relating to the Capitol incident by federal authorities. Over 280 individuals have pled guilty, the majority of them to misdemeanors. More than 160 people have been punished, with more than 60 of them receiving jail sentences ranging from 14 days to five years and three months, according to New York Daily News.

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Vladimir Putin has suffered the loss of his 38th colonel in the war in Ukraine as the Russian top brass toll worsens.

Lieutenant Colonel Fyodor Evgenievich Solovyov, 44, died in the Donbas, according to reports in his homeland.

Solovyov was commander of the howitzer self-propelled artillery regiment of the 127 motorised rifle division.

He was buried with full military honours and a triple volley of guns in Chunaki village, Penza region.

A Russian report said: 'He died as a hero on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic.'

Details were not given as to how he was killed but he was posthumously awarded Russia's Order of Courage.

Nine generals and 38 colonels have been killed since 24 February in Putin's war according to known statistics, although Russia has not come clean on total fatalities.

Lieutenant colonel Fyodor Solovyov died in Donbas, he was buried in Penza region. He was the 38th Russian Colonel to die in Ukraine since Feb 24

He was buried with full military honours. Solovyov was commander of the howitzer self-propelled artillery regiment of the 127 motorised rifle division

Details were not given as to how he was killed but he was posthumously awarded Russia's Order of Courage

Nine generals and 38 colonels have been killed since 24 February in Putin's war according to known statistics, although Russia has not come clean on total fatalities

Reports have claimed that the US has offered intelligence to Ukraine to help target high ranking commanders, destroying morale in Russian forces.

Solovyov's death was disclosed four days after the 37th known colonel to die in Ukraine - Lt-Col Eduard Dmitriev - was reported to have been killed.

Dmitriev, 44, a tank commander, was buried in his native Kirov region.

Meanwhile, a 'hero' Russian world champion in an international tank warfare competition was killed when he was sent by Vladimir Putin into a real battle in Ukraine.

Bato Basanov, 25, from Buryatia, was in a record-breaking tank biathlon team that performed last year in war games in front of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the army general staff Valery Gerasimov.

But his conflict ended in death when his tank was hit in Ukraine.

He is the latest of dozens of men from his impoverished region some 3,500 miles east of Moscow to be killed in Putin's war.

As two bereft mothers in grief-stricken Buryatia spoke about collecting the bodies of their sons, one reportedly said to the other: 'You're lucky because your son's body arrived intact. Mine came back as a head and two hands.'

Basanov, a corporal, had been hailed last year for 'glorifying Russia by becoming a world champion in tank biathlon as part of his team'.

Uniquely, he shot without missing a single target at speeds of up to 50mph at the Alabino training ground in Moscow region.

Yet as a report from Volya Media said: 'The death of Bato Basanov is grim confirmation that tank biathlon and real war are completely different things.'

Russian commanders Shoigu and Gerasimov saw regular tank biathlon competitions as key military prestige events, yet the huge death toll of Russian forces shows they were not ready for real war.

Bato Basanov, 25, winner of World Tank Biathlon-2021, was killed whilst serving in a tank in Ukraine. Basanov, a corporal, had been hailed last year for 'glorifying Russia by becoming a world champion in tank biathlon as part of his team'

Bato Basanov, 25, from Buryatia, was in a record-breaking tank biathlon team that performed last year in war games in front of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the army general staff Valery Gerasimov

2021 World Tank Biathlon in Alabino, which was held in the Moscow region. Basanov competed against and beat teams from 198 other countries including China

Russian commanders Shoigu and Gerasimov saw regular tank biathlon competitions as key military prestige events, yet the huge death toll of Russian forces shows they were not ready for real war

Uniquely, Basanov shot without missing a single target at speeds of up to 50mph at the Alabino training ground in Moscow region

Basanov  whose Russian T-72B3 team beat soldiers from 19 countries in combat games including China  was shown being presented to Gerasimov, now in charge of Putin's flailing war effort.

Yet an anonymous Russian military expert has blamed Putin's government for botched modernisation of tanks, leaving them worse in optics and targeting technology than Ukraine's older tanks which were upgraded with Western equipment.

'Combat training in [Russian] tank units is disgusting,' he added.

The 'shortcomings' have led to Russia's dismal performance in the war, he said.

Basanov was a gunner of the first company of the tank battalion of the 37th separate guards motorised rifle brigade of the Russian Air Defence Forces.

The body of the 'hero' took seven weeks to be retrieved and returned to his family for a funeral on Friday.

His friends and family said in a joint statement: 'Bato was an open, responsive, very sociable man, a faithful comrade and friend, who was always ready to come to the rescue.

'Cheerful, smiling and sincere, Bato has always been the pride of our family, a kind, honest, much-loved son.'
North Korea has continued its provocative weapons testing as it fired a ballistic missile most likely from a submarine earlier today, South Korea has said.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch took place in waters near the eastern port city of Sinpo, where North Korea has a major shipyard building submarines.

If confirmed, this would be just the latest in a series of missile tests by Pyongyang as US officials have warned Kim Jong Un is gearing up to test a nuclear weapon this month.

If the test goes ahead, it would be North Korea's first nuclear test in five years as the country continues to exploit the favourable environment while the UN Security Council is preoccupied with the war in Ukraine.

South Korean and US intelligence officials described today's launch as a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a 'serious threatening act that harms international peace and stability'.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobu Kishi told reporters the launch was unacceptable but that the missile fell outside of its exclusive economic zone and that no damage to aircraft or vessels was reported.

North Korea has continued its provocative weapons testing as it fired a ballistic missile most likely from a submarine earlier today, South Korea has said. Pictured: Kim Jong Un last week

South Korea's national security director Suh Hoon and other senior officials denounced the launch during an emergency meeting.

They urged North Korea to return to long-stalled talks aimed at defusing the nuclear standoff, Seoul's presidential office said.

It was apparently North Korea's first demonstration of a submarine-launched ballistic missile system since October last year - an underwater launch which was the North's first in two years.

On Wednesday, the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected a suspected ballistic missile fired from near the capital, Pyongyang.

Both exercises come ahead of the inauguration on Tuesday of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, who has vowed to take a tougher approach over the North's nuclear ambitions.

Yoon's office said in a statement that his government will pursue 'actual deterrence ability' against the North's nuclear and missile threat, but didn't specify how.

Officials in Seoul have urged North Korea to return to talks aimed at defusing nuclear standoff

Yoon has vowed to strengthen South Korea's defence in conjunction with its alliance with the United States, which he said would include enhancing missile striking capabilities.

So far this year, North Korea has fired missiles 15 times. They include the country's first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017 in March that demonstrated a potential range to reach the entirety of the US mainland.

North Korea has been clearly exploiting a favourable environment to push forward its weapons program with the UN Security Council divided and effectively paralyzed over Russia's war on Ukraine.

The unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores a brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and remove crippling sanctions, experts say.

There are also signs that North Korea is restoring tunnels at a nuclear testing ground, where it had conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017, in possible preparations for another explosive test.

Analysts say the North could use another nuclear test to claim it can now build small nuclear warheads for its expanding range of shorter-range weapons threatening South Korea and Japan, or put a cluster of bombs on a multi-warhead ICBM.

Jalina Porter, the US State Department's deputy spokesperson, said during a briefing yesterday that the United States assesses that North Korea could be ready to conduct a nuclear test at its Punggye-ri test site as early as this month.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has punctuated his recent missile tests with statements warning that the North could proactively use its nuclear weapons if threatened or provoked.

Experts say such rhetoric possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that would create greater concerns for South Korea and Japan.

'(North Korea's) submarine technology probably remains short of being able to stay at sea for extended periods while avoiding detection.

'But the ability to launch ballistic missiles from a submarine would further complicate missions to neutralize and defend against North Korea's nuclear forces,' said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul's Ewha Womans University.

He said the Kim regime appears to be preparing to test a miniaturized nuclear device that it can use to arm its submarine-launched or tactical missiles.

North Korea has been pushing hard to acquire an ability to fire nuclear-armed missiles from submarines, which in theory would bolster its deterrent by ensuring retaliation after absorbing a nuclear attack on land.

Ballistic missile submarines would also add a new maritime threat to the North's growing collection of solid-fuel weapons fired from land vehicles, which are being developed with an apparent aim to overwhelm missile defence systems in South Korea and Japan.
Australian nurses are being offered an extra $500 a week to work in regional hospitals as the growing nursing shortage crisis worsens.

The Hunter New England health district has offered the weekly bonus on top of existing pay to try to lure nurses to 14 different NSW hospitals facing staff shortages.

An internal letter from health bosses to staff said nurses were needed with skills and experience in 'medical, surgical, emergency and critical care, operating theatres, midwifery, aged care and more'.

Australian nurses are being offered an extra $500 a week to work in regional hospitals as the growing nursing shortage crisis worsens

Nurses wrote to Western NSW Local Health District about conditions at Rylstone District Hospital south of Mudgee after a staff member was struck in the face and doused in urine

The towns and hospitals mentioned were: Tenterfield, Boggabri, Scone, Emmaville, Warialda, Walcha, Moree, Wee Waa, Gunnedah, Glen Innes, Merriwa, Denman, Armidale and Tamworth, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

'We encourage you to Google some of these towns and picture yourself working there,' the letter said.

Hunter New England is one of NSW's largest health districts but several other regional districts are said to be facing a similar crisis.

It comes after revelations in a parliamentary inquiry into regional hospitals supported claims that patients are sometimes being cared for by cooks and cleaners.

The report urged state and federal governments to address staff shortages.

Unions also said some hospitals have become 'dangerously unsafe' workplaces following a violent incident last month.

Nurses wrote to Western NSW Local Health District about conditions at Rylstone District Hospital south of Mudgee after a staff member was struck in the face and doused in urine.

The letter detailed how the same upset patient who threw a bottle of urine on a nurse also tried to use a telephone as a weapon and tried to stab other staff with a fork then a pen.

The document blamed 'critically low' staff numbers for tensions.

The Hunter New England health district offered nurses the weekly bonus on top of existing pay to try and lure them to any one of 14 different NSW hospitals facing staff shortages (pictured, Tamworth hospital)

In response, a Western NSW Local Health District boss said staffing levels were sufficient under its 'activity-based' staff plans but pledged to have security cameras installed.

Activity-based working allows staff to choose where they work, but a parliamentary inquiry report found 'activity-based funding' didn't work for all rural and remote hospitals.

Brett Holmes of the Nursing and Midwives Association said staff shortages in the regions put 'unrelenting pressure on nurses and midwives during every shift'.

'The circumstances they face while trying to deliver acute care is unreasonable and, on many occasions, unsafe.'

The union wants to see a minimum of at least three nurses in every rural and remote facility - with two of them being registered nurses.
Real Time host Bill Maher mocked woke advocates for transgender issues on Friday night, saying the possible overturn of Roe V. Wade was a more important issue that puts their complaints into perspective.

In his opening monologue, Maher discussed the Supreme Court leak that revealed five justices are prepared to alter the landmark abortion case.

But the talk show host couldn't resist taking a jab at transgender people and their supporters obsession with policing pronouns.

'Louisiana wants to pass a law that says flat out if you get an abortion, you get charged with murder. Wow,' Maher said, referencing the state's controversial abortion bill.

'Suddenly getting the right pronoun doesnt seem so big, does it?'

Real Time host Bill Maher slammed pro-choice defenders on Friday night, saying their claim that overturning Roe V. Wade would send U.S. abortion rights back 50 years is 'factually inaccurate' and that the landmark decision is fluid and not 'settled law'

A leak from the Supreme Court revealed that five of the nine justices are willing to strike down Roe V. Wade, which triggered hundreds to protest outside the Supreme Court this week

Along with the Louisiana bill, Maher criticized the wave of states looking to set more restrictive abortion laws as they expected Roe V. Wade to be overturned.

'Oklahoma already has one on the books. Six weeks, cant get an [abortion] after six weeks,' he said. 'Most women dont even know theyre pregnant at six weeks.

'They dont even know if they like the guy. Six weeks. Thats a quick look.

Despite what he said, Maher slammed pro-choice protestors later in the show, saying their claim that ending Roe V. Wade would send U.S. abortion rights back 50 years is 'factually inaccurate.'

Maher said the ruling is not 'settled law' and that it would not have the drastic impact pro-choice defenders believe it would.

'Most abortions now, even when you go to a clinic, are done with the pill,' Maher said. The pill. And pills are easy to get in America.'

'So, you know, for the people who say we're going back to 1973, we're not. That's just factually inaccurate.'

He added said that abortion rights in most European countries are far more restrictive than in the U.S.

'The modern countries of Europe are way more restrictive than we are or what they're even proposing,' Maher said. 'If you are pro-choice, you would like it a lot less in Germany, and Italy, and France, and Spain, and Switzerland.'

Maher noted that the majority of the U.S. still has more abortion freedoms than a lot of countries in Europe, where they set a shorter time-frame on abortion limits

Germany, France and Spain all set an abortion limits at 14 weeks into the pregancy, with Italy and Switzerland setting the cap at 12 weeks.

Even the more liberal Norway and Denmark set the limit at 12 weeks, with Sweden limiting abortions at 18 weeks.

In the U.S., only 22 states set abortion limits at 20 weeks or less, according to the Guttmacher Institute, and most states that have set a shorter time frame cannot enforce the law as they have faced numerous legal challenges.

Maher also claimed that whatever the Supreme Court decides on would always be fluid as the law could be changed again in the future.

'This whole bulls*** argument about, 'Well, it's settled law.' So was segregation,' Maher said. 'Plessy vs. Ferguson was 'settled law' in 1896 and thank God somebody said let's unsettle it.

'So that's a bulls*** argument. It's what you think,' Maher said. 'If you like babies, then you're pro-life and if you're pro-women, you're pro-choice.'

But Maher's guest, Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala insisted that the Supreme Court's decision would compound with the wave of abortion restriction bills being passed and proposed across the U.S.

'We're not going back to 1973, we're going back to 1931,' he warned, citing Texas's controversial six-week abortion ban that imprisons doctors who perform abortions.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in the Mississippi case, where the state banned abortions past eight months, by June

The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research group, has said that 26 states are 'certain or likely' to ban abortion if the Roe V. Wade is overturned

The debate come as legal analysts believe the Supreme Court, dominated by conservatives following the nomination of three justices by former president Donald Trump, looks poised to possibly overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that held that access to abortion is a woman's constitutional right.

In December, hearing oral arguments about a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks, the court's conservative majority appeared inclined to not only uphold the law but to toss out Roe v. Wade.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in the Mississippi case by June.

The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research group, has said that 26 states are 'certain or likely' to ban abortion if the Roe is overturned.

The issue has spurred protests outside the Supreme court this week, with the building being fenced off and judges being escorted by security.

More than 50 American companies have begun offering abortion assistance in response to recent laws limiting abortion, including Tesla, Amazon, Uber, Lyft, Citigroup, Saleforce, and Yelp.
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The eco-warriors who ambushed Priti Patel on Friday night include a grammar school girl turned vegan 'ethical influencer', a decolonial activist and a union activist, MailOnline can reveal.

The group of six, including one cameraman, who posed as young Tories at the 40-a-head event, filmed themselves as they interrupted the Home Secretary's speech and demanded she end her controversial Rwanda immigration policy.

They even posed for selfies with the cabinet minister before carrying out their highly-planned plot at the Bassetlaw Conservatives Spring Dinner.

A guestlist seen by MailOnline shows they almost all listed 'vegan' underneath their dietary requirements for the event.

Ben Mitchell, one of the disruptors at the event, tweeted his snap taken with Ms Patel, as he gloated on Twitter: 'It was lovely to see you last night @pritipatel! You even thanked us for coming all the way up just for you... you're so welcome.

'We hope you now know that young people will not be silent while you sanction these racist and inhumane plans.'

Other protestors present included Fiona Quekett, a former grammar school student, who has a profile on the 'Ethical Influencers' website.

The vegan University of Leeds graduate, who studied robotics, has targeted politicians before, including Oliver Dowden on the streets of Blackpool in March this year and Tory MP Therese Coffey in September last year.

Quekett is due to go on trial in June for allegedly aggravated trespass at the Amazon warehouse at Symmetry Park, in Darlington, following a protest last November. They pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing.

Eco-warrior Ben Mitchell (far fight) poses for a selfie with Priti Patel and another demonstrator while posing as a Tory at the local Conservatives dinner on Friday night

As a second protestor is ushered out, Fiona Quekett (pictured) gets up and brands the policy 'cruel', before they begin chanting: 'Out, out, out!'

Holly Hudson was believed to be among the protestors at Priti Patel's dinner on Friday evening

Union activist Laura Ho was one of the protestors last night

Ben Mitchell is seen in the video branding Ms Patel's policy as 'racist' and 'problematic' moments after posing for her with a selfie

Meanwhile Holly Hudson, who is a leading member of the collective, is a graduate from the distinguished SOAS university, where she specialised in decolonial and anti-carceral movements in Britain.

She is also part of the 'We Smell Gas' group, a 'decolonial activists' and artists collective based across Europe.

The protestors, including union activist Laura Ho, took to social media today to taunt Ms Patel, while some revealed they were behind the protest last night.

Ms Hudson wrote: '@PritiPatel, myself and other @GNDRising activists interrupted your dinner to condemn your violent, racist #RwandaMigrationPlan. Safe refuge is a human right. Refugees are welcome here.'

Quekett said: 'Priti Patel's Rwanda Plan, as well as the Nationality and Borders Bill, is vile and inhumane. We will stand against these cruel plans at every opportunity.'

Conservative MP for Bassettlaw Brendan Clarke-Smith told MailOnline this evening: 'In fairness they spent a fortune on tickets and even bought them for the raffle - presumably not to blow their cover.

'So in effect they contributed financially to precisely the people they were campaigning against!'

In the video shared by Green New Deal Rising on Saturday, Ms Patel dons a pink dress as she approaches the podium to give her speech.

She manages to say: 'Good evening everybody, I actually just want to start...', before a female protestor suddenly jolts up from her chair.

She shouts towards the stage: 'Priti Patel your racist policies are killing people.

'Your plans to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda are inhumane, they're inhumane and are going to ruin people's lives.'

The demonstrator is then escorted by security, but then another woman stands up from her chair and continues the protest, saying young people are 'disgusted' by the controversial immigration policy.

As she is ushered out, yet another protestor gets up and brands the policy 'cruel', before they all begin chanting: 'Out, out, out!'

'It was so lovely to see you': Eco-warrior Ben Mitchell gloats after tricking Priti Patel into taking a selfie with him

This protestor branded Priti Patel's Rwanda immigration policy 'inhumane' as she interrupted a speech at a local Tory dinner

The clip shows Ms Patel donning a pink dress as she approaches the podium at the Bassetlaw Conservatives Spring Dinner

Pictured: Security are seen ushering the demonstrators out of the 40-a-head Conservative dinner last night

A man, now identified as Ben Mitchell, and woman then get up from their chairs, shouting that the policy is 'racist and problematic' and 'inhumane'.

The whole group can then be heard shouting: 'Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!'

MailOnline has contacted Green New Deal Rising for comment.

The group tweeted the video today, saying: 'Last night we disrupted @pritipatel because her #Rwandaplan is cruel, morally bankrupt & it will cost lives.

'We demand the Government drops this widely condemned policy & provides support for people seeking safety.

'No matter where we come from, we all deserve dignity & respect.'

They added: 'We're sickened to see the Gov ramping up its hostile policies rather than helping those fleeing from war, poverty & extreme weather.

'As climate change displaces entire communities, leaving people vulnerable to exploitation & violence, we MUST act with compassion.

'And as a country with a long history of exploiting people and resources, the UK must recognise its responsibility.

A further man and woman get up from their chairs, shouting that the policy is 'racist and problematic' and 'inhumane.'

'We call on the Government to provide an accessible & decent system for people seeking refuge, to drastically cut emissions and to pay its dues! #GreenNewDeal'.

The activist group quickly received the backing of former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas who commended the disruption and said the group showed 'the moral leadership that is so tragically absent from this Government'.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The world-leading Migration Partnership will overhaul our broken asylum system, which is currently costing the UK taxpayer 1.5bn a year  the highest amount in two decades.

'It means those arriving dangerously, illegally or unnecessarily can be relocated to have their asylum claims considered and, if recognised as refugees, build their lives there.

'Our new Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda fully complies with international and national law.'

Last night's protest came after it was reported that Ms Patel's new scheme for sending failed asylum seekers to Rwanda will start next week.

The first migrants to be sent to the central African nation will be single men and it is expected that they will be notified by Home Office lawyers in the next few days, according to The Sun.

However, the flagship plan may not start for months in the face of legal action by human rights groups.

A Home Office source told the newspaper: 'The first referrals will be going next week, so people will be put on notice.'

The Home Secretary's team is ready for legal challenges, while Boris Johnson lashed out at 'liberal lawyers' for delaying his plan to send thousands of migrants from the UK to Rwanda - and vowed to 'get it done'.

The Government had wanted flights to Kigali to start by the end of May under the 120million deal it secured with the Kagame government last month.

Under the partnership agreement, people arriving in the UK, including by crossing the Channel in small boats, will be flown 4,000 miles to East Africa if they are deemed to have travelled illegally for economic reasons rather than asylum.

It comes as analysis of Government figures shows 7,240 people have reached the UK after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats in just the past four months since the start of 2022. Pictured: Migrants arriving in the UK last week

The Home Secretary shakes hands with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Birutaare after signing the partnership agreement

But No10 said it could not put a timescale on when the scheme will begin. Last week two asylum seekers who came to Britain in the backs of lorries this year instructed lawyers to bring a legal challenge against the policy.

It comes as analysis of Government figures shows 7,240 people have reached the UK after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats in just the past four months since the start of 2022.

They include almost 700 people who have crossed in the past week under favourable weather conditions.

Critics said the 11-day break had simply been due to the poor weather, and insisted that the Home Secretary's Rwanda policy would not act as a deterrent to those seeking to reach Britain.

Anxious Border Force officials have now suggested that further delays to the Rwanda scheme will only embolden migrants to attempt the dangerous voyage, warning that the Channel crisis could 'get worse before it gets better'.

The MoD took over control of migrant operations in April, when the Government also announced controversial plans to send some of those making the cross-Channel journey to Rwanda.
A 15-year-old Ukrainian girl drove a car carrying wounded civilians to safety, despite being shot in the legs by Russian troops, it has been revealed.

The brave teenager has told how she had to steer through a minefield during her perilous 20 mile journey to reach a hospital.

She managed to stay in control after Russian soldiers opened fire on her car for a second time, injuring her in the legs.

The girl, who has not been named, was originally a passenger in the car as she fled frontline fighting with three men and another woman.

But the group came under fire as they left the devastated town of Popasna in the contested Luhansk region near the Russian border.

The girl was forced to grab the wheel despite being too young to have a driving licence in Ukraine after an exploding shell seriously injured her driver and another man in the car.

A brave teenager, 15, (above) has told how she had to steer through a minefield during her perilous 20 mile journey to reach a hospital

The girl, who has not been named, was originally a passenger in the car as she fled frontline fighting with three men and another woman

But the group came under fire as they left the devastated town of Popasna in the contested Luhansk region near the Russian border

She managed to stay in control of the car after Russian soldiers opened fire on her car for a second time, injuring her in the legs

She was later filmed talking of her ordeal in the back of an ambulance after reaching the safety of Ukrainian lines.

Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai posted the video of the girl telling of her nightmare drive on his Telegram channel

The girl who will not be legally allowed to drive in Ukraine until she is 18, said in the video: 'It was not easy but I had to do it. I could not leave the people under fire.'

The teenager explained: 'I was travelling in the car with four adults, three men and one woman. I know them but they are not members of my family.

'We were leaving Popasna when we came under fire from Russian soldiers. Two of the men were hit by shrapnel, one seriously.

'They were so badly injured that I had to take control of the wheel and drive. I had to drive because it was an emergency. Otherwise they would have bled to death.

'I had to drive through a minefield. It was impossible. It was like a chessboard. But somehow, I made it through.

'I saw a dead woman by the side of the road. She was lying by an electricity pole.

'Then I turned right and the Russians opened fire. I was shot in the legs. There was nothing I could do.

'And the car stopped too. The engine had been shot up. It had a bullet in the battery. Somehow I got it started again. It was not easy. It was extremely painful to drive.

'But I had to do something. I could not leave everyone under fire.'

Popasna has been at the centre of some of the heaviest fighting in Luhansk as the battle for the wider Donbas region has raged in recent weeks.

A military drone video posted on a pro-Russian Telegram channel this week revealed that almost every building in the town centre had been hit by artillery or rocket fire.

The drone appears to have been used to assist Russian infantry in hunting down the last Ukrainian defenders of the area.

Private Military Company Wagner mercenaries pose at Popasna, the Sievierodonetsk district of the Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine

Private Russian Mercenaries from the Wagner Group have been spotted operating in Popasna on the front lines of the war in the Donbas

It showed artillery strikes landing close to a trench and at least one Ukrainian soldier fleeing to take shelter in what appears to be a nearby shed.

Russian soldiers, believed to be members of feared Wagner mercenary group, are then shown approaching with one of them hurling grenades towards the shed.

A later segment featured a number of Ukrainian soldiers lying on their stomachs outside before a group of at least six are escorted away into Russian custody with their hands on their heads.

Mr Haidai, the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, said this week: 'The Russians are not just destroying Popasna. They are removing it from the map of Luhansk region.'
Alabama Police released new video footage of former correctional office Vicky White checking out of hotel the morning she busted her capital murder suspect 'lover' out of jail.

Dressed in a black sweater, the 57 year-old can be seen pacing up and down the front desk of the Quality Inn in Florence, Alabama, as she waits for an attendant to come check her out.

At one point, she can been seen looking nervously over the reception desk while waiting inside the empty lobby.

The correctional officer doesn't appear to be wearing her uniform. Footage of the missing jailer was released by Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office Saturday in a bid to try and track down White and capital murder suspect Casey White - who she isn't related to.

The ongoing hunt for the company - which is reaching 10 days - is intensifying as the couple have only been spotted once since their escape.

A former US Marshals commander suggested Vicky may have separated from her fugitive 'lover' Casey to foil search attempts, but says the FBI will still catch couple even if they've been 'foolish' enough to flee abroad.

Former correctional officer Vicky White (pictured) was seen checking out of the Quality Inn in Florence, Alabama, the morning she was seen helping her convict 'lover' escape jail

The missing woman was seen pacing nervously in front of the desk as she waited for an attendant to check her out

At one point, hotel surveillance footage caught her looking over the counter in the empty lobby area

Lenny DePaul told Fox News that the couple - who are not related, but are believed to be in a romance - may have separated to frustrate attempts to track them down.

But DePaul added that the Alabama pair 'would be fools to leave the country.'

'That would be a dumb move,' the retired Marshal, who worked for the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, said. 'It does not make life difficult for us as an agency.'

'You've got to remember, Interpol - 186 countries under them - we work well with our international folks. We have an international branch within the Marshal Service, and we're on the ground in several countries.

'We're way ahead of the curve on that stuff,' he told Fox News. He even said it 'would help us' if the couple went abroad.

DePaul retired from the force in 2013 after spending decades working for the Marshals and has not been involved in the search for the couple.

He also suggested the pair could have separated after fleeing from the Alabama jail as their height difference would make hiding in plain sight 'difficult.' Capital murder suspect Casey, 38, stands at a towering 6-foot-9-inches and weighs 330 pounds, while Vicky, 56, is a mere 5-foot-5 and 145 pounds.

'These people are sleeping with one eye open. They don't know what their next move is going to be, who's looking at them?' he said. 'Time is on [the] investigators' side. They've got nothing but time.'

Former Alabama correctional officer Vicky White, 57, has been missing over a week after she got her 'lover' Casey White, not related to each other, out of jail

A former US Marshal believes Casey, 38, (pictured) may have separated after fleeing jail as their height difference would make hiding in plain sight 'difficult.' The convict stands at a daunting 6-foot-9, while Vickey stands at 5-foot-5

The Marshals have released various photos of the couple, showing off Casey's tattoos - many which have references to white supremacy - and what they would look with different hairstyles

In recent days, the Marshals have released more identifying information about the couple, such as Casey has brown hair, hazel eyes, and included several pictures of what he might look like with different hairstyles. They also showed various images of Casey's tattoos, with many of them linked to white supremacy groups, including the 'Southern Brotherhood' - which is reportedly a white supremacist prison gang.

As of Vicky, they described her as having a 'waddling gait,' brown eyes, and released photos of what she'd look like with brown and shorter hairstyles.

VICKY AND CASEY WHITE: THE STORY SO FAR April 30: The couple escaped from the Lauderdale jail in a stolen cop car May 1: Us Marshals offer a $10,000 - now up to $25,000 - for Casey May 3: US Marshals issued a warrant for Vicky. charging her with permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree in connection with capital murder May 4: Vicky and Casey were seen driving around Florence in a police cruiser on gas station surveillance May 6: Cops find White's abandoned car in Tennessee with green spray paint on it May 7: Desperate cops release new footage of Vicky on the morning of their jailbreak Advertisement

New reports from authorities say they are even suspecting that Vicky is rolling Casey, dressed as a woman, around in a wheelchair. They believe that Casey might be put in a wheelchair to distract people from noticing his 6-foot-9 frame, the Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly told News Nation.

Connolly also described White as 'smart' and 'frugal' and that she was someone who could have $90,000 in the bank when she withdrew after the escape.

Officials also suspect that Vicky might be disguising herself as an elderly woman with a grey wig.

Authorities have also advised the public to consider them 'armed and dangerous,' as the couple may be in possession of shotgun, an AR-15, and Vicky's service weapon.

He also highlighted that the couple had 'cash' and could provide themselves with 'provisions' while they avoided the public. It is believed that Vicky pulled out $90,000 in cash from various local banks prior to the escape.

'They can afford to go dark, not talk to anybody,' DePaul told Fox News. 'The big question is how long are they going to last together?'

Despite Casey being sentenced to 75 years for a list of 2015 crimes, including murder, all eyes are on Vicky, according to DePaul. He said that law enforcement is 'turning her world upside down' and deep diving into her previous purchases, browser history, and her digital trial to see what the 'game plan' was.

'She was on the outside. Regardless of whether or not he's groomed her and he brought her on board and convinced her of whatever, your focus is on her right now,' the Navy veteran told Fox News. 'That digital footprint in today's world is very, very important. Her trusted circle of friends  we call it: 'Who's Who in the Zoo.' They're taking a look at everybody.'

Former Marshall Lenny DePaul (pictured) said it 'does not make life difficult for us as an agency' if the couple were to go abroad, but said they'd be 'fools' to do it

Leading up to their jailbreak, Vicky had sold her home a few weeks prior, was set to retire on the day they escaped, and had purchased an orange 2007 Ford Edge SUV, which was later found in Tennessee covered in green spray paint. She also reportedly purchased the car under an alias.

Police said they were 'back to square one' on Friday in their search for Casey and Vicky, after finding the pair's abandoned vehicle.

The couple reportedly escaped on the pretense that she was supposed to be taking him to court, but instead, they drove away from the jail in a police vehicle. They then switched to Vicky's Ford. They then reportedly drove 100 miles north to Tennessee and then dumped the car. It's unclear where they went next.

Vicky, who has a spotless record, is suspected of helping the long-time criminal of escaping custody one week ago on her last day of work before retirement.

However, her former employee Tyson Johnson, says that he's not surprised and that 'no one' is that Vicky was capable of this, calling her smart and calculated.

'That's a good question, honestly I don't think she'll be found. She has calculated enough that she has thought this entire thing out,' said Johnson, who worked for Vicky for seven years before he claims he was wrongfully terminated, of her whereabouts.

The couple escape the Alabama jail over a week ago after Vickey managed convinced other employees she was taking him to court. It was discovered later that he did not have a scheduled court appearance

Authorities found Vicky's orange Ford Edge, which she purchased under an alias prior to their escape, in Tennessee and released a diagram showing their height difference (pictured)

Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office released these images which appeared to show an attempt to spray paint Vicky's orange Ford SUV green. The discovery of the car was announced on Friday

'She definitely outsmarted the sheriff, she outsmarted the administrator of the jail.'

Johnson also claims that Vicky would often alter her appearance either physically or in photos, which may make pictures police give out to try and locate her ineffective.

'Vicky used the tanning bed a lot,' he said. 'Vicky may have been 57 years old but she looked 75. The photos that they're releasing of her, there are filters, they're all bright on the face because it's not showing the true her. A lot of people, former employees, said if Vicky dyed her hair grey and put on some old lady clothes and glasses, she could walk right by you and you would never know it.'

People reported seeing Vicky at both a department store and an adult store after the escape, but employees at both stores refused to comment.

In light of his escape with Vicky, authorities are also re-opening an investigation into the mysterious death of his ex-girlfriend, Christy Shelton, in 2008.

Casey was there when Shelton was shot in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. Her death was ruled a suicide, but her family never believed the story, WAFF reports.

The couple has only been spotted once since fleeing at a gas station

He has a history of violence with partners, having shot at his ex-girlfriend during a crime spree in which he killed a dog and held her roommates at gunpoint.

The 2015 incident concluded in the 6-foot-9 'monster' being sentenced to 75 years in prison on charges including attempted murder.

The pair reportedly met in 2020 and developed a secret 'special relationship' during phone calls while Casey was being held in a different jail.

Inmates allege Vicky ensured Casey 'was getting extra food on his trays' and 'was getting privileges no one else got,' a claim that Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told CNN has been confirmed by an independent investigation.

'As far as we know that was the earliest physical contact they had,' Singleton said of the arraignment. He claims Casey and Vicky continued to communicate after the accused murderer was transferred back to the prison.

Authorities are offering a $25,000 reward for anyone with information on the couple.
An elderly woman died in a hot car outside a Nevada VA hospital while her husband was having a blood transfusion after she was banned from going in due to COVID rules.

Lear Litt, 75, was killed by hyperthermia - overheating - in her car in 110 degree heat after officials at the North Las Vegas VA Hospital said she could not accompany her husband, David Litt, while he went underwent a blood transfusion in August 2020.

David, a military veteran, has now spoken out of his anguish over his wife's death, and says he doesn't know why she didn't keep the engine running and its air-conditioning on.

Lear told one passer-by she feared the car would run out of gas, but David said he never let its tank get below half-full.

He choked up as he recalled worrying about why he hadn't heard from Lear on calling her, then realizing she was being given emergency compressions across the hallway from him as staff tried in vain to save her.

Lear Litt (left) died of hyperthermia after she was forced to wait in her hot car while her husband, David Lear (right), underwent a blood transfusion

Lear was found dead, with a body temperature of 109 degrees, in the parking lot of the North Las Vegas VA Hospital on August 20, 2020. She had been denied entrance into the hospital due to COVID-19 protocols

Visitors were not permitted in the emergency department due to COVID rules.

Lear, who went out to the parking lot around 9.30am, was found dead in her car shortly after 2.30pm with a body temperature of 109 degrees, KLAS reported.

'Rapid response in the parking lot,' David Lear, now 78, recalled hearing over the PA system. 'Someone's doing compressions and I'm across the hall from where this is taking place, but I knew it was her. Without even seeing it, I knew it was her.'

David underwent his procedure on August 20, 2020 during the peak of pandemic. Hospitals across the nation were battling capacity constraints and most of the world was still under lockdown.

Non-essential visitors were barred from entering many medical facilities to try and cut the risk of COVID transmission, with vaccines still months away from being approved.

David Litt asked hospital staff to check on his wife around 2.30pm after she failed to answer his phone calls. She was pronounced dead shortly afterwards

The couple, who were married 57 years, arrived at the facility in the morning only to find out Lear was not allowed in the building.

'They allowed her to come in to tell me she couldn't come in,' David told the TV station last week. 'That's when I gave her my phone. I said: "Okay, I'll call you to find out how you're doing."'

Lear sat in her parked car, which was not running, for several hours waiting for her husband's treatment to end.

A doctor heading into the facility reportedly spoke to her around noon, alleging she had been in the car with the windows rolled down. The car was turned off.

The doctor claims Lear said the vehicle was low on gas so she couldn't let in run, an assertion that David questioned.

'One thing I made a habit of [was] never getting below half-a-tank of gas,' the veteran widower explained.

David and Lear were high school sweethearts and married for 57 years

David Litt, a veteran widower, is pictured in his military uniform

Mid-afternoon, after David instructed staff to check on his wife because she wasn't answering his calls, Lear was found unresponsive and rushed into the hospital.

Officials attempted to resuscitate her, but were unsuccessful. Lear was pronounced dead at the facility.

The coroner's report indicates she died from hyperthermia. Her death was ruled an accident.

David, who continues to mourn the loss of his high school sweetheart, seemingly believes the incident was avoided.

'I think that could've been handled a lot differently,' he said.

The coroner ruled Lear's death an accident

In wake of Lear's death, which was investigated by multiple VA departments, a new policy has been instated at the hospital.

Patients are now allowed one visitor to accompany them at their appointment. The hospital has also increased patrols in the parking lot.

'The unfortunate reality was we spent so much time on risk assessing, protect veterans, protect staff and after that incident occurred, we had to take a step back and say, well, there is a secondary risk too because of the weather out here,' William Caron, the head of VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, said.

'Do you think a mistake was made by the people that interacted with her?' KLAS reporter Vanessa Murphy questioned.

In wake of Lear's death, which was investigated by multiple VA departments, a new policy has been instated at the hospital. Patients are now allowed one visitor to accompany them at their appointment. The hospital has also increased patrols in the parking lot

David claims the VA never notified him about the investigations into his wife's death, alleging he learned about the probe from the news outlet. He also claimed he was not informed of the policy change

'I think we can go back in time, hindsight, and review every single detail, but to say someone was malicious or reckless, I wouldn't say that,' Caron replied. 'The goal was the greater good of protecting all veterans.'

David claims the VA never notified him about the investigations into his wife's death, alleging he learned about the probe from the news outlet.

He also claimed he was not informed of the policy change.

'It'll help someone else if the same situation arises, but it's not helping me at all,' he said.
One of the UK's most wanted men has been arrested by authorities in Spain - the fugitive spent nearly seven years avoiding the law due to an alleged connection to a 2015 murder.

David Ungi, 30, was apprehended on Thursday, along with three other men, as he entered a gym in a shopping centre, in Coin, Malaga.

Officers also seized a 9mm Ruger firearm and ammunition from a rucksack.

He was sought in connection with the murder of Vinny Waddington, 18, who was shot and killed in July 2015 while riding on the back of a motorbike in Liverpool.

The shooters used a 12-gauge shotgun and fired it at the victim from an Audi A3 before ramming his bike off the road.

Luke Kendrick and Ryan Bate received life sentences for his murder, but Ungi, the third suspect, fled the country within 24 hours of the killing and hadn't been seen since.

He was also wanted in connection with the supply of heroin in the Liverpool area.

However, following a joint operation between Spanish authorities and three crime agencies in Britain, he was arrested and now faces extradition back to Britain.

David Ungi (pictured), 30, was arrested on Thursday at a shopping centre in Coin, Malaga, after seven years on the run from British authorities

Ungi was wanted in connection to a murder of a teenager in 2015 and with the supply of heroin in the Liverpool area

Ungi was last seen seven years ago leaving the UK on a ferry less than 24 hours after 18-year-old Vinny Waddington (pictured) was murdered in a street execution

Ungi had been on the National Crime Agency's (NCA) most wanted list since 2015, Steve Reynolds, NCA regional manager in Spain, said: 'Three of the UK's most wanted fugitives being arrested in a week is a fantastic achievement.

'Ungi is a very dangerous person, and his arrest is good news for communities both in Liverpool and Spain.

'These arrests would not have been possible without close cooperation between police forces in the UK and our law enforcement colleagues in Spain and Portugal.

'There are still a number of fugitives on our most wanted list, and they should know we will never give up and we're never far behind them.'

Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings added: 'Merseyside Police remains relentless in its pursuit of criminals and will leave no stone unturned.

'We will continue to work closely with other law enforcement agencies, both in the UK, and overseas to trace those wanted for carrying out the most serious offences and bring them to justice.'

The baby-faced murder suspect was caught and arrested in Malaga as he entered a gym at a shopping centre (pictured)

David Ungi has been wanted by the NCA since 2015, when he was aged 24, for murder, attempted assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to supply heroin

Lord Ashcroft, founder and chair of the charity Crimestoppers, said: 'Having this fugitive caught within days of two others is fantastic news and shows that the public, like us, want to protect our communities.

'It also proves how our joint Most Wanted campaign with the NCA to highlight those who are on the run is working successfully.

Ungi is the third 'most wanted' National Crime Agency target captured in the last week.

Alleged murderer Callum Halpin was caught in Portugal on Monday, while Alex Male, wanted on drugs charges, was also arrested at Lisbon airport on Saturday.
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Jill Biden fought back tears on Saturday as she heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian refugees about fleeing their homeland and she warned the humanitarian crisis could get worse.

Among the stories the first lady heard during her visit to a public school in Romania, which has taken in refugees, was one from seven-year-old Mila of Kyiv, who told Biden: 'I want to return to my father.'

The 90-minute visit was filled with joy in addition to the sorrow. In addition to hearing the anguishing stories, Biden also laughed with the kids during their art projects, handed out presidential M&Ms, and gave hugs.

But she appeared anguished at times when she sat down with a group of Ukrainian women who described the trauma of trying to rebuild their lives in a new country.

Jill Biden fought back tears at times as she heard from Ukrainian refugees about fleeing their homeland when she met with mothers at a school in Bucharest

Jill Biden listened to stories from Ukrainian mothers and praised them: 'I think you're amazingly strong and resilient,' Biden said

During her visit to a Romania public school that has taken in Ukrainian refugees, Biden watched young students work on art projects

Jill Biden met and heard from seven-year-old Mila of Kyiv, who told the first lady: 'I want to return to my father.'

During her 90 minute visit to the school, Jill Biden offered hugs and posed for selfies

Anastasia Konovalvoa, a Ukrainian teacher who fled in March to Romania, told the first lady her only thoughts were saving her child.

'I crossed the border with my three-year-old son and everything I was thinking about was how to save my child from a city that was bombed,' she said. 'Thank god the Romanian people were here.'

Biden told her: 'We stand with you. I hope you know that.'

She praised the women for being strong.

'I think mothers will do anything for their children  I think you're amazingly strong and resilient,' Biden said. 'It's just amazing that the Romanian people have taken you into their homes and into their hearts.'

The first lady appeared on the verge of tears as she listened to the refugees' stories.

Almost 6 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24, according to the United Nations. Nearly 7,000 are entering Romania a day with roughly 900,000 total having come to Romania thus far, though many have continued on to other countries.

'Wasn't it heartbreaking?,' Biden told reporters traveling with her of the visit. 'The little girl that said her wish was to be with her daddy, and then another said my wish is to go home, and then you can see it those children really have suffered.

She said she was worried the humanitarian crisis, which is being called the worst since World War II, will continue to grow.

'We wake up every morning and think 'this has to end,' but it still keeps going on and on,' she said.

She described her visit to the Scoala Gimnaziala Uruguay in Bucharest as 'amazing' and 'emotional.'

She visited the school, which is hosting two classrooms of refugees aged 5-15 years, with Romanian first lady Camen Iohannis.

Support at the school is being provided by the Romanian government, UNHCR, UNICEF and Save the Children.

'I'm very grateful that you took the time and made the effort to visit us,' Iohannis told her. 'Sticking together, being united is very important to us.'

Jill Biden gives h Ukrainian teacher Anastasia Konovalova flowers after hearing her story

Jill Biden posed for selfies during her school visit

'We stand with you. I hope you know that,' Jill Biden told refugees

Two Ukrainian refugee children work on their art projects

Jill Biden is on a four-day trip to Europe to observe the humantarian crisis

The two women arrived holding hands. Earlier they had a private fish lunch, which was made by Iohannis herself.

The two have much in common: Iohannis kept her job as an English teacher when her husband took office - just like Biden kept hers teaching at a northern Virginia community college when Joe Biden was elected.

During her school visit, Biden dispensed with hugs and posed for selfies. She handed flowers to the Ukrainian mothers ahead of Mother's Day.

And she gave 'Heidi Junior' chocolate bars and Air Force One M&Ms with President Biden's signature to the children.

In addition to hearing their stories, she asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up.

She also watched them do arts and crafts projects - the children were tracing their hands and cutting them out on paper printed with Ukrainian and Romanian flags. They wrote messages of hope on paper butterflies.

She and Iohannis also were treated to a performance: students sang the Romanian national anthem and then a Ukrainian military march song.

Biden is visiting Romania and Slovakia this weekend to meet with refugees and learn about the humanitarian aide being provided to them. The U.S has provided more than $1.1 billion in humantarian aid to help the refugee crisis.

In a briefing with UN officials, Biden, a teacher, asked about the mental health services and schooling available to children.

She was told they need more counselors and need to continue to train teachers to be able to assist students with trauma.

She tied her trip to Mother's Day weekend with the focus being on the the Ukrainian families who have suffered since Vladimir Putin invaded their country.

Her daughter Ashley, was scheduled to travel with her but dropped out of the trip after a close contact with a person who tested positive for covid. Ashley has tested negative.

Jill Biden and Romania first lady Carmen Iohannis heard from Ukrainian teachers and refugees

The students show their art work to Jill Biden and Carmen Iohannis

The two first ladies were treated to performances of the Romanian national anthem and a Ukrainian military march song

Jill Biden and Carmen Iohannis, first lady of Romania, have much in common: both are English teachers who kept their jobs after their husbands were elected

On Mother's Day, Biden will be on the Slovakia-Ukraine border, meeting with Ukrainian mothers and children who fled the fighting.

The four-day trip, where she is also meeting with U.S. troops stationed in the area, is the most high-profile one to date taking by the first lady.

It is her second solo overseas trip. Last summer she went to Tokyo to cheer on U.S. athletes at the Olympic Summer Games.
As severe regular lockdowns stoke public anger and strike a crippling hit to the Chinese economy, China's top leader Xi Jinping has issued the toughest warning yet against anybody who criticizes the country's zero-Covid policy.

The governing Communist Party's elite Politburo Standing Committee committed to unwaveringly stick to the overall policy of 'dynamic zero-Covid,' and fiercely battle any statements and behaviors that distort, question, or contradict our country's epidemic prevention measures at a meeting chaired by Xi on Thursday.

Xi Jin Ping Conducts "Important Speech" on Zero COVID-19 Policy

This is the first time since the public outcry over Shanghai's draconian lockdown that Xi, who gave an important address during the summit, has made public statements regarding China's fight against COVID-19.

The severe warning, according to specialists who have followed Chinese politics for a long time, indicates that there has been internal opposition to Xi's ZERO-COVID-19 policy inside the party.

Many Shanghai residents have gone to social media in the last five weeks to ask for aid and vent their frustrations about acute food shortages and lack of access to medical treatment. Some people screamed and banged pots and pans from their windows, while others fought with police and health workers in the streets, an unusual sight in a nation where dissent is often stifled.

Economists and business leaders are concerned about the severe economic consequences, especially considering Shanghai's importance as the country's premier financial center and a key manufacturing and shipping hub. China's services sector, which accounts for more than half of the country's GDP and more than 40% of employment, shrank at the second-fastest pace on record in April, while the industrial sector also shrank.

As Omicron spreads across China, more local governments are ordering emergency lockdowns in reaction to a few isolated incidents. Many in Beijing fear a Shanghai-style lockdown as officials impose tighter restrictions after more than 500 incidents were recorded since April 20, CNN reported.

Beijing officials have halted public transportation lines, advised residents to work from home, and ordered mass testing to prevent the city from experiencing the same fate. As most of the globe has come to live with the virus, China is one of the only countries that has maintained a variation of the ZERO-COVID-19 policy.

While the approach helped China keep its caseload low early in the pandemic, it has proven ineffective against the highly transmissible but less lethal Omicron variety. COVID-19 infections were still at a high level, and the virus was still evolving, according to the statement, implying grave uncertainty about how the pandemic would unfold.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Apologizes for Foreign Minister's Jewish Hitler Remark, Israeli PM Says

China Keeps on Censoring Citizens' Dissatisfaction

Although China's senior leadership has stated repeatedly that it would continue to pursue its dynamic ZERO-COVID-19 policy, which aims to eradicate infections wherever they occur, the meeting on Thursday was the first to address the Shanghai pandemic.

In the run-up to the party congress later this year, where Xi is anticipated to win a historic third term, China's authorities are also desperate to keep COVID-19 at bay. Inhabitants in Shanghai, meanwhile, have complained of food shortages, difficulty obtaining medical treatment, and gates being erected outside residential buildings to prevent residents from fleeing.

Since March, about 600,000 individuals in the city have tested positive, and nearly 19 million people were still under lockdown on Thursday. Cases have started to tumble after being forced to stay at home for more than a month, as per South China Morning Post.

The focus on Shanghai and Beijing in the press obscures the scope of China's ZERO-COVID-19 policy, which has already impacted other major cities around the country since last year. Some inhabitants in Zhengzhou, central China, have already been partially evacuated; the rest are panic-shopping in supermarkets, sights that are unlikely to influence the atmosphere inside Zhongnanhai.

There is now no end in sight for China's once-successful tactic of retaliating against US claims of human rights violations. The CCP designated 2022 as a year of stability in December. Xi and his advisers will have to assess the balance of social and economic stability against any possible panic caused by the virus's spread.

Meanwhile, discontent is still prohibited on social media. Without social mobilization, or even the ability to think about it, the Chinese public's frustrations would likely remain isolated among tiny towns housing thousands, rather than spreading across cities housing millions, which appears to be the only option to alter minds in Beijing, according to Newsweek via MSN.

Related Article: Xi Jinping Stays Firm On Zero-COVID Policy, Warns Critics Amid Residents' Cry For Help

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A 'vulnerable' 15-year-old has disappeared 11 days after she told her foster parents she was popping to the shops.

Madison, known as Maddie, left her foster home in the Southmead area of Bristol on April 26 and has not been seen since.

Cops say Madison is an avid user of social media and has been known to use it to meet new people in search of money and a place to stay. They worry she might have been exploited by someone she met on the internet.

Avon and Somerset Police have already put out two appeals since she went missing and describe her as white, about 5ft tall and of average build with shoulder length brown hair.

Avon and Somerset Police have already put out two appeals since she went missing and describe her as white, about 5ft tall and of average build with shoulder length brown hair

Detective Inspector Stuart Toms said: 'She's a vulnerable teenage girl who is at risk of being exploited and we urgently need the public's help to locate her and make sure she's ok.

'Maddie  if you see this please let someone know you're safe and well. Your family, foster parents and friends are worried about you.'

Madison has not been contacted over social media but she changes her accounts on a regular basis, according to police, making it harder to reliably get in touch with her online.

'Our previous appeals have not generated a great deal and so we're asking people to share this appeal far and wide so we can reach as many people as possible.' DI Toms added.

According to independent fact checkers Full Fact, there are 75,918 children were recorded missing by UK police forces based on data from 2018/2019.

The UK Missing Persons Unit records 1,514 children as long-term missing, which means they have been missing for longer than 28 days in England, Wales, and Scotland (data for Northern Ireland isnt available).

Most cases of missing children that are found (52 per cent) are found within eight hours and 80 per cent are found within 24 hours.

Police ask anyone who sees Madison to call 999 and provide the call handler with the reference 5222098703.

Anyone with information about where Madison might be or who sees her online should call 101 quoting the same reference.
A New York City councilwoman has called on the city to dock former Mayor Bill de Blasio's $113,000-a-year pension over the funds he blew on misuse of his security detail.

The former mayor, who racked up $2.5 million in debt, has not yet reimbursed taxpayers the nearly $320,000 that the city's Department of Investigation determined he owes for misusing his NYPD security detail.

'He absolutely must be held accountable for every dollar he funneled away from the people of New York,' Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola told The New York Post on Saturday. 'Bill de Blasio is not above the law, and his pension should be garnished until the city is repaid.'

The call for docking his $113,131-a-year pension comes after investigators determined de Blasio, 60, wrongfully misused city resources when he took his NYPD security detail with him during his failed presidential run in August 2019.

The investigation revealed the NYPD spent at least $319,794 to guard him while he was out of state on the campaign trail. He utilized his security detail while attending a Boston Red Sox game in California and would 'occasionally' have his guards transport his presidential campaign staffers.

He is also accused of having city cops run errands on his behalf, including chauffeuring his son and helping his daughter move.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (pictured) has called on the city to dock former Mayor Bill de Blasio's pension over the funds he blew on misuse of his security detail

The former mayor has not yet reimbursed taxpayers the nearly $320,000 that the city's Department of Investigation determined he owes for misusing his NYPD security detail. De Blasio is pictured during his final mayoral press conference in December 2021

Although de Blasio has appealed the ruling of NYC's Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB), bi-partisan officials have declared he should be on the hook for the funds.

'Depending on the findings of the COIB, having the taxpayer money he owes taken out of his pension if he refuses to pay it back is perfectly reasonable,' said Councilman Robert Holden, a Democrat said.

'That's what would happen to anyone else. He should have to pay it back with interest. Bill de Blasio has always acted like the rules don't apply to him, and it sure hasn't helped his reputation. Even out of office, he's still doing it.'

Former Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who founded Guardian Angels, a nonprofit volunteer organization of unarmed crime prevention, however, does not think garnishing de Blasio's pension is severe enough.

'Not only would I [dock his pension] if he resists  although it would be likely battled in civil court  I would have the city seize one of his two [Brooklyn] properties and put it up for sale,' Sliwa stated. 'That's how you pay back that debt!'

De Blasio's earned his six-figure pension after working in NYC public office for two decades. Before he spent eight years as mayor, the politician served as a Brooklyn city councilman and then as public advocate.

Councilman Robert Holden (left), a Democrat, and former Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa (right) have both called upon the city to take action against de Blasio

De Blasio is accused of using his security detail on his failed presidential campaign trail and for personal errands. He and his wife, Chirlane McCray, are pictured hitting the Park Slope YMCA gym in July 2017

De Blasio has racked up $2.5 million in debt which includes $300,000 in legal bills from being defended in a probe of his fundraising activities.

Another $200,000 is from previous campaign accounts that owe money.

Although he is eligible to collect a six-figure pension and also receives rental income on the two Brooklyn homes he owns, the Post reported last year that financial struggles forced de Blasio to take out a second mortgage on one of the homes which cost him $615,342.

Despite their seemingly tight finances, de Blasio and his wife, author Chirlane McCray, have been living large at a pricey, four-star hotel in Brooklyn since he left office months ago.

He and McCray, 67, were spotted last with their taxpayer-funded NYPD security detail by their side at the lavish New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, the New York Post reported.

De Blasio and McCray have been living large at a pricey, four-star hotel in Brooklyn since he left office months ago, despite having racked up $2.5 million in debt. They are pictured leaving their Park Slope home in November 2013

The couple has been spotted with their taxpayer-funded NYPD security detail by their side at the lavish New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge (pictured)

Pictured is the Marriott Hotel at Brooklyn Bridge that features a lavish lobby and swanky bar

The couple left Gracie Mansion after de Blasio left office at the end of December, but have been staying at the hotel while their Park Slope, Brooklyn home undergoes renovations.

The 667-room hotel at Brooklyn Bridge Hotel, with suites that cost anywhere from $600 to $5,000 a night, features an indoor pool, a fitness center with several Peloton machines, two restaurants and waterfront views.

De Blasio and his wife are currently staying in one of the hotel suites with a $600 a night rate that offers a bedroom and living room, the Post reported.

The hotel is owned by Muss Development, a Queens company that has been a longtime supporter of de Blasio, the Post reported.

A spokeswoman for Muss Development told the Post that the hotel's ownership 'is not involved with specific guests' accommodations.'
This is the retired California roofer arrested for leaving a taxiing plane through its emergency exit window and walking on its wing after being refused booze.

Randy Frank Davila, 57, has been pictured for the first time in a mugshot obtained by DailyMail.com. He has been contacted for further comment about his alleged antics.

Chicago Police have also revealed that despite the chaos Davila allegedly caused, he'll only be charged with a misdemeanor reckless conduct.

That is because neither the exit window nor the tarmac displayed signs warning that it would be a felony offense to exit a moving plane and trespass in a restricted area.

The drama began on United Airlines flight 2478 from San Diego to Chicago O'Hare Thursday after it landed in Illinois and began to taxi towards its gate.

Davila is accused of 'pulling the emergency exit window while taxing, walking out on the wing of the plane, then sliding off the wing of the plane and attempting to direct the plane into the gate,' the police report said. He has a $3,000 recognizance bond.

The Chicago Police Department reported he was 'denied alcohol service by the flight attendants' and was 'talking to himself throughout the flight.'

However, Davila will not be charged with a federal crime due to there being 'no signage on the emergency door nor the tarmac advising the subject that exiting a moving plane would constitute criminal trespass to restricted areas.'

Passengers aboard United Airlines flight 2478 from San Diego were stunned when Davila ripped open the emergency door in row 21, where he was seated, around 4.30am on Thursday.

Randy Frank Davila, 57, of California, 'pulled the emergency exit window while taxing, walked out on the wing of the plane, then slid off the wing of the plane and attempted to direct the plane into the gate,' the police report said. He was aboard United Airlines flight 2478 on Thursday

Davila, a retiree, was charged with a reckless conduct misdemeanor and the Chicago PD reported he was 'denied alcohol service by the flight attendants' and was 'talking to himself throughout the flight.' He is due back in court on June 27

A member of the ground crew had to stop him and call law enforcement. He was arrested 'without incident' shortly after.

Mary Ellen Eagelston, who appeared to be sitting a few rows back from the man, posted a picture on Twitter of the open door, writing: 'Guy jumps out of my plane before we get to the gate.'

She later told NBC San Diego that 'everyone was kind of a little surprised and [asked themselves]: "Did we really see what we really saw?"

Passenger Mary Ellen Eagelston post a photo on Twitter and later said everyone was 'surprised' and questioning: 'Did we really see what we really saw?'

'I just saw him exiting out and that was it. I guess he landed on the wing and then jumped down to the tarmac.'

The police report said the flight attendants 'did not witness any of the described events.' Flight attendant are typically seated at the front and rear of the plane during takeoff and landing.

United Airlines said in a statement on Thursday: 'Our ground crew stopped the individual outside of the aircraft, and the person is now with law enforcement.'

An Air Traffic Control recording, obtained by NBC Chicago, reported someone saying: 'We had to stop short of gate Bravo 3. Somebody pulled the rear right over wing exit. Someone in seat 21 Bravo has exited the aircraft and is on the ramp.'

The plane was delayed 20 minutes on the tarmac before continuing down the runway and safely deplaning all other passengers at the gate, Live and Let Fly reported.

Eagelston said there was 'no panic' or 'worry' and that passengers felt safe.

'I felt like we were in good hands,' she told NBC San Diego.

Davila is expected back in court on June 27.
Keir Starmer has been plunged into a full-scale leadership crisis after The Mail on Sunday obtained a secret Labour party document which appears to blow apart his version of events over 'Beergate'.

A confidential operational note, drawn up in the days before Sir Keir's notorious visit to Durham, reveals that the beer and curry gathering had been planned in advance.

The bombshell document, which was passed to this newspaper by a whistleblower, also calls into serious doubt Sir Keir's claim that he returned to work afterwards.

Keir Starmer has been plunged into a leadership crisis after The Mail on Sunday obtained a Labour party document which appears to blow apart his version of events over 'Beergate'

After an entry recording the 'dinner in Miners Hall' - and a note to 'arrange takeaway' from a local curry house - the document simply says: 'End of visit'.

The dramatic revelation follows the announcement by Durham Police on Friday that it was opening a fresh investigation into the event on April 30 last year, which took place when indoor socialising was illegal. The inquiry comes after a series of revelations in the Daily Mail.

The Labour leader - who is facing pressure from his party over his failure to make a significant UK-wide breakthrough in last week's local elections - called for Boris Johnson's resignation in January when Scotland Yard launched its inquiry into claims of No.10 lockdown-breaking, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.

A confidential operational note, drawn up in the days before Sir Keir's notorious visit to Durham, reveals that the beer and curry gathering (pictured) had been planned in advance

A Labour spokesperson said: 'Keir was working, a takeaway was made available in the kitchen, and he ate between work demands. No rules were broken.'

A Labour source said: 'During a fast-moving campaign, the op note doesn't always keep up with events so it would be wrong to assume that activities occurred at the times originally planned. For example, it's been documented that the takeaway was late.'

You can read the full explosive story - and see the damning documents - in tomorrow's Mail on Sunday or read it now at our new premium sister website The Mail+

The Mail+ is where subscribers can enjoy the Mail newspapers and our brilliant magazines every day - AND save nearly 20 a month on the print cover price
The father of a missing Milwaukee woman who was found murdered on Thursday has told of the 'nightmare' moment he learned she'd been killed.

Terry Rogers, of Sherman, Texas, said his family was desperate to find his daughter, Emily, 23, who had gone missing on April 26 along with her 1-year-old daughter, Katie.

Although he was hopeful that his daughter would turn up alive after Katie was found on Tuesday, he told The Sun he was devastated when police visited the family two days later to deliver the horrible news that Emily was found dead in St. Francis, Wisconsin.

'It was a whole bunch of emotions that flooded in, Rogers said. 'There was sadness because our worst nightmare was verified.'

'The anger that comes in, the confusion. It's all these different emotions that hit you at once.'

Milwaukee Police reported that they found missing mom Emily Rogers, 23, (pictured) dead on Thursday. Multiple suspects have been arrested in connection to the case

Emily's father, Terry Rogers (above), of Sherman, Texas, said he was devastated when police sat his family down to deliver the news. He had hoped police would be able to find his daughter alive after they found his granddaughter safe on Tuesday

Emily and her 1-year-old daughter, Katie, were last seen on April 26, with police filing a missing person's report on Monday. The young mom had moved to Milwaukee to reconnect with her daughter's father, who was arrested on Sunday and believed to be a suspect in the case

The distraught father noted that while he may have lost his daughter, he is at least grateful that his granddaughter returned safe and sound.

'We have her' Terry told the Sun. 'She's not lost, and we can take her home [to Texas]. 'We get that closure. A lot of families don't get that.'

Emily's mother, Amy Rogers, told WTMJ that the young mother had moved from Texas to Milwaukee last year to reconnect with Katie's father.

Terry said Emily had finally settled in her new life in the city when she suddenly went missing.

'She was so excited to start a new job. She found a new place and moved out on her own,' he told the Sun. 'She would call me to tell me things how great things are.'

'She didn't have a bad bone in her body.'

Police reported her missing on Monday, and she was last seen in Milwaukee on April 26 before police found her dead more than three miles away in the city of St. Francis.

Milwaukee police have arrested several suspects in connection to the disappearance, including Emily's boyfriend, who has yet to be identified by police and was taken into custody on Sunday for a parole violation, WTMJ reported.

Terry said his daughter (pictured with Katie) was excited about settling down in Wisconsin last year. She was found in St. Francis, three miles away from Milwaukee

Although he's heartbroken over his daughter's death, Terry said he was grateful his granddaughter was found alive. Katie will be living with her grandparents in Texas

The Milwaukee Police Department said the investigation is still ongoing and believed that 'foul play' was involved in the young mother's death.

Police added that Emily's body has been delivered to the County Medical Examiner's office to determine the cause of death.

'The Milwaukee Police Department send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Emily Rogers that are impacted by this tragedy,' the department said in a statement.

Rogers said that while his family moves on, he hopes justice will be carried out on his daughter's killer.

'They're going to have to live with this the rest of their life,' he told the Sun. 'If they care, I don't know, but it's on their souls.

'I hope they're haunted. I hope they can't sleep, and when they sleep, I hope they see what they did over and over.'

The GoFundMe page started to help Amy travel to Wisconsin to help look for her daughter has now been converted to help the family pay for Emily's funeral services and to help Katie move back to Texas with her grandparents.

'I'm not leaving this state without my daughter and my granddaughter,' Amy told WTMJ. 'You can bank on that. I'm not leaving without them.'
Celebrity spoon-bender Uri Geller has praised a group of kayakers for finally ridding his Scottish island of a solitary rat after they spent a year tracking it.

The Israeli-British self-proclaimed psychic purchased Lamb Island, in the Firth of Forth, in 2009 for 30,000 after becoming convinced that it was home to treasure buried by Pharaoh Tutankhamen's half-sister, Scota.

Lamb Island is one of three rocky outcrops which mirror the layout of the Pyramids at Giza, near Cairo - and Geller believes in a legend which points to the exiled Egyptian princess as having hidden treasure on it.

When a rat was detected there by conservationists in November 2020, it was decided action needed to be taken as rodents pose a threat to nesting birds, including puffins and cormorants.

But rather than call upon Geller, 75, to use his particular set of skills to track down the invasive predator, a different team rose to the challenge - volunteers from the Lothian Sea Kayak Club, with support from experts at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.

Celebrity spoon-bender Uri Geller has praised a group of kayakers for ridding his Scottish island of a solitary rat after they spent a year tracking it. The self-proclaimed psychic bought Lamb Island, in the Firth of Forth, in 2009 after becoming convinced it was home to treasure buried by Pharaoh Tutankhamen's half-sister, Scota. (Above, Geller on the island in 2010)

Volunteers from the Lothian Sea Kayak Club, with support from experts at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, managed to track the lone rat (above) - which was caught on a motion-triggered camera

Above, the Lothian Sea Kayak Club. They set down a number of rat traps containing food laced with poison. The vermin subsequently nibbled some of it, has not been seen since December and is missing presumed dead

Landing access to the uninhabited island is difficult for large boats, so the kayak team was ideal for the mission.

The team made 35 trips and used motion-triggered cameras to establish that just one rat was present.

They set down a number of rat traps containing food laced with poison. The vermin subsequently nibbled some of it, has not been seen since December and is missing presumed dead.

'I was astounded when I saw the infrared image of the rat. My island is not that tiny so to locate one rat is a big achievement. Thank you very much, a big hug and good positive energy from me to them,' Geller told BBC Scotland.

Lamb Island is one of three rocky outcrops which mirror the layout of the Pyramids at Giza, near Cairo - and Geller believes in a legend which points to the exiled Egyptian princess as having hidden treasure on it

It is not known how the rat got to the island in the first place.

One possibility is that it swam the short distance from the mainland - or it could have been thrown overboard after stowing away on a boat.

Emily Burton, conservation officer at the Scottish Seabird Centre, told The Times: '[The poison] took so long to work because rats are neophobic - innately afraid of new things.

'He avoided these tempting treats for months but finally we saw blocks of rodenticide had been gnawed off and taken away.'

Geller, who lives in Israel with his wife, rose to fame in the 1970s with an act based around his apparent psychic powers and telepathy skills, which were even tested by the CIA

Speaking on urigeller.com about his love of Lamb Island, the illusionist said: 'The connection has been known for centuries.

'You can read about it in a 15th century manuscript called the Scotichronicon, by the Abbot of Inchcolm, Walter Bower.

'This island has links not only to the pyramids, but to King Arthur, King Robert the Bruce and to the ancient Kings of Ireland too.

'It might seem forbidding, and it is certainly uninhabitable, but it is also one of the keystones to British mythology, and I am thrilled to be its owner.'

Geller, who lives in Israel with his wife, rose to fame in the 1970s with an act based around his apparent psychic powers and telepathy skills, which were even tested by the CIA.

He is best known for his trademark spoon-bending trick.

Among the many spoons in his collection are some that formerly belonged to famous people, including Napoleon, John F. Kennedy, Elvis Presley, the Dalai Lama and Gandhi.
Elon Musk has warned Twitter staff they face 'extreme' workloads when he takes over - but insists he'll still graft even harder than them to make the firm a success.

The tycoon replied to an earlier tweet he shared about his plans for the social media network Saturday, and wrote: 'Also, work ethic expectations would be extreme, but much less than I demand of myself.'

His original tweet had outlined Musk's tech-focused approach to running the firm, and said: 'If Twitter acquisition completes, company will be super focused on hardcore software engineering, design, infosec & server hardware.'

Musk's latest revelation is likely to prompt further wailing and gnashing of teeth among staff at the famously-progressive San Francisco-based company.

They've spent recent weeks moaning about Musk's $44 billion purchase of their employer, with many claiming that the entrepreneur's hardcore defense of free speech is 'harmful.'

Elon Musk shared this tweet Saturday warning Twitter staff he'd impose an extreme workload on them

Musk was replying to one of his own tweets posted Friday, in which he said he'd focus on the technical side of Twitter to drive profitability

The deal is likely to be completed within the next six months, and has sparked widespread speculation Musk is planning a cull of 1,000 existing Twitter staff to boost profits.

Within the next three years, Musk anticipates making thousands of new hires, swelling the ranks to around 11,000 employees, up from 7,500 currently.

Much of the new talent is likely to be in the field of engineering.

Numbers at the company would fluctuate rising to 9,225 employees this year before falling to 8,332 in 2023. Then adding a further 2,700 workers by 2025.

Most of the jobs being shelved would occur during the takeover period, according to a pitch deck Musk presented this week to investors and seen by the New York Times

Up to 1,000 Twitter staffers are set to be laid off from the firm, whose San Francisco HQ is pictured, when Musk takes over in the next six months

The changes Musk will make are part of his plan to increase Twitter 's annual revenue by five times current levels to $26.4 billion by 2028, up from $5 billion last year

Advertising on the platform is set to fall to 45% of total revenue by 2028 under Musk, down from about 90% in 2020

On a company level, Musk has previously floated the idea of closing down the San Francisco headquarters in order to save money and that board members may also not receive a salary, shaving off another $3 million in expenses.

He has mooted turning the vast HQ into a homeless shelter in the vagrant and crime-plagued city, although it remains unclear whether Musk was joking.

The changes Musk makes are part of his plan to increase Twitter's annual revenue by five times current levels to $26.4 billion by 2028, up from $5 billion last year.

Advertising on the platform is set to fall to 45% of total revenue under Musk, down from about 90% in 2020.

By 2028, he plans for ads to generate $12 billion in revenue in 2028, while subscriptions are expected to pull in another $10 billion, according to the report.

Musk is said to favor a subscription-based model over advertiser funding, as it would make Twitter less beholden to advertiser pressure.

He has even suggested users could pay with cryptocurrency, including joke currency Dogecoin which Musk has long had an affection for.

Other revenue would come from businesses such as data licensing.

Musk has also tweeted about potentially monetizing tweets, although he has not provided specific details.

Musk also plans to see Twitter's cash flow rise to $3.2 billion in 2025 and $9.4 billion in 2028.

Numbers at the company would fluctuate rising to 9,225 employees this year before falling to 8,332 in 2023. Then adding a further 2,700 workers by 2025.

Musk anticipates Twitters total number of users will grow from 217 million at the end of last year to nearly 600 million in 2025 and 931 million six years from now

Elon Musk plans to quintuple Twitter's revenue to $26.4 billion by 2028 In a pitch deck Musk claimed he would increase Twitters annual revenue to $26.4 billion by 2028, up from $5 billion last year

Twitter's cash flow with be increased by taking on $13 billion of debt as part of Musk's buyout of the company.

However he plans to pay down the debt and increase the company's cash's flow.

Last month, Musk started a poll on his Twitter account - which has more than 81 million followers - asking whether the firm's San Francisco headquarters should be converted to a homeless shelter as 'no-one shows up (to work there)'.

The poll got more 300,000 votes in an hour, with 90% answering yes.

It comes weeks after Twitter bosses - who offered staffers the option of working from home 'forever' during the pandemic - reopened its offices March 15, with remote work remaining an option for staffers.

Musk clinched a deal in April to buy Twitter for $44 billion in cash, in a move that will shift control of the social media platform populated by millions of users and global leaders to the Tesla chief.

The billionaire has promised to revitalize the company and expand the number of users by cracking down on spam bots and reducing the amount of moderation to facilitate more free speech.

Twitter has been condemned on banning conservative material it deems 'harmful,' including the verified contents of Hunter Biden's laptop.

After the closure of the deal, Musk is expected to become Twitter's temporary CEO it was revealed on Thursday.

Among his other goals, Musk expects the social media company to bring in $15 million from a payments business in 2023 that will grow to about $1.3 billion by 2028.

As one of the founders of PayPal, Musk is familiar with the world of digital payments.

Twitter's payments business today, which includes tipping and shopping, is negligible.

It's believed Musk may also want to introduce payment abilities to Twitter.

Musk also said he'd cut Twitters reliance on ads to less than 50% percent of revenue

On March 25, Musk tweeted a poll: 'Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?'

A top priority for Musk is to eliminate 'bots' which frequently generate spam and run scams

Musk said that his take over of Twitter would lead to the take down of spam bots and provide all human users with blue check marks to verify their identities

Musk anticipates he can increase Twitter's average revenue per user to $30.22 in 2028 from $24.83 last year, it added.

Revenue from Twitter Blue, the company's premium subscription service launched last year, is expected to have 69 million users by 2025.

Users currently pay $3 a month to customize their experience on the app.

Musk hopes that plans to boost Twitters user numbers will also see more taking out subscriptions to Twitter Blue.

Twitter's board members may also not receive a salary, shaving off another $3 million in expenses

Earlier in April, Musk took aim at the company's lax remote working policies, saying he came up with the plan 'since no one shows up anyway.'

Musk, in a now deleted tweet last month, suggested a raft of changes to the social media giant's Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price.

Other mooted changes include blue verification checkmarks for anyone who subscribes to Twitter's premium Blue service, which costs $2.99 a month.

Twitter Blue, launched in June 2021, is said to offer 'exclusive access to premium features' on a monthly subscription basis, Twitter says. It is available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

'Price should probably be ~$2/month, but paid 12 months up front; account doesn't get checkmark for 60 days (watch for credit card chargebacks) & suspended with no refund if used for scam/spam,' Musk said in a tweet from last month.

Dogecoin is widely seen as a joke cryptocurrency, with one Dogecoin worth $0.127 as of May 7

'And no ads,' Musk suggested. 'The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive.'

Musk also proposed an option to pay with dogecoin and asked Twitter users for their views.

On Thursday, Musk listed a group of high-profile investors who are ready to provide funding of $7.14 billion for his Twitter bid, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Sequoia Capital.

Musk has increased the financing commitment to $27.25 billion, which includes commitments from 19 investors, and reduced a margin loan from Morgan Stanley tied to his Tesla stock to $6.25 billion.

Musk, the world's richest man, is worth $255 billion - but much of that money is tied up in Tesla stock. He is believed to have 'only' $3 billion in cash, Bloomberg reported last month.

He has already secured commitments for $13 billion in loans against Twitter shares.

Last week, Musk disclosed he sold $8.5 billion worth of Tesla stock following his agreement to buy the platform.

Musk has also pledged some of his Tesla shares to banks to arrange a $12.5 billion margin loan to help fund the deal.
A British pensioner found dead at her home on the Costa Blanca may have been targeted in a real estate dispute, according to Spanish police.

Widow Monica Warren, 81, was shot and killed at her home near Alicante on Wednesday. Her body was found under her bed.

Police revealed yesterday they believe Mrs Warren was killed by someone she knew..

They suspect a 46-year-old mother who allegedly enlisted her 16-year-old son to help her move the body and dispose of evidence.

Widow Monica Warren, 81, was found dead under a bed at her 350,000 home near Elche, south Spain. Police explored the crime scene yesterday evening as they questioned suspects

The pair, who are being questioned following their arrest two days ago, made a court appearance earlier today.

One local report said the unnamed mother and Mrs Warren could have been involved in a property deal gone wrong.

Police are investigating a 'financial motive' for the sick crime, it added.

The mother has not yet been formally charged with any crime. This is common in Spain, where charges are laid shortly before trial.

A court official today said her teenage son had been remanded in a youth detention centre.

Neither has been named.

The killing took place in a housing complex by Elche, near Alicante on the Costa Brava

Police did not comment on the new possible motive but did rule out suggestions Mrs Warren was killed by an opportunistic burglar.

It was thought they might have picked the British OAP's home at random.

Police also said they had honed in on the suspects after the mother's car caught fire in Alicante in the early hours of Thursday morning, shortly after Mrs Warren's bullet-riddled body was found at her home in Elche.

She subsequently reported the theft of a .22 Beretta pistol, believed to be the murder weapon recovered near the house, which she was licensed to use as a firearms enthusiast.

A plumber called out by Mrs Warren for an urgent repair raised the alarm around 7pm on Wednesday when he was unable to get her to answer the door.

He told an emergency services operator he was concerned because he had seen two people in hoodies leaving the OAP's home and driving off in a black Peugeot.

Police said the car which caught fire on Thursday in a suspected arson was the same make and model as the one driven away from Mrs Warren's home.

The detainees' descriptions coincide with the ones the plumber gave them.

Overnight it was reported the female suspect only reported her gun missing after officers said they were going to check for fingerprints on the gutted Peugeot.

She was taken to court in Alicante in a police van around 9.30am local time this morning, around two hours after her son had been driven into a car park under the same court building in a police car.

The pair were taken to court after police searched her nearby home in her presence yesterday, seeking more evidence linking her to Wednesday evening's shooting.

It's now been suggested the killing was motivated by a financial dispute regarding real estate

Her son was also taken to the property with his defence lawyer.

More weapons are understood to have been found in the family home, although police have already said the woman they arrested practiced target shooting as a hobby and had a weapons licence.

The pair's court hearings are taking place behind closed doors, as is customary in Spain, where only trials take place in public.

Mrs Warren, who is thought to have been born in Germany but became a naturalised British citizen through marriage, moved to Spain with UK-born husband John more than 20 years ago.

He died of cancer several years ago and she lived alone.

Friend Alan Benson, 70, who lived near her 350,000 villa on a residential estate a short drive from Elche, told The Mirror he believed she had worked as a model in London.

He added: 'She was tall but she was incredibly thin. You could knock her over with a feather - I just don't understand why they did it.'

Spanish police confirmed late on Thursday: 'The National Police has arrested the alleged killers of an 81-year-old British woman whose body was found with fatal gunshot wounds on Wednesday at a villa in an area near Elche called Maitino.

'Investigators have arrested a man and a woman thanks to the swift response of police units tasked with fighting violent crime based in Elche and the provincial police HQ in Alicante, who have coordinated their work to locate both detainees and seize the possible murder weapon, which is a short-barrelled firearm.'

They said in a later statement: 'The suspected authors of the homicide are a 46-year-old woman and her 16-year-old son. They are both Spanish.

'Neither has a criminal record.

'The weapon used to shoot the victim dead was found during a painstaking search of the place where her body was found and the area immediately around it.

'She had been shot three times and scenes-of-crimes officers concluded her body had been moved from the place she was killed to the spot where she was found.'
Russian mercenaries from Vladimir Putin's private military company the Wagner Group have been accused of raping women at a maternity ward in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The soldiers allegedly attacked a hospital in the Henri Izamo military camp in Bangui, the capital of CAR, on April 10, according to the Daily Beast.

Officials at the CAR's military headquarters got a report from the infirmary saying three Russian mercenaries raped health workers on duty and several women who had just given birth.

'[The military headquarters] received a report last month from the [hospital] center detailing how three Russian instructors stormed the maternity ward and began to sexually assault women on admission,' an official told the American news website.

They continued: 'Among the victims, the military was informed, are two mothers who had just given birth to babies and health workers on duty'.

The official added that the military 'is convinced that the report is genuine,' while another official said it is the third occasion such a report has been received.

The Wagner Group mercenaries pose at Popasna, the Sievierodonetsk district of the Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine

According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Russian mercenaries have also killed and tortured civilians in CAR since 2019.

Russian-speaking men carrying military-grade weapons and wearing military gear with no official markings set up a road block near the town of Bossangoa in July 2021, stopped men to beat them and shot at least eight dead, according to witnesses.

Human Rights Watch interviewed at least 40 people in person or by phone over a period of more than two years to document abuses probably carried out by mercenaries with the Russian-linked Wagner group.

Another incident described by witnesses involved Russian-linked forces detaining and torturing people in Bambari in 2019.

The accusations by the international rights group come after United Nations experts in October called on CAR's government to end all relationships with 'private military and security personnel, particularly the Wagner Group'.

They said its members have violently harassed and intimidated civilians, peacekeepers, journalists, aid workers and minorities and have committed rape and sexual violence against women, men and young girls.

The Wagner Group, which portrays itself as a private military contractor, sends mercenary forces - many former Russian soldiers - to several African countries and other places including Ukraine and the Middle East

France and the United States also accused Wagner 'mercenaries' of massacres and executions of civilians in January.

The Wagner Group, which portrays itself as a private military contractor, sends mercenary forces - many former Russian soldiers - to several African countries and other places including Ukraine and the Middle East.

Although the Kremlin officially denies any connection to Wagner, the group is strategically used to further President Vladimir Putin's ambitions to increase Russia's influence and undermine democracy, analysts say.

Human Rights Watch called on the government of CAR, the country's Special Criminal Court or the International Criminal Court to investigate incidents in its report and other allegations of abuse by Russian-linked forces there.

Although the Kremlin officially denies any connection to Wagner, the group is strategically used to further President Vladimir Putin's ambitions to increase Russia's influence and undermine democracy, analysts say

'The Central African government has every right to request international security assistance, but it can't allow foreign forces to kill and otherwise abuse civilians with impunity,' said Ida Sawyer, crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch.

'To demonstrate its respect for the rule of law, and to put an end to these abuses, the government should immediately investigate and prosecute all forces, including Russia-linked forces, responsible for murder, unlawful detention, and torture.'

The rights group says it has requested information from the government on inquiries into violence and any agreements with Russia, but has received no reply.

The CAR government in 2021 did acknowledge the serious violation of human rights by Russians, which forced Vladimir Titorenko to leave his post as Russian ambassador to the country.

Central African president Faustin-Archange Touadera attends the inking of a peace deal between the government of the Central African Republic and 14 armed groups in Khartoum

It also said it would set up a special commission of inquiry to establish responsibility but no findings have been published.

Russian security has helped protect President Faustin-Archange Touadera for years, with Russia's former member of internal security services Valery Zakharov serving as an adviser in Bangui on military, political and economic matters.

While the government denies hiring mercenaries from Wagner, Mr Zakharov is a 'key figure' in Wagner's command structure, according to European Union documents.

Experts estimate there are between 1,000 and 2,000 personnel in the Central African Republic.
It may be famous for its classic racing cars and thoroughbred race horses  but Goodwood will turn into Goodwoof this month to take on the worlds most famous dog show.

Some 10,000 dogs will descend on the West Sussex estate of the Duke of Richmond in a two-day canine showcase billed as bigger than Crufts.

He has enlisted Tom Cruises Mission: Impossible stunt team to design a series of trials, and expects an A-list and Royal crowd at the event.

The Duke  or Charles Richmond to his friends  told The Mail on Sunday: Its more than just a traditional dog show like Crufts. This is about the relationship between you and your dog, what you get out of that relationship and doing things together.

The Duke of Richmond - Charlie Richmond to his friends - poses with three of his dogs

This is a great celebration of how, for centuries, the British have tended to put their dogs above everything.

Goodwood  or Glorious Goodwood to horse-racing fans  is a fitting site for the show, which will be screened live on ITV. Its Georgian stately home for pets, The Kennels, was the worlds most luxurious doghouse when it was designed in 1787 by James Wyatt, the top architect of the day.

The Duke, sitting alongside his dogs Winston, Ruby and Leto, said: The kennels were designed to be as glorious as the house. We as a nation tend to look after our dogs better than ourselves; it had central heating installed 100 years before the main house.

The gorgeous Sussex estate will play host to the event promised to be 'bigger than Crufts'

The Kennels is now used as the clubhouse for the estates sporting participants and their dogs. All dogs are members in their own right and are issued with named water bowls when they are signed up.

The Duke said: Thats why it felt right that the Goodwood kennels should play host to an event of this scale. I hope Goodwoof will become a summer fixture for people from all over the country to enjoy with their dogs every year.

Along with traditional sheepdog trials there is barkour  a canine version of parkour, with dogs completing a course as fluidly as possible.

For more chilled pets a wellness centre will offer doga  doggy yoga  as well as gong sound meditations dubbed hound baths by the Duke after the sound baths of ringing gongs that have become a trendy way for some humans to relax.

Organisers of the Goodwood festivities have enlisted the Mission: Impossible stunts team

He has planned talks from behavioural and veterinary experts, and promises a lot of walking around looking at things over a glass of champagne, rather like the Chelsea Flower Show.

James Middleton, brother of the Duchess of Cambridge, was last week revealed by the MoS as the face of the event. He breeds spaniels and last year gave a black cocker spaniel named Orla to his sister and Prince William after the death of their beloved Lupo.

The Queens nephew, Viscount Linley, has designed a luxury dog house for an architecture  or barkitecture  competition, which will be judged by Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud. The Mayfair high society haunt 5 Hertford Street, owned by Boris Johnsons friend Robin Birley, is running the VIP cocktail bar.

Tickets for the event on May 28 and 29 are available on the Goodwood website priced from 35, with free entry to children under 12. Dogs are, of course, also free.
A United States judge has ruled that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene can run for reelection, denying a bid that aims to block the congresswoman from a repeat of her post amid a string of controversies within the GOP.

The situation comes after the Republican is believed to have been involved in insurrection due to her rhetoric before the Capitol Hill riot last year. The lawmaker was tried under a Civil War-era law that bars officials from holding office if they violate their oath to protect the country.

Marjorie Taylor Greene

The Georgia Republican reacted to the news on Friday with a one-worded Twitter post that said, "ACQUITTED." Many GOP lawmakers have faced questions over their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot as Congress was meeting to formalize Joe Biden's presidential win over Donald Trump.

On the other hand, Democrats claim that 47-year-old Greene played a key role in calling for an "insurrection" in Washington. The case against the Republican centered around a provision of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the "Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause," as per BBC.

State Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot submitted his findings of the case to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The latter accepted them and said that Greene's name will remain on the ballot, making her eligible for reelection.

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In a statement, Raffensperger said that Judge Beaudrot had issued his Initial Decision on May 6 that there was not enough evidence to prove the insurrection allegations against the Georgia lawmaker. The case was brought forward by a group of Georgia voters who wanted to have Greene disqualified.

According to the Washington Post, Greene is accused of frequently and repeatedly using language that helped incite violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. These include efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election as "our 1776 moment."

Capitol Hill Insurrection

In April Greene testified about her alleged role in the attack where she said that she could not remember whether or not she urged then-President Trump to impose martial law to remain in power. A national election and campaign finance reform group, Free Speech for People, filed the challenge against the Georgia official in March with the region's secretary of state's office.

Judge Beaudrot said that Greene's public statements and heated rhetoric may well have contributed to the chaotic environment that led to the insurrection. However, he noted that the expression of constitutionally-protected political views, no matter how aberrant they may be, was not considered to be engaging in insurrection under the 14th Amendment.

The results of the case are seen as another setback in the liberal-backed efforts to hold Republican officials accountable for the Capitol Hill riot. Furthermore, it raises questions about whether or not similar constitutional challenges will even stand a chance against former President Trump.

In a statement, Free Speech for People said that the judge's decision betrayed the fundamental purpose of the 14th Amendment's Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause. They argued that it gives lawmakers a free pass to political violence as a tool for disrupting and overturning free and fair elections in the United States, CNN reported.



Related Article: US Capitol Riot 'Caveman' Gets 8 Months in Prison, More Punishment Over Mob Attack

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President Joe Biden's new press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been blasted for a scathing 2019 attack on the 'severely racist' pro-Israel conference - even though previous attendees include Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In a 2019 Newsweek op-ed, Pierre, 44, called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention 'racist' and said it wasn't 'progressive.'

'Unfortunately, AIPAC's policy and conference speaker choices aren't its only problems. Its severely racist, Islamophobic rhetoric has proven just as alarming,' she wrote in 2019. 'The organization has become known for trafficking in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric while lifting up Islamophobic voices and attitudes.

'When it comes down to it, AIPAC's policies are not progressive policies. AIPAC's values are not progressive values.

'It's time to call a spade a spade,' she wrote. AOC has also blasted the organization in March of this year.

The newly minted press secretary went on to say that Democrats can't call themselves 'progressive while continuing to associate yourself with an organization like AIPAC' because the organization has been the 'antithesis' of that.

She wrote the op-ed in Newsweek in 2019, where she claimed 'AIPAC's policies are not progressive policies'

New press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been blasted for a scathing 2019 attack on the 'severely racist' pro-Israel conference, which has previously been attended by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

She wrote the op-ed while working as the Senior Advisor and National Spokesperson to MoveOn, according to the New York Post. She was also working as a lecturer at Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs at the time.

Jean-Pierre, the first black and gay person to hold the position, has already received heat for her relationship with CNN journalist Suzanne Malveaux, with many calling it a 'conflict of interest' -

She also slammed the Trump Administration for trying to dismantle the Iran Nuclear Deal former President Barack Obama had put together and praised Democratic nominees for not attending the 2019 conference.

'And I for one am glad that a number of candidates running on my party's ticket feel the same. Because ultimately, this wasn't about skipping the AIPAC annual conference,' she wrote.

'It was about boldly choosing to prioritize diplomacy and human rights over the power of a lobbying organization. And this is exactly the type of attitude we need heading into 2020.'

She also took a dig at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was a speaker at that year's conference.

'Netanyahu not only has personal charges levied against him = he's been indicted on both bribery and fraud charges - but under his leadership of Israel, according to the United Nations, Israel may have committed war crimes in its attacks on Gazan protesters,' she wrote at the time.

Netanyahu called the war crimes claim 'outrageous.'

Now, Pierre is facing backlash online for her three-year piece.

Seth Mandel, the executive editor of the Washington Examiner magazine, who is also Jewish, wrote on Twitter: 'Karine Jean-Pierre also criticized Hoyer for "bash[ing]" Ilhan Omar and other squadniks over Israel. You definitely want someone who sides with Ilhan Omar speaking for the president, right? Good work everyone.'

David Friedman, who served as US Ambassador to Israel between 2017 and 2021, wrote on Twitter: 'Amidst all the celebration of Bidens new press secretary checking multiple boxes in identity politics, the mainstream media forgot to mention that she hates Israel.'

The Times of Israel even wrote: 'Karine Jean-Pierre, who endorsed AIPAC boycott, to be next White House spokesperson.'

Pierre, who grew up in Queens, New York, began her career at the Center for Community and Corporate Ethics that analyzes the impact of big corporations on society. She also works on President Obamas 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns and was a political commentator on NBC and MSNBC during the Trump Administration.

Jen Psaki, who Pierre will be replacing, will be moving on to work for MSNBC after her last day, May 13.

Pierre is the first openly gay person and the first black woman to reach this position.

An ethics group is doubling down on their calls for the Biden White House to be the 'most transparent in history' by releasing all ethics documents relating to new press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and her conversations with ethics officials over potential conflicts of interest with her CNN journalist partner.

Her partner is CNN's national correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, 55, and the pair share a seven-year-old daughter, Soleil.

The new press secretary received backlash for 'hating Israel' after telling Democrats to 'boycott' the conference

There are now questions over whether the network embroiled in months of scandal will offer impartial coverage.

Meanwhile, there is still mounting criticism over Psaki's potential move to MSNBC when she leaves the White House as press secretary next week.

Michael Chamberlain, Director of ethics watchdog Protect the Public's Trust, told DailyMail.com on Friday: 'Restrictions regarding conflicts of interest for political appointees are imputed on the appointees spouse.

'Regardless of the legal status of her relationship with Malveaux, given Jean-Pierres unique role with the media, this certainly presents the appearance of a potential conflict of interest.

'If the Biden Administration is going to be true to their pledges to be the most ethical and most transparent in history, they should feel an obligation to go beyond the minimum legal requirements for disclosure and release all of Ms. Jean-Pierres ethics documents as well as the related conversations with ethics officials.

'Protect the Publics Trust called for this transparency with respect to Ms. Psakis post-government employment search as well.'

Pierre is the first openly gay and black woman in this position (pictured on May 5)

Juwan Holmes, associate editor of the online magazine LGBTQ Nation, spent the last two years writing about Jean-Pierre's work, and said he anticipated the concern.

'I'm sure there won't be Cuomo-level conflict of interest violations but expect it to have it bought up in the future' he said.

Others quickly slammed the network.

'This is one of many examples of the corporate media LITERALLY in bed with the government it covers,' tweeted Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of Breitbart.

Malveaux, who joined CNN in 2002, and Jean-Pierre are familiar faces on the DC scene - most recently attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner together on Saturday night.

The pair met in 2012 at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Parliament has failed in its duty to protect sexual abuse victims, the victim of a disgraced former MP has said.

After The Mail on Sunday revealed former Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock still has a pass that gives him unfettered access to Parliament, a vulnerable constituent who sued him for sexual harassment has called for it to be revoked.

Mr Hancock resigned from the Liberal Democrats in 2014 after admitting serious misconduct against a woman known by the pseudonym Annie, and stepped down from his Portsmouth South seat in 2015  but he continues to have full access to Parliament with a Category X pass.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Annie said: Parliament has no care for victims of sexual abuse.

Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock still has a pass that gives him unfettered access to Parliament

Hancock is allowed yet again to lord it up among women where he can be a predator yet again.

She added: It proves to me Parliament are out of touch with victims of abuse if they dont understand the pain the victim goes through.

Annie said finding out Mr Hancock has a parliamentary pass has made her relive the abuse over again and that the PTSD she experienced after her ordeal has returned.

Category X passes allow former MPs unrestricted access long after they leave Parliament, including to its restaurants, bars and MP-only areas, and they are not required to declare their financial interests.

Last year, the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle promised to clamp down on these passes after reports they were being used by lobbyists.

Last year, the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle promised to clamp down on these passes after reports they were being used by lobbyists

Annie has now written to House of Commons authorities calling for Mr Hancocks pass to be removed immediately.

She said: I feel sickened. Anger is an understatement and I will continue to fight so that this narcissist of a human being is ousted from holding anything to do with Parliament.

The Mail on Sunday understands the Speaker tasked Sir Charles Walker, the chairman of the Administration Committee, with looking at Mr Hancocks pass.

Sources close to Sir Charles suggested the pass is likely to be removed following the review

Sources close to Sir Charles suggested the pass is likely to be removed following the review.

Mr Hancock previously told the MoS he has no intention of voluntarily giving up his pass.

In 2010, Mr Hancock was embroiled in a Russian spy scandal after MI5 claimed a researcher he had a four-year affair with was a spy planted by Kremlin intelligence services. She was later cleared of the accusations.
A British YouTuber has been detained detained at the Russian spaceport of Baikonur in Kazakhstan, officials said tonight.

Rich Benjamin, known by his video blogging account, Bald and Bankrupt, along with a Belarusian woman were apprehended near one of the launch pads at Baikonur and are being held by city authorities.

Dmitry Rogozin, chief of space agency Roscosmos, said on Telegram that Benjamin and Alina Tseliupa had been 'linked to the organisation of illegal actions', but gave no further details. He added that investigations are ongoing.

Rich Benjamin, known by his video blogging account, Bald and Bankrupt, along with a Belarusian woman were apprehended near one of the launch pads at Baikonur and are being held by city authorities

Preparations for the launch of a Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage block carrying 38 satellites from 18 countries from a launch pad of Baikonur Cosmodrome, where Rich Benjamin was arrested

Benjamin has more than 3.5 million followers on his YouTube channel, which has recently included videos from the Ukrainian border

Benjamin has more than 3.5 million followers on his YouTube channel, which has recently included videos from the Ukrainian border.

His most popular clip, viewed some 10 million times, documented a trip to Moldova, and was titled 'Nobody Visits This Country...Find Out Why'.

Some of Benjamin's videos feature a woman called Alina but it was not immediately clear whether she and Tseliupa were the same person.

The most recent video on Rich's channel was filmed in Syria and posted on April 24. In an Instagram post last week, Rich said 'Syrian suntan and back in a country with Soviet mosaics' but did not specify where he was.

In London, Britain's foreign ministry did not have an immediate comment.

Baikonur, once a closed Soviet city, is now open to tourists who apply for permission from Roscosmos. It lies in the steppe around 1,100 km (680 miles) southwest of the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan.
If their last public appearance  all stiff body language and rictus grins  was awkward, the next reunion of the Sussexes and the Cambridges will surely be frostier still.

Now that Harry and Meghan have announced their attendance at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, there is speculation they will join the Royal Family at the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on June 3, which will inevitably mean rubbing shoulders with William and Kate.

When the once Fab Four previously appeared before the world  on March 9, 2020, at Westminster Abbey  every glance and gesture was weighed for evidence of discomfiture. The tension between the couples was plain to see.

Back then, the newly exiled Sussexes had just plunged the House of Windsor into turmoil by quitting their frontline roles, prompting much anger and disbelief.

The Sussexes and the Cambridges at Westminster Abbey two years ago. If their last public appearance  all stiff body language and rictus grins  was awkward, the next reunion of the two couples will surely be frostier still

Now that Harry and Meghan have announced their attendance at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, there is speculation they will join the Royal Family at the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on June 3, which will inevitably mean rubbing shoulders with William and Kate. (Above, Harry, Meghan and Archie welcome Lilibet last year)

But this was a whole year before the deeply acrimonious fallout resulting from the interview with Oprah Winfrey and the many wounding revelations that have since emerged.

With relations now at rock bottom, and with only working Royals allowed to join the Queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony following Trooping the Colour on June 2, keen interest will inevitably focus on St Paul's.

Nothing is set in stone, however, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are apt to keep their intentions secret until the last minute.

The Sussexes are pictured during their interview with Oprah Winfrey

All that one Palace source would say was: 'Meghan, Harry and the children remain much-loved members of the family and, as such, have been invited to family events to celebrate the jubilee.'

What cannot be in doubt is the delight the Windsors will derive from seeing the couple's children, three-year-old Archie, who has not been in the UK since he was a baby, and California-born Lilibet, who has dual citizenship but who has never met her British family.

Might the Royals squeeze in a party to mark Lilibet's first birthday, which falls on June 4 in the middle of the jubilee? It is anyone's guess.

Harry is pursuing legal action against the Home Office after he was stripped of his Metropolitan Police protection when he quit the UK. He claims that it is too dangerous for his family to return to Britain unless they have their bodyguards reinstated

Less likely, say sources, is that the Duke and Duchess will take the opportunity to have their daughter christened in Britain.

Harry is pursuing legal action against the Home Office after he was stripped of his Metropolitan Police protection when he quit the UK.

He claims that it is too dangerous for his family to return to Britain unless they have their bodyguards reinstated.

But it was reported after last month's visit that Harry seemed 'mollified' by the arrangements put in place for him and Meghan, making a jubilee appearance more likely.

In addition to the St Paul's service, there is speculation that the couple will attend the Party At The Palace concert on June 4 and the Jubilee Pageant the following day.
Sajid Javid has ordered all hospitals to allow family members regular visits to patients, because they play a crucial role in their care.

Last week MPs wrote to the Health Secretary after The Mail on Sundays revelation that hospitals are still banning patients from having bedside visitors in immoral Covid restrictions  with nine trusts imposing total bans on visitors for some patients.

This newspaper was inundated with stories from readers blocked from seeing loved ones after revealing that nearly half of all trusts were falling short of NHS Englands guidance for minimum visiting policies.

In response, Mr Javid has threatened to name and shame trusts that dont ease curbs.

Sajid Javid has ordered all hospitals to allow family members regular visits to patients, because they play a crucial role in their care

The Health Secretary told The Mail on Sunday: Visitors can provide a lifeline for patients  we must never underestimate the positive impact of seeing the smile of a loved one or having a conversation with a friend for those receiving treatment in hospital.

With infections and hospitalisations falling, patients in hospital should not be deprived of the comfort and reassurance of regular visits from their families and loved ones. I urge all trusts to... ensure they are facilitating these visits, which play a crucial role in the wellbeing and care of patients.

Last night, TV presenter and campaigner Kirstie Allsopp warned that hospitals must not be allowed to use Covid to usher in a new era of restrictive visitor policies.

She said: We cant go back to the 1950s, when matron would say, You can visit for half an hour, once a week, and thats it. But Im quite suspicious that for certain wards, and for certain hospitals, going back to the 1950s would suit them no end.

Her concerns were mirrored by several Mail on Sunday readers who believed some hospital staff found it more convenient not to have family members around.

Ms Allsopp continued: The fact is we know hospitals are stretched  and family are absolutely vital to peoples recovery.

Roy Aldridge (left), 66, spent two weeks alone in St Jamess University Hospital, Leeds, due to heart failure-related complications, during which he suffered delirium. His wife Sarah Knox (right), 58, a semi-retired occupational therapist who worked for the NHS, believed no visits made matters worse

The Mail on Sunday has been deluged with tales from readers.

Roy Aldridge, 66, spent two weeks alone in St Jamess University Hospital, Leeds, due to heart failure-related complications, during which he suffered delirium.

His wife Sarah Knox, 58, a semi-retired occupational therapist who worked for the NHS, believed no visits made matters worse.

She said: He had these fantasies  hed ring me and say he was waiting for a train in the mountains of India. Sometimes he would get really distressed because he didnt know where I was and he couldnt understand why I wasnt there.

Mark Liddington, medical director for planned care, said the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust had maintained a consistent approach to not allow any visiting on Covid wards since the first cases of Covid 19.

He added: We completely sympathise with how difficult this has been for many, but our purpose is to minimise the potential for infections and protect the safety of our patients, their friends and family and our staff.

Julie Foster-Burnell, 65, is convinced her father Kenneth Foster would have given up and died if she had not pushed for visits after he had a critical bowel operation in autumn 2020. Thankfully, a ward sister at Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, Somerset, agreed.

Julie Foster-Burnell (middle), 65, is convinced her father Kenneth Foster (left) would have given up and died if she had not pushed for visits after he had a critical bowel operation in autumn 2020

Julie had received a call from him a few days after surgery, telling her: Its OK, Ive spoken to a nurse. She is going to sit with me. They are going to let me die.

Describing her father as a fighter, she recalled: Id never known him like this. I thought to myself, Youre not terminally ill  youre recovering.

She told a ward sister: My dads going to die if Im not allowed to see him.

The ward sister responded: Do you think you could make a difference? Yes, replied Julie. Come in now then, the nurse said.

He had barely eaten but Julie managed to convince him he could get better, saying: We can do this!

Two days later he phoned to say he was coming home. Julie said: Ive no doubt in my mind hed be dead if they hadnt let me see him.

Mr Foster made a full recovery. Now 90, he has just gone on holiday to the Lake District with his wife Isabel, 87, and Julie.

Hospital trusts with the tightest restrictions have eased their policies after the MoS exposed their inhumane rules. All but one of the nine which were still banning visitors for most in-patients, are allowing at least one visitor a day.
Family doctors must reject a push to cut their opening hours to 9am to 5pm, Labour warned last night.

This week GPs will vote on reducing their surgery hours, and are being asked to back a limit on the number of daily appointments.

But senior politicians called on doctors to reject the motion and put the interests of patients first.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting told The Mail on Sunday: Patients are already having to wait unacceptable lengths of time for an appointment, which means illnesses are going undiagnosed and people are going without the treatment they need. Forcing patients to wait even longer cannot be the answer, and I cant imagine most GPs think it is either.

Senior politicians called on doctors to reject the motion and put the interests of patients first (pictured: Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting)

The proposals have been tabled by a group of doctors for debate at a national conference.

Pushing for reduced workloads, they warned there were not enough GPs to cope with demand. If they succeed, they plan to lobby NHS England to introduce the new hours.

Current core opening hours are 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Up to 365 GPs will consider the motion on Tuesday and Wednesday at the annual conference of Local Medical Committees, which represent family doctors interests to health authorities.

Those behind it say it will encourage them to stay in the NHS, boost their wellbeing and provide a better service.

But patient groups said the unacceptable proposal would leave more people unable to access the care they need. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: GPs have a legal requirement to meet the reasonable needs of their patients during core hours.

We are confident our incredibly hard-working GPs will continue to deliver their vital services as we recover from the pandemic. We are supporting GPs by investing 1.5 billion to create an extra 50 million appointments and working with the NHS to improve access, tackle the Covid backlog and grow the general practice workforce.
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Keir Starmer has been plunged into a full-scale leadership crisis after The Mail on Sunday obtained a secret Labour Party document which appears to shatter his version of events over 'Beergate'.

An operational note drawn up ahead of Sir Keir's notorious visit to Durham, where he was filmed enjoying a late-night beer with activists, reveals the gathering had been planned in advance.

The bombshell document, marked 'private and confidential', also calls into serious doubt Sir Keir's claim that he returned to work after the beers and takeaway curries.

After the entry recording the 'dinner in Miners Hall'  which includes a note to 'arrange takeaway from Spice Lounge', a local curry house  the document simply says: 'End of visit.'

Now a witness present at the gathering is reportedly set to tell Durham Constabulary - which announced on Friday it was opening a fresh investigation into the event on April 30 last year, which took place when indoor socialising was illegal - that the event did indeed break rules at the time.

Referencing the meet-up with Durham MP Mary Foy and her staff, the source told the times the group 'were not working and I have not got a problem telling that to the police.

'They were just getting p****d. They were just there for a jolly. It's not something that I am prepared to defend.'

The revelations are understood to have further piqued the interest of the force, with a police source adding: 'It raises the question about what else we might not have been told the entire truth about.'

There is now growing discontent within the party, with senior cabinet figures privately acknowledging the issue has become a frustration that could drag on for weeks, according to the Observer.

Diane Abbott, meanwhile, became the first Labour MP to suggest the leader should step down from the role if - like Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak - he is fined for breaching the rules.

She told LBC: 'I'm a loyal supporter of Keir Starmer. I'm just making the common sense point that if he gets a fixed penalty notice he should consider his position.'

Keir Starmer has been plunged into a full-scale leadership crisis after The Mail on Sunday obtained a secret Labour Party document which appears to shatter his version of events over 'Beergate'

An operational note drawn up ahead of Sir Keir's notorious visit to Durham (above), where he was filmed enjoying a late-night beer with activists, reveals the gathering had been planned in advance. The bombshell document, marked 'private and confidential', also calls into serious doubt Sir Keir's claim that he returned to work after the beers and takeaway curries

The memo  which was passed to this newspaper by a whistleblower  also further undermines Labour's claims that it made 'an honest mistake' when it denied that Deputy Leader Angela Rayner was at the event: it lists 'AR' alongside 'KS' as the two senior politicians anchoring the day's proceedings.

The Labour leader  who is also under pressure from party members over his failure to make a significant UK-wide breakthrough in last week's local elections  is facing accusations of hypocrisy, having called for Boris Johnson's resignation in January when Scotland Yard launched its inquiry into claims of No 10 lockdown-breaking.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said last night: 'Being investigated or receiving a fixed-penalty notice is not a resigning matter for anyone at all  unless of course you've daily argued the case that it is just that and repeatedly called for the resignation of others. He's bang to rights and has no choice but to resign thanks to his own sanctimonious hypocrisy.'

Labour has tried to draw a distinction between 'Beergate' and 'Partygate' on the grounds that Sir Keir's event was not premeditated: when Sir Keir's transport spokeswoman Louise Haigh was asked by the BBC's Fiona Bruce on Thursday how the beer and curry evening was different to a gathering in Downing Street, she said: 'There was a big difference... he [Keir] broke to eat, and then carried on working afterwards.

'The various parties in Downing Street were pre-arranged, social events.'

But the note  a forward-planning logistics document which is referred to as an 'op note'  makes clear the beer and curry night had been planned in advance.

The note says that after a day's campaigning in Hartlepool, Sir Keir's team were due to arrive at the Radisson Blu hotel in Durham at 6.31pm, leaving by 7pm to walk to the Miners Hall.

After recording clips for the media, the note says a 1hr 20mins slot was set aside for 'dinner in Miners Hall with Mary Foy', the local Durham MP. A side note reads: 'YS to arrange takeaway from Spice Lounge'. YS is the acronym for a member of Sir Keir's private office.

The Spice Lounge curry house was closed at the time, with callers being referred to the nearby Capital Indian restaurant. Last week, the Daily Mail spoke to one of the restaurant's delivery drivers, who said he had dropped off a 'big' order of food for at least 15 people, including four bags of curries, rice and naan bread.

Sir Keir has insisted the curries were eaten during a break in work. When asked whether he had returned to work after the beer, the Labour leader said: 'Yes. And the idea that nobody works at 10 o'clock at night is absurd.'

But the memo sets out that at the end of the dinner, at 10pm, he should 'walk from Miners Hall to Radisson Blu'. Further work is not mentioned.

The Labour leader  who is also under pressure from party members over his failure to make a significant UK-wide breakthrough in last week's local elections  is facing accusations of hypocrisy, having called for Boris Johnson's resignation in January when Scotland Yard launched its inquiry into claims of No 10 lockdown-breaking

Sir Keir has insisted the curries were eaten during a break in work. When asked whether he had returned to work after the beer, the Labour leader said: 'Yes. And the idea that nobody works at 10 o'clock at night is absurd.' But the memo sets out that at the end of the dinner, at 10pm, he should 'walk from Miners Hall to Radisson Blu'. Further work is not mentioned

Historic first... We break scoop on our brilliant new Mail+ site In an historic first, The Mail on Sunday broke the story at 5pm last night on The Mail+, our new premium website where subscribers can enjoy reading the Mail newspapers and our brilliant magazines every day  AND save nearly 20 a month on the print cover price. If you already have a digital subscription, simply sign in to mailplus.co.uk to enjoy all the new benefits. At the same time, we also released details of the story on Mail Online, our world-beating, world-famous news website. The reaction was instant. 'Wowser,' Nigel Adams MP, a Cabinet Office Minister, wrote on Twitter, adding that Keir Starmer would 'need some fancy lawyer dance moves to explain this one away'. Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly added: 'Starmer claimed it was an impromptu curry. Hypocrisy and dishonesty in equal measure.' Richard Holden, Tory MP for North West Durham, said the leaked memo 'blows apart what Sir Keir Starmer has been saying all the way through'. However you read it, The Mail on Sunday is Britain's No1 newspaper for fearlessly breaking the biggest stories. Advertisement

When he was quizzed on ITV's Good Morning Britain programme last week, Sir Keir said: 'At some point, this was in the evening, everybody's hungry and then that takeaway was ordered. It was then delivered into the kitchen.

'Restaurants and pubs were closed, so takeaways were really the only way you could eat. So this was brought in and at various points people went through the kitchen, got a plate, had some food to eat and got on with their work.'

However, The Mail on Sunday has established that the Radisson Blu was serving food when Sir Keir and his party checked in at 6.31pm and continued to do so until 9pm.

At the time, lockdown laws allowed staff to meet indoors if doing so was 'reasonably necessary for work', but 'there should not be any sharing of food and drink by staff who do not share a household. Minimise self-serving options for food and drink'.

In addition, Government guidance put in place for the following month's local elections stated: 'You should not meet with other campaigners indoors. Only rarely will two people be required indoors at the same location to manage bulk delivery handling.

'You should keep these interactions to a minimum to reduce contact and follow the guidance on how to stop the spread of coronavirus at all times...'

The document also refers to four members of the 'MPL'  Met Police Liaison  who were included in the trip, suggesting they are likely to have information useful to the investigation.

Also included on the op note is the line 'Covid Alert Level: National Lockdown', and 'important note: please maintain social distancing of 2m and wear face coverings whilst indoors at all time'.

The leaked document makes clear that Ms Rayner was to play a central role in the day's events.

The party has admitted to not telling the truth about Ms Rayner's presence.

When the Mail asked the party on January 14 whether she had taken part in the event, it said: 'Angela wasn't there.' But when confronted last month with video evidence, Labour admitted: 'Angela was present', and said previous denials had been 'an honest mistake'.

A Labour spokesman said: 'Keir was working, a takeaway was made available in the kitchen, and he ate between work demands. No rules were broken.'

A party source added: 'During a fast-moving campaign, the op note doesn't always keep up with events so it would be wrong to assume that activities occurred at the times originally planned. For example, it's been documented that the takeaway was late.'

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (above) said last night: 'Being investigated or receiving a fixed-penalty notice is not a resigning matter for anyone at all  unless of course you've daily argued the case that it is just that and repeatedly called for the resignation of others. He's bang to rights and has no choice but to resign thanks to his own sanctimonious hypocrisy'

Labour heavyweights Wes Streeting and Rachel Reeves are accused of sizing up leadership bids amid claims Keir Starmer will be in 'dead trouble' if he is fined over Beergate

By ANNA MIKHAILOVA and BRENDAN CARLIN For The Mail On Sunday

Labour heavyweights Rachel Reeves and Wes Streeting were last night accused of sizing up leadership bids  amid claims from senior Labour sources that Sir Keir Starmer will be in 'dead trouble' if he is fined over Beergate.

The two shadow Cabinet ministers have been quietly tapping up donors and drumming up support for a potential tilt at the top, party insiders said last night.

In the past year alone, Shadow Chancellor Ms Reeves has declared nearly 200,000 in donations on her Register of Interests, while Shadow Health Secretary Mr Streeting has brought in 169,000, analysis by The Mail on Sunday has shown.

Wes Streeting (pictured outside BBC HQ in February) reportedly harbours leader ambitions

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has raised nearly 200,000 in donations over the past year

Starmer loyalists have urged the Labour leader to go 'full Blair' and boot out leader rivals

Police accused of playing politics over probe delay By MAX AITCHISON for the Mail on Sunday Durham Police faced calls to explain last night why it waited until after the local council elections to reveal it was investigating Sir Keir Starmer over Beergate. The force said 'significant new information' led to it reopening the probe before polling day, but it only disclosed this on Friday afternoon after 'the conclusion of the pre-election period'. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, compared its response to that of the Met Police in London, which has fined Boris Johnson over Partygate. 'Why did Durham Police delay their announcement when the Met did not delay for Boris Johnson? The Met went straight out with it a few weeks before the local elections,' he said. Why are they behaving differently? The Met is looking at everything in a very pedantic way, whereas I understand Durham has one of the lowest levels of Covid-related sanctions in the country.' Scotland Yard has issued nearly 17 times as many fixed-penalty notices for Covid rule-breaking as Durham Constabulary. The Met said on April 21 that it would not issue any more Partygate updates until after the local elections. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'It's interesting that Sir Keir refused to answer questions about whether he'd been contacted by Durham Police prior to polling day. It's difficult to believe that he hadn't. What did he know and when did he know it? Friday's announcement surely didn't come as a surprise.' Commenting on the force's decision to delay news that it was reopening the probe, ITV News political editor Robert Peston said: 'Many would say this was material information for voters and withholding it was a political action. The interaction of police and politics is an utter mess.' Advertisement

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is also expected to throw her hat into the ring, has declared 57,541 in donations over the same period.

The claims come amid mounting concern that Sir Keir's leadership will be doomed if Durham Police fine him over the alleged Beergate flouting of Covid lockdown rules last year.

To make matters worse for Sir Keir, some MPs are privately giving him until September to turn things around after failing to make real progress in the North and Midlands in last week's local elections.

However, there are also calls from Starmer loyalists that it is time for Sir Keir to go 'full Blair' and kick out MPs still loyal to former leader Jeremy Corbyn and his hard-Left agenda.

One senior party figure even raised hopes that David Miliband would now return to frontline UK politics to bolster Sir Keir's Blairite drive for power.

The beleaguered Labour leader has defiantly insisted that no rules were broken at the now notorious event last year inside the office of City of Durham MP Mary Foy at the Durham Miners' Hall.

But privately, even some senior Labour colleagues are worried by claims of hypocrisy against Sir Keir, given how he had repeatedly demanded Boris Johnson's head over Covid party breaches at No 10.

One former shadow Cabinet member said: 'The boys in blue in Durham may well catch him and he's going to be in dead trouble if he's fined.

'Keir has made this a defining Keir test  whether or not Rishi Sunak and Boris told the truth. He didn't need to make the point week after week after week. Our leadership has spent too much time on it.'

Another Labour MP said: 'By the autumn, a decision will have to be made. Someone new will need 15 to 18 months to bed in.

'We haven't cut through as much as we need to do. We're probably two years away from a General Election and there's a massive amount of work to be done.'

And yesterday Diane Abbott said Sir Keir should 'consider his position' if he is fined for breaking lockdown rules.

She told LBC: 'I think this is a lot of hype built up by the Tory press. But if he were to get a fixed penalty notice, he would have to consider his position.

'I'm a loyal supporter of Keir Starmer, I'm just making the common sense point that if he gets a fixed penalty notice he should consider his position.'

Party insiders said that potential successors to Sir Keir  including Ms Reeves, Mr Streeting and Ms Cooper  are now drawing up plans for a future leadership contest. 'They're all raising funds, talking to people,' one Labour insider said.

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He added: 'The Mandelson, Streeting and Blair types were making noises during the local election campaign that they weren't completely happy with him [Sir Keir]. But it will be for them to make the first move.'

Sources close to all three Labour frontbenchers last night dismissed the suggestion of leadership manoeuvres, stressing they were loyal to Sir Keir.

One said Mr Streeting's donations were mostly funding his Shadow Health brief and a personal adviser for his office  not a leadership bid. However, one Labour insider said privately that given Sir Keir's position, would-be replacements were right to lay the groundwork. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham  the so-called 'King of the North'  and London Mayor Sadiq Khan are also considered future Labour leaders. The two ex-MPs would first need to get back into the Commons. But there are rumours of long-serving MPs being prepared to stand down to make way for Mr Burnham or Mr Khan.

Did Left-wing activists sway a BBC report on Angela Rayner? Article headline on Labour deputy's 'leg-crossing comments' was changed to mention party 'dismissing Tory claims'

By GEORGIA EDKINS for the Mail on Sunday

The BBC has been accused of bowing to pressure from Left-wing activists over coverage of Angela Rayner's comments about distracting Boris Johnson with her legs during Prime Minister's Questions.

An article posted on the Corporation's website at about 4.30pm last Sunday  a few hours after The Mail on Sunday revealed that the Labour deputy leader herself made the comments, which she later branded 'misogynistic'  was headlined: 'Rayner did make PMQs leg-crossing comments, Tories say.'

But by about 9pm the headline had been changed to 'Labour dismisses Tory claims about Angela Rayner as 'smear'  a far more palatable alternative for the party. Critics believe that the BBC, suspected by many of inherent anti-Tory bias, gave into pressure from Left-wing activists who took to social media to complain about the original headline.

Angela Rayner herself made the comments, which she later branded 'misogynistic'

Messages seen by the MoS show a BBC staff member confiding in a Tory MP at 6.58pm last Sunday that the Corporation was receiving 'a lot of criticism' over the article.

Last night, Julian Knight, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said: 'This is very telling. It always seems more easy to get stories changed at the BBC from the Left's perspective than if you're coming from the Right.

'The BBC should not buckle to Twitter-inspired pile-ons, and the shouts and squeals of the very noisy Left.'

Rebecca Ryan, campaign director of the pressure group Defund The BBC, said: 'Caving in because of criticism and changing the nature of the story to appease keyboard warriors is completely unacceptable and a dereliction of duty from a national broadcaster who claims it is impartial.'

The BBC carried extensive coverage of the row, but made no mention that IPSO, the newspaper regulator, last week said it would not be investigating complaints about the story. Last week we reported that Ms Rayner had told a group of MPs: 'I cross and uncross my legs and give him [Mr Johnson] a flash of my ginger g******' [a vulgar and offensive colloquialism].

Last night, a BBC spokesman said: 'It's common practice for headlines to be changed as stories develop.'

Angela Rayner's name was top of the guest list for 'Beergate', shows leaked memo - while Labour claims it made an 'honest mistake' when it wrongly denied she was present

By MAIL ON SUNDAY reporter

Labour last night faced mounting questions over its claim that it made an 'honest mistake' when it wrongly denied that Angela Rayner was present during 'Beergate'.

In January, a Labour press officer insisted that the Deputy Leader was not present at Durham Miners Hall.

But last month, after a Daily Mail investigation established that Rayner (right, in Durham) had been there, Labour admitted 'Angela was present', with a source claiming the earlier denial was 'an honest mistake'.

Angela Rayner waves at the offices of Redhills, the home of the Durham Miners Association in Durham

But the leaked document reveals that Ms Rayner  denoted by the initials 'AR'  was listed as one of the key Labour figures due to be present on April 30, 2021.

Indeed she and Sir Keir were both scheduled to film a ten-minute 'piece to camera' at Miners Hall between 7.15pm and 7.30pm.

The revelation raises uncomfortable questions over why  despite evidence in its own internal documents  Labour denied her presence then failed for months to correct the record.

Did Beergate meal break the law? Keir Starmer insists he and his team consumed curry and beer during a work break - but a dinner lasting 80 minutes was listed in his official itinerary

By MARK HOOKHAM for the Mail on Sunday

The leaked Labour memo documenting Sir Keir Starmer's visit to Durham threatens to torpedo his defence that no rules were broken.

Lockdown laws banned indoor socialising last April, when Beergate took place. Police could fine those who disobeyed the rules.

Staff could only meet indoors if doing so was 'reasonably necessary for work', but 'there should not be any sharing of food and drink by staff who do not share a household'.

The leaked Labour memo documenting Sir Keir Starmer's visit to Durham threatens to torpedo his defence that no rules were broken

Sir Keir has insisted that he and his team did not flout the rules, and that they consumed curry and beer during a break in work.

But revelations that a dinner lasting one hour and 20 minutes was listed in his official itinerary and no work after the meal was scheduled will fuel Tory claims that this was a 'social event'.

Earlier this year Durham Constabulary decided that no offence had occurred on April 30 last year.

But last week it said it had received 'significant new information' and was launching a probe. Officers must decide whether what appears to be a prearranged late-night dinner  inside and with alcohol  was 'reasonably necessary' for Sir Keir's work.

Sir Keir faces further questions about how the prearranged takeaway dinner complied with Government guidance for those fighting local elections.

It recommended: 'You should not meet other campaigners indoors. It is safer to meet outdoors, where the risk of catching or spreading Covid is much lower, but two-metre social distancing should still be maintained.'

Campaigners were also advised that 'meetings to organise and plan campaigns should be held online or over the phone... not in person.'

The Durham force issued 1,090 fines for Covid breaches between March 2020 and February 2022. The Metropolitan Police, which is investigating alleged parties in Downing Street, issued 17,829.

DAN HODGES: The voters will forgive many things Sir Keir, but self-righteous hypocrisy is just not one of them

DAN HODGES for the Mail on Sunday

Labour lied. And lied. And lied again. 'We were in the office to do work,' Sir Keir Starmer told TV interviewer Susanna Reid last Wednesday.

'At some point, this was in the evening, everybody's hungry and then a takeaway was ordered. It was then delivered into the kitchen of the offices. So this was brought in, and at various points people went into the kitchen, got a plate, and got on with their work.'

But they didn't. After months of inexplicable  and increasingly desperate  evasion, obfuscation and deceit, the truth about Beergate can finally be revealed.

I spoke to someone who was one of those  they estimate about 15 people  who were in the Durham offices for the duration of the event on April 30, 2021. And unlike Labour's leader, they were clear and open about the details.

At about 7.30pm, Starmer filmed some clips to be used in campaign videos. Once that was completed, he sat down for a briefing with one of his press officers to prepare him for a series of interviews due to be conducted in Hartlepool the next day. Then he and his deputy Angela Rayner appeared via Zoom for an online Get Out The Vote campaign rally. That event ended about 9pm.

Labour lied. And lied. And lied again. 'We were in the office to do work,' Sir Keir Starmer told TV interviewer Susanna Reid last Wednesday

And it's at this point that Labour begins to spin its web of deception. According to Starmer's account, 'everyone's hungry, and a takeaway was ordered'. But there's now compelling evidence that this was not the impromptu decision the Labour leader claimed.

From the beginning, Starmer and his team have wanted everyone to believe their decision to sit down for a curry and a beer was a spontaneous one, taken in the middle of their working day. But it wasn't. It was planned.

According to my source, 'if we'd have been in London we could have ordered food at 7.30pm and it would have arrived by 8pm. But it took ages for the food to arrive. I think it might have arrived late, but the order was phoned through earlier. I'm not sure when.'

Which matters. On Thursday's Question Time, Labour MP Louise Haigh was asked what the difference was between her leader's meal, and the event for which Boris and Rishi Sunak were fined.

She replied: 'Well, that was by all accounts pre-arranged, a social event.' And as the Prime Minister and his Chancellor found to their cost, pre-arranged social events  however minor  were in breach of the rules.

Starmer and his aides have wanted everyone to believe something else. 'At various points people went into the kitchen, got a plate, and got on with their work,' he claimed. In other words, the eating and drinking and working were conducted concurrently.

On Thursday's Question Time, Labour MP Louise Haigh was asked what the difference was between her leader's meal, and the event for which Boris and Rishi Sunak were fined. She replied: 'Well, that was by all accounts pre-arranged, a social event;

They were all part of the campaign activity that  at that period in the lockdown cycle  was allowed by law. But again, it was a falsehood. The Mail on Sunday has obtained a copy of Starmer's schedule for the day in question. It has a clearly defined entry: '20.40  22.00 Dinner in Miners Hall with Mary Foy.'

The curry and beers don't appear to ever be part of the campaigning activity. From the very beginning, they were always supposed to be a standalone, pre-planned 'dinner' with the local Labour MP.

Which is why Keir Starmer and his team propagated a third deception. 'We were very busy,' he told the BBC's Sophie Raworth in January. 'We were working in the office. We stopped for something to eat, and then we carried on working.'

But again, the evidence is clear that they didn't. I asked my source if it was true that after the curry had been delivered, Starmer and his team went back to work. 'Of course not,' the source said. I asked if they were absolutely sure. 'I'm not aware of any work after. It certainly wasn't in any plan or schedule,' they reiterated.

Which again is confirmed by Starmer's official itinerary. The Mary Foy dinner is followed by one final entry. '22.00  22.15 Walk from Miners Hall to Radisson Blu.'

An eyewitness and Starmer's own diary confirm he never went back to work after his beer and curry. Instead, he got into his car with his protection officers and returned to his hotel. His staff apparently walked or got taxis.

'I'm not sure when they all got back, but no one was hanging around at the hall,' my source confirmed.

And with that, all the pieces finally fall into place. The seemingly bizarre attempts to play down the scale of the event. Rayner was there, but Labour initially pretended she wasn't. Starmer said he thought he was with about six staff, but my source cites 15, and other sources have said as many as 30.

The strange incident on the House of Commons terrace, when Mary Foy grabbed at Tory MP Richard Holden, and began angrily berating him for asking Durham Constabulary to reopen the investigation.

And the thing that confused me most of all: as the questioning over what happened that evening intensified, Starmer and his team become more and more evasive.

He claimed he had filmed 'pieces to camera'. But no one could provide them.

He claimed to have done other campaigning activity. But no one could even outline precisely what that was.

Now we know why. The reason Starmer and his team failed to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the events of that night was because to do so would have meant admitting they retained a detailed record. And once they had done that, they would have been asked to provide it.

At that point everyone would have seen the Mary Foy 'dinner'. They would have seen no one was scheduled to go back to work after the dinner.

They would have seen, in other words, that Labour's explanations about exactly what happened that night were a tissue of lies.

This morning, Starmer is calling on people to be patient, and give Durham police time to conclude the investigation they have reopened after receiving 'significant new information'. But back in January, he adopted a rather different stance.

'Honesty and decency matter,' Starmer opined, after the Metropolitan Police announced they were commencing an investigation into Boris Johnson's lockdown breaches. 'After months of denials, the Prime Minister is now under criminal investigation for breaking his own lockdown laws. He needs to do the decent thing and resign.'

Rayner wrote: 'What a reflection on the man who holds the very highest office in our country. Yet still he feels he can hang on? A complete disgrace.'

Well, if Johnson does feel he can hang on, this is why. That beer the Labour leader swallowed last April is poisoning him. The voters will forgive many things. But hypocrisy  or even worse, self-righteous hypocrisy  is politically toxic.

And Starmer is already toxic enough. Despite the best efforts of Labour's spinners, Thursday's election results represented another dismal mid-term Labour showing. Further erosion of the Red Wall. Minimal gains in the South and South East. A series of pyrrhic triumphs in its London bastion.

And that was before Durham Constabulary came knocking. Now all Starmer's portentous words are going to come back  not so much to haunt him, as descend on him like avenging furies.

Trust. Honesty. Decency. Transparency. These were supposed to form the foundation of Starmer's leadership, and ultimately, premiership. A foundation that, through his own stupidity, is splintering beneath his feet.

What has he been thinking these past few weeks? As the questions mounted, and the lies were compounded, why didn't he call a halt, and just tell the truth?

How has he failed to learn the lesson of Johnson's own Partygate defenestration? And remember the cast-iron political rule: it's never the offence, it's the cover-up.

On the first anniversary of his election as Labour leader, Starmer was asked what qualities he shares with his great political rival.

'I don't want to be Boris Johnson,' he said. 'I'm not like Boris Johnson in any respect. There's almost nothing we have in common.'

There is now, Sir Keir.
The BBC has been accused of bowing to pressure from Left-wing activists over coverage of Angela Rayner's comments about distracting Boris Johnson with her legs during Prime Minister's Questions.

An article posted on the Corporation's website at about 4.30pm last Sunday  a few hours after The Mail on Sunday revealed that the Labour deputy leader herself made the comments, which she later branded 'misogynistic'  was headlined: 'Rayner did make PMQs leg-crossing comments, Tories say.'

But by about 9pm the headline had been changed to 'Labour dismisses Tory claims about Angela Rayner as 'smear'  a far more palatable alternative for the party. Critics believe that the BBC, suspected by many of inherent anti-Tory bias, gave into pressure from Left-wing activists who took to social media to complain about the original headline.

Angela Rayner herself made the comments, which she later branded 'misogynistic'

Messages seen by the MoS show a BBC staff member confiding in a Tory MP at 6.58pm last Sunday that the Corporation was receiving 'a lot of criticism' over the article.

Last night, Julian Knight, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said: 'This is very telling. It always seems more easy to get stories changed at the BBC from the Left's perspective than if you're coming from the Right.

'The BBC should not buckle to Twitter-inspired pile-ons, and the shouts and squeals of the very noisy Left.'

Rebecca Ryan, campaign director of the pressure group Defund The BBC, said: 'Caving in because of criticism and changing the nature of the story to appease keyboard warriors is completely unacceptable and a dereliction of duty from a national broadcaster who claims it is impartial.'

The BBC carried extensive coverage of the row, but made no mention that IPSO, the newspaper regulator, last week said it would not be investigating complaints about the story. Last week we reported that Ms Rayner had told a group of MPs: 'I cross and uncross my legs and give him [Mr Johnson] a flash of my ginger g******' [a vulgar and offensive colloquialism].

Last night, a BBC spokesman said: 'It's common practice for headlines to be changed as stories develop.'
Britain's leading universities have been warned not to discriminate against grammar schools as it could unfairly impact black and minority ethnic youngsters.

The warning comes after the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Professor Stephen Toope, faced accusations of social engineering for saying that enrolling more grammar school pupils would not help to widen participation goals.

Canadian-born Professor Toope told the Times Education Commission: We have to keep making it very, very clear we are intending to reduce over time the number of people from independent schools.

The warning comes after the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Professor Stephen Toope, faced accusations of social engineering for saying that enrolling more grammar school pupils would not help to widen participation goals

Now, the head of a respected think-tank, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), has waded into the row. Research from HEPI has shown that grammar schools send more ethnic minorities students to Cambridge than all other state schools in the country combined.

It also indicated that children from the most disadvantaged 20 per cent of households are more than twice as likely to get an Oxbridge place if they live in an area with grammar schools.

HEPIs chairman, Nick Hillman, said: If Oxbridge sets limits on grammar school recruitment, we may see the number of UK students with minority ethnic backgrounds drop.

Dr Mark Fenton, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads Association, said: Professor Toope should also be aware that in counties with a wholly selective system, virtually all the most academic students attend selective schools regardless of social background. If Cambridge was to reduce admissions from grammar schools, this would be manifestly unfair on large swathes of the country.

Research from HEPI has shown that grammar schools send more ethnic minorities students to Cambridge than all other state schools in the country combined

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: Grammar schools are a valuable part of our system, and universities must have a fair, transparent application process. Discriminating against a child because of their background or which school they went to is never acceptable.

Mr Zahawi added: I am proud we have more 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds at university than ever before and I want a system that continues to equip those students with the skills and knowledge they need to progress, whether to a top-tier university, an apprenticeship or the world of work.

A Cambridge University spokesman said: We do not discriminate against any applicant. If society is serious about offering opportunities to everyone, universities like ours need to reach beyond traditional recruiting grounds to very talented pupils who wouldnt necessarily have considered applying.
Subway shooting suspect Frank James has been hit with a federal terror charge by a grand jury.

James, 62, was slapped with that charge and a second count in an indictment unsealed Saturday for allegedly shooting 10 in Brooklyn last month.

He faces a count of carrying out a terrorist attack and other violence against a mass transportation system and its passengers and employees.

James also faces a second count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence over the April 12 attack in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

The federal charges have been filed in addition to prior counts filed against James by the southern district of New York. James will be tried on them separately.

The earlier indictment accuses him of terrorist attacks or other violence against a mass transportation system, and carries a life sentence if James is convicted.

Last month's shooting at Sunset Park saw 10 people shot and 23 others injured. All those wounded in the incident survived.

Frank James, pictured, has been charged with a federal terrorism offense over claims he opened fire on a packed subway train in Brooklyn in April, shooting 10 and injuring 23

One man was seen injured in the shooting as officers and a Good Samaritan tried to help him

Frantic commuters were seen trying to run for the exits after a gunman investigators say was James opened fire at a Brooklyn subway station on Tuesday morning

He remains locked-up in a New York City jail ahead of his next court appearance.

Prosecutors say James staged a premeditated attack when he shot ten people and injured others on the northbound N train at around 8.25am on April 12, during rush hour.

James, dressed in a construction worker's vest and helmet, donned a gas mask and rolled smoke grenades into the carriage before opening fire.

Videos from the scene showed hundreds of commuters frantically running for the exits as shots were fired.

A nearly 24-hour long manhunt for James then ensued, with the Bronx-born, Milwaukee-based suspect ultimately arrested while strolling down the street on April 13.

In court documents the next day, prosecutors detailed how more ammunition was found in James' rented Philadelphia apartment, including an extended round magazine that was fit for a semi-automatic rifle. No such firearm has been found yet in connection with the suspect.

His 9mm handgun was found at the 36th Street subway station after the attack, along with spent shell casings, fireworks, and a key to his U-Haul.

Police also searched a storage unit in Philadelphia, where he was keeping more ammunition, a torch and a gun silencer.

There was a propane gas tank in the U-Haul when police swooped in on it hours after the attack.

James dumped the truck five miles from the 36th Street subway. He was filmed walking away.

James' motive remains unknown. Prior

Before the terror attack, James posted a series of rants online, taking to YouTube to rage against homeless people, Mayor Eric Adams and racism

James had a criminal history extending back to 1992, when he pleaded guilty to attempted petit larceny and was known to the FBI's Guardian Program, which tracks terror threats and suspects, over an incident in New Mexico in 2019.

At the time, he was cleared of wrongdoing.

But in a YouTube video posted just one day before the attack, James said he wanted to harm people.

'I can say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to watch people die,' he said.

Other videos featured James ranting about discrimination and complaining about white people.

They are now being closely examined by law enforcement.

Mayor Eric Adams has suggested that it was the responsibility of YouTube to monitor the videos and report them.

'There's a corporate responsibility hen we are watching hate brew online,' Adams said.

'We can identify [hate] using artificial intelligence and other methods to identify those who are talking about violence.'

Critics accused Adams of passing the buck, noting that the surveillance cameras in the station were not working - allowing James to flee - and that NYPD failed to find him, despite his wandering around Manhattan for almost 24 hours after the attack and eventually calling the police himself.

Earlier this month, James' lawyers accused FBI investigators of breaching his rights by swabbing his cheek for a DNA sample and making him sign papers without asking for permission from his legal team, or ensuring they were there in accordance with James' legal rights.

Further details of that interaction at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Correctional Center have not been shared.
By new court documents, the adolescent accused of killing 10-year-old Lily Peters lured her off a hiking route into a forested area in Wisconsin, where he reportedly killed her before returning to the crime site to properly conceal her body.

According to a criminal complaint filed Friday, the 14-year-old suspect told police that late last month he was riding his hoverboard beside Lily down a route to sexually abuse and murder her.

Suspect in Lili Peters Case States How He Killed the Wisconsin Girl

He urged Lily to leave the trail with him to go exploring in the woods, then assaulted her, according to the complaint. He fled the scene because he was afraid but later returned to cover the girl's body with leaves.

Lily went missing on April 24 after failing to come home from her aunt's residence in Chippewa Falls. The next morning, searchers discovered her body. A preliminary autopsy revealed that she died as a result of blunt force injuries and strangling. Following the completion of toxicity testing, a final result is expected in 4-6 weeks.

In the murder of Illiana Lily Peters, the suspected killer was arrested on April 27 and charged with first-degree deliberate homicide, first-degree sexual assault, and first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, as per New York Post.

According to the suspect, he assisted Lily in picking up her bike before riding his hoverboard with her along a route. He then lured the victim into the woods, where he said he struck her in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, whacked her with a stick, choked her, and sexually abused her.

On a $1 million bail, the suspect is being housed in a juvenile institution. Apart from monitored communication with his siblings, a judge ordered him to avoid any interaction with youngsters, as per Crime Online.

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Lily Peters' Cousin Killer Is a Son of Convicted Pedophile

DailyMail.com has learned that the 14-year-old boy accused of the rape and death of Wisconsin youngster Lily Peters is the son of a convicted pedophile. After being found with a stockpile of pornographic photographs of prepubescent females on his phone, Adam Berger, 37, got three years in prison.

Berger's 14-year-old son, Carson Peters-Berger, has been charged with three crimes in connection with Lily's death: first-degree deliberate homicide, first-degree sexual assault, and first-degree sexual assault of a minor.

Some of them had Berger's face overlaid on them. Other photos showed the kids in half-dressed outfits, including one with a girl wearing a green feather boa and black high heels and another with a pink tutu skirt.

According to court documents, all of the disturbing images centered on the children's genitalia. He also had drug paraphernalia in his residence, including four crack pipes.

Prosecutors said in court that Peters-Berger meant to rape and kill the victim from the beginning when he left the house with her to follow the trail. Peters-Berger is now being held in the Northwest Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and will be back in court next week.

Adam Berger is presently residing in a halfway home in Eau Claire after being released from Oshkosh Correctional Institution in April 2021, according to DailyMail.com. He is still on supervised probation and has been placed on the sex offender register. He and his attorneys opposed prolonged probation because it would have prevented him from seeing his kid, whom he characterized as the best of me in a letter.

Davis was also accused of attempting to limit his communication with Berger's friends and family, according to her. Berger and Davis, Lily's father Alex Peters' sister, had a brief romance, and the 14-year-old is the result of it.

Related Article: Viral Video Shows Exact Moment Vicki White Helped Murder Suspect Casey White Escape From Alabama Prison [WATCH]

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The Queen may be one of the most filmed and photographed people in history, but these previously unseen images  taken by the people who know her best of all  offer a rare glimpse of her at her most unguarded.

They are taken from hundreds of private, home-made recordings which have been released to the BBC for a landmark TV documentary marking the Platinum Jubilee. The programme tells the story of her life before she ascended the throne in her own words, and shows how the family saw her at the time.

In one poignant and carefree shot, the young Princess Elizabeth beams in the sunshine alongside her sister, Princess Margaret, and her much-loved father, King George VI, as the wind ruffles their hair.

They are pictured together on HMS Vanguard for a 1947 tour of South Africa, the trip on which Princess Elizabeth turned 21 and made a historic pledge of duty to her future subjects.

Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth with their beloved father King George VI onboard HMS Vanguard in 1947

A beaming Princess Elizabeth shows off her new engagement ring soon after Prince Philip's marriage proposal at Balmoral in 1946

Such memories have special resonance as the 96-year-old Monarch marks 70 years since she inherited the crown, taking on her fathers legacy after he died in his sleep at Sandringham aged 56.

Paying tribute on the anniversary of his death in February, the Queen renewed the pledge she made in South Africa, vowing to her subjects that my life will always be devoted to your service.

The newly released footage, shot by her parents, by Prince Philip and by the Queen herself, had been held by the Royal Collection in the vaults of the British Film Institute.

But when the BFI began to digitise the old film reels, a BBC team was given special access. They spent months working through more than 400 films to compile the 75-minute programme, Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen.

The documentary will feature no talking head interviews but will rely instead on the newly discovered footage and the Queens own commentary, taken from nearly 60 of her recorded speeches. The result captures the Queens early life, starting from her being pushed in a pram by her mother in 1926 through to coronation in 1953.

In one shot, the Princess beams down at the dazzling three-carat diamond engagement ring on her finger.

Princess Elizabeth inspecting a battalion of the Grenadier Guards at Hove, East Sussex, 17 May 1944. The princess was appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards on her sixteenth birthday in 1942

It is 1946, and the 20-year-old is clearly emotional as she has only just been presented with the ring by her suitor, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who had designed it himself using jewels taken from a tiara belonging to his mother.

Captured on film by a member of the Royal Family at Balmoral, perhaps even Philip himself, it is a moment of touching intimacy and has never before been seen in public. Few in the Royal Family could have imagined just how important this marriage would be for the future of the Monarchy. For a long time afterwards, in fact, no one outside the family knew anything about the proposal.

While King George VI was happy with the match, he nonetheless asked the couple to wait a year, until Elizabeth turned 21, before making the engagement public.

There are other playful moments in the footage. One shows her father playing with a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral in 1951, which was to be the Kings last visit there.

Another scene features rare footage of Elizabeth with her uncle, Prince George, Duke of Kent, who died in a plane crash in 1942 while on active service.

There is also a light-hearted section recorded when the Queen and Prince Philip visited Canada shortly after they were married. They laugh trying to film from a boat, even though the rocking of the waves makes it nearly impossible.

A 20-year-old Princess Elizabeth enjoying a visit to South Africa in 1947

The BBC hopes the film, which it claims is unlike conventional documentaries about the Queen, will draw millions of viewers.

The production team was under no illusion quite how special having access to this very personal archive was, says Claire Popplewell, creative director for BBC Studios.

Being able to draw upon the self-recorded history of a young Princess Elizabeth and her wider family  and allowing the Queen to tell us her own story  is the heart of this film.

Simon Young, the BBCs commissioning editor for history programmes, adds: This documentary is an extraordinary glimpse into a deeply personal side of the Royal Family that is rarely seen and its wonderful to be able to share it with the nation as we mark her Platinum Jubilee.

Separately, other images from the Royal archive made public this weekend for the first time show how Princess Elizabeth shouldered her Royal duties during the darkest days of the Second World War.

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother) and Princess Elizabeth watching a display of gliders landing from the windows of a control tower, 19 May 1944. The royal party spent a day with airborne troops who would be among Britain's D-Day invasion forces

In May 1944, just a month after her 18th birthday, Elizabeth accompanied her parents to spend the day with airborne troops who would play a critical part in the Allies D-Day Normandy landings the following month.

Gazing from the window of a control tower, she watches a display of gliders before talking to paratroopers and watching a mass drop by parachutists.

A second rare image, taken two days earlier, shows Elizabeth inspecting a battalion of the Grenadier Guards at Hove, East Sussex. She had been appointed as Colonel of the regiment on her 16th birthday.

Demonstrating the thrift shown throughout her life, she is seen wearing the same dress on both engagements.

The historic pictures will appear in the Imperial War Museums forthcoming exhibition, Crown And Conflict: Portraits Of A Queen In Wartime, which opens in London on May 27.

lElizabeth: The Unseen Queen will be broadcast on Sunday, May 29, on BBC1.
Boris Johnson was warned last night that the UK was facing its greatest threat for centuries as Sinn Fein achieved a historic win in Northern Ireland.

In a dramatic end to the Stormont elections, the republican party overtook the Democratic Unionists (DUP) to be the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

With Sinn Fein on 27 seats out of 90, the partys Vice President Michelle ONeill will now be entitled to become Northern Irelands First Minister, an unprecedented move for a nationalist politician. She hailed a new era in the politics of the province.

With Sinn Fein on 27 seats out of 90, the partys Vice President Michelle ONeill will now be entitled to become Northern Irelands First Minister, an unprecedented move for a nationalist politician. Ms O'Neill, left, is pictured with former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, centre and former Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams

But former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said last night that the result, coupled with the SNPs victory in Scotland, means our cherished Union has never been under greater threat. We now have two parts of the UK where political parties dedicated to its break-up hold the whip hand.

Mr Smith urged Brussels to engage directly with politicians in Belfast to reform the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol which sets up a border in the Irish Sea for some goods entering the province.

However, there were also fears of a fresh UK showdown with Brussels over the Protocol which has been at the heart of the Stormont election campaign.

Government sources told The Mail on Sunday that EU Brexit negotiator Maros Sefcovic had privately said Brussels will never change its negotiating mandate.

Former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith, pictured, fears for the future of the union

Mr Sefcovic is said to have informed Foreign Secretary Liz Truss that he did not believe the EU would ever go beyond its existing stance on the post-Brexit arrangements.

Last night, a Foreign Office source branded the move incredibly disheartening and appeared to reaffirm threats that London would act independently to reform the Protocol. The source said: Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have always been clear that action will be taken if solutions cant be found. Sinn Feins victory had been widely predicted after splits among Unionists who have held sway at Stormont since Northern Ireland was formed in 1921.Yesterday evening, the republican party finally achieved its goal after it reached the 27 seats  two more than the DUP could win. Ms ONeill said her partys triumph was a defining moment for our politics and for our people.

She added: This has been an election of real change. I will lead the Sinn Fein team to Stormont on Monday, ready to get the Executive [the devolved Northern Ireland government] up and running right away.

For many years it was said that Ms ONeill was groomed by leading Republican figures such as Martin McGuinness and she has been described as the representative of Gerry Adams on Earth. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis also encouraged the parties to form an Executive as soon as possible. The people of Northern Ireland deserve a stable and accountable local government that delivers on the issues that matter most to them.

But the DUP has previously warned that it would not join a power-sharing government led by a Sinn Fein First Minister if the UK and EU have not secured a breakthrough on changing the Protocol.

Sinn Fein can now nominate a First Minister but cannot take up the office unless the DUP, the biggest unionist party, agrees to nominate a Deputy First Minister. With 88 of the 90 assembly seats declared last night, the DUP was on 24 while the Alliance Party was finishing strongly with 17  more than doubling its tally in 2017. The Ulster Unionist Party was on nine and the Social Democratic and Labour Party on seven. Last night, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Sinn Fein on a historic result. She tweeted: I wish Michelle & her colleagues  & all Northern Irelands elected representatives  the very best for what comes next.

Before the final result, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald had warned that her party would push for an Irish unification referendum on both sides of the border within five years.

Boris Johnson is warned the UK faces its greatest threat for centuries as Sinn Fein's Vice President - once described as 'the representative of Gerry Adams on Earth' - wins power at Stormont

By former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith

Boris Johnson was warned last night that the UK was facing its greatest threat for centuries as Sinn Fein achieved a historic win in Northern Ireland.

In a dramatic end to the Stormont elections, the republican party overtook the Democratic Unionists (DUP) to be the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

With Sinn Fein on 27 seats out of 90, the partys Vice President Michelle ONeill will now be entitled to become Northern Irelands First Minister, an unprecedented move for a nationalist politician. She hailed a new era in the politics of the province.

With Sinn Fein on 27 seats out of 90, the partys Vice President Michelle ONeill will now be entitled to become Northern Irelands First Minister, an unprecedented move for a nationalist politician. Ms O'Neill, left, is pictured with former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, centre and former Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams

But former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said last night that the result, coupled with the SNPs victory in Scotland, means our cherished Union has never been under greater threat. We now have two parts of the UK where political parties dedicated to its break-up hold the whip hand.

Mr Smith urged Brussels to engage directly with politicians in Belfast to reform the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol which sets up a border in the Irish Sea for some goods entering the province.

However, there were also fears of a fresh UK showdown with Brussels over the Protocol which has been at the heart of the Stormont election campaign.

Government sources told The Mail on Sunday that EU Brexit negotiator Maros Sefcovic had privately said Brussels will never change its negotiating mandate.

Former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith, pictured, fears for the future of the union

Mr Sefcovic is said to have informed Foreign Secretary Liz Truss that he did not believe the EU would ever go beyond its existing stance on the post-Brexit arrangements.

Last night, a Foreign Office source branded the move incredibly disheartening and appeared to reaffirm threats that London would act independently to reform the Protocol. The source said: Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have always been clear that action will be taken if solutions cant be found. Sinn Feins victory had been widely predicted after splits among Unionists who have held sway at Stormont since Northern Ireland was formed in 1921.Yesterday evening, the republican party finally achieved its goal after it reached the 27 seats  two more than the DUP could win. Ms ONeill said her partys triumph was a defining moment for our politics and for our people.

She added: This has been an election of real change. I will lead the Sinn Fein team to Stormont on Monday, ready to get the Executive [the devolved Northern Ireland government] up and running right away.

For many years it was said that Ms ONeill was groomed by leading Republican figures such as Martin McGuinness and she has been described as the representative of Gerry Adams on Earth. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis also encouraged the parties to form an Executive as soon as possible. The people of Northern Ireland deserve a stable and accountable local government that delivers on the issues that matter most to them.

But the DUP has previously warned that it would not join a power-sharing government led by a Sinn Fein First Minister if the UK and EU have not secured a breakthrough on changing the Protocol.

Sinn Fein can now nominate a First Minister but cannot take up the office unless the DUP, the biggest unionist party, agrees to nominate a Deputy First Minister. With 88 of the 90 assembly seats declared last night, the DUP was on 24 while the Alliance Party was finishing strongly with 17  more than doubling its tally in 2017. The Ulster Unionist Party was on nine and the Social Democratic and Labour Party on seven. Last night, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Sinn Fein on a historic result. She tweeted: I wish Michelle & her colleagues  & all Northern Irelands elected representatives  the very best for what comes next.

Before the final result, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald had warned that her party would push for an Irish unification referendum on both sides of the border within five years.
Prince William's best friend was frisked in his pyjamas by police during a raid on his Norfolk estate to investigate illegal gamekeeping.

William van Cutsem, a godfather to Prince George, was searched on his doorstep in a 10.30pm swoop on farm buildings at Hilborough House estate near Swaffham nine days ago.

Officers were searching for signs that gamekeepers on the 4,400-acre property had been using illegal methods to kill wildlife that posed a threat to the estate's renowned flock of wild partridges.

Mr Van Cutsem, pictured with Prince William (right) in 2009, is Prince George's godfather

It is illegal to target protected birds of prey such as buzzards or use outdated traps and poison to cull predators.

Hilborough gamekeepers use legal methods for vermin control, including the shooting of foxes and trapping of crows.

Officers left having found no evidence of any wrongdoing, but Mr Van Cutsem was said to be 'rattled' by the incident, which saw him 'frisked in his pyjamas' outside his neo-Georgian mansion.

A friend told The Mail on Sunday that the 42-year-old suspects that a malicious complaint was made by a disgruntled former employee who was allegedly also behind baseless accusations on a community Facebook page.

Mr Van Cutsem's niece Grace was affectionately dubbed the 'grumpy bridesmaid' for covering her ears on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Another niece, Florence, was a bridesmaid at Prince Harry's wedding.

The Queen's Sandringham estate is 24 miles away from Hilborough House and the Van Cutsems are stalwarts of the Royals' 'Turnip Toff' social set.

Mr Van Cutsem was awoken by police officers at 10.30pm. His luxurious home, Hilborough House in Norfolk, is just 24 miles from the Queen's favoured Sandringham Estate

Mr Van Cutsem's father Hugh, a friend of Prince Charles, was a banker and a passionate conservationist who died in 2013.

Prince William is a regular visitor to the Hilborough estate, which has won awards for its conservation work and is regarded as one of the leading wild-bird shoots.

Friends fear that the association with the Royal Family makes the Van Cutsems an easy target for critics, and a source close to him said Hilborough has been praised by the RSPB, the wildlife charity, for protecting endangered species, including curlews, lapwings and grey partridges.

A friend of William van Cutsem (pictured with wife Rosie) said he was 'rattled' by the face-off

Last night Mr Van Cutsem described his recent brush with the law as 'extremely disappointing' and 'entirely avoidable'.

Norfolk Police confirmed that it had received an allegation of an offence being committed under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

A spokesman added: 'Officers from the Operation Randall rural crime team attended woodland close to the A1065 at Hilborough. Enquiries are ongoing.'
In her long legal career she has been engaged in such weighty cases as Guantanamo Bay prisoners, Saudi arms deals  and claims Priti Patel bullied civil servants.

But from tomorrow, Mrs Justice Steyn will find herself in the full glare of the media spotlight for an altogether different reason, as she presides over the Wagatha Christie libel trial.

Described as 'formidable and exceptionally intelligent', she is the daughter of former Law Lord, Lord Steyn.

Mrs Justice Steyn is set to preside over the Wagatha Christie libel trial between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy

Those who have attended preliminary hearings have seen hints of frustration in Dame Karen, possibly mirroring a wider disbelief that Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy are spending millions over their dispute

And those who have attended preliminary hearings have seen hints of frustration in Dame Karen, possibly mirroring a wider disbelief that Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy are spending millions over their dispute.

Dame Karen was born in South Africa but grew up in Britain where she attended Tonbridge Grammar School in Kent and Liverpool University.

Now 51, she was appointed a High Court judge in 2019, becoming a dame in the same year.

She was the only one of that year's High Court intake not to have attended Oxbridge.

She previously said: 'Before I started my career I certainly had a perception of barristers as all fitting a particular mould, one that I knew I did not fit, and it took a little while for me to appreciate that there is no mould.'
The confession was as startling as it was unsettling. Violet Ali, an inmate at Holloway womens prison, had been caught by staff with a fountain pen with a 5 note carefully rolled up inside.

Under pressure to explain, she admitted shed been passing letters and gifts between a prisoner and another woman, with whom the prisoner was in a romantic relationship.

That might have been seen as a minor misdemeanour had it not been for some crucial further details blurted out by Violet: the girlfriend was a prison guard.

Worse, the prisoner was Myra Hindley.

It was 1971 and just five years into Hindleys life sentence for her role in the Moors murders. Hindley was Britains most infamous female criminal  a Category A inmate held under the very highest security.

Myra Hindley was consumed with what prisoners call gate fever and was determined to break out of Holloway by hook or by crook. Perhaps she saw an opportunity the day she first spotted Cairns, known as Trisha, crossing the prison courtyard to start her shift

The horrors of her crimes, committed alongside former lover Ian Brady, were fresh in the public mind.

Five children and teenagers had been murdered, four buried in shallow graves on Saddleworth Moor above Manchester.

The allegation that this notorious and dangerous woman might be conducting a clandestine affair with one of her jailers, someone entrusted to keep her safely locked up, was shocking enough. But a further claim from Violet that the prison warder, Patricia Cairns, intended to give Hindley a key to the dining room to allow them to meet in secret set alarm bells ringing.

Aged 28, Hindley was a woman in the prime of her life who, like all the women of Holloway, wanted love and affection. But there was one thing she craved more  her freedom. What neither Violet nor the prison staff knew then was that Hindleys relationship with Cairns would soon lead to an audacious plot to escape.

Hindley was consumed with what prisoners call gate fever and was determined to break out of Holloway by hook or by crook. Perhaps she saw an opportunity the day she first spotted Cairns, known as Trisha, crossing the prison courtyard to start her shift.

The 26-year-old, a former nun with short, dark hair and a solemn face, had grown up in similar circumstances to Hindley in a suburb of Manchester. Something about her caught Hindleys eye. Whos that? she asked her friend, Carole Callaghan, as she peered down from her cell window. Shes nice.

It wasnt long before the two women got a closer look at each other. Cairns was asked to escort Hindley and other inmates to the prison library and the encounter left the prison officer smitten with this calm, personable young woman.

Hindley wasted little time in making her feelings clear. When Cairns entered her cell one day to admonish another inmate for lying on her bed, she found Hindley naked, moisturising herself after a wash.

Boldly holding Cairnss gaze, Hindley made no attempt to cover herself. From then on, notes from Hindley  in her distinctive, tiny handwriting  saying she hoped they could be friends were passed surreptitiously by other inmates. The womens friendship developed over nightly ping pong tournaments in E Wing, where Hindley was held, and in a shared love of music, particularly The Carpenters song Close To You. One night, Hindley heard a tap on her cell door and found a rosebud placed in her spy hole. On the other side of the door was Cairns.

I love you, Hindley whispered.

I love you, too, Cairns replied. Its hopeless, but I cant help it.

Rumours of their illicit relationship soon spread through Holloway. Fellow prisoner Violet was recruited to pass notes and gifts because she had the privileged status of a red-band trusty, which meant she was allowed to move about Holloway freely to clean up and make tea for the staff. She was also illiterate so couldnt read their secret notes.

In September 1972, Hindleys dreams of parole were shattered when Holloway governor Dorothy Wing took her out of the prison for a walk on Hampstead Heath. When the press was tipped off, the news was met with outrage from the public and from victims families. It became clear to Hindley that no politician would dare to be the one to set her free

Hindleys affair with Cairns became common knowledge but fellow prison offers were reluctant to grass on Cairns to the governor, and even when senior staff were informed they didnt believe it.

When Violet made her confession, Cairns convinced her superiors that they were fabricated nonsense, which got the unfortunate Violet thrown into solitary confinement for her lies.

Hindley and Cairns soon found a new way to communicate.

In the summer of 1971, Hindley asked the governor to add a new name to the list of approved people allowed to write to her  a cousin from Manchester called Glenis. The pair soon became pen pals, exchanging at least 125 letters over the next two years.

But, in truth, Glenis was Trisha Cairns. And she chose the distasteful surname Moores.

In September 1972, Hindleys dreams of parole were shattered when Holloway governor Dorothy Wing took her out of the prison for a walk on Hampstead Heath. When the press was tipped off, the news was met with outrage from the public and from victims families.

It became clear to Hindley that no politician would dare to be the one to set her free. It was time to take the law into her own hands, she concluded, and confided to her new friend that she had a plan.

I told Trisha that I felt there was really no alternative to an otherwise almost unendurable situation  the whole situation  than for me to escape from prison, and I asked her to help, Hindley wrote. Cairns had recently passed her principal officer exam, which made her senior enough to take charge of the safe containing Holloways keys when the need arose.

Their love blossomed further during secret meetings in the prison chapel, where Hindley spent many hours supposedly practising the piano. So much time on the piano, observers noted, would have raised her to concert standard.

Hindley, who refused to swear on the Bible at the Moors murder trial, was also now a professed Catholic and she claimed that Cairns, a novice Carmelite nun before joining the Prison Service, was helping her with her faith. But they discussed more than religion in the chapel.

For a prison officer to help a woman escape was a grave criminal offence. Yet Cairns agreed to break Hindley out.

I became convinced that she had finally freed herself from the yoke of Ian Bradys influence, sincerely amended her ways, and desires only to do good in the future, she later wrote.

Even if Hindleys interest in Catholicism had been genuine, rather than engineered to impress a gullible guard, she soon steered conversations around to her desire to get out of Holloway. A new 21-year-old go-between, Maxine Croft, who was serving time for possessing forged 5 notes and other offences, was chosen. Known as Little Max because of her diminutive frame, Croft had recently been transferred to the north London jail from HMP Styal in Cheshire, where she had made her own escape bid by climbing over the wall. Hindley and Cairns thought Crofts experience with forged 5 notes might be useful in the plan they cooked up.

But Holloway officers decided to use Croft, too, as can now be revealed. Croft claims that a senior prison officer asked her to spy on Cairns and Hindley and provide evidence of their affair, in return for being given a green band, a coveted privilege one step below having a red band. Croft says that the officer told her: You either do it, or you dont get parole. And you could get a longer sentence.

She claims she was also told to go along with the escape plan in order to get Hindley in so much trouble that she would never be released. The whole thing was to keep [Myra] in, to stop her getting parole, Croft says. I was told it was a set-up.

The 26-year-old, a former nun with short, dark hair and a solemn face, had grown up in similar circumstances to Hindley in a suburb of Manchester. Something about her caught Hindleys eye. Whos that? she asked her friend, Carole Callaghan, as she peered down from her cell window. Shes nice'. Patricia Cairns is pictured above second from left

Whether Croft did pass on any information is not clear. But the trio began discussing an escape plan in September 1973.

The only way youre going to get out is over the wall, Croft had joked. But Hindley took her suggestion seriously. Various schemes were discussed. Several women had escaped over the 18ft perimeter wall but were mostly found writhing in agony outside, having broken their bones in the fall.

There were rumours of a secret back door. Hindley reckoned she might be able to get into the chapel loft but there was no way down from the roof without being seen.

It seemed all but impossible. However, Hindley was willing to try and she had an advantage over every other prisoner who had tried to escape the grim Victorian prison: her girlfriend had prison keys.

Cairns had to hand in her keys every night after her shift and they were locked in a safe. But what if they could copy them? Although she didnt have a key for the prison gate, the keys she did have access to could get Hindley into the grounds  and Cairns could help her over the wall from the outside. The ambitious plan was to drive her to Heathrow and catch a night flight to Brazil, one of the few countries which would not automatically extradite them back to the UK. Cairns thought they could do Gods work in a Catholic country.

The idea of the Moors murderer and a former nun hiding out as missionaries in a country that harboured escaped Nazis and Train Robber Ronnie Biggs made Croft laugh. But the lovers were serious.

First, Hindley  a highly intelligent and devious woman  managed to change her surname by deed poll to Spencer, the name she planned to use when free. But her accomplices were not so clever as her. The next job was to take photos of Hindley for a new passport. Cairns bought a new camera especially and Croft took a roll of pictures in Hindleys cell. But the developed film came out blank.

It seems that Croft had not read the instructions and the lens cover was still on.

They waited a week to try again. Hindley washed and combed her hair, dressed up and covered her prison-grey complexion with layers of make-up.

The 20 shots Croft took were hardly conventional passport photos as Hindley had posed like a coquette. In one, she sat with her legs crossed and her chin on her hand. In another, she had both legs up. In a third, she cuddled a Snoopy toy. These would not work as passport pictures. But Cairns was delighted.

The next step was the vital matter of keys. Cairns bunch, number 58, held three: a universal key which opened every cell door in Holloway and two more which opened office doors and internal gates.

Prison keys worn with use are as forensically distinct as fingerprints, so making copies of Cairnss personal bunch would put her at great risk. To avoid detection, it seems that Cairns secretly used her colleagues keys. Hindley would also need a master key, which were not part of Cairnss standard bunch, to let herself out of the building into the yard.

Copying keys was one of the black prison arts, like smuggling notes or making a home-made knife called a shiv with which to stab an enemy. Some prisoners could memorise key shapes and carve a duplicate in wood, or from a plastic toothbrush.

But the three women settled on another way, which involved pressing a key into a bar of soap to make an impression that could be used as a mould. Cairns smuggled in three bars of scented pink Camay soap, advertised with pictures of beautiful women under the slogan: Youll be a little lovelier each day with fabulous pink Camay.

Cairns may have felt the brand appropriate but the results were disappointing.

Their second attempt involved making plaster casts, with Cairns smuggling a bag of plaster of Paris into the prison officers lounge at the top of the so-called Ivory Tower, a turret in the castellated prison, where officers took their breaks. On her way up the stairs, she bumped into another officer coming down, and had to hide the bag. It was like a French farce, recalled Croft.

Cairns ran down and threw me the plaster as we passed. We were throwing it to each other for several minutes so the other officer didnt see. When the coast was clear, they mixed it up in a metal tea pot but couldnt get the consistency right and had to throw the whole lot away.

They were finally successful using modelling plaster in PG Tips boxes.

And so the conspirators had everything they needed to begin making four new keys.

Croft suggested they give the moulds to an Essex scrap car dealer called George Stephens, an all-round dodgy geezer with criminal contacts.

Stephens was also a well-known grass, whose best friend was a senior Metropolitan Police detective.

The plan was for Croft to arrange a parole day on October 29, when she would be free to leave the jail under supervision. She would contact Stephens and arrange for him to collect a package containing the key impressions. Then she would shrug off her parole officer and meet Cairns with the package at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park.

The first part went smoothly and, in a phone call to Stephens, the women agreed to drop the package at Paddington Station left luggage office and mail him the ticket receipt so he could then collect it.

But there was a hitch. The left luggage at Paddington was closed because of bomb threats by the IRA and The Angry Brigade, the terror gang which targeted high-profile locations during the early 1970s.

So the plan was to divert to Euston, where, as they discovered, British Rail staff were checking every package for bombs. Instead, Cairns posted the box of impressions to Stephens workplace. The following day the box was sitting on his desk unopened when  so Stephens later statement claimed  Detective Chief Inspector Phil Thomas pulled into his yard to see about some repairs to his Austin.

Stephens had been a friend of the police officer for years and they holidayed together in adjacent caravans in Herne Bay, Kent.

Out of curiosity, he claimed, DCI Thomas asked what was in the box. New evidence reveals that, in fact, Stephens almost certainly tipped DCI Thomas off, and the officer came to his scrap yard especially to collect the parcel.

It smelt of soap and when opened, it was found to contain three blocks of plaster, three bars of pink soap and a block of brown prison soap, all bearing impressions of keys. They came with a series of notes which referred to copying keys.

Learning that the box came from a prisoner at Holloway, DCI Thomas took it back to Dagenham police station, where he gave instructions for it to be delivered to DCI John Hoggarth at the Home Office.

Hoggarths concerns were that the keys were to be used to break out women linked to terror groups as two members of The Angry Brigade were imprisoned in Holloway, with IRA suspects also in and out of the jail at the time. He arranged a meeting the following day with the governors and confronted Croft.

At first attempting to deny wrongdoing, she realised there was nowhere to hide. She told DCI Hoggarth: Its not for the IRA. Its for Myra Hindley.

Hindley, Cairns and Croft were reunited in the dock at the Old Bailey on April 1, 1974.

As they stood for sentencing, the Moors Murderer and Cairns held hands, locked eyes and, for the last time in a very long time, exchanged a loving glance.

Then a dock officer who noticed they were holding hands administered a karate chop  separating the women.

Hindley was given a token additional year on her life sentence. Croft got an extra 18 months. Cairns was imprisoned for six years and today lives under a different name.

 Howard Sounes, 2022

This Woman: Myra Hindleys Prison Love Affair And Escape Attempt by Howard Sounes is published by Seven Dials on May 12, priced 16.99. To order a copy for 14.44 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937 before May 15. Free UK delivery on orders over 20.
Fears that Melbourne is on the tip of a full scale gangland war have reached boiling point after another execution-style murder on the streets.

Korey Kesici, 22, was 'prepared for violence' when he was shot multiple times in the early hours of Thursday in what police believe was an organised assassination.

Now it has emerged police are investigating if Melbourne crime kingpin George Marrogi is linked to the brazen hit.

Marrogi was as sentenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria to a total of 32 years in jail - all of which he is likely to serve behind bars - on April 29 over the public execution of drug dealer Kadir Ors in 2016.

George Marrogi, 33, was sentenced last month over the murder of Kevin Ors

Korey Kesici, 22, was 'prepared for violence' when he was shot multiple times

Scene of the crime: Police rope off street where Kesici was shot multiple times

On Friday, the Herald Sun reported Marrogi was under investigation over Kesici's murder despite being locked within Victoria's maximum security Barwon Prison.

The ruthless killer has allegedly been busy maintaining control of his gang - Notorious Crime Family - from behind bars.

A cryptic message was posted on Marrogis Instagram account about an hour after Kesici's murder.

It read: 'Take delight in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.'

The passage was accompanied with the '11:11' tag - the calling card of the NCF.

Police sources have told Daily Mail Australia Marrogi is indeed a line of inquiry for homicide squad detectives.

The shooting comes amid a surge in underworld activity not seen in Melbourne for up to a decade.

I mean they're not going to go and get jobs at Bunnings, are they.

It was almost 11 years ago to the day when Macchour Chaouk was shot dead at his home in Melbourne's west.

The execution of the Chaouk crime patriarch came amid a wave of gangland violence between his family and the rival Haddara clan.

It had begun in 2009 when Ali Chaouk shot dead Mohammed Haddara in a suburban street in Altona North.

Haddara, 28, was shot five times as he tried to run away from the assassin, who killed him in a dispute over a car lent for a wedding.

The war between the Lebanese crime gangs would last for years and spread fear across Melbourne's western suburbs.

Public shootings saw members of both clans jailed as police worked to crush the bloody war.

The feud would run out of steam with the jailing of Fadi Haddara in 2015 on drug charges.

Macchour Chaouk was gunned down in the backyard of his Brooklyn home in 2010. His killer has never been brought to justice

The murder of Mohammed Haddara in 2009 began a blood feud between the Haddara and Chaouk clans

Korey Kesici's brother (right) paid tribute to him on Facebook last week

While that period was a tough slog for Victoria Police, it had been a blip on the radar compared to the carnage of the city's notorious 'Underbelly War'.

Between January 1998 and August 2010 36 Melbourne underworld figures were murdered.

Last month, Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton went on radio to play down suggestions Melbourne was on the cusp of another gangland war.

It came following a string of high profile gang arrests and the day national president of the Comancheros, Mick Murray, was charged over the 2019 murder of Mitat Rasimi.

A close associate of former drug lord and Underbelly War survivor Tony Mokbel, Rasimi had been shot dead while in his car in Dandenong on March 3, 2019.

'I dont believe, at all, that were on the cusp of any significant gangland war or anything like that, but it does show we constantly have these criminal entities, these criminal groups that are prepared to do anything to try and make money,' Commissioner Patton told 3AW.

'We constantly will be targeting them, well constantly be disrupting them.

'We cant afford to take our eyes off the ball.'

Despite the assurances, an underworld insider told Daily Mail Australia Melbourne was experiencing arguably 'the most unstable period since the gangland war on numerous fronts'.

'The emergence of Marrogis NCF and his prison bust on conspiracy charges has all sorts of implications. There is lot of money at stake, a lot of drugs, huge money,' he said.

Marrogi has been investigated over multiple fatal and non-fatal shootings over the periods he has not been behind bars.

Mourners gather at the scene where Kesici was shot dead last week

Korey Kesici had been 'prepared for violence' police claimed

George Marrogi (pictured) has spent 15 of the last 16 years behind bars.

Marrogi was investigated over the shooting of Nabil 'Mad Lebo' Maghnie, who would later be killed while Marrogi was behind bars

Last week it was revealed he had done little to reform his passion for crime while awaiting his latest sentence.

Well connected to Middle Eastern organised crime syndicates, Marrogi has been able to recruit prisoners and other members to NCF from inside Barwons top-security Acacia Unit.

Police allege Marrogi was allegedly setting up drug deals from Barwon Prison while pretending to be on the phone with his lawyer, the Herald Sun reported.

They also believe he was conspiring to murder a 'close associate' as the investigation into his alleged running of the drug empire from inside jail netted two more arrests.

The bust coincided with word Jesse Marrogi - his own brother - had left the country.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said the syndicate had access to military-style weapons, illicit drugs and unexplained wealth.

When not dealing with Middle Eastern crime gangs, detectives are busy working to get a grip on the city's escalating outlaw motorcycle gang problems.

Last month it was revealed Mongols president Toby Mitchell had suddenly lost the top job.

Bikie enforcers Mark Balsillie, Sam 'The Punisher' Abdulrahim and Jason Addison left along with him.

Mitchell, Balsillie and Abdulrahim have been three of the gangs most powerful members in recent years.

'Who knows how that's all going to end up. It's one of the biggest bikie splits in history,' the insider told Daily Mail Australia.

'And with the Mick Murray arrest, where does it leave the Comancheros?'

Fadi Haddara (left) and Waleed Haddara depart the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne in 2020

Comancheros head honcho Mick Murray has been charged with murder

Mark Balsillie was respected enough to be sent to Russia several years ago to patch over that countrys Comanchero members to the Mongols

Toby Mitchell (right) has removed his Mongols tatts after being booted from the job

The arrest of hundreds of crooks around Australia in June last year has created a further vacuum in Melbourne's underworld.

Authorities sensationally carried out the country's biggest ever organised crime bust, announcing 224 people had been arrested as a result of an elaborate sting using technology designed by the FBI.

They had been nabbed after using 'AN0M' branded phones and encrypted messaging services almost three years earlier, not realising the Federal Police were using the platform to read their messages.

'It's been less than a year since the ANOM busts. It's become very unstable out there and big players are under a lot of pressure and a lot of money is at stake, not to mention some big egos,' the insider said.

Detectives are mindful that many aspiring crooks are waiting in the wings to fill the void.

'There are always people out there willing to take a step up. There are always soldiers out there. It's always the same, they follow a pro forma, these blokes are not shot buying a carton milk,' the insider said.

'And then you have the grudges, people who hate each other. But money is the thing. People will do this work. They're out there. They want a name for themselves or to move up the underworld's tree. You gotta do the hard yards. You gotta do the heavy lifting.'

While the clan war of the mid 2010s provided police with clear targets, this time they face threats on several fronts, the insider said.

'It's been decades since its been this unstable. And you just have to take a look at Sydney,' he said.

With crime 'refugees' such as Mitchell, Balsillie, Abdulrahim and Addison at a loose end, those in the know fear chaos could breakout at any moment on the streets of Melbourne.

'I mean they're not going to go and get jobs at Bunnings, are they,' the insider warned.

Gangland killer Carl Williams caused carnage on the streets of Melbourne during its infamous Underbelly War

Crime lord Tony Mokbel survived the Underbelly War, but was almost killed in jail
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Lewis Hamilton backed down over his promise to boycott the Miami Grand Prix  by removing all the jewellery he could.

Only three hours earlier, the seven-time world champion said he would pull out of the event if Formula One's ruling FIA insisted he take off his earrings and studs.

In a defiant statement of intent, he had worn eight rings, four necklaces, three watches, two bracelets, two earrings and a nose stud while undertaking his media duties in the underbelly of the Hard Rock Stadium.

Lewis Hamilton backed down over his promise to boycott the Miami Grand Prix  by removing all the jewellery he could

Hamilton's initial stance put him at odds with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, who has instructed officials in America to enforce a long-standing ban on jewellery in the cockpit. The rule has not been applied throughout Hamilton's career.

Although Ben Sulayem cites safety concerns, some observers feel the crusade is an ad hominem attack on Hamilton, the sport's most extravagant jewellery wearer. Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel said he believed his British rival was being targeted.

Race director Niels Wittich, who insisted on the ban in the DTM series he previously governed, is in alignment with his president. They laid out their position in a scrutineering document published on Thursday night. To which Hamilton replied: 'If they stop me then so be it. We've got a spare driver. We're well prepped for the weekend. There's lots to do in the city anyway, so it will be good either way.'

Nyck de Vries, a 27-year-old Dutchman who competes in Formula E, was on standby. But Hamilton, in a swift U-turn, agreed to a medical examination at the track and then whipped out his earrings prior to first practice, leaving in only a nose stud, and possibly another appendage in an unidentified part of his anatomy.

In a defiant statement of intent, he wore eight rings, four necklaces, three watches, two bracelets, two earrings and a nose stud to undertake his media duties in the underbelly of the Hard Rock Stadium

He says these studs cannot be removed easily and has been granted a two-race exemption to keep them in place while he looks into possible solutions.

He had previously claimed his earrings were also permanent  an argument that has now been shown up as hollow.

The FIA insisted: 'The wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may, therefore, be checked before the start.'

They added: 'The wearing of jewellery underneath the required flameproof clothing can reduce the protection afforded by this equipment. Metallic objects, such as jewellery, in contact with the skin can reduce heat transmission protection and thus may increase the risk of burn injuries in the event of a fire.

Hamilton's initial stance put him at odds with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, who has instructed his officials to enforce a long-standing ban on jewellery in the cockpit

But Hamilton, in a swift U-turn, agreed to a medical examination at the track and then whipped out his earrings

'The wearing of jewellery during the competition can hinder both medical interventions as well as subsequent diagnosis and treatment should it be required following an accident.

'The presence of jewellery can slow, due to the risk of 'snagging', the emergency removal of driver safety equipment such as helmet, balaclava and overalls.

'In the case that medical imaging is required to inform diagnosis following an accident the presence of jewellery on the body can cause significant complication and delay. In the worst case the presence of jewellery during imaging may cause further injury.

'Jewellery in and/or around the airway can pose specific additional risks should it become dislodged and either ingested or inhaled.'

Hamilton rang Ben Sulayem on Friday at home in Dubai to discuss the matter, but did not get through, at least at that stage.

It leaves in only a nose stud, and possibly another appendage in an unidentified part of the seven-time champion's anatomy

Earlier, while still defiant, the Briton, who is 58 points adrift of leader Charles Leclerc after four disappointing races, said: 'The jewellery debate is almost a step backwards when you think about the progress we are making as a sport. There are more important issues we need to be focusing on. We are here in Miami and this is such a small thing.

'I can't remove at least two of them. One, I can't explain where it is. But it's platinum, so it's not magnetic. It's never been a safety issue in the past. I've had it in for 16 years. I've had many MRI scans and not had to take out the platinum.

'I am willing to sign a waiver to take the responsibility away from the FIA if I need to. It is about individuality and being who you are. I sent Mohammed a message to reassure him that I want to be an ally and I don't want to fight with him over this. I will try to speak to him before the race.'

A fortnight ago, Red Bull's motorsport adviser Helmet Marko mused that Hamilton probably wished he had retired at the end of last season. The 37-year-old countered: 'It has been interesting to see quite a lot of disrespectful comments. Yes, we are going through a tough time but we are fighters and if you don't realise that about me you don't know me.'
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Maybe the Quadruple was always an impossible dream. Maybe it was always an insane ambition foisted on this Liverpool team by others. But as it slipped a little further away from Liverpool at Anfield last night, Jurgen Klopp's side fought against the dying of it with every ounce of energy and every moment of fury and every bit of defiance they could muster.

Trailing to a quite brilliant Son Heung-min counter-attacking goal from Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool drew level through Luis Diaz and then threw everything they could at their visitors in search of the winner. But Spurs would not yield and as Liverpool supporters pleaded and beseeched and begged for the winner, time ran out. Manchester City, licking their wounds on their retreat from Madrid, are that bit closer to winning the Premier League.

Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Antonio Conte's side took them back to the top of the table but only on goal difference. And if City, who have a game in hand, can recover from the shock of that traumatic Champions League defeat in the Bernabeu and beat a resurgent Newcastle United at the Etihad this afternoon, they will be three points clear with three games to play.

Mohamed Salah was left frustrated as Liverpool's title chances suffered a blow in their draw against Tottenham at Anfield

Trent Alexander-Arnold could not help but look downbeat, knowing that the Reds have handed Manchester City an advantage

'It is an important point because it's one point more than before,' Klopp insisted of the result against Spurs. He conceded that he could not see City dropping points but he said he could not understand the funereal reaction to the draw. 'It is the first little stone thrown our way,' he said. 'We will not stop fighting in every game.'

This was just a game too far for Liverpool, who looked low on energy and invention against a well-drilled, clever Spurs team for whom this draw was a fillip in their battle with Arsenal for a Champions League place. That battle may be decided at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday in the North London derby and this result means Spurs will go into it in good heart.

Liverpool gave everything  and we will wait to see quite how damaged City are by events in Spain  but this was the first time either of the two teams who have been duelling for the league had blinked. Win had followed win had followed win. It was relentless but in Spurs, Liverpool came up against an opponent who would not yield and would not be overawed.

Virgil van Dijk had one of Liverpool's best chances in the first half as his header from a corner skimmed the crossbar

Son Heung-min gave Tottenham the lead 11 minutes after half-time as he finished off a neat move by Antonio Conte's side

It was the South Korean's 20th Premier League goal of the season - his highest tally since joining Tottenham seven years ago

Liverpool play Aston Villa away on Tuesday, Southampton away and Wolves at home. They must win all of them and hope that City lose one of their matches against Newcastle, Wolves away, West Ham away and Aston Villa at home. City broke in Madrid but will they break in Manchester on Sunday or Wolverhampton or at The London Stadium or against Steven Gerrard's Villa? Pep Guardiola and his players desperately needed a fillip and this result may have given it to them.

Liverpool subjected Spurs to intense pressure from the kick-off but everyone knew this was a dangerous match. The roars of the fans were deafening as the home team surged forward time after time. But even as they attacked, some worries lingered among the home supporters. Spurs might just be the best team in the league on the counter-attack.

Certainly, it is hard to think of a pairing as quick, as clever and as attuned to each other's runs and movements and thoughts as Harry Kane and Son. Dejan Kulusevski has become a willing foil to their rapier thrusts forward and Spurs made it clear early on that they had not come to Merseyside as Liverpool's patsies.

Spurs have found the secret to unpicking Manchester City already and as Liverpool dominated the early stages, there were moments of alarm when Spurs broke forward. Kane crossed for Son in the seventh minute, forcing Alisson to rush from his line and seven minutes after that, Liverpool were indebted to a superb block by Jordan Henderson when Kane fired a left-foot shot goalwards.

Liverpool's first chance did not come until midway through the first half and that was from a set piece. Henderson forced a corner, at the expense of a nasty blow on the ankle from a scything tackle by Cristian Romero, and when Andy Robertson swung it over from the left, Virgil van Dijk rose majestically at the back post but his header went narrowly over the bar.

Liverpool January recruit Luis Diaz got his side level with a strike from outside the box which deflected off Rodrigo Bentancur

The Colombian took on the mantle of Liverpool's most dangerous attacking threat at Anfield on a quiet night for Salah

Six minutes later, Liverpool went close again. In his haste to defend a cross, Ryan Sessegnon got to the ball in front of Henderson but inadvertently looped a header towards the back post where Salah was waiting. Hugo Lloris flung himself to his right and tipped the ball away from the Liverpool forward, the newly crowned FWA Footballer of the Year.

Liverpool were struggling to make chances from open play but seven minutes before half-time, they nearly scored from another corner. Once again, Van Dijk rose highest in the box to meet the kick, this time from Trent Alexander-Arnold, and this time his header clipped the top of the crossbar. Two minutes later, Lloris saved well from Diaz.

But the Spurs threat was still there and a minute later, it was the visitors who nearly took the lead. Son broke from midfield but when he was confronted by Van Dijk, he played the ball square to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Hojbjerg steadied himself and then unleashed a vicious, skimming low drive that evaded Alisson's right hand but bounced to safety off the outside of the post.

Liverpool pushed for a winning goal after Diaz's equaliser, but they could not find one as Tottenham defended strongly

Jurgen Klopp celebrated Liverpool's goal in trademark style, but ultimately he will be disappointed with the result

Twelve minutes after half time, the worst fears of Liverpool's fans were confirmed when Spurs broke again. Emerson Royal launched a long ball out of defence that seemed to pose little danger but Kane brought it down beautifully and advanced on goal. He thought about shooting but laid the ball wide to Sessegnon and Sessegnon drilled a perfect cross into the path of Son, who turned it over the line.

The Spurs fans behind that goal in the Anfield Road End went wild. It was only the second goal  after Milot Rashica's strike for Norwich on February 19th  that Liverpool have conceded at home in the Premier League this year. And two minutes later, Spurs nearly scored again when Sessegnon combined again with Son. This time, Sessegnon's touch was a little heavy and the ball bounced off Son's foot and behind for a goal kick.

Now it was like the Alamo. Liverpool threw everything at Spurs. And Spurs repelled everything as best they could. Ben Davies produced a tremendous diving block to deny Salah, defender after defender flung themselves in front of the ball. It felt for a while as if their defence would not be breeched.

Then, with a quarter of an hour to go, Diaz got the ball 25 yards out and danced left to right across the face of the Spurs box. When he found space for a shot, it took a heavy deflection off Rodrigo Bentancur and span past Lloris into the corner of the net. Bill Shankly's old claim about the Kop sucking shots into the opposition goal felt as if it had been brought back to life.

Anfield erupted. Klopp leapt and punched and hugged on the touchline. Hope sprang anew among the home fans. But try as they might, they could not force the winner and Spurs spurned a golden late opportunity was Hojbjerg rose to meet a cross unmarked six yards out but instead of going for goal, he tried to head the ball back into the path of a teammate. Liverpool escaped but the impossible dream faded.

It was also not the ideal result for Tottenham, who remain fifth in the table ahead of their meeting with Arsenal on Thursday

Re-live Sportsmail's coverage of Liverpool's draw with Tottenham with Sportsmail's OLLY ALLEN.
Todd Boehly has been pictured at Stamford Bridge for the first time since his consortium won its bid to buy Chelsea for 4.25billion.

The picture, taken by Darren Lavery, was posted on Twitter late on Friday night - just hours before Chelsea announced Boehly's group had signed a purchase agreement to take over.

Former chancellor George Osborne, brought in by the consortium to help them with the takeover, was also spotted in the photo.

Lavery claimed in a Tweet that American billionaire Boehly was 'more than happy to stand and chat away with us', adding that the businessman was a 'top, top guy'.

Boehly is expected to attend Saturday's match between Chelsea and Wolves at Stamford Bridge following confirmation of the agreement.

Todd Boehly, centre, has been pictured for the first time since his consortium won its bid

Darren Lavery took the first photo of Boehly outside of Stamford Bridge and spoke to the new owner

Boehly's consortium had been named as the preferred bidder to take over at Stamford Bridge by the Raine Group, the American bank who were overseeing the sale from Roman Abramovich.

He has partnered with fellow Dodgers owner Mark Walter, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss as well as investment firm Clearlake Capital.

Boehly saw off competition from consortiums fronted by Stephen Pagliuca and Sir Martin Broughton and even a late 4.25bn bid from Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The deal, expected to be completed in May following a sign-off by the Government and the Premier League, ends a period of significant uncertainty for Chelsea after the Government sanctioned former owner Abramovich in March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Boehly's takeover is expected to be completed by the end of this month and by the deadline

The American was spotted outside of Stamford Bridge following late-night talks on his bid

Fears grew this week that Abramovich could renege on his promise to write off a 1.6bn loan and leave the Blues in jeopardy.

Doing so would have thrown a major spanner in the works for any potential takeover, as UK ministers approving the sale wanted none of the proceeds from it to go to the Russian.

Instead, they were keen for the money to go towards helping rebuild Ukraine after they were invaded by Russian troops.

Chelsea confirmed in a statement that '2.5bn will be applied to purchase the shares in the Club and such proceeds will be deposited into a frozen UK bank account with the intention to donate 100 per cent to charitable causes as confirmed by Roman Abramovich'.

'In addition, the proposed new owners will commit 1.75bn in further investment for the benefit of the Club. This includes investments in Stamford Bridge, the Academy, the Women's Team and Kingsmeadow and continued funding for the Chelsea Foundation.

The news will be welcomed by Chelsea fans as the club's future had been under threat

'The sale is expected to complete in late May subject to all necessary regulatory approvals. More details will be provided at that time.'

The Premier League club had to operate on a special licence provided by the Government in the wake of sanctions imposed on Abramovich.

If they were not fully licensed by the time the Premier League held its AGM on June 8, Chelsea risked expulsion from England's top flight and European competitions.

The club would not have been eligible to re-enter the Premier League in that case, nor would they be put forward by the FA as Champions League or Europa League representatives.
Susanna Reid shut down a Twitter troll who asked if she had 'put on some weight' and branded her 'chunky' in a cruel comment on Friday evening.

The Good Morning Britain host, 51, had shared an article written on her outfit similarities with Joan Collins, before being hit with a rude reply from the user.

The critic wrote a tweet that said: 'Have you put on some weight? You are looking very chunky' - while quick witted Susanna simply replied saying 'yes'.

Out of order: Susanna Reid shut down a Twitter troll who asked if she had 'put on some weight' and branded her 'chunky' in a cruel comment on Friday evening

Susanna quote tweeted the question and wrote 'yes'.

While she seemed to handle the ill-mannered encounter well, many fans and users came to the reply section of the tweet to display their disbelief and support.

Showing their confusion, one wrote: 'Why do people think this is ok?', while another agreed 'Why people always think is alright to comment on somebodys appearance its beyond me .. I just dont understand.'

Twitter feud: The Good Morning Britain host, 51, had shared an article written on her outfit similarities with Joan Collins , before being hit with a rude reply from the user

Snappy: Coming back with a quick reply just four minutes later, Susanna quote tweeted the question and simply replied 'yes'

Jumping to shower the GMB presenter with kindness, many added that they thought she looked 'amazing'.

Some even added angry looking memes of Susanna's face from previous Good Morning Britain episodes to show their distaste.

Many fans also pointed out that the unnamed troll account was only followed by 28 people - with one being the official account of Barack Obama.

Not impressed: Many fans and users came to the reply section of the tweet to display their disbelief and support

Susanna is known for openly talking about her weight, admitting previously that she struggled with a 'lockdown slump' and gained weight due to the pandemic.

Speaking to Joe Wicks in November 2020, in preparation for another lockdown, Susanna asked for his advice.

'Im going to be battling with the lockdown stone, it went on during lockdown one. I really don't want another one going on during lockdown two,' she explained.

While Joe suggested regular exercise and cutting down on certain foods to combat weight gain.
According to a renowned investigative journalist and Russia specialist, Vladimir Putin's top commanders would defy orders to use nuclear weapons on Ukraine or the West.

By Christo Grozev of the Bellingcat open-source research organization, many senior military and security officers, as well as oligarch buddies, think Russian President Vladimir Putin is dying or critically sick.

Vladimir Putin's Officials Worry About His Health

President Vladimir Putin's closest circle would not risk being brought before a modern-day Nuremberg tribunal, fearful that he might not be around for much longer. Shortly after commencing his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Putin put the country's nuclear forces on high alert.

As Western nations rallied to provide Ukraine's military with the tools it needed to fight the invasion, the Kremlin leader issued a series of thinly disguised threats, implying that he was ready to pull the trigger.

The Il-80 doomsday command jet, which would carry the top brass in the case of a nuclear war, will make an appearance during Monday's Victory Day celebration in Red Square, as per Russia's Defense Ministry. In such scenario, the Il-80 would serve as the Russian president's airborne command center, according to Metro.

It comes as rumors circulate that the wicked dictator is suffering from early-stage dementia. According to some sources, the ill-looking Russian president may have Parkinson's disease and cancer after being barred from traveling with a thyroid cancer doctor.

Vladimir Putin is expected to have surgery, according to a Kremlin insider. Because he has no future if the war fails, the sick autocrat might be assassinated in a coup.

As per to The Sun, Vladimir Putin would do everything to stay in power, according to former US general Jack Keane, since the alternative is his death. He is all about remaining in power, as reported by former US Army Vice Chief of Staff. That drives him. He'll go to any length to keep his position.

Read Also: The Kremlin Condemns Azov Battalion in Azovstal for Using Civilians as Pawns, Acting Like Syrian Terrorists

Several Clips Show Russian President is Unwell

Putin's health has been questioned following camera footage that showed him wobbly, squirming, and swollen and bloated. Putin will have surgery, potentially for cancer, according to a social media account allegedly maintained by a former official and insider.

According to a video published by General SVR, Putin allegedly held a two-hour heart-to-heart talk with top adviser Nikolai Patrushe, Putin's temporary replacement is supposed to be the secretary of Russia's security council, who formerly served as the head of the Federal Security Service.

Putin is also believed to have made it obvious to Mr. Patrushev, according to General SVR, that he regards the aide as nearly the sole true confidant and buddy in the system of power. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, footage of Putin has prompted analysts to believe he is suffering from a variety of health issues.

Putin was seen in a video dated mid-February greeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Putin may be seen in the video with one hand on his chest and the other in a fist. Putin's hand trembles wildly before pressing it firmly against his chest. He then walks firmly and unsteadily towards Mr. Lukashenko, his legs twitching.

Mr. Putin has disputed rumors that he is in poor health on several occasions. Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, denied in April that Mr. Putin had had thyroid cancer surgery. Putin's health, he maintained, was superb, and he had not had to cope with anything more serious than a cold, Express reported.

Related Article: Russia's Victory Day Will Showcase Putin's 'Doomsday' Threat to the West

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Lauren Conrad and Sarah Michelle Gellar were among numerous stars celebrating Mother's Day weekend at a special event hosted by The Little Market on Friday.

Gellar, 45, glowed in a summery floral yellow dress while Conrad, 36, sported a frilly floor-length creation at the celebration, which took place at Issima restaurant in West Hollywood.

Other stars in attendance included Tia Mowry, Draya Michele, Jordana Brewster, Elsa Collins, Lauren Sanchez, Phoebe Gates, Kayla Ewell and Hannah Skvarla.

Celebrity moms: Lauren Conrad and Sarah Michelle Gellar were among numerous stars celebrating Mother's Day weekend at a special event hosted by The Little Market on Friday

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star accessorized her look with a large pair of golden hoops in her ears, as well as a few gold bangles and rings.

The wife of Freddie Prinze Jr., 46 - with whom she shares two children, Charlotte, 12, and Rocky, nine - wore a pair of nude heels that showed off her bright pink pedicure.

The actress' golden strands were parted in the middle and pulled into a sleek bun for the occasion.

Glowing: Gellar, 45, glowed in a summery floral yellow dress at the celebration, which took place at Issima restaurant in West Hollywood

Golden: The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star accessorized her look with a large pair of golden hoops in her ears, as well as a few gold bangles and rings

As for makeup, The Scooby Doo star sported a dash of mascara and pink lipstick on her pout.

Meanwhile Conrad looked incredible with her blonde hair flowing down her shoulders in gentle waves.

The Laguna Beach alum and mother of sons Liam, four, and Charlie, two - who she shares with husband William Tell, 42 - also opted for a natural glow, with a hint of blush and pink lipstick.

Summer ready: Conrad, 36, sported a frilly floor-length dress and looked incredible with her blonde hair flowing down her shoulders in gentle waves

Natural: The Laguna Beach alum opted for a natural glow, with a hint of blush and pink lipstick on her pout

Conrad mingled with other ladies at the event, including American actress and model Jordana Brewster, 42, and Hannah Skvarla, the co-founder of The Little Market, which is a nonprofit fair trade shop 'featuring ethically sourced products that are handmade by artisans around the world.'

Brewster looked classy in an all-white ensemble featuring a silk white camisole, a matching cream suit jacket and pants.

The Fast & Furious star completed her outfit with a chunky pair of open-toe brown platform heels that showed off her white pedicure.

The ladies: Conrad mingled with other attendees, including American actress and model Jordana Brewster, 42 (middle) and Hannah Skvarla (right) the co-founder of The Little Market

Classy gal: The Fast & Furious star looked classy in an all-white ensemble featuring a silk white camisole, a matching cream suit jacket and pants

Baskets: Skvarla looked chic in a floral summer dress and white sandal heels, as she and Conrad posed with a pair of woven baskets

Meanwhile Skvarla looked chic in a floral summer dress and woven white sandal heels.

She and Conrad posed with a pair of baskets, which appeared to be part of the gift goodies the ladies at the event received.

Also at the event was actress Tia Mowry, 43, and model Draya Michele, 37. The Sister, Sister star looked bright for the summer, sporting a pastel pink jacket over a white T-shirt, and matching shorts with a wide belt at the waist.

Having fun: Also at the event was actress Tia Mowry, 43, and model Draya Michele, 37, who looked stunning in their summery ensembles

Pastel pink: The Sister, Sister star sported a pastel pink jacket over a white T-shirt, and matching shorts with a wide belt at the waist

Chic: She wore her long raven tresses pulled into a chic ponytail

She wore her long raven tresses pulled into a chic ponytail, and paired the look with transparent heels.

Meanwhile Michele donned a lengthy floral yellow dress with puffy sleeves, and shielded her eyes with a pair of dark shades. She completed the outfit with strappy black heels.

Actress Kayla Ewell, 36, looked lovely in a copper-toned off-shoulder creation, while Stephanie Beatriz, 41 - known for playing Detective Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine - was a ray of sunshine in a yellow dress.

Pop of color: Actress Kayla Ewell, 36, looked lovely in a copper-toned off-shoulder creation, while Stephanie Beatriz, 41, was a ray of sunshine in a yellow dress

Girlfriend of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 58, Lauren Sanchez, 52, was also spotted at the celebration, wearing a baby blue dress and nude platform heels.

Phoebe Gates, 19 - daughter of billionaire business magnate Bill Gates, 66 - looked striking in a bright green dress.

Elsa Collins - founder of The Ideateur, a social impact consultancy in the United States - looked ravishing in a multi-color maxi dress.
Newlyweds Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz have given an intimate glimpse at their cosy life in a video filmed last week as they prepared for the Met Gala.

The couple, who got married last month, look relaxed in the clip created by Vogue magazine as they discussed their relationship, which Nicola described as being an 'old married couple'.

The son David and Victoria Beckham, 23, and actress Nicola, 27, looked happy together in the light-hearted film, with Nicola jokingly scolding her partner for kissing her after she'd had her make-up done.

Loved-up: Newlyweds Brooklyn Beckham, 23, and Nicola Peltz, 27, have given an intimate glimpse at their cosy life together in a video filmed last week as they prepared for the Met Gala

After welcoming the cameras into their room at The Mark Hotel in the Big Apple, Brooklyn said: 'This is my second Met Ball, my first Met Ball being married.

'Having your best friend with you makes you less anxious, less nervous.'

Talking attending the gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last year as well as this year, Nicola said: 'Going with Brooklyn in September and then going with him now, and being able to walk the red carpet with him has been so fun.

Love and marriage: The couple, who got married last month, look relaxed in the clip created by Vogue magazine as they were primped and preened for the glitzy event on Monday

'Brooklyn and I are actually like an old married couple. We get in bed very early because we normally have work super early so this is exciting for us. We're going out on the town!'

Brooklyn added: 'It's out first outing being married which we're very excited about.'

He could then be seen tenderly kissing Nicola on the cheek, to which she scolded: 'Not the make up!'

Joy: Brooklyn said he was 'excited' to be heading to the glitzy event with his 'best friend' Nicola for their 'first outing being married'

Primped and preened: Model son of David and Victoria Beckham, Brooklyn and actress Nicola looked happy together in the light-hearted film

Larking about: Nicola jokingly scoldied her partner for kissing her after she'd had her make-up while describing them as an 'old married couple'

Stepping out: After welcoming the cameras into their room at The Mark Hotel in the Big Apple, Brooklyn said: 'This is my second Met Ball, my first Met Ball being married'

The couple put on a cosy display as they departed The Mark Hotel ahead of the Met Gala at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday.

Brooklyn wore a bright white suit and matching shirt from Valentino Haute Couture, worn open to give a glimpse at his chest.

Actress Nicola caught the eye in a hot pink floor-length gown with a low cut bardot neckline and cut out detail to the front.

Partnership: 'Having your best friend with you makes you less anxious, less nervous,' he added in the clip

The garment featured loose pleats and the train swept across the floor behind her as she posed outside the hotel.

Brooklyn completed his look by wearing a pair of comfortable white trainers while he accessorised with some gold chains around his neck.

The couple, who married at a lavish star-studded wedding in Palm Beach, Florida last month, stood arm-in-arm before heading to the event.

Newlyweds: Brooklyn and Nicola looked cosy as they departed The Mark Hotel ahead of the Met Gala at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, also known as the Met Gala, is considered by many as the 'Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets.'

Fashion's biggest night is traditionally held the first Monday in May to raise money for the Costume Institute in New York City, with last year's event moved to September due to the pandemic.

This year's dress code was 'gilded glamour' to match the theme of 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion,' a continuation of last year's 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.'

Tickets for the glitzy event can reportedly cost up to $35,000 apiece, while prices for a table range from $200,000 to $300,000, with last year's bash raking in a whopping $16.4 million for the Met's Costume Institute.
Lizzie Cundy showed off her incredible legs in a floral playsuit as she attended some business meetings around London on Friday.

The television personality, 54, put on a chic display in the bold black and red number with a bardot neckline and pretty bell sleeves.

Looking simply sensational, Lizzie made the most of the sun in her stunning ensemble and shielded her eyes with a pair of square framed sunglasses.

Stunning: Lizzie Cundy, 54, showed off her incredible legs in a bold floral playsuit with a bardot neckline and chic bell sleeves as she headed to a business meeting in London on Friday

She added a stylish pair of suede stiletto boots with silver studs and carried a black leather YSL crossbody handbag.

Lizzie styled her honey-blonde hair in bouncy loose curls with fashionable sweeping bangs.

She kept her accessories to a minimum, opting for a gold necklace and completed her summery look with a white manicure.

Incredible: Looking simply sensational, Lizzie made the most of the sun in her stunning ensemble

Radiant: Lizzie styled her honey-blonde hair in bouncy loose curls with fashionable sweeping bangs

The post comes days after Lizzie went public with her new American boyfriend who flew in from Miami to see her.

The pair enjoyed a night out last month, putting on a loved-up display as they walked side-by-side to the Revelations: A Portrait of Magic exhibition at S&P Gallery.

While she has not revealed the name, or details, of her new beau - a source at the time told MailOnline that he is a restaurant director from America.

Lizzie was married to Chelsea and Spurs defender Jason Cundy for 16 years, before their split in 2012.

Chic: She kept her accessories to a minimum, opting for a gold necklace and completed her summery look with a white manicure

Summer ready: She shielded her eyes with a pair of square framed sunglasses

Despite the split, she recently showed that they are on good terms, taking to Instagram to praise his bravery during his cancer treatment in the nineties for World Cancer Day.

Jason and Lizzie married in 1994 and their first son, Josh, was born two years later -with Jason diagnosed with testicular cancer the following year.

Lizzie nursed him and the cancer went into remission, welcoming their second son James was born in 2000, before the cancer returned in 2003.

In the post to her ex-husband, Lizzie explained: 'I will always be so proud of how he dealt with all of the treatment'.
He stepped back from the public eye in 2017, when he cancelled a huge 14-month stand-up tour due to 'unforeseen family circumstances'.

But now Peter Kay's pal Jason Manford has said that he could be back with a new tour coming soon.

The comedians have been good friends for over two decades, after meeting at comedy venue The Buzz Club in Chorlton, Greater Manchester.

Back again? Peter Kay's pal Jason Manford has said that he could be back with a new tour coming soon after his cancelled tour in 2017 (pictured December 2011)

Jason, 40, has now hinted that the comic, 48, could be returning to the stage, telling fans to 'keep your eye out'.

Speaking on Dublin radio station FM104's Strawberry Alarm Clock show, Jason said: 'He's great, Pete. We've known each other a long time, it must be 25 years. It's been a hell of a ride.

'He's just an absolute legend isn't he? What a treasure. Hopefully back himself soon, doing stand-up, so keep your eye out for his tour. Not that he needs you to buy a ticket as much as I do.'

Dropping hints: Jason, 40, (pictured) has now hinted that the comic, 48, could be returning to the stage, telling fans to 'keep your eye out' (pictured November 2021)

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', with his Dance For Life show seeing all the proceeds go to Cancer Research.

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 as many shared their reaction on social media, with some even saying they were 'emotional'.

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 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.

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.

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

'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.
Bianca Spender is set to make her return to Afterpay Australian Fashion Week following the untimely death of her mother, late designer Carla Zampatti.

Spender, 45, started her fashion journey while working with her mother in 2004, before founding her own label in 2009.

Bianca will be presenting her collection onsite at Carriageworks on the Carla Zampatti Runway, named in tribute to her late mother.

Return: Bianca Spender, 45, (left) is set to make her return to Afterpay Australian Fashion Week on Monday following the untimely death of her mother, late designer Carla Zampatti (right)

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, she said: 'I had been thinking a lot about the concept of optimism through the pain when I was designing the range and I think this is applicable to so many people off the back of turbulence of the past two years.

'In the lead-up to the show it's been really special to be able to feel her presence, rather than the absence. I know she will be there with us all.'

Carla, 78, died on April 3 last year, days after a fall at an outdoor opera performance.

'I know she will be there with us all': Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Bianca said: 'I had been thinking a lot about the concept of optimism through the pain when I was designing the range and I think this is applicable to so many people off the back of turbulence of the past two years'

The mother-of-three and grandmother of nine had spent a week in hospital after the accident.

Born in Italy in 1942, Carla migrated to Australia with her parents in 1950 at age nine, and set up her fashion famous label at 24.

Her designs have been worn by some of Australia's most influential women including Princess Mary of Denmark, Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and Gladys Berejiklian.

Fashion icon: Carla, 78, died on April 3 last year, days after a fall at an outdoor opera performance. Her designs have been worn by some of Australia's most influential women, including Princess Mary of Denmark, Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and Gladys Berejiklian

Carla was named Australian Designer of the Year in 1994, awarded the Australian Fashion Laureate in 2008 and a year later was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian honour.

AAFW kicks off Monday and will run until Friday at Sydney's Carriageworks.

For the first time, organisers IMG and AAFW have announced 'the experience' - a series of runways, events that are open to the public.
David Walliams was caught in a smash as he raced his fellow Britain's Got Talent judges in a tiny car through the streets of London.

In a clip released ahead of Saturday's episode, the comedian, 50, is seen squeezed into a tiny blue 'safety car' as he zips ahead of show panellists Simon Cowell, 61, Amanda Holden, 51, and Alesha Dixon, 43.

The foursome are seen in fits of giggles as they drive around a square in the UK capital but things go sour when David crashes into a bollard.

Racer boy: David Walliams was caught in a smash as he raced his fellow Britain's Got Talent judges in a tiny car through the streets of London

As they launch off on their race, David says from his vehicle: 'This is the safety car. I don't want anybody driving too fast - especially you Simon!'

As the music boss catches him up and stars to overtake him, David declares: "Simon, Simon, you are driving too fast!"

David is then seen smashing into a bright orange and white bollard at the side of the road, prompting the rest of the judges to break out into fits of laughter.

Zippy: In a clip released ahead of Saturday's episode, Simon Cowell, 61, is seen racing David along with fellow judges Amanda Holden, 51, and Alesha Dixon, 43

Blunder: The foursome are seen in fits of giggles as they drive around a square in the UK capital but things go sour when David crashes into a bollard

Shocked! Amanda says: 'Oh my goodness, he has taken out a bollard,' as she looks on from her vehicle just behind

Spoke too soon: As they launched off on their race, David said from his vehicle: 'This is the safety car. I don't want anybody driving too fast - especially you Simon!' (Alesha pictured)

Amanda says: 'Oh my goodness, he has taken out a bollard.'

Looking over at David in his much smaller vehicle, Simon sarcastically tells his pal: 'Oh dear. Sorry about that, David.'

During last weekend's episode, Amanda was left in tears after an emotional performance from the Voices of Armed Forces Children's Choir.

Bold word: David issued his instructions via microphone after squeezing into his little car for the race

Supportive pal? Looking over at David in his much smaller vehicle, Simon sarcastically told his pal: 'Oh dear. Sorry about that, David'

On the move: The trio were seen zipping through the streets of London in the clip which was released ahead of Saturday's episode

The choir was made up of the children of people who have or are currently serving in the armed forces, with the act paying a heartfelt tribute to their families.

The musical group had an emotive impact on the four judges, with Amanda saying she was 'a mess' as she wiped away tears from her cheeks.

The choir, which consists of members aged six to 18, performed a song that they had written during lockdown.

Teary: Amanda broke down in tears after 'perfect audition' from Armed Forces Children's Choir on Britain's Got Talent last Saturday evening

The song, titled Welcome Home, aimed to bring families together whose parents were out on deployment.

Before their act, a video showed Simon going to the choir's church and inviting them to perform on the talent show, leaving the children shocked.

Alongside the performance, the choir displayed a collection of pictures featuring members of the armed forces returning home to their families.

Armed forces: The choir was made up of the children of people who have or are currently serving in the armed forces, with the act paying an heartfelt tribute to their families

Original song: The choir, which consisted of members aged six to 18, performed a song that they had written during lockdown

Coming together: The song, titled Welcome Home, aimed to bring families together whose parents were out on deployment

Positive: The act received a standing ovation from the four judges, who were blown away

And it seemed to tug the heartstrings of both the judges and the audience, as the choir received a standing ovation from both - without a dry eye in the house.

Wiping away her tears, Amanda gushed over the performance and showed her admiration for the children, saying: 'Im a mess, when the pictures came up of you with your mums and your dads, that's when I just fell apart.

'I just think how strong you all are to have to do without them when theyre doing something so extraordinary for us.

'That's incredibly unselfish of you to lend them to us for our own safety - so thank you,' she continued.

Tear jerker: Amanda gushed over the performance and showed her admiration for the children, saying: 'Im a mess, when the pictures came up of you with your mums and your dads, that's when I just fell apart

Grateful: 'I just think how strong you all are to have to do without them when theyre doing something so extraordinary for us,' she continued

It wasn't just Amanda who was impressed, as David dubbed the performance a 'perfect audition' and quipped: 'It made me want to join the army, I would love for someone to miss me this much.'

While Simon described the audition as 'something i'll never forget', before going on to give the act their fourth yes.

The choir were overwhelmed with the performance, as they all broke down in tears after the performance.

Centre stage: The choir seemed overwhelmed with the performance, as they received such a massive reaction from the crowd and judges

Sweet: The children all broke down in tears after the performance

Crowd: There wasn't a dry eye in the house as the crowd had their tissues out too
She was among the hoards of A-listers in attendance at the prestigious Met Gala, which was held at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday.

And now, four days after the star-studded soiree, Dakota Johnson appeared ready to return to her home base in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon.

The actress, 32, was captured checking out of The Greenwich Hotel in the Tribeca neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan.

Heading home: Dakota Johnson appeared ready to return to her home base in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon after attending the star-studded Met Gala in New York City earlier this week

After gathering her belongings and taking care of the proper paperwork, Johnson braved the rainy weather in a fashionable brown suede coat.

She also wore black pants with a matching top and cream-colored sneakers, as she carried a red purse over her right shoulder.

Trying to keep her hair from getting drenched, Johnson put her hands over her bangs before an attentive security guard put his black umbrella over her head.

He also helped the Texas native with some of her luggage, that would be loaded into a vehicle, which likely was headed to one of New York's local airports.

Checking out: The actress, 32, was captured checking out of The Greenwich Hotel in the Tribeca neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan

The daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson made her fashion statement at the Met Gala decked out in a see-through black jumpsuit from Gucci designer Alessandro Michele.

Her smoldering lace getup was dripping with shimmering metallic fringe that complemented her ornate drop earrings and matching heels.

Although she's been in a longtime romance with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Johnson attended the glittering event solo.

Braving the rain: After gathering her belongings and taking care of the proper paperwork, Johnson braved the rainy weather in a fashionable brown suede coat

With three new films set to drop in 2022, the leading lady will be spending a good deal of time on promotional trail in the coming months.

She plays the lead in the comedy-drama film Am I Ok?, which will be released through HBO Max at a soon-to-be-determined date.

Johnson also stars in the comedy-drama film Cha Cha Real Smooth that's debuting on Apple TV+ June 1, and the drama film Persuasion, which will be streaming on Netflix on July 15.
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Tom Cruise looked cool as ever during a photocall for his highly-anticipated film Top Gun: Maverick, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Mexico City on Friday.

The actor, 59, who reprised his role as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell from the original 1986 Top Gun movie, sported an all-black ensemble consisting of a sweater, matching pants, and a pair of well-worn boots.

Meanwhile his co-star Jennifer Connelly, 51, looked incredible in a white dress with a black belt accent, and brown high-heel boots.

Stylish: Tom Cruise, 59, and Jennifer Connelly, 51, looked stylish during a photocall for their movie Top Gun: Maverick, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Mexico City on Friday

The actress, who is back as Penny Benjamin in the action-packed film, wore a chunky gold bracelet on her wrist and styled her raven tresses into a slick bun.

As for glam, Connelly sported well-defined black eyebrows and a shimmering lipgloss on her pout.

Another beauty attending the event was Monica Barbaro, 31, who looked elegant in a figure-hugging white gown that flared out at the bottom.

Laughing it up: The actor appeared to have a great time during the event, and was seen laughing it up in front of photographers

The star, who portrays Phoenix in the film, sparkled up her look with a multitude of earrings, and wore her brunette tresses lightly curled.

The beauty kept her glam minimal, rocking a light red lipstick and a dash of mascara on her lashes.

Actor Jon Hamm, 51, who portrays Cyclone in the movie, looked handsome as ever in a plaid grey suit jacket with a white pocket square, worn over a black shirt.

Beauty: Another beauty attending the event was Monica Barbaro, 31, who looked elegant in a figure-hugging white gown that flared out at the bottom

Stunner: The star, who portrays Phoenix in the film, sparkled up her look with a multitude of earrings, and wore her brunette tresses lightly curled

Handsome: Actor Jon Hamm, 51, looked handsome as ever in a plaid grey suit jacket with a white pocket square, worn over a black shirt

All together: Cruise posed with the rest of the cast, including actor Miles Teller, 35, Danny Ramirez, 29, and director Joseph Kosinski, 48; L-R Cruise, Barbaro, Ramirez, Konsinski, Hamm, Connelly, and Teller

Plenty of pomp and circumstance: Later on Friday, Cruise attended a premiere event in Mexico City, decked out in a black suit and matching dress shirt

The Mad Men star coordinated the look with navy pants and a pair of brown loafer shoes.

Actor Miles Teller, 35, who plays Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw in the film, was spotted posing with the rest of the cast, including Danny Ramirez, 29, and director Joseph Kosinski, 48.

Teller looked dapper in a short-sleeve light yellow silk shirt, white pants, and brown dress shoes.

Ramirez, who plays Fanboy in Top Gun, wore a tan jacket over a colorful top, grey pants and black shoes. Meanwhile Konsinski was casual cool in a grey sweater, baby blue pants and white sneakers.

Fans friendly: Ramirez attended the Mexico premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in Mexico City, decked out in a dark-patterned suit and tie

All class: Monica Barbaro looked lovely in a black sheer number at the fan-crazed event

Handsome: Jon Ham opted for a light blue suit at the premiere event

Making a fashion statement: Jennifer Connelly was a vision in a multi-colored minidress and heels during the build-up to the premiere showing of the much-anticipated film

Top Gun: Maverick comes 36 years after the original film and sees Tom reprise his role as the loveable Maverick, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.

The movie had originally been scheduled for release in 2020 but was pushed back two years after delays caused by the Covid pandemic.

The action drama film is set to be released in theaters on May 27.

The team: Danny Ramirez, Monica Barbaro, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller and Joe Kosinsk also posed for a few group photos

Family matters: Teller got to share the moment with his real-life wife, Keleigh Sperry

Fan friendly; The leading man flashed his trademark smile and enthusiasm while he met with some fans along the red carpet

Say cheese: Kosinski, the film's director, posed for a slew of selfies with fans during the red carpet ceremony

Happy guy: Cruise beamed as he walked across the stage holding a microphone

Grinning from ear-to-ear: Cruise walked with Gabriela Camacho

Grateful: The actor waved and happily engaged with the packed crowd
She always puts on a fashionable display.

And Myleene Klass looked effortlessly chic as she headed to work at Smooth Radio in London on Friday.

The presenter, 44, wore a stunning zebra print maxi dress with a V-shaped neckline as she layered over a smart longline blazer.

Elegant: Myleene Klass, 44, looked effortlessly chic in a zebra printed maxi dress and blazer as she strolled to work at Smooth Radio in London on Friday

Myleene was the epitome of elegance as she strolled through the capital in the sun, shielding her eyes with some oversized square framed sunglasses.

She added a touch of luxury to her ensemble as she nipped in the jacket with a Chanel blazer and quilted crossbody bag from the French fashion house.

To complete her look, she styled her brunette locks in soft waves and slipped into a pair of chunky soled leather boots.

Stunning: Myleene was the epitome of elegance as she strolled through the capital in the sun, shielding her eyes with some oversized square framed sunglasses

Stylish: She added a touch of luxury to her ensemble as she nipped in the jacket with a Chanel blazer and quilted crossbody bag from the French fashion house

Radiant: The presenter was beaming as she headed into the studio

This comes as Myleene recreated that famous I'm A Celebrity bikini moment as she modeled white swimwear from her Next collection, earlier this week.

16 years after she hit the headlines when she posed in a white bikini under a waterfall in the jungle.

In a video of the collection shared on Instagram she looked incredible in the busty two-piece along with a selection of other looks.

Blast from the past: This comes as Myleene recreated her I'm A Celebrity bikini moment as she modeled white swimwear from her Next collection, earlier this week (right), back in 2006

Looking good: Myleene also looked incredible as she posed in a hammock wearing a palm-print number from a tropical location

Back in 2020, she reflected on the swimwear that helped to make her a household name.

She penned: 'I can't believe that @imacelebrity started again tonight. It feels like I was in the jungle only yesterday! Every time I see this pic pop up, I can't believe how fate handled it all.

'I remember one of the shows producers looking at my bikinis in the hotel before I went to camp. One was covered in stripes. ''We'll have to stop at the shops as that's probably going to strobe on camera''.

Incredible: She shared a sizzling video on Instagram which saw her pose up a storm in several pieces as she promoted the new collection that recently launched

She continued: 'I ran into the shop en route to the jungle, asked the shop assistant for the plainest bikini she had.

'Best $40 I ever spent....especially as it raised so much for charity afterwards. Goodluck to the contestants. Hope the new outdoor shower isn't too cold!!!'

Myleene looked sensational with her slicked back as it was drenched with water while opting for a fresh face.

She posed up a storm during the beach shoot to promote the new Next collection after working with them on several other projects.
Tommy Dorfman looked stunning as she walked the red carpet at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards in New York City.

The actress, 29, donned an off-the-shoulder yellow gown to the classy affair.

Her dress was decorated with a gorgeous floral design that flowed up and down her slender frame.

Flowery look: Tommy Dorfman looked stunning as she walked the red carpet at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards in New York City.

The hem of the skirt and train were colored a deep shade of blue that pooled at her feet as she posed for shutterbugs.

Dorfman's hair was cut short, not even reaching her shoulders and tucked back behind her ears.

The 13 Reasons Why actress added a light pink lipstick to her full lips and livened up her face with a touch of rouge.

A ray of sunshine: The actress, 29, donned an off-the-shoulder yellow gown to the classy annual affair

Spring look: Her dress was decorated with a gorgeous floral design that flowed up and down her slender frame

Once inside the event, the Sharp Stick star stepped onstage and appeared to speak animatedly during her time in the spotlight.

Dorfman's appearance at the event came just days after she made a splash at this year Met Gala in New York City.

The actress donned a custom provocative dark green rubber gown by Christopher Kane with cut-outs held together by gold panels, which she paired with elbow-length black leather gloves.

Dorfman accessorized the look with a pearl headband sitting on top of her golden tresses, which her pinned back into a stylish updo, with some strands left to frame her face.

Talking: Once inside the event, the Sharp Stick star stepped onstage and appeared to speak animatedly during her time in the spotlight

Another big event: Dorfman's appearance at the event came just days after she made a splash at this year Met Gala

She finalized the outfit with a dark green handbag and an emerald ring worn over her gloves.

As for glam, the actress opted for a touch of pink blush, black eyeliner and pink lipstick.

The GLAAD Media Awards is an annual ceremony held to honor 'fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues,' according to its website.

The first part of the awards, announcing some of the winners, was held in Los Angeles on April 2, 2022. The rest of the winners were announced on Friday in New York City.

Less color: The actress donned a custom provocative dark green rubber gown by Christopher Kane with cut-outs held together by gold panels
SpaceX's Crew-3 astronauts have successfully returned to Earth!

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced that SpaceX's four astronauts have safely splashed down on May 6 off the coast of Florida following a delay in their departure due to unstable weather conditions.

Crew-3's departure date was previously scheduled to return to Earth on May 5.

SpaceX Crew-3 Successful Return

According to NASA's report, NASA astronauts Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, and Tom Marshburn, along with European Space Agency's astronaut, Matthias Maurer, have successfully and safely splashed down off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico on May 6, at 12:43 a.m. EDT.

The four astronauts boarded the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Endurance" spacecraft for departure from the ISS on May 5 at 1:05 a.m., with the Endurance's undocking from the forward-facing port of the ISS' Harmony node at 1:20 a.m. EDT. After some time, the Dragon "Endurance" spacecraft opened its parachutes at 12:43 a.m. EDT to execute a parachute-assisted splashdown on the coast of Florida.

Crew-3 left behind NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins; Roscomos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveed, and Sergey Korsakov; and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, per Space.com.

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Crew-3's return to Earth is the conclusion of its six-month stay in the ISS. It also finalizes a succession of three closely scheduled SpaceX flight events, starting with Endeavour's splashdown with Ax-1, the first private crew to visit the ISS on April 25. Meanwhile, Crew-2 went to the ISS aboard the Dragon "Freedom" on April 27.

The next astronauts to launch or land on a SpaceX spacecraft are not scheduled until later in September.

Meanwhile, the Dragon "Endurance" will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX's Dragon Lair.

Crew-3's Activities during their Stay In The ISS

The four astronauts went sent to the International Space Station (ISS) on November 10 to perform "new and interesting" scientific research in various fields like materials science, health technologies, and plant science.

NASA, in a separate post, said that the tests conducted in the ISS allow the astronauts to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and benefit life on Earth.

During Crew-3's six-month stay in the ISS, they contributed to a handful of scientific and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations, including conducting three spacewalks to perform station maintenance and upgrades outside the space station.

The spacewalks increased Marshburn's spacewalk tally to five, while Chari and Barron completed two, with Maurer doing one. Barron described his spacewalk as "a spectacular experience," saying that he can't wait to contribute going forward to all the operations NASA is doing alongside its international partners with the return to the moon as part of the Artemis missions.

Aside from ISS maintenance duties, Crew-3 members also built on previous work investigating how fibers grow in microgravity and using hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth material. They also captured images of their retinas to investigate if there are changes in the eyes of astronauts in space that can be detected automatically in the future.

Related Article: SpaceX Crew-3 Mission's Return to Earth Delayed to Friday Morning
Alyssa Milano shined brightly as she led the stars in attendance at Sundance's P3P Presents An Old Hollywood Inspired Mother's Day Charity Event on Friday.

The actress, 49, stunned in a bright green dress with puffed sleeves and ruched waist as she posed for photographs on the event's red carpet.

Milano strutted her stuff in a pair of pale pink heels and toted her essentials in a pale yellow handbag.

Grand entrance: Alyssa Milano shined brightly as she led the stars in attendance at Sundance's P3P Presents An Old Hollywood Inspired Mother's Day Charity Event on Friday

The Who's the Boss? star styled her light brown hair in soft waves that framed her face.

She smiled through pink painted lips and looked on with smoky eyes as she made her way down the event's red carpet.

Milano was joined by a number of other stars including Reno 911! actress Niecy Nash.

Stunning: The actress, 49, stunned in a bright green dress with puffed sleeves and ruched waist as she posed for photographs on the event's red carpet

Nash, 52, put on a busty display in a bright orange gown with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline.

Back to the Future star Lea Thompson looked effortlessly cool in a grid-patterned silver button-down shirt and a black fitted blazer.

Thompson, 60, finished the look with matching trousers and a pair of black heels.

Busty: Niecy Nash, 52, put on a busty display in a bright orange gown with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline

Looking cool: Back to the Future star Lea Thompson looked effortlessly cool in a grid-patterned silver button-down shirt and a black fitted blazer

Frances Fisher of Titanic fame strutted down the red carpet in a gray pantsuit which she wore over a sheer white shirt with a small breast pocket.

The Watchmen actress, 66, let her silver locks fall down her face as she put one hand on her hip in a clear power pose.

The charity event was held at the Marion Davies Guest House, named after the famous silent film actress who was also newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst's lover.

The Get Down actress Yolonda Ross, Grey's Anatomy star Caterina Scorsone and The Goldbergs actor Sean Giambrone also attended the event.
Cynthia Nixon showcased her chic style as she attended the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Friday.

The 56-year-old actress rocked a mustard yellow leather pantsuit at the event, which was held at the Hilton Midtown in New York City.

The And Just Like That star accessorized her suit with a bright turquoise blue ampersand pin on the right lapel.

Colorful: Cynthia Nixon showcased her chic style as she attended the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Friday

The Sex and the City alum sported black suede shoes and large gold hoop earrings along with several rings.

The beauty wore her cropped sandy-blonde locks parted to the side and her makeup included a bronze eyeshadow, a rosy blush, black eyeliner and a deep pink lipstick.

The Emmy Award winner smiled as she posed for photographers on the red carpet ahead of the awards show.

Bold: The 56-year-old actress rocked a mustard yellow leather pantsuit at the event, which was held at the Hilton Midtown in New York City

Statement piece: The And Just Like That star accessorized her suit with a bright turquoise blue ampersand pin on the right lapel

Cynthia, who received the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2010, was one of the presenters for this year's show.

On her Instagram page, the performer shared several photos of her look from the event, writing in the caption, 'What a colorful evening at the #GLAADAwards!

She continued, 'I presented the awards for Original Kids & Family and Children's Programming, which feel especially timely given the anti-LGBTQ bills that conservative legislatures are pursuing around the country.

Presenter: Cynthia, who received the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2010, was one of the presenters for this year's show

Cynthia: 'What a colorful evening at the #GLAADAwards! I presented the awards for Original Kids & Family and Children's Programming, which feel especially timely given the anti-LGBTQ bills that conservative legislatures are pursuing around the country'

'ALL families deserve to be seen on screen, and bravo to @GLAAD for celebrating LGBTQ-inclusive productions.'

Last month, the New York native slammed the passing of Florida's controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which is officially known as Parental Rights in Education.

The bill, which will become law from July 1, bans formal lessons on gender identity for children from kindergarten through to third grade.

'ALL families deserve to be seen on screen, and bravo to @GLAAD for celebrating LGBTQ-inclusive productions'

After the bill passed, Cynthia tweeted, 'The 'Don't Say Gay' bill just passed the Florida Senate. This bigoted legislation will create less inclusive classrooms and directly harm LGBTQ+ youth.

'Let's support the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and around the country by stating #WeSayGay.'

Cynthia is a longtime LGBTQ rights activist and ran as a progressive challenger to New York Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo in 2018.

Speaking out: Last month, the New York native slammed the passing of Florida's controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which is officially known as Parental Rights in Education.

The star ultimately lost her gubernatorial bid in the Democratic primary to Cuomo, earning 34% of the vote to his 66%.

In addition to the Vito Russo Award, Cynthia's accolades for her LGBTQ advocacy work include the 2013 Yale University Artist for Equality award and the 2018 Visibility Award from the Human Rights Campaign.

Nixon and education activist Christine Marinoni tied the knot in 2012 after dating for eight years.

Longtime love: Nixon and education activist Christine Marinoni tied the knot in 2012 after dating for eight years. They are seen here in 2014

The pair share son Max Ellington, 11. Cynthia is also mother to sons Samuel Joseph, 25, and Charles Ezekiel, 19, whom she shares with her ex-partner Danny Mozes.

In 2018, the actress revealed in an Instagram post that Samuel, born Samantha, is transgender.

Cynthia shared a photo in which she was seen smiling alongside Samuel at his college graduation.

'I'm so proud of my son Samuel Joseph Moses (called Seph) who graduated college this month,' she wrote in the caption. 'I salute him and everyone else marking today's #TransDayofAction. #TDOA.'

Family: In 2018, the actress revealed in an Instagram post that Samuel, born Samantha, is transgender. Cynthia shared a photo in which she was seen smiling alongside Samuel at his college graduation
Eva Mendes got emotional while opening up about her mother's well-being during a special Mother's Day episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna on Friday

'I know you wanted to wish your mother a happy Mother's Day to you mom,' said Hoda Kotb to the actress, which immediately brought a smile to her face.

But along with that smile came tears when the show's co-host wished Suarez a Happy Mother's Day on behalf of everyone at the Today show.

Emotional: Eva Mendes got emotional while opening up about her mother's well-being during a special Mother's Day episode of T oday With Hoda & Jenna on Friday

Bittersweet: 'I know you wanted to wish your mother a happy Mother's Day to you mom,' said Hoda Kotb to the actress, which immediately brought a smile to her face

The mom of two appeared to be genuinely moved by Hoda's sweet sentiment, as she shared the news about her mother's health.

'She's not doing too well right now, so, it means a lot to me,' Mendes, 48, responded, adding, 'She's a survivor in every way, thank you.'

The emotional moment also affected Kotb, who also began to shed some tears, before getting up to shared an embrace with Mendes.

Opening up: But along with that smile came tears when the show's co-host wished Suarez a Happy Mother's Day on behalf of everyone at the Today show

Proud daughter: : The Girl In Progress star continued: 'She's a survivor in every way, thank you,' in another reference to her mother, Eva Perez Suarez

During the sit-down interview, Mendes also opened up about being a mother to the two daughters - Esmeralda, seven, and Amada, six - that she shares with longtime partner Ryan Gosling, 41.

When discussing why she waited until she was in her 40's to have kids, the Miami, Florida native lit up with obvious joy.

'Something really crazy happened,' she told Kotb, 'I met Ryan Gosling, I fell in love with Ryan Gosling, and then I was like "Oh right. I want your babies."'

After sharing a laugh with Hobt, she continued: 'But really consciously I did want to wait until I was a bit older. I just didn't feel - really it wasn't until I met Ryan and fell in love. But also as a woman, I just wasn't ready. It's such a personal choice for a woman, obviously. Then you run the risk of... you're always running a risk. When I was pregnant there was always something to worry about. But thankfully I had really healthy pregnancies and I was happy I waited.'

Sharing the moment: The emotional moment also affected Kotb, who also began to shed some tears, before getting up to shared an embrace with Mendes.

Motherhood: During the sit-down interview, Mendes also opened up about being a mother to her two daughters - Esmeralda, seven, and Amada, six - that she shares with longtime partner Ryan Gosling, 41

She capped off this particular part of the conversation by confessing she knew motherhood was right for her when she met Gosling.

'Yea, that's when it really made sense,' she said. 'I was so I love and I'm like "Oh, I want to create life with you." And it's funny because I feel like parenting is the most creative thing that I have ever done.'

Mendes has actually stepped away from her acting career to raise their two children.

'I'm an actress and I designed cloths, and I've done a number of different things but this is the most creative thing is to create life,' she revealed about being a mom.

The couple started dating in 2011, shortly before they starred together in the film, The Place Beyond the Pines.

Lovebirds: When discussing why she waited until she was in her 40's to have kids, the Miami, Florida native lit up with obvious joy and confessed she knew motherhood was right for her at that point in her life when she met Gosling; they are seen in March 2013
Laverne Cox cut a glamorous figure in a brown gown with a massive black statement necklace to the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Friday.

While arriving to the red carpet ahead of the star-studded event at the New York Hilton Midtown, located in the heart of Manhattan, the 49-year-old actress made a cheerful entrance as she beamed at photographers.

The Orange Is the New Black star, 49, completed her plunging dress with a pair of semi-sheer black rhinestones gloves and hair in a sleek half-up, half-down style, which included a poofy bump.

Dressed to impress: Laverne Cox cut a glamorous figure in a brown gown with a massive black statement necklace to the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Friday

Cox served as a presenter during the ceremony, which honors media 'for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues,' according to GLAAD's website.

To ensure a safe event, the GLAAD Media Awards revealed they would be 'strictly adhering to all local COVID protocols' and advised 'all attendees of requirements prior to the events, including proof of vaccinations and testing.'

Activist Judith Light received the Excellence in Media Award, presented by DeBose.

Important role: Cox served as a presenter during the ceremony, which honors media 'for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues,' according to GLAAD 's website

Pandemic procedure: To ensure a safe event, the GLAAD Media Awards revealed they would be 'strictly adhering to all local COVID protocols' and advised 'all attendees of requirements prior to the events, including proof of vaccinations and testing'

The title was previously awarded to Ava DuVernay, Robert De Niro, Kelly Ripa, Patti LaBelle, Debra Messing and Tyra Banks.

Her latest appearance comes after she recently gushed that she is 'super happy' to be off dating apps since finding love on Tinder after her ban on Hinge got overturned.

'I wasnt really meeting guys on Hinge anyway. So I just didn't bother to look into it.. Met my bf on Tinder,' she revealed, before adding that she is 'super happy to be off the apps.'

Honoree: Activist Judith Light received the Excellence in Media Award, presented by DeBose

Though she has kept her relationship with her boyfriend relatively private, Laverne did share on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in late January that she off the market.

'Laverne is in love again. It feels amazing. Love is an incredible thing. It's literally this chemical thing that's awesome,' she raved, while appearing virtually on the talk show.

Speaking specifically of her boyfriend, she described him as 'a really great guy.'

Fierce: Cox looked fierce as she presented on stage

Laverne continued: 'I didn't expect it. I thought he was just going to be this hot dude I was going to be hanging out with, and then it just kind of happened.'

The former TRANSform Me co-host did not reveal her man's name during the appearance but did confess that they've exchanged 'I love yous' with each other, beginning last November or December.

Cox previously dated Kyle Draper, the CEO of Mateo Sound, for two years before going their separate ways in June 2019, and Jono Freedrix for several years before that, from 2014 into 2018.

Opening up: She spoke on the subject after coming across across a tweet that seemed to suggest that she was back on the app Hinge after having a prior 'ban' overturned

Cox first gained widespread recognition by playing the role of Sophia Burset on the Netflix series of Orange Is the New Black, beginning in 2013.

With her performances, she went on to become the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in any acting category, and the first to be nominated for an Emmy Award since composer Angela Morley in 1990.

She would again be recognized for her work in 2015 when she won a Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Special Class Special as executive producer for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, making her the first transgender woman to take home the trophy.

Cox's career path again paved the way for those coming up behind her when she became the first transgender person to play a transgender series regular on US broadcast television as Cameron Wirth on the CBS drama series Doubt.

The show, which ran for one season, from February through August of 2017, also starred Katherine Heigl, Dule Hill, Dreama Walker, Kobi Libii, Steven Pasquale, and Elliott Gould.

Breakthrough: Cox first gained widespread recognition by playing the role of Sophia Burset on the Netflix series of Orange Is the New Black, beginning in 2013
Amanda Kloots dazzled in a plunging black gown with a sensational thigh-split at the 9th Annual Unbridled Eve Kentucky Derby Gala in Louisville.

While walking down the red carpet, the 40-year-old co-host of the daytime talk show The Talk proudly posed for photographs with both hands on her hips.

For the special occasion, she wore her golden blonde hair in a ballerina-inspired bun that showed off your stunning bone structure.

Glamorous: Amanda Kloots dazzled in a plunging black gown with a sensational thigh-split at the 9th Annual Unbridled Eve Kentucky Derby Gala in Louisville

She opted for no jewelry, apart from a pair of dangly gold earrings, which left focus to her Marcell von Berlin dress with a low-cut neckline and Schutz heels.

On her Instagram, she shared photos of herself on the step and repeat with a heartfelt caption about feeling 'lucky' to 'follow the trumpeter on the @unbridledeve gala event red carpet before derby day!'

Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney Laine Mazza, who wed in 2012, were also in attendance at the event held the night after the Kentucky Oaks.

Leggy display: While walking down the red carpet, the 40-year-old co-host of the daytime talk show The Talk proudly posed for photographs with both hands on her hips

Happy couple: Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney Laine Mazza, who wed in 2012, were also in attendance at the event held the night after the Kentucky Oaks

Additionally, actor Dean Norris cut a dapper figure in a navy blue jacket, charcoal grey slacks and a pair of black and white sneakers.

The legendary Kentucky Derby will be an estimated 150,000 spectators on Saturday for the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, after two years of COVID restrictions.

America's most prestigious horse race typically occurs on the first Saturday in May.

Looking good: Additionally, actor Dean Norris cut a dapper figure in a navy blue jacket, charcoal grey slacks and a pair of black and white sneakers

Kloots recently celebrated her 40th birthday and said she is 'grateful' for her 'beautiful son' as well as her 'loving family and amazing friends' on Instagram.

The television personality is the mother of two-year-old son Elvis, whom she shared with her late husband Nick Cordero, who died of coronavirus complications after spending more than 90 days in the intensive care unit.

In February, the former Rockette announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

Heartbreaking: The television personality is the mother of two-year-old son Elvis, whom she shared with her late husband Nick Cordero, who died of coronavirus complications after spending more than 90 days in the intensive care unit; pictured with Nick and Elvis in 2019

She assured fans that she was 'feeling completely normal', but added that she would take a leave of absence from her show The Talk while she was in quarantine.

Her announcement came 20 months after she lost Nick, who died from coronavirus complications.

The Broadway star died on July 5, 2020 at the age of 41 after spending 95 days in hospital battling COVID-19 complications.

Since Nick's passing, Amanda has continued to honor her husband, while documenting her life as a single mother to their son, who will turn three in June of this year.
Kris Jenner oozed confidence in a chic all-black getup for a dinner date with boyfriend Corey Gamble and a pal in Malibu, California on Friday.

The Kardashian-Jenner matriarch, 66, stepped out in a cropped black ruffled blazer with matching fitted trousers.

Her raven tresses were swept away from her face and she shielded her eyes from the flashbulbs with a pair of large, black shades.

Boss mode: Kris Jenner oozed confidence in a chic all-black getup for a dinner date with boyfriend Corey Gamble and a pal in Malibu, California on Friday

Jenner layered a skintight black bodysuit beneath her eye-catching blazer, which showed off her smooth decolletage.

A pair of sparkly silver earrings hung from her ears and she sculpted her naturally beautiful features with bronzing powder and blush.

She finished off her neutral toned glam with a nude lip and a filled in, arched brow.

Gamble looked handsome in a black Louis Vuitton pullover and black pants for his night out with his longtime girlfriend.

Monochrome mama: The Kardashian-Jenner matriarch, 66, stepped out in a cropped black ruffled blazer with matching fitted trousers. Her raven tresses were swept away from her face and she shielded her eyes from the flashbulbs with a pair of large, black shades

He had two gold chain necklaces hanging from his neck as he strolled towards the valet.

Jenner and Gamble were seemingly joined by a male companion, who was captured smoking a cigarette behind the couple.

The KUWTK star and her younger beau recently spent time on the red carpet at the 2022 Met Gala at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday.

Jenner modeled a black bob wig to complement her luxe fashion ensemble of a silk yellow Oscar de la Renta gown with silver trimming to the annual event.

The latest: Jenner and Gamble were seemingly joined by a male companion, who was captured smoking a cigarette behind the couple

She donned long white gloves with Lorraine Schwartz jewelry and Tamara Mellon shoes as she made her way to the party.

Gamble, 41, wore a navy blue tuxedo to the proceedings.

Speaking with Access Hollywood, Jenner said she was elated to be joined by her daughters at the event, as Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, were all slated to attend.

'I'm so happy, it makes me really happy and we've had the best time today getting ready so this will be fun,' Jenner said. 'I can't wait to watch my girls walk in.'

Jenner said she was 'really excited' for Khloe, who was making her debut at the Met Gala on Monday.

She suggested to 'pay special attention to Kim tonight,' as a 'big surprise' was in store.

The reality star donned a black bob wig to complement her luxe fashion ensemble of a silk yellow Oscar de la Renta gown with silver trimming to the annual event

The Momager donned long white gloves with Lorraine Schwartz jewelry and Tamara Mellon shoes

Jenner's classic look prompted comparisons to the late Jackie Kennedy on Twitter.

'Kris Jenner looks like an older Jackie O, so I bet Kim has on Marilyns gold dress,' one user wrote, while another said, 'Kris Jenner & her weave say theyre channeling Jackie Kennedy for the gilded age theme.'

Some users questioned how Jenner's ensemble squared with the 'Gilded Glamour' theme of the event.

'Kris Jenner looks amazing, but I am really confused about how Jackie O became Gilded Age,' one user said. 'I love this though.'

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, also known as the Met Gala, is considered by many as the 'Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets.'

Fashion's biggest night is traditionally held the first Monday in May to raise money for the Costume Institute in New York City, with last year's event moved to September due to the pandemic.

Jenner said she was elated to be joined by her daughters at the event, as daughters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, were all slated to attend

This year's dress code is 'Gilded Glamour' to match the theme of 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion,' a continuation of last year's 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.'

Tickets for the glitzy event can reportedly cost up to $35,000 apiece, while prices for a table range from $200,000 to $300,000, with last year's bash raking in a whopping $16.4 million for the Met's Costume Institute.

Regina King, power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are hosting this time, taking over from Timothee Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka.

This will be Miranda's first time as a Met Gala co-chair (and guest) but he was originally intended to co-host the 2020 edition before the pandemic forced its cancellation.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is once again supervising the benefit as chairwoman, a position she's held since 1995. Her fellow honorary co-chairs are designer Tom Ford and Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

As usual, the sartorial theme comes from the exhibit the gala launches: 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion,' which is the second of star curator Andrew Bolton's two-part show exploring the roots of American style.

This exhibit will showcase some lesser-known designers, and also some top film directors, including Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese, host King, and last year's Oscar winner Chloe Zhao.

Some social media users compared Jenner's look to that of Jackie Kennedy

Jenner and beau Gamble posed with one another at the luxe proceedings

Bolton said eight directors will create what he called 'cinematic vignettes' in the period rooms of the American Wing of the museum.

Similar to the September event, there will be 400 guests this year, lower than the pre-pandemic highs of 500-600 attendees.

The other four are Ford, the celebrated fashion designer who's also an acclaimed film director, Janicza Bravo (Zola), Julie Dash (Daughters Of The Dust) and Autumn de Wilde (who directed the Jane Austen adaptation Emma. and is also a photographer).

The first part of the exhibition will remain on display in the rooms of the Anna Wintour Costume Center, along with the second part, until September 5.

More than half the pieces in the opening exhibition will be rotated out and garments from designers not yet featured will go on display.

The Met Gala is a huge money-maker for the museum, and provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding.
Ulrika Jonsson has revealed she had an abortion in 1996 but claimed she carries 'no guilt' or 'emotional trauma' since it was 'her right' to have the procedure.

The TV presenter, 54, was 28-years-old when she discovered the pregnancy shortly after entering a relationship with an unnamed man, while going through a divorce with her first husband, John Turnball.

A 'proud feminist', she hit out against the leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, which would make abortion illegal in 22 US states, adding that her termination was 'her choice' and that she considers herself 'lucky'.

Confession: Ulrika Jonsson has revealed she had an abortion in 1996 but carries 'no guilt' since it was 'her right' - while blasting a leak to make the procedure illegal in 22 US states

Already a mother to son Cameron, then 15-months, she had just received a distressing phone call announcing her father's sudden death aged 53 when she discovered she was expecting in an airport bathroom.

Ulrika wrote in The Sun: 'Contraception had failed me and I was neither willing to have or prepared for another child.

'I chose a termination. There was not a moments doubt in my mind.

'I carry no guilt over that. It was clear cut. My body was not ready for a pregnancy, my mind even less so.'

Throwback: The TV presenter, 54, was 28-years-old when she discovered the pregnancy shortly after entering a relationship with an unnamed man (pictured in 1996)

Her remarks came after a leak from the Supreme Court showed conservative Justice Samual Alito's draft opinion to overturn the landmark abortion case.

It dates back 50 years and gave constitutional protections for women to terminate their pregnancies.

The draft legal opinion, which was leaked to Politico, reveals five Republican-nominated judges - a majority of the court's nine judges - are in agreement on the issue.

This would be enough to force a change in the law  though their decision is not final until the ruling is officially published.

Family: The former weather presenter shares son Cameron, 27, (top) with John Turnbull, daughter Bo, 22, (far right) with her former boyfriend Markus Kempen, daughter Martha, 17, (far left) with Lance Gerrard-Wright and son Malcolm (bottom), 13, with ex Brian Monet

US President Joe Biden said it is a 'woman's right to choose' if she has an abortion as he warned the 'basic fairness and the stability of our law demand' the Supreme Court does not overturn the Roe v Wade ruling.

The Celebs Go Dating star went on to welcome daughter Bo, 22, with her former boyfriend Markus Kempen, while 17-year-old Martha's dad is Lance Gerrard-Wright, who was married to Ulrika between 2003 and 2006.

She also has Malcom, 13, with former husband Brian, who she married in 2008 and divorced in 2019.
Sophie Turner revealed the real reason she turned down Kendall Jenner's invitation to the Kardashians Met Gala after-party on Monday evening.

Despite being one of the most popular stars in Hollywood for her portrayal of Sansa Stark in the popular fantasy show Game of Thrones, the 26-year-old Emmy winner admitted even she get starstruck from time to time.

During Friday night episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the expectant actress recalled being so mesmerized by the supermodel's beauty that she accidentally snubbed her due to nerves.

Starstruck: Sophie Turner revealed the real reason she turned down Kendall Jenner's invitation to the Kardashians Met Gala after-party on Monday evening; pictured on Monday evening

'So, Kendall Jenner, she was at the Met. And I love the Kardashians, but I think she's so gorgeous in real life, and I was so struck by her beauty, and she invited me to this after party. She went, like, "Do you want to come?" And I just went, "No. No, I don't."'

'And I'm like, "Why? Why do I do this to myself?" And then I just sat in bed and ate pasta. And I was like, "[I] could be somewhere else right now,"' she laughed.

Sophie explained that her behavior stemmed from being 'really bad around celebrities.'

Breathtaking beauty: Despite being one of the most popular stars in Hollywood for her portrayal of Sansa Stark in the popular fantasy show Game of Thrones, the 26-year-old Emmy winner admitted even she get starstruck from time to time; Kendall Jenner pictured at the Met on Monday

'Every celebrity I come into contact with, I like, act up or say something stupid and recently it's been, if a celebrity interacts with me, I immediately just shut them down and I'm like, "I don't want anything to do with you,"' she said, adding, 'And secretly I'm like, "I love you."'

Elsewhere in the interview, Turner also revealed she knew her husband Joe Jonas was the one for her the first time they met and 'wept' after he left her apartment, following their first unofficial date.

'I remember he left my apartment, and it may have been the alcohol, but I just wept to my brother. I was like, "I love this man so much." And I knew. And that was it,' she shared.

The English actress - who is currently pregnant with the couple's second child - looked sensational in a figure-hugging sapphire dress that highlighted her growing baby bump.

Love at first sight: Elsewhere in the interview, Turner also revealed she knew her husband Joe Jonas was the one for her the first time they met and 'wept' after he left her apartment, following their first unofficial date

The revelation came after Fallon asked her when she realized she would marry the DNCE frontman, 32, to which she replied, 'I mean the first night I met him.'

When Fallon inquired whether Joe had been to her apartment for a date, she clarified: 'He didn't come over, no, I'm not that forward. We went out and we hung out at a bar with, like, all my friends, and all his friends, and then they all came back to my apartment and we had drinks after.'

Turner and Jonas tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas ceremony in May 2019, before marrying again at a larger celebration in France the next month.

The auburn-haired beauty also shared a funny anecdote from their first date, saying she called Joe out after he bragged about frequently getting compared to a 'young George Clooney.'

Glowing: The English actress - who is currently pregnant with the couple's second child - looked sensational in a figure-hugging sapphire dress that highlighted her growing baby bump

'So on this first date, he was like, "Oh, do you ever get told you look like, you know, a young celebrity?"' she recalled.

'And I was like, "Oh, yeah, sometimes. But why do you ask? And he was, "Well, I get... I get young George Clooney all the time."'

Incredulous Sophie then recalled how she made it clear to Joe that he did not, in fact, resemble the Ocean's Eleven actor, 61, saying: 'I was like, "No, you don't."'

The actress then joked about her own celebrity lookalike, saying, 'And then I told him, "Well, I get young Boy George all the time."'

Funny: She also shared a first-date anecdote, revealing that Joe bragged that he frequently got compared to young George Clooney, to which an Incredulous Sophie replied, 'No, you don't'

The star was on the show to promote her latest role in HBO Max series The Staircase, a true crime drama series based on the 2004 docuseries of the same name.

The show follows the story of Michael Peterson, a writer convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home in suspicious circumstances.

Though there are numerous theories about Kathleen's death, Sophie admitted that she was tired of making speculations about the tragedy.

New role: The actress was on the show to promote her latest role in HBO Max series The Staircase, a true crime drama series based on the 2004 docuseries of the same name

'I'm so done talking about what happened. I mean, we were on set, and everyone had theories and I was theorizing for so long. And then, by this point, I'm like, "I'm over it, I'm over it."'

The show stars Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Dane DeHaan, Juliette Binoche, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger, among many others.

The first three episodes of The Staircase are available to stream on HBO Max.
Anton Du Beke has joked he is going to get his first tattoo in honour of Strictly Come Dancing after feeling out of place on the show.

The professional dancer, 55, has been a part of Strictly since it first aired on BBC in 2004 and last year became a judge.

He admitted that since younger, inked male professionals joined the show he had been pushed to the back of group dances and didn't feel in the spotlight anymore.

Fresh ink: Anton Du Beke has revealed he is going to get his first tattoo in honour of Strictly Come Dancing after feeling out of place on the show (pictured January 2019)

Speaking to The Daily Mail's Richard Eden, Anton said: 'It seems as if everybody is tattooed these days. If you're going to come on Strictly Come Dancing, you have got to have a tattoo.

Professional tattooed males on the show include Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Neil Jones and Graziano Di Prima.

Anton revealed he wanted to be part of the inked group: 'I am actually going to get a tattoo next year for Strictly

'If I end up having to dance with somebody again I am going to tattoo my routine on my chest. I just hope they [dance partners] are not short-sighted. I don't know about piercings, though...'

Out of place: The professional dancer, 55, admitted that since younger, inked male professionals joined the show he had been pushed to the back of group dances

Anton stood in for Bruno Tonioli, 66, on last year's series when the Italian star was unable to travel to the UK from the US last year due to pandemic travel restrictions.

He wasn't on the list of professionals when the line-up was announced last week, and his new comments have confirmed his position on the judging panel.

The star sat in on the famous panel last year alongside regular judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas.

Replacement: The star stood in for Bruno Tonioli , 66, on last year's series when the Italian star was unable to travel to the UK from the US last year due to pandemic

Recently, Craig reportedly received a telling off by Strictly bosses after telling an audience that Anton is returning as a judge this year while on his All Balls and Glitter Tour.

Speaking during a show on his All Balls and Glitter UK tour, Craig revealed bosses had told the judges that ballroom dancer Anton would be waltzing back to the judging panel this autumn.

According to The Sun, Craig said: 'I really love Anton. I think he is fantastic. I think last year he did a great job on Strictly as a judge.

'And we have just found out he is going to do it again this year.'

Speaking out: Craig Revel Horwood reportedly received a telling off by Strictly Come Dancing bosses after telling an audience that Anton is returning as a judge this year (pictured in 2019)

Craig went on to tell the audience that he did miss his co-star Bruno, who had been on the Strictly panel since the show launched in 2004.

The choreographer said they remain to be 'great mates' after working side by side for 16 years together.

He went on to reveal that while he did miss the Italian's energy - Bruno actually struggled to deal with his dramatic performance.

He said: 'He always used to come off and say, ''Darling, I am exhausted.''

'And I used to say, ''Well, you created this character darling.'' I will just sit there. My job is easy.'

Craig previously branded Anton a 'great addition' to the Strictly judging panel as the pair admitted that they love playing 'Good Cop, Bad Cop' on the show.

Anton joined the BBC show in 2004 as a dancer in its first series but has never lifted the Glitterball Trophy in his 18 years partnered with celebrities.

The pro revealed that he would 'love' to return as a dancer still.

He added: 'Yes. I love the show. I've been doing it since the beginning and I'm very proud of that. I do it because I love it.'
Tegan Kynaston is preparing to welcome her first child with fiance Kyle Sandilands.

And the 36-year-old looked positively glowing as the pair made a low-key arrival at Perth Airport on Friday.

Tegan showed off her blossoming baby bump in a white crop top and high-waisted black bike shorts as she kept close to her radio shock jock beau, 50.

Bumping along nicely: Kyle Sandilands' pregnant fiancee Tegan Kynaston (pictured), 36, showed off her baby bump in a white crop top and black bike shorts as the pair arrived at Perth Airport on Friday

The expectant mum added white sneakers and a tan velvet zip-up jacket to the look.

She styled her blonde locks loosely around her shoulders in waves, and kept her makeup minimal, drawing attention to her natural beauty.

Meanwhile, Kyle wore his signature head-to-toe black, opting for a long-sleeved shirt with a puffer jacket on top, shorts and sneakers.

The pair, who got engaged in Port Douglas over the Christmas holidays, appeared relaxed during the outing as they wheeled their suitcases outside of the terminal.

Low-key: The expectant mum added white sneakers and a tan velvet zip-up jacket to the look. She styled her blonde locks loosely around her shoulders in waves, and kept her makeup minimal, drawing attention to her natural beauty

Casual: Meanwhile, Kyle (pictured), 50, wore his signature head-to-toe black, opting for a long-sleeved shirt with a puffer jacket on top, shorts and sneakers

Soon-to-be wed: The pair, who got engaged in Port Douglas over the Christmas holidays, appeared relaxed during the outing as they wheeled their suitcases outside of the terminal

The couple announced Tegan was expecting in February, with the baby due in August.

'We're having a baby! We are having a friggin' baby. I couldn't be happier,' Kyle said on KIIS FM's The Kyle & Jackie O Show.

Speaking on the radio show, Tegan said that Kyle had been 'very emotional' since finding out he was going to be a first-time father.

Sharing the happy news: The couple announced Tegan was expecting in February, with the baby due in August

Over the moon: 'We're having a baby! We are having a friggin' baby. I couldn't be happier,' Kyle said on KIIS FM's The Kyle & Jackie O Show

Fatherhood: Speaking on the radio show, Tegan said that Kyle had been 'very emotional' since finding out he was going to be a first-time father

The expectant couple found out the sex of their baby with an elaborate gender reveal party held later in February.

They hired a superyacht for the occasion and arranged for planes flying overhead to release blue smoke, revealing they're having a baby boy.

'The best surprise we could have asked for. This was the most incredibly special, emotional and happy day for Kyle and I,' Tegan later wrote on Instagram.

Before dating Tegan, Kyle was with ex-girlfriend Imogen Anthony for eight years until they called it quits in 2019.

Celebrations: The expectant couple found out the sex of their baby with an elaborate gender reveal party held later in February
Airbnb's career page views dramatically jumped roughly around a whopping 800,000 shortly after its CEO, Brian Chesky, announced its new "live and work anywhere" policy.

Airbnb's Live and Work Anywhere Policy

As per a news story by CNBC, the online marketplace for lodging, which changed how most people travel these days, previously announced that its employees could now choose to work where they feel most productive.

The Airbnb co-founder and CEO said on this Twitter account that even if their employees start to live and work elsewhere in the world, their compensation would not be affected.

Chesky also stated in an internal email to its workforce that they "have the flexibility to live and work in 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location."

The new work policy of the online lodging app comes even as other firms are asking their employees to go back to their offices, at least for a few days a week.

The hybrid setup has been frowned upon by some employees in other firms, forcing them to quit their current jobs.

On the other hand, Airbnb is going against the tide as it embraces what employees these days are clamoring for - more flexibility in workplaces.

Nevertheless, the CEO said that his staff will continue to meet face-to-face at least every quarter, adding that Zoom still has its limitations.

Chesky admits that "the most meaningful connections happen in person." Despite that, he still thinks that Zoom is a great tool to maintain relationships with other people.

Read Also: Airbnb Docu Series to Focus on Team Handling Hidden Camera Incidents, Scammers, and More

Airbnb's Career Page Views

It appears that the new work and live anywhere policy of Airbnb got the attention of thousands of employees and job seekers out there.

The Airbnb boss himself shared the overwhelming response to the newly-announced work policy during the first-quarter earnings call of the tech firm.

According to a report by Business Insider, Chesky revealed that the career page of Airbnb has already received roughly 800,000 views since the new policy was first announced.

The tech CEO said, "The response internally was great." He added that the 800,000 views of the career page were "even more impressive."

Business Insider noted in the same report that Airbnb currently publicly discloses that it employs around 5,000 workers in various parts of the world.

On top of that, the Airbnb co-founder also acknowledges that other firms require their employees to go back to their pre-pandemic grind, wherein they report to their offices.

However, Chesky believes that the flexibility in working conditions is not a temporary trend. Instead, he touts that it is here to stay.

Related Article: Airbnb Employees Can Now Work From Home Forever, Anywhere
Jack Whitehall looked dashing on Wednesday as he landed in Italy for a Prime Video production.

The comedian, 33, put on a stylish display in a navy polo top and white trousers, while sporting brown trainers as he strolled around San Gimignano during filming.

He looked effortlessly cool in a pair of black sunglasses as he kept a low profile on the set.

Looking good: Jack Whitehall looked dashing in a navy polo top and sunglasses on Friday as he landed in Italy for a Prime Video production

Earlier in the day, Jack sported a grey nike top and black shorts, teamed with a cap and trainers as he jogged through the medieval town.

And the actor made the most out of his trip, as he shared a picture of himself sight seeing with his 2.8 million Instagram followers.

Alongside the post he penned: 'In Florence visiting my glutespiration. #BigDave #BunsOfSteel

Filming: The comedian, 33, put on a stylish display in a pair of white trousers and brown trainers as he strolled around San Gimignano during filming

Sporty: Earlier in the day, Jack sported a grey nike top and black shorts, teamed with a cap and trainers as he jogged through the medieval town

Jack recently said that comedians need to be careful who they target with their jokes after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he said that hosts of award shows would be 'checking their jokes going forward' and said he himself was once put in a headlock by a disgruntled fan when he was on stage.

The Oscars exchange between Smith and Rock took place after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, saying, 'Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, cant wait to see it,' in reference to the 1997 movie which featured Demi Moore with a shaved head. (Pinkett Smith, 50, has alopecia, which causes hair loss.)

Tourist: The actor made the most out of his trip, as he shared a picture of himself sight seeing with his 2.8 million Instagram followers

Smith then walked onstage and smacked Rock, then returned to his seat and shouted at him twice, 'Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!' to a stunned audience.

Jack, who has previously hosted the BRIT Awards four years in a row, joked: 'I always thought I pushed it quite far on the BRITs but maybe I didn't push it far enough.

'I never got Olly Murs to snap and come up on the stage and slap me, I feel like it was a missed opportunity.'

He added: 'I think that hosts going forward are definitely going to be checking themselves every time they write a joke for their monologues.'

He also explained that comedians very rarely receive help as people always assume that when things go wrong, it's part of the act.

He said: 'The only time anyone ever got up stage with me was quite scary. I was doing a Christmas show in in Bournemouth, there was a large party heckling me so I picked on one guy and he got up on stage and put me into a headlock.

'The problem with that and you sort of saw that happen, but most people think that it's part of the show and they don't do anything.

Infamous: The Oscars exchange between Smith and Rock took place after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head

'I felt quite vulnerable but everyone was laughing in the room because they thought it was a bit, even the bouncers because they thought it was a set up, so they wouldn't have come to my aid.

'And that is the problem with comedians, is when stuff goes wrong on stage you always assume its part of a bit because no one takes comedians seriously. I guess that's why when the slap happen you had a great deal of people thinking it was a set up.'

He also advised hosts to select the target of their jokes carefully, saying: 'My piece of advice as well is be careful who you pick on.'

He quipped: 'If I'm ever in a room I always just throw Piers Morgan under the bus over and over because I know that's a very safe target, because he would never come up on the stage quick enough to slap me. I would be able to run away.'
Model Robyn Lawley is set to make history on Thursday when she headlines the inaugural plus-size runway at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week.

And the 32-year-old told 9Honey on Saturday that while she's 'honoured', Australia still has a way to go in catching up with the rest of the world in being size-inclusive.

'I want everyone in every show. I think runways are in the Dark Ages, they haven't caught up,' Robyn said from her home in New York.

'Runways are in the Dark Ages': Model Robyn Lawley, 32, told 9Honey on Saturday that the fashion industry still has a way to go in being more size-inclusive. Pictured in Miami in 2016

'For some reason, everyone's still a size six on the runway, and they'll include the token curvy girl, and everyone's like, "Yay!" But that's it,' she continued.

Robyn stressed the importance of featuring 'all sizes' on the runway, as well as in stores.

'I'm just saying include more diversity and I don't see why that's a problem. I'm not wanting to take work away from those girls, I'm just saying, what's the harm in including a little more sizes?' she said.

Robyn will headline The Curve Edit show this Thursday for AAFW, and the show will feature designers who cater for sizes ranging from 12 to 26.

Need for change: 'For some reason, everyone's still a size six on the runway, and they'll include the token curvy girl, and everyone's like, "Yay!" But that's it,' Robyn told the publication

Important message: Robyn stressed the importance of featuring 'all sizes' on the runway, as well as in stores. 'I'm not wanting to take work away from those girls, I'm just saying, what's the harm in including a little more sizes?' she said

Among the fashion labels set to showcase their plus-size designs are 17 Sundays, Saint Somebody, Embody Women, Vagary the Label, Hawlow and Zaliea.

In a post on Instagram last month, Robyn said she was 'so excited' to be headlining the inclusive runway as she addressed its significance.

'I've always viewed the necessary need for diversity on runways! As a teenage girl I starved myself for years to walk down a stupid ideal of someone else's!' she wrote.

'I should of just accepted health over their desires. But they should of also made clothes larger than size six or zero. Glad to see change happening.'

Groundbreaking: Robyn will headline The Curve Edit show this Thursday for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, and the show will feature designers who cater for sizes ranging from 12 to 26. Pictured at Fashion Week in Sydney in May 2019

The show is being presented by modelling agency Bella Management, with founder Chelsea Bonner explaining this year's runway hopes to 'encourage the future of extended sizing in fashion'.

'We want to ensure that models, whose sizing is reflective of over 80 per cent of Australian women, have the opportunity to walk the runway and show that women of every size deserve to be considered and embraced as a forceful and financial demographic in mainstream fashion,' Ms Bonner said in a statement.

'Our hope is that by doing so it will encourage the future of extended sizing in fashion and celebrate the designers who have embraced our mission.'
Bindi Irwin is very close to her family.

And on Sunday, the Wildlife Warrior paid tribute to her mother, Terri Irwin, in a sweet Mother's Day post on Instagram.

The 23-year-old shared a throwback image of herself as a child alongside her 57-year-old mother.

Sweet: On Sunday, Bindi Irwin paid tribute to her mother, Terri Irwin, in a sweet Mother's Day post on Instagram. Bindi is pictured centre with her mum and daughter Grace. Also pictured are her brother Robert Irwin (right) and husband Chandler Powell (left)

'The strongest, most loving and caring woman in the world,' Bindi gushed in her caption.

'Mum, I love you more than I can possibly describe,' the emotional conservationist continued.

'I am forever in awe of the remarkable person you are. Thank you for being my best friend from the moment I can remember.'

Aww: She shared a throwback image of herself as a child alongside her mother. 'Mum, I love you more than I can possibly describe,' she wrote. 'I am forever in awe of the remarkable person you are. Thank you for being my best friend from the moment I can remember'

It comes after Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell took part in a YouTube question and answer session on Thursday.

They responded to a series of questions, including how they would react should daughter Grace Warrior, now one, choose to pursue a different career.

Bindi, and Chandler, 25, said their main priority is that their daughter is happy.

Different way: Bindi and her husband Chandler took part in a YouTube question and answer session on Thursday. They responded to a series of questions, including how they would react should daughter Grace Warrior, now one, choose to pursue a different career

'Oh my gosh, are you kidding? We would love that. It would be awesome. It would be so awesome. Whatever Grace decides to do in life, if it makes her happy... hell yes. We're gonna be so happy,' Bindi responded.

Chandler added: 'It's true. And the great thing about her growing up here at Australia Zoo is that she can pursue whatever she wants.

'If she wants to do accounting, we have an accounts department. It's great that she can get her feel for what she wants to do in life here at the zoo. But whatever she wants to do in life, go for it. I support it.'
Olivia Culpo showed off her impeccably toned midsection in a video shared to her Instagram account on Saturday.

In the clip, the 29-year-old fashion industry personality gave her best looks to the camera while showcasing her eye-catching form in a stylish outfit.

The former Miss Universe also shared several videos to her Instagram Story to give her 5.1 million followers a look into her 30th birthday weekend in Miami.

All there: Olivia Culpo showed off her impeccably toned midsection in a video that was shared to her Instagram account on Saturday

Culpo wore a sparkling sequin bra that gave her fans a clear view of her impressively sculpted abs while posing for the video.

The model paired her top with a matching skirt that showed off her equally chiseled thighs.

The influencer added a bit of darkness to her outfit with an oversized leather jacket.

Her gorgeous brunette locks were cut short and fell towards her shoulders as she spent time in front of the camera.

Ooh la la! Culpo wore a sparkling sequin bra that gave her fans a clear view of her impressively sculpted abs while posing for the video

Keeping it consistent: The model paired her top with a matching skirt that showed off her equally chiseled thighs

Culpo shared a shot of a majestic waterfront view to her Story on Saturday, and she added a text graphic to her post that read: 'Good morning Miami.'

She later posted a picture of herself wearing an especially eye-catching outfit, which included a lovely white dress that featured lengthy sleeves.

The fashion industry figure paired her dress with a matching pair of thigh-high heeled boots.

Her beautiful brunette hair was tied back into a tight ponytail while she posed for the shot.

Loving the sunshine: Culpo shared a shot of a majestic waterfront view to her Story on Saturday, and she added a text graphic to her post that read: 'Good morning Miami'

All dressed up: She later posted a picture of herself wearing an especially eye-catching outfit, which included a lovely white dress that featured lengthy sleeves

Culpo was later seen spending time with several of her relatives after they had all piled into a sizable van.

Her father was also present during the celebration, and she added a text graphic to her video that read: 'It's a family affair!'

She went on to share a clip of herself riding with her loved ones as they headed to celebrate further.

The model made a point of posting a video of her younger brother Gus holding a shirt that featured a graphic print of a possum and lettering that read: 'Let's eat trash and get hit by a car.'

Good company: Culpo was later seen spending time with several of her relatives after they had all piled into a sizable van

Out and about: Culpo later shared a clip of her sister Aurora making her way through a parking lot while carrying a small bottle of what appeared to be Don Julio Blanc

Culpo later shared a clip of her sister Aurora making her way through a parking lot while carrying a small bottle of what appeared to be Don Julio Blanco.

Her relative performed an impression of her, stating: 'I'm Olivia, this is my purse,' much to the enjoyment of her loved ones.

The fashion industry figure eventually posed for a photo while attending an event for Alfa Romeo.

The model flashed a set of peace signs and donned a racing helmet as she spent a bit of time in front of the camera.
James Gunn announced that filming on Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 had wrapped with a post that was shared on his Instagram account on Friday evening.

In the shot, the 55-year-old was seen spending a bit of quality time with Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan and his brother Sean, all of whom are set to appear in the forthcoming superhero film.

The filmmaker also wrote a short message to express his excitement for the upcoming feature and to tease the appearance of an 'unannounced' performer.

It's all over! James Gunn announced that filming on Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 had wrapped with a post that was shared on his Instagram account on Friday evening

Gunn began his message by confirming that shooting had wrapped and expressed that he was grateful for the commitment of the project's team.

He wrote: 'And that's a picture wrap on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. I love this amazing cast & crew & their beautiful talent & kind souls.'

The director added: 'I'm a lucky human to have them on the journey with me for nearly a decade.'

Gunn then pointed out that Zoe Saldana, who portrays Gamora in the film series, was also present and was spending time with an individual whose involvement in the project remains under wraps.

Building hype: Gunn then pointed out that Zoe Saldana, who portrays Gamora in the film series, was also present and was spending time with an individual whose involvement in the project remains under wraps; he is seen in 2021

He wrote: '(And yes Zoe was with us but the only picture I have with her has an unannounced actor with us!)'

Gunn previously confirmed that he would be returning to direct and write a third Guardians of the Galaxy feature in 2017.

The two previous films in the series were released in 2014 and 2017.

The director, however, was abruptly fired by Disney executives in 2018 after right-wing commentators began reposting old tweets that he had made that joked about various controversial topics.

Ousted: The director was abruptly fired by Disney executives in 2018 after right-wing commentators began reposting old tweets that he had made that joked about controversial topics; still from Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Gunn apologized for his past actions and accepted the decision, although much of the Guardians of the Galaxy cast publicly expressed their support for the filmmaker.

The writer was later rehired after Disney executives reconsidered their previous stance, and he was announced to have rejoined the project in 2019.

Much of the cast revealed that they would be returning for the third movie in the series during its pre-production process.

Back on track: The writer was later rehired after Disney executives reconsidered their previous stance, and he was announced to have rejoined the project in 2019; still from Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Will Poulter was confirmed to fill the role of Adam Warlock in October of last year.

Physical production on the feature initially started in November of 2021, with filming taking place in Atlanta and London.

The project's crew continued working on the movie for several months before shooting wrapped on Friday.

Doing their thing: The project's crew continued working on the movie for several months before shooting wrapped on Friday; still from Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

The film's team also worked on the forthcoming Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special during the feature's production process, with filming lasting from this past February to April.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently scheduled to be released on May 5, 2023, while the Holiday Special will debut this December.

Gunn has previously expressed that he will not be working on any further films related to the superhero team in the future after the release of the third movie in the series.
Caity Lotz and Kyle Schmid announced that they had gotten engaged in dueling Instagram posts on Friday.

The happy couple shared pictures from the romantic proposal which took place on a rooftop decorated with bell shaped lamps at dusk in Marrakech, Morocco.

The Big Sky actor, 37, gallantly got down on one knee, wearing a pair of tan chinos and a white shirt as popped the question.

The question: Caity Lotz said 'yes' after boyfriend Kyle Scmid popped the question in a romantic rooftop proposal in Morocco. The couple have been dating for about a year

The DCs Legends of Tomorrow star looked stunning in a red and white midi-dress with bell sleeves and neutral pumps.

A photographer captured the special moment which has been shared on both of the actors' social media accounts.

The couple shared two pictures after she said 'yes' so that Caity could show off the gorgeous diamond solitaire she received from her fiance.

Sure: The Arrowverse actress showed off her diamond solitaire on social media, writing, 'Ive never been more sure of anything in my life.' The engagement comes days after Legends of Tomorrow was cancelled

In announcing the happy news, The Flash actress wrote, 'I've never been more sure of anything in my life.'

Kyle was a bit more poetic in his post, declaring, 'The sun rises and sets with you. The moon and the stars have never shone so brightly. You are the love of my life.'

The couple tried to keep their relationship low key publicly, but it's believed they have been dating since May 2021.

Heart of a poet: The Big Sky star waxes poetic in his announcement writing, 'The sun rises and sets with you. The moon and the stars have never shone so brightly. You are the love of my life'

Caity should have plenty of time to work on the wedding. The engagement comes a few days after it was announced that Legends of Tomorrow had been canceled by CW and the Arrowverse star would not be returning to her role as Sara Lance for an eighth season.

In a series of interviews about the show's demise, the San Diego native said, 'I am bummed! I am sad, I'm going to miss it so much.'

'Working on has been amazing. It's been such a journey and I am so endlessly grateful for it, and for you guys,' she continued. 'So, thank you. To all the fans out there we love you guys so much. And it has been a blast.'
Aziz Ansari was spotted while stepping out in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday morning.

The 39-year-old performer spent a bit of tine in the shining California sun before heading into a local cade and picking up a few pastries.

The actor's outing comes not long after his former collaborator Bill Murray was accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior on the set of the suspended dramedy film Being Mortal.

Out and about: Aziz Ansari was spotted while stepping out in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday morning

Ansari kept it relatively casual in a flannel shirt and a set of wide-legged navy blue pants during his outing.

The Parks And Recreation actor also accessorized with a stylish pair of sunglasses.

Development on Being Mortal was initially announced this past February, when it was revealed that the performer would make his feature directorial debut with the project.

In addition to helming the feature, the actor also wrote its script and served as one of its producers.

Recent events: The actor's outing comes not long after his former collaborator Bill Murray was accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior on the set of the suspended comedy-drama film Being Mortal

The project was based on Atul Gawande's 2014 book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.

The non-fiction book primarily dealt with end-of-life care and suggested that medical professionals should focus on well-being as opposed to survival.

Murray, 71, was also announced to have joined the project when Ansari was announced as its director.

Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer signed on to appear in the movie this past March and April, respectively.

Source material: The project was based on Atul Gawande's 2014 book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

Production on the movie began in March and continued for several weeks before it was announced that filming had halted last month.

At the time, it was noted that the suspension was enacted due to a complaint of inappropriate behavior, although it was reported that Ansari was not the target of the claim.

It was subsequently revealed by Deadline that Murray was the focus of the claim.

Searchlight Pictures is currently conducting an investigation into the complaint, and production on the feature will remain halted until future steps are decided.

In hot water: It was subsequently revealed by Deadline that Murray was the focus of the claim; he is seen in April

The Ghostbusters star's role in the project also remains uncertain at this time.

Murray subsequently discussed the suspension during an interview with CNBC, where he explained his actions and noted that Being Mortal's producers wanted to complete their investigation before continuing with the film.

'I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn't taken that way. The company, the movie studio, wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it,' he said.

The Garfield voice actor then pointed out that he and the individual who made the complaint were attempting to work things out between them.

Opening up: Murray subsequently discussed the suspension during an interview with CNBC, where he explained his actions and noted that Being Mortal's producers wanted to complete their investigation before continuing with the film

'As of now, we're talking and we're trying to make peace with each other. I think that's where the real issue is, between our peace. We're both professionals,' he said.

Murray acknowledged that the common perception of appropriate behavior had also evolved over the years.

'You know, what I always thought was funny as a little kid isn't necessarily the same as what's funny now. Things change and the times change, so it's important for me to figure it out,' he stated.

The Lost In Translation actor expressed that he felt as if the investigation would lead to a positive outcome for all parties involved.

Looking up: The Lost In Translation actor expressed that he felt as if the investigation would lead to a positive outcome for all parties involved

'We're talking about it. We're, I think we're gonna make peace with it. I'm very optimistic about that,' he said.

Murray concluded by remarking that he wanted to mend things with the individual who made the complaint and continue working on the movie.

He said: 'What would make me the happiest would be to, you know, put my boots on and for both of us to go back into work and be able to trust each other.'
George Perez, whose long career included important stints writing and drawing for Marvel and DC comics, died Saturday due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

The news of the artists death at age 67 was announced the same day on his official Facebook page.

Although Perez took on many roles in the comics industry, he was primarily known as a penciller, and his most high-profile work was on the iconic DC limited series Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Comics legend: George Perez, whose long career included important stints writing and drawing for Marvel and DC, died Saturday at 67 due to complications from pancreatic cancer; seen in 2019 in Las Vegas

Perez had his wife Carol Flynn and other family members with him on Saturday when he died at home, according to the Facebook post.

'He was not in pain and knew he was very, very loved,' the statement said. 'We are all very much grieving but, at the same time, we are so incredibly grateful for the joy he brought to our lives. To know George was to love him; and he loved back. Fiercely and with his whole heart. The world is a lot less vibrant today without him in it.'

It continued: 'He loved all of you. He loved hearing your posts and seeing the drawings you sent and the tributes you made. He was deeply proud to have brought so much joy to so many.'

Perez announced in December of last year that he had stage-three pancreatic cancer, though he had opted not to be treated for it. At the time, he said doctors expected him to only live another six to 12 months.

Saying goodbye: Perez announced in December that he had stage-three pancreatic cancer, though he had opted not to be treated for it. At the time, he said doctors expected him to only live another six to 12 months

Revived series: In the 1980s, Perez helped relaunch DC's Teen Titans series with writer Marv Wolfman, while he worked on penciling

In the 1980s, Perez helped relaunch DC's Teen Titans series with writer Marv Wolfman, while he worked on penciling.

The two created several important characters through their collaboration, including Cyborg, Raven and Starfire.

The team also instigated Dick Grayson's transformation from the original Batman sidekick Robin to Nightwing.

Later in the decade, he collaborated on Crisis On Infinite Earths, a landmark limited series for DC that killed off several major characters and attempted to simplify the complicated DC timelines.

Later, he also helped reboot the long-running Wonder Woman series in 1987, on which he wrote and drew.

Although his biggest successes were with DC, Perez also worked extensively with Marvel, particularly on the Avengers comics, though the series didn't have the prestige then that it has subsequently acquired thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's focus on the group.

Iconic: Later in the decade, he collaborated on Crisis On Infinite Earths, a landmark limited series for DC that killed off several major characters and attempted to simplify the complicated DC timelines

The future artist was born in 1954 in the South Bronx to a Puerto Rican family.

He began working as a studio assistant for Marvel in the 1970s, while he was still a teenager, and he made his debut on Astonishing Tales #25 in 1974.

While with the company, he co-created White Tiger, the first Puerto Rican superhero, with Bill Mantlo.

He began working on The Avengers in 1975, followed by a stint on the Fantastic Four, but in the 1980s he moved to DC and began doing artwork for the Justice League Of America.

While at the rival comics giant, he collaborated on some of the biggest characters, including Batman and Superman.

Rising star: The future artist was born in 1954 in the South Bronx to a Puerto Rican family. He began working as a studio assistant for Marvel in the 1970s, while he was still a teenager, and he made his debut on Astonishing Tales #25 in 1974

Creative force: He helped reboot the long-running Wonder Woman series in 1987, on which he wrote and drew

Perez's final major work was on the limited series Sirens, which he made for the BOOM! label.

The writer and artist was the recipient of numerous awards, and in 2017 he was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame.

Among his honors were multiple Jack Kirby Awards, as well as the Inkwell Awards Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award for lifetime achievement.

In 2019, he announced his retirement due to his declining health.

Fans are invited to attend his memorial service at MEGACON in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday, May 22 at 6 p.m.
Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly finally used their golden buzzer on Saturday evening's episode of Britain's Got Talent.

And the pair's power was used to catapult Japanese magician Keiichi Iwasaki all the way to the semi-finals - after his entertaining audition.

49-year-old Keiichi performed an array of illusionist tricks for judges Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliams - who were left in awe of the performance.

Golden: Ant and Dec pressed their golden buzzer on Saturday's Britain's Got Talent for magician Keiichi Iwasaki following his impressive illusionist performance

The performer admitted that it was 'my dream' to come on the show, telling the judges he was 'a little bit nervous' before performing.

But despite the pre-performance nerves, Keiichi had the audience in stitches from the get-go, pulling Ant and Dec on stage to assist him.

In a hilarious mix up, he referred to the pair as 'Dec and Ant' rather than their preferred way around, as Ant was quick to correct the magician.

Congratulations! The pair used the power to catapult Japanese magician Keiichi Iwasaki all the way to the semi-finals - who was over the moon with the honour

Performing a card trick, Keiichi asked Dec to choose a card and then place it back in the pile - which he later pulled out from inside Dec's shirt.

He then used a mind boggling trick to move the card without touching it, with the judges shocked by the floating playing card.

Another trick involved a 20 note, which the magician folded and probed at without ever touching it.

Keiichi then enlisted Alesha as his next assistant, as he floated a ring through the air and all the way onto her finger.

Surprise! Keiichi had his head in his hands as he realised what was going on, displaying his utter shock

Grateful: He reached out to give Ant and Dec a hug as they returned from the panel, thanking each of them

Standing ovation: Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams were all happy with the choice - after being blown away by Keiichi

The judges and audience were beyond impressed by the performance, giving the star a standing ovation.

Amanda described the performance as 'faultless', while David dubbed him as the 'funniest person we've seen'.

It got a seal of approval from Simon too, who said that his son, Eric, would 'absolutely love' Keiichi.

But before the judges all and a chance to give a final verdict, Ant and Dec ran onto the stage and shouted 'no, no, no!'.

Bonding: Ant and Dec congratulated their golden buzzer act, shaking his hand on the stage

Fans: He gave a bow to the rowdy audience, who were all delighted with the decision

Inkling: Amanda and Simon told the hosting duo that they 'knew it' after the buzzer was pressed

The audience and judges began to go wild as the cheeky duo ran to the judging panel, before telling Keiichi: 'You, my friend, get the golden buzzer'

The magician was ecstatic with the result, placing two hands on his head as golden confetti began to fill the stage in celebration.

Unbelieving of the gesture, the performer pulled Ant and Dec in for handshakes and a hug as he thanked them, sharing: 'Thank you so much. I can't explain my emotion, I never expected the golden buzzer. Thank you so much'

Keiichi will now skip the bootcamp stage of the competition, automatically gaining a place in the semi-final.

When questioned by the judges on what he would do with the prize money if he won the show, Keiichi explained he was planning to sail the Atlantic ocean - so would buy a boat.

Assistants: Keiichi got Ant and Dec involved during the act, hilariously getting their names mixed up

Happy: The judges were all impressed, with Simon saying that his son Eric would 'absolutely love it'
A Ukrainian model whose appearance at a Stop the War protest made her an internet sensation has been signed by fashion house Mulberry to front its new campaign.

Pasha Harulia, who moved to France from Kyiv before Vladimir Putins invasion, will be the star of its new collection of handbags just three months after being pictured holding a placard outside the Russian embassy in Paris.

The 22-year-old, who is originally from Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, last week began filming promotional material in Greenwich, South-East London. She was seen clutching a bag from Mulberrys new range, with prices between 545 and 1,650.

A Ukrainian model whose appearance at a Stop the War protest made her an internet sensation has been signed by fashion house Mulberry to front its new campaign

Sources at the British fashion firm say bosses believe Miss Harulias recruitment is a positive way to support Ukraine.

Pasha is becoming one of the most talked-about models on the catwalk, said one insider. Hopefully it will raise awareness of the dire conditions in Ukraine.

Miss Harulia, who had admitted to terrible survivors guilt after escaping her war-torn homeland, has been raising awareness among her 54,000 Instagram followers about those whose lives have been destroyed by the war.

In an interview with Vogue magazine in March, she revealed her family had been taking refuge in shelters in the Ukrainian capital.

Every single member of my family, except my husband, who is here in Paris with me, is in Kyiv where I live, she said. My family has been in a shelter for the past seven days. Those places are always horrible. They cant be comfortable.

Sources at the British fashion firm say bosses believe Miss Harulias recruitment is a positive way to support Ukraine. Pasha is becoming one of the most talked-about models on the catwalk, said one insider

Speaking of her protest in Paris, she added: That was the first protest I went to after the war started, at the Russian embassy.

My husband woke me up. It was 5am, and he says, I think theyre shooting missiles in Kyiv.

It wasnt a surprise at all... we went first to the Russian embassy. They wouldnt let us come to the gates. They made us be on opposite sides of the road. People were p****d, really. Ive been recognised so many times at protests already. Theyre like, Oh youre the girl with the big white fur. Im trying to find the positive moments [like those] but its getting harder every day to find something to laugh about.

Miss Harulia has become a regular fixture on catwalks across the world since 2018 when she starred in Pradas Spring/Summer show.

She has also appeared on the cover of magazines in France, Singapore and Ukraine.
Twitter continues to add new features to its Spaces live audio platform, and the social network has now announced yet another update that will give users even more options to engage with one another.

Analytics Feature for Hosts and Co-Hosts

Spaces hosts and co-hosts can now view analytics on both iOS and Android platforms, according to Twitter.

For example, TechCrunch explained that hosts and co-hosts may now see how many total live listeners tuned in, how many times the broadcast was replayed, and how many individuals spoke throughout the Space. With this, hosts will be able to better plan their audio content and know how many people they're reaching via analytics.

learn more about your Space 



Hosts and co-hosts on iOS and Android will now have access to analytics like total live listeners, total replays, and speakers  take a look and let us know what you think! pic.twitter.com/OrCDKJXOhx  Spaces (@TwitterSpaces) May 4, 2022

However, as per The Economic Times, co-hosts may have access problems for analytics for now but the social media platform said it is working on it. In March, the analytics functionality was made accessible to a small group of hosts as a test, but it is now available to all hosts and co-hosts on the platform.



Read More: Facebook's Nearby Friends Feature Is Bidding Goodbye - Other Location-Based Functions Leaving Too?

Tweeting out a Space Card, Other Features

Twitter, as per a TechCrunch report, is testing a feature that will tweet out a Space card once hosts start a Space. The new feature, according to the social media platform, will make it easier for users to interact with and share Spaces. Users should be able to view and engage in conversations more easily with the new feature, which is currently available on both iOS and Android.

With this new functionality, hosts won't have to manually link to their Spaces in a tweet to promote them when they first create one. Users will be able to follow Spaces hosts more easily as well. When a Space has concluded, users will be able to see a list of the co-hosts and speakers and choose to follow them. The new feature is currently available on both iOS and Android.

wanna learn more about the Space you see at the top of the tl?



Starting today, some people on Android will see more info on the Space bar like whos hosting, Topics, whos shared a Tweet and more. Tell us what you think! pic.twitter.com/Oqhc6XqOBT  Spaces (@TwitterSpaces) May 5, 2022

TechCrunch also reported that users will also be able to learn more about the Spaces that appear at the top of their timeline. The purple card at the top of your timeline currently does not provide much information on a specific Space. Some Android users will see extra information in the Space bar starting today, including who's hosting, what topics are involved, who's shared a tweet, and more.

To round out the Spaces offering, Twitter has been providing new functionalities over the last few months. The company has just begun testing a new feature that enables select hosts to share 30 seconds of audio from recorded Spaces through Twitter.

The social media platform is also working on a feature called Spaces Recordings, which would allow hosts to post tweets with audio recordings from previous Spaces.

9to5Mac noted that Twitter had already announced earlier this year that anyone having a link to the live audio chat could share audio clips from Spaces. It was also reported that the company corporation is also working on a new podcast platform.

Related Article: Twitter is Testing Out Its Twitter Circles Feature - What Exactly is It?
Apple's AirTag stalking alert reportedly sends false alarms with seemingly "phantom" alerts, which confuse and worry iPhone users.

Apple AirTag Stalking Alert

As per a news story by The Verge, Apple previously released an anti-stalking feature for its tracking device, the notorious AirTag.

It comes after multiple incidents wherein victims report they detected an AirTag attached to their belongings that creepingly tracks their whereabouts.

As a result, the Cupertino tech giant went on to introduce AirTags anti-stalking measures, which integrates into the iPhone.

The anti-stalking alerts on iPhone should notify users if an AirTag has been tracking them for an extended period already. The new safety measure that Apple created was to prevent stalkers from using the tracking device to follow their location without any prior consent.

AirTag Stalking 'Phantom' Alerts

However, this time around, according to a recent report by Wall Street Journal, the anti-stalking feature of Apple for AirTags has gone wonky. It reportedly started sending out "phantom" alerts, which give away false alarms to various iPhone users.

What's exceedingly annoying about the "phantom" alerts is it occurs right in the middle of the night when most of us are sleeping or having our quiet time.

The false alarm alerts were reportedly showing weird map visuals. It is worth noting that the anti-stalking notification should pin the location of the owner of the AirTag on a digital map.

However, the phantom alerts could not show a specific location of a person. Instead, it confusingly illustrated multiple straight lines on the map that actually lead to nowhere.

The Verge noted in its report that the AirTag alert should show a specific location. Otherwise, it appears to be a mere bug or error.

Read Also: AirTag Stalking? Family Says Apple Device Tracked Them to Disney World

AirTag False Alarms Victims

Meanwhile, as per the latest story by Apple Insider, one of the iPhone users who experienced the "phantom" AirTag alert shared how it goes.

The unnamed victim of the false alarm shared to the news outlet that the experience was both frightening and confusing.

He also shared that the supposed movement of the AirTag on the map "looked super weird." As expected, the iPhone user did not find any AirTags after he searched near his house.

Another person who got the AirTag stalking false alarm on her iPhone said that she also did not find any tracking device in her belongings. She added that the Find My app left a pop-up saying "AirTag Not Reachable."

AirTag False Alarms: Why It's Happening

A spokesperson from Apple previously stated that iPhones could get false AirTag stalking alerts when it captures WiFi signals that could confuse its location services.

On top of that, the Apple spokesperson further said that densely populated spots like Disney World could trigger false alarms as well.

Related Article: Latest Firmware Update for Apple AirTag Tunes Undesirable Monitoring Sound
Hyderabad: In what appears to be a matter of concern, a whopping 22,210 candidates were absent on the first day of Intermediate Public Examinations (IPE) that began on Friday. While 4,64,756 students registered for the exams, only 4,42,546 were present on Friday. The rest of the candidates, 4.7 per cent of them, were absent.

According to the officials of Telangana Intermediate Board, last year only over 6 per cent of students were absent for the exams. The intermediate examinations are conducted from 9 am to 12 pm and will end on May 23. The intermediate board exams for the first year students began on Friday and the second year students are writing the exams on Saturday.

As per norms, no student is permitted to enter the examination hall once the clock strikes 9 am. Students are allowed to enter the centre by 8.30 am. With over 22,000 being absent for the exam on the first day, officials do not have any information as to how many students were marked absent for coming late.

However, Dr P. Madhusudhan Reddy, president, Government Junior Lecturers Association said over 100 students all over Telangana were unable to write the exam as they reached late. He added that the invigilators who were deployed at various examination centres claimed to have no proper facilities of drinking water and had poor ventilation. The invigilators at various centres informed me that drinking water was not supplied to the students and approximately 60 to 70 per cent of classrooms do not even have proper fans that are in working condition. Students are having a tough time due to poor ventilation, he said.

Students struggled to reach the examination centres due to low frequency of city RTC buses in certain routes. We have to leave very early because buses are not on time. We have to wait for a long time till our bus arrives. Also, not all buses drop us near the centre, so even if the bus is 10 minutes late, we have to run to the centre to avoid missing the exam, said a student.

Students who are experiencing anxiety or other related concerns can call 18005999333 to speak with a counsellor. Over 60 calls are made per day by the students to psychologists as they are in fear of writing exams and are stressed over their performance due to online classes conducted throughout the year.

Students are also worried about time management as they have lost the habit of writing and are seeking advice from psychologists. A psychologist, Tina Sharma, said, Students have been directly asked to download their hall tickets online which do not have their concerned college stamp. Students are worried that they would not be allowed to write the exam if there is no college stamp on the hall ticket. They are also complaining about poor ventilation as fans are not working in many centres.
HYDERABAD: Two women and their newborn babies, another patient and 19 hospital staff were rescued from the burning first floor of Srivani Hospital in Saleem Nagar, Malakpet, early on Saturday.

The fire broke out at 7.24 am due to a short circuit, a fire official said. The official said fire personnel reached the spot within five minutes of getting information and evacuated the first floor of the building.

Our team simultaneously managed to switch off the main transformer and another transformer in the surrounding area. Our firefighters managed to rescue the patients, though it took two hours to control the fire, said J. Govardhan Reddy, station fire officer (SFO), Malakpet fire station.

Malakpet sub-inspector Chalikanti Suresh said the newborns along with their mothers and another patient are safe and had been shifted to another hospital in the adjacent lane.

Sources in the fire department said there was a short circuit in a panelboard on the first floor of the in-patient block. The building had no fire safety norms. As the building was shorter than 15 metres, it fell in the GHMC jurisdiction to take legal action against the hospital management. The fire department could take action only if the building was taller than 15 metres, sources said.

We suspect that a short circuit sparked the fire and a case has been registered. The concerned local electricity officials are also investigating the case., said SI Suresh, investigation officer.
New Delhi: Indias permanent representative to the United Nations T.S. Tirumurti on Friday snubbed the Dutch envoy to Britain Mr Karel van Oosterom and asked him not to patronise India after he reportedly questioned Indias abstentions at the UN during the voting on resolutions to condemn Russia for its military offensive in Ukraine.

At a UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Ukraine in New York in the early hours of Friday (India time), Mr Tirumurti reiterated that India remains on the side of peace and therefore believes that there will be no winning side in this conflict.

Responding to the Dutch envoys comment, Mr Tirumurti tweeted on Friday, Kindly dont patronise us ambassador. We know what to do.

India is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-nation UNSC. The spat comes amid Indias continuing discussions with Western particularly European nations recently on the Ukraine conflict, even as many in the West are upset over Indias refusal to condemn its time-tested friend Russia. Earlier this week, Indias new foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had said that India's position on the Ukraine conflict balances both New Delhis principles and interests.

In his statement at the UNSC, Mr Tirumurti said, Ever since the commencement of the conflict in Ukraine, India has been consistently calling for complete cessation of hostilities and for pursuing the path of dialogue and diplomacy as the only way out. However, the conflict has resulted in loss of lives and countless miseries for its people, particularly for women, children and elderly with millions becoming homeless and forced to take shelter in neighbouring countries.

Mr Tirumurti pointed out, India has strongly condemned killings of civilians in (Ukranian town) Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation. We support all efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people of Ukraine. India remains on the side of peace and therefore believes that there will be no winning side in this conflict and while those impacted by this conflict will continue to suffer, diplomacy will be a lasting casualty.

He added, We agree that the immediate priority is of evacuation of innocent civilians from areas witnessing intense fighting... The conflict is having a destabilising effect with broader regional and global implications. Oil prices are sky-rocketing and there is a shortage of food grains and fertilisers. This has had a disproportionate impact on the global South and developing countries... Let me conclude by reaffirming that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.
The issue cropped up two months back, when Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) found that a doctor with a PG diploma in cardiology was running a clinic in Mancherial claiming that he was a qualified cardiologist. (Image via ANI)

Hyderabad: The health department is cracking down on PG medical diploma holders, who are posing as doctors with super speciality degrees, and running illegal clinics in the state.

While the government does not recognise PG diploma degrees, those with such degrees have approached the court, seeking permission to practice like other MBBS doctors.

The issue cropped up two months back, when Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) found that a doctor with a PG diploma in cardiology was running a clinic in Mancherial claiming that he was a qualified cardiologist. When TSMC sought his explanation, he took the issue to the notice of a national association of diploma holders, which sent a legal notice to the council and also approached courts. The association claims that such degrees allow them to open clinics and practise.

Incidentally, the doctor in Mancherial obtained his diploma in clinical cardiology from IGNOU.

Putting things in their perspective, TSMC Registrar Dr Hanumantha Rao said Diplomas granted by IGNOU are not recognised by any council because medical subjects should be taught only in medical colleges attached to hospitals. In addition to this, cardiology is classified as a super speciality. How can they get a degree in it with a diploma?

Dr Rao said Osmania University too wanted to begin diploma courses for medical subjects but they were denied permission for similar reasons.

Additionally, TSMC is also engaged in a tussle with those who study abroad and allegedly carry out illegal practices in the country.

One of the issues is that such degrees in countries like Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine are termed MD, and hence they add MD tags to their names.

That MD is equivalent to an MBBS in India. They are misleading people, said a health department official.

About two months ago, two cases were detected wherein doctors with medical degrees obtained abroad had procured fake registration certificates.

Dr Hanumantha Rao said that they do this as foreign returnees need to clear Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) in India to be allowed to practise.

The standard of education in colleges abroad is poor and such students struggle to clear the exam and resort to these devious methods, he added.
Yadav begged at the GVMC office as part of the protest, saying the corporation had spent Rs 2,47,200 to buy 206 tickets for the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Chandanotsavam.

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) landed in a row on Friday when a section of the opposition corporators protested against use of corporation money for purchase of Chandanotsavam tickets for GVMC corporators.

The protest was led by Jana Sena's 22nd ward corporator Pitala Murthy Yadav.

Yadav begged at the GVMC office as part of the protest, saying the corporation had spent Rs 2,47,200 to buy 206 tickets for the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Chandanotsavam held on May 3.

Yadav said that by his begging, he collected Rs 4,872 at the GVMC office and deposited it in the GVMC account to partly compensate for the expenses incurred by te GVMC to purchase tickets for the corporators.

Mayor Hari Venkatakumari responded asserted that the GVMC had not misused the funds. However, due to lack of time, a demand draft of Rs 2.88 lakh was made out of the GVMC account to purchase tickets for the corporators. But, as much money was then credited to the corporation account from her own fund of Rs 2.88 lakh.

There was no link between the corporations money and the Chandanotsavam tickets, she clarified.
Police personnel stand guard as BJP workers protest against arrest of party spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, at Janakpuri police station in New Delhi, Friday, May 6, 2022. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: A bitter slugfest between the BJP and the AAP ensued after the arrest of Delhi BJP spokesperson and the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Tajinder Bagga by the Punjab police from his Delhi residence on Friday. Police forces from three states  Punjab, Delhi and Haryana  got embroiled in dramatic developments that befit a blockbuster thriller. It all started with the Punjab police arresting Mr Bagga from his home, only to be stopped at Kurukshetra by the Haryana police en route to Mohali and hours later brought back to the national capital by the Delhi police after it acted on a complaint of kidnapping by the BJP leaders father.

The drama, an outcome of a bitter political rivalry between the AAP and the BJP, began around 8am when over a dozen personnel of the Punjab police swooped down on Mr Bagga's residence in Jankapuri, West Delhi.

The news about the arrest of Mr Bagga by Punjab police became public after BJP leader Kapil Mishra posted about it on the social media. "Tajinder Bagga was arrested and taken away by 50 Punjab police personnel from his house," Mr Mishra wrote on Twitter.

Soon afterwards, Mr Baggas 67-year-old father Preetpal Singh Bagga, who Mr Mishra claimed was thrashed and punched by the Punjab police, lodged a complaint with the Delhi police. He claimed that some people came to his residence around 8am and took away his son and did not even allow his son to wear a turban.

The Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta accompanied Mr Singh when he went to the police stations to file an FIR. A case of kidnapping was registered at the Janakpuri police station.

The action then shifted to Kurukshetra, where around 2pm the convoy of the Punjab police was stopped by the Haryana police. Explaining their action, the Haryana police officials said they had received the information that Mr Bagga was forcibly picked up from his residence. We were altered by the Delhi Police about the abducted victim. We are duty bound to verify and crosscheck such developments, the officials added.

The drama climaxed with a Delhi police team reaching Kurukshetras Thana Sadar police station in Pipli and taking the custody' of Mr Bagga from the Punjab police. Mr Bagga was then brought back to Delhi by the police team that also included DCP (outer) Sameer Sharma and additional DCP (west) Prashant Gautam.

The Delhi police claimed that the Punjab cops did not inform the local police before arresting Mr Bagga from his residence in Delhi's Janakpuri.

DCP (west) Ghanshyam Bansal said that information was received from Mr Singh that his son has been abducted around 8.30am from his house by some unknown persons.

A wireless message was flashed and the said vehicle was intercepted by the Haryana police at Kurukshetra. A search warrant was obtained from the concerned Dwarka court based on which assistance of Kurukshetra district police was taken to trace and abducted victim was recovered. He will be brought to Delhi and will be produced before the concerned honourable court as per law, said the DCP.

As per the FIR, Mr Singh stated that on Friday, when he was at home along with his son, around 8.30am, someone knocked the door. When I opened the door, some persons entered home and manhandled me. Some of them had weapons and they started asking me where is Tajinder? When I asked them what they wanted from Tajinder, they slapped me. Later, my son came there and he too was beaten up. When I tried to intervene, they pushed me, the FIR reads.

When I took out my phone to make their video, they beat me up and snatched my mobile. Later, they forcefully took away my son who was not allowed to wear a turban and was dragged out of the house, the FIR further stated.

Following the arrest, the Punjab police, in a statement, said, "The accused was served five notices under Sections 41 A CrPC to come and join the investigation. The notices dated April 9, 11, 15, 22 and 28 were duly served upon. Despite that, the accused deliberately did not join the investigation."

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) defended the move by the Punjab police and claimed that the state police had registered a case against him last month after he, through his social media posts, tried to create communal tension and incite violence in the state.

The AAP also alleged that the Punjab police personnel were illegally detained by the Delhi police officials at Janakpuri police station when they had reached there to inform about their action.

Saurabh Bhardwaj, the AAP spokesperson, said that a case against Mr Bagga was filed last month after the BJP leader, through his social media posts, tried to create communal tension and incite violence in the state and because of such statements, the Punjab police lodged an FIR and now arrested Bagga.

Countering the arrest the BJP launched a full-blown attack on AAP. From sharing videos and photos of the incident, to alleging that Mr Baggas father was assaulted, tweets poured out on the social media website by the BJP leaders.

Delhi BJP leaders and workers headed by the partys state president staged a protest and raised slogans against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and the Punjab police even as the Delhi police tried to stop them from moving to the AAP headquarters on DDU Marg.

Delhi BJP chief said a complaint has been lodged at the Janakpuri police station in the national capital over the Punjab police allegedly beating of Mr Bagga's father.

"FIR was lodged at Janakpuri police station over the Punjab police beating Tajinder Bagga's father. Sending 50-60 Punjab police personnel to the house of the young BJP leader, forcibly lifting him and getting his elderly father beaten up is proof of the dictatorial mindset of Arvind Kejriwal," Mr Gupta tweeted in Hindi.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that a Sikh, a reference to Mr Bagga, has been "insulted" despite Punjab having a Sikh chief minister in Bhagwant Mann.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the party strongly condemns the arrest of Mr Bagga. "It's highly shameful that Mr Kejriwal has started political misuse of power and the police in AAP-ruled Punjab to scare his opponents. Every citizen of Delhi stands with Mr Bagga and his family in this hour of crisis," he said.
Kakinada: YSRC regional coordinator Mithun Reddy said on Friday that the YSRC is not attaching any importance to the current state-tour of Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu.

So, our leaders are not responding to the charges made by him against the government during his speech at various places, he said.

Chandrababu Naidu said Jagan pushed the state into darkness and the people were facing hardships. During the TD rule, power supply was round-the-clock. I aimed at making the state number one in the country by 2029, but now, Jagan has taken the state backward by 30 years without any development and he destroyed all the systems, Naidu said.

Reddy along with another regional coordinator of the party Rajya Sabha member Subhashchandra Bose, state BC welfare minister Srinivasa Venugopalakrishna and home minister Vanitha told the media at Rajamahendravaram that no opposition party has ever responded positively to the good works done by the ruling party.

He said that an alliance between Jana Sena and Telugu Desam is quite likely. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan is always working as per the guidance of Naidu. YSRC is not worried about this, he said.

The YSRC is making efforts to strengthen itself by taking up the Gadapa-Gadapaku programme in villages and the towns from May 11. The regional coordinators have held discussions with the MLAs, MPs, MLCs and other leaders and sorted out the problems. MLAs would visit all the villages and campaign on the governments welfare schemes, he said.

If anyone eligible for various schemes are not getting the benefits, the YSRC will ensure they got these, he said.

I&PR minister Srinivasa Venu said Chandrababu Naidu is worried about Jagans welfare schemes and started a campaign against the ruling party. Jagan touched the poor families hearts by introducing several welfare schemes, he said and dared Naidu to announce the stoppage of welfare schemes.

Among others, the Rajamahendravaram MP Margani Bharat, Rajanagaram MLA Jakkampudi Indravandi Raja and others were present.
Hyderabad: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday categorically ruled out having an electoral alliance with the TRS, the chief of which, he said, had cheated and looted the people of the state.

He also warned that Congress leaders who even indirectly raise the issue of alliance with the TRS would be kicked out of the party, however big they may be. There will be a straight fight between the Congress and the TRS and we are going to defeat it, Rahul Gandhi said, trying to position his party as the lone alternative to the ruling party at a time when BJP is claiming to have taken over the position of principal Opposition.

The Congress most powerful leaders assertion on the alliance with the TRS also gained significance in the backdrop of recent events involving poll strategist Prashant Kishor. The BJP had made best use of the reports that PK would join the Congress and continue his commercial engagement with TRS as poll strategist, and portrayed the two parties as electoral partners.

As the crowd cheered and clapped in approval, Rahul Gandhi announced that selection of party candidates for the 2024 elections would be purely on merit. Only leaders who stand by people and fight for their cause will be considered for tickets, he said. The Congress leader also made his commitment to focus on Telangana clear by announcing that he would be available to the party to take up any agitational programme at any time. We will soon have a similar meeting to highlight tribal issues, he said.

Turning the tables on the rival parties, Rahul Gandhi said that if there is any electoral alliance in the state, it is between the TRS and the BJP. This was evident from the TRS open support to three black laws brought out by BJP-led Central government and the latters inaction against the rampant corruption of the Chief Minister. He wondered why the BJP would not send the Enforcement Directorate or the CBI to unearth the Chief Ministers corruption.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP had been trying to operate Telangana through remote control and the TRS had happily been obliging. As the Congress and the BJP can never join hands, and the BJP had realised that it cant win Telangana by replacing the Congress as the alternative, the saffron party chose to run the government from Delhi, he added.
World food prices down slightly after record surge: FAO

Xinhua) 09:35, May 07, 2022

ROME, May 6 (Xinhua) -- World food commodity prices decreased slightly in April, a month after they hit record highs as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 158.5 points in April, down 0.8 percent from its record high in March.

The monthly index of food commodity prices, released by the Rome-based agency, showed "modest" declines in two of five sub-indexes that pushed the overall index lower.

Among the sub-indexes, grain and cereals prices -- the largest components of the index -- slipped 0.4 percent, due mostly to increased corn exports from South America. Pressure on wheat prices remained high due to the Ukraine crisis and supply issues from the United States. Rice prices were higher due to increased demand in Asia and poor weather in rice-growing areas in the Americas, according to the FAO.

Prices for vegetable oils fell 5.7 percent as supplies in key areas rose to meet demand.

Other sub-indexes climbed from their highs in March. Dairy prices rose 0.9 percent due to supply shortfalls in Europe and Oceania. Meat prices climbed 2.2 percent, pushed by rising prices of poultry, pig and bovine meat, and sugar prices were 3.3 percent higher.

The FAO Food Price Index is based on worldwide prices for 23 food commodity categories covering prices for 73 different products compared to a baseline year.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
A California district judge has dismissed Donald Trump's case against Twitter, ruling that the former president's ban from the platform in 2021 appears entirely legal.

Trump and a group of other banned users have until May 27 to present an updated complaint, according to the order, which was issued on May 6.

While the order allows for an appeal, it is very critical of the lawsuit's claims, implying that any amended version will face a difficult road ahead. The order specifically rejects Trump's assertions that Twitter violated the First Amendment and that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is unconstitutional.

What Did the District Court Say?

In July 2021, as per the news story of Variety, Trump, the American Conservative Union, and five people filed a class-action lawsuit against Twitter, alleging that they were "censored" by the social media platform - in Trump's case, by an outright ban. Trump's lawsuit claimed that Twitter, as well as Facebook and Google, which he also sued, are "government actors" who must abide by the First Amendment's prohibition on limiting free expression.

However, U.S. District Judge James Donato rejected the idea. The court stated that the Trump case "does not plausibly allege that Twitter acted as a government entity when it closed plaintiffs' accounts."

The Section 230 claim failed because Trump and his co-plaintiffs were unable to show that the legislation was related to their ban. They couldn't persuade a California judge to apply a Florida-based deceptive trade practices rule, and the order determined that Twitter didn't break it either. Judge Donato points out that the terms of service specifically indicate that Twitter may suspend or cancel an account at any moment for any or no reason.

Read More: UK Parliament Invites Elon Musk to Discuss Twitter Acquisition

The Verge noted that Trump can't add new claims to an amended filing, and unless the judge's reasoning changes dramatically. Twitter might still restore Trump's account willingly, which is a possibility given the company's upcoming acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk. However, the case is the latest in a long line of legal setbacks for those who sue social media companies for banning them.

When Did Trump Get Banned From the Social Media Platform?

Variety reported that two days after the tragic attack on the U.S. Capitol, Twitter permanently banned Trump on Jan. 8, citing the possibility of continued bloodshed if the then-president was permitted to remain on the social media platform. Trump was deplatformed by other services, including Facebook and YouTube.

The ruling against Trump comes as billionaire Elon Musk prepares to buy Twitter for $44 billion.

Musk, like Trump, has claimed that Twitter has "censored free speech," and he has promised to force the social media platform to follow government-defined free speech rules.

Musk also knocked down a suggestion by former GOP congressman Devin Nunes that Trump "encouraged" Musk to buy Twitter to "take on these tech tyrants," stating he has had "no communication" with Trump and pointing out that the ex-president has said that he will not rejoin Twitter even if Musk successfully seals the acquisition.

Related Article: Truth Social App Losing Interest From People - Including Trump
VIJAYAWADA: Senior minority leader of YSR Congress and partys medical wing Krishna district president Dr. Mehaboob Shaik has objected to comments of Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

He countered the statement of Naidu about students becoming incompetent after English medium has been introduced by YSRC government. He maintained that this will enable students of government schools compete better in future.

Dr. Mehaboob Shaik alleged that the TD government had given public money to Narayana educational institutions for teaching in English medium. But Jagan government is using public money for development of government schools, implementation of English medium and upgrading students skills.

The YSRC leader underlined CM Jagans firm belief that education alone can change society, create wealth and lead to a non-discriminatory society.
NewsOn May 1, Labour Day, the administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh deployed the ubiquitous bulldozer to flatten the homes and hearth of 4,000 working class families in the name of making the City Beautiful slum-free. (Representational Image/PTI)

The bulldozer has been very much in the news recently as the bludgeon of choice to destroy the homes and livelihoods of people in areas hit by communal strife in New Delhi and various parts other parts of the country. In fact, the Supreme Court had to intervene to stay the use of the bulldozer that was being vigorously deployed to remove what was being described as a routine drive to remove illegal encroachments.

On May 1, Labour Day, the administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh deployed the ubiquitous bulldozer to flatten the homes and hearth of 4,000 working class families in the name of making the City Beautiful slum-free. The dictum seems to be, rather than remove poverty just annihilate the poor.

The use of the bulldozer as a weapon is not new. Invented in 1904 by grain harvester manufacturer Benjamin Holt as a diesel-powered traction machine that could traverse terrain too mushy to support horse-drawn or wheeled tractors, it soon brought about a transformation not only in the agribusiness business and construction industry but in military affairs as well. Holts track-drive contraption became the impetus that led to the origination of the first prototype of the military tank called Little Willie.

When Adolf Hitler seized power in Germany in 1933 and gave his personal architect Albert Speer a carte blanche to virtually demolish Berlin and build a new capital called Germania for his one thousand-year Reich, the omnipotent bulldozer got deployed to flatten Jewish neighbourhoods that were soon levelled in record time.

Thousands of average Berliners also felt the bite of the bulldozer. From 1936 onwards, they were forcibly rehoused to make way for the new city. Jewish citizens were moved to poky places. Then they were ghettoised before being transported to concentration camps. Project Germania, therefore, had a critical role to play in enabling Nazi authorities to carry out the Holocaust with Jewish homes being pulverised much before the pogroms against them formally commenced in the November of 1938. When the deportation of Jews from Berlin began in August 1941, Speers department was a prime beneficiary, seizing and plundering 23,765 apartments occupied by Jews by the end of October 1942.

Throughout Second World War, as the Final Solution against Jewry unfolded, the bulldozer repeatedly came into play against their home and hearth except where the real estate was so expensive and in chic neighborhoods that it made more sense for the Nazi warlords to simply expropriate them for personal use.

After the assassination of the Nazi Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia (present-day Czech Land) on June 4, 1942, in Prague by Czech partisans, the village of Lidice was first flattened using artillery and then bulldozed to try and wipe it of the face of the earth. The villagers crime, they harboured the partisans.

Ironically, history inevitably comes a full circle. The ominous bulldozer has also become the weapon of choice for the Israelis to flatten Palestinian homes. The Palestinians have been fighting since 1948 to try and have a homeland of their own promised to them by the United Nations Partition Plan of Palestine in 1947 before the British made haste in 1948.

As far back as November 2004, Human Rights Watch documented and aggressively campaigned to stop the sale of American-made bulldozers to Israel as they were being used to obliterate Palestinian homes. An American company called Caterpillar manufactures a bulldozer, referred to as the D9 and tailored to military specifications. It would sell its product to the Israelis pretty much as a weapon under the aegis of the US Foreign Military Sales Program. After the bulldozers would arrive in Israel, they were further armoured by the state-owned Israel Military Industries Ltd. The armoured D-9 would then weigh more than 64 tons, stand 13 feet tall and measure 26 feet long with front and rear blades.

A Human Rights Watch report, entitled Razing Rafah, documented the methodical use by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of the D9 bulldozer to perpetrate illegal demolitions throughout the Palestinian-occupied territories. The IDF annihilated over 2,500 Palestinian homes in 2000-04 in the Gaza Strip alone, most of them in complete violation of even military preconditions mandated by global humanitarian law. Nearly two-thirds of those homes bulldozed were located in Rafah, a town and refugee camp on Gazas southern border with Egypt. The Israeli military employed the Caterpillar bulldozer to raze the homes of more than 10 per cent of the population in Rafah. The IDF wrecked above 50 per cent of Rafahs roads and ripped open in excess of 40 miles of water and sewage pipes with a rapier attached to the bulldozers back known as the ripper.

In 2018 again, human rights groups again denounced transnational building companies for their role in the destruction of Palestinian villages including Khan al-Ahmar. Caterpillar, JCB and LiuGong heavy equipment not limited to bulldozers were deployed to pulverise Palestinian homes. Israeli courts declined to proscribe this perversity. Amnesty International characterised the courts decision as sanctioning a war crime.

Given that between 1992 when we established normal diplomatic relations with Israel and now, hundreds of our law enforcement officers have gone to Israel on training visits and exchange programmes, it is evident that the bulldozer syndrome has got hardwired into the institutional hard drive of our system.

In 2003, the United Nations had commenced developing standards for conglomerates dubbed UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. The text stipulates that companies must abjure from engaging in or benefiting from defilement of international human rights or humanitarian law. It further caveats that companies shall further seek to ensure that goods and services they provide will not be used to abuse human rights.

The time has come to build a countrywide movement against those Indian and foreign companies whose bulldozers and other heavy equipment like JCBs are used in utter contempt and violation of the law of the land for the perverse and malafide objectives of promoting hate and bigotry by pointedly targeting certain sections of our people. Also, hold those officers to account who carry out illegal orders of their political masters.
As elections for the new President of India is scheduled sometime in July this year, it is certain that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will take a lead role in uniting the regional parties so that a strong and unanimously accepted opposition candidate can be fielded against the nominee of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

On Thursday, after a section of the media asked Banerjee about the Presidential polls, she refused to divulge the details of her plans but made it clear that she is determined to take a lead role in uniting the opposition ahead of the Presidential polls.

"There is time to go for the polls. I cannot divulge my plans right now. I will share the details at an appropriate time. All I can say is that the opposition will put up a strong contest," the chief minister said.

Also Read | TMC to set up ad hoc committee in Goa to strengthen base

IANS contacted a senior Trinamool MP, who on conditions of anonymity said that Banerjee has started talking to the CMs of non-BJP states on this count.

"During her recent visit to New Delhi, she had a meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The issue of fielding a unanimous opposition candidate came up in the meeting. I heard that soon she is also likely to hold a meeting with TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on this matter. The rest is up to the chief minister to decide," the Trinamool MP said.

That Trinamool will go all out to play an important role in forging opposition unity over the Presidential polls was made clear by Banerjee on March 16, when she said that despite BJP's victory in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, it will not be a cakewalk for the BJP since they do not have even 50 per cent of the total number of legislators in the country.

"You should not forget that without our support, BJP will not be able to sail through," the chief minister had said then.

The question that automatically arises is whether the chief minister's dream of taking a lead role in uniting the opposition on this issue will be fulfilled if she keeps the Congress out of her plans.

According to All Indian Congress Committee member Suvankar Sarkar, Banerjee has to decide whether she is really serious about uniting the opposition on the issue of Presidential polls.

"In March, she had said that without Trinamool's help the BJP will not be able to sail through. Do I consider this statement as a subtle message to the BJP? The initiative has to come from her side on whether she wants the support of the Congress on this issue," he said.

Political analyst and the former registrar of Calcutta University, Rajagopal Dhar Chakraborty, said that any attempt from the chief minister to field an unanimously accepted opposition candidate will not be fruitful without the support of the Congress.

"Mere unity of regional parties will never be able to put up a formidable opposition against BJP's presidential nominee. However, I feel the equation will be clear by the first or second week of June," Chakraborty said.
The Centre is working on finding a cure for sickle cell disease with the help of a gene-editing technology. The tribal affairs ministry is exploring the probability of harnessing the use of the CRISPR technology to work on a vaccine for the blood disorder which passes from one generation to another.

The disease, in which red blood cells convert into the shape of a sickle, can block blood flow inside the body, thereby, causing pain and also lead to severe anaemia. The disease is prevalent in tribal communities.

A senior official of the tribal affairs ministry said that through the CRISPR technology, or the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats technology, genetic material of a person can be either added, or removed, or altered within the genome. The technology was also used during Covid to explore a cure.

We have invited professionals from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to explore if such a treatment can be made, which can then be administered via the immune globulin intravenous (IGIV) system. A committee of professionals from the Indian Council of Medical Research and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences are also working on research on this matter, the senior official said.

Apart from that, the ministry is also looking at newer methods of diagnosis of the disease, since the current method of solubility test could lead to false positives. The ministry is working with experts to come up with a newer method of testing without using the blood of the patient.

Of the 1.5 crore tests that it has conducted over the years, the ministry said it found 10 per cent of those tested, or 15 lakh were carriers, and over 1.5 lakh were positive. The ministry is also working on a nationwide database of people who are sickle cell positive. Ten states, including Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, are the most affected.

In addition, the ministry has asked the health ministry to ensure that sickle cell detection tests are part of routine checkups.

As part of its awareness campaign, the ministry had also asked Sir Gangaram Hospital to come up with a book that covers everything on the disease. The book will soon be published. Another book, written by a team of experts and haematologists from AIIMS, Max Hospital, Sickle Cell Institute and National Institute of Immunology will also be out soon.
In a significant development, former ministers Pramod Madhwaraj, Varthur Prakash and ex-lawmaker K S Manjunath Gowda among other Congress and JD(S) leaders joined the BJP on Saturday.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel onboarded these leaders in an operation that was in the works for several months.

Former MLC Sandesh Nagaraj, former Rajya Sabha member K B Krishnamurthy, former minister S D Jayarams son Ashok Jayaram and former IRS officer Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda also joined the BJP.

These inductions are expected to help the BJP make inroads into Mandya, Kolar and Mysuru where the Congress and JD(S) have been the traditional rivals.

Also read | 'Chota Pakistan video': Bommai to ask Mysuru SP to take action

Madhwaraj, who served as a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government, joined the BJP soon after tendering his resignation to the Congress. He lost the 2018 Assembly election from Udupi, unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a JD(S) ticket from the Udupi-Chikmagalur seat and returned to the Congress.

In his resignation letter addressed to Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, Madhwaraj stated that he faced political suffocation while lamenting that his grievances were not addressed.

Prakash, also a former minister, represented the Kolar constituency twice as an independent. Known to be an influential Kuruba leader, Prakash was seen as an aide of Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who also belongs to the same community.

The other BJP inductees are Krishnamurthy, a former AICC secretary, and Manjunath Gowda of the JD(S) who represented the Malur constituency. Also, former JD(S) MLC Sandesh Nagaraj from Mysuru joined the saffron party.

Lakshmi joined the BJP after the JD(S) left her in the cold by denying her the Mandya Lok Sabha bypoll ticket in 2018.

Speaking at the induction, Bommai said many more leaders would join the BJP in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls. The new trend is pro-BJP, especially in areas where the party was a little weak, Bommai told reporters. Such changes give the party a chance to register maiden victories in several constituencies, he added.

That the BJP should look at onboarding leaders from other parties is a directive Union Home Minister Amit Shah has given the partys state unit. Shah has asked BJP leaders to focus on the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru belt, where the party has been traditionally weak.
A lack of a functioning Executive at Stormont could be detrimental to business in the North West, warns Derry Chamber of Commerce President, Aidan O'Kane.

The uncertainty created by the DUP as to whether of not they would serve in an Executive with a Sinn Fein First Minister as its head would, according to O'Kane, tell foreign investors that Northern Ireland is not open for business.

If the DUP's posturing leads to the new Executive collapsing before it even begins, then direct rule from London awaits  and a stagnated Northern Irish economy with it.

O'Kane is hopefully that common sense will win the day and that a consensus can be found for the new Executive to begin  and serve  its full term.

He said: For the Executive to collapse before it's even started would not be ideal. What we need is for the Executive to return as soon as possible.

There are too many things affecting business and affecting people's lives at the moment for any period of stagnation to exist.

We would be calling for a return to the Executive and its formation as soon as possible  regardless of how the final the result plays out.

The fact of the matter is, without a functioning local government and without local institutions up and running, Northern Ireland would effectively be saying, 'we are not open for business'.

When potential investors look at where to set up, it's one of the things topping their list  how business is supported by and functions with local authorities.

It comes down to simple things like decisions being made, support structures being put in place, how is the skills and talent pipeline is supported through education  those things are really important for businesses.

They look at where to set up and they look long-term. They don't look at coming in, setting up for a year and then leaving.

Those are not the type of direct foreign investments that we want to attract. We want to attract companies such as Allstate and Seagate that want to be part of the local economy and be here long-term.

Having a functioning government is the key ingredient for that. We, as part of the business community, call upon those parties that can form the Executive to do so immediately.

O'Kane admits that should an Executive not be formed, would be harmful for all businesses in Derry  especially the smaller start-ups in the city.

He added: The business environment in Derry is on the cusp of something great. We have a potential here for the city growth deals, for further direct investments  we're a very attractive proposition when it comes having access to both the European and British markets.

Our business sector in Derry which is quite diverse  we have established global businesses but we also have those on the other side of the spectrum which are starting out.

As President of the Chamber of Commerce, I've talked with those businesses on both ends of the spectrum and the ones that are going to be affected most are the start-ups.

The start-ups and scale-ups are the ones that are most reliant on government strategy to support their growth. They rely on further and higher education colleges  especially North West Regional College and the University of Ulster  as key pieces of their economic jigsaw-puzzle.

Derry and the North West has had a troubled relationship with Invest NI  which aims to boost business and employment in the North as a whole.

Many prominent figures have accused Invest NI of being allergic to Derry with accusations of the body favouring Belfast in terms of investment and jobs.

However, O'Kane warns that situation would deteriorate even further if an Executive in Stormont cannot be formed.

He continued: The role of Invest NI has been somewhat rocky in the past with regards to regional targets.

What we need from the likes of a body such as Invest NI are regional targets that ensures that Derry gets special focus in terms of addressing regional imbalance.

Invest NI is under the Department for Economy. Having that aligned with that Department which would have no Minister in place post-election, would be disastrous.

Although Invest NI are not fully operating to their potential, certainly not with regards to as Derry wants them to be, with no Executive in place to make that institution work is going to be hugely detrimental to Derry and the North West.
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The long wait will be over soon. Microsoft's Xbox game streaming stick and smart TV is coming to your home in a matter of 12 months. This is according to a report by VentureBeat. The Xbox cloud-gaming streaming device will likely look like an Amazon First Stick or perhaps a small, Roku-like puck. Like a Roku, it will enable you to access movie and TV services in addition to a library of games through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, according to VentureBeat. The device will likely come alongside a Samsung smart TV app, the first of its kind, with a similar feature set.

According to GamesRadar, the Xbox streaming device will reportedly support "movie and TV services" as well as cloud-supported games, which would include Xbox Game Pass titles that are playable via cloud streaming and, presumably, separate streamable games like Fortnite.

Microsoft has Been Talking About Xbox's Streaming Stick and TV App for Years

Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer revealed in November 2020 that you'd likely be able to stream Xbox games to your TV "in the next 12 months," as per The Verge report.

In June 2021, Microsoft confirmed that to make it happen, the company would soon offer both a smart TV app and an Xbox streaming stick.

However, it's been 11 months since June and it's been 17 months since Spencer suggested that it will be 12 months. The wait isn't over yet as you have to wait another 12 months to finally get your hands on Xbox's Streaming Stick and TV App.

Spender said these words 17 months ago: "I don't think anything is going to stop us from doing that." Microsoft seems to be serious this time.

According to VentureBeat, Microsoft is gearing up to bring Xbox to wherever you are as part of the company's Xbox Everywhere initiative. The company expanded it yesterday by adding Fortnite to Xbox Cloud Gaming.

VentureBeat also stated that in addition to streaming games from the cloud to your phone and PC, Microsoft also has plans to expand access through your family room television.

Read Also: Xbox Games With Gold August 2021: How to Unlock Free 'Street Fighter IV'

Microsoft Works to Get Users into the Xbox Ecosystem

Once you have a Samsung smart TV, you can perhaps skip a separate device completely.

Microsoft is working closely with its partners at Samsung to develop an Xbox game-streaming app for that company's televisions, according to VentureBeat. The television app is also bound to debut within the next 12 months.

It is not surprising that Microsoft is doing this move. The company has expressed repeatedly that it wants users to get into the Xbox ecosystem in any possible way.

However, while it has said that, the company has also poured huge resources into its dedicated Xbox consoles at the same time. This has been something of a compromise that gaming hardware is still the best way to reach potential Game Pass subscribers, VentureBeat reported.

Microsoft, however, could appeal to an audience that is ready to try free games but not willing to make an investment in expensive consoles with games like Fortnite and Halo Infinite.

Related Article: Xbox Guide: 2 Ways to Clear Xbox Series X Cache to Improve Speed, Get Extra Storage
Staff from Connect Credit Union hosted a promotional stand in the Marshes on Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23rd of April and were eager to inform the shoppers of Dundalk that they need to get thrifty when it comes to banking charges.

So many local people are now looking for a new financial provider on the back of Ulster Bank and KBC imminent closures, a Connect Credit Union spokesperson said.

Connect Credit Union is now a viable alternative for the many people who want to reduce their banking costs and save money.

The friendly, local and personal service is another attraction for those who prefer to transact with real people over the phone or in branch. At just 4 per month, the Credit Union current account is one of the cheapest on the market, the spokesperson continued.

Hundreds of shoppers stopped by the stand across the two days and had plenty of question for Connect Staff.

Naomi ODonoghue, the Current Account Manager, said: From speaking to people in the Marshes, it is clear that a lot of people are still putting off their bank switch.

People think it will be a huge hassle but really, its just a minor inconvenience for those who allow us to help them.

Staff at Connect Credit Union endeavour to make the bank switch as simple as possible, a spokesperson said.

The Switcher Code allows for the transfer of funds, direct debits and standing order, so members only have to manage the transfer of their wages and any other income.

Naomi added: We encouraged everyone we spoke to over both weekends that regardless of who you choose for your new current account, get the process started sooner rather than later, as it is only going to get busier over the next few months.

We have switched hundreds of Ulster Bank customers already and the feedback has been really positive. People are delighted to have a real alternative, with a not-for-profit, member-focused institution like the Credit Union.

Nia Fowden-Nevin, Account assistant was on hand to answer the many queries asked at the stand.

She said: Yes, it is a real Mastercard Debit card! It can be used internationally at ATMs, online and point of sale! You can mandate your income to your new current account with 24/7 access via our full online banking and a very user-friendly app! Yes, you can get an overdraft! And, yes we can look after the switching process for you.

Connect Credit Union were also on hand with a stall at Dundalk Market Square last Friday 29th April for any Ulster Bank, KBC or local people who were looking switch their bank provider to community banking with the credit union.

Conor Richardson, Marketing Officer, speaking on the general consensus of people passing said: A lot of people dont realise that local credit unions like Connect are now providing fully operational banking services.

The perception of using a credit union for only savings is the biggest barrier but with the introduction of Connect CUs Current account we hope to break this misconception by switching Ulster Bank, KBC and those people who want to choose local banking as their number one financial provider.

With Ulster bank and KBC looking to move out of the Irish market by 2022, Connect Credit Union team said they will be on hand in their three offices in Blackrock, Kilsaran and Clogherhead to help those in need to switch to community banking.
Carlingford Lough Cruises, operated by the cross-border car ferry service Carlingford Lough Ferry, has just released its summer cruise line up, which features a host of exciting new cruises on the lough this summer.

The car ferry service, which has recently reopened its full time daily service operating between Greenore, Co. Louth and Greencastle, Co. Down, is gearing up for a busy season on the lough between its day time car ferry service and its evening passenger cruises.

The new cruise schedule commences on Saturday May 21st and will operate every weekend up to Saturday September 10th.

The summer line up sees the return of the popular Sunset Cruise and Lough and Lighthouse Cruise, with dates for both scheduled right across the summer months.

Last years Meet the Maker Gin Tasting cruises will also be returning, featuring an array of exciting new collaborations, with renowned local distilleries Woodlab Distillery, Co. Down, Bohann Distillery in Co. Meath and Killowen Distillery, Co. Down.

To support the growing line up of summer cruises, Carlingford Lough Ferry has also recently launched a dedicated new website for their evening passenger cruises, which offers customers the opportunity to book any of their range of summer cruises online. All cruises are now open and available to book.

Tickets are limited and following last years sell out cruises, early booking is advised. Visit www.carlingfordloughcruises.com.

A total of over 40 cruises will operate throughout this summer, with the first cruise taking place on Saturday May 21st.

This inaugural cruise will be a celebration of Ceol agus Craic with a toe tapping Ceili on the Lough Cruise, featuring renowned traditional Irish musicians Pure Blarney.

Music and dancing will be at the heart of many of this seasons new cruises. In addition to the new Ceili on the Lough Cruises, customers can choose from a series of live music cruises that include Summer Jazz on the Lough, with well-known bands such as The Ronnie Greer Trio and the Unholy Gospel Band, and Blues on the Bay cruises, featuring The Bluez Katz Blues Band and the Rob Strong Band.

For trad lovers, the Ceili cruises will also feature The Oisin McCann Trio and the popular Upducky Band.

Commenting on the launch of the summer cruise schedule, Commercial Director, Irene Hamilton said: Were absolutely delighted to be back out on the water, both with our daily car ferry service and our evening passenger cruises. We had a fantastic season of cruising last summer and weve been busy during the winter months coming up with an exciting new range of cruises for our customers to enjoy this season.

"Once again this year, were collaborating with a range of quality local brands in creating these tasting cruises, and were also looking forward to hearing the exciting line up of live bands that we have scheduled to play right across the summer months, as part of our new Summer Music Cruise series.

Carlingford Lough Car Ferry service is now back operating its daily service for the summer season and full details on the sailing schedule can be found on their website www.carlingfordferry.com

To find out more about the range of Carlingford Lough Cruises for the 2022 season, visit www.carlingfordloughcruises.com
On Wednesday 4th May 2022, students from Sacred Heart Drogheda attended the Career Skills Competition Annual Awards Ceremony, each student who took part in the competition was required to demonstrate their understanding of a chosen career, the educational pathways that lead to it, the most relevant Knowledge Requirements and the most important Career Skills needed to be successful in that career.

The Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD congratulated the winning students celebrating the winning entries.

Students from Sacred Heart Dalin Sagy and Meda Majauskaite were commended for their projects while Emily Davis receiving the 3rd place prize

The event which took place in the Clock Tower at the Department of Education, Dublin, was attended by the winning Students, and their Families, Teachers, and Guidance Counsellors.

The competition was held for the first time since 2019 due to Covid-19.

The competition was developed by CareersPortal, Irelands Award Winning & Leading Career Guidance website, and this year is sponsored by AIB, Allied Irish Banks. It has been running for 13 years.

The competition was open to all Senior Cycle students who were participating in the Transition Year Programme, the Leaving Cert Vocational Programme (LCVP), the Leaving Cert Applied Programme (LCA) or the Leaving Cert Established Programme (LCE) and who had undertaken a Work Experience Placement to enter.

The aim of the competition is to encourage independent career research among 2nd level students and to foster awareness around the importance of Career Skills, which can be developed as a result of completing a work experience placement.

Students had the choice to enter the competition in either English or Irish and in a written or Vlog format. Participation in the competition facilitates a rich understanding of a particular occupation and more importantly the pathways to access it and the career skills needed to support it.

The students were also required to explain which skills they had observed during their work experience and to explain how the skills they developed during their work experience might influence their future career and educational choices.

Eimear Sinnott, MD of CareersPortal, said that:

Research has shown that while academic performance is important, the development of career skills are a greater indicator of future career success.

Students need to understand this as early as possible so that they can work on recognising and developing these important employability skills. CareersPortal supports this process by providing information and resources for students and career seekers who are researching the world of work and the world of education.

Having this information readily available can help students make more informed decisions about the career or educational pathway that best suits them.

This up-to-date freely available Irish information is informed through collaborating and working closely with key stakeholders including Government Departments, Industry Experts, and Education Providers across the National Framework of Qualifications.

It is fantastic to see that the occupations investigated this year continue to be so diverse. While career Investigations in the area of Education and Teaching (particularly Primary School Teaching) and in the Medical and Healthcare area are always very popular with students, we are delighted to see an interest in occupations across all sectors of the economy.

Many occupations where there are currently skills shortages including those in the STEM area such as Biomedical Engineer, Environmental Scientist, Games Developer, Software Developer, Zoologist, Robotics Engineer, Lab Technician made the shortlist, said Sinnott.

David McCormack, Deputy Chief People Officer said:

At AIB we hold economic and social inclusion as one of the key pillars of our sustainability strategy. I am delighted AIB has sponsored the Careers Skills programme for the first time, with the competition aiming to promote the importance of work placement and career skills among second level students. These skills can be vital in setting students up for their future careers and can prove beneficial to their development. We wish all todays winning students the very best of luck.

Minister Foley congratulated the winners of the 2022 National Careers Skills competition across all categories, and commended the winners on their ability to reflect so well on the career and employability skills which they had developed during their work experience.

Minister Foley said:

I would like to congratulate the winners of the 2022 National Careers Skills competition across all categories. Work experience is of such importance and the students who took part in this competition have shown a great ability, flexibility and independent research to reflect on this experience, and the career and employability skills they developed.

The Career Skills Competition aims to promote the importance of career skills and encourage the value of career research. Work placements provide a bridge between education and training and link students and employers; they help bring the world of work to life.

I am very pleased to see that many occupations with such a diverse educational pathway were explored on this occasion. The winners of the 2022 competition have explored occupations with so many different entry routes from further education and training including apprenticeships and higher education courses. I congratulate everyone who participated in making the most of this opportunity.
Do you ever wonder what Mercury looks like up close?

A joint mission by a European-Japanese space agency will definitely feed your curiosity as it has photographed the smallest planet in our solar system last year when it made its closest approach to the Swift Planet.

Space Mission Flies to Mercury

In a flyby, two European and Japanese spacecraft captured their first close-up view of Mercury, revealing a rocky world riddled with craters.

According to Space.com, during a flyby near Mercury on Oct. 1, 2021, the two linked probes, known as BepiColombo, captured their first image of the planet. The encounter was the first of six Mercury flybys for BepiColombo, a joint European and Japanese space agency mission to slow itself down sufficiently to enter orbit around the planet in 2025.

When Did BepiColombo Capture Its First Photo of Mercury?

BepiColombo made its closest approach to Mercury at 7:34 p.m. EDT, passing within 124 miles (200 km). At 7:44 p.m. EDT, the spacecraft took its first official snapshot of Mercury. As the probe was about 1,502 miles (2,418 kilometers) away from the planet, it used its Mercury Transfer Module Monitoring Camera 2, a black-and-white navigation camera.

What Does Mercury Look Like Up-Close?

As per The Guardian, citing the European Space Agency, the acquired image depicts the northern hemisphere and Mercury's distinctive pock-marked features, including the 166km-wide Lermontov crater.

The space agency also clarified that the BepiColombo mission will investigate all aspects of this strange inner planet, from its core to its surface processes, magnetic field, and exosphere, in order to better comprehend the genesis and evolution of a planet near to its parent star.

Mercury is the only rocky planet circling the Sun with a magnetic field, aside from our own. A liquid core generates magnetic fields, but given Mercury's size, it should have gotten cold and solid by now, just like Mars'.

Read More: #SpaceSnap: Very Large Telescope and the First Photo of an Exoplanet

This anomaly could be caused by a property of the core's composition, which BepiColombo's instruments will be able to measure with far better precision than ever possible.

Five More Flybys to the Mercury Mission

The Guardian reported that BepiColombo needs five more flybys to slow down enough to release the ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Jaxa's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter. Mercury's magnetic sphere, as well as its core and surface processes, will be studied by the two probes.

Meanwhile, Space.com noted that the next Mercury flyby is set for June 20, with four additional flybys planned for June 2023, September and December 2024, and January 2025. BepiColombo is scheduled to enter orbit around Mercury on Dec. 5, 2025, if all goes well.

Other Info About the BepiColombo Mission

The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, as per The Guardian, worked together on the project, which launched in 2018 and flew once around the Earth and twice over Venus on its approach to the solar system's smallest planet.

On top of that, the mission is named after Italian scientist Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo, who is credited with contributing to the development of the gravity assist maneuver used by Nasa's Mariner 10 on its 1974 mission to Mercury.

Related Article: #SpaceSnap: Hubble Space Telescope's Photo of the Heart of the Flame Nebula
Ukrainian troops have solidified their positions around the nations second-largest city of Kharkiv as Russian forces delivered more punishing attacks on an embattled steelworks in a bid to conquer the southern port of Mariupol in time for Victory Day celebrations.

As Mondays Russian national holiday commemorating the former Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War approaches, cities across Ukraine are preparing for an expected increase in Russian attacks.

Officials urged residents numbed by more than 10 weeks of war to heed air raid warnings.



A vandalised mural depicting the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Belgrade, Serbia

These symbolic dates are to the Russian aggressor like red to a bull, Ukraines first deputy interior minister Yevhen Yenin said.

While the entire civilised world remembers the victims of terrible wars on these days, the Russian Federation wants parades and is preparing to dance over bones in Mariupol.

The most intense fighting in recent days has befallen eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce race to capture territory not under their control.



A woman holds up a baby as a family who fled from Enerhodar is reunited upon their arrival to a reception centre for displaced people in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

Western military analysts said a Ukrainian counter-offensive was advancing around the north-eastern city of Kharkiv while the Russians made minor gains in Luhansk, an area where Moscow-backed separatists have fought since 2014.

Against that backdrop, Ukrainian fighters are making a final stand to prevent a complete takeover of Mariupol.

Securing the strategically important Sea of Azov port that would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimea Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion.



A man who left a shelter at the Azovstal plant

New satellite photos analysed by The Associated Press showed vast devastation at a sprawling seaside steel mill that is the last corner of Ukrainian resistance in the city.

Buildings at the Azovstal plant, including one under which hundreds of fighters and civilians are likely hiding, had large gaping holes in the roof, according to the images shot by Planet Labs PBC on Friday.

The bombardment of the steel mill intensified in recent days despite a Russian pledge for a temporary ceasefire to allow civilians inside to escape.

Today, the U.S. is continuing our strong support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country. I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine. https://t.co/lpvJbFF9Q3  President Biden (@POTUS) May 6, 2022

Russia has used mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from sea to target the facility.

Rescuers sought to evacuate more civilians on Saturday after a week of sporadic convoys to get people out of Mariupol.

Dozens of civilians were delivered on Friday to the care of United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross representatives, Russian and Ukrainian officials confirmed.

The Russian military said the group of 50 included 11 children.

The latest evacuees followed roughly 500 others who were allowed to leave the plant and other parts of the city in recent days.



Thick black smoke rising after a suspected Ukrainian drone strike on Russian positions on Snake Island in the Black Sea

The Ukrainian government has called on international organisations to also help evacuate the fighters defending the plant. By Russias most recent estimate, roughly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters remained at the Azovstal steelworks. They have repeatedly refused to surrender.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said influential states were involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers, although he did not mention any by name.

We are also working on diplomatic options to save our troops who are still at Azovstal, he said in his nightly video address.

While they pounded away at the plant, Russian forces struggled to make significant gains elsewhere nearly two and a half months into a ruinous war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee Ukraine and flattened large swathes of some cities.



A man and a girl who left a shelter Azovstal plant

Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine, remained a key target of Russian shelling, the Ukrainian military said.

The Ukrainian army said it made progress around the hotly contested city with a pre-war population of about 1.4 million, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth.

A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraines military may be able to push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders momentum into a successful, broader counter-offensive.

Mr Zelensky said the extraordinary strength of the Ukrainian position lies in all the countries of the free world understanding what is at stake in the ruinous war.

We are defending ourselves against an onslaught of tyranny that wants to destroy everything that freedom gives to people and states, the Ukrainian leader said.

And such a struggle, for freedom and against tyranny, is fully comprehensible for any society, in any corner of the globe.
A promotional banner for the 2022 K-Music Showcase slated for May 15 at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, London / Courtesy of Korean Cultural Centre UK





By Park Han-sol







Some of the iconic bands that currently lead the alternative K-pop scene will perform in a trendy neighborhood of East London next week.







This year's edition of the K-Music Showcase will return live to London's Shoreditch neighborhood on May 15 (local time) featuring in its lineup the alt hip-hop collective Balming Tiger, indie rock band Se So Neon and Paris-based DJ Didi Han.







Since 2018, the event has been co-organized by the Korean Cultural Centre United Kingdom and community arts hub Rich Mix to introduce Korea's indie musical talents in the heart of the U.K.







Balming Tiger, whose name comes from the popular Tiger Balm ointment, defines itself as a "multi-national alternative K-pop band." The collective notched the 2020 Korean Hip-hop Award for the Best Music Video for "Armadillo" and has appeared in a number of festivals in Asia and the United States, including SXSW.







Se So Neon, helmed by lead vocalist and guitarist Hwang So-yoon, is known for its own archetypal lo-fi vintage sound. The band won the Rookie of the Year prize at the Korean Music Awards in 2018 and has since performed in different international festivals such as Summer Sonic and Modern Sky Festival.







The two bands will also perform at this year's The Great Escape Festival in Brighton on the southern coast of England, scheduled for May 11 to 14.


The logo of KakaoBank is seen at its headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, in this file photo. Yonhap





By Lee Min-hyung







KakaoBank CEO Yun Ho-young

KakaoBank is considering tapping into the cryptocurrency industry through a potential partnership with cyber money exchange operators here.







The internet-only lender leaves open various possibilities before taking more concrete steps for its expansion into the new industry. The move reflects growing demand for cryptocurrency transactions here and abroad.







The young and innovative identity of the company also increases the likelihood of its future ties with one of the nation's crypto exchanges, according to market watchers.







"KakaoBank is positively reviewing plans on how we will be able to launch crypto-related services or businesses, as more customers identify crypto assets as a major financial investment area," KakaoBank CEO Yun Ho-young told investors during a recent conference call, hinting at the possibility of reaching a new partnership with crypto exchanges here.







In Korea, crypto exchange have to sign a business contract with a commercial bank, so they can operate a Korean won-based crypto transaction service. Only five exchanges  Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit and Gopax  have been able to do so after they formed ties with banks here. Under the partnership, banks offer real-name accounts for the affiliated exchanges' customers.







Once banks sign such a contract with crypto exchanges, the lenders can enjoy a huge market benefit. For example, K bank, an internet-only bank, has been able to attract a large number of customers thanks to its partnership with the nation's dominant exchange, Upbit.







The number of KakaoBank customers reached 18.61 million as of the end of March this year, up by 620,000 from the end of last year. If the company follows in the footsteps of its competitor, K bank, KakaoBank is widely expected to attract many more customers.







If the crypto market becomes bullish, banks can also reap more commission profits from the affiliated exchange.







"Kakao has indirectly collaborated with Upbit, and holds expertise in the trendy tech area," a crypto industry source said. It will not be that hard for any Kakao subsidiary to launch crypto-related services thanks to its tech agility, he added.


Crowds in their droves gathered at various locations across Cork in the early hours of the morning to participate in the annual Darkness Into Light walk in aid of Pieta.

The 2022 event marked the first time in two years that communities were able to come together for large in-person walks following a hiatus during the Covid pandemic.

Catherine Collins and John Corkish from Carrigaline sit on a wall and watch swimmers taking part in the Darkness Into Light swim at Fountainstown. Picture: David Creedon

Darkness Into Light commenced in 2009 when around 400 people at the Phoenix Park in Dublin set off on the inaugural 5km walk.

From humble beginnings, Darkness Into Light has now become a global movement dedicated to raising vital funds for Pietas life-saving services.

Lesya Mozghova and family from Ukraine, staying in the Old Imperial Hotel, who took part in the Youghal Darkness Into Light. Picture: Howard Crowdy

Pieta provides services for those in suicidal distress and those who have been bereaved through suicide.

Across the city and county, Cork again showed its support for the movement this year.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher joined the event in his home town of Ballincollig where community members set out from Le Cheile Secondary School at 4.15am.

Sending a big hug to @AdamKingIRL who will be watching the sunrise for this year's Darkness Into Light #DIL2022 https://t.co/FyCj5qbIxj  Pieta (@PietaHouse) May 5, 2022

Elsewhere in Cork, the Darkness Into Light walk in Youghal was led out by Late Late Toy Show star, Adam King.

The event in the town commenced with a song from Ukrainian native, Leana Rusnak who performed a song from her country about hope and love.

Community spirit was also said to be strongly felt in Cobh with homemade banners and signs along the route.

Community spirit at its finest for this mornings #DarknessIntoLight walk for @PietaHouse



Amazing job by the Cobh Darkness Into Light & Breaking The Silence Cobh volunteers lighting every step of the way, with homemade banners & signs along the route.#DILCobh #DIL2022 #Cork pic.twitter.com/2rvzD2TD6x  Cobh News (@CobhNews) May 7, 2022

Nationally, the 2022 Darkness Into Light event was also well attended.

Some 2,000 people were reported to have taken to the streets in Bray led out by former broadcaster, Charlie Bird.

The Darkness Into Light walk is a powerful show of support for everyone who is in a dark place and I applaud the work of Pieta House," Mr Bird said addressing the crowd at a bandstand by using a special speech device.

"And while I have my own struggles I am going to continue to extend the hand of friendship and support the work of Pieta," he continued.

Aga, Joanna and Alex Karczmarzyk from Youghal pictured taking a selfie on Claycastle beach following the Youghal Darkness into Light. Picture: Howard Crowdy

To avail of Pieta services, visit www.pieta.ie or call 0818 111 126.

Pieta provides 24/7 support via the freephone crisis helpline on 1800 247 247, or text HELP to 51444.
LATEST: Traffic Infrastructure Ireland have confirmed that the incident on the M8 near Glanmire has now been cleared.

Gardai and the fire service in Cork had responded to a single vehicle road traffic collision involving a motorcycle earlier this afternoon.

There were no serious injuries reported.

EARLIER: Emergency services are currently at the scene of an incident on the M8 between junction 18 Glanmire and junction 19 Watergrasshill.

A Garda spokesperson confirmed that Gardai are at the scene of a single vehicle road traffic collision involving a motorcycle that occurred at approximately 12:10pm.

The spokesperson said no serious injuries were reported and that enquiries are ongoing.

Crews from Ballyvolane and Headquarters are currently dealing with an incident Northbound on the M8 between Junction 18 Glanmire and Junction 19 Watergrasshill.



Traffic down to one lane, slow down on approach#RoadSafety #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/8eVK6U4iIy  Cork City Fire Brigade (@CorkCityFire) May 7, 2022

In a tweet, Cork City Fire Brigade advised that crews from Ballyvolane and Anglesea St are also at the scene this afternoon and that traffic is down to one lane.

Motorists have been advised to slow down on approach.
LONG-AWAITED remediation works to properties in two council-owned housing estates in Fair Hill are set to begin next month.

HG Construction (Ireland) Limited have been awarded the contract to undertake the works to the houses within the estates of Fairfield Meadows and Fairfield Lawn.

Fianna Fail councillor Tony Fitzgerald said funding of more than 750,000 has been allocated to carry out the works.

The funding, he said, is part of an 11m housing maintenance loan that was negotiated with the council during his term as Lord Mayor in 2018.

Residents have for some time raised concerns about the properties and Im glad for them that work will commence soon.

Mr Fitzgerald commented following confirmation from Cork City Council that works are set to commence shortly.

HG Construction have confirmed a contract commencement date of June 7, 2022.

In advance of works commencing, HG Construction Ltd will correspond with each tenant to advise them of commencement date, and provide contact details for their representative, Mr Fitzgerald said.

The tenants of the first 10 houses will be contacted in the days ahead to arrange access.

The contract will proceed on a rolling basis, in blocks of 10 units.

Mr Fitzgerald said the works will include an upgrade of electrics in the properties, insulation upgrades, works to drainage and sewerage connections and an assessment of windows and doors.

Sinn Fein councillor Mick Nugent also welcomed the imminent commencement of the works which he said have been long-awaited.
The All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) has decided to take their demand for the postponement of NEET-PG 2022 exam to Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday, May 8. The students have been demanding for the postponement of the exam for weeks, citing clash of dates of the NEET-PG 2021 Counselling with the 2022 exam, which is scheduled for May 21.

Another reason to call for the postponement is that several doctor interns who have been employed in hospitals on emergency COVID-19 duties havent been able to finish their internships and thus, are not eligible to appear for the exam, if it is conducted on the proposed date.



Justice for COVID-19 warriors is the motto of the protest to be held at Jantar Mantar, says Dr Jitendra Singh, National President, AIMSA. It will be a peaceful gathering and it will be a silent protest. We have taken the governments permission for it. The principal objective is to demand for postponing the exam, he stated.

With this gathering, we are trying to convey our demand to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), the Union Health Minister and the National Medical Commission (NMC), and have them reconsider the postponement, Dr Jitendra said.



The protest is scheduled to begin at 12 noon and end at 4:00 pm. Dr Jitendra has said that associations like UDF (United Doctors Front), FAIMA (Federation of All India Medical Association) and IMA (the Indian Medical Association) will be joining AIMSA in the protest. He also said that they are expecting around 500 people to come together at Jantar Mantar.

There will be junior doctors also, but we are expecting more students to join us, Dr Jitendra conveyed. AIMSA requests more and more students to join the protest. The more students we have, the better. Also, everyone who will join is requested to wear a mask and their apron, he added.
A TV screen at a train station in Seoul shows a news program reporting on North Korea's missile launch with file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, May 4. North Korea may be preparing to stage a nuclear test as early as this month, a state department spokesperson said Friday. AP-Yonhap





North Korea may be preparing to stage a nuclear test as early as this month, a state department spokesperson said Friday.







Jalina Porter said the U.S. has also shared the information with allies and partners.







"The United States assesses that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test site and could be ready to conduct a test there as early as this month, which would be its seventh test," the principal deputy spokesperson said in a telephone press briefing.







DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.






People watch a TV screen at a train station in Seoul showing a news program reporting about a North Korean missile launch with file footage, May 4. North Korea launched an apparent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from waters off its east coast Saturday, South Korea's military said, in the recalcitrant regime's latest saber-rattling that comes three days before President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration. AP-Yonhap



North Korea fired an apparent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from waters off its east coast Saturday, South Korea's military said, in the recalcitrant regime's latest saber-rattling that comes three days before President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration.



The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch in waters off the North's eastern coastal city of Sinpo at 2:07 p.m. Other details were not immediately known.



The latest launch marks the North's 15th show of such force this year, coming just three days after the reclusive regime test-fired what was thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).



"The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis for additional information," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.



"Preparing against the possibility of an additional launch, our military, in close cooperation with the U.S., is keeping close tabs on related movements and maintaining a steady readiness posture," it added.




An excavator removes debris after an explosion at the Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba, May 6. Reuters-Yonhap



The death toll from a powerful explosion at a five-star hotel in central Havana, after a suspected gas leak, climbed to 18 Friday with more than 50 people injured, according to new official tallies.



Rescuers combed through what remained of the prestigious Saratoga Hotel looking for survivors as ambulances ferried the injured to hospital and paramedics treated those with less severe ailments on the spot.



"Unfortunately 18 have died," Julio Guerra, head of the Health Ministry's hospital services said during a press conference, upping the toll from nine earlier in the day.



Both the ministry and the Cuban presidency said that dozens had been injured in the blast but cited different numbers in the range of approximately 50 to 65 people.



The first four floors of the establishment, which was empty of guests while being renovated, were gutted in the late-morning blast that sent a cloud of dust and smoke billowing into the air.



"Search and rescue work continues in the hotel, where it is possible that other people are trapped," Havana Communist Party official Luis Antonio Torres Iribar said, with several people reported missing.



The blast tore off large parts of the facade, blew out windows and destroyed cars parked outside the hotel, which is known for having hosted celebrities such as Madonna, Beyonce, Mick Jagger and Rihanna.



The dome of a nearby Baptist church also collapsed.



Inside the hotel at the time were employees preparing for its post-refurbishment reopening, scheduled for next Tuesday.



President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the site of the explosion and victims in hospital



Miguel Hernan Estevez, director of the hospital Hermanos Almejeiras, said a two-year-old boy had undergone surgery for a fractured skull.



"So far we have no information that any foreigner was either injured or killed, but... this is preliminary information," added Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia Granda.





A gas tanker truck is lifted from debris after an explosion at the Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba, May 6. Reuters-Yonhap
San Francisco federal district court Judge James Donato has tossed the lawsuit Donald Trump filed against Twitter last year in a bid to get his account back. The social network permanently suspended the former president's account after his supporters stormed the Capitol in January 2021. In the company's announcement, Twitter cited two of his tweets in particular that it believes were "highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the US Capitol" on January 6th last year.

Trump filed a lawsuit in October, seeking a preliminary injunction on the ban and arguing that it violates his First Amendment rights. Donato disagreed and noted in his ruling that Twitter is a private company. "The First Amendment applies only to governmental abridgements of speech," he explained, "and not to alleged abridgements by private companies." The judge also rejected the notion that the social network had acted as a government entity after being pressured by Trump's opponents and had thereby violated the First Amendment when it banned the former President.

In his lawsuit, Trump asked the judge to rule the federal Communications Decency Act, which states that online service providers such as Twitter can't be held liable for content posted by users, as unconstitutional. The judge shot down that claim, as well, and ruled that the former President didn't have legal standing to challenge Section 230 of CDA. Trump is a known critic of Section 230 and proposed to limit the protections social media platforms enjoy under it during his term.

The former President was an avid Twitter user before his suspension and formed his own social network called Truth Social after he was banned. Just recently, he told CNBC that he won't be going back to Twitter even if Elon Musk reverses his suspension and will stay on Truth Social instead. According to a recent report by the Daily Beast, Truth Social has 513,000 daily active users compared to Twitter's 217 million.
Last month, the union finance minister reiterated the governments resolve to open 75 digital banks in 75 districts. Explaining the rationale for the initiative, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) noted that the new digital banking units (DBUs) will improve the availability of digital infrastructure for accelerating and extending the delivery of banking services. Conceptually, a DBU can provide any banking product or service that can be delivered through the internet or mobile banking. The DBUs can also engage digital business facilitators or business correspondents to further expand their operations into unbanked areas.

The RBI guidelines now allow any scheduled commercial banks (excluding regional rural banks, local area banks, and payment banks) with past digital banking experience to open DBUs in Tier-1 to Tier-6 centres. The DBUs have the option to insource or outsource banking services facilities, but they are to be housed separately from the existing banking outlets. However, the DBUs can share their core banking system with incumbent systems and their governance and administrative structure are to be aligned with the digital banking activities of the promoter banks.

The initiative to launch DBUs gained momentum soon after the Niti Aayog published a discussion paper on their licensing and regulation in November 2021. Noting that the technology stack for launching DBUs is already in place, the paper pointed out that the DBUs will help tackle some of the major policy challenges faced by the banking sector, like promotion of inclusive banking, and also help extend the use of digital technology to a larger segment of the population.

The launch of the DBUs is also broadly in line with the Nachiket Mor Committee Report (2014) that argued for a differentiated banking policy to support specialised banking institutions and expand financial inclusion. One of the offshoots of this policy was the creation of payment banks and small finance banks. The cost-efficiency of operations will now help DBUs to further extend credit to small ticket holders as well as micro and small business. This is crucial because the current credit gap in the micro, small, and medium industry sector alone is estimated to be a huge `25 trillion.

However, while encouraging niche operations to promote inclusive banking can go a long way in nurturing inclusive banking and improving efficiency of operations, the problems of the sector are much more substantial. Despite repeated tweaking of the policy, the Indian banking sector has lost traction in recent years, while other financial sector segments like pension and mutual funds and stock markets have gained momentum.

One major indicator of the constraints faced by the banks is the stagnant level of bank credit available to the private sector. This has remained at around 50% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for around a decade now. In contrast, the domestic credit available to the private sector as a percentage of the GDP is substantially higher in our Asian neighbours like Singapore (120%), Malaysia (121%), Thailand (143%), South Korea (152%), and China (165%). The larger credit available to the private sector in these countries is broadly in line with that in developed countries like France (108%), Sweden (133%), the United Kingdom (UK) (134%), Japan (177%), and the United States (US) (191%).

However, Indian banks perform more reasonably in the case of many other efficiency parameters. Numbers for the last decade ending 2020 show that the after-tax return on bank assets averaged 0.5% in India, which was higher than in Germany, France, the UK, Switzerland, and Japan but marginally less than in South Korea, Singapore, and Sweden and only less than half of that in China, Russia, and the US. Similarly, the after-tax return on bank equity was 7% in India during this period. This was higher than in Germany, Japan, France, Switzerland, and the UK but lower than in Russia, Singapore, Sweden, and the US and just around half that in China.

Other efficiency indicators like the ratio of the bank overhead costs to total assets and the bank cost to income ratio show contrasting results. The ratio of bank overhead costs to total assets of 1.8% in India was higher than that in Germany, Japan, France, China, Singapore, and the UK and generally similar to that in South Korea and Switzerland but lower than that in Russia, Sweden, and the US. But when it comes to the cost to income ratio of banks, Indias ratio of 46% was slightly higher than that of China and similar to that of Singapore but significantly lower than that of the US, France, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, South Korea, Japan, and Sweden.

A closer analysis of the reasons for the constraints on the availability of bank credit shows that the large share of non-performing assets is a major hurdle to the expansion of the credit markets. In fact, the one major parameter where the Indian banks have consistently and grossly underperformed than its peers is in the case of non-performing loans or assets. Trends over the last decade ending 2019 show that the ratio of non-performing loans to gross loans averaged 6.1% in India, 1.4% in China, 3.3% in Brazil, 3.8% in South Africa, and 8.1% in Russia. Among the developed economies, it was the lowest in South Korea (0.5%) followed by Switzerland (0.7%), Sweden (0.8%), Singapore (1.4%), Japan (1.8%), the US (2.1%), Germany and the UK (2.2% each), and France (3.7%).

Clearly, the government and the central bank have to delve deeper to find solutions to these major issues that handicap the Indian banking sector.
While the likely outcome of Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine remains unclear, Russias aggression has already changed the European security order in important ways. The only modern European historical comparison is Hitlers invasion of Poland in September 1939. Both cases involved large-scale unprovoked attacks on a neighboring country with the aim of eliminating it. Hitler refused to accept the existence of an independent Poland; Putin refuses to accept the reality of an independent Ukraine.

Putins invasion came as a profound shock to European governments. Most European leaders had played down US warnings about an imminent attack, reasoning that although Putin can be unpredictable, he was unlikely to do anything so irrational. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell had received fairly rough treatment on his first visit to Moscow in early 2021; but most European governments still believed that diplomacy could produce a more stable relationship. That illusion was shattered on 24 February, which has become Europes 9/11: a global and geopolitical wake-up call with two main consequences. First, military spending will increase across Europe. After years of foot-dragging, almost all European NATO members have suddenly aligned with the goal of spending at least 2% of GDP on defense. Europes largest economy, Germany, will add the equivalent of 0.5% of GDP to its defense spending in just one year. Second, NATO will be strengthened in several ways. In addition to increasing its military presence in member states adjacent to Russia, the alliance is poised to add Finland and Sweden to its ranks. Both have developed their relations with NATO since Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea and incursions into eastern Ukraine, but now they will take the critical step of applying for formal membership.

24 February created an entirely new security situation for Finland and Sweden, because it demonstrated overnight that Russia is in the hands of a regime that will use military force to impose its imperial designs on Europe. Since Finland fought a war with the Soviet Union in 1939-40 and had been a part of the Russian Empire for a century before 1917, the invasion of Ukraine immediately convinced its leaders to seek NATO membership. Finlands own fragile arrangement with the Soviet Union, and later with Russia, was one of the main reasons why Sweden, too, stayed out of NATO. Following the accession of Norway and Denmark to the alliance in the late 1940s, Sweden pursued a Cold War policy of neutrality supported by strong defense forces. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Finland and Sweden joined the European Union in 1995 and gradually deepened their defense cooperation with NATO, and thus with the United States. Full NATO membership was regarded as a potential option for some later date. But although Finnish and Swedish public opinion had become slightly more receptive to the idea, majorities were still skeptical or opposed.

But 24 February tipped the balance. While there are still domestic political processes to work through, it is now virtually certain that both countries will submit applications for membership well before the NATO summit in Madrid in late June. Public opinion has changed dramatically in recent weeks. In Sweden, all major political parties, except for the former Communist Party and the dwindling Green Party, now favor membership; in Finland, all political parties from the right to the left have signaled their support. We are witnessing a political sea change, all owing to Putins imperial delirium. Finland and Swedens accession to NATO will alter the European security architecture in two important ways. First, northern Europe will acquire the capacity to coordinate substantial defense forces region-wide. Sweden and Finland will furnish NATO with important new capabilities, as already demonstrated by the regular air force training exercises that they hold with Norway. Moreover, NATO will have a greater capacity to control the Baltic Sea, and thus to support the defense of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Second, Swedish and Finnish membership will reinforce the European pillar within NATO. Both countries are proponents of developing the EUs defense and security dimension, and of strengthening transatlantic ties, including the important security relationship with the United Kingdom. While NATO will remain the primary guarantor of territorial defense, the EU  with its broader policy arsenal  will become an increasingly important security alliance, and coordination between the two will deepen.

An important development to watch will be Denmarks 1 June referendum to lift restrictions on the countrys participation in EU security and defense policies. These constraints are remnants of controversies from the early 1990s, and Denmark  along with Sweden  has already committed to increasing its defense expenditure to 2% of GDP. Taken together, these steps will substantially strengthen the entire Nordic-Baltic regions defense potential. A stronger defense will remain crucial as long as the Kremlin remains on its current course. But northern Europeans also must take care not to provoke Russia, which has important resources and economic hubs close to Sweden and Finland. St. Petersburg is Russias second-largest city and a major industrial zone; and the Kola Peninsula is the site of Russian submarine bases and other facilities, as well as the worlds single-largest concentration of nuclear weapons. Russian leaders describe their imperial project as a life or death struggle. Taking that characterization seriously, Finland and Sweden no longer view NATO membership as a strategic choice. Since 24 February, it has become an existential imperative.

What NATOs Northern Expansion Means  Commentary by Carl Bildt  Project Syndicate.

The Commentary can be downloaded here
Facebook India Head of Business Marketing Neha Markanda has stepped down after a stint of 2.8 years, sources have informed exchange4media. She joined Facebook India in September 2019 from GSK Consumer Healthcare India. exchange4media reached out for a comment but did not receive a response at the time of publishing.

At GSK, she was General Manager - Horlicks where she managed the strategy and brand communications for the health and nutrition drinks brand. She had joined GSK Consumer Healthcare India as General Manager - Family Nutrition Digital in December 2015.

Prior to GSK, she was General Manager - Employer Brand at HCL Technologies. Neha also had stints at PepsiCo and ITC. She has a cumulative experience of 18 years.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
The seven-story Bushnell apartment tower rose into San Antonios skyline almost 100 years ago during a time when apartment buildings that tall were unheard of in the city.

In 1920s Texas, single-family houses were the general rule, and few apartments of that era were higher than three stories.

Related: Dozens of swastikas are hiding in plain sight at Landa Library in Monte Vista. Here's why.

While many of San Antonios medium-rise apartments from the boom years before the Great Depression have since been demolished, the Bushnell has remained.

Built in 1926, Monte Vistas Spanish Colonial Revival style building on Bushnell Avenue, is on the National Register of Historic Places, records show. It was granted national historic status in 1984.

National Register of Historic Places

The Bushnell was built by the Kelwood Company, a joint venture of architect Robert Kelly and H.C. Wood. Kelly also built the Aztec Theater in downtown San Antonio and the Hannah Landa Memorial Library. The Landa Library, originally the home of Hannah and Harry Landa, is across the street from Bushnell. Both the Aztec and Bushnell are on the national register. So is the Monte Vista Historic District.

Kelly and Wood built the Bushnell in an effort to lure affluent people from traditional single-family residences to a more maintenance-free apartment life, according to the nomination application submitted to the United States of the Interior.

You might also like: This St. Marys Strip bar is on the National Register of Historic Places

The early advertisements implied that such a move would not be a sacrifice in lifestyle or appearance of position in the community, wrote Edward V. Johnson Jr., the independent consultant who prepared the nomination.

Wealthy Alamo City residents were urged in a 1926 San Antonio Light advertisement to forsake faithless servants and work and worry in household management in favor of apartments that will give the occupants all they could reasonably expect in an individual dwelling without the trouble.

J.B. Hazlett/San Antonio Express-News

A maintenance-free concept was built into the architectural design. Each floor of the Bushell is divided into four apartments, and east and west elevators service only two apartments per floor to ensure survival of an intimate scale, Johnson wrote.

This affords a high degree of privacy not found in most apartment buildings of this period, Johnson said.

The Bushnell today is the same building it was when built 56 years ago, Johnson said in the 1980s. It has had a generally conservative tenant base, and the various owners avoided adapting the structure to architectural trends that have come in and out of vogue during the past half century.

JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

SCOTT BALLANCE FOR THE BUSHNELL

JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

J. MICHAEL SHORT/SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS-NEWS

Charles Barksdale/San Antonio Express-News

Peter Flagg Maxson / National Register of Historic Places

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
Whether it be San Antonio residents or out-of-town visitors, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q CEO and President Jim Guy Egbert said people are always asking about the horn they hear sounding off from the companys downtown headquarters.

Since the mid-2000s the air horn that the business bought from a train company has been ringing through the streets of downtown for 13 seconds every weekday at noon and 5 p.m. The sound coming from the roof of the headquarters, Egbert said, is meant to signify lunch time and the end of the work day.

On ExpressNews.com: Mystery solved: What is that siren in downtown San Antonio?

Bill Miller social media manager Roxanne Mijares told the Express-News last year that the horn was purchased because Balous Miller  son of the original owners Bill Miller and Ila Faye Miller  wanted a working-man whistle to be sounded for lunch and the end of the day.

Its common for people to walk into the headquarters and ask about the sound, Egbert said. Its something he said employees and passersby alike enjoy.

Its been around for a long time, Egbert said. Theres a lot of folks who recognize it and associate Bill Miller Bar-B-Q with that air horn, so its kind of been a nostalgic thing for a lot of folks.

On ExpressNews.com: Bill Miller Bar-B-Q plans to move downtown HQ to San Antonios West Side

For almost two decades Maria Z. Aguillon and her co-workers at Goodwill Industries of San Antonio on West Commerce wondered what the sound was and last year learned that it was coming from the Bill Miller headquarters on South Santa Rosa Avenue. Aguillons co-worker Lauren Serrato joked to the Express-News at the time that she would need to record the horn for nostalgias sake if the headquarters ended up leaving downtown as was being reported.

But Egbert said last year that Bill Miller would not be leaving downtown and neither would the air horn  he said as much this week, too.

Though the company is planning to move its headquarters out of downtown and over to 5330 Texas 151, Egbert said the current headquarters will still be used as a production facility. And it will be a while until that new building is ready, anyway  construction costs and materials shortages have delayed the projects timeline. It will be several months before the company can even break ground, and then another 15 to 17 months before the building will be completed.

On ExpressNews.com: Bill Miller CEO: Inflation, shortages push back start of new HQ construction

So, the air horn and Bill Miller Bar-B-Q will be a part of the downtown San Antonio tapestry for years to come.

We definitely want to have a presence downtown, Egbert said. A lot of our employees live close to this location so its convenient for them, and itll continue to supplement the production that we have that goes to our stores every day.

Staff writer Vincent T. Davis contributed to this story.

megan.rodriguez@express-news.net
Manuel F. was fast asleep that humid September night after a day of construction work when the crash of glass and the crack of gunfire outside his home awoke him.

Stunned, he crawled with his wife and two sons to the living room to find the curtains on fire.

La mangera! they yelled, looking frantically for a hose to quell the flames. Firefighters and police arrived several minutes later.

It was past midnight, and people in two passing vehicles had thrown at least three Molotov cocktails. One crashed into their home, a second hit their van and the third landed in the driveway. The assailants also directed gunfire at the house.

We dont know why anyone would do that, Manuel said in a recent interview in Spanish outside his West Side home. We dont mess with anyone.

The family, who asked not to be fully identified for fear of retaliation, was targeted by a human smuggling organization that also was involved in arms trafficking, court records show.

The case is still being untangled more than two years later, and it represents a shift among human smugglers in the San Antonio area. For years, smugglers here have operated in the shadows. Now they have been blamed for cases of random violence in and around Bexar County. Many have opted to run and ditch their human cargo at any sign of police or the Border Patrol, resulting in rollover crashes, officials said.

One thing weve seen is a change in smugglers, Craig Larrabee, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio, said in a recent interview. They were nonviolent. Weve seen more of them involved in violent crime.

One of the latest cases came Thursday, when the Bexar County Sheriffs Office raided a stash house in the 11400 block of Briggs in the southwest part of the county. The deputies were investigating an increase in crime in the area.

As part of our operations out here on Briggs Road, there has been an ongoing concern with an increase in violent crime, trafficking, smuggling activity, stolen vehicles and, today, weve got all of the above, Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

He said that when deputies stopped a vehicle that had left the home on Briggs, the driver fled on foot, leaving behind three passengers, two of whom were teenage girls from Mexico. The girls, ages 16 and 18, were under the impression they would be meeting relatives in the Dallas area, Salazar said.

The third passenger, a man, had a knife as well as the girls IDs, Salazar said.

Deputies stopped a second vehicle and arrested Agustina Jean Cabrera, 50, of Atascosa. He had gone to the area to pick up Christopher Abrego, 24, the driver who had fled from the first vehicle, Salazar said. Abrego was being sought, the sheriffs office said.

Salazar said Cabrera was wanted on felony arrest warrants in connection with the discovery of a tiger held in inhumane conditions during last years February freeze. The tiger is now at a wildlife sanctuary in North Texas.

Investigators found nearly 40 immigrants on the property, which Salazar said had two homes and a workshop. Some of the migrants said they had not eaten in six days. Others had carpet glued to their shoes, a common tactic used by smugglers to avoid leaving tracks when they guide immigrants through brush after they cross the Rio Grande.

Three stolen four-wheel-drive vehicles were found in the workshop. Their back seats had been removed. The vehicles were being used to smuggle immigrants, including some of those in a stash house on the property, Salazar said.

The sheriffs office in February dismantled another stash house nearby, in the 11200 block of Briggs. In that case, deputies found stolen vehicles, seized $60,000 in cash from two suspects and detained nine people  two of them truckers suspected of transporting large groups of immigrants.

Deputies began monitoring that home after an uptick in violent crime, including at least one gunbattle between two moving vehicles. The stash house is in a rural area with large lots and horse farms, not far from truck stops near San Antonios city limits.

Salazar said that the Briggs Road stash house cases appear to be related and that federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations are investigating both.

I cant say its the same group, but I can say its that same type of activity thats brought us out here to this area, Salazar said. Its not a victimless crime. Theres violent crimes that have happened out here, possibly turf battles, possibly fighting over money.

More firebombings

Courtesy Bexar County Sheriff's Office

In the case of Manuel F., whose home was firebombed, he and his family vehemently deny being involved in human smuggling or any other criminal activity.

Investigative reports reviewed by the San Antonio Express-News show agents with Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives believed early on that people at the home were rivals of Jose Miguel Sandoval-Pineda, an immigrant with ties to San Antonio and Central Texas.

Some of Sandoval-Pinedas co-defendants pleaded guilty in the firebombing and shooting of Manuels home after their lawyers reviewed videos they had posted to social media, which have since been scrubbed from the internet, records show.

Manuel has not been charged.

Homeland Security and ATF declined to talk about the firebombing because the investigation is continuing, but federal investigative reports and court documents show the home was one of more than two dozen in San Antonio targeted by a group led by Sandoval-Pineda, who pleaded guilty last year to a host of crimes and is awaiting sentencing this summer. Other homes were also attacked with Molotov cocktails.

The organization smuggled illegal aliens from Piedras Negras, Mexico, to San Antonio and then elsewhere in the United States, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski said in a court document in the Sandoval-Pineda case. To facilitate their human smuggling, members of the organization would straw purchase and exchange firearms, which would then be used to guard illegal aliens and to retaliate against the organizations rivals.

A violent culture pervaded the organization, as illustrated by the roughly 25 shootings or arsons that investigators have connected to its members, Nowinski said.

A Homeland Security Investigations agent told a judge that Homeland Security and ATF have identified more than 30 people with direct or loose affiliations to the group, a court transcript shows. Some have been indicted and have pleaded guilty.

Sandoval-Pinedas group held immigrants against their will, demanding higher smuggling fees than were previously negotiated, court records show.

One immigrant from Honduras, Pedro Antonio Rodriguez-Escalante, reported in a 911 call that he had been kidnapped in summer 2019. The sheriffs office rescued him from a home in the 11400 block of Fire Canyon, which had been used as a stash house and where he had been held captive, records show. He escaped through a window, a police report said.

In a separate court hearing, ATF agent Eric Watkins testified that when Rodriguez-Escalante first arrived at the home, he was tied to a chair and beaten because he refused to open his Facebook page so his captors could see information about his family.

Watkins said Rodriguez-Escalante told investigators that his captors shot photos or video of the beating and sent the images to his family in Honduras. To work off money he owed the smugglers, he was forced to guard other immigrants who were brought to the stash house, according to testimony in the case.

I do remember him saying that he was working off a debt; that his sister had wired approximately $3,000 in $1,000 increments to an unknown person in Mexico; and that he had a remainder of the debt to work off, Watkins testified. I believe that was about 1,500 to $2,000, approximately. And that was the debt that he was working off.

Rodriguez-Escalante was eventually charged for his role in detaining other immigrants. One of his captors, Jose Rodriguez, was charged with federal gun crimes after investigators found two rifles, including an AR-15, and boxes for other guns at the home. Rodriguez told agents he bought 13 to 14 firearms, which investigators believe were used by the smugglers to commit crimes.

The owner of the Fire Canyon home, who lives in Austin, said in a brief phone interview that he rented the property out and did not know it was used as a stash house.

Im just a homeowner, man, the owner said before hanging up.

Deadly violence

According to law enforcement reports reviewed by the Express-News, the groups violence also involved murder.

For over three years, police have said little about the July 30, 2019, murder of Jose Trinidad Olvera Perez, 23. He was shot about 3:40 a.m. in the 800 block of Marquette. A caller told officers that a Hummer left the scene. The SUV was stopped on Hillcrest. Inside, police found Fabricio Chavez, who had been shot in the arm, and Antonio Marical, who had been shot in the leg. The driver of the Hummer fled on foot.

No one has been charged in Perezs death, but federal investigators have taken an interest in the case since two other people were killed shortly before Christmas 2019 in Central Texas. Federal agents believe the killings were connected to immigrant smuggling and gun smuggling, reports show.

Adriana Emma Mariscal Rocha, 39, and her son, Alex Rocha Serrano, 19, were found shot dead in a home in Comanche, south of Fort Worth, on Dec. 20, 2019.

Comanche Police Chief Kelly Davis said the killings stunned the small town but declined to comment further because of the federal investigation.

As for Sheriff Salazar, he said theres a reason why immigrant smugglers war with each other  their human cargo is valuable.

Theyre all paying about $6,000 to $10,000 apiece to get smuggled in, Salazar said. Thats major money.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | @gmaninfedland
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Angelica Navarro-DePaz spent much of Thursday sobbing and begging jurors who convicted her of a murder-for-hire scheme - and who could send her to prison for life -- to put themselves in her shoes.

Found guilty the day before of solicitation of capital murder, Navarro-DePaz, 44, took the stand in the punishment phase of her trial and once again testified that she was afraid for her children and that she had been reading a script when she asked an undercover police detective in 2017 to kill a woman she knew.

The target of the plot, Anayeli Mendoza Flores, had told the jury she owed Navarro-DePaz $40,000 for arranging to smuggle her and her children into the United States illegally in 2014 and was afraid of her. She, too, spoke as a prosecution witness in the punishment phase, presenting jurors with the double image they had seen earlier of both the plotter and her victim describing their fear of each other.

Navarro DePaz had said Flores was working with an organized crime group that included a now-deceased informant who helped San Antonio police investigate and charge her.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Everything he said was in line with what I was supposed to say, Navarro-DePaz said of the undercover detectives responses.

Navarro-DePaz also recounted to the a jury how scared she was of them, people who have extorted and threatened her and her children since 2015. She said assaults by the group, including drive by shootings and attempted kidnappings, have not stopped since her arrest in 2017.

On ExpressNews.com: Bizarre San Antonio murder-for-hire trial nears its end

A Bastrop County Sheriffs Office deputy called by the defense testified he took the report of an attack early Monday at one of her rental properties in Cedar Creek, east of Austin, that had been described at the trial by two witnesses later in the day, though the jury was not allowed to hear it then.

Navarro-DePaz said she was working on one of her rental properties when at least two men followed her to the location and held a gun on one of her subcontractors. One of them fired two shots in her direction when she fled, she said.

Her boyfriend, Brandon, fired a shot in the air and scared them away, according to the other witnesses, who said Flores, the target of Navarro-DePazs assassination plot, had accompanied the two men. The deputy described what they reported at the scene as an aggravated assault. Nobody has been charged in the incident.

Navarro-DePaz also said her son and daughter were assaulted in 2015 a couple of months after she herself was kidnapped, doused in a flammable liquid and set on fire.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Under questioning about her finances by prosecutor Nicole Phillips, the defendant became evasive, eventually saying she made several hundred thousand dollars from rental properties and a feed store, money that in turn supports her family and her husbands family.

Phillips had to repeat questions about her taxes and how she payed her six subcontractors who did painting or construction work.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

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Navarro-DePaz denied to Phillips many of the claims made by Flores, including that she helped smuggle Flores into the United States and enrolled her children in school.

Navarro-DePazs adopted daughter Sarah Pineda, who was 7 when she and her younger sister were abandoned by their violently abusive biological mother, said the defendant showed them nothing but love and care.

Navarro-DePaz sat sobbing quietly as Pineda was questioned.

I dont have anyone left, Pineda said, crying herself. She helps me so much.

jbeltran@express-news.net
For years, Naomi Judd suffered in silence.

The country music singing legend was overwhelmed with feelings of depression and anxiety. She also was overwhelmed by the stigma of mental illness, which left her afraid to talk about her suffering.

When I did interviews, I couldnt really tell the truth because I didnt want to bring people down, Judd said in 2015. It didnt fit the image they had of Mama Judd. I just kept shoving it down and repressing it.

Last week, Judd succumbed to mental illness at the age of 76. But theres an uplifting aspect to her story that is worth remembering.

Ten years ago, Judd confronted her mental health challenges, overcame the stigma and, with the support of her family, got professional help.

The mental health services Judd received not only extended her life, but improved the quality of it. She took pride in being a spokesperson for mental health, someone who could encourage others to get past their fears and reach out for help.

I get all emotional when I think we have 16 million people in this country suffering from depression right now, Judd said in 2015. I just cant stand it.

In the mental health industry, theres a challenge to provide all the services needed by patients. Then theres the equally daunting challenge of connecting people with those services  making them aware of where to go and who to contact. And convincing them that its a good idea to access that help.

Thats what Judd wanted for others, and it should serve as the lesson of her story.

This disease can really destroy a family and can leave the individual and the family feeling very desperate and not knowing where to go, said Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison, CEO for the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS), the mental health authority for Bexar County, which serves 40,000 patients a year.

Just navigating our medical system can be very daunting. Add the complexity and the stigma associated with mental health disorder, in that you dont feel comfortable talking about it, people dont have a very robust vocabulary. They dont know how to talk about it and they dont know where to go.

For those in need of immediate help, CHCS has the following 24-hour crisis line: 210-223-SAFE.

The problem has only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The huge growth for us for new consumers has been adolescents and youth, Jamison said. The isolation at home, not having access to their regular school schedule, not having access to their friends, in some cases the loss of parents or family members, has really impacted our young population more, proportionately, than our adult population.

One positive development is that the city of San Antonio has committed to allocating $26 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to mental health services.

In April, the city also launched a one-year pilot program that combines police officers, paramedics and CHCS clinicians in a crisis-response team to handle calls that involve mental health issues.

Theyve been functioning as a team since April, Jamison said. Its been a soft rollout, because we wanted to spend time training those individuals together, so they understood each of their roles, but also had a better sense of the roles of their team members.

Thats been very successful. The majority of our calls thus far have been resolved at the scene.

Jacob Benavides is a long-time CHCS patient who now assists other patients.

Benavides, 39, is a 2001 graduate of John Marshall High School. After attending the University of Texas at Austin, he worked in Austin as a sales representative for a community newspaper.

In 2009, he started to become gripped by anxiety and depression, hearing voices in his head, seeing things that werent there and finding it nearly impossible to leave his house. He went from 175 to 295 pounds.

At the suggestion of his mother, Benavides visited a CHCS clinic and things began to turn around for him.

I got to a place where I was finally able to regain control of my life, Benavides said.

I give the Center for Health Care Services credit for getting me to where I am now in my recovery, doing these things, being able to assist others in their recovery process.

Jamison recognizes that community engagement is half the battle.

Along those lines, CHCS has partnered with Raising Canes to fight the stigma of mental illness. All May 23 food purchases from local Canes locations will benefit the cause of mental health.

I no longer want to be the best-kept secret in San Antonio, Jamison said.

Naomi Judd would have applauded that sentiment.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
This article first appeared in the Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Austin will be the first major Texas city to use local tax dollars to give cash to low-income families to keep them housed as the cost of living skyrockets in the capital city.

Under a yearlong, $1 million pilot program that cleared a key Austin City Council vote Thursday, the city will send monthly checks of $1,000 to 85 needy households at risk of losing their homes  an attempt to insulate low-income residents from Austins increasingly expensive housing market and prevent more people from becoming homeless.

We can find people moments before they end up on our streets that prevent them, divert them from being there, Mayor Steve Adler said at a press conference Thursday morning. That would be not only wonderful for them, it would be wise and smart for the taxpayers in the city of Austin because it will be a lot less expensive to divert someone from homelessness than to help them find a home once theyre on our streets.

Eight Austin City Council members voted Thursday to establish the guaranteed income pilot program and contract with a California nonprofit to run it.

Austin joins at least 28 U.S. cities, like Los Angeles, Chicago and Pittsburgh, that have tried some form of guaranteed income. Locally, the idea came out of efforts to rework how the city tackles public safety in the wake of protests over police brutality in 2020.

Other Texas metro areas have experimented with guaranteed income programs during the pandemic. Programs in San Antonio and El Paso County have sent regular payments to low-income households using a combination of federal stimulus dollars and charitable contributions. Austin is believed to have the only program fully funded by local taxpayers.

Austin officials are working out how exactly the program will work and which families will receive the money. Austinites who qualify wont have restrictions on how they can spend the money  but the idea is that theyll use it to pay household costs like rent, utilities, transportation and groceries.

City officials have floated some possibilities regarding who should qualify for help: residents who have an eviction case filed against them or have trouble paying their utility bills, as well as people already experiencing homelessness.

Ahead of Thursdays vote, some council members voiced concerns about the relative lack of details about the program and questioned whether it was a good idea for Austin to use local tax dollars to fund the program, rather than letting the federal government or nonprofits take the lead.

I believe that we do need to invest in people and their basic needs, but Im not sure that this is the right way today, council member Alison Alter said at Thursdays meeting before voting against the measure.

Brion Oaks, the citys chief equity officer, told city officials in a memo that the Urban Institute, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C., will help measure the programs impact by looking at factors like participants financial stability, stress levels and overall wellness over the course of receiving the funds.

Preliminary findings from a similar pilot program showed some promising results. UpTogether, the California nonprofit that will run the Austin program, ran a separate guaranteed income program funded by private dollars in Austin and Georgetown that ended in March, the nonprofit said in a statement Thursday. That program gave 173 families $1,000 a month for a year, and the nonprofit said participants used the money for expenses like rent and mortgage payments, child care, fuel and groceries.

Some were able to boost their savings, more than half of recipients slashed their debt by 75% and more than a third eliminated their household debt, the nonprofit said.

According to Austins Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, the city has more than 3,100 people experiencing homelessness. A local ban on most evictions during the pandemic kept the number of eviction case fillings low compared with other major Texas cities, but that number has exploded since the ban ended last year.

Guaranteed income may be one way to put a dent in those problems, proponents said.

This is about preventing displacement, preventing eviction and ensuring that our families are able to stay in their home, that we have that stability, council member Vanessa Fuentes said.

Disclosure: Steve Adler, a former Texas Tribune board chair, has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Clarification, May 6, 2022: This story has been updated to reflect that Austin is the first Texas city to use local tax dollars for a guaranteed income program, and that other Texas cities have experimented with similar programs using other types of funding.
San Antonio is a majority-minority city with low unemployment, but dont be fooled  poverty rates are twice as high for African American and Hispanic residents as they are for Anglos.

That fact was a highlight of last weeks study by San Antonio Area Asset Funders Network and Texas Appleseed, a nonprofit promoting social and economic justice. The study was a needed reminder that San Antonios economic segregation problem, one of the nations worst, is endemic and will take years of policy effort (such as equity budgeting, affordable housing, parity in schools) to equalize.

You could be forgiven for asking how the socioeconomic divide remains so stark when employment rates are high. Thats because so many people are underemployed: More than a quarter of workers in the region work in jobs that pay median wages below $25,000, and two-thirds earn less than $50,000, according to an article by Express-News reporter Joshua Fechter. And when you drill down, parts of the city with higher unemployment rates also have more Hispanic and African American residents.

Speaking of neighborhoods, the study says San Antonio is more geographically integrated than most cities nationwide, but it still shows the concentrations locals would expect: Anglo residents converging on the North Side and African Americans on the East Side, where redlining policies decades ago relegated them. Calling this city a better example of neighborhood integration only highlights the depressing extent of segregation elsewhere.

The indicators of San Antonios economic inequality are seemingly endless. About 20 percent of African American and Hispanic residents live in poverty, compared with 10 percent of Anglos. The median income for African American households is about $36,000, and for Hispanic households its about $43,000. By comparison, the median income for Anglo households is more than $64,000, and for Asian households, almost $71,000.

Hispanics and African Americans in San Antonio have more delinquent debt and lower median credit scores than Anglo residents. More than half of African American and Hispanic households didnt have enough emergency savings for three months of basic expenses. Areas of San Antonio with more black and Hispanic residents have lower rates of homeownership and fewer mortgage loans, but high-cost mortgages are more common there.

High school students in the citys poorest neighborhoods are generally less prepared for college, and Anglo residents are at least twice as likely to attain bachelors degrees than African American or Hispanic residents  a dynamic that makes economic segregation generational.

The study called for stronger social safety nets and nonprofit-led efforts to help low-income residents advance. We think strengthening social safety nets means more support for, and work by, our schools, colleges and universities to increase degree rates; affordable housing in higher-income areas that have more resources for education and safety initiatives; and a transit plan that improves mobility for residents who cant afford cars. If ConnectSA, Mayor Ron Nirenbergs transit plan, fulfills its promise, and that remains to be seen, it will link disparate parts of our community, helping to bridge this segregation.

The study gave San Antonio credit for some poverty-fighting strategies, including the paid sick leave ordinance; a $15 minimum wage for city workers; empowerment centers that provide personal financial management training; the equity budgeting process that directs more money to neighborhoods with the greatest needs; and Alamo Promise, the Alamo Colleges Districts free-college program. But the paid sick leave ordinance has been delayed, and Alamo Promise is a fledgling program without specifics on long-term financing.

Focusing on populations whose socioeconomic mobility has been hampered by societys past mistakes will benefit everyone. It will create a more skilled and stable workforce, fueling economic growth across the board.

Economic segregation is the haunting product of redlining and discrimination. What this study really says, along with past studies, is it will take years of concerted policy effort to balance out these negative social forces.
Two days before a private investigator looking into a voter fraud conspiracy theory smashed into an air conditioning repairmans truck and pulled a gun on him, far-right activist Steven Hotze called then-U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick and told him about the plans to have a wreck, court documents show.

Hotze, who funded the investigation and now faces felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint, asked Patrick whether he could send federal marshals to help his private investigator. The investigator, former Houston Police Department captain Mark Aguirre, faces the same charges.

Hotzes attorneys long have claimed Hotze was unaware of the encounter between Aguirre and the repairman until he saw it on the news after the episode. The transcript suggests otherwise.

Weve surveilled them for the last two nights and still my, my, Mark Aguirre, he said he wants to capture them when they bring (the ballots) out and leave tonight to deliver them but he needs a federal marshal with him, Hotze says in the Oct. 17 call, according to a transcript submitted in Hotzes criminal case by the Harris County district attorneys office.

Hotze added later in the call: In fact, (Aguirre) told me last night, hell, Im gonna have, the guys gonna have a wreck tomorrow. Im going to run into him and Im gonna make a citizens arrest.

Two days later, Aguirre allegedly rammed his SUV into the back of the air conditioning repairmans truck and pulled a gun on the man around 5:30 a.m.. He expected to find thousands of ballots in the mans truck, but there only were repair tools.

In addition to the criminal case, the repairman has sued Hotze in a civil case.

The transcript says Patrick recorded the call. It is unclear what Patrick did with the information or the recording after talking with Hotze.

Patrick declined to comment on the call or recording Friday.

The defendants were early vocal proponents of the claim that the November 2020 election was going to be compromised here in Houston, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. Their allegations that 750,000 ballots were forged was promoted nation-wide, spreading distrust among the public and contributing false support for the big lie. As bad as that was, It ended much worse for the innocent victim who was forced off the road and then held at gunpoint with a knee in his back until a police officer intervened.

According to the transcript, Patrick rejected Hotzes request, telling him that as U.S. attorney he did not have marshals that report to him or investigative staff. Even if he did, Patrick said, he would need probable cause and approval from the Department of Justice to assist.

I cant just send marshals. Thats not, the marshals dont work for me, Patrick said. I dont have any, there are no federal agents that work for me. I dont have officers, I dont have investigators, like a DAs office. I dont have any peace officers or federal agents that work for me.

Both Hotze and Aguirre have denied wrongdoing.

A former Harris County prosecutor called the recording extremely significant, because the district attorneys office will have to use the law of parties principle  which can hold people criminally responsible for the actions of someone else  in their case against Hotze.

Having a conversation ahead of time, whether recorded or with a reputable individual such as Ryan Patrick, that there was a plan to have an accident  that certainly shows he was involved in this conspiracy, said Nathan Hennigan, a former prosecutor who worked at the district attorneys office from 2008 to 2017.

Its basically what you would need to prosecute this case, he said.

Jared Woodfill, one of Hotzes attorneys, said the tape actually will help prove his clients innocence.

It is shocking that the Harris County DA would attempt to prosecute Dr. Hotze based on an incomplete recording that proves Dr. Hotzes innocence, Woodfill said. The Ryan Patrick tape further demonstrates that the indictment of Dr. Hotze was politically motivated and that Dr. Hotze is innocent of any criminal or civil wrongdoing.

Prosecutors still will have to show Hotze was attempting to aid Aguirre in the alleged crime, by soliciting, encouraging, directing, aiding, or attempting to aid the other person to commit the offense. To make that argument, they likely would point to the fact Hotze was paying Aguirre to carry out his investigation.

Hotze funded the operation through his group called Liberty Center for God and Country, paying Aguirre  a disgraced former police captain fired in 2003  more than $266,000 for his efforts. Most of that money arrived the day after the alleged assault. Hotze had alleged a vast conspiracy by local Democrats to harvest fraudulent mail ballots and submit them by the thousands.

Previous court documents said Aguirre had called the attorney generals office days before the alleged assault and asked it to conduct a traffic stop of the repairman.

In the new transcript, Hotze tells Patrick the attorney generals office is just AWOL and he cannot try enlisting the Harris County Sheriffs Office, obviously because theyre Democrats. Hotze suggests he may try to find a constable who would assist Aguirre.

Hotze also said Aguirre planned to have an official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement there, in hopes of threatening to deport the man to coerce a confession. Hotze said the people running the ring are all illegals.

About six minutes into the call, Patrick tells Hotze he has received the information but he has to go. Patrick, the son of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, then was serving as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

A longtime GOP donor and rabble-rouser, Hotze has ties to several high-ranking Republicans. He was a talk-radio host at KSEV in the early 2000s, when Dan Patrick was co-manager of the station before launching his political career. Last month, Attorney General Ken Paxton appeared at a fundraiser hosted by Hotze, with donations slated to go to more private investigations of voter fraud.

Separately in 2020, Hotze filed a lawsuit with GOP state Rep. Steve Toth that sought to throw out 127,000 legal votes cast via drive-thru voting, an approach Harris County pioneered during the COVID-19 pandemic. His lawsuit failed, though the Texas Legislature later banned drive-thru voting.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com

st.john.smith@chron.com
Small-scale farmers are demonstrating outside Syngenta's Yorkshire factory to protest the governments 'double standards' in permitting the export of UK-made pesticides that are banned for use in the UK.

The Landworkers Alliance, which represents 1,700 ecological farmers and farm workers, is organising the protest on Saturday (7 May) outside Syngenta's Huddersfield factory.

Farmers, as well as people dressed in hazmat suits, will protest to "show solidarity with farmers, land workers and food producers across the world who are suffering the impacts of these deadly pesticides".

The group says the UK government authorised the export of over 12,000 tonnes of the herbicide Paraquat and others in 2020, which were banned for use in the UK in 2007.

The products are still manufactured in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire by chemical giant Syngenta and makes up the majority of the UKs banned pesticide exports.

Many of these pesticides are lethal to humans, the Landworkers Alliance says, and are linked to adverse health outcomes such as liver and kidney failure, DNA damage, and Parkinsons disease.

?? TODAY'S THE DAY!??

??We're here outside the #Syngenta factory in Huddersfield to highlight the UK's deadly double standards when it comes to toxic pesticide exports

?SAVE FARMERS' LIVES!

?STOP EXPORTING BANNED PESTICIDES!

Follow our action 1/ ?? pic.twitter.com/YdALQd5lgG  The Landworkers' Alliance (@LandworkersUK) May 7, 2022

Jyoti Fernandes, policy coordinator from the alliance said: We desperately need to stop these double standards in trade and trade deals which allow the UK to export deadly chemicals.

"We want the Department of International Trade to create trade rules to stop the export of paraquat and other toxic pesticides prohibited for use in the UK and to stop the import of agricultural products produced with these pesticides.

"We also want the Health and Safety Executive to enforce existing trade rules related to banned pesticides.

The LWA launched a letter-writing campaign in April urging people to write to the government to stop authorising the export of the pesticides.

The group also urged the government to ensure that any future trade deals do not weaken the UKs food import standards.

Vicki Hird, head of farming at sustainable group Sustain, said that trade deals could result in the UK having to accept imports of food produced with banned pesticides.

"The UK government must urgently introduce a trade strategy to protect our food standards as well as a set of core standards that domestic produce and imports alike must meet.

"The idea that we are manufacturing and exporting pesticides that have been banned here for the impact on our health or the environment is abhorrent.

"They should not be part of any future trade deals and we should not be producing them.
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2022) - Axiom Capital Advisors Inc. (CSE: ACA) ("Axiom" or the "Company") announces that Mr. Paul Shelley, CPA, CGA has been appointed to the board of directors at the Company's annual general meeting and will assume the position of Chair of the Audit Committee. The Company thanks Ryan Hoult for his contributions over the years as a director and chairman of the Audit Committee and for his dedicated service for the Company.

For further information, please contact:

L. Evan Baergen

evan@axiomadvisors.ca

604 940-8826

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123132
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2022) - Lion Copper and Gold Corp. (TSXV: LEO) (OTCQB: LCGMF) ("Lion CG", or the "Company") announces that its annual general meeting of shareholders (the "AGM") will be held May 18, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. (PST). This year the Company will provide shareholders with the option to attend the AGM virtually by video conference. Shareholders attending virtually will not have the ability to vote in person and must submit their form of proxy in order to have their shares counted and voted at the meeting. Shareholders wishing to attend the meeting virtually should contact the Company's Corporate Communications representative at krobertson@lioncg.com or 778-898-0057 to obtain a conference link.

About Lion CG

Lion Copper and Gold Corp. is a Canadian-based company advancing its flagship MacArthur Copper Project in Mason Valley, Nevada, in addition to advancing its exploration projects including the Chaco Bear and Ashton properties in highly prospective regions in British Columbia, Canada, and the Blue Copper Prospect in Montana, USA.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Stephen Goodman

President

For more information please contact:

Karen Robertson

Corporate Communications

778-898-0057

Email: info@lioncg.com

Website: www.lioncg.com

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123134
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2022) - Battery Mineral Resources Corp. (TSXV: BMR) (OTCQB: BTRMF) ("Battery" or "BMR" or the "Company") announces that the Company has been issued a cease trade order ("CTO") by the British Columbia Securities Commission ("BCSC") for missing the filing deadline of May 2, 2022 for the following periodic disclosure documents (collectively "Annual Filings"):

the audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021;

the management's discussion and analysis relating to the audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021; and

the CEO and CFO certifications for the annual filings for the year ended December 31, 2021 required by National Instrument 52-109 - Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual and Interim Filings.

As previously announced on April 29, 2022, the Annual Filings delay results from additional audit work required to restate certain 2020 fiscal year transactions, primarily related to the ESI Energy Services Inc. common control acquisition. The Company intends to file its 2021 financial statements along with restated 2020 comparative information. The restatement of the 2020 financial statements is not expected to have an impact on cash or reported loss from continuing operations for the period.

BMR retained PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ("PwC") for the 2021 year-end audit and on a go-forward basis. BMR continues to work with PwC to complete the Annual Filings as soon as possible and expects to file the Annual Filings by May 17, 2022. At that time, a news release will be issued indicating that the Annual Filings have been submitted. Upon filing the Annual Filings, the Company expects that the CTO will be revoked within one to two business days (in Canada), as is the customary practice. In the interim, the Company continues to operate normally and without disruption.

Battery CEO Martin Kostuik states; "While we are disappointed with the delay to our Annual Filings as a result of additional audit work required, we are confident that the Annual Filings will be filed soon and that the CTO will be revoked very shortly thereafter. We will keep shareholders appraised of our progress on these matters. Restatement of filings in concert with a change in auditors is not uncommon. Most importantly, we want to remind our shareholders that the restatements and the resulting delay of our Annual Filings do not impact the Company's assets or operations, including its Punitaqui project in Chile, and we look forward to sharing continued progress towards the restart of copper production and positive cash flow."

Despite the CTO, a beneficial security holder of the Company who is not, and was not at the date of the CTO, an insider or control person of the Company, may sell securities of the Company acquired before the date of the CTO if the following apply: (a) the sale is made through a "foreign organized regulated market", as defined in section 1.1 of the Universal Market Integrity Rules of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada; and (b) the sale is made through an investment dealer registered in a jurisdiction of Canada in accordance with applicable securities legislation. Holders of the Company's securities are urged to consult with their own investment advisors or legal counsel about the implications of the CTO.

The Company confirms that, other than as disclosed in prior press releases and material change reports, there have been no material business developments since the filing on November 29, 2021 of the Company's latest interim financial reports for the period ended September 30, 2021.

About Battery Mineral Resources Corp.

Battery Mineral Resources ("BMR") is a battery mineral company focused on growth through cash-flow, exploration, and acquisitions in favourable mining jurisdictions. BMR is currently developing the Punitaqui Mining Complex, a past copper-gold producer, in the Coquimbo region of Chile and pursuing a potential near-term resumption of operations in late 2022. Battery Mineral's mission is the discovery, acquisition, and development of battery metals (namely cobalt, lithium, graphite, nickel, and copper), in North America, South America and South Korea, to become a premier and responsible supplier of battery minerals to the electrification marketplace. BMR is the largest mineral claim holder in the historic Gowganda Cobalt-Silver Camp in Ontario, Canada, and continues to pursue a focused program to build on the recently announced, +1-million-pound high-grade cobalt resource at McAra. In addition, Battery Mineral owns 100% of ESI Energy Services, Inc. a profitable pipeline equipment rental and sales company with operations in Alberta, Canada and Arizona, USA. Battery Minerals Resources is based in Canada and its shares are listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol "BMR" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "BTRMF". Further information about BMR and its projects can be found on www.bmrcorp.com.

For more information, please contact:



Martin Kostuik, CEO

Phone: +1 (604) 229 3830

info@bmrcorp.com

Mars Investor Relations

+1 (604) 335-1976

bmr@marsinvestorrelations.com

Twitter: @BMRcorp_

www.bmrcorp.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections of the Company on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to complete exploration and development activities, timing of the completion of the Company's audit , risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the ability of the Company to meet its anticipated development schedule, government regulation and fluctuating metal prices. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Battery undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123144
Salt Lake City, Utah--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2022) - Soeleish SLC Magazine has released its much-anticipated Beauty Magazine for 2022. The giant publication company has just released the long-awaited rating. This list was carefully selected with conscious consideration of many factors including the reviews of past clients or customers. It highlights and features makeup artists, nails lashes, and eyebrows technicians in Utah. Soeleish SLC Magazine is one of the fastest-growing magazines in Utah. It offers business, information, technology, and lifestyle content. Soeleish SLC Magazine is the first of its kind to cater to entrepreneurs and small business owners within the state. One of the magazine's goals is to motivate prospective small business owners by sharing the success story of other small business owners in Utah.





Soeleish SLC Magazine

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As per TravelTrakAmerica, 19 million people visited Utah last year. As the state is getting more popularity in business, information, technology, and lifestyle, it is only wise that Soeleish Utah highlights the key Makeup Artists in Utah for 2022. Soeleish SLC Magazine has emerged as one of the important magazines that offer a wide array of information and knowledge about Makeup Artists offering well-researched hair and beauty content in Utah. Soeleish SLC Magazine has a thoroughly researched and curated list of make-up artists' content in Utah. Through the research process, the magazine has taken several factors into consideration for listing such as years in business, commitment to high-quality products, highly-trained and experienced staff, and customer support. This allows the editors to eliminate several outlets which do not fit the requirements.





Soeleish Top 30 Lash Artists / Salons In Utah

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From Provo to St George all other communities, Soeleish SLC Magazine features several important beauty experts in Utah for the 2nd year in a row. The magazine is designed to help the readers to gain several important information about the Utah beauty experts by offering several key insights that usually require hours of research. The magazine has also provided a detailed description of the featured experts, such as their specialties, services, and contact information.

Read More about the Magazine at- Soeleish Salt Lake City Magazine Top 30 Lash Tech / Salons In Utah (2022) or visit https://sslcmag.com for more details.

Media Contact:

Helena R. Michell

801-722-1041

Soeleish LLC

soeleishsaltlakecity@gmail.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123143
HANGZHOU, China, May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, The SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Nasal Test Kit(self-test) independently developed by Assure Tech (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd . (hereinafter referred to as " Assure Tech ") has obtained the EU CE certification. The product can be sold across EU countries and in those countries which accept EU certification.

The SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Nasal Test Kit is an in vitro immunoassay detection reagent used to qualitatively detect the nucleocapsid protein of the SARS-CoV-2 in nasal secretions, assist in the assessment of the infection status and clinical diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2, and is suitable for the appearance of suspected SARS-CoV-2 symptoms ( 7 days), asymptomatic or suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to other epidemics.

Compared to other test kits, Assure Tech's SARS-CoV-2 antigen self-test products are easy to perform. Only 2 steps of sampling and testing are required, and no testing equipment is required. The highly accurate test results are available in 15 minutes. Its special patented integrated pen-type design makes it safer to use and reduces the risk of contamination during testing. This product is designed for use by individuals who collect their own nasal samples and is suitable for families or individuals to quickly test at home.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Assure Tech has intensified its research and development efforts and successfully developed several SARS-CoV-2 detection products to meet the demands of different scenarios. The products are mainly sold to Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, the United States, South America and other markets.

Assure Tech has always been committed to providing superior products for human health. The SARS-CoV-2 antigen self-test product 's EU CE certification further enriched its full-scenario SARS-CoV-2 detection solutions. Assure Tech, will shoulder the responsibilities of a Chinese biopharmaceutical enterprise and continue to contribute to the global fight against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

For inquiry, please contact the Overseas Sales Department: contact@diareagent.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1805614/image.jpg
Polska, Poland--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2022) - Fame MMA's plans to tokenize are accelerating as they unveil a detailed analysis of how they will adopt blockchain technology to expand their business and incorporate their own token.





MMA



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Fame MMA is the biggest freak fight organisation in the world that hosts mixed martial arts events for celebrities, superstars and famous professional athletes to fight each other. Founded in 2018, Fame has run 13 large events to date, with the upcoming Fame 14 taking place on May 14 in Krakow. They have established a massive fan base and viewership, boasting millions of followers across social platforms and currently holding the second-highest PPV record in the world.

Fame is tokenizing to create a more engaging relationship with their community, through the issuance of their own Fame token, and expanding their business model on a global scale using a franchise system. This will offer them access to top sponsors around the world and enable them to take their brand to the next level with the support of their launch partner Tenset.

The Fame token will be used to power the entire ecosystem with all services and transactions flowing through their native token. The token will be connected to all aspects of the business and have strong utilities and use cases in many areas such as Pay-Per-View, franchising, gaming, marketing and sponsors, fighter salaries, merchandise, NFTs, staking and more.

A payment system is being developed that will automatically convert purchases of their PPV made with fiat currencies, directly into the Fame token. This will allow the fame token to bring volume and onboard many new users who may not be familiar with cryptocurrencies or know how to purchase a token.

As an organisation with a strong brand and reach, Fame is able to provide a huge range of marketing media and activities for partners and potential sponsorships. All such agreements will be paid in the native Fame token.

Fame's ambitions to expand globally will focus on implementing a franchise mechanism. This will allow the Fame MMA business model to be adopted by partners in other countries. Strategic partners will make an investment in the Fame token and be able to carry the Fame brand and run events, further strengthening the token and global reach.

The utility of the Fame token will not stop there. Further use cases are under development to create demand for the token in areas such as NFTs with unique artwork and perks related to their events and fighters, a gaming platform with a play to earn structure for fans, and a dedicated staking platform for long term investors.

All eyes are now turned to Fame MMA's upcoming presale of their token on April 25, exclusively on the Tenset Gem Launch Platform. The tokenization of their already successful real-world business will be attracting the attention of other popular brands that may follow suit in the future.

Contact:

Piotr Lipski

piotr.lipski@famemma.com

WWW: https://famemma.com

TV: https://famemma.tv/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/famemmatv

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/famemmatv

Twitter: https://twitter.com/famemmatv

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/famemmatv

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123115
ANKARA, Turkey, May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 26, the 500,000th car of the TIGGO 8 series rolled off the line, which means the TIGGO 8 series has become, among compact SUVs and 7-seat SUVs of Chinese brands, the fastest model to have achieved the sales of 500,000 cars, showing the "acceleration" of the China brand of Chery. As the 500,000th car rolled off, the TIGGO 8 series, with the historical mission on shoulder, will bring the Chery brand onto a higher level and set out on the new journey of the next 500,000 cars.

Chairman Yin Tongyue of Chery Automobile said: "The success of the TIGGO 8 series can be attributed to the philosophy to focus on users and create value for clients as well as the support and trust from the consumers. I believe TIGGO 8 series will make more champion achievements in the future!"

TIGGO 8 series, since launching in April 2018, has followed the market trend and optimized and enriched products to meet the demands of different consumers. TIGGO 8 PRO, the latest mainstay of the TIGGO 8 series, and by virtue of its fashionable design and hardcore strength has won many fanatics and awards in the world. In Russia, TIGGO 8 PRO won three authentic prizes during one single event: the "Most Popular Chinese SUV", the "Most Technical SUV" and the "Most Popular Compact SUV With the Media" of the Year 2021.In Saudi Arabia, TIGGO 8 PRO has seen a rapid increase in sales since its launch in June 2021, and has won the "Best Advanced Technology SUV of 2021" award.

Since its foundation 25 years ago, Chery Automobile has always adhered to innovation, has established a complete technology and product development system. In 2021, Chery recorded 10 million global users, including 1,950,000 overseas, and ranking No. 1 for 19 consecutive years among passenger cars of Chinese brands. Chery Automobile has won the title of "Top20 Chinese Enterprises of Best Overseas Image" for five consecutive years, and sold its products to more than 80 countries and regions across the globe, and become the most favored "Chinese Business Card" among overseas car owners. "Global favorite" comes from Chery's adherence to and perseverance in technological innovation as well as its deep understanding of the consumers' needs.

https://www.facebook.com/CheryTurkeyOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/chery_turkey/

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1812902/image_5011064_34248545.jpg
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2022) - The HotMoon team is pleased to announce the recent listing on major exchanges. It is a 100% community-based meme project with lots of features. To make adoption of HotMoon simpler, the team at HotMoon has listed the token on Pancakeswap, Xt.com, Cointiger, Binance, Coinbase, and Azbit. Meanwhile, it is also listed on CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, and Crypto.com.

Hotmoon

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The HotMoon Token



The HotMoon token is a community-driven token that aims to drive the meme token space. The token has different use cases, including the payment of goods, services and it also serves as a governance token. HotMoon doesn't have any transaction fee, in order to simplify things for the users and community members.



HotMoon Vision



The team is making efforts to drive adoption of HotMoon. They plan to participate in the metaverse and gaming space to create a play to earn game and to follow up with the NFT marketplace, where users can buy, sell, and trade different digital collectibles to generate revenue. The team also set sights on creating a decentralized exchange for meme coins, for the users smoothly easily purchase their meme tokens of interest.



Security Audit Passed



HotMoon has been duly audited and certified by Solidity Finance, a leading audit firm in the crypto industry.



How To Buy HotMoon



Users can buy HotMoon on different exchanges, including CoinTiger, XT.COM, and PancakeSwap (V2). Here's a step-by-step guide on how to buy HotMoon on PancakeSwap:

Visit the official PancakeSwap website.

Agree to the terms and conditions of service.

Buy BNB from any decentralized exchange like Binance or Coinbase.

Connect your wallet (for example, MetaMask) to PancakeSwap.

Set your slippage

Enter the amount of HotMoon you wish to purchase in exchange with your BNB

Click the swap button.

About HotMoon

HotMoon's goal is to support the community members to take advantage of the crypto industry and also give back to the society. The project's goal is also to participate in the world of Metaverse and launch an exciting NFT game.

CoinMarketCap: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/hotmoon-token/

CoinGecko: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/hotmoon

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotmoontoken

Telegram: https://t.me/hotmoontoken

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hotmoontoken

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCK5fhDVx6N1O21KSCWulXxg

Media Details

Company Name: HotMoon

Contact Name: William Adamiyan

Location: US/NY

Email: William@HotMoonToken.com

Website: https://hotmoontoken.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123145
Wondrous Xinjiang: Xinjiang ice cream satiates sweet tooth from afar

Xinhua) 09:52, May 07, 2022

URUMQI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Upon his arrival in Yining, one of China's westernmost cities, Liu Junjie, traveling all the way from the southern coastal province of Guangdong, could not wait to savor the local signature street food -- Ili ice cream.

"I've anticipated it for a long time, and finally got a taste of it," said Liu. "I can eat it all day. I'll definitely recommend it to my friends."

Gulandam, the ice cream shop that Liu visited, is located in a tourist destination in Yining, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Ili ice cream is a time-honored local specialty known for its thick, yet silky texture and creamy flavor. The handmade treat is a fusion of the characteristics of ice creams of various ethnicities living in the prefecture.

Built in 2019 in a former courtyard, Gulandam soon became a hit with the rapid development of local tourism. It can receive more than 3,000 diners a day during the busy season, according to Wang Cheng, the shop owner.

"Our ice cream combines the traditional ice cream-making techniques of the Uygur and other ethnic groups," said Wang, who has developed over 30 flavors with more than 20 ingredients.

Ili ice cream has also drawn a legion of fans online. In video clips and photos posted on social media platforms, visitors can be seen enjoying an ice cream buried beneath thick layers of jam, nuts and dried fruit, or posing against the picturesque scenery with an ice cream in hand.

Constant industrial development and the business acumen of local businesspeople have also made it possible for people in other parts of China to indulge their sweet tooths with the frozen treats on their doorstep.

Amatjan Abduriyim decided to open an ice cream factory in Yining after getting a degree in food science and engineering.

"Our business is getting on track," said Amatjan Abduriyim, adding that orders from other parts of China are increasing.

Since last year, over four tonnes of ice cream have been sold to southwest China's Chengdu city, central China's Henan Province and other regions, Amatjan Abduriyim said.

"I never thought the ice cream that used to be peddled along the streets of Ili would develop into an industry with such a big market," Wang said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Six out of the nine candidates to represent Corvallis and Benton County in Congress attended a debate at the Whiteside Theatre on Thursday, May 5, but Democratic frontrunner Val Hoyle was not among them.

That had the others taking shots at her.

We have somebody whos probably going to get the nomination who has accepted a lot of money from big oil, who has accepted a lot of dark crypto money, and shes claimed to have laryngitis now for about 60 days, Jake Matthews, an actor and Corvallis resident, said.

She keeps not showing up for events. We are here to represent you.

About 50 members of the community attended the debate to ask questions and get to know the 4th Congressional District candidates before casting their ballot for the Oregon primaries later this month.

Eight Democrats are competing in the primary for the right to square off with Republican Alek Skarlatos in November. The victor replaces longtime U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio in Oregons 4th, which has been slightly redrawn to include Lincoln County but exclude Linn and Josephine counties.

It's the first time since 1986 that there's been no incumbent in the race.

All nine candidates were invited to Thursday's event. Attending were Democrats Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, a member of the Corvallis School Board; community activist-attorney Doyle Canning; OSU professor John Selker, Airbnb exec Andrew Kalloch, Matthews and personal banker Tommy Smith.

Noticeably absent were Republican Skarlatos, who lost to DeFazio in 2020 and is best known for helping to prevent a terrorist attack on a European train, Democrat Steve Laible, an author  and Hoyle. The latter ditched her reelection effort as Oregon Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries to run for Congress. DeFazio has endorsed her.

The other candidates present Thursday also dug into Hoyles absence and acceptance of large donations, with Canning calling her a handpicked, billionaire-backed establishment candidate.

Albany Human Relations Commission representative Robyn Davis moderated the two-hour event sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Corvallis.

The candidates shared similar stances on almost all topics, which included climate change, homelessness, protecting democracy, transgender military service and the recent Supreme Court leaked draft decision that would overturn Roe V. Wade's protection of abortion rights.

This is a basic health care question, in addition to being a question of equality, of privacy, and integrity, and of liberty, Kalloch said about abortion. These are American values.

The spectrum of views widened, however, on the issue of reducing aid to Israel. Kalloch was the only candidate to recognize the recent series of attacks on Israel, saying he would not reduce funding, while Smith called Israel an evil occupation.

Canning said she supports restricting aid rather than reducing it, and Matthews, Selker and Al-Abdrabbuh said that while they would not reduce aid, Israel still needs to be held accountable and Palestinians need a place to call home.

We need to acknowledge within a few-miles radius that are anti-Semitic, xenophobic and Islamophobic attacks, and uses of force that are very harmful to the Jewish and Muslim communities, Al-Abdrabbuh said. We need to stand very firm and strong that our discussion about that foreign policy is not going to let us here allow any xenophobic or anti-Semitic attacks.

As an environmental attorney, Canning was eager to share her views on ending handouts to fossil fuel industries and looking instead to renewable energy options.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Your decision in this primary will echo for a generation, she said. And we don't have another generation to wait for leadership for our climate, for Medicare for All, for investments in affordable housing, to rein in the raging inequality in this country that is greater than at any time since the Gilded Age.

The Primary Election will be May 17, and the General Election is Nov. 8. More information on each of the candidates is available in the Oregon voters pamphlet.

Joanna Mann (she/her) covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_.

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By Douglas Helm | 3 days ago

Humans will be going to the Moon more than ever thanks to NASAs Artemis program. Since were going to be on the Moon, doing whatever Moon stuff we end up doing, Canada is making sure that those Moon things dont include Moon crimes. Or at least, if you commit a Moon crime, youll be punished for it according to Canadian law.

Canada recently introduced the Civil Lunar Gateway Agreement Implementation Act which states A Canadian crew member who, during a space flight, commits an act or omission outside Canada that if committed in Canada would constitute an indictable offense is deemed to have committed that act or omission in Canada. In a nutshell, if a Canadian astronaut or a Canadian aboard a spaceflight commits what would normally be considered a crime on Earth, they could see legal repercussions upon their return from the Moon. While this might be a funny headline, its definitely something that makes complete sense. Why would you be able to get away with crimes just because you flew away to the Moon to do it? Presumably, other nations will follow suit as Moon travel becomes more common and frequent.

While lunar visits havent been the highest priority since the Space Race days, the NASA Artemis program should change that as soon as 2025. Weve kept up to date with our planets satellite with rovers and probes, but nothing like the initial Apollo mission that had us walking on the surface. Under the Artemis program, we should see the first woman and the first person of color walk on the Moon. Well also be exploring more of the surface than we were able to back in the early spaceflight days. Finally, well be establishing more of a human presence on the Moon. Ensuring laws are in place for Moon visitors will eventually be an important requirement, so it looks like Canada is just getting ahead of things.

It will be interesting to see how these laws for the Moon develop in the future. Canadas law just covers Canadian residents in space. There are bound to be more than just Canadians heading up there, so if other nations dont put laws in place, there may need to be some sort of international agreement to prosecute those who commit crimes in space or on the Moon. Obviously, an ideal scenario would be that no one ever commits a space crime, but you never know whats going to happen. It seems like one of those things where its better to have a place just in case something does go wrong.

Weve sent plenty of astronauts to space since the Moon missions, for things like visits to the ISS, and its unlikely these laws were made with the concern for astronaut behavior. As space tourism becomes more and more common and as companies are looking to establish space hotels, these laws will become more and more necessary. While space laws might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to humanitys future in space, its still something that will have to be done.
Nicosia, Cyprus, April 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Representatives of Rafarma Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC: RAFA) visited Uzbekistan and discussed the prospects for the company's development in the territory of the innovative research and production pharmaceutical cluster "Tashkent Pharma Park". Rafarma Pharmaceuticals is not new to the Central Asian market, the company has been operating there for a long time and plans to increase its presence by creating local production.



Over the next three years, the company plans to build a plant there designed according to all Industry 4.0 standards: a flexible industrial base that can easily, quickly and cost-effectively undergo significant modernization and modification depending on production tasks, drugs and required technologies.

The plant will include two production units:

production of sterile preparations for the market of Uzbekistan and the countries of Central Asia

production of fractionated blood plasma elements and other products in the form of frozen plasma and blood factors, as well as the development of a network of laboratories for plasma procurement

Rafarma Pharmaceuticals is the initiator of the development of new approaches to the drugs from blood plasma creation in Uzbekistan. The company's project, which became a part of a list of measures to accelerate the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Uzbekistan in 2022-2026, will consist of two stages: the creation of a modern certified laboratories network for plasma collection and then the creation of a plant for its fractionation. In 4-5 years, the business's expected revenue will be tens of millions of dollars.

To date, the country's government is working on legislative changes in the principles of working with blood plasma in the medical sector and is also preparing documents to allow the based on it medicine export. The implementation of the Rafarma Pharmaceuticals project will begin as soon as the necessary regulatory framework creates in the government, which is expected to happen soon.

Uzbekistan ranks first among the Eastern Europe countries in terms of economic growth, and the expected changes will only strengthen the country's influence in the pharmaceutical market.

ABOUT RAFARMA PHARMACEUTICALS:

Rafarma Pharmaceuticals is a diversified pharmaceutical company dedicated to the new treatments and solutions development for patients in various fields. Regularly cooperating with leading research institutes and pharmaceutical companies around the world, the business has earned a reputation as a reliable manufacturer and distributor. Rafarma Pharmaceuticals has more than 25 programs in molecular biology, nuclear medicine, immunology, sustainable packaging and many other fields at the moment.

For more information, please visit https://www.noyarp.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT:

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as may, will, to, plan, expect, believe, anticipate, intend, could, would, estimate, or continue, or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risk, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our managements beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with OTC Markets. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

CONTACTS:

RAFARMA PHARMACEUTICALS

Info@rafapharm.com

(307) 429-2029

Source: Rafarma Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
New York, New York, May 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NANO Nuclear), a company emerging from the shared micro Small Modular Reactor (SMR) ambitions of a world class nuclear technical team working alongside business and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with both government as well as the private and public nuclear industries, is pleased to announce that it will an exhibitor at the upcoming SMR & Advanced Reactor 2022 conference, organized by Reuters Events is part of Reuters News & Media Ltd, which will take place on May 24th & 25th in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.



Additionally, NANO Nuclear will be a sponsor, exhibitor and also present at the Reset Connect London 2022, the UKs largest and leading sustainability ecosystem and net-zero event for business, investors and innovators. The green investment gathering will be taking place during London Climate Action Week at ExCeL London, United Kingdom on June 28th & 29th, featuring speaking engagements for Founder & Chairman Jay Jiang Yu as well as Chief Executive Officer James Walker.

Bringing together market-leading changemakers from the nuclear industry to discuss the short and long-term future of nuclear energy, SMR & Advanced Reactor 2022 will share the latest technological, regulatory and investment moves, discussing SMRs and advanced reactors as the answer to nuclear energy replacing fossil fuels in baseload power generation. Featuring innovative thought leaders such as NuScale Power Chief Technology Officer Dr. Jose Reyes, Roll Royce SMR Chief Executive Officer Tom Samson and GE Hitachi Executive Vice President Jon Ball, SMR & Advanced Reactor 2022 will examine the future of energy distribution and maintaining talent in the marketplace. Additionally, speakers such as U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Christopher T. Hanson and International Atomic Energy Agency Deputy Director General Lydie Evrard will facilitate discussions regarding regulatory adjustments needed to secure a future for nuclear energy.





Reset Connect London 2022 is the flagship event (expo & conference) of London Climate Action Week 2022, drilling into the sustainability and climate tech space with a focus on existing, new & innovative technologies/solutions and the green/ESG investment community. The event will take place at ExCeL London on June 28th & 29th and will act to continue the momentum built up by the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Featuring speakers such as Head of Sustainability, Rolls-Royce Rachael Everard and Labour Member of the House of Lords and Chair of the Centre, Accelerating Social Technology Lord Jim Knight of Weymouth, Reset Connect London 2022 will bring together business (SMEs through to corporate), industry and government with solution providers, policy makers, innovators and the finance community that can enable & fund change.





As a sponsor and exhibitor of the event, NANO Nuclear will also be an active participant in the free exchange of ideas, with Founder and Chairman Jay Jiang Yu to contribute to panel discussions around fund/investment raising and scaling up start up and CEO James Walker to contribute to the Art of the Possible-Cutting Edge Technology with the Potential to Drive Change Now.

I am incredibly excited to have received an opportunity to share my perspective on launching a purpose-led startup in the ESG and green energy sector and why I believe there is a nuclear tech revolution starting. I look forward to meeting with fellow attendees at the RESET CONNECT gathering, said Jay Jiang Yu, Founder, Chairman and President of NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. The discussion will put NANO Nuclear in good stead, helping to introduce international green energy innovators and investors to our Company. Furthermore, I believe James contribution to the discussion about the Art of the Possible-Cutting Edge Technology with the Potential to Drive Change Now, will be very informative for those in attendance.

About NANO Nuclear Energy Inc.

The Path to Zero starts here. Nano Nuclear Energy Inc. is a company emerging from the shared micro Small Modular Reactor (SMR) ambitions of a world class nuclear technical team, working alongside business and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with both government, and the private and public nuclear industries. Our Company is looking to disrupt the SMR space, principally in underdeveloped nuclear areas, and advance micro SMRs towards development and deployment in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. Nano Nuclear Energy is committed to building smaller, cheaper, and safer nuclear energy, while incorporating the latest technology into its own proprietary mobile and on-demand capable nano nuclear reactors, novel reactor designs, intellectual properties, and research methods. For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

For further information, please contact:

Email: Info@NanoNuclearEnergy.com

Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:

NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN

NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE

NANO Nuclear Energy TWITTER

NANO Nuclear Energy INSTAGRAM
Dublin, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Egypt Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2022 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Social commerce industry in Egypt is expected to grow by 130.6% on annual basis to reach US$1, 159.0 million in 2022



The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 71.6% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$1, 159.0 million in 2022 to reach US$21, 989.9 million by 2028.



The widespread popularity of social media platforms, along with the rise in smartphone and internet penetration rate in the country, has propelled the popularity of shopping through social commerce platforms in the country. According to the Q1 2022 Global Social Commerce Market Survey, there are nearly 1.3 million social sellers in Egypt, driving the growth of the social commerce market in the country.



By 2024, the social commerce market in Egypt is expected to be worth more than US$15 billion. This growth in the social commerce industry has been largely driven by social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Moreover, innovative social commerce startups in the country have also supported the industry growth over the last four to eight quarters through their strong business models, use of artificial intelligence and data science, and leveraging of local connection with consumers.



The growing social commerce industry in the country has also attracted many regional and global private equity and venture capital firms to invest in the high-growth potential market offered by Egypt. As more and more consumers purchase products from social commerce platforms, the publisher expects a strong inflow of investments over the next four to eight quarters in the Egyptian social commerce market. While e-commerce is still the most preferred channel for consumers to make purchases in the country, social commerce is expected to gain rapid momentum over the next four to eight quarters in Egypt.



Big technology players driving social commerce sales growth in Egypt



Several of the big technology and social media platform players, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, are eyeing a piece of the growing social commerce market globally, including in Egypt. Consequently, all of these players are ramping up their investment to boost social commerce activities through their platforms. This increased investment in the social commerce strategy is driving the growth of the overall market in the country.



With the Egyptian social commerce market expected to record strong growth in the next four to six quarters, the publisher projects these big technology players to further increase their investment in the sector. This will subsequently assist the growth of the overall social commerce industry in the country from the short to medium-term perspective and will also promote further innovation and competition in the Egyptian market.



Firms are raising funds to accelerate their growth and to expand in other regional markets



In the midst of Egypt's growing social commerce market and projected growth over the next four to eight quarters, social commerce firms are aggressively raising funding rounds to accelerate their growth further and expand their presence in other regional markets. For instance,



In January 2022, Brimore announced that the firm raised US$25 million in its Series A funding round, which was led by IFC and Endure Capital. Notably, the firm is planning to use the funding round for expanding its logistics and operational infrastructure, boosting product catalogs, and increasing its sellers and suppliers network. Apart from this, the firm is also planning to use the January 2022 investment to replicate its success in the Egyptian social commerce industry in other African markets from a short to medium-term perspective.



In July 2021, Taager also announced that the firm had raised US$6.4 million in a seed funding round, which was led by 4DX Ventures. The funding round also saw participation from other investors, including Raed Ventures, Beco Capital, Breyer Capital, and some individual investors.

Similar to Brimore, Taager is also looking to expand its presence in the global market, with an initial focus on regional African markets. Using its data-driven approach, the firm is planning to drive further growth by expanding its services across the region over the next four to eight quarters.



The Egyptian Government seeks taxes for influencers promoting products on social media platforms



In Egypt, influencers who are selling products through social media platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms, are on the radar of tax authorities as the Government looks to magnify its tax revenue in the country.



In September 2021, the Egyptian Tax Authority and Finance Ministry called on influencers and content creators promoting goods and services through their social media pages to register with the authority. Notably, the Tax Authority announced that influencers and content creators earning more than US$32, 000 annually would be subjected to taxation in the country.

The announcement from the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) comes in the midst of growing e-commerce and social commerce activities. The ETA also announced that the number of tax evaders has increased in the country. However, individuals from the social commerce sector, which includes influencers and content creators, did welcome the decision from the ETA.



Scope



Egypt Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2019-2028

Clothing & Footwear

Beauty and Personal Care

Food & Grocery

Appliances and Electronics

Home Improvement

Others

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028

B2B

B2C

C2C

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028

Mobile

Desktop

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028

Domestic

Cross Border

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028

Tier-1 Cities

Tier-2 Cities

Tier-3 Cities

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2019-2028

Credit Card

Debit Card

Bank Transfer

Prepaid Card

Digital & Mobile Wallet

Other Digital Payment

Cash

Egypt Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour, 2021

By Age

By Income Level

By Gender

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hwbnda
NEW YORK, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Youdao, Inc. (Youdao or the Company) (NYSE: DAO). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether Youdao and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On May 5, 2022, Youdao issued a press release provid[ing] an update on its status under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the HFCAA). The press release stated, in relevant part, that [o]n May 4, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) provisionally named the Company as a Commission-Identified Issuer after the Company filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 with the SEC on April 28, 2022, which included an audit report issued by a public accounting firm that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the PCAOB) has determined that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely. The press release advised investors that [i]n accordance with the HFCAA, if the SEC determines that a company has filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that cannot be inspected or investigated completely by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit its shares or American depositary shares (the ADSs) from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States.

On this news, Youdaos ADS price fell $0.67 per share, or 9.24%, to close at $6.58 per share on May 5, 2022.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris 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, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm 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.pomerantzlaw.com
Vancouver, BC, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pampa Metals Corp. (Pampa Metals or the Company) (CSE: PM) is pleased to announce that it has closed the second tranche of a private placement offering of 1,660,666 units (Units) at a price of $0.30 per Unit for gross proceeds of $498,200. Together with the first tranche of the private placement, the Company issued a total of 5,447,366 Units for gross proceeds of $1,634,210.

Each Unit is comprised of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant of the Company. Each whole warrant (a Warrant) is exercisable into one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.50 per share for a period of 24 months from the closing date. The Company may reduce the exercise period of the Warrants to 30 days from the date the Company provides notice to the warrant holders that the weighted average trading price of the common shares of the Company on the Canadian Securities Exchange is $0.90 or greater for a period of 10 consecutive trading days.

Proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for the ongoing work programs on the Companys Chilean projects, including drilling, and for general corporate purposes.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid finders fees of up to 8% in cash and 8% in finder warrants from the sale of Units to third parties sourced by the finders. Each finders warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.50 per share for a period of 24 months from the closing date.

Pursuant to the second tranche of the private placement, one insider of the Company purchased 300,000 Units for gross proceeds of $90,000. The participation of an insider of the Company in the private placement constitutes a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(b) and section 5.7(1)(b) as the fair market value of the insider participation is not more than 25% of the Companys market capitalization.

Securities sold in the private placement will be subject to a four month hold period under Canadian securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

Shares for Services

The Company also announces that it issued 77,931 common shares to AGORACOM in connection with its on-line marketing campaign for the purposes of targeting new potential investors who would be specifically interested in the Company's business model, as well as engaging with current shareholders. For further information, please see the Companys news release dated May 7, 2022.

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM) as well as the Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges. Pampa Metals owns a highly prospective, wholly-owned, 60,000-hectare portfolio of eight projects for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively progressing four of its projects, including completed and planned drill tests, and has two additional projects optioned to Austral Gold Ltd., with Austral already drill testing its first target on Pampa Metals ground. The Company has also recently signed an agreement with VerAI Discoveries Inc. giving Pampa Metals access to the latest in artificial intelligence technology in relation to mineral exploration, as well as a further 18,700 hectares of highly prospective terrain in the core of the highly productive mineral belts of northern Chile.

The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper or gold discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals website www.pampametals.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

A. Paul Gill | Chief Executive Officer

INVESTORS CONTACT

Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos | Director

investors@pampametals.com

www.pampametals.com

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The securities referenced in this news release have not and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

Attachment
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rubicon Organics Inc. (TSXV: ROMJ) (OTCQX: ROMJF) (Rubicon Organics or the Company), a licensed producer focused on cultivating and selling organic certified, premium cannabis products, is pleased to announce that it will be reporting its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022 (Q1 2022) on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.



The Company will be hosting a conference call to discuss Q1 2022 results on Tuesday May 24, 2022. Conference call details are as follows:

Time: 7:00 AM PT / 10:00 AM ET Conference ID: 39266654 Local dial-in: +1 (416) 764-8658 Toll Free N. America: +1 (888) 886-7786 Webcast: https://app.webinar.net/7OWrkR0VpxN

ABOUT RUBICON ORGANICS INC.

Rubicon Organics Inc. is the global brand leader in premium organic cannabis products. The Company is vertically integrated through its wholly owned subsidiary Rubicon Holdings Corp, a licensed producer. Rubicon Organics is focused on achieving industry leading profitability through a focus on differentiated product innovation and brand portfolio management, including its flagship super-premium brand Simply Bare Organic, its premium flower and hash brand 1964 Supply Co, its premium concentrate brand LAB THEORY, and its mainstream brand Homestead Cannabis Supply. The Company ensures the quality of its supply chain by cultivating, processing, branding and selling organic certified, sustainably produced, super-premium cannabis products from its state-of-the-art glass roofed facility located in Delta, BC, Canada.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Margaret Brodie

Chief Financial Officer

Phone: +1 (437) 929-1964

Email: ir@rubiconorganics.com

The TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, and statements such as the Companys intention of achieving industry leading profitability are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as will or variations of such words or statements that certain actions, events or results will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. The forward-looking information in this press release is based upon certain assumptions that management considers reasonable in the circumstances, including that its capital needs will be as currently projected. Risks and uncertainties associated with forward looking information in this press release include, among others, information or statements concerning the Companys expectations of financial resources available to fund operations; Rubicon Organics' limited operating history and lack of historical profits; obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals; that regulatory requirements will be maintained; general business and economic conditions; the Companys ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; the Companys ability to obtain financing at reasonable terms through the sale of equity and/or debt commitments; the Companys ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Companys competitors; that our current relationships with our suppliers, service providers and other third parties will be maintained; and the impact of the current global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although Rubicon Organics has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. Rubicon Organics assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.
Rogers and Shaw to respond to the applications to be made by the Commissioner of Competition to prevent Proposed Merger

Rogers and Shaw engaged in sale process for full divestiture of Freedom Mobile to maintain strong fourth carrier

TORONTO and CALGARY, Alberta, May 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers Communications Inc. (Rogers) and Shaw Communications Inc. (Shaw) were notified this afternoon following the close of trading of the Commissioner of Competitions intention to file applications to the Competition Tribunal opposing Rogers proposed merger with Shaw (the Transaction).

Rogers and Shaw remain committed to the Transaction, which is in the best interests of Canada and Canadians because of the significant long-term benefits it will bring for consumers, businesses and the economy. The companies have offered to address concerns regarding the possible impact of the Transaction on Canadas competitive wireless market by proposing the full divesture of Shaws wireless business, Freedom Mobile. Rogers and Shaw are engaged in a process to sell Freedom Mobile, with a view to addressing concerns raised by the Commissioner of Competition and ISED.

Rogers and Shaw will oppose the application to prevent the Transaction to be made by the Commissioner of Competition, while continuing to engage constructively with the Competition Bureau in an effort to bring this matter to a resolution and ensure that the Transactions benefits can be realized by all Canadians.

The Transaction will provide a combined Rogers and Shaw with the capabilities necessary to invest in digital infrastructure, create jobs, drive innovation, increase choice, and bridge the digital divide. In addition, the Transaction will foster greater competition by creating Canadas most robust wholly-owned national network, and generating more choice for businesses and consumers so they may realize the full economic and social benefits of next generation networks.

Benefits of the Transaction

Investing $2.5 billion to build 5G networks across Western Canada over the next five years;

Establishing a new $1 billion Rogers Rural and Indigenous Connectivity Fund dedicated to connecting rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across Western Canada;

An additional $3 billion to support further network, services, and technology investments;

Creating up to 3,000 net new jobs in Western Canada; and

Extending Rogers Connected for Success program extended across Western Canada to bring the first of its kind low-cost broadband program nationally to help seniors and low-income Canadians in every community where the combined company offers Internet services.

In order to permit continued engagement with the Competition Bureau, Rogers, Shaw and the Shaw Family Living Trust have agreed to extend the outside date of the Transaction to July 31, 2022. In addition, Rogers and Shaw will continue to seek approval of the Transaction from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

The Transaction has already been approved by the shareholders of Shaw and the Court of Queens Bench of Alberta, and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has approved Rogers acquisition of Shaws broadcasting services, subject to conditions and safeguards designed to ensure that the Transaction benefits Canadians. In addition, the Transaction remains subject to the approval of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and other customary closing conditions.

Rogers standalone financial guidance for 2022, provided on April 20, 2022, remains unchanged.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements about the parties engaging with regulators to resolve the matters described herein, including by opposing the Commissioner of Competitions application, the potential timing and anticipated receipt of required regulatory approvals for the Transaction or any related divestitures, the ability of the parties to satisfy the conditions to the closing of the Transaction (including any related divestiture), the anticipated timing for closing of the Transaction and any related divestitures, the expected continuation of Freedom Mobile as a viable fourth wireless carrier and the anticipated benefits and effects of the Transaction, including the timing thereof. Forward-looking information may in some cases be identified by words such as will, anticipates, expects, intends and similar expressions suggesting future events or future performance.

We caution that all forward-looking information is inherently subject to change and uncertainty and that actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. A number of risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information or could cause our current objectives, strategies and intentions to change. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the possibility that the Transaction, or divestitures made in connection with the Transaction, will not be completed in the expected timeframe or at all; the failure to obtain any necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and any regulatory approval required in connection with any divestiture, in the expected timeframe or at all; pending or potential litigation associated with the Transaction, including any hearing or proceeding by or involving regulatory authorities, including the above-noted anticipated application; the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Transaction in the expected timeframe or at all; and general economic, business and political conditions. Accordingly, we warn investors to exercise caution when considering statements containing forward-looking information and that it would be unreasonable to rely on such statements as creating legal rights regarding our future results or plans. We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking information will materialize and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represent expectations as of the date of this news release and are subject to change after such date. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Rogers and Shaw can also be found in their public reports and filings which are available under their respective profiles at www.sedar.com and www.edgar.com .

Forward-looking information is provided herein for the purpose of giving information about the proposed Transaction, its expected timing and its anticipated benefits, as well as proposed divestitures in connection with the Transaction. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The completion of the proposed Transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, termination rights and other risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, regulatory approvals (including the approval of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development). There can be no assurance that such regulatory approvals will be obtained or that the Transaction will occur, or that it will occur on the terms and conditions previously announced. The Transaction could be modified, restructured or terminated. Similarly, there can be no assurance that Rogers and Shaw, will be successful in any hearing or proceeding related to the Transaction. There can also be no assurance that the outside date of the Transaction will be further extended by the parties. There can be no assurance that any divestiture proposed in connection with the Transaction will be acceptable to regulatory authorities and, if applicable, will be completed in order to permit the Transaction to be consummated. Finally, there can be no assurance that the combined company will achieve the anticipated benefits of the Transaction in the expected timeframe or at all.

All forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. Rogers and Shaw are under no obligation (and Rogers and Shaw expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter any statements containing forward-looking information, the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by the cautionary statements herein.

About Shaw

Shaw is a leading Canadian connectivity company. The Wireline division consists of Consumer and Business services. Consumer serves residential customers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Business provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, digital phone, and video services. The Wireless division provides wireless voice and LTE data services.

Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX  SJR.B, NYSE  SJR, and TSXV  SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca

About Rogers

Rogers is a leading Canadian technology and media company that provides world-class communications services and entertainment to consumers and businesses on our award-winning networks. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960. Today, we are dedicated to providing industry-leading wireless, cable, sports, and media to millions of customers across Canada. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For more information, please visit: www.rogers.com or http://investors.rogers.com .

For more information:

Rogers Communications media contact

1-844-226-1338

media@rci.rogers.com

Rogers Communications investment community contact

Paul Carpino

647-435-6470

paul.carpino@rci.rogers.com

Shaw Communications Inc. contact:

Chethan Lakshman, VP, External Affairs

403-930-8448

chethan.lakshman@sjrb.ca

For media inquiries, please contact:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Chethan Lakshman, VP, External Affairs

(403) 930-8448

chethan.lakshman@sjrb.ca




SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pursuant to the early warning requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, Don Gray, the Chairman of the board of directors of Petrus Resources Corp. ("Petrus"), announces that on April 29, 2022 he acquired ownership of, or control and direction over, 4,100,516 common shares ("Common Shares") of Petrus, pursuant to Petrus' recently completed rights offering (the "Rights Offering"), at a purchase price of $1.35 per Common Share for total consideration of $5,535,696.60.



As of the date of his prior report filed under the early warning requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, Mr. Gray owned, controlled or directed an aggregate of 28,658,840 Common Shares, representing approximately 29.70% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. After giving effect to the closing of the Rights Offering, Mr. Gray owns, controls or directs an aggregate of 32,759,356 Common Shares, representing approximately 26.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares.

The acquisition of the Common Shares was made in furtherance of the investment objectives of Mr. Gray and his spouse. Mr. Gray and his spouse may, from time to time, as market opportunities exist or develop, increase or decrease their ownership in Common Shares as permitted by applicable securities laws.

For additional information or to obtain a copy of the early warning report to be filed by Mr. Gray in connection with the foregoing, please contact:

Mathew Wong

Petrus Resources Ltd.

2400, 240 - 4th Avenue SW

Calgary, AB T2P 4H4

(403) 837-5780




Canon announced the launch of its latest broadcast zoom lens, the UHD DIGISUPER 122AF (UJ122x8.2B AF), which features premium 4K image quality with a 122x Zoom Ratio allowing the lens to reach an incredible 8.2 -1000mm (16.4-2000mm with in-built 2x extender) focal length range. What sets the UHD DIGISUPER 122AF apart is the addition of a fast and accurate phase detection auto focus system to support with the capture of fast-moving subjects at 4K resolution, which can be deployed by the operator using the new FDJ-S31/41 focus controller. Canon will also be releasing new firmware for the DP-V1830 professional reference display, which will support broadcasters in achieving the best 4K HDR picture quality possible.

Sharp image quality, from a distance

Well-suited for sport and live event broadcasters who need to deliver the best possible image quality for their viewers, the UHD DIGISUPER 122AF achieves sharp images that help capture the action in breath-taking detail. Leveraging Canons advanced optical technology, this lens features fluorite and UD glass elements which minimises lens artefacts such as chromatic aberration, ghosting and flare to produce stunning 4K HDR image quality throughout the entire zoom range as well as from the centre to the extreme edges of the frame. Perfect for shooting distant subjects, such as sporting or live music events, the UHD DIGISUPER 122AF features an incredible 122x zoom and with the inbuilt 2x extender can reach a focal length of 2000mm.

Advanced lens technology for smooth image capture

To simplify operation during fast-paced action and ensure the subject is in focus at a telephoto focal length with limited depth of field, the UHD DIGISUPER 122AF features Canons Advanced Autofocus Technology which maintains quick and precise focus on the subject, enabling camera operators to concentrate on the shot.

With two autofocus modes (Full Time and Part Time), a choice of three area sizes of the AF frame and variable AF response speed, this lens can be optimised for highly accurate focus tracking capability. When combined with the new FDJ-S31/41 focus controller, operators can customise the focus control characteristics and gain enhanced control of AF modes, area setting and sensitivity offering three focus curve modes  Far, Standard and Near. Also compatible with the HD Studio / Field auto focus lenses, the operator is able to get the best AF functionality for the focal range required in each shooting scenario.

With the advanced in-built image stabilisation, this lens features the best of Canons optical and servo technologies to stabilise footage and maintain high-quality 4K performance at all times  this is particularly important when the operator is working at the long end of the zoom range.

Streamlined virtual production workflows

The UHD DIGISUPER 122AF is also compatible with virtual production systems, such as during sport events when virtual graphics may be included in the live footage. Featuring three 20-pin connectors, the 16-bit absolute value encoder works with zoom, focus and iris to output accurate lens positional information for the footage to seamlessly interact with virtual elements.

New DP-V1830 firmware

Canon also announces a firmware update for the DP-V1830 professional reference monitor, which will be available from July 2022. The DP-V1830 is a 4K HDR display that features award-winning monitoring tools and uncompromising 12G-SDI connectivity, making it ideal for live broadcast studios, production trucks and on-set HDR monitoring. With the introduction of this new firmware, users will experience the full potential of this display, thanks to the addition of further advanced functionality that strongly supports 4K HDR broadcast productions.

With this latest update from Canon, the DP-V1830 features new RGB Parade Waveform Monitor and Chromaticity Diagram Display tools which provide detailed colour information, to ensure true-to-life colour reproduction and facilitate the accurate colour matching of multiple cameras used in the production. This update also unlocks monitoring tools such as Frame Luminance Monitor, an exclusive Canon tool that shows the average and peak brightness of the image over time. With this latest update the DP-V1830 now also features Histogram, which can be used to judge the overall balance in exposure of the image. Featuring a new intuitive interface, Multi Information View, its possible to use multiple of these HDR monitoring tools at the same time, without obstructing the image.

Owners of the DP-V1830 will also benefit from the new Enhanced Dual/Quad View functionality, which enables users to see both HDMI and SDI feeds simultaneously, perfect for hybrid workflows. With the firmware, its possible to adjust individual image quality settings for two or four split screen viewing and Multi Information View when utilising the SDI input. This enables users to do away with dedicated equipment like signal converters or separate displays, for a more compact filming setup and efficient production workflow. With the update, there is also the option of purchasing in-built SDI Switcher functionality, which enables a 4-way SDI switching on the monitor, allowing operators to switch the view between four cameras or send to an external recorder, reducing the need for additional hardware. The DP-V1830 can now be linked to a computer, tablet or smartphone via a LAN connection, to utilise the Remote Control Web User Interface.

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Mercedes, based on Friday, seems to be returning to the top, at least for this weekend in the United States. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell managed to set very competitive times in the first two free practice sessions. For some this is a big surprise, but Lando Norris and Sergio Perez are not very surprised.

Norris and Perez saw it coming

When Norris is asked by The Race asked about whether he is surprised by Mercedes' performance, the McLaren driver replied. "Not at all. They were what, P4/P5 in Bahrain? They've been strong all year. Just because they have some bouncing, everyone expects them to be terrible. Theyre extremely strong in slow-speed corners. Mercedes have probably been one of the best cars in slow speed corners all season, just no one ever looks at the GPS very well and picks it up."

Although Perez hasn't really been battling Mercedes on track in recent weeks, he always knew that the W13 isn't necessarily a bad car. "Theyve been quick in some places, they only needed small tweak to be up here. Nice to have them here, hopefully have a good race with anther team.

Mercedes brought a new 'beam-wing' and an improved front and rear wing to Miami this weekend. The new parts seem to have paid off, as it was perhaps the best Friday of 2022 for the German racing stable. However, Russell cautions that these were just free practice sessions and Mercedes' gains in ground may only be due to the track layout rather than the updates introduced.
Sodium-ion battery cathode producer Altris AB (earlier post) signed a deal with AB Sandvik Materials Technology to house the companys first industrial-scale manufacturing facility in Sandviken. The new facility, called Ferrum, will have the annual capacity to produce 2000 metric tonnes of Altris cathode material Fennac, enabling 1GWh of sustainable sodium-ion batteries to enter the market each year.

The site for Ferrum was selected based on the infrastructure and onsite expertise that is available, which will facilitate the installation and ongoing support needs for the production facility. This expertise derives from the Sandvik ABs long industrial experience in Sweden. The site also allows for upscaling of production in the years to come.

The location decision was also made based on Sandviken Municipalitys and the Gavleborg Regions particular support of new industrial developments in the region that support the move towards a fossil-free energy future.

Ferrum will be the first industrial home for the production of Fennac, a sodium-ion battery cathode material that is sustainable, due to the non-toxic and abundant elements of which it consists. Fennac (often called Prussian White among battery researchers) is a framework material consisting of sodium, iron carbon and nitrogen (Na x Fe[Fe(CN) 6 ] with x>1.9). The large pores inside the material enable the capture and storage of a range of atoms or molecules making the compound highly interesting for a range of applications.

Although this type of material is not new in itself, Altris has developed a method to produce Fennac in a form that is ideal for use as a positive electrode material in sodium-ion batteries. The utilization of the iron as a source of electrons and completely filling the material with sodium provides a theoretical capacity of 170 mAh/g and average voltage output of 3.2 V vs sodium.

Fennac is produced via a patented low-temperature and -pressure synthesis route, in a fully-sodiated form, obligatory for application as a cathode material.

Work to establish production in the 1800 m2 Ferrum facility will begin in the spring of 2022, with the first output expected to materialize in early 2023. Sandviken becomes the third of Altris locations, joining the companys Head Office and Research Laboratory in Uppsala and Sales Office in Guangzhou, China.
Anglo American plc unveiled a prototype of the worlds largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck designed to operate in everyday mining conditions at its Mogalakwena PGMs (platinum group metals) mine in South Africa. The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck, generating more power than its diesel predecessor and capable of carrying a 290-tonne payload, is part of Anglo Americans nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS).





nuGen provides a fully integrated green hydrogen system, consisting of production, fueling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site. nuGen is part of FutureSmart Mining, Anglo Americans innovation-led approach to sustainable mining.

The nuGen truck is retrofitted from a diesel-powered vehicle. The truck uses a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell providing roughly half of the power and a battery pack the other half, to allow energy recovery from braking. For the nuGen project, Anglo American worked with companies such as ENGIE, First Mode, Ballard and NPROXX to:

Design, build, and test a 1.2 MWh battery pack, as the haul truck system uses multiple fuel cells that deliver up to 800kW of power, combining to deliver a total of 2MW of power.

Design and implement a software solution to safely manage power and energy between the fuel cells, batteries, and vehicle drivetrain.

Develop the power management and battery systems from the ground up, providing the ability to tailor the system to each mine and improve overall efficiency by designing in energy recovery as the haul trucks travel downhill through regenerative braking.

Build a hydrogen production, storage, and refueling complex at Mogalakwena that incorporates the largest electrolyzer in Africa and a solar plant to support the operation of the haul truck.

nuGen is a tangible demonstration of our FutureSmart Mining program changing the future of our industry. With diesel emissions from our haul truck fleet accounting for around 10-15% of our total Scope 1 emissions, this is an important step on our pathway to carbon neutral operations by 2040. The mining industry is playing a considerable role in helping the world decarbonize, both through our own emissions footprint and the metals and minerals that we produce that are critical to low carbon energy and transport systems. Over the next several years, we envisage converting or replacing our current fleet of diesel-powered trucks with this zero-emission haulage system, fueled with green hydrogen. If this pilot is successful, we could remove up to 80% of diesel emissions at our open pit mines by rolling this technology across our global fleet. Duncan Wanblad, Chief Executive of Anglo American

Anglo American has been a longstanding champion of the potential offered by the hydrogen economy, recognizing its role in enabling the shift to greener energy and cleaner transport. The hydrogen economy provides an opportunity to create new engines of economic activity. With a combination of abundant renewable energy sources (i.e. solar and wind), and as the worlds largest producer of PGMs, hydrogen is a strategic priority for South Africa and presents a significant opportunity for economic development, including the creation of new jobs and the development of the PGMs sector, while also contributing to South Africas decarbonization objectives.

South Africas Hydrogen Valley. In South Africa, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the South African National Development Institute (SANEDI), in partnership with Anglo American, Bambili Energy, and ENGIE, are looking into opportunities to create a Hydrogen Valley. The proposed hydrogen valley will stretch approximately 835 kilometers from the platinum group metals-rich Bushveld geological area in Limpopo province, along the industrial and commercial corridor to Johannesburg and to the south coast at Durban. The nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution is one of the first projects for South Africas Hydrogen Valley.

A feasibility study for South Africas Hydrogen Valley published in October 2021 identifies three hubsJohannesburg, extending to Rustenburg and Pretoria; Durban, encompassing the city itself and Richards Bay; and Limpopo province centred around Anglo Americans Mogalakwena PGMs minewith a fundamental role to play in integrating hydrogen into South Africas economy, and in establishing South Africa and its abundant renewable energy resources as a strategically important center for green hydrogen production.





Nine key pilot projects have also been identified across these hubs and are recommended to be prioritized by developers. They span the transport, industrial, and construction sectors.
Leora Levy is running to be your next U.S. senator because, why wouldnt she? Leora is rich so that checks one box. She raises money for other Republicans so check that box, too. Shes also an opportunist of the highest order whose principles and convictions are determined by whichever way the wind is blowing, and right now the Republican way forward is to be a name-calling, xenophobic, anti-science, pseudo-tough guy populist who uses the word freedom a lot, so, check.

But why is Leora running? Listen to Levy for a few minutes and youll come away with chapter and verse about her Cuban ancestry and how her family fled Castro and his mob, a situation she swears shell never let happen here. Which is weird, because in a way it did, Leora saw it coming, and actually let it happen. See, in the 1950s a failed baseball player named Fidel Castro seized on Cuban nationalist fervor, leading an angry and disenchanted working class to stage a populist uprising to take back their country from who they saw as disconnected and oppressive internationalist elites who were keeping real Cubans down. The end result being that Castro won, ran the country into the ground and disenfranchised anyone who didnt fall in line.

Sound familiar? The revolution in Cuba may have happened at gunpoint, but a similar movement washed over America in 2016 with the rise and election of failed celebrity businessman Donald Trump. Then, Americans who had been seething for years over elites and multiculturalism and the feeling that they were being left behind, embraced the MAGA movement and decided it was their time to somehow take back their country. Populism unleashed angry nationalism, and like Castro, Trump played his supporters for suckers, ran the country into the ground and redefined the new low for what it means to be a Republican politician.

Did we just compare Communist Cuba to Republican America? Yes, because its not about labels, its about methodology. Now while Levys hatred for Cuban Communists is real, she fails to recognize Castro and Trumps similarities. They both led status quo-breaking nativist movements with a goal of taking back their country from out-of-touch elites, and establishing a political party of inflexible nationalists, leaving behind shattered national landscapes.

And like we said, Levy saw this coming before and after the election, and what did she do? When she saw America sinking into a sewer of right-wing nationalist jihad, did she climb the ramparts to defend America and shout with all her righteous anger, Ive seen this before ... beware!? No, she capitulated to the mob and joined in.

Here was Leora speaking out against candidate Trump: He is vulgar, ill-mannered ... His modus operandi is to try to intimidate people then call them names... See, she knew. She was staunchly anti-Trump before the election, but as Trumps fortunes shifted so did Leoras position. Levy remained firmly pro-Trump up to and including when she represented Connecticut at the 2020 Republican convention saying, I agree with his policies and the direction in which he is taking our country, and re-nominated him with praise for his great leadership.

Similarly, in pre-Trump America, Levy was pro-choice when it came to abortion, but now that the prevailing winds blow toward fascist Gilead, Levy has recently become a pro-life Republican.

Interestingly though, the primary reason Republicans want Leora to run has little to do with her politics or positions, its her ability to raise money. This paper ran an enormous story on Levys campaign and nowhere does it say anything about why Levy is running other than because she can raise the money to do so. The goes on and on about the dark money, superPACs and consulting firms that are mushrooming up all over in support of Levy. That alone should be worth a dozen more damning stories about how races are bought and sold.

Still, why is Levy is running? She parrots all the terrible right-wing talking points. She hates Communists, but to say were becoming a Communist country is just plain dumb. Is it really only because shes rich, raises money and Freedom!? The Senate has enough of the rich and unprincipled already.

David Rafferty is a Greenwich resident.
CHICAGO (AP)  Abortion rights protesters rallied in cities around the United States on Saturday, vowing to fight to ensure that abortion remains a legal option for women nationwide.

Hundreds gathered in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and other cities days after a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion was leaked to the public suggesting the court is poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. The draft opinion, which comes amid nearly 50 years of federal abortion protections, could change before the ruling is finalized in coming weeks.
FARMINGTON, Maine (AP) 

The Mount Blue Regional School District canceled school on Friday after test results showed elevated levels of lead in nearly half of the drinking fountains and faucets.

The tests at the eight schools were completed at the end of March following Maine's new law that requires fixtures in the states schools used for drinking water and food preparation to be tested.

Lead levels above 4 parts per billion exceed the new state guidelines and are recommended for mitigation or remediation, WMTW-TV reported. If the lead level exceeds 15 ppb, the solution may require more extensive fixes, the school district said in a release.

Of the 117 fixtures tested, 38 had lead levels between 4 and 15 ppb, while 16 were above 15 ppb, the school district said.

Superintendent Christian Elkington told the news station that there are signs that the lead contamination for many fixtures appears to be coming from faucets, not the water source, and that the district had acquired more than 10,000 bottles of water by Friday afternoon.

We think if we change up some of those faucets and maybe add some other filtration systems, that well be in good shape, Elkington said. It will cost a little bit of money, but nobody wants to drink lead.
WALHALLA, N.D. (AP)  A Minnesota Army National Guard helicopter and crew moved two 5-ton pumps in place Friday to help lower floodwaters threatening an earthen dam in northeastern North Dakota.

The move came two days after a North Dakota Guard helicopter helped stabilize the Bourbanis Dam with more than 200 sandbags weighing 1 ton each. The dam is located on the Tongue River, a tributary of the Pembina River.
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HAVANA (AP)  Relatives of the missing in Cubas capital desperately searched Saturday for victims of an explosion at one of Havana's most luxurious hotels that killed at least 27 people. They checked the morgue, hospitals and if unsuccessful, they returned to the partially collapsed Hotel Saratoga, where rescuers used dogs to hunt for survivors.

A natural gas leak was the apparent cause of Fridays blast at the 96-room hotel. The 19th-century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood did not have any guests at the time because it was undergoing renovations ahead of a planned Tuesday reopening after being closed for two years during the pandemic.

On Saturday evening, Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, raised the death toll to 27 with 81 people injured. The dead included four children and a pregnant woman. Spain's President Pedro Sanchez said via Twitter that a Spanish tourist was among the dead and that another Spaniard was seriously injured.

Cuban authorities confirmed the tourists death and said her partner was injured. They were not staying at the hotel. Tourism Minister Dalila Gonzalez said a Cuban-American tourist was also injured.

Representatives of Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA, which owns the hotel, said during a news conference Saturday that 51 workers had been inside the hotel at the time, as well as two people working on renovations. Of those, 11 were killed, 13 remained missing and six were hospitalized.

Gonzalez said the cause of the blast was still under investigation, but a large crane hoisted a charred gas tanker from the hotel's rubble early Saturday.

Search and rescue teams worked through the night and into Saturday, using ladders to descend through the rubble and twisted metal into the hotels basement as heavy machinery gingerly moved away piles of the buildings facade to allow access. Above, chunks of drywall dangled from wires, desks sat seemingly undisturbed inches from the void where the front of the building cleaved away.

At least one survivor was found early Saturday in the shattered ruins, and rescuers using search dogs clambered over huge chunks of concrete looking for more. Relatives of missing people remained at the site while others gathered at hospitals where the injured were being treated.

A desperate Yatmara Cobas stood outside the perimeter waiting for word of her daughter, 27-year-old housekeeper Shaidis Cobas.

My daughter is in the Saratoga; shes been there since 8 a.m. (Friday), and at this time I dont know anything about her, Cobas said. Shes not at the morgue, shes not in the hospital. The mother said she had gone everywhere seeking answers from authorities, but coming up empty.

Im tired of the lies, she said.

Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata said Saturday evening that 19 families have reported loved ones missing and that rescue efforts would continue.

Lt. Col. Enrique Pena briefed Comandante Ramiro Valdes, who fought alongside Fidel Castro, on the search efforts at the site. Pena said the presence of people had been detected on the first floor and in the basement and four teams of search dogs and handlers were working. He did not know if the victims were alive or dead.

I dont want to move from here, Cristina Avellar told The Associated Press near the hotel.

Avellar was waiting for news of Odalys Barrera, a 57-year-old cashier who has worked at the hotel for five years. She is the godmother of Barreras daughters and considers her like a sister.

Neighbors were still in shock a day after the explosion.

I thought it was a bomb, said Guillermo Madan, a 73-year-old retiree, who lives just meters from the building, but was not injured. The three-decade resident of the neighborhood was cooking and watching television when he heard the blast. My room moved from here to there. My neighbors window broke, the plates, everything.

Katerine Marrero, 31, was shopping at the time. I left the store, I felt the explosion, she said. Everyone started to run.

The explosion is another blow to the countrys crucial tourism industry.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic kept tourists away from Cuba, the country was struggling with tightened sanctions imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and kept in place the Biden administration. Those limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the U.S. to their families in Cuba.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine deflated a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated.

The emblematic hotel had a stunning view of Cuba's center, including the domed Capitol building about 110 yards (100 meters) away. The Capitol suffered broken glass and damaged masonry from the explosion.

The hotel was renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban governments revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban militarys tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not respond to an email from the AP seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

In the past, the Hotel Saratoga has been used by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there in 2013.

Garcia Zapata said structures adjacent to the hotel were being evaluated, including two badly damaged apartment buildings. Diaz-Canel said families in affected buildings had been transferred to safer locations.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador arrived in Havana for a visit late Saturday. He was scheduled to meet with Diaz Canel Sunday morning and return to Mexico Sunday night.
Contributed photo / Courtesy of Tony Capasso

Scene Nerlens Noel, the 6-foot-11 center for the New York Knicks, was seen dining at Tonys at the JHouse on Friday, April 29.

Out there  Greenwich Hospitals annual fundraising benefit and dinner takes place on Friday, May 20, at Greenwich Country Club. The annual event, back after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, will honor private practitioner and former GH chief resident Dr. James A. Brunetti, a Greenwich native; Arthur C. Martinez, former chairman of the hospitals Board of Trustees and former chief executive officer of Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and Greenwich Hospital fundraising volunteer Elizabeth Martinez. Former Today show co-host and longtime Riverside resident Kathie Lee Gifford will serve as master of ceremonies. The proceeds will benefit five key areas of growth for Greenwich Hospital: oncology, childrens department, neuroscience, heart and vascular department; and behavioral health. Greenwich Hospital President Diane P. Kelly said, This years benefit holds special meaning for our hospital community as we embrace our ability to celebrate together again. Over the past two years, while we focused on helping and healing the hundreds of patients who came to us during the pandemic, Greenwich Hospital remained forward facing  keeping pace with new innovations, technologies and treatments, all while growing key clinical areas and planning for the future healthcare needs of our community. A limited number of seats are available. For tickets and more info, email events@greenwichhospital.org or call 203-863-3865.
Local creatives Pep Borja and Evelyn Flores will be sharing their poetry and their journeys as writers in special presentations for the University of Guams dementia support group.

Borja is the author of a short poetry book, Dry Nights, and Flores is a UOG professor of Pacific Island literature and CHamoru studies.

The poetry reading sessions are designed to help caregivers learn to make meaningful connections with older adults and persons with dementia, according to a UOG press release.

They are part of ongoing online support groups for family caregivers of persons with dementia. The groups are coordinated by the Guam/Micronesia Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program at UOGs School of Health.

Poetry in Dementia Care with Pep Borja takes place 6-8 p.m. Wednesday.

Poetry in Dementia Care with Evelyn Flores takes place 6-8 p.m. May 18.

Register for either or both at zoom.us/j/92072878067.

Dementia care specialists

The program also is sponsoring training from world-renowned dementia care specialists affiliated with Positive Approach to Care. The training is for caregivers of persons with dementia.

Applied Gerontologist Dr. Beth Nolan will present on Brain Changes in Dementia on Saturday.

On May 21, occupational therapist Teepa Snow will present Navigating the Journey of Dementia from 8-10 a.m.

Register for either or both at zoom.us/j/91243370958.

Nolan and Snow will be available after their presentations to answer questions from the group participants.

Certification exam

Those who have participated in the programs CARES End-of-Life Dementia Care training can take exams to get certified this month.

Exams will take place:

6-8 p.m. May 25: Register at zoom.us/j/92072878067.

10 a.m.noon May 28:Register at zoom.us/j/91243370958.

Dementia support

The dementia support group sessions are free for partners, family members, and other caregivers of persons with dementia who have ties to Guam and the Micronesian region.

For more information, contact Iain Twaddle or Nikolas Gutierrez at 671-735-2883 or gwep.tgss@triton.uog.edu or Rhoda Orallo at 671-735-3277 or nfcspmgr@teleguam.net.
Marcos W. Fong, CEO, Foremost Foods, Inc. turns over 30 gallons, or 10 cases, of Foremost UHT Milk to Harvest House Executive Director Bethany Taylor at the Foremost distribution facility in Barrigada Heights. The company will donate 120 quarts of Foremost UHT Milk every month to help meet some of the nutritional needs of children in foster care on Guam.
The number of children in foster care has doubled over the past year, making the push to recruit foster families even more urgent, according to child welfare officials.

The cause of the increase: As a backlog of more than 800 Child Protective Service cases is being reviewed, officials are identifying more children need to be placed in foster care, said Department of Youth Affairs Director Melanie Brennan.

When you investigate old referrals, youre going to find children that were in situations of neglect that need to be helped. So, we are investigating more old referrals as well as taking new referrals, which means more children need to be placed with relatives or foster homes, said Brennan.

The number of children in foster care has doubled over the past 15 months.

In early 2021, there were 263 children in foster care. Now there are 566, Brennan said.

Helping the children

The increase includes the rise in the number of foster children in need of emergency placement into a safe home and immediate care such as a meal, clothing and a shower.

Victor Camacho, executive director for the nonprofit organization Sanctuary Inc., which focuses on helping Guams at-risk youth, said that while his agency is not part of the long-term foster system, the organization saw more children in need at their facility in the last year.

There are 68 licensed foster homes on Guam said Brennan, but 11 of those are inactive or not currently receiving children.

Short staff

The need to recruit, train and retain foster parents has risen, said Bethany Taylor, executive director of Harvest House.

The nonprofit, which provides assistance to foster parents and kids, has been increasing recruitment during May  National Foster Care Month.

She said retention of the current foster parents and providing them support can be difficult since Harvest House has five employees on staff and relies on volunteers.

Normally we would take in 50 emergency placement children into our facility in a year. In just January, February and March of 2022, we have had 50 foster children in our emergency triage center, said Taylor.

The need to care for children in the emergency triage center, along with assisting current foster parents, has had the staff increasingly overworked to meet the crisis.

Therapeutic foster homes, which are trained to assist children with disabilities, are also needed on island.

Respite care

A way residents can volunteer to assist foster families is by providing respite care for parents.

This is when someone fills in to care for the children for a weekend to give the childrens foster parents some time to relax and prevent them from being overworked. Taylor said this goes a long way toward helping to retain foster parents.

Assistance

Harvest House will be hosting an informational meeting for those interested in becoming foster parents at 6:30 p.m. May 26 at Wendys restaurant in Tamuning.

Vice mayor of Mangilao Kevin Delgado said the Mayors Council of Guam looks to continue its Gift of Family campaign to recruit foster parents through the end of May in recognition of Foster Care Month, despite already reaching the goal of recruiting 19 families representing each village.
The man who killed nine people in the 80s was denied compassionate release and a reduction in his sentence on Thursday.

Eligio Adriatico is currently serving 38 years out of 11 life sentences and 150 years in federal prison in California for shooting seven people in 1983, after being captured by the police and military for killing two other prisoners in the Guam Department of Corrections.

In August 2021, Adriatico filed a motion, which he wrote himself, requesting compassionate release and sentence reduction.

He said in a hearing before Superior Court of Guam Judge Vernon Perez that he has reformed himself and regrets what he did.

His motion asked for him to be released due to the spread of COVID-19 in prisons.

According to court documents, Adriatico did not provide evidence that he has a medical condition that puts him in danger of COVID-19, and would prevent him from serving the rest of his sentence.

Adriatico also asked for release based on U.S. Supreme Court cases, in which leniency was given to defendants in their 20s, the same age range he was in at the time of his killings.

The court acknowledged that while he has completed many educational courses and self-improvement programs while incarcerated, the amount of time he has served is not sufficient, given the seriousness of the crimes he committed.




Haiti - FLASH : Gang atrocities on the population, the number of victims on the rise (partial report)





On Friday, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) expressed in a statement the deep concern of the United Nations because of the rapid deterioration of the security situation and human rights in the metropolitan area caused by the violents clashes between gangs in the communes of Croix-des-Bouquets, Tabarre and Cite Soleil.



The BINUH revises upwards the toll of civilian victims of armed clashes indicating their number now stands at 143, including "75 dead including women and children and 68 wounded" (provisional report)



Regarding access to the main national roads linking the capital to the North and the South, the BINUH stresses that they "are difficult to pass through, which has a strong impact on the movement of people and goods throughout the territory, and could at term have devastating effects on the socio-economic stability of the country [...]"



Furthermore, the UN Office indicates that "[...] Several local actors report that gangs act with extreme violence in their clashes with members of rival groups. They also reportedly use acts of sexual violence, including the gang rape of children as young as 10, to terrorize and intimidate local people living in areas controlled by rival gangs.



In addition, alarming reports indicate that children have been recruited into gangs and that several of them have been killed [...] five people were allegedly burned to death during incidents in Cite Soleil [...]"



Previous DPC / OCHA partial report : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36592-haiti-flash-gang-war-already-more-than-100-civilian-victims-provisional-report.html



Read also about armed clashes :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36580-haiti-insecurity-disrupted-activities-at-the-varreux-terminal-6-tankers-hijacked.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36571-haiti-flash-hundreds-of-people-flee-the-combat-zones.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36545-icihaiti-anti-gang-operations3-police-officers-injured-in-the-combats.html

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 - Economy : The World Bank commits to support a sustainable recovery in the country





Thursday, May 4th, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, Vice President of the World Bank for the Latin America and Caribbean region, concluded a four-day visit to Haiti. During his stay he reiterated the commitment of the World Bank to support Haiti, hit by multiple crises having an impact on its economic development.



Mr. Jaramillo, joined by Country Director for the Caribbean Ms. Lilia Burunciuc and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Resident Representative for Dominican Republic and Haiti Carolina Cardenas, met with H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry, Minister of Finance Michel Patrick Boisvert, Cabinet Ministers, development partners, and other key stakeholders.



"The World Bank is working in partnership with the Government of Haiti to address the key drivers of fragility and poverty. Looking ahead, its clear that improving the investment climate, restoring macro-economic stability, and strengthening core governance systems will be critical to build human capital, promote jobs, and foster economic recovery," said Carlos Felipe Jaramillo.



During the trip, Mr. Jaramillo traveled to Haitis southern region, still recovering from the August 2021 earthquake, and had the opportunity to visit several World Bank-supported projects, including a construction site for the new temporary bridge over the GrandAnse river and a health facility. The delegation also met with families benefiting from unconditional cash transfers and measures to improve the health, nutrition and financial inclusion of the poorest households affected by the earthquake.



As of June 30, 2022, the World Banks active portfolio in Haiti is comprised of 20 projects with a total value of US$1.3 billion, which represents an increase in commitments of nearly 40 percent over the past 12 months. A significant effort has been made to support Haiti following the 2021 earthquake that affected the countrys southern peninsula https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34681-haiti-earthquake-latest-assessment-of-civil-protection.html . In February this year, a Donors Conference mobilized US$600 million https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35978-haiti-flash-the-pm-obtains-promises-of-international-commitment-of-$600-million.html , of which nearly US$200 was committed by the World Bank. In addition, the IFC Haiti portfolio is comprised of eight projects with an initial commitment of US$141 million. The IFC is also providing emergency support to the private sector, including to the garment sector to increase the production of personal protective equipment for Haitis COVID-19 response.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35978-haiti-flash-the-pm-obtains-promises-of-international-commitment-of-$600-million.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34681-haiti-earthquake-latest-assessment-of-civil-protection.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34479-haiti-flash-magnitude-72-earthquake-in-the-nippes-updated-10am.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/05/06

On May 6th, actor Jung Joon-ho participated in an online interview where he discussed his upcoming film "Piggy Back" along other parts of his career. In the semi-comedic film, Jung Joon-ho plays a ferry captain stuck between his immature younger brother and even more immature son as he tries to lead his own life. Jung Joon-ho noted that it had been quite some time since he had been able to appear as the leading role in a film project.

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Jung Joon-ho admitted to being nervous because of that. Jung Joon-ho noted that despite the inherently collaborative nature of film, he felt the expectations of a lot of people on him as a result of his being the lead actor. But Jung Joon-ho claimed that such feelings of responsibility were in his mind ever since first reading the script. Jung Joon-ho has an eight-year-old son himself, who often asks what kinds of films his father appears in.

Jung Joon-ho liked that "Piggy Back" was the kind of film he could explain to his son without too much trouble, with much of his ouevre consisting of films that aren't appropriate for children. The script for "Piggy Back" also appealed to Jung Joon-ho quite a bit as a parent, just in terms of the complex relationship it details between a father and family members needing his guidance. Like his character in the film, Jung Joon-ho is a late father, having had his first child, a son, at the age of forty-four in 2014.

A second child, a daughter, followed five years later. Both are the result of Jung Joon-ho marrying an announcer back in 2011. Consequently, Jung Joon-ho claimed that the familial aspect of the role was not the most difficult one, claiming that he built his performance largely off of his own real-life experiences. "Piggy Back" will be released in South Korean theaters this coming May 11th.

Written by William Schwartz

___________

"Piggy Back" is directed by Choi Jong-hak-I, and features Jung Joon-ho, Choi Dae-chul, Lee El-bin, Lee Yi-man, Choi Moon-soo, Joo So-jung. Release date in Korea: 2022/05/11.
Published on 2022/05/06 | Source

"The Policeman's Lineage" is available to order on DVD with English subtitles from YESASIA.

"The Policeman's Lineage" (2020)

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Min-jae who is a policeman from generation to generation has been ordered to investigate Kang-yoon secretly, who is the ace team leader of investigation team. Min-jae is appointed as the member of Kang-yoon's team. Min-jae has belief of "If the police do something illegal even it has been occurred during the process of investigation, he is also a criminal". But while Min-jae investigates Kang-yoon, he begins to resemble Kang-yoon who has belief of "The chase of crime should be justified even it's illegal". Will Min-jae be able to clear his private mission and arrest Kang-yoon that he trusts and admires?

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Moscow criticizes West for prolonging Russia-Ukraine conflict

Xinhua) 09:55, May 07, 2022

MOSCOW, May 6 (Xinhua) -- While Western countries are calling for an early cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, "they are doing everything to prevent this" with their actions, a Russian diplomat said Friday.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine are increasing and the United States alone has sent 3.8 billion U.S. dollars worth of military products, Alexei Zaitsev, deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing.

Military supplies from Western countries will prolong hostilities, cause new destruction of civilian infrastructure, and cost more civilian lives, he said.

Against this backdrop, the Russia-Ukraine peace talks are "in a state of stagnation," Zaitsev said.

Meanwhile, the diplomat denied the allegation that Russia could use nuclear weapons during its special military operation in Ukraine, calling such speculation "a deliberate lie."

Russia firmly adheres to the principle that "there can be no winners in a nuclear war, and it should not be unleashed," Zaytsev noted.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The European Union (EU) says it is concerned about laws that Zimbabwe is crafting that will further restrict freedom of expression.

President Emmerson Mnangagwas government is pushing for the amendment of the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO), which civil society organisations argue is aimed at restricting their operations.

The government is also considering a new law to punish unpatriotic Zimbabweans.

Timo Olkkonen, the EU head of delegation in Zimbabwe, told Europe Day celebrations in Harare on Friday that the proposed PVO Act amendments were worrying.

The consequences of the PVO Bill on the operational space of the civil society is of particular acute concern, Olkkonen.

We also fail to see the need for a Patriotic Act to restrict freedom of speech.

The government claims the PVO Act is being amended to stem terrorism financing while the proposed Patriotic Act is meant to stop Zimbabweans from lobbying for sanctions against the country.

Olkkonen said the EU was also following closely Zimbabwes preparations for next years elections.

Another issue we are following closely, and also supporting through our development cooperation, are the preparations for the 2023 general elections, he said.

There will be a follow up to the EU Electoral Observation Mission from 2018 to assess the status of the recommendations made in 2018.

Recommendations of electoral observation missions together with those of the Motlantle Commission provide a useful tool in looking at where we are in terms of political reforms in Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa has been lobbying for improved relations between the EU and Zimbabwe since coming into power after the 2017 coup, but he has been accused of failing to deliver on promises of swift political and economic reforms.

The EU has been loosening its targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe, but continues to speak against human rights violations and lack of political reforms. Standard
Chamber announces five nominees for Athena Award

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce along with the Athena Committee and sponsors on Friday announced five nominees for the 15th annual Athena Award presented in memory of Vanessa W. Mintz.

The nominees are Vivian Bolanos, Pauline Carpenter, Crystal Cauley, Andriana Chavela and Dr. Amy Siegler. The Athena Award is presented by Pardee UNC Health Care, with support from Optimum and Judy Stroud State Farm Insurance.

The nominees will be honored at a reception presented by Judy Stroud State Farm Insurance, on Tuesday, May 17. The recipient of the 15th Annual Athena Award presented will be announced at the Business and Professional Womens Luncheon on Thursday, May 19, at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall.

The Athena Award honors individuals who strive toward the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishments, who excel in their chosen field, devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way, and forge paths of leadership for other women to follow. The award is co-sponsored by the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce.

The Business and Professional Womens Luncheon is hosted as part of the Henderson County Chambers Small Business Week celebration to honor the work that women are doing in area businesses and the community. This years luncheon will feature keynote speaker, Micaela Isler, executive director of the National Association of Business Political Action Committees.

The Athena Program is a way to honor and celebrate the contributions individuals in our community have made to the cause of womens leadership, says committee chair and 2018 recipient, Lee Henderson-Hill. When you look at the history of Henderson County, you see how much of how our community is shaped today as a result of female leadership. We want to celebrate and continue that work.

The Athena of Henderson County programming will continue throughout the year with the Leadership Breakfast hosted in the fall of 2022, and quarterly women-centric networking events, Empower Hours, hosted throughout the year. The next Empower Hour will be held on June 21 at the Peoples Museum.

For more information on the Athena Award and related programs, or to make your reservations to the Business and Professional Womens Luncheon, call the Chamber at 828-692-1413.


BEITBRIDGE town residents have raised alarm following the construction of a road on an electricity line where one pole has been left in the middle of the road.

In separate interviews, the residents blamed the local municipality and the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) for poor co-ordination.

It is reported that a master-plan mix-up resulted in the local authority constructing the road under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) which cuts through a powerline.

Residents started complaining this week after noticing that one of the electricity poles was in the middle of a newly surfaced road in the Vhembe View suburb along Acacia Drive.

We are gravely concerned about the situation along that road. Honesty there is something wrong with the workmanship there, especially those in charge of supervision, said a resident Mr Ndaba Ngoma.

The master map should have resolved that issue between ZETDC and the local authority. Lives could be lost there when someone smashes into the pole since it is in the middle of a road.

Miss Mitchel Mapfumo said if the matter was not urgently attended to, lives could be lost, especially by motorists driving down the road at night.

She said consultations should be held among major stakeholders when such high-capital projects are being implemented.

Another resident, Mr Samuel Chimere said: I blame both the roads contractor and rate payers representatives who are councillors for approving such poor workmanship which is a danger to motorists and a waste of valuable resources.

Mr Mafios Macheka said the power utility and the council should not drag their feet in addressing the abnormality on Acacia Drive.

Beitbridge East legislator, Cde Albert Nguluvhe, said it was important for ZETDC to reroute the powerline by removing the pole which could be relatively cheaper compared to reworking the surfaced road.

This is an error which needs to be addressed as soon as yesterday. I strongly advise ZETDC to reroute the powerline by removing that pole, which seems logical, he said.

The towns Mayor, Councillor Munyaradzi Chitsunge, said the power utility had erred in putting the electricity pole in the middle of the road.

He said they were now engaging ZETDC to ensure the challenge was resolved.

As a local authority, we have no control over ZETDC, and it appears they could have misread the master plan resulting in this current crisis and they are taking their time to remove that pole.

However, we are hopeful that the issue will be amicably resolved in the shortest possible time, said the Mayor.

By the end of the day yesterday, the power utility had already erected two more poles far away from the road under construction in preparation for re-routing the powerline.

Although the ZETDC spokesperson was not available for comment, a senior official within the organisation said the necessary paperwork had been processed by relevant authorities to allow them to reroute the powerline.

As you are aware, we dont just put a powerline without getting approval from the concerned local authority in terms of paying for wayleaves, said the official.

That powerline has been there for a very long time before the roads construction and we suspect there was a mix-up on the council side.

We appreciate the drive to modernise the towns roads by the government. So in the interest of progress, the necessary paperwork has been processed to remove that pole and use another route for our electricity line. Herald
Elon Musk made one of the biggest acquisitions in media last month after dropping $44B to buy out Twitter. There have been plenty of mixed reactions to the news. Some felt that it's dangerous to have a single owner of a platform like Twitter while others think that Elon Musk's leadership is necessary for the sake of free speech.



Mike Coppola/Getty Images

It seems that some feel that Musk should've opened the floor for other investors to chip in. Meek Mill went to Twitter where he said that Elon Musk should've allowed others to invest with him. Elon musk let us invest in Twitter with you big homie,' Meek wrote. No word on if Elon saw the tweet but he has yet to respond.

Elon Musk already has some big plans ahead after acquiring Twitter. For one, he said that he plans on making Twitter private, which would impede any plans Meek has to invest in the company. Secondly, Elon Musk hinted at the idea of charging commercial and government users a slight fee for using the platform.

According to Rolling Stone, Musk did have a few investors who chipped in on the $44B acquisition quietly. An SEC filing revealed that this included the Saudi Royal family and some rich Trump supporters.

What do you think of Elon Musk buying Twitter? Let us know in the comments.
Summer is here and Texas families are planning their yearly vacations. This often involves piling into the family truckster and driving to the far corners of the Lone Star State or even venturing Louisiana.

Growing up, my family mostly stayed to the four points of the compass, and tried to keep driving time within three hours. In the days before iPads and cellular service, the patience and attention span of a typical Texas pre-teen could be held only a few hours.

I still make these same trips occasionally, and I always try to work in a visit to a local barbecue joint on the way. Fortunately, Texas barbecue has become so popular that you can find great smoked meats in just about every corner of the state.

Here is a guide to a few select barbecue joints you will find on the way to some typical road-trip destinations. These places are chosen for ease of access and family-friendliness. All locations are near main highways, have big outdoor dining areas for kids and pets to stretch their legs, and mostly avoid the long ordering lines found at other craft barbecue joints.

Heading north, my family would often spend a weekend camping and hiking in parks like Davy Crockett National Forest, as well as fishing around Sam Rayburn or Livingston Lakes.

More Information Barbecue road trip 2M Smokehouse 2731 S WW White, San Antonio 210-885-9352 Open for lunch Thursday-Sunday Paul's Rib Shack Barbecue 4800 Nelson Road, Lake Charles, Louisiana 337-485-7427 Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday-Saturday Smokin' Z's BBQ 6 Herring, Bayou Vista 409-935-9564 Open for lunch Saturday-Sunday Mimsy's Craft Barbecue 1979 S. 5th St., Crockett 936-544-7000 Open Tuesday-Wednesday for lunch, Thursday-Saturday for lunch and dinner See More Collapse

Crockett

If you are in this area, Mimsys Craft Barbecue in Crockett is a great stop for the family. Owned and operated by former Houstonians Wade and Kathy Elkins, there is a big, air-conditioned indoor dining room, as well as an outdoor seating area. Wades smoked meats are some of the best in Texas, and Kathys creative sides such as poblano cheddar grits and the outstanding cheesecake for dessert are family crowd-pleasers.

Lake Charles

Heading east along I-10 we would stop in Lake Charles to visit family and, if we were particularly ambitious, make the drive all the way to New Orleans. There were and are plenty of Cajun and Creole stops along the way, but now there is a legitimate Texas barbecue joint in Lake Charles to satisfy any craving for Lone Star State smoked meats.

Pauls Rib Shack just off the 210 Loop features great Texas-style brisket as well as Cajun-influenced menu items such as smoked boudin and red-beans-and-rice. The big, oak tree-covered patio in back has plenty of games and other kid-friendly distractions as well as live music on weekends.

Galveston

For Houstonians driving south for vacation, this really only means one destination: Galveston. While the island has never been known for world-class barbecue, recently a worthy stop has popped up. Its located in Bayou Vista, just before the Causeway to Galveston Island.

Smokin Zs BBQ is a trailer off I-45 and is open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays only. Its the perfect pit stop on your way onto the island, with a covered patio and wafts of salty sea breeze mixing with fragrant post oak from the nearby smokers. Owners Zaid and Mallory Al-Jazrawi put their own spin on the classic Texas barbecue here: the brisket-and-grilled-cheese sandwich on buttery toast will be a favorite even for the pickiest of eaters.

San Antonio

Finally, heading west, is the classic Texas vacation destination: San Antonio. Theres no shortage of great food options here, and the barbecue scene has been getting better in recent years. If you are heading into downtown and need a lunch stop, stop south off on I-10 onto Loop 410, and you will find 2M Smokehouse.

Pitmaster Esaul Ramos Jr. has been nominated for a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas for his classic Texas barbecue that incorporates Tex-Mex influences from his hometown. Dont miss the house-made pork link sausage stuffed with serrano peppers and Oaxacan cheese.
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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Angela Housley was halfway through her pregnancy when she learned the fetus was developing without parts of its brain and skull and would likely die within hours or days of birth, if it survived that long.

The news came during her 20-week ultrasound.

The technician got a really horrible look on her face, Housley said. And we got the really sad news that our baby was anencephalic.

It was 1992 and abortion was legal in Idaho, though she had to dodge anti-abortion protesters outside the Boise hospital after the procedure. If the same scenario were to happen later this year, she would likely be forced to carry to term.

Thats because Idaho, which bans abortion after six weeks, is one of at least 22 states with laws banning abortion before the 15th week, many of them lacking exceptions for fetal viability, rape or incest, or even the health of the woman. Several of those bans would take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, as a leaked draft of the opinion suggests.

Such exceptions were once regularly included in even the most conservative anti-abortion proposals. But as the battle over abortion access heats up, experts on both sides of the issue say the exceptions were a temporary stepping stone intended to make anti-abortion laws more palatable.

Many of the current abortion bans are designed as trigger laws," automatically going into effect if the high court overturns the nationwide right to abortion. That ruling is expected to be released by late June or early July.

Alabama and Oklahoma have enacted bans with no exceptions. Alabama's 2019 law is blocked in federal court but could be reinstated based on the Supreme Court's ruling. The Republican sponsors envisioned the legislation as a vehicle to challenge Roe in court, and said they could add rape and incest exceptions later if Roe is overturned.

Theyre basically using people  in this particular situation, women  as collateral damage," said Democratic Rep. Chris England, the chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party. In the debate, we tried to talk reasonably to them and say, What happens if you win? This is the law, Youre not going to have the opportunity to change it before people get hurt.'

Several other states, including Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas, also have bans or trigger laws in place that lack exceptions for rape or incest, according to the Guttmacher Institute and Associated Press reporting.

Idaho and Utah have exceptions for rape or incest, but require the pregnant woman to first file a police report and then prove to the abortion provider the report was made. Only about a third of sexual assaults are reported to police, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

Texas and Idaho allow exceptions for medical emergencies" but leave that interpretation up to physicians, making some critics fear doctors will wait to intervene until a woman is near death.

Public support for total abortion bans appears to be low, based on a Pew Research Center survey released Friday and conducted in March. The survey showed that just 8% of U.S. adults think abortion should be illegal in all cases with no exceptions, and that 61% of adults say abortion should be legal in most or all circumstances. Surveys consistently show that many Americans have nuanced attitudes around the legality of abortion depending on the stage of pregnancy, circumstances of conception and health of the mother or fetus.

Arkansas has two near-total abortion bans  a trigger law from 2019 and one passed last year that is blocked in federal court. Neither have exceptions for rape or incest, though they do allow abortions to save the woman's life. The state also never repealed its pre-1973 total abortion ban with no restrictions.

Republicans in the state were split on the issue last year, with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Sen. Missy Irvin expressing reservations about the lack of protections for sexual assault survivors.

Do you know how many young girls are on suicide watch because they were raped, because they were a victim of incest? asked Irvin, who ultimately voted for last years bill.

The sponsor of last years ban, Republican Sen. Jason Rapert, defended the lack of exemptions, saying it still allowed the use of emergency contraception.

Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst for the abortion-rights supporting Guttmacher Institute, said that of 86 pending proposals for abortion restrictions this year, only a few  including one each in Idaho, New Jersey and West Virginia  include rape and incest exceptions.

The exceptions were always incredibly limited, she said. "You might think these exceptions are helpful. But in fact theyre so restricted, theyre very hard to use.

Troy Newman, president of the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, said exceptions to abortion restrictions for rape and incest and to protect a pregnant womans life in the past have been thrown in there to appease some centrists.

Newman said his group, based in Wichita, Kansas, opposes rape and incest exceptions. Their rationale: Dont punish the baby for the crime of the father.

The Ohio Legislature is weighing a trigger law that lacks sexual assault exceptions. During a hearing last month, the bills GOP sponsor, Rep. Jean Schmidt, caused controversy when she called pregnancy resulting from rape an opportunity for the rape victim to make a determination about what she's going to do to help that life be a productive human being.

She was responding to a question from Democratic Rep. Rich Brown, who asked if a 13-year-old impregnated during a rape would be forced to carry to term.

Rape emotionally scars the individual, Schmidt conceded, "but if a baby is created, it is a human life.

Democratic Rep. Tavia Galonski countered that pregnancy is often traumatic and dangerous on its own, adding: To then force a survivor of rape to carry a pregnancy to term and go through childbirth is utterly vile and only adds to the trauma they have already suffered.

In South Carolina, supporters of a 2021 abortion ban added exceptions for rape and incest because it was the only way to get the law passed. During debate, Republican Sen. Richard Cash argued against the exceptions.

Punish the rapist ... but it doesnt belong on the baby, he said.

Democratic Sen. Mia McLeod responded that it was obvious Cash had never been raped.

Well, I have. Youre looking at a sexual assault survivor, she said, adding that requiring rape victims to carry babies to term could lead them to desperate measures, including dangerous illegal abortions or suicide.

"Im just asking that the men in this body give the women and girls of this state a choice, McLeod said.

New Hampshire has banned abortion after 24 weeks of gestation except for when the woman's health is threatened, though the state will soon add an exception for fatal fetal anomalies. The Republican-led legislature has rejected attempts to add rape and incest exceptions.

Republican Rep. Beth Folsom, who said in January that she is a rape survivor, argued the exceptions aren't necessary because rape victims carefully track their menstrual cycles and wouldnt wait 24 weeks to seek an abortion. An incest exception wasnt needed, she added, because that aggressor is going to make sure that young girl or woman has an abortion before anyone finds out.

Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Pro-Choice Missouri, expressed concern that provisions in laws like the one in Texas that allow abortions past six weeks in medical emergencies, will require doctors to wait until a patient appears to be dying to perform an abortion.

Any of those kind of pieces that are left up to interpretation are generally going to have a broad chilling effect on providers who dont want to jeopardize their career and livelihood and practice and ability to care for other patients, Schwarz said.

Many bans outlaw abortion after six weeks, when vaginal ultrasounds can first detect electrical activity in embryonic cells that may later become the heart. Proponents call them heartbeat laws, arguing that cardiac activity is a reliable indicator of life.

In Idaho, Housley has repeatedly testified against the state's abortion bans in the Legislature, but said the lawmakers were uninterested in hearing about her experience.

My baby had a heartbeat, but thats not the only thing a baby needs, said Housley. Anti-abortion politicians "are not at all interested in the reality of this issue. Theyve hijacked this discussion, and thats why we are where we are.

___

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut and AP statehouse reporters from around the U.S. contributed.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP)  Crews searched waters off the coast of Georgia on Friday for the pilot of a small plane that officials said crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a statement saying its investigating what caused the Cirrus SR22 aircraft to go down in waters about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Savannah.
CAIRO (AP)  At least 11 Egyptian troops, including an officer, were killed Saturday in a militant attack on a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal, the military said.

In a statement, it said at least five other troops were wounded in the attack, one of the deadliest against Egyptian security forces in recent years. Troops thwarted the attacks and were pursuing militants in an isolated area of the northern Sinai Peninsula, the statement added. It gave no further details or the attack's precise location.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi mourned the death of the troops, vowing in a Facebook post to the continue fighting the militants and uprooting terrorism.

Two Northern Sinai residents said the attack took place in the town of Qantara in the province of Ismailia, which stretches eastwards from the Suez Canal.

The militants ambushed troops guarding the pumping facility, before fleeing to the desert in Northern Sinai, according to the residents who spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.

No group claimed responsibility for Saturdays attack.

Last week, suspected militants blew up a natural gas pipeline in Northern Sinais town of Bir al-Abd, causing a fire but no casualties.

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.

The military has claimed that insurgents have suffered heavy losses in recent months as security forces, aided by armed tribesmen, intensified their efforts to eliminate them.

The pace of militant attacks in Sinais main theater of operations and elsewhere has slowed to a trickle since February 2018, when the military launched a massive operation in Sinai as well as parts of the Nile Delta and deserts along the countrys western border with Libya.

The fight against militants in Sinai has largely taken place hidden from the public eye, with journalists, non-residents and outside observers barred from the area. The conflict has also been kept at a distance from tourist resorts at the southern end of the peninsula.
BROOKS, Maine (AP)  A juvenile was charged in the fatal shooting of a man in his home in Brooks, state police said Friday.

The Waldo County Sheriff's Department responded to a disturbance and discovered the shooting victim Friday morning. The body of James Cluney, 49, was being taken to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy this weekend, officials said.
A New York City judge's son who stormed the U.S. Capitol wearing a furry caveman" costume was sentenced on Friday to eight months in prison.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said Aaron Mostofsky was "literally on the front lines of the mob's attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

What you and others did on that day imposed an indelible stain on how our nation is perceived, both at home and abroad, and that can't be undone, the judge told Mostofsky, 35.

Boasberg also sentenced Mostofsky to one year of supervised release and ordered him to perform 200 hours of community service and pay $2,000 in restitution.

Mostofsky had asked the judge for mercy, saying he was ashamed of his contribution to the chaos of that day."

I feel sorry for the officers that had to deal with that chaos, said Mostofsky, who must report to prison in approximately one month.

Mostofsky was carrying a walking stick and dressed in a furry costume when he joined the mob that attacked the Capitol. He told a friend that the costume expressed his belief that even a caveman would know that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

Also on Friday, a federal judge agreed to postpone a trial in July for members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group charged with conspiring to forcefully halt the peaceful transfer of power after President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory.

A first jury trial for five of nine Oath Keepers members charged with seditious conspiracy, including group founder Stewart Rhodes, is now scheduled to start on Sept. 26 and is expected to last about a month. A second trial for the other four defendants is scheduled to start on Nov. 29.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta agreed to give defense lawyers more time to prepare for trial but indicated that he isn't inclined to grant another delay. A few defense attorneys expressed concern about the possible impact if a congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot releases its report around the same time as the first trial. Mehta said that wouldn't be a reason for another delay, "even if 435 members of Congress start reading from the report on the courthouse steps.

More than 780 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Over 280 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors.

A Tennessee man, Albuquerque Head, pleaded guilty on Friday to assaulting Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone. Head pulled Fanone into a crowd of rioters who beat him, shocked him with a stun gun and stole his badge and police radio. An Iowa man, Kyle Young, pleaded guilty on Thursday to assaulting Fanone, who was seriously injured by rioters and has since testified before Congress about the attack.

More than 160 defendants have been sentenced, including over 60 who have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 14 days to five years and three months.

In Mostofsky's case, federal sentencing guidelines recommended a prison sentence ranging from 10 months to 16 months. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Mostofsky was one of the first rioters to enter the restricted area around the Capitol and among the first to breach the building itself, through the Senate Wing doors, according to prosecutors. He pushed against a police barrier that officers were trying to move and stole a Capitol Police bulletproof vest and riot shield, prosecutors said.

"Mostofsky cheered on other rioters as they clashed with police outside the Capitol building, even celebrating with a fist-bump to one of his fellow rioters," prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Inside the building, Mostofsky followed rioters who chased Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman up a staircase toward the Senate chambers. He took the police vest and shield with him when he left the Capitol, about 20 minutes after entering.

Mostofsky frequently wears costumes at events, according to his lawyers.

To put the matter with understatement, the New Yorker is quirky even by the standards of his home city, they wrote.

A New York Post reporter interviewed him inside the Capitol during the riot. He told the reporter that he stormed the Capitol because the election was stolen.

Mostofsky has worked as an assistant architect in New York. His father, Steven Mostofsky, is a state court judge in Brooklyn.

The fact that his father is a judge means that he should have been better able than other defendants to understand why the claims of election fraud were false, said Justice Department prosecutor Michael Romano.

Boasberg said none of the supportive letters submitted by Mostofskys family and friends explain how he went down this rabbit hole of election fantasy.

I hope at this point you understand that your indulgence in that fantasy has led to this tragic situation, the judge added.

Aaron Mostofsky pleaded guilty in February to a felony charge of civil disorder and misdemeanor charges of theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Mostofsky was the first Capitol rioter to be sentenced for a civil disorder conviction.

Mostofsky's lawyers asked for a sentence of home confinement, probation and community service. Defense attorney Nicholas Smith described Mostofsky as a spectator who drifted with the crowd and didnt go to the Capitol to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power.

He did things he should not have done, Smith said. But theres a big difference between an ideologue who is motivated to commit violence and someone who ends up doing bad things when they find" themselves in a crowd.
TIGARD, Ore. (AP)  Police are investigating after two men were found dead Friday morning a hotel in Tigard, Oregon.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports investigators from the Washington County Major Crimes Team were at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Authorities responded at 1:30 a.m. to a call about a disturbance with a weapon.

After searching the building, officers discovered two men were dead, the Tigard police said.

Detectives were trying to identify a suspect, who they believe left the scene.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Law enforcement crews have found the body of a 14-year-old girl who fell into the Mississippi River late last month, but her 8-year-old sister is still missing.

Alton Brown told WWL-TV that a body found Thursday is that of his daughter Brandy Wilson.

He asked volunteers and law enforcement crews to keep searching for Ally Berry-Wilson: "Please come with good spirit and good intention, and help me bring my last baby home.

Family members have told news outlets they believe Brandy Wilson slipped into the river on April 23 and that 15-year-old Kevin Poole Jr. and her sister tried to save her.

They had taken the girls' 5-year-old brother to play at Algiers Point on New Orleans' west bank, across the river from most of the city. He ran home to alert people after the three older children fell in, according to news reports.

Pooles body was found Monday at a park a bit downriver on the east bank, news agencies reported. Brandy Wilson's body was about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) farther downriver on the east bank, near the Domino Sugar refinery in Chalmette, according to news agencies.

The Coast Guard searched for two days by air and water; local law enforcement agencies and volunteers have continued the search.

A search on Saturday for the little girl is expected to bring in hundreds of people from multiple states, WWL-TV reported.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Is there a new American motto: In nothing we trust?

By lots of measures, most in the U.S. lack much confidence in large institutions and have for years. Congress? Two big thumbs down. The presidency? Ehh. Americans are also distrustful of big business, unions, public schools and organized religion. Indeed, they hold abysmal views of the functioning of democracy itself.

The Supreme Court has been something of an exception. The one branch of government not dependent on public opinion has traditionally enjoyed higher public esteem than the branches elected by the people. Its above-the-fray reputation, cultivated with exquisite care, once served it well.

Now the justices face a reckoning over the audacious leak of an early draft opinion that strikes down the constitutional right to abortion, an episode that has deepened suspicions that the high court, for all its decorum, is populated by politicians in robes.

Republican members of Congress are suggesting a sinister left-wing plot to derail the outcome of the final decision. Liberals are alleging machinations from the right to lock the justices into their preliminary vote. For all that speculation, neither side knows who leaked the draft to Politico and why.

What's clear is that the affair has popped a deferential bubble around the court.

My confidence in the court has been rocked, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of the few Republican senators in favor of abortion rights, said with alarm. Vice President Kamala Harris accused the justices of mounting a direct assault on freedom if they vote as they signaled. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Trump-nominated justices of lying to Congress about their abortion views in their hearings.

Elected officials do not normally talk this way about the justices. But now, it seems, the jurists are fair game, just another contingent of power players in the Washington viper pit.

In contrast, after mounting a fierce legal fight to settle the implausibly close 2000 election, Democrat Al Gore held back his grievances about political taint on the court when it crushed his hopes in a decision that made Republican George W. Bush the president.

Gore didn't hesitate to accept the finality of this outcome, as much as he said he disagreed with it. The deferential bubble was evident. But that decision became seen as the modern starting point in the erosion of trust in the court.

In the years since, Democrats gutted the filibuster on one front to help them populate the lower federal courts with as many judges as possible, knowing they were setting a precedent that could bite them in the future.

Then Republicans did the same for Supreme Court nominees in the judicial equivalent of nuclear escalation.

And there was Donald Trump. During his presidency, Trump specialized in what's known by the political class as saying the quiet part out loud. This included his sizing up the judiciary as a political beast, made up of Democratic judges or Republican ones.

For the justices, who have long cloaked themselves in the notion that the politics ends once they ascend to the bench, it was a step too far when Trump accused Obama judges of standing in his way and otherwise disparaged judges he didn't like.

We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges," Chief Justice John Roberts said in an unusual statement rebuking Trump's comments. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.

Yet people in the United States, in recent times, have grown suspicious about judicial independence, with a strong majority believing justices should keep their political views out of their decisions but not even 1 in 5 polled believing they do an excellent or good job of that.

In 2020, Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett became the first justice in modern times to win confirmation without a single vote from the minority party. She's aware of how that looks.

My goal today is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks, she told an audience in Louisville, Kentucky, in September at a center named for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who had engineered her fast confirmation. Barrett was one of five justices signaling a vote against Roe v. Wade in the leaked draft, Politico said.

As controversial as the Roe v. Wade decision affirming abortion rights was in 1973 and in the years since, it was not a ruling driven by partisanship. The vote was 7-2, with five of the justices in the majority nominated by Republican presidents.

Now, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal on the conservative-majority court, warns that a reversal in 50 years of abortion rights would shatter the idea that American justice is blind to partisanship or party.

Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts? she asked in a Mississippi abortion case in December. She said she thought it wouldn't survive that.

OUT OF SIGHT

Except when a monumental decision like this abortion one comes out, or when Congress is screening court nominees in its performative hearings, the Supreme Court works largely out of sight and out of mind. But in New York City, the leak got Sequoia Snyder thinking about the court. Is it just one more institution not to be trusted?

When you think about it, the power is not in the hands of the people, said Snyder, 22. "We dont vote on that. The Electoral College ... the popular vote is ignored. The police are not very regulated, kind of can do what they want with impunity.

"Like every every facet of our society you go to, we dont really have the power or a voice. So I just think its crazy that nine people have the final say on like everything in the country and they can never lose their job. It just seems weird.

In Charleston, outside West Virginias only abortion clinic, Dennis Westover, a 72-year-old retired electrical engineer, sat in a lawn chair with an anti-abortion sign. He, too, sees weird doings from the court.

One side or the other did it for a political motive to stir up some kind of stink," he said of the leak. We human beings do what we do for whatever we think is a good reason. ... What was the reason? It couldnt be a good one because you leaked Supreme Court privileged information.

TRUST DEFICIT

In an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll last month, only 18% of U.S. adults said they have a great deal of confidence in the Supreme Court. About 27% have hardly any confidence in it.

The high court has historically received better ratings than the other branches and that remains so. In the most recent poll, just 4% have a great deal of confidence in Congress; 51% have hardly any. And 36% have hardly any confidence in the executive branch.

Still, the court's standing has been deteriorating in recent years. The 2021 General Social Survey suggested confidence in the high court was among its lowest points in the last half century.

In September, a Gallup poll found 54% said those surveyed had at least a fair amount of confidence in the court, down from 67% in 2020. Only one other time in five decades has that confidence fallen below 60%.

The poor ratings of government couple with grim views of U.S. democracy and a disenchantment with the pillars of society almost everywhere you look.

Gallup has tracked public opinion of 14 core institutions across the spectrum  organized labor, the church, the media, the medical community among them  and found confidence in them sagging, with the share expressing high confidence never rising above 36% on average over 15 years. Only the military and small businesses get a resounding vote of confidence.

Overlaying everything is a sense that the very foundation of the republic is in trouble. In January, 53% said in an AP-NORC poll that democracy in the U.S. is not working well; only 8% thought it was working very or extremely well.

That state of affairs emanated from a 2020 election that saw Trump fight fiercely and futilely to reverse Democrat Joe Biden's clear White House victory. Trump's false allegations of a rigged election have resounded across the country as the two parties square off over state election laws in response.

In his effort to cling to power, though, Trump also confronted the limits of political influence in the judiciary as he and his campaign brought a battery of far-fetched legal challenges to courtrooms only to have them systematically fail.

Trump judges" didn't save him.

___

Associated Press writer Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
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Mark Lambert, University of Chicago Divinity School

(THE CONVERSATION) On Jan. 3, 1865, the Kingdom of Hawaii, then a sovereign state, enacted An Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy. Any person suspected of having the ancient disease  which is mentioned as far back as the Bible  would be inspected and, if deemed incurable, permanently exiled to a peninsula on the island of Molokai.

More than 8,000 people with leprosy fell victim to this policy of permanent segregation over the next century. Native Hawaiians renamed leprosy ma'i ho'oka'awale ohana: the sickness that separates family. Surrounded by steep cliffs and treacherous ocean, the peninsula served as a natural prison and soon gathered a reputation as a de facto death sentence.

But in the Catholic Church, May 10 commemorates the day one man moved to Molokai willingly: Father Damien. Born Jozef De Veuster in Belgium, he came to Hawaii as a young Catholic missionary and spent the last 16 years of his life voluntarily living in the leprosy colony, before contracting the disease himself and dying in 1889.

Canonized as a saint in 2009, Father Damien was designated the patron saint of people with leprosy, or Hansens disease.

My research focuses on how Christian theology views socially stigmatized diseases, such as leprosy. Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s, Damien has also become linked with the virus and inspired many Catholic groups that care for patients. His legacy illustrates the churchs complicated, often harmful views on HIV/AIDS  but has also helped people see those who suffer from stigmatized diseases with more agency and dignity.

Joining the community

Damien landed at Molokai on May 10, 1873. In a now famous letter to his brother, he wrote that he would make himself a leper with lepers, to gain all to Christ.

For over 2,000 years, care for people with leprosy has often been reduced to segregation. This was the case in Hawaii, where the Board of Health offered bounties to those who turned in suspected patients. The widespread belief that leprosy was an advanced stage of syphilis added an air of moral condemnation to the policy.

According to accounts such as Kaluapapa: A Collective Memory, which documents residents experiences in the colony, Damien employed his carpentry skills to build two chapels, new shelters for the residents, and a multitude of coffins. He provided rudimentary medical care, secured a fresh water supply, and established an orphanage. At a time when fear of being near people with leprosy was the norm, the priest also ate with residents from the same pot, and shared his pipe with them.

By the beginning of 1885, Damien began to show signs of having contracted leprosy, and in 1886 the priest formally became known as Admission #2886 to the settlements. Three years later, he succumbed to the disease.

Patron saint

Damiens ministry garnered an international audience, elevating him to something of a celebrity, and his death prompted an immediate response. The future king of England, Edward VII, proposed to erect a monument to Damien on Molokai, to establish a ward devoted to leprosy in a London medical institution and to fund research on leprosy in India. Damiens example inspired the creation of several other organizations devoted to the study and treatment of leprosy, from the U.S. and Belgium to Congo and Korea.

In 1967, the French journalist and humanitarian Raoul Follereau presented the pope with a petition signed by almost 33,000 leprosy patients, calling for the beatification of Father Damien. In 1977, Pope Paul VI declared Damien venerable, the first step toward canonization  which eventually occurred in 2009, under Pope Benedict XVI.

From leprosy to HIV/AIDS

But how did the patron saint of people living with leprosy become, informally, a patron saint of people living with HIV and AIDS? Given the Catholic Churchs traditional stances against homosexuality, condoms and extramarital sex, the notion can seem paradoxical.

Comparisons between the two diseases were made from the early days of the AIDS crisis: Both were considered mysterious and frightening and severely stigmatized, with sufferers often viewed as dirty or sinful. Many caregivers were afraid to even touch AIDS patients.

Invoking Father Damiens example became a way for religious organizations to legitimize their HIV/AIDS outreach in the eyes of the church and to emphasize their concern for patients social stigma  even if the Catholic Church itself was helping to perpetrate that stigma, and arguably the disease itself.

In 2003, for example, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, wrote that the use of condoms goes against human dignity. Condoms change the beautiful act of love into a selfish search for pleasure  while rejecting responsibility. Condoms do not guarantee protection against HIV/AIDS. Condoms may even be one of the main reasons for the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Even in 2009, the year Damien was canonized, Pope Benedict remarked that the AIDS epidemic cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms; on the contrary, they increase it  an attitude out of touch with most U.S. Catholics views, not to mention medical science. The popes statement provoked such outrage that the Belgian Parliament even condemned it.

But many in the Catholic Church responded to the AIDS crisis with empathy. In 1985, for example  just a few years after the disease had been identified  the New York Archdiocese opened a treatment facility at St. Clares Hospital, the states first specialized AIDS unit.

A number of ministries turned to Father Damien as inspiration for AIDS-related work, years before the church officially made him a saint. Likely the oldest is Damien Ministries, founded in 1987 to serve the poorest of the poor living with HIV and AIDS, as inspired by the life of the Blessed Father Damien. The Washington, D.C.-based ministry adopted a solidarity approach modeled after Damiens ministry on Molokai, citing parallels between leprosy and HIV/AIDS.

Other Damien-inspired organizations include the Albany Damien Center, the Damien Center of Indiana  founded as a collaboration between Catholics and Episcopalians  and St. Damien Hospital in Haiti.

Damien serves as what religion historian Robert Orsi calls an articulatory pivot point: a way people  HIV/AIDS patients, in this case  can use their faith to reshape their experience and gain agency, even as that same religion stigmatizes them as powerless others.

As a canonized saint, Damien is embraced by the highest levels of the church. Yet as a man who embraced those the rest of society had rejected, joining them and even dying for them, he also represents people at the margins.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP)  U.S. service members were injured Thursday when a helicopter they were riding in made a hard landing at a military base in Virginia, U.S. Navy officials said in a statement Friday.

The service members were participating in a routine training at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach, according to the statement from Capt. Sarah Self-Kyler, director of public affairs for U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
A Greenspoint man was sentenced to 22 years in prison this week for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old boy at a thrift store in 2016, according to a Harris County District Attorney's Office press release.

Mario Alverto Navarro, 52, was convicted by a Harris County jury on Wednesday for aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, according to court documents.

Judge Maritza Antu of the 482nd District Court sentenced Navarro to 22 years in prison, records show.

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This sexual predator has destroyed this boys childhood and turned the innocent act of shopping with his mother into a traumatic experience of recurring fear, worry and disgust, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg stated in a press release. Situations like this are absolutely heartbreaking.

Navarro's attorney has filed an appeal, according to court records.

On Oct. 1, 2016, Navarro is said to have ran into a woman he knew at a thrift store who had her 9-year-old son with her, according to the press release.

More from Joel Umanzor: Teen shot in the back during robbery over shoes in Westchase, HPD says

Navarro allegedly told the boy he had candy in the back of the store and lured him to a restroom, where he put a towel around the boys eyes and assaulted him, the press release added.

Four months later, the boy told his mother about the incident which led to Navarro being investigated by the Harris County Sheriff's Office and eventually arrested, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Its a parents worst nightmare. A sexual predator just lurking in a store ready to lure children away from their parents, said Assistant District Attorney Brett Batchelor, who prosecuted the case.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com
A man died early Saturday after crashing his truck into a northwest Houston home's detached garage, according to police.

Officers got dispatched to the crash around 1:15 a.m. at the 3400 block of Victory Drive and found the man dead inside of his truck, HPD said. None of the residents inside the home were injured during the crash.

More on HoustonChronicle.com: Voters to cast ballots on schools boards, bonds, suburban councils and two state props Saturday

Investigators believe the driver was traveling eastbound on Victory when he lost control, slamming into a wooden fence before crashing into the garage, HPD added.

It is currently unclear if the man had a medical emergency or was impaired during the incident, authorities said. The Harris County medical examiner will perform an autopsy to confirm what caused the driver to lose control.

No other information is available at this time.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com
UPDATE: The Texas Department of Transportation is reporting that it has completed weekend work on Interstate 45 near the causeway.

In a tweet late Sunday morning, TxDOT said: "Good news! Road work on I-45 Gulf Freeway northbound and southbound just north of @CityofGalveston and Galveston Causeway has been completed early. Stay safe and Happy Mothers Day to all the awesome moms."



Motorists heading to Galveston were running into significant traffic Saturday near the causeway.
A pair of Harris County civil court judges have been sanctioned for behavior in their courtrooms, with one judge allowing the shackling of attorneys and another erupting into fits of rage during a trial.

The reprimand applies to Judge Barbara Stalder in the 280th Family Protective Order Court for holding an attorney in contempt during a February 2020 hearing and then ordering the bailiff to shackle him to a chair in the jury box, according to State Commission on Judicial Conduct documents. A week later, the judge did the same with another attorney.

The commission also ordered that Judge Clinton "Chip" Wells in the 312th Family District Court be admonished and undergo two hours of education on how to appropriately conduct himself for courtroom outbursts of anger aimed at lawyer Teresa Waldrop during an April 2019 divorce trial.

Stalder could not be reached Friday as the commissions ruling from April 20 was made public. Wells acknowledged that his actions were wrong.

I made a mistake and Im not hiding from that, said Wells, who is facing Waldrop in the Democratic runoff election. My behavior was not acceptable.

The incident involving Stalder, who in March lost her primary bid, began when she threatened to hold lawyer Derrick Saulsberry in contempt for not answering questions about a profanity-laced conversation that he had with the mother-in-law of his client outside the courtroom. The judge ordered that he apologize in open court and he refused. Stalder told the bailiff to take Mr. Saulsberry into custody, the commission wrote.

The bailiff handcuffed Saulsberry to a chair, in full view of the courtroom  including his client. Judge Stalder continued the hearing and Saulsberry remained shackled for about 20 minutes. In a written response to the commission, Stalder confirmed that she told her bailiff to escort Saulsberry to the jury box. But she did not(?) deny that she ever asked him to take Mr. Saulsberry into custody or that Mr. Saulsberry in fact was shackled at any time.

The commissioners report includes the question mark in parenthesis in their statement.

While investigating Saulsberrys claim, the commission learned that lawyer Samuel Milledge was similarly shackled a week later in Stalders courtroom for words exchanged with a court employee. The judge lectured Milledge about his behavior and then read Milledge his rights and had her bailiff escort him to the jury box.

After Milledge was shackled in the jury box, Judge Stalder stated to him he would sit there and that she would address a contempt hearing on the matter after the remainder of her morning docket, the commission continued. A contempt hearing never happened.

Milledge was let go only after calling his son, Samuel Milledge II, also a lawyer, to represent him. The younger Milledge exchanged words with the bailiff, told the judge that his father had a trial to attend and continued to verbally clash with the bailiff.

Judge Stalder called (Milledges son) back to the bench and told him to never step foot in her courtroom again, the commission wrote, adding that the judge later apologized to the father and son in her chambers.

Milledge, his son, and Saulsberry did not return requests for comment.

Stalder addressed the Milledge incident, telling the commission that she understood how her reference to setting the matter for contempt and reading Mr. Milledge his rights could reasonably lead a person to believe he was, or was about to be, in custody, the agency wrote. Stalder stated that she did not know that Milledge had been shackled.

The commission went on to say that Stalders behavior casts public discredit upon the judiciary or the administration of justice.

Stalder, a Democrat, was elected in 2018.

Public sanctions range from admonitions, warnings and reprimands, the latter of which representing one of the most severe punishment. When sanctioned, the offending judge and complainant are provided a copy of the order, which is then distributed to ensure public awareness, according to the commissions website.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Texas and Harris County voters head to the polls Saturday to cast ballots for a pair of state propositions, a replacement for retiring Houston state Rep. Garnet Coleman, and hundreds of millions of dollars in school bonds.

The two statewide measures could change how the state determines property taxes. Proposition 1 would lower the amount of taxes paid by elderly or disabled property owners, while Proposition 2 would reduce the amount of homestead property that can be taxed.
National Weather Service

Houstonians will face 'dangerous' heat and humidity conditions this weekend as a heat advisory goes into effect Saturday for all counties in southeast Texas, according to the National Weather Service.

Highs will be in the mid to upper 90s with heat index values reaching 105 Saturday afternoon, the NWS stated, as record temperatures are expected to hit the region.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Bob Levey, Stringer / Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Grace Ramey, MBI / Associated Press Show More Show Less





Thumbs down _ We were shocked - shocked! - to learn late Friday that the claims of far-right activist Steven Hotzes lawyers that he wasnt aware his private investigator planned to run an A/C repairman off the road in October 2020 to thwart an alleged Democratic voter fraud scheme were  wait for it  false! Turns out, two days before the private investigator, former HPD captain Mark Aguirre, slammed his SUV into the innocent repairmans vehicle and held him at gunpoint, falsely believing he had hundreds of fraudulent ballots in his possession, Hotze had called then-U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick, telling him of the plans to have a wreck, according to court documents reported by the Chronicle. Hotze asked Patrick, son of Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, to have a federal marshal there, but Patrick, who was recording the call, informed him that he didnt have any such law enforcement at his disposal and even if he did, hed need probable cause and Department of Justice approval to act. Aguirre faces felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint, and Hotze was recently indicted under the same charges through Texas law of parties. The finding that Hotze was aware of Aguirres plans to run into the repairman and make a citizens arrest, as he told Patrick, is key to prosecutors case that Hotze was responsible for Aguirres violent actions. Hotzes lawyers reiterated their contention that Hotze is innocent and the charges against him are politically motivated. Somehow, were not persuaded.

Thumbs down _ If youre one of those ungrateful individuals who still hasnt picked up a gift for the woman who gave you life, weve got the mother of all last-minute Mothers Day gift ideas: a backup generator. Hey, we know its not super cool, glam or sweet smelling but it just might help Mom stay all of those things in the event that the Texas power grid managers hot weather warning of potential emergency conditions this weekend leads to an actual loss of electricity. What better way to melt Moms heart than to make sure hers doesnt melt down on a 90-something-degree afternoon without AC? And in the event of another never-ending blackout in freezing temperatures like we saw after Winter Storm Uri, the generator will keep Mom safe, comfortable and filled with warm thoughts as she reflects on your potentially life-saving token of love and emergency preparedness. Its the perfect gift for the woman whos got it all, except, of course, a state government with the competence to keep the lights on.
Democratic candidate for governor Beto ORourke leaned into the issue of abortion during a stop in Boerne on Friday, dedicating much of an hour-long speech to the topic ahead of a reproductive rights rally in Houston on Saturday.

Days after the Supreme Court leak of a landmark opinion on abortion rights, ORourke blasted the looming decision and a series of laws passed by the Legislature that would ban abortion in Texas even in cases of rape and incest if the justices follow through and overturn Roe v. Wade.

ORourke said its all adding up to a devastating week but called on hundreds of supporters to channel that frustration energy into the November elections that are now just six months away.

The antidote to despair is action; committing ourselves to the fight ahead, ORourke said.

For years the conventional wisdom in Democratic politics in Texas has been to de-emphasize abortion issues out of fear that it would hurt candidates in a state that many consider to be against abortion rights. But this week, ORourke made clear he wont hide from the issue.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has also been outspoken on the issue, urging the court to issue the ruling immediately.

IN-DEPTH: Supreme Court abortion bombshell takes spotlight in Texas governors race between Abbott, ORourke

ORourke has released several statements on social media including a lengthy discussion with Cecile Richards, the former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. He also held a press conference on Thursday in Austin with former State Sen. Wendy Davis, whose 2013 filibuster of anti-abortion legislation in the Texas Senate gained her national recognition.

And on Friday, ORourke made abortion rights central to his speech in Boerne, which is in very conservative Kendall County. ORourke in 2018 won just 22 percent of the countys vote against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

In Houston on Thursday, Abbott made it clear that he wants the campaign to turn into a battle over abortion. He pointed to his 2014 race against Davis.

2014 was a referendum on abortion, and I won that race by 20 points, Abbott said. I feel confident based upon my past history with regard to the issuethat Im going to win just as easily this year.

Davis has pushed back against Abbotts characterization of the race.

2014 was not a referendum on abortion rights, Davis said. Most voters had no idea who Greg Abbott was when they voted for him. They defaulted to their Republican voting habit without a full understanding of exactly what they were voting for.

Abbott had been the Texas Attorney General from 2002 until his run for governor in 2014. This year he is seeking his 3rd four-year term in office.

Texans' position on abortion has been at times unclear in public polling. The Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin released a poll in February that found that 53 percent of Texans oppose a complete ban on abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
A screenshot from a SolaBlock information video shows how the blocks are made. The Pittsfield Finance Committee is recommending a TIF and a boost from the GE funds for the startup. PreviousNext

Pittsfield Finance OKs TIF, GE Funds for Solar Masonry Company

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A company that combines solar panels with masonry blocks to make urban renewable energy is being welcomed to the city with subsidized taxes and economic development funding.

On Thursday, the Finance Committee supported a five-year tax increment financing agreement for SolaBlock Inc . The Community and Economic Development Committee also supported allocating $125,000 from the Pittsfield Economic Development (GE) Fund for the company.

It will go to the City Council for final approval at next week's meeting.

"SolaBlock is an innovative clean energy company that I've been working with for the past two or three years now, trying to bring their operations to Pittsfield, I'm very excited that they're planning to come here," Pittsfield's Business Development Manager Michael Coakley said.

"SolaBlock combines a solar panel masonry block and then creates a solar wall which is very innovative, it's the only one in the country, in the world for that matter, they plan to create a minimum of 17 full-time clean energy manufacturing jobs, with salaries ranging from $37,000 to $55,000, they plan to lease the recently vacated 10,000 square-foot building over at 15 Hubbard Avenue, which was the Modern Mold building."

SolaBlock will be partnering with several city companies including LTI Smartglass Inc. and Cantarella & Son Inc. masonry. It is also looking into partnerships with Taconic High School, Berkshire Community College, and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

"I think this is really the type of business that we want to attract and bring into Pittsfield and we are very excited to come here," Coakley said.

The five-year TIF starts with 100 percent forgiveness the first year and then goes down in 20 percent increments each year. It has an estimated value of about $36,000 and the company is expected to pay out the equivalent amount over the five years.

Because the SolaBlock will be leasing space, there is not a TIF on the property at this point, Coakley said, but the total investments will be about $440,000, and that includes the move, build-out of the space, and the equipment costing about $300,000.

That is what the personal property tax is being proposed on.

"They're not a registered manufacturing company with Massachusetts yet, but at a certain point they will become that in another year or two or three years, there are certain steps that they will need to take and some milestones that they will need to make to become a registered manufacturer," Coakley explained.

"Once they do become a registered manufacturer, they no longer have to take personal property tax so the TIF will be null and void at that point."

For the $125,000 in economic development funding, $75,000 will be disbursed after SolaBlock obtains Underwriter Laboratories Certification and the company occupies its facility by Dec. 31.

The $50,000 balance will be disbursed six months after the company documents eight full-time employees with minimum salaries of $37,500 by Dec. 31, 2023.

Coakley said this is "basically a forgivable loan."

In addition, the Massachusetts Economic Assistance Coordinating Council approved $170,000 in state tax incentives for the company in April. Both the TIF and incentive are part of the state Economic Development Incentive Program.

SolaBlock has already raised $629,000, received about a quarter-million-dollar Massachusetts clean energy grant, and is expected to raise an additional 2 1/2 million dollars later this year, Coakley reported.

CEO Eric Planey went over the company's product, initiative, business model, workforce development, and regional rollout.

"[Coakley] really hit the nail on the head when he said, this is really about a product that integrates a solar panel into a concrete masonry block, so then we're taking what we call the wasted space, commercial buildings and their sidewalls which are not doing anything in order to make the building either a net-zero building, efficient, or generating green power or generating resiliency power," Planey said.

"So one statistic that is really important that you're going to hear more and more, 40 percent of global greenhouse emissions actually come from buildings, according to the World Green Building Council, and that's a combination of the carbon intensity to make products in the materials that go into the buildings that the operation and the buildings themselves."

In this case, net-zero means the building's ability to not generate positive carbon into the atmosphere during its life.

Planey said the company has had some initial verification that SolaBlock's product can last up to 40 years and the product takes about 3 1/2 years of carbon emissions to make.

The SolaBlock solar management unit is centered on the relationship between the block and its photovoltaics, which convert light to electricity, he said, as there is a symbiotic relationship between the two that helps protect it and insulate it through weather conditions, enabling it to last longer and operate more efficiently.

The company started its journey to UL certification in 2019 and believes it should be on the path to getting certified this year after recently completing a critical wet/dry test, which involves putting it in a pool of water and running 4,000 volts through it to make sure that there was no leakage of electricity.

The company is now in final long chamber testing.

"Twenty of our blocks, which is about 18 1/2 square feet, mitigate the carbon emissions from a single passenger vehicle per year," Planey said. "Two hundred and forty-eight of our SMUs, which is about 220 square feet, mitigate enough carbon to take the car off the road entirely."

Currently, SolaBlock is also working on an exercise with the Berkshire Athenaeum to satisfy net-zero building mandates and has presented the library with three concepts.

"I want to thank you for your excellent, detailed presentation," Ward 4 Councilor James Conant said. "You answered all our questions. Your technical expertise is obviously outstanding and this type of entrepreneurship is exactly what Pittsfield's future is all about and you have my total support."

Though he had questions, Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick also commended the company for the quality of its presentation.

Councilor at Large Earl Persip III explained that he wants to make sure the endeavor will be successful with the use of the city's economic development funds.

"These funds, GE economic funds are an asset to the city of Pittsfield, and people like clench their fists when it comes to these funds," he said.

"I'm not necessarily one of those people, but we want to make sure this build is successful, so that's where my questions are coming from, I want to kind of understand what you guys are doing in your big picture because we really don't see too many startups. It's already someone who's kind of established usually, so that's new for me."

Both the TIF and the economic development fund allocation were approved unanimously.
Berkshire Bike Path President Marjorie Cohan cuts the ribbon opening the new Pittsfield extension of the rail trail on Saturday with Mayor Linda Tyer and state and local officials. State Reps. Paul Mark, Tricia Farley-Bouvier and John Barrett III. Berkshire Bike Path President Marjorie Cohan PreviousNext

State, Local Officials Cut Ribbon for Pittsfield Rail Trail Extension



Mayor Linda Tyer welcomes attendees at Saturday morning's opening of the Pittsfield extension of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. The bike path now runs from Crane Avenue in Pittsfield north to Lime Street in Adams.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Bikers, joggers, and skaters can rejoice because Pittsfield is now connected to the county's hallmark of outdoor recreation, the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.

Nearly 100 people gathered at the trail on Saturday morning for a ribbon-cutting of the new leg that comes out behind Allendale Shopping Center.



The 1.5-mile section has created a 14.2-mile path from Crane Avenue to Lime Street in Adams and cost about $2.3 million.



The goal of a county-long trail has been in the works for more than 20 years, with the first stretch of the rail trail being completed in 2001 between Cheshire and Adams.



Mayor Linda Tyer pointed out that the Pittsfield extension was in conversation when she was first elected to the City Council in 2004 and called for a quicker process with future construction.



"It is really a really momentous occasion for Pittsfield in particular but for the whole region because what we know is that outdoor recreation is part of the Berkshire experience and the rail trail is an important amenity to all of that," she said.



Tyer thanked Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath for the many years that he has spent working on the bike path and outdoor amenities in the city.



"Myself and a number of individuals that are here this morning have been working for over a decade, and in some cases two decades, on local bike path planning, so it's been a long road, and seeing all of your excitement this morning is absolutely what keeps us motivated to further our work," he said.



"The vision that we've all been working toward is that of a true Berkshire bike path, it will invariably take us some time to realize that larger vision, and until we do I want you all to enjoy this new section of trail here and our city, this project represents Pittsfield's, our, ongoing commitment to providing quality, accessible recreational opportunities across our whole city."



The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, responsible for design and construction, the Berkshire Bike Path Council, and state legislators were recognized for the support they have given this project over the years.



District One Highway Director Francisca Heming explained how this leg is the gateway for the path to extend through the city.



"This new 1.5-mile extension that we're celebrating today is exciting because over the next few years other projects planned in the city basically will extend their shovel to carve an additional two miles closer to the downtown," she said.



"These upcoming projects include the like [McGrath] mentioned, the next Ashuwillticook extension to Merrill Road, which will be ready in construction next year, the 1.5-mile shared-use path along Merrill Road that is currently under design by MassDOT and is scheduled for construction in 2024, and, in 2026, the reconstruction of East Street to Silver Lake Boulevard, which will include inclusive bicycle and pedestrian accommodation on this complete redesign."



Another section is also being constructed in Williamstown with plans to extend it into North Adams and eventually south to meet at Lime Street.



Berkshire Bike Path President Marjorie Cohan said people thank her all of the time because they think she built the bike path but, in fact, it was a number of people and agencies that had to pull together to make it happen.



She explained that planning went back to the early 1990s, when there was a forward-thinking committee that created a bike path feasibility study on the former train tracks and pointed out that Heming was one of the engineers that designed the first part of the trail toward the end of millennium.

Mark said he thought he was Tip O'Neill and had accomplished his own Big Dig when he secured $500,000 to help extend the trail as a first-term representative in 2012.

"I'm really excited to be here 10 years later, the reason I made this a priority in my first term, probably my first large earmarks in the Legislature, was because talking to [McGrath], talking to city officials at the time, talking to advocates at the time, they talked about the importance of diversifying our transportation portfolio," he said.



"Of making sure people have the access not just to cars, but to biking to walking to rollerblading to exercise to connecting this community of Pittsfield with the entire county, north to south, and eventually someday south all the way to the border, hopefully, as part of a vision of what this county can be. ...



"A hub for recreation, a hub for people who live here to work and play and take advantage of the beautiful scenery that we get to enjoy every single day and so when they asked me to file this, yeah, I made this one of my priorities, and I was really excited to have it happen."



Barrett said he is "probably" the only current elected official that was around in 1998 and spoke to the importance of outdoor recreation in bringing new people to the area as well as benefitting the locals.



"Outdoor recreation in Berkshire County is the future of this region and its success," he said. "It's going to attract people here but most importantly, it's going to attract younger people here who are going to be looking for jobs and creating new jobs here because they want outdoor recreation as part of it."



Farley-Bouvier spoke of her first impressions of the rail trail, thinking that this was how government worked best because it is accessible to everyone. She said she now understands that is incorrect and that the trail will not be accessible until it connects all neighborhoods in the city.



"This isn't accessible to everybody, this trail is not accessible to everybody and it won't be until we extend it through the entire city of Pittsfield," she asserted.



"Because unless you have that minivan unless you can put a bike rack on something you actually can't get here, and I gotta challenge you all and I'm gonna make us all feel a little uncomfortable for a second. Look around. Who is missing from this crowd? Right now. We have to connect all the neighborhoods in Pittsfield to this bike trail so that truly we can say that this bike trail is accessible to everybody."



Chris Cozzaglio of U.S. Rep. Richard Neal's office was also in attendance. As a 28-year-old local, he said he remembers the origins of the bike path and that projects like this are important by increasing access to beautiful places and giving people without cars other ways to get from point A to point B.



Before the ceremony, groups of cyclists from within the city and from as far as North Adams traveled to the destination on bikes.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States, groundwater in the northern part of India has reduced by 88 million acre-feet over the last couple of years.



Unsustainably high groundwater use as well as its decline lead to water scarcity for coming generations, however it is not confined to that. Scientists are working hard to figure out how the decrease in groundwater is compacting the land above, having caused irreversible shifts in the aquifers. This could make cities even more vulnerable to flooding and water logging.

Shutterstock/Representational Image

What is land subsidence?

Land subsidence is defined as the progressive or abrupt sinking of the earth's surface caused by the elimination or dislocation of subsurface earth components. The main causes are aquifer-system compression caused by extensive underground water withdrawals, drainage of organic soils, basement mining of mineral deposits, oil and gas, and natural compaction or collapse caused by boreholes or thawing permafrost, and seismic activity.

BCCL/Representational image

Land subsidence is increasingly causing damage each year, according to a paper published in Nature Scientific Papers titled 'Tracking hidden crisis in India's capital from space: implications of unsustainable groundwater use.' Over 80% of global land subsidence is caused by extreme underground water extraction, that raises intergranular strain and induces soil particle reorganisation, actually results in aquifer compression and ultimate land subsidence.



Groundwater extraction levels in India continue rising in order to accommodate the increasing nation's drinking water, agro - based, and industrial necessities. The Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) is among the fastest-growing urban areas in the world, with as many as 6,25,000 households lacking access to water sources. For their everyday water needs, people depend on underground water or private vessels.

BCCL/Representational Image

The effects of groundwater on the land above

Underground water remains deep beneath the land crust, where it fills the spaces left by pore spaces or rock fractures. Water is pressed at such depths, pushing the earth upward. "Both the water and the substance beneath share the load of the earth," Shagun Garg, a civil engineer and researcher at the University of Cambridge, told Mongabay. "Whenever the groundwater is excessively extracted, the substance beneath becomes the only entity for handling the weight," he added.

India is ranked first in the world for its elevated use of groundwater. Even inside India, the northern Gangetic valleys are more heavily exploited than other regions. The disappearance of aquifers is hastening changes in the structure of the earth's surface.

BCCL/Representational image

Alluvial groundwater research in the Delhi NCR area discovered that the ground has started to sink and continues to sink at a significant pace. During 2014-2016, specific sections of Delhi, such as Kapashera near the Indira Gandhi International airport, experienced a land subsidence speed of 11 cm annually, which further increased to 17 cm each year during two following years.



BCCL/Representational Image

What happens when land sinks?

Sinking ground can imply a variety of things. According to the study, if land sinking is expanded out over a large area, this could imply that the region will become flood prone. However, if the pace of sinking varies, it could have an effect on civil facilities such as roads, buildings, and residences. It may cause fundamentals to deteriorate or cracks to form in buildings.

To evaluate the true effects of land subsidence at a specific location, computational data must be combined with comprehensive ground assessment. Nonetheless, it is estimated that by 2040, land subsidence will affect approximately 8% of the world 's top layer and approximately 1.2 billion people living in 21% of the world's big towns.

BCCL/Representational image

Land subsidence, along with many other natural disasters, is expected to have a greater impact on Asia than on the rest of the world. With 86 percent of Asians vulnerable to the impacts of land subsidence, approximately US$8.17 trillion is arguably at stake.



Can we repair the land that has sunk due to subsidence?

Ground water refill is a natural method. People can lessen land subsidence if underground water refill is equal to the volume exploited, or if we use water in a sustainable manner.

However, research indicates that aquifers are so heavily exploited in the region that the rate of regeneration far outweighs the consumption rate. According to reports, India's groundwater are in critical condition, with a yearly use of approximately 433 billion cubic metres of underground water.

For more on explainers, news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


In the Kerala-based news channel Media One ban case, the Supreme Court of India expressed to inquire about the legality of governments filing information in sealed covers without sharing the information with the opposite party. The central government denied granting security clearance for the channel's licence renewal application on grounds of national security.



The sealed cover jurisprudence issue came to light when the Centre intended to provide the court with its internal file on the ban in a sealed envelope.

Justice DY Chandrachud objected and asked why the government is not willing to disclose the files to the channel. The court accepted material in sealed covers only a "small exception" of cases like child sexual abuse, he added.

Pix4free/Representational image

The court also questioned the decision of the government to effectively shut down the media house business, Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited (Media One), citing "national security and public order" as a reason and not revealing the specific reasons for not granting their security clearance.



What is Sealed Cover Jurisprudence?

According to a report published in The Hindu, the doctrine of seal cover is used by the Supreme Court and also lower courts of India to receive or approve information from government agencies in sealed covers. Only judges can access the envelope containing information.

There is no law specifying the sealed cover jurisprudence but the SC derives its power from Rule 7 of Order XIII of the Supreme Court Rules and Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.

Unsplash/Representational image

Rule 7 of order XIII of the Supreme Court Rules deals with the fact that the Chief Justice or court directs any information that can be kept confidential only if its publication is not in the public interest. As an exception, no one or party is allowed to access the information except Chief Justice allows the other parties to access the information.



Under Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, the unpublished official documents about state affairs are given protection and a public servant cannot be forced to disclose such information. Also, information can be asked in secrecy or confidence when its publication delays an ongoing investigation.

Doctrine used in NRC and Rafale case

In 2018, the then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi directed the former Assam National Register of Citizens coordinator to submit a report of people excluded from the draft document in a sealed cover.

AFP

The doctrine was also used in BCCI Reforms Case, Bhima Koregaon case 2018, the CBI vs CBI case involving Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana, Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case and the Rafale case when the government was asked by the to submit the pricing of the jet's details in a sealed cover.



Sensitive cases

There are instances when in-camera trials were done in sensitive cases like sexual harassment. Such cases were heard in closed chambers to make documents and arguments remain away from the public eye.

With almost no historical records of sealed cover practice in courts, there are instances of in-camera trials. Even in such cases, the party that submits the copies of documents to the bench is also with the opposite party.

Unsplash/Representational image

However, the documents are not shared with the other party in the case of national security like the Rafale case was considered a super-secret by the court.



Criticism of sealed cover doctrine

The use of seal covers breaches the transparency and accountability of the Justice system of India and is not favourable in the long term. In the case of adjudication, evidence is mandated to be shared with both parties to the dispute, particularly in cases of fundamental rights.

It is also argued that using this doctrine intervenes in the free trial and adjudication. The process is often called arbitrary as an individual judge looks into the matter substantiating a point of any case.

For more on explainers, news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


A password-free digital future is near! Apple, Microsoft, and Google have announced plans to authorise passwordless authentication based on the standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium.

Three of the world's biggest companies - Apple, Microsoft, and Google announced plans to enable a passwordless sign-in for billions of devices around the world.

Unsplash

Microsoft, Apple, and Google embrace the death of passwords

Microsoft was among the first companies to embrace a passwordless ecosystem, urging users back in September, 2021 to get rid of all those passwords and switch to an authenticator app. In 2020, over 150 million people on Windows were using either fingerprints or facial recognition instead of passwords.

Representative / Unsplash

Apple, too extended support for passkeys in iCloud Keychain. Users can now log in to their Apple devices and accounts by confirming their username and then verifying their identity with Face ID or Touch ID.

Also read: Apple & Meta Gave Sensitive User Data To Hackers Posing As Officials, Report Says

Recently, Google also announced plans to introduce passwordless login options for users by 2023.

Unsplash

By extending support for the FIDO standard, Apple, Microsoft, and Google will allow users to log in to their devices without using passwords, instead depending on other methods like using a fingerprint, face, or device PIN.

As Venture Beat reported, this means that employees of such companies would be less exposed to phishing attempts in addition to simpler logging in. In addition, it would also limit the theft of password credentials, many of which are sold on the dark web.

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How will FIDO authentication work without passwords?

FIDO stands for Fast Identity Alliance and is an open industry alliance founded in 2012. The tech that supports FIDO2 is called asymmetric cryptography. How does it work? A private and public key both generate a key pair. Then, the recipient's private key is required to confirm the message. Once the message is decrypted, users gain access instantly. It is of importance to note here that the user's public key is, well, public. It's the user's private key that must be protected at all costs.

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Also read: Microsoft Pledges 'Right To Repair', First Among Big Tech Companies: Why It Matters



Each device also has a attestation certificate for FIDO2 authentication, called an X.509 certificate. This cannot be transferred and is "cryptographically attested," implying no attackers can use the public key to authorise access because the signature wouldn't match.

What do you think about a world free of pesky passwords? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Keary, T. (2022, May 5). Apple, Microsoft and Google announce plans to enable passwordless authentication for billions of devices. VentureBeat.

Hoefling, D. (2022, April 24). Understanding How FIDO Makes Passwordless Authentication Possible. Practical 365.
Typing "And. And. And. And. And." into Google Docs is crashing the service for many users. Reported first by Bleeping Computer, a bug in Google Docs is making it crash when "And. And. And. And. And." is typed into a document opened through the online word processor.

The bug is persistent. When Google Docs crashes, accessing the document may become difficult, for it would keep crashing again. Google told Bleeping Computer that it is aware of the issue and is currently working on a fix.

Google

What happens is, when you type "And. And. And. And. And." into Google Docs while your "Show grammar suggestion" is turned on, it will crash. The issue was first brought to attention by Pat Needham, a user who wrote about it on the Google Docs Editors Help forum.



Indiatimes

"I've only tried in Google Chrome, with documents from three separate Google accounts (personal, G Suite Basic, and work one which might be enterprise). All three experience this same issue," the user wrote. The bug is case-sensitive. "So trying with 'and. and. And. and. And.' doesn't cause it to crash," the user wrote.

Also read: Anyone Can Be A Good Writer With Google Docs' New Features

While Pat Needham may have reported the issue first, it was initially spotted by Eliza Callahan, a poet who was writing on Google Docs.

Indiatimes

Google claims to have fixed the issue for all users, a company representative wrote on the forum page. When we tried to recreate it on a Google Docs document, nothing happened. But many publications like Bleeping Computer were successfully able to reproduce the bug on Google Docs.

If you intend to use Google Docs and you're generally heavy on your ands, your best bet is to untick "Show grammar suggestions" by heading over to "Tools" on Google Docs.

Also read: Google Assistant Can Now Warn Chrome Users To Change Their Stolen Passwords



If you tried to recreate the bug, did it affect you? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Sharma, A. (2022, May 6). Google Docs crashes on seeing And. And. And. And. And. BleepingComputer.
Scientists have tracked methane expelled via cow burps using readings from space. Researchers at GHG Sat, an environmental research company, recently used satellites to successfully capture high-resolution pictures of cow burps from space.

Taken from an area used for farming in California's Joaquin Valley, the pictures were clicked in February, BBC reported.

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Why are scientists tracking cow burps?

When cows burp, they release methane, a gas that is considered one of the key contributors to global warming and climate change. Methane traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere and then warms the entire planet.

It's important to be mindful of the fact that most methane emissions don't come from cows, but instead emanate from human activity. Most methane comes from landfills, agriculture, coal mining, wastewater treatment, and numerous industrial processes.

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Also read: Human Pee Could Power Our Agriculture In A World Wrecked By Climate Change

Regardless, cows are serial burpers. In case you didn't know, cows have four stomachs that are constantly breaking down grass and other food. Using satellites, researches measured the levels of methane produced by farms. They found that each hour, Joaquin Valley was producing 361 to 668 kilograms of methane.

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The goal of this enquiry is to help officials set targets that could collectively limit methane production. To continue their line of study, the company is putting 10 satellites into Earth's orbit by next year after sharing their data with the United Nation's International Methane Emissions Observatory programme (IMEO).

Also read: Cutting Meat Consumption By 75% Globally Could Beat Climate Change, Study Says



Frank Mitloehner, who is not related to the study, told University of California, Davis earlier that cows account for just 4% of all greenhouse gases produced in the US. He also added how beef cattle account for just 2% of direct emissions.

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Even then, an all-round assessment of all contributing factors could help the world tackle global warming more efficiently, even if it means assessing how much cows burp.



What do you think about this novel method to track methane emissions through farms? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Methane from cow burps seen from space for the first time - CBBC Newsround. (2022, May 4). BBC.

Cows and climate change. (2022, January 6). UC Davis.
China, Indonesia vow to safeguard peace, stability in East Asia

Xinhua) 09:56, May 07, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan via video link on May 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan via video link on Friday, with the two sides agreeing to jointly safeguard peace and stability in East Asia.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Indonesia relations have withstood the test of the COVID-19 pandemic and injected positive energy into the anti-pandemic efforts and development of the region and the whole world, Wang said.

Hailing the two countries as true friends and reliable partners, Wang said China is willing to work with Indonesia to deepen the new pattern of bilateral relations with "four-wheel drive" on political, economic, cultural and maritime cooperation, so as to better cope with various international challenges, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.

China is willing to jointly deepen health cooperation with Indonesia in the post-pandemic era, and foster more growth points under the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang added.

He noted that a regional cooperation architecture centered on ASEAN has been formed in East Asia, and it is key to maintaining regional peace and stability.

"The U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy goes against the trend of the times and does not serve the common and long-term interests of countries in East Asia," Wang said, also pointing out the danger to the region of the "Five Eyes" alliance, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) and Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership.

No matter what regional strategy is proposed, it should aim at mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Wang said, adding that China is ready to step up communication and coordination with Indonesia to jointly safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the region, and to implement the Global Security Initiative through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

For his part, Luhut said Indonesia welcomes the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative proposed by China, and is ready to take an active part in these two important initiatives.

Indonesia appreciates China's support for its hosting of the G20 Summit and will work with other parties to ensure that this year's summit plays a constructive role in restoring the global economy, he said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
In a bizarre incident, a man swallowed jewellery worth Rs 1.45 lakh along with biryani during an Eid party at his friend's house in Chennai. The jewellery was recovered after doctors gave him an enema and retrieved the jewels lodged in his stomach.

The host, who works in a jewellery store, had thrown a feast on Eid and had invited her friend and her friend's boyfriend on the occasion.



Representational Image/Swiggy

However, her friend's boyfriend not only ate the sumptuous biryani but also swallowed jewellery worth Rs 1.45 lakh, The New Indian Express reported.



After the guests left, the host noticed a diamond necklace, gold chain and a diamond pendant were missing from the cupboard. After enquiries with other guests, she suspected that her friend's boyfriend had stolen the jewels and lodged a complaint with the Virugambakkam police station.

Representational Image/iStock

When he was questioned on Wednesday, May 4, he confessed to the crime. Police, after scanning his stomach, confirmed that the jewels were still there.



After being scanned at a private hospital, doctors gave him an enema and the necklace worth Rs 95,000 and gold worth Rs 25,000 found their way out.

After recovering the jewels, the woman withdrew her complaint and said she didn't want to proceed with the case.

A senior officer with the Virugambakkam police station told IANS that as the woman had withdrawn the complaint, the identity of the persons involved in the crime and the complainant could not be revealed.

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A Muslim cleric in Kenya has asked court not to release him from prison despite being acquitted of terrorism charges.

Guyo Gorsa Buru was freed on Thursday, after the court cited lack of evidence. However, he has sought to remain in custody as he fears he could be abducted and killed by state agents.

Representational Image/AFP

Garso was arrested in 2018 by the Anti-Terror Police Unit and was subsequently charged with possessing material that promoted a terrorist group and for collaborating with Somalia-based al-Shabab militants, the BBC reported.



Milimani chief magistrate Wendy Micheni ordered that he could stay at the prison for a period not exceeding 30 days after which he would be set free.



Twitter/ Radio Jangwani 106.3

Earlier, the court ruled that the state had failed to prove its case against Buru.



His lawyer, John Khaminwa, has asked the High Court for the guarantee of state protection for his client once freed.

While the cleric awaits a ruling, Justice Micheni said he would have to pay the government for his stay at Kamiti Maximum Prison.

olsenruis1942

In his application to be detained, the cleric said people who have been acquitted of terrorism charges have been abducted, killed or disappeared without a trace.



"There are numerous cases of people being charged with offences under the terrorism act who have been acquitted and have later on been found dead. So he's quite justified in holding the view that he could be eliminated," Khaminwa told the BBC.



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Mark Porter is CTO at MongoDB, and a technologist with broad interests and a deep history in software leadership and practice. Porter joined MongoDB at the beginning of 2020, after serving as CTO at Grab, a ride-sharing, delivery, and mobile payments superapp company based in Singapore. Before that, he spent nine years building Amazon RDS managed database services at AWS. Earlier in his career, he spent 12 years at Oracle, where he worked on the Oracle RDBMS, managed the Oracle RDBMS server development team, and eventually rose up the ranks to report directly to CEO Larry Ellison.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Porter about joining MongoDB, his relational database snobbery, the advantages of the document model, how to make software developers happy, how to make software deployments safe, and what todays developers need from the database tier. Porter also discussed what it was like working with Larry Ellison and why developers should not have to become managers to succeed.

MongoDB MongoDB CTO Mark Porter

Matthew Tyson: Hey Mark, thanks for chatting with me. You took up the CTO mantle at MongoDB at the beginning of 2020. What was that experience like, right as the pandemic was unfolding?

Mark Porter: Matt, thanks for taking the time. My journey to MongoDB was an interesting one. To be authentic and a bit ashamed, I really didnt understand what Id gotten myself into. While Id used MongoDB in multiple jobs, I have to say that I was still a relational snob. But as I got to see the power of the document model, built-in scalability, and fully architected high availability, I became much more open-minded. Frankly, MongoDB is a natively highly available distributed system that handles transactions, while relational databases are single-primary transactional systems that struggle with distribution and availability. It also took me awhile to fully comprehend the power of a modern platformwith MongoDBs drivers, you program naturally in your language and dont have to go through this incredibly cognitively difficult SQL translation layer. Sure, SQL is mathematically really pure. But MongoDB lets you get things done more practically, easily, and efficiently.

Tyson: What do you see as the frontiers in data? Where is MongoDB researching and pushing the state of the art?

Porter: Well, JSON, believe it or not, is still pushing the frontier of data. We launched with JSON back in 2009, and the power of that data type that is both computer- and human-readable and processable is still being felt across the world. Open standards like JSON, Parquet, etc. are so powerful. And combining them with streaming standards and huge economical object stores on the cloud providers allows easier integration of systems than ever before. Were really focusing on making it easier to move data between MongoDB clusters and data lakes but also into and out of MongoDB. And well manage it all for you. Just like we removed the need to build a separate search cluster, manage it, and upgrade it  we added open-source Lucene search directly into our back-end engine. Almost every app needs search now, and with Atlas, you turn it on with the click of a button or an API call. I envision more and more integrations like that, but all while remaining standards-based and composable, so people can integrate us anywhere in their workflow  as the system of record, as the landing spot for IoT data, or as the sink for all of a companys 360-degree data on their customers and suppliers. Its all about being easy to build with.

Tyson: Its amazing to think how a seemingly innocuous language feature like JSON has had such a massive impact (thank you, Douglas Crockford).

Im really curious how you guys go about staying in touch with developers on the ground. How do you keep up with the pulse of things as you maintain and expand such a big operation?

Porter: MongoDB has always been a developer-first company. But its one thing to say and another to do it; you have to want to listen and learn from the feedback that is given rather than just use developer first as a hidden marketing ploy. They see right through that, and justifiably.

So firstly, I think it's a question of mindset rather than the execution of "how." In all of our early years, MongoDB engineers would spend a lot of time at meetups and conferences. Of course, not every interaction can be in person and the pandemic definitely brought that point home for us and many other technology companies. Now that were bigger, with millions of downloads and hundreds of thousands of registrations per month, we have a pretty large Developer Relations team, a Champions program, and were restarting those same meetups and conferences. But frankly, that stuff has trouble scaling. So we have a lot of great tooling that helps us keep in touch with developers and our open-source roots, and many open-source products keep us in touch with the community.

For example, we still embrace issues and pull requests via GitHub. We use Jira, and our tickets for improvements are public, so users comment on those, and they can correspond directly with our engineers. We use Intercom for chat support. You can reach out to MongoDB support engineers and get an answer usually within five minutes, 24 by 7. And then we use Chorus.ai, which records check-ins and conversations with users and transcribes them. On the back end, our product team goes through those transcripts and uses that data to inform what we prioritize and what we build. On a more aggregate level we analyze and review all the developer surveys that we can find annuallythe JetBrains survey, the Stack Overflow survey, and the State of JavaScript are some examples.

I think we are sometimes in the same position as our customer base, which is that we have so much data  culling through and analyzing it in order to prioritize and decision it  that's what's hard. So, we do a lot of things to stay in touch with developers personally, and because of the scale, we bring software and data in to help as well. There is no compression algorithm or shortcut to this part of the business  humans are complicated!

Tyson: When I saw the title of your recent article (Overcoming the Fear and Loathing of Pushing to Prod) I had to laugh. Theres always a certain apprehension when the rubber meets the road and the business is about to depend on code we just wrote.

Youve written a lot of great posts on how to make deployments more robust (The 180 Rule, The Goldilocks Gauge, etc.). My question here is, how hard is it to get people and culture to adopt these practices? Do you have any insights on that?

Porter: (Laughs.) Im kind of nervous having you read my stuff. I think I might surprise your readers with my answer. These posts and these discussions are actually far more popular and in-demand from me than anything I say about databases or data. I regularly give talks at all-hands meetings of engineering teams, and we talk about two main things: engineering culture and deployments. I recently was asked to talk to a panel of 56 CIOs, and all they wanted to talk about was culture and deployments! Because, like you say, theyre two sides of the same coin. I mentor teams to focus on candid and open conversations up and down the management chain. Managers need to give developers context, and developers need to give managers honest and timely updatesespecially when the news is bad.

But back to your actual question I find that both managers and leaders need to be more brave. They know what will make their deployments safer, what will make their developers happier, and what will make their sprints more predictable. So when I talk to them, I talk about having low-stakes, honest conversations, where all parties both speak and listen with good intent. Once that is established, the rest can happen. Without that trust, everything is just so hard.

Tyson: Youve been involved with several patents, including one with Oracles Larry Ellison. What is the process of carrying an idea all the way through to a patent? How do you see the role of patents in the software business?

Porter: That one with Larry has a funny backstory. I was in a shop waiting for my car to be fixed and Larry called me about something completely unrelated. But, over an hour later, long after my car was ready, wed come up with this idea for network-aware bandwidth and resolution adjustments for video streaming. With regard to the role of patents in general, I focus on two aspects  engineering and commercial. There is a certain purity in bringing an engineering idea to such clarity that you can express it in a set of claims that form an elegant onion, building on the idea layer by layer. And engineers should be proud of that  after all, reducing chaos to order is literally what we do.

In addition, from a commercial point of view, its important for companies to have portfolios they can use defensively to protect against the trolls out there, the ones trying to make money without adding any actual benefit to the universe. Im proud of my patents, and we also have an opt-in patent program here at MongoDB that helps engineers be proud of their innovations  and there are a lot of them in progress!

Tyson: Larry Ellison is such an iconic figure, what was it like to work with him?

Porter: Haha, now the gloves are off, is that it? Larry is indeed an iconic person. Ive found that leaders like him, or Andy Jassy at AWS, or even my current boss, Dev [Ittycheria], here at MongoDB, set the culture for the company  all the way down to every person typing furiously to build or support customers at the company. Larry has a mixed reputation, no doubt about it. My interactions with him were technical  around building database and video server technology  and his passion was always to build the right elegant product, the one that would save customers money and help them move faster. I learned a lot from him during the years I worked both indirectly and eventually directly for him.

For example, we had a meeting culture where all exec staff meetings were Monday, then the next level was Tuesday, then down through the company during the week. By doing this, every single employee at the company had the opportunity to hear about new ideas or directions from Larrys staff meeting, in person, with the ability to comment and ask questions within a single week.

I think where Larry struggled and continues to struggle is that he lets the senior executives around him build a culture of not treating customers well, and he doesnt jump in and course correct that. All in all, Im a Larry fan and deeply value the 13 years I had the privilege of working with him and Oracle. That said, I think the culture of engineering empowerment, intellectual honesty, and good intent that Dev has built here is pretty fantastic  and Im still pretty much a student of that particular game.

Tyson: I read that you did some coding on the Apple II in Pascal, and I have to tell you, that brings back memories. (When you were creating software to help Alaskans learn trades, I was writing Ultima clones :)

In the same article you say that every management level should have an equivalent individual contributor leadership level and the pay should be equivalent. That really struck me. How can we convince companies to make it so? Especially given the prevalence of the belief that one has to stop coding and start managing at a certain point?

Porter: First off  Ultima! What a wonderful world that was. It was amazing what we could do with 64K of memory, a processor running just over a million eight-bit instructions per second, and 140K on a floppy drive, right? Crazy.

Back to your question about having to go into management to succeed. This is a real hot button with me. For the last decade, at News Corp, AWS, Grab, and now at MongoDB, Ive worked to have equivalent individual contributor ladders and management ladders. And not only equivalent in pay  but equivalent in responsibility and influence. For example, at MongoDB now, Distinguished Engineers are at the same level as Vice Presidents and involved in appropriate levels of decision making and planning. But, like you say, there is this prevalent belief that you have to go into management to make the most money and have the highest title and the most influence. Total hogwash. At each of those companies, Ive written a document about the differences between being a senior individual contributor and a senior people leader. Both roles care deeply about the company, of course, and about the people. But the people leader takes a deep visceral interest and holds responsibility for every one of their peoples struggles, growth, compensation, and career. Whereas the senior individual contributor mentors people but also focuses just as viscerally on the quality of the code, the processes, and architecture.

Tyson: I read somewhere that you keep up your coding chops by teaching your kids programming (Scala, Java, and others). Do you have any insights on how to maintain that elusive work/life balance?
On February 24, Irish journalist Bryan MacDonald posted on Twitter: I genuinely didn't believe Russia would launch a full-scale military attack on Ukraine."

"Like most journalists, analysts and pundits based in Russia, I thought it was sabre-rattling or a bluff to force the West's hand in negotiations."

Mr MacDonald, who works for the Russian state media outlet, RT, formerly known as Russia Today, added: I apologise for getting it so badly wrong.

In the run-up to the invasion, Mr MacDonald had frequently tweeted about the geopolitical situation involving Russia, Ukraine and the West.

His tweets pushed the view that Russia would not invade Ukraine.

After his apologetic tweet of February 24, on the first day of the war, the Carlow-native posted to Twitter just twice more.

This week, Mr MacDonald was included on a list of sanctions imposed by the British Government against a number of people it said were linked to Russian broadcasters and newspapers, who had helped spread disinformation and propaganda for the Kremlin.

The sanctions list said Bryan McDonald  using both spellings of the surname  was head of Russia desk for the English language edition of RT (formerly Russia Today).

Russia's state-controlled Russia Today (RT) television broadcast van near the Kremlin. File picture: Mladen Antonov / AFP via Getty Images

Mr MacDonald's work for RT, an outlet which is funded by the Russian Government, dates back a little under a decade. He worked on a freelance basis before that.

RT has a website, social media and TV news channel, with the latter channel not actually available in Russian.

Its TV channel was available in English, Arabic, Spanish, German and French.

Following the invasion, it was banned in the UK and Europe.

Propaganda and disinformation accusation

Prior to this, the outlet had been accused of espousing propaganda and disinformation for the benefit of the Russian government.

In January, the US State Department said RT was one of Russias key state-funded and directed global messengers within this ecosystem, using the guise of conventional media outlets to provide disinformation and propaganda support for the Kremlins foreign policy objectives.

The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, has been keeping an eye on RT since the Ukraine crisis exploded into a full-scale invasion.

RT and Ofcom have clashed before.

After a chemical poisoning in Salisbury, England, in March 2018 of Russian military intelligence defector Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Ofcom monitored RTs output.

What it found was coverage so biased on this issue that Ofcom imposed a swingeing 200,000 sanction for seven serious breaches of the due impartiality rules in the British Broadcasting Code. Ofcom has announced 27 expedited investigations into RT coverage of the invasion of Ukraine.

Despite this, Mr MacDonald has disputed the suggestion he engaged in spreading propaganda and false information.

In 2014, he was the subject of an in-depth piece by a publication called The Interpreter, which describes itself as a journal covering the actions and policies of the Russian government.

The Interpreter claimed he was using both subtle and not-so-subtle" means to influence more respectable western outlets coverage of the crisis in Ukraine.

These were claims he disputed.

Speaking to the Irish Examiners The Mick Clifford Podcast last year, he was described as having worked for the Independent, Daily Mail and Ireland on Sunday before he left the country.

He said he left Ireland in 2008 after the financial crash and initially found himself in Berlin.

From there, he said he drifted to Russia.

Ive spent most of the last 11 years here, he told Mr Clifford.

At that time in August 2021, the Black Sea city of Sochi was his home.

He described the media in Russia as stratified, with State media controlled by the Government with little if any criticism of Putin, and other layers of media not subject to the same scrutiny.

Russia Today is a foreign broadcaster, he said.

The level of State interference would be probably no more than the State interference at RTE... They just simply wouldnt care.

He said he was never asked to spike" a story during his time on the Russia desk, even stories critical of the government or critical of Putin, and he was never told not to print anything. However, he added the experience would be different for domestic-based media.

This opinion is not one shared by the British Government.

It said RT is owned or controlled by ANO TV-Novosti, which is affiliated with the Russian government and carries out a business in a strategically significant sector to the Government of Russia.

Therefore, as an employee of RT, MacDonald is a member of, or associated with, a person involved in destabilising Ukraine or undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine, or obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia, the sanctions list said.

The EU, US and UK have sanctioned dozens of people since the Russian invasion of Ukraine for what it says are links to the Kremlin.

These latest sanctions against media organisations and individuals included the freezing of assets and travel bans.

In a statement reacting to the sanctions this week, Mr MacDonald was bullish as he defended his work at RT and criticised the British for launching sanctions.

He said he was inaccurately described as the head of the Russia desk at RT, when he was head of the Russia desk at RT.com which is totally separate to the television, which they banned.

I just think its really sad, he said.

And it reflects badly on the British government, which claims to have respect for press freedom.

He also accused the British Government of getting its facts wrong about him on its sanctions list.

What makes this ruling even more ridiculous is that I ran the [online] desk to the highest professional standards.

We did not engage in any disinformation. Our output was balanced and rigorously fact-checked. Under no metric could it have been considered propaganda.

"In fact, this seemed to upset some people as they wanted RT to fit a particular narrative.

He said that this desk was disbanded more than two months ago and incidentally, all the other employees were British.

Mr MacDonald also pointed out that the British Government listed him as being from Kilkenny which isnt the case, telling The Mick Clifford podcast last year that he was from Carlow.

Also, I find the targeting of myself with financial penalties to be beyond hilarious, he said.

I dont have money to be placing in UK banks. Nor do I have a mansion in the Cotswolds or a townhouse in Islington.

I was a journalist working for a news outlet. Not a tycoon. Unlike, for instance, many of those Russians who have donated to Britains ruling Conservative party.

However, he also did address his statement of getting it wrong about whether or not Russia would actually invade Ukraine.

Im genuinely sorry about that, he added.

I could point to the fact that almost all Russia experts held similar views, but that would be a cheap deflection. I can only speak for myself, and I absolutely did not believe there would be a full-scale military offensive in Ukraine.

Mr MacDonald did not comment on his future plans in the wake of the sanctions being imposed.
The DUP is doing extremely well in the Stormont Assembly election, their leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, has insisted.

As counting resumed on Saturday morning, Sinn Fein appeared to be remaining on course to emerge as the largest Stormont party.

By 2pm on Saturday, 63 of 90 seats had been filled.

Sinn Fein currently has 21 seats, while the DUP have 19, the Alliance Party 12, the Ulster Unionists (UUP) five and the SDLP on four, with one seat going to TUV leader Jim Allister and one to independent unionist Alex Easton.

Sinn Fein also won the battle for largest vote share with 250,388 first preferences, compared with 184,002 for the DUP and 116,681 for the Alliance Party.

This means that it received 29% of first preference votes, compared with 21.3% for the DUP, 13.5% for Alliance, 11.2% for the UUP and 9.1% for the SDLP.

PA Graphics

Naomi Longs Alliance Party looks set to be the other main winner from the election, with a surge of support for the cross-community party likely to make it the third largest at Stormont, ahead of the UUP and SDLP, who have both had disappointing results.

The DUP, led by Jeffrey Donaldson, will comfortably retain its position as the largest unionist party despite a drop in its overall share of the vote.

Speaking at the count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Jeffrey said unionism has held its ground.

The unionist vote remains strong, we are the largest designation in the Assembly, I think there is a lot of spin around results and Im very pleased with how the DUP has done in our constituencies, he said.

Weve held a remarkable number of seats where people were predicting all kinds of negative things, so we have strong foundations, we continue to build on them.

Jeffrey Donaldsons DUP will retain its position as the largest unionist party (Brian Lawless/PA)

Asked whether Northern Ireland will have devolved government in 2022, Jeffrey said: Lets cross all the bridges when we get to them.

He also said he will make it clear next week whether he will return to Stormont or remain at Westminster.

The party officers will sit down, we will consider what we need to do now to get the action that is required from the Government, I will be making my decision clear on all of that early next week, he told the BBC.

Sinn Fein's vice president, Michelle ONeill, was elected on the first count in Mid Ulster, with Alliance leader, Naomi Long, topping the poll in East Belfast.

TUV leader, Jim Allister, retained his seat in North Antrim, but it is looking unlikely his party will win any further seats.

Jeffrey was elected on the first count in Lagan Valley.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast speaking with media after she was returned as an MLA for the Northern Ireland Assembly (Liam McBurney/PA)

After his election, he delivered a personal challenge to Boris Johnson to address outstanding issues around the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol, which unionists oppose because it imposes economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK.

He said: My message this evening is directed towards the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State and the Government at Westminster, they are co-guarantors of the (Good Friday) Agreement and they have the opportunity to act to ensure that political stability is restored.

I recognise that we have our differences, particularly in relation to the protocol, but I think we all accept that this is a problem that needs to be addressed, and the sooner it is addressed, the better for all of us.

Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist leader, Doug Beattie, was expected to face a challenge in terms of his re-election in Upper Bann.

Ms ONeill was surrounded by party colleagues and supporters as she topped the poll in Mid Ulster.

She said that Sinn Fein wanted to together work in partnership with others.

That is the only way we will achieve much, much more for people here, whether in terms of the cost-of-living crisis or trying to fix our health service. Some 239 candidates stood across 18 constituencies.

Five Assembly seats are up for grabs in each of the 18 constituencies.

Northern Ireland uses the single transferable vote proportional representation electoral system.
Burma Myanmar Junta Propaganda App Ditched by Apple and Google

Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing at MRTV app launching ceremony on May 4 in Napyitaw. / Myanma A Linn

The juntas state propaganda Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) app has been removed from Apples App Store and the Google Play Store on Thursday, a day after it was launched.

On Wednesday, the junta held its MRTV Media Worldwide Mobile Satellite Data Application Services MRTV app and web launch ceremony in Naypyitaw, aimed to live stream the regimes broadcast content via international satellites and distribute articles from its state-run media.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing addressed the ceremony.

He said: Some big countries apply strategies to control the media of small countries by various means and all the people of Myanmar should be farsighted and conscience.

Justice for Myanmar (JFM), a group of activists that monitors the regimes businesses and networks, released a statement on Thursday calling on Google and Apple to ban the app as it was a part of the juntas psychological warfare campaign against the people of Myanmar.

We condemn Apps Web Social for supporting and profiting from the juntas campaign of terror, in which MRTV is a key part of the psychological warfare that Myanmars military is waging against the people, said Yadanar Maung of JFM.

JFM reported that MRTV apps were developed by US company Apps Web Social LLC, which listed them on the App Store and Play Store on behalf of the junta.

JFM said both tech giants have long allowed Myanmars military to use their platforms and are both listed on the UK Burma Campaigns Dirty List.

On Thursday, the new MRTV website, which is hosted by the US-based company GoDaddy.com, also went down.

MRTV is the juntas propaganda unit run by the Ministry of Information, led by retired major general Maung Maung Ohn, who is sanctioned by the EU.

MRTV portrays democracy activists as terrorists and publishes photos of torture victims to spread fear.

Last year, Facebook removed military-run businesses like Mytel, one of four telecom operators in Myanmar and blocked junta-controlled media pages, such as Tatmadaw True News, Myawaddy TV and MRTV.

YouTube also removed five military-run television networks such as MRTV, Myawaddy Media, MWD Variety and MWD Myanmar on March 2021.

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Regime No. 2 Vice Senior General Soe Win meets with soldiers receiving treatment at a military hospital in Kaw Thaung on May 1, 2022. / Cincds

Junta admits administration collapsing in resistance hot spots

In an interview with media outlet Voice of Myanmar, regime spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun admitted that the juntas administrative mechanism is not functioning properly in northern Sagaing, Chin State and some places in Kayah, all of which are resistance hotspots.

He attributed the regimes difficulties in these areas to the fact that village administrators had been killed and had yet to be replaced. On the ground, despite its air power and superior numbers, the regime still has not been able to contain the resistance movement in those regions.

Meanwhile, the Home Affairs and Immigration Ministry of the parallel National Unity Government said interim administrations are operating in Indaw, Kyunhla, Wuntho, Katha, Tigyaing, Kanbalu, Banmauk, Pinlebu and Kawlin townships in Sagaing Region, adding that these would soon be joined by 19 other townships in Sagaing. Six townships have parallel administrations in Magwe Region, it said.

The NUGs legislative body, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, has enacted a Peoples Police Force Law to regulate law enforcement in areas controlled by resistance forces.

Deputy home affairs minister replaced

The military regime has replaced its deputy home affairs minister and police chief, Lieutenant General Than Hlaing, who was tasked with crushing Peoples Defense Force (PDF) groups in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin State, saying he has been recalled to military duty.

The replacement follows the failure of operations Anawrahta and Alaung Mindaya, which were designed to crush resistance forces in Sagaing, Magwe and Chin with air raids.

In January, Lt-Gen Than Hlaing was forced to step down as the chief of Bureau of Special Operations 6, which oversees attacks against PDFs. Around the same time, Major General Phyo Thant, the head of the militarys North Western Command, which oversees Sagaing, Magwe and Chin, was also transferred to the Home Affairs Ministry as deputy minister.

With Lt-Gen Than Hlaing, who graduated with the 29th intake of the Defense Services Academy, set to resume military duty, the only position that is vacant at present is Chief of Armed Forces Training. A reshuffle is expected at the upcoming meeting of the junta leadership.

Deputy junta chief seeks to staunch flow of defections in Tanintharyi

Deputy junta chief Soe Win visited Tanintharyi Region, where the South Eastern Command and Coastal Region Command are based, on May 1-3 to boost the morale of military personnel, who have been hit hard by PDFs there.

The regime is using troops from the South Eastern and Coastal Region commands to fight in Kayah and on the Myanmar-Thai border. Junta troops have suffered casualties and some have fled their outposts in those clashes.

Clashes broke out in Dawei, Myeik and Pulaw after PDFs attacked a key police station on the Dawei-Htee Khee road on April 24, one week before Soe Wins visit. Before that, junta troops suffered heavy casualties in mine attacks by PDFs.

Soe Win traveled to battalions in Myeik, Kawthoung, Dawei, Pulaw and Bokepyin along with the commanders of the South Eastern and Coastal Region commands, and urged personnel to remain loyal to Myanmars military.

Meanwhile, explosions took place at government departments and administration offices, and anti-coup protests continued in Tanintharyi Region, which borders Karen State. Myanmars military is struggling to retain its personnel amid a rising number of defections and daily clashes with PDFs.

No Suu Kyi meeting for ASEAN envoy

Regime chief Min Aung Hlaing effectively turned down the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chairmans request to let his special envoy meet with Myanmars ousted democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by saying he would allow meetings with other parties concerned.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who is the ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar, plans to visit the country for the second time late this month.

No special envoy on Myanmar, including from the UN, has so far been allowed to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained by the junta at a secret location in the countrys capital Naypyitaw since last years coup. The junta claims the countrys laws prohibit international dignitaries from meeting anyone who is on trial. The detained leader has faced a series of trials on charges filed by the junta.

Former ASEAN envoy for Myanmar Erywan Yusof last year declined to travel to Myanmar after the regime failed to grant his request to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

KIO snubs junta

One of Myanmars largest and oldest ethnic armed groups, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), embarrassed the embattled Myanmar junta by refusing to join its peace talks, saying they are not all-inclusive and ignore the countrys ongoing issues.

Engulfed by year-long clashes with newly formed anti-regime resistance forces who have been fighting along with ethnic armed groups like the KIA to topple the regime, Min Aung Hlaings offer of peace is, many believe, a pretext to persuade the armed groups to stay away from the resistance forces.

However, aside from the Kachin armed group, many ethnic armed groups are now officially or unofficially supporting Myanmars shadow government and its anti-regime fighters. With the KIAs rejection, the regimes peace plan seems a nonstarter, as the junta looks set to suffer even more in Myanmars northwest, a resistance stronghold where battle-hardened Kachin soldiers and strongly motivated resistance fighters have already inflicted heavy casualties on junta troops.

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Fans are always on the lookout for the next projects of their favorite K-drama stars. As we welcome a new month, these charming actors are back on the small screen to make the viewers' hearts flutter in romantic excitement!

From Kim Young Dae to Hwang In Yeop, who are you mostly looking forward to?

Kim Young Dae - 'Shooting Stars'

With his first-ever lead role this 2022, breakout star Kim Young Dae officially met the viewers with the romantic-comendy K-drama "Shooting Stars." It follows the story of top celebrity Gong Tae Sung who is secretly in love with PR leader Oh Han Byeol.

The "Penthouse" star is making the fans swoon with his chemistry with actress-model Lee Sung Kyung. With his character as the charismatic top star, Kim Young Dae is consistently attracting fans as the story progresses and new characters connected to him arouse viewers' curiosity.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Shooting Stars' Episode 4: Lee Sung Kyung Surprises Kim Young Dae at Work

Watch "Shooting Stars" every Friday and Saturday at 10:40 p.m. (KST) on tvN.

Hwang In Yeop - 'The Sound of Magic'

The actor is already giving fans jitters as he is about to make his long-awaited small screen return after almost a year, following his rom-com drama "True Beauty."

In "The Sound of Magic," Hwang In Yeop transforms into a studious, handsome, and model student named Na Il Deung.

He also has another K-drama to air in the first week of June, alongside Seo Hyun Jin and Bae In Hyuk, titled "Why Her?"

"The Sound of Magic" will have its world premiere this coming May 6! Don't miss to watch it!

Chae Jong Hyeop - 'Love All Play'

Following his role as the bashful yet sweet and charming second male lead in "Nevertheless," Chae Jong Hyeop scored got his big break as the lead in the KBS Wednesday-Thursday series "Love All Play," along with Park Ju Hyun.

He plays the character of Park Tae Joon, a badminton player, and views sport as nothing special but a job.

Different from his previous roles in "Sisyphus: The Myth," "Nevertheless," and "The Witch's Diner," Chae Jong Hyeop shows off more of his charm and fit figure as a competitive athlete in the series.

Ji Chang Wook - 'The Sound of Magic'

Finally, after working nonstop due to hectic schedules, Ji Chang Wook's fans are rejoicing because they will finally see the actor on the small screen! In "The Sound of Magic," he will transform into a magician who will help other people believe in magic again.

Though it only has six episodes, fans can't wait to meet the cast of the fantasy drama.

Sung Hoon - 'Woori the Virgin'

Lim Soo Hyang is the new version of Jane in the Korean adaptation of the famous American TV series "Jane the Virgin." In this drama, she reunites with Sung Hoon after a long time.

The actor takes the role of the male protagonist, Raphael, who's the handsome CEO of a cosmetic company, and who accidentally becomes the father of Oh Woo Ri's child.

Who among these K-drama heartthrobs are you most excited to see? Tell us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity updates, follow and subscribe to KDramastars.

KDramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins reported this.
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Thousands of alarm clocks went off early on Saturday morning as the people of Kilkenny got up to walk from Darkness Into Light.

The 5k walk, which provides an opportunity for people to connect with their local community while raising funds for Pieta, was a huge hit in the county with people turning out in great number to support the return of the organised walk into sunrise.

Marching towards James Stephens Barracks in the city - a second official event was also held in Inistioge, with other pop-up DiL walks organised throughout the county - spirits were high as people prepared for the 4:15am start.

Sent on their way by a rousing speech from Aurelia Glynn from Pieta - and some words of encouragement from MC George Candler - runners, walkers and joggers from the city, Thomastown, Callan, Freshford and beyond left the Barracks for a 5km route through the city.

Clad in the events famed yellow t-shirts, people made their way down John Street and along the Canal. The route came back past Kilkenny Castle and down High Street before returning to the Barracks. There the crowd was greeted by the Kilkenny Gospel Choir and the Lady Desart Choir, whose moving performances struck a chord on such a special morning.

All funds raised through donations and fundraising will go back into funding Pietas services. The organisation provides free, accessible one-to-one counselling to people suffering from suicidal ideation, engaging in self-harm or to those bereaved by suicide. Pieta operate a 24/7 Crisis Helpline (Ireland only): Call 1800 247 247 or text HELP 51444
The Texas-based owner of the commercial space on U.S. 6 in Kendallville currently occupied by Jiffy Lube recently sold the building to an unnamed Midwest real estate investor, according to a release from the brokerage firm that oversaw the transaction.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Hong Kong: CE views polling, counting stations

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today inspected the main polling station and central counting station for the 2022 Chief Executive Election at the Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai to know more about the final stage of the preparatory work for the poll.

Accompanied by Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang and Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Barnabas Fung, Mrs Lam learnt about the set-up of the main polling station, epidemic prevention measures, security arrangements and counting procedures of the election during her visit.

She also gave encouragement to the electoral staff participating in rehearsal sessions there.

Mrs Lam said: The 2022 Chief Executive Election was the third major election under the improved electoral system.

It is vital that all electoral staff are well versed in their duties and procedures to ensure the smooth conduct of this election. I hope that every colleague will be fully committed to making this a historic election for Hong Kong.

She added that the central government's improvement to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's electoral system has provided a robust safeguard for fully implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong".

Following the completion of the Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections and the Legislative Council General Election, the Government will, as in the past, spare no effort to ensure the Chief Executive Election will be conducted in a fair, open and honest manner efficiently.

Mrs Lam also appealed to Election Committee members to cast their votes tomorrow.

This story has been published on: 2022-05-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
U.S. sanctions cannot stop Iran's drone capability: lawmaker

Xinhua) 10:06, May 07, 2022

TEHRAN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The United States cannot stop the development of Iran's drone capability by putting embargoes on it, a senior Iranian lawmaker told official news agency IRNA on Friday.

"By sanctioning Iran's drone power, the United States is trying to create Iranophobia in the region," said Mohammad Hassan Asfari, a member of the Iranian parliament, referring to the recent U.S. lawmakers' move to sanction Iran's drone power.

Through these pressures, Washington also seeks to get more concessions from the Islamic republic at the negotiating table in Vienna, said Asfari. But Iran's drone capability is "non-negotiable and unstoppable," he said.

The Islamic republic is considered as a regional power thanks to the capability of its armed forces and the drone power, he said, adding that in the meantime "Iran is not a threat to the region, and that the Zionist regime and the United States are the main cause of instability in the region."

Asfari said Iranian drones are capable of flying long distances, carrying weapons, taking pictures and videos for a long time and at the same time evading radar detection.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Lake Geneva aldermen have approved a three-year contract with a company to provide landscaping services for the city, after receiving two different recommendations.

City council members approved a contract April 25 with Breezy Hill Nursery of Salem to provide landscaping services for Lake Geneva from 2022 to 2024.

The contract was approved by a 6-1 vote with Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier voting no.

Representatives from Breezy Hill Nursery submitted a total bid of $59,650 to provide landscaping services for the city during the next three years. Officials from David J. Frank Landscape Contracting of Milwaukee submitted a total bid of $60,187.

City Attorney Dan Draper told the aldermen that according to state statute they should approve the contract of the lower bidder.

In order to award it to someone with a higher bid, you have to prove that the other person wasnt responsible, Draper said.

Both companies were recommended by two different city council committees.

Members of the city councils public works committee approved the contract with Breezy Hill Nursery, April 25, by a 3-1 vote with Fesenmaier voting no.

The city councils finance, licensing and regulation committee approved David J. Frank Landscape Contractings bid, April 19, by a 3-2 vote with Alderman Richard Hedlund and Joan Yunker voting no.

During the finance committee meeting, Hedlund said he feels the city should approve Breezy Hill Nurserys contract since they have done work for the city for several years.

Breezy Hill has been doing it for years, Hedlund said. Theyre less money. From what I understand, that was the recommendation of the public works department.

Fesenmaier said David J. Franks bid is only about $500 more, and the company listed their credentials along with their proposal, and Breezy Hill Nursery did not present their credentials.

I think it would be nice to change it up, so we can use somebody thats got a broad base in southeast Wisconsin, Fesenmaier said. They got a lot of great credentials. They talk about irrigation services, and it may be something we want to look into for water management. A new company for $500 more over three years, I think its worth a try.

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Soon, a few landmark buildings in Downtown Lake Geneva could be getting a new look.

Popeyes on Wrigley Drive is one and the Keefe building on Main is the other.

Members of the Lake Geneva Plan Commission unanimously approved a downtown design review proposal, April 18, to allow the exterior of the restaurant, 811 Wrigley Drive, to be repainted.

The plan includes repainting the exterior siding from white to a dark navy blue, hale navy blue, color and repainting the window trims from light blue to chantilily lace, which is described as a bright white color.

We would reverse the colors and make the building darker blue and make the frames on the windows the chantilily lace, Dimitri Anagnos, co-owner of Popeyes on Lake Geneva, said.

Anagnos said he feels the new color scheme will match well with the downtown area.

Its time to repaint the restaurant, again, Anagnos said. We came up with some colors we think will match really well for down by the lake.

The repainting project will not include any other renovations to the building.

Last year, the plan commission approved to allow large umbrellas to be installed to the outdoor dining area of the restaurant during the spring and summer months to help reduce the amount of sunlight affecting customers.

Anagnos said he feels the new painting work will help improve the appearance of the building.

I think it will look nice with the brass lights and with the new umbrellas we got, Anagnos said. Every year, we just want to keep getting better.

The plan commission members also unanimously approved to allow new signs to be installed to the exterior of the Keefe Real Estate building, 703 W. Main St.

Company officials plan to replace the current Keefe Real Estate signs with Compass signs to reflect Keefe Real Estates recent partnership with real estate technology company, Compass.

Keefe Real Estate President and CEO Tom Keefe announced in November 2021 that the company would be forming a partnership with Compass.

The real estate company will continue to maintain its current leadership team, agents, staff and existing offices, but use Compass resources and technology as a result of the partnership.

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has approved Geneva Nationals proposal to build 100 new boat slips on Lake Como.

The DNR issued the decision on Friday, May 6, following a public hearing in April.

The decision states that a deed restriction still must be finalized with Walworth County. It is not immediately clear what that entails.

It also states that before the project starts, Geneva National must obtain any permit or approval that may be required for the project by local zoning ordinances and by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"These local and federal authorities are responsible for determining if your project complies with their requirements," the DNR notice states.

Geneva National had proposed building 120 slips, but that was revised to 100 slips, ten piers with ten slips each. The original plan called for piers to be built with 130 feet between each pier, but that was revised to 50 feet between each pier to limit the area of impact.

Plans to construct 100 boat slips along Lake Como has caused a lot of concern among residents living around the lake. Those concerns were presented loud and clear on Monday, April 4, during a virtual public hearing hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

At the April 4 hearing, several residents, who said they live at Geneva National, said they were not in favor of the project and expressed concerns about the safety issues that could occur with more boats. Several residents also stated that they were never directly asked if they wanted these piers and that no questionnaire was sent to Geneva National residents.

Other residents questioned how the lake would be enforced with additional boats, and several said they were concerned about how the additional piers and boats would affect the lakes environment.

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In 1942 my Aunt Frances Wardingle and William Malsch were married in Lake Genevas First Congregational Church. My Aunt Frances, my mother Helen Wardingle Quinn, and my Uncle Tom J. Wardingle had grown up in the First Baptist Church in Lake Geneva which their parents, Thomas and Lillie Wardingle, had sent them to when they arrived in Lake Geneva in 1912. Frances, Helen, and Tom attended the First Baptist Church until 1928.

In 1947, when I and my two cousins, Bill Malsch and Betty Malsch, became old enough to attend church my Aunt Frances and my grandmother Lillie Wardingle sent us to the First Congregational Church. My grandmother had been a member of the Christian Church in Springfield, Illinois, when she was growing up and my grandfather, Thomas Wardingle, had been a member of the Church of England in Yorkshire, England, when he was growing up but neither of them attended church when they were raising me.

Between 1947 and the early 1960s, I attended the First Congregational Church. As a teenager, I was confirmed as a member of the church. The First Congregational Churchs youth group was called the Pilgrim Fellowship and I was its vice president.

I have many memories of the First Congregational Church. I especially recall being very impressed by the beautiful stained glass windows in the church.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the First Congregational Church was one of the leading churches in Lake Geneva. It had among its members some of the most prominent residents of Lake Geneva including State Senator William F. Trinke, Robert McNally, the longtime head of the Y.M.C.A. in Lake Geneva, A.R. Milner and his son, Robert Milner, Jim and Lefty Hanny, the owners of Hannys White House restaurant, Rexford Newcomb, and the Boutelle family.

The ministers of the First Congregational Church between 1947 and the early 1960s were the Reverend Curtis Showalter, the Reverend Richard Schroeder, and the Reverend Karl Wickstrom. The churchs music director was Esther Soderberg. I was a member of the church choir. The First Congregational Church was perhaps the only church in Lake Geneva that had African American members. The churchs Sunday School teachers included Jimmy Butts and Robert Bohn, among others.

On Easter Sunday the church held a legendary Pancake Breakfast with the pancakes being expertly flipped by Jim and Lefty Hanny. And on Easter Sunday the church always held a Sunrise Service on the shore of Geneva Lake most often in Covenant Harbor. The Pilgrim Fellowship had exchanges with Pilgrim Fellowships in Elkhorn, Delavan, Genoa City, Whitewater and Emerald Grove. Just before Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim Fellowship prepared food baskets for distribution to residents of Lake Ivanhoe. During the week before Christmas the Pilgrim Fellowship Choir serenaded shut-ins and the elderly in Lake Geneva and those at the Walworth County Home  which some people still called the Poor Farm.

The adult advisor of the Pilgrim Fellowship, Clyde Boutelle, took a number of us members of the Pilgrim Fellowship on a trip to the Quetico Wilderness area in northern Minnesota on the border with Canada. We canoed into Canada. It was the first time that I had ever been out of the United States.

During the mid-1950s, the Congregational Church merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Its new name was the Congregational Church-United Church of Christ. During the mid-1950s a split occurred in the church. A group of members left the church and founded Pilgrim Church in the former Locust Grove School building on Highway 120, south of Big Foot Beach.

In 1957, I and other members of my confirmation class went to Chicago where we visited synagogues and churches including the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago. We also went to the top of the Prudential Tower, which was then the tallest building in Chicago.

Growing up as a member of the First Congregational Church in Lake Geneva was one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences that I had the good fortune of having in my youth.

Patrick Quinn is a Lake Geneva native who is the University Archivist Emeritus at Northwestern University.
Mumbai, May 7: Saturday morning turned out to be special for VicKat's fans as Katrina Kaif turned up the heat on social media by sharing a lovey-dovey picture with her husband Vicky Kaushal. Taking to Instagram, Katrina dropped the image in which she is seen holding Vicky in her arms while enjoying some pool time.

"Me and mine," she captioned the post, adding a string of white heart emojis. The particular image is definitely a feast for the eyes as the couple looks extremely hot while flaunting a steamy pose.

Katrina is seen sporting a white swimwear while Vicky opted for a shirtless look. The couple's glimpse from their pool time has garnered a lot of likes and comments.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif)

"Hotness pesonified," a social media user commented. "Oh my God! Can't take my eyes off you guys," another one wrote.

Vicky and Katrina tied the knot at Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan on December 9, 2021. Currently, the two are busy working on their projects. Katrina is shooting for Mery Christmas. On the other hand, Vicky has director Anand Tiwari's yet-to-be-tiled film in the pipeline.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati, May 7: The Gauhati High Court has ruled that if a person has been declared an Indian citizen by a Foreigners Tribunal in Assam, they cannot be tried for a second time in the tribunal and declared a foreigner. A Division Bench of Justice N Kotiswara Singh and Malashri Nandy in a recent order, passed on a set of 12 petitions, stated that the principle of 'res judicata' (meaning that once the matter has been decided it cannot be reopened by the same parties), was applicable to the Foreigners Tribunals in the state.

The High Court observed that the common theme which runs through the batch of writ petitions filed before them is the applicability of the principle of 'res judicata'. The petitioners contention are based on the Supreme Court's decision in the case of one Abdul Kuddus that subsequent proceedings before the Foreigners Tribunals are barred by the principle of 'res judicata'. Delhi Riots: High Court Defers Hearing on Umar Khalid Bail in UAPA Case, Seeks Police Stand on Sharjeel Imam's Plea.

The court directed that whenever a petitioner takes the plea of applicability of 'res judicata' on the ground that he had already been declared not an Indian by the FT in an earlier proceeding, the tribunal has to first determine whether the petitioner is the same person who was proceeded in the earlier case or not.

''For that purpose, there can be examination of evidence in the form of oral documents and evidence and if the tribunal comes to the conclusion that the person was the same as in the earlier proceeding, there is no need to go into the merit of the case any further'', the judges ruled. On the plea of applicability of 'res judicata', the subsequent proceeding shall be closed, without any further examination, on the basis of the earlier opinion that the person was not a foreigner, the order stated.

The order is a reiteration of a similar judgement passed by the Gauhati High Court in December 2021 where it was observed that the Supreme Court's decision on the principle of 'res judicata' applicable even in a proceeding before the Foreigners Tribunal also makes the FT's opinion not sustainable as that issue had already been settled.

A Division bench had ordered the release of Hasina Bhanu alias Hasna Bhanu from Tezpur Jail, as she was declared 'Indian' in 2016 and again a 'foreigner' in 2021 by the same FT, and, therefore, the proceedings against her cannot be sustained as it was the same person in both the cases.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati (Assam), [India], May 7 (ANI): In its war against drugs, the Guwahati city police seized drugs worth about Rs 400 crore in the last 11 months and arrested 448 people, the police informed on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI, Guwahati Joint Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta said, "We have declared war on drugs in an all-out effort. In the last 11 months, Guwahati city police seized about 23 kg of heroin, 8.50 lakh of Yaba tablets and other drugs worth about Rs 400 crore. We have arrested 448 people."

Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 20-Year-Old Beaten to Death in Bindapur; 9 Arrested.

Mahanta said that after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took charge of the state, he issued clear directions for a crackdown on drugs. Therefore the state police is conducting multiple drives against drugs, he added.

He further said that cough syrup or ganja are not included in the drugs seized. "We are only talking about drugs that come from across the border. So it is an all-out war on drugs and it will continue. Assam is the route to the hinterland. We have to target both the local peddlers as well as the inter-state operators," the top cop said. "We are targeting the inter-state operators, but they keep changing their techniques to transport the drugs. But our human intelligence is helping us to track their tactics," Mahanta added. (ANI)

Also Read | Bank Loan Fraud Case: CBI Raids AAP MLA Jaswant Singh's House in Punjab; Seizes Cash, Blank Cheques.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh, May 7 (PTI) Hours after a Mohali court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him, BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga Saturday night moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a stay on his arrest.

Justice Anoop Chitkara will take up Bagga's petition in an urgent hearing at his residence tonight.

Also Read | Tajinder Bagga Row: Protest and Political Slugfest After BJP Leader's Arrest, Now He Faces Non-Bailable Warrant.

"We have sought a stay on the arrest," said Bagga's counsel Chetan Mittal.

Earlier in the day, the court of Judicial Magistrate Ravtesh Inderjit Singh issued the arrest warrant against Bagga in connection with a case registered last month.

Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: Suspecting Her Character, Man Murders 70-Year-Old Wife, Later Attempts Suicide.

The Punjab Police had booked Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga on the charges of making provocative statements, promoting enmity and criminal intimidation. The case was registered on a complaint of AAP leader Sunny Ahluwalia, a resident of Mohali.

The FIR registered on April 1 referred to Bagga's remarks on March 30, when he was part of a BJP youth wing protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Bagga was booked under relevant sections, including 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place etc), 505 (whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report) and 506 (criminal intimidation), of the Indian Penal Code.

Bagga was arrested by the Punjab Police from his Delhi home on Friday, stopped in Haryana while being taken to Punjab and brought back to the national capital by Delhi Police hours later.

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New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI): The BJP is gearing up for presidential election and has begun reaching out to its allies amid indications that the opposition will field a joint candidate for the post.

Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan had a two-hour meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday and the two leaders discussed various issues including the presidential and vice presidential elections, sources said.

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They said that the BJP has stepped up preparations for the presidential election to be held before the last week of July. The party is also gearing up for vice-presidential election. Dharamendra Pradhan's meeting with Nitish Kumar gains significance as the Janata Dal-United leader has in the past supported presidential nominees of rival parties.

In 2012, he had supported Pranab Mukherjee despite being part of the NDA. In the last election, he had supported NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind though he was part of Grand Alliance in Bihar at that time.

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The sources said that the decision to send Pradhan to meet Kumar was taken after deliberations by the BJP's central leadership. They said that Pradhan is likely to visit other states including Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary also joined the meeting, the sources said.

They said there could be reshuffle of BJP ministers in the alliance government in Bihar and "non-performing ministers" could be replaced with new faces.

The sources said there was also discussion about Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from the state.

The Nitish Kumar cabinet has scope for expansion and six more ministers can be appointed. (ANI)

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RS Pura (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 7 (ANI): Border Security Force (BSF) troops on Saturday fired at a drone coming from Pakistan in the Arnia area of RS Pura sub-division of Jammu region and it returned back immediately.

The alert BSF troops fired eight rounds at the drone which was spotted at 7.25 pm.

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It had hardly crossed the International Border when the BSF troops opened fire. A search is being carried out in the area.

"A drone coming from Pakistan towards India was observed in the Arnia area of RS Pura sub-division at 1925 hrs with a blinking light. Hardly had it crossed the IB, alert BSF troops fired eight rounds at the drone, due to which it returned back immediately. Search is underway," BSF said.

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Last month BSF had shot down a drone coming from Pakistan in Punjab's Amritsar sector. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI): Delhi Police have arrested three men, on Friday, accused of allegedly gang-raping a 15-year old at a Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) factory in Outer Delhi's Narela.

According to the police, the incident happened on Wednesday night, when the accused had made the minor drink a beverage laced with intoxicants.

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"A PCR call regarding the rape of a girl at a factory in DSIIDC Narela was received around 8 pm on Friday (May 6). The girl was made to drink (cola) laced with intoxicated material and was then taken to a room on the top floor, where the accused persons allegedly committed the crime," said Brijender Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer North.

"Later, the girl was dropped outside her house," Yadav added.

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After receiving the information, the police reached the spot and took the victim to a hospital. She was later discharged and is currently stable.

Based on the enquiry, the police have arrested the three accused from their hideouts in the factory.

Legal action has been taken against the trio - Narender (40), Mohit (22), and Parvinder alias Katta (30), under the sections 376 AB (Punishment for rape on woman under twelve years of age), 328 (Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 34 ( Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 6 (Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

It has been reported that the victim used to work at the same factory where the crime happened. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI): The Delhi police produced Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga at the residence of Duty Magistrate Swayam Siddha Tripathi on Friday midnight.

He was produced before the Duty Magistrate Tripathi in pursuance of a search warrant issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate Nitika Kapoor of Dwarka court in the day.

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Advocates Y P Singh and Sanket Gupta, who appeared for Bagga, informed the media that the Duty Magistrate has directed the Delhi Police to provide security to Tejinder and his family. He had expressed an apprehension that such incidents may happen with him again. His statement would be recorded before the Magistrate concerned on Monday.

Advocates also said that after perusal of medical examination of Bagga, it was found that there were injuries in his back and shoulder.

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Duty Magistrate released him after he wished to go home. As he is a major, the court released him from the custody of Delhi Police.

The Delhi Police had traced the location of Bagga at Thaneshwar in Kurukshetra around 12.45 pm. Later, Delhi Police, through Station House officer (SHO), had moved an application seeking grant of search warrant. Dwarka court, after perusing the application, had issued a search warrant.

After the issuance of search warrant, Bagga was brought to Delhi. His medical examination was conducted at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and then, he was taken to Gurugram to be produced before the Duty Magistrate.

Bagga was arrested in the morning by the Punjab Police in a case registered at Mohali.After that, father of Bagga approached the Delhi Police. He alleged that his son was kidnapped by some armed persons. On this complaint, Delhi Police had registered an FIR for Kidnapping.

After registration of the FIR, an intimation was sent to Haryana Police. On this intimation, Bagga, along with a the team of Punjab Police, was stopped in Kurukshetra by the Harayana Police. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI): Indian Youth Congress, the youth wing of the Congress party, protested outside the residence of Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri after the Centre announced a hike in the price of LPG cylinders on Saturday.

A Congress worker said, "With the rising fuel price hike, people are using cow dung cakes to make rotis."

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"We have come here to surrender the cylinder. LPG price is Rs 1000 now. Common people will not be able to buy gas cylinders. The Central government is just taking away food from people by increasing gas prices", said another Congress worker.

A woman protester added, "The women are using cow dung cakes to cook. They have to inhale that smoke which is very harmful. The government is not bothered about the women. How will a common man survive in this condition".

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The price of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder has been increased by Rs 50. With the latest revision, domestic LPG cylinders will retail at Rs 999.50 in Delhi.

Earlier this month, the price of commercial LPG cylinders had been increased. On May 1, the price of a 19-kilograms commercial LPG cylinder was increased by Rs 102.50 to Rs 2355.50.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the Center was creating a burden on the common people by increasing the price of fuel. "Modi govt told people to give up subsidy. In 2015-2016 was reduced to 18 crore and 2017 it was reduced to Zero. On daily basis you creating more burden on people," the Congress leader said.

"The continuous increase was such that in seven years, Rs 585 have been increased in LPG. Today a situation is created where people have to surrender the LPG cylinders. The subsidy was given by Congress to ensure the burden of high prices is not put on people", added Khera.

Recently, on May 1, Oil marketing companies organized more than 5000 LPG panchayats on the occasion of Ujjwala Diwas, where apart from experience sharing, aimed at safe and sustained usage of LPG, all-out efforts were made to maximize customer enrolment.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is a step toward social inclusion by providing Free LPG connection to every BPL household. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1, 2016 at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)

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Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 7 (ANI): Three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, including an oldest surviving terrorist of the outfit, were neutralised in an anti-terrorist operation near the route of the annual Amarnath Yatra in Anantnag district on Friday, said the police.

Police, along with Army, have neutralised three wanted terrorists of proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in an anti-terrorist operation at Sirchan Top Anantnag including the oldest surviving terrorist Ashraf Molvi, added the police.

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The terrorists have been identified as Mohammad Ashraf Khan @Ashraf Molvi/Mansoor ul Haq, Mohammad Rafiq Drangay and Roshan Zameer Tantray @Aqib.

As per police, all the three categorized killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security forces.

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The terrorist Mohd Ashraf Khan was the oldest surviving terrorist of Hizb and figured among the list of most wanted terrorists after 2013, according to the police.

He had a long history of terror crime cases which include attacks on security forces.

Incriminating materials and huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. In this connection, police have registered a case and an investigation has been initiated.

IGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar termed this operation as a major success as the site of operation is close to Yatra route which indicates that the killed terrorists were eying to target Amarnath Yatra-2022.

Moreover, Budgam Police, along with 62RR and 43Bn CRPF, arrested two terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit AGuH in Huroo area of Budgam. They have been identified as Amir Manzoor Budoo and Shahid Rasool Ganaie.

Incriminating materials, including ammunitions, one hand grenade and 25 AK-47 rounds, have been recovered from their possession. Accordingly, a case has been registered at Budgam police station and further investigation has been taken up. (ANI)

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Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 7 (ANI): An unarmed policeman Ghulam Hassan who was shot at by terrorists at Aiwa Bridge area of Ali Jan Road in Srinagar on Saturday morning, succumbed to his injuries, the police said.

According to Jammu and Kashmir police, a policeman succumbed to his injuries at SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar's Soura.

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More details are awaited. (ANI)

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New Delhi, May 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday advocated developing a hybrid system of online and offline learning to avoid overexposure of schoolchildren to technology, as he chaired a high-level meeting to review the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).

The new policy is being rolled out with the objectives of access, equity, inclusivity and quality, he said, according to an official statement. New National Education Policy 2020 FAQs: From Implementation to Changes Made to 10+2 Schooling System, Board Exams, Teaching Qualification, All Questions Answered.

Modi said the databases maintained by anganwadi centres should be seamlessly integrated with school records as children move there from anganwadis, and called for their regular health check-ups and screening in schools with the help of technology.

Pitching for emphasis on the use of indigenously developed toys to develop conceptual skills in students, he also suggested that secondary schools with science labs should engage with farmers in their area for soil testing, the statement said.

Lauding the new education policy, he said from special efforts to track out-of-school children and bring them back into the mainstream and the introduction of multiple entry and exit in higher education, many transformative reforms have been initiated that will define and lead the progress of the country as it enters the 'Amrit Kaal'.

Modi was apprised that the work of the formulation of the National Curriculum Framework under the guidance of the National Steering Committee is in progress.

In school education, initiatives like quality ECCE in 'Balavatika', NIPUN Bharat, Vidya Pravesh, examination reforms and innovative pedagogies like art-integrated education, toy-based pedagogy are being adopted for better learning outcomes and holistic development of children, the statement said.

Referring to multi-disciplinarity in higher education, it said he was informed that the guidelines for multiple entry-exit for flexibility and lifelong learning along with the launch of academic bank of credit on digilocker platform will now make it possible for students to study as per their convenience and choice.

In order to create new possibilities for lifelong learning and centrally involve critical and interdisciplinary thinking in learners, the UGC has published guidelines according to which students can pursue two academic programmes simultaneously.

The National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF) is also at an advanced stage of preparation, while the UGC is revising the existing Curriculum Framework and Credit System for Undergraduate Programme in alignment with the NHEQF, it said.

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Bhopal, May 7 (PTI) Cases of triple talaq have dipped since the enactment of the law against the instant divorce in the country, a member of the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) said on Saturday.

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Speaking to reporters here, NCM member Syed Shahezadi said she had held talks with Muslim women over triple talaq and other concerns.

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I held talks with Muslim women over triple talaq and other issues here. After the enactment of the law, the number of triple talaqs have come down, Shahezadi said.

Two years ago, President Ram Nath Kovind had given his assent to the Triple Talaq Bill. Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, giving instant oral triple talaq or talalq-e-biddat is a criminal offence and can attract jail term of up to three years.

Talking about the communal riots in Khargone following a Ram Navami procession last month, Shahezadi said that the commission has sought a report from the state government in the matter.

She further said that a proposal to hike Rs 5,000 monthly salary of maulavis and extending this facility to priests of other communities would be put forth before the government

Shedding light on the NCM's functioning, Shahezadi said she had held talks with religious leaders, members of the Haj committee and Waqf Board and women from the minority communities here about their problems.

An amount of Rs 511 crore has been earmarked for 56 projects meant for people from minority communities, she said

There were 1,739 registered madarsas in Madhya Pradesh, where 710 Urdu teachers have been hired, the NCM member added.

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New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Toyota group firms, including Toyota Kirloskar Motor, on Saturday said they will invest about Rs 4,800 crore in Karnataka for local production of powertrain parts and other components of electric vehicles.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) along with Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP) will put in Rs 4,100 crore while a related company -- Toyota Industries Engine India (TIEI)-- will pitch in with another Rs 700 crore.

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TKM and TKAP on Saturday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Karnataka government in this regard.

The announcement coincides with automaker's 25 years of presence in India.

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"Toyota Group and TIEI together would be making an investment of around Rs 4,800 crore. We are doing this in the spirit of 'go green, go local' and our aim is to contribute to our country's mission of faster reduction of carbon emissions and make in India," TKM executive vice president Vikram Gulati told PTI in an interaction.

In-addition to boosting the local manufacturing eco-system, the new development will provide an impetus to employment generation and local community development, he added.

"Just from the group companies (TKM & TKAP), from a direct employment point of view, we are looking at around 3,500 new jobs. Of course, as the supply chain system builds, we expect much more to come in later," Gulati said.

The automaker plans to utilise its existing facilities in the state to produce the components, he noted.

"We would be aiming at both domestic and global markets. We are moving towards a completely new area of technology which is electrified powertrain parts," Gulati said.

When asked about the timeframe for the start of production, he said: "While I cannot get into the specifics, it's going to be very near-term."

Gulati said Toyota has all the electrified technologies and it believes in taking up all which not only meet consumer requirements but are also aligned with the government's national objectives.

"We believe that electrification is beginning to take off. There are still challenges around it, but the key to moving towards faster electrification would be to take steps like the ones we're taking now. To build local ecosystems, local capabilities, local competitiveness and through that to try deliver all these technologies at an affordable cost," he said.

Gulati was replying to a query if Indian market is now ripe for the electric vehicles.

He commended both the Union and Karnataka governments for pushing electrification in the country.

"If you look at both demand side and supply side, a lot of effort is going on... Our belief is that all technologies, electrified or others, that help to promote national goals should be promoted in a proportionate manner," he noted.

Speaking at the MoU signing event, TKM vice-chairman Vikram S Kirloskar said the development is a very important milestone in terms of ushering in large-scale investment to make deeper cuts in carbon emissions, higher employment generation, creating local manufacturing hub not only for domestic needs but also for global markets, local community development and advancement in innovation.

"I believe that such investments are needed to provide technologically viable and economically competitive alternatives to fossil-fuel-intensive technologies in vehicle mobility space," he stated.

The company always conducts deep studies, analyse and explore multiple technological pathways that are best suited to optimally achieve the national goals on lowering dependence on fossil fuels, Kirloskar said.

"Toyota believes that the choice of technologies for achieving our national goals should be practical, sustainable, best suited for unique local conditions that helps to realise the transition in the fastest possible manner," he noted.

The company believes in holistic approach and aims to strongly contribute to the state and country's sustainable growth, and is confident in creating an electrified manufacturing hub in India, Kirloskar said.

Toyota group companies have already invested Rs 11,812 crore and employ more than 8,000 people, he added.

The MoU was exchanged between Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and Kirloskar in presence of minister of large and medium industries Murugesh R Nirani and senior government officials.

Speaking at the event, Bommai said the government wants to make Karnataka a global supply-chain and manufacturing hub "under our 'build for the world' mission".

"This MoU with Toyota group of companies is a huge stride in this regard, and the Karnataka government is confident of Toyota's commitment towards sustainable growth for state's growth and development," he noted.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Taipei, May 7: The hacker group Anonymous took a break from the cyberwar in Russia and hacked Chengdu Chinese Communist Party (CCP) website warning Beijing to "not try anything stupid against Taiwan" in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Posting on Monday (May 2) the collective hacked the website of the Chengdu Pidu District Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, reported Taiwan News.

In a new HTML page created on the website, Anonymous included its logo, followed by a photo of a person wearing a black hoodie and Guy Fawkes mask. The "Taiwan Numbah Wan!" meme appears, which is a reference to a famous quote by video game streamer "AngryPug" in 2015 to antagonize Chinese streamer "Em0" during a match in the computer game "H1Z1." Below the slogan is Taiwan's flag followed by its national emblem, reported Taiwan News. Russia-Ukraine War Live Updates: Anonymous Hackers Replace Russian State Media News Site With Anti-War Messages.

The hacker group then stated that it is taking a "short break" from its cyberwar on Russia to "remind China to not try anything stupid against Taiwan."

It pointed out that since the Russian invasion began, it has launched numerous attacks on Russian government and state-run media websites, industrial control systems, and hundreds of surveillance cameras. Alluding to Anonymous member "Cyber Anakin's" five-day hack into Chinese computer systems, including nuclear power plant interfaces, it mentioned a "souvenir" he had left for China.

The defaced page included the flags of Tibet, Taiwan, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, and the Black Bauhinia flag, as well as a memorial for Li Wenliang and notable people who died from COVID, reported Taiwan News. The CCP website that was the subject of the defacement quickly went offline and as of publication, the site is still inoperable. An archived version of the defacement can be found on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

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Peshawar [Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): Amidst persistent lawlessness in the South Waziristan tribal district, a group of leaders or jirga of the Mehsud tribe, on Friday made an appeal to the Pakistan security forces and the banned the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to cease hostilities in the region for one month, calling for a dialogue in the district.

Some of the elders of the three main branches of the Mehsud tribe convened in the deputy commissioner's camp headquarters in the Tank district of South Waziristan and after in-depth discussions, a jirga committee comprising 35 members was formed, Dawn newspaper reported.

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The committee was authorized to conduct peace negotiations with the Pakistan government and the TTP militants in a bid to prevent impending military operations in the Shawal and Lawara areas of South Waziristan, largely inhabited by the Mehsud tribe.

Further, sources revealed that Pakistan security forces had ordered the tribal residents of Shawal and Lawara to evacuate the region and vacate their homes after Eid-ul-Fitr, reported the Dawn newspaper. The command was in lieu to begin an offensive by the security personnel against terrorists hiding in secret in these regions, the dauly reported.

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However, the 35-member jirga refused to vacate their homes. They pleaded with both the Pakistan security forces and the TTP to refrain from hostility at least for a month. Moreover, the jirga will also meet the Pakistan Prime Minister, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, and the TTP, accompanied by the corps commander Peshawar to reach a peaceful solution to the situation.

Meanwhile, the security personnel stated that upon the request of the Mehsud tribe elders, the offensive against TTP elements was put on hold for now, reported the Dawn newspaper. (ANI)

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Islamabad [Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): The ongoing shortage of irrigation water posed a grave threat to the agricultural economy of Sindh province.

The adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on agricultur and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Manzoor Hussain Wassan has informed that the province had been facing water shortage up to 53 per cent against its due share according to the Water Apportionment Accord 1991.

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He made this remarks on in a statement issued on Friday, according to The News International.

He said various crops in the farmlands of Sindh would be damaged if the situation of water shortage persisted. Wassan said water had disappeared from irrigation channels in the province and the resultant situation was a grave threat to the agricultural economy of Sindh.

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"Crops of mangoes, chillies, rice and dates in Sindh could be damaged due to water shortage," he lamented, according to the Pakistani publication.

Wassan also said that during the past regime of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Sindh had received 16 per cent less water in the Kharif season while it had faced 22 per cent water shortage in the Rabi season.

On Thursday, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon has made an appeal to the federal government on to address the water crisis in Sindh and provide water to the province.

"There is a severe shortage of drinking water in the province along with problems in irrigation canals," said the provincial minister. "The economy will face more difficulties if the situation is not addressed," he added.

Wassan said that Sindh should be supplied with its due water share as per the water accord of 1991 and any curtailment in this regard would not be accepted.

Meanwhile, the water level at Guddu and Sukkur barrages in the Sindh had dropped to an alarming level.

Abdul Aziz Soomro, the official in charge of the Sukkur Barrage control room, said that the water level at Guddu and Sukkur barrages had dropped to an alarming level.

The shortage has increased from the recent 40 per cent to 51 per cent now at Kotri, Guddu and Sukkur barrages which will definitely affect crops in Sindh, according to him.

"Due to water shortage at Guddu and Sukkur barrages, flows into several canals were on a decline," said Mr Soomro.

Pakistan is estimated to be in the top 10 list of the world's countries facing water scarcity. Stressing on the cause of water issues, a UN representative cited climate change, floods, and drought as the reason. (ANI)

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Colombo [Sri Lanka], May 7 (ANI): The crisis-hit Sri Lanka on Friday declared a state of emergency after the crippling strike and protest over the external debt for the second time in five weeks.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today declared a state of emergency citing "public security and the protection of public order and for the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community." It will come into effect on May 6 at midnight.

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The move comes after massive protests across the island nation demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa and the entire government over the economic crisis in the country. The first state of emergency was declared on April 1, 2022.

Trade unions staged a nationwide strike demanding his resignation over the crisis. Over 2,000 trade unions participated in today's nationwide hartal and strike against the President, Prime Minister, and the government, Colombo Page reported.

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All Ceylon Transport Workers Union, Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters' Union (SLRSMU), the University students, and many other unions are protesting today against the Rajapaksa family.

Earlier, President in a special meeting requested Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to step down from his power as a solution to the ongoing political crisis in the country.

In a special meeting between President and the cabinet Ministers, PM Rajapaksa said that if the new government will solve the economic crisis and could bring an immediate solution, then he would give his blessing to the new government, Daily Mirror reported.

Sri Lanka is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from its neighbours. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is unable to buy sufficient fuel and gas, while the people are being deprived of basic amenities as well.

The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (ANI)

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Sanaa, May 7 (AP) Clashes at a militia facility in southern Yemen following the arrest of a group of suspected al-Qaida militants killed at least a dozen people, including two force commanders, officials said.

The officials said the fighting took place late Thursday at the headquarters of the so-called Security Belt force in Dhale province. The Security Belt is a militia trained and funded by the United Arab Emirates and loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council. The force is active in Yemen's southern provinces.

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The militia reported that Col. Waleed al-Dhami, deputy commander of the Security Belt, and Col. Mohamed al-Shoubagi, commander of the government's counterterrorism unit in Dhale, were killed. It did not offer further details.

The security officials said the nearly hour-long firefight erupted when troops asked the militants to hand over their weapons. The militants refused and opened fire at the troops, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

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Eight militants and four security forces were killed in the fighting, including the two commanders, they said. There were a number of wounded troops who were taken to a hospital, the officials added.

Al-Qaida and Islamic State group affiliates are active in several regions of war-torn Yemen and have taken advantage of the yearslong civil war to make inroads. The war pits Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the internationally recognised government, which is aided by a Saudi-led coalition. The UAE is part of the coalition.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chennai, May 7: The Seithunganallur police in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday arrested four people -- father, stepmother, stepbrother, and another person -- in connection with a woman's murder.

Police said that the woman was murdered on Friday night as the family thought that she had brought disgrace to the family by marrying a second time after separating from her first husband.

The victim, according to Seithugnallur police is Meena 21, who is the daughter of Sudalaimuthu 42 from his first wife Kalaimmal who had passed away. Odisha Shocker: 44-Year-Old Woman Killed for Resisting Rape Bid in Larkipali

After Kalaimal passed away, police said that Sudalaimuthu married Mupidathi and the couple has a son, Mayandi,20. Gujarat Shocker: Class 10 Boy Killed, Another Injured in Attack Over Rs 4,000 in Bhavnagar

Meena had married Isikapandi of Kalvai village and the couple has a four-year-old son who was living with his father after the parents separated. She remarried Muthu of Nanguneri village and was living with him for the past ten months in the Tirunelveli district.

She had come to her village to attend a temple festival on Friday evening and was staying at her aunt's place when her father and stepbrother along with her stepmother and two others reached there. An argument broke out and Sudailamuthu and Mayandi hacked Meena with the matchets they were carrying with them. Meena died on the spot and the accused fled the scene.

The Seithunganallur police sent the body of the deceased Meena to the Tirunelveli medical college hospital and registered murder case against all the five accused. Police registered a murder case against all the five and arrested ASudailamuthu, Mayandi, Mupidathi, and her sister Veeramal. Veeramal's son Murugan is at large, police said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2022 08:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
(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.)
At least 18 people were dead while 64 others were left injured in Cuba on Friday, following the explosion in a hotel in Havana.

The latest number of victims of the tragedy was announced by a tweet from the Cuban Presidency, the account of Cuba's Presidential Office, hours after the explosion unfolded.

Datos preliminares ofrecidos en la reunion realizada en el Palacio de la Revolucion, que estuvo dirigida por el Presidente @DiazCanelB y en la cual participaron, ademas, el Primer Ministro @MMarreroCruz, titulares de varias carteras y autoridades de La Habana.  pic.twitter.com/N0vPMTEnOm  Presidencia Cuba  (@PresidenciaCuba) May 6, 2022

The organization noted that the said number of victims was a product of preliminary data offered at the meeting led by Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.

The data mentioned revealed that the 18 people who passed away from the explosion are composed of 17 adults and one minor. Meanwhile, 14 of the 64 injured victims were minors.

The uptick of victims came as police and fire rescuers were reportedly combing through the rubble for possible survivors following the explosion in Hotel Saratoga, per CNN.

The Cuban Presidential office said in a statement that the cause of the explosion in the Havana hotel is a gas leak and indicated that the leak was caused by an accident.

In a statement, Cuba's president pointed out that hospitals continue to treat all the wounded, and rescue activities are still ongoing.

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Video Shows the Aftermath of Cuba Explosion

A video uploaded by CNN in a separate report showed what happened to the Havana hotel, revealing a barren facade of Hotel Saratoga. Civilians and authorities were seen in the area around the said Cuba hotel. Witnesses described a "massive blast" that appeared to destroy busses and cars located nearby the Havana hotel.

BREAKING: Major explosion damages historic hotel in Havana, Cuba; no word on injuries pic.twitter.com/QyksoqI2fI  BNO News (@BNONews) May 6, 2022

In another video uploaded by BNO News on Twitter, people recording videos were seen at the site of the explosion. A cloud of dust was also covering the area, while the continuous alarm of ambulances rang continuously.

A CNN team on the site of the explosion also saw a bloodied woman being carried at the scene. Firemen were also reported to use their bare hands to move chunks of broken granite and stone to pull people out of the rubbles.

Meanwhile, pieces of metal awnings, balconies, and large chunks of stone were seen scattered around 300 feet away from the Havana hotel.

The Havana hotel that exploded on Friday was built at the end of the 19th century and became of the most important hotels in the city in the 1930s. Hotel Saratoga offers 96 rooms since its reopening in 2005.

Cuba President Visits Havana Hotel Site Following Explosion

On Friday, Cuba's president reiterated that the explosion in the Havana hotel was not caused by a bomb or an attack. The president made his comment after he returned from visiting the site.

Confiamos en la profesionalidad de nuestros bomberos, de los equipos de rescate y salvamento y de todo el personal de la #Salud en cuyas manos y experticia descansa la esperanza de familiares y amigos de las victimas de este doloroso accidente. #FuerzaCuba pic.twitter.com/IALpi3ON9O  Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez (@DiazCanelB) May 6, 2022

Diaz-Canel also visited the hospitals around the area of the explosion. In a tweet, he noted that he talked to the staff and directors of the hospitals to fight for the lives of their compatriots.

En primer lugar, aseguro @DiazCanelB, estamos centrados en la atencion a las personas, a los familiares de los fallecidos y tambien de quienes se encuentran hospitalizados.

El trabajo de las instituciones de Salud y equipos de rescate y salvamento ha sido inmediato.#FuerzaCuba  Presidencia Cuba  (@PresidenciaCuba) May 6, 2022

"We are focused on caring for people, the relatives of the deceased and also those who are hospitalized," Cuba's Presidency said, adding that the work of the medical healthcare facilities and rescue teams is immediate.

In a separate tweet, Diaz-Canel expressed his trust in the firefighters and the rescue teams, contending that the hope of the relatives and friends of the victims is in their hands.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Large Explosion Reported At Hotel in Havana, Cuba - From NBC News
Dave Chappelle made a secret show in Los Angeles on Thursday and revealed a new detail about his encounter with Isaiah Lee, his attacker, in his show at The Hollywood Bowl.

According to Fox News, Chappelle did his secret comedy show at The Comedy Store, where he was a last-minute addition. Fans reportedly paid at least $160 to see the show led by an unnamed comedian.

It was unclear how many attendees were in Chappelle's secret show. But The Hollywood Reporter reported that several celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Jeff Ross, and Sean "Diddy" Combs, were in attendance.

During the show, Chappelle revealed that he tried to talk to his attacker. The comedian pointed out that he convinced the security of The Hollywood Bowl to let him enter the room where Lee was being held.

Chappelle then told the crowd that Lee attacked him because his grandmother was forced out of her neighborhood in Brooklyn due to gentrification.

The attacker reportedly claimed that his actions against the comedian were done to draw awareness to what happened to his grandmother. To him, Chappelle shared that Lee appeared "mentally ill."

Comedian Chris Rock was with him on the stage the entire show, and they were able to joke about their respective experiences before Chappelle opened up about what Lee told him.

"At least you got smacked by someone of repute... I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair," Chappelle jokingly told Rock, referring to Will Smith's slap at the Oscars.

Rock then told Chappelle that he was smacked by the "softest n**** that ever rapped."

READ NEXT: Dave Chappelle Hollywood Bowl Attack: The Reason Why Suspect Will Not Face Felony Charges

Dave Chappelle's Attacker, Isaiah Klee, Pleads Not Guilty to Misdemeanor Charges

Dave Chappelle's attacker pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanor charges in court Friday. According to CNN, Isaiah Lee's charges included battery and possession of a weapon.

Chelsea Padilla, Lee's lawyer, said the attacker is receiving mental health services from a local nonprofit organization.

In case Lee posted bail, Judge Wendy Segall ordered the attacker to stay away at least 100 yards from Chappelle. He was also ordered to have no contact with the comedian's residence or any venue where he would be performing.

Isaiah Lee's bail remains set at $30,000, which will be reviewed at May 10 hearing. He is scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing in the case on May 20.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office decided earlier in the week not to pursue felony charges in the case.

Hollywood Bowl to Improve Security After Dave Chappelle Attack

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, the owner of The Hollywood Bowl, said Thursday that they were increasing their security measures following Dave Chappelle's attack.

"We are reviewing our existing procedures both internally and with the assistance of outside experts so we can continue to provide a safe and secure environment at the Hollywood Bowl," said Los Angeles Philharmonic Association's Public Relations Director Sophie Jefferies.

Jefferies noted that they had implemented additional security measures such as increasing the number of security personnel to assist with bag checks and other security procedures.

Isaiah Lee, who had been in the audience, jumped on stage with a replica handgun with a knife blade attached and tackled Chappelle as he was exiting the stage.

Lee was arrested and taken to the hospital for medical treatment after the incident on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Dave Chappelle Hollywood Bowl Tackler Arrested; Video Shows Aftermath of Attack

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Dave Chappelle Reveals He Spoke With His Attacker - From ET Canada
A large Laois town has been left out of social housing plans by Laois County Council.

There are 507 houses under construction across the county for social tenants, and another 494 in the planning stage.

One Laois councillor has demanded to know why his area has been completely left out, in favour of Portlaoise.

Cllr Ben Brennan is from the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District, and lives near Graiguecullen next to the Carlow border and now a suburb of Carlow town but still part of Laois.

"I don't see one house in Graiguecullen going to be built. We have serviced sites. A lot of people come to me every day looking for a house. People are shouting for them. Ballyadams will get one house. Now there's more than one person looking for a house. I know that there is the greatest need in Portlaoise but 306 out of the 494 homes are to be in Portlaoise," he said.

He spoke at the April meeting of Laois County Council during a big discussion about the growing housing shortage in Laois.

"Every parish needs houses. The Government don't listen to us. We are going down the road to destruction for people being unemployed. Who can afford to drive to Dublin for a job?," Cllr Brennan said.

He agrees with Cllr Ollie Clooney that the only option for anyone on low wages to get a house, is to give up their job.

"Clooney is right. If you want a house, you are best not working. It shouldn't be. In Dublin many houses are sold for over 1 million. Everything is gone crazy, out of control. The Government is made up of solicitors, barristers and teachers who are not on the ground with the working clas. They don't seem to think about what is happening in this country. People haven't got food on the table and no way of getting food. It's unreal," Cllr Brennan said.
Now this looks interesting! pondered my father a hint of excitement in his voice as he sat studying the Irish paper. It was the summer of 1977 and our familys first day in Ireland. We had found a two-week rental in a suburb of Dublin, which served as the perfect base both to explore the city and day trips to the countryside.

Stretching back in the living rooms handsome leather recliner, he was truly in his glory. General Manager of an Irish restaurant known as Rosie OGradys in New York City, he relished these trips and returning to Ireland. My Irish-born mother too was in heaven as she loved returning home and visiting friends and relations.



Adjusting his reading glasses, my father continued, Live music tonight. Drinks and refreshments included. And girls! Would you believe it is right up the street?

I glanced at my sister who lay sprawled on the floor lost in an Irish book she had discovered entitled Tales from the Bog. Being teenagers in a quiet suburb, we were at a loss for what to do our first night - but things were looking up!

I envisioned the evening unfolding as we stood amid a crowd of handsome Irish lads chatting us up and then with even greater aspirations, imagined a surprise appearance from Bono, the U2 superstar who was often said to drop in at venues and perform with local musicians.

We flew upstairs and amid a flurry of makeup and hairspray, readied ourselves for a night in Monkstown with teenage hopes and a night filled with possibility



Walking up the barren street, the distinct smell of peat filled the air, a scent for me that is always reminiscent of Ireland. Searching the house numbers, we approached a stone cottage which from the outside appeared deserted but then I noticed a sign Live Music Tonight, carelessly taped to the front door.

Entering, we stood face to face with two nuns who smiled in delight. Ah, some young people. Welcome now, welcome. Enjoy, enjoy. Avoiding the dejected eyes of my sister, I glanced at the stage where the live music had just begun. No Bono, but six Irish step dancers kicking high into the night.



We were ushered to a table where thick slices of Irish soda bread lay neatly on simple white dishes, alongside pats of butter. Not a cocktail nor pint in sight.

The crowd consisted of middle-aged and older locals, chatting amiably as they tapped their feet to the lively tunes. My sister and I sat glumly, the sole two teens in the packed room. Attempting to make the best of it, I poured us each a cup of steaming tea. I thought of my father and imagined him smiling to himself at that very moment. I vowed to somehow get even.

But things changed dramatically shortly after meeting Chris, a bespectacled Irish boy who lived next door and vowed to show us the best of Dublin City.



One night while en route to a popular bar, a song from Michael Jackson, "Pretty Young Things," came on the radio.

Oh, I am mad for this song! shrieked Chris as he blasted the volume and sang along in abandon. At each chorus, he banged on the hood of the dash to further accentuate his delight. But Chriss version was unique as he dropped the H in things to tings. To this day, when I hear the song Pretty Young Things, I fondly think of Chris and always sing along with the Irish version he coined. In appreciation for his friendship, we had my father hire him as a busboy at Rosies the very next summer where he enjoyed learning the restaurant business in New York City.



In contrast to vibrant Dublin lay the Irish countryside, hypnotizing in its beauty and people. We would stay at a bed and breakfast called The Tooman House and in our younger years, would jump from the barn loft into the loosely piled hay below as two resident Border Collies nipped at our heels.

Returning to my mothers childhood farm in Cloone, Co Leitrim was always bittersweet as is often true with leaving and returning to a past place and time. Her best friend from childhood, who remarkably shared the same first and last name, was Mary Kate Foley. They grew up together and in later years attended the same Dublin nursing school.



At age twenty-five, Mary Kate died suddenly from a burst appendix. One trip back, my mother expressed a desire to visit Mary Kates home which she had not entered in over thirty years. As I sat in the car with my father, my mother hesitantly approached the front door. We watched the door open and then Mary Kates elderly father standing before her. His eyes slowly widened in slow recognition. Then embracing her, he broke down and wept.



Over the years, my family has spent three summers in Ireland, each visit holding a special place in my heart. From five years to nineteen, here are a few of my favorites:

Getting lost in Blackrock and a blind man showing me the way home.

My father buying an Irish Wolfhound puppy from a nearby farm who we named Connell. Each year until his death, Connell represented his homeland by proudly marching in the New York City St. Patricks Day Parade, alongside my Irish mother.

The Dublin Horse Show.

Meeting the Irish author Maeve Binchy in a pub in Dalkey. She invited my mother (a huge fan) and me to sit with her and was as just as lovely and enjoyable as the books she wrote.

Friendships with the many Irish neighborhood children who called us The Americans and welcomed us so warmly.

Sitting atop a small, ivy-covered brick structure in an Irish friends backyard having tea as Gilbert OSullivan sang Alone Again Naturally on a small transistor radio beside me.

The taste of my very first 99 ice cream cone.

The sun staying out till 10 pm.

And what a splendid time it was.
AFTER Fr Brendan Duggan was ordained in Cappamore on June 21, 1975 he began his ministry in Ethiopia.

Forty seven years later he has retired as parish priest in Athea. In between, the 75-year-old Holy Ghost Father worked in Rockwell College, Kenya, America, Canada and closer to home in Monaleen.

The proud Cappamore and Limerick man has returned to Rockwell as bursar of St Josephs which is a retirement community. But due to the shortage of priests they hardly ever fully retire and Fr Duggan has vowed to return on occasion to the West Limerick parish.

He got a warm send-off at a farewell Mass in Athea.

I am there five and a half years. Its a lovely parish with lovely people. They gave me a beautiful painting which was nice. I was very active. They also gave me a small monkey puzzle tree as a going way present. I planted it here in Rockwell, said Fr Duggan, who thanked his former parishioners in Athea and Bishop Brendan Leahy.

There will be a permanent reminder of him as he planted a rare monkey puzzle tree in front of the church last year.

Fr Duggan came a little later than normal to the priesthood after solving what he wanted to do in life.

I did a science degree in UCD and I gave two years teaching in Rockwell College before going to Kimmage Manor (Irish headquarters of the Holy Ghost missionary society). I was 28 when I was ordained, said Fr Duggan.

He says he was drawn to this life because he was impressed by a number of priests. And, of course, his late brother Paddy was a Holy Ghost missionary.

I started off in Ethiopia, in the south near Kenya. I was there less than a year. I got malaria and I got complications so I had to come back. There was a war going on at the time. The big famine came a few years later. I was there in 1977 / 1978, said Fr Duggan, who spent the next 15 years in Rockwell College teaching as well as being the dean.

After Rockwell he travelled abroad again to serve in the formerly communist East Germany for three years and then Kenya for five.

Then they asked me to do fundraising for the missions in America and Canada. I did fundraising all over - I would fly or drive. I was chaplain to the young Irish illegal immigrants in New Jersey for five or six years. I was in charge of the Irish Apostolate in Brooklyn, New York also," said Fr Duggan. But home was calling.

I left America in 2014 and took a year off. I started in Monaleen in 2015, then the bishop asked me to go to Athea, said Fr Duggan.

Following his retirement, it gives Bishop Brendan Leahy another almighty puzzle to solve but he doesnt have many pieces to play with.

What does the future hold with regard to the lack of priests?

I dont know if I can answer that question. A lot of changes have to be made. Lay people have to be far more involved. There are a lot of parishes that have no priest, said Fr Duggan.

If he had his time back again would he do anything different?

Ive no regrets. I did my best. Thats all you can do.
GARDAI have issued a warning after a councillor was targeted by criminals who sent a letter in the post.

The letter, which was sent to the politician who is based outside of Limerick, included logos from Department of Justice and EUROPOL in an effort to look official.

"It claimed to be a 'judicial summoning' from the 'head of the brigade for the protection of minors' and accused the councillor of having engaged in child pornography," said divisional crime prevention officer, Sergeant Ber Leetch.

"The letter was sent to this councillor in an effort to get a reaction from him, the scammers hoped that he would contact them directly and once contact was made, the next step was probably to invite him to pay a fine or ransom," she added.

After the elected representative contacted his local gardai, they were able to reassure him that the letter was 'fake' and had not been sent by the Department of Justice of EUROPOL.

"Clearly, the scam failed as the councillor contacted local gardai. Report any scam to gardai, it gives me the opportunity to caution others," said Sgt Leetch.
A LIMERICK woman is taking part in a campaign to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

The Irish Network for Gynaecological Oncology is running the campaign to increase awareness of symptoms in women over 50.

This Sunday, May 8, World Ovarian Cancer Day, ten buildings across Ireland will be lit up in the campaign colour, teal, to raise awareness.

In Ireland, over 400 women present with ovarian cancer annually and most cases occur in women over 50 years of age.

Over 75% of patients present with late-stage disease, partly due to the vagueness of symptoms and the similarity with other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Sadly, Ireland has the highest death rate in Europe from ovarian cancer.

Irish Network for Gynaecological Oncology is working to communicate the symptoms of ovarian cancer to a larger audience.

Key to the campaign is knowing the signs and getting help at an early stage, the acronym BEAT has been drawn up to help remember the symptoms.

Bloating that is persistent and doesnt come and go, eating less and feeling full more quickly, abdominal and pelvic pain you feel most days and toilet changes in urination or bowel habits are some of the main symptoms.

The signs of ovarian cancer can often be confused with irritable bowel syndrome, but this rarely presents for the first time in a woman over 50.

Limerick woman Bridget Carr was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2018 and is speaking out to help raise awareness of the symptoms.

My big issue was my stomach, for about a year before I was diagnosed I was struggling to eat. I would eat and then feel very full after small amounts and I struggled to swallow food.

When I tried to eat meat and stuff like that I couldn't digest it. I went to different doctors and did tests and no one could really tell me what was wrong.

I ended up only being able to eat liquid foods like soup and yoghurts, things that were easy to swallow.

Eventually I started getting a really bad pain in my right side and I had changes in my period. They discovered I had a cyst on my ovaries.

The cyst was taken out and when I woke up I found out that they had found tumors. I had the symptoms but I didn't know what to look out for .

The 45-year-old from Cappamore travelled to the Mater Hospital in Dublin for specialist chemo treatment and she says she is now feeling good.

We are trying to get people talking about it. If you have the symptoms, when you go to your GP mention the word ovarian.

Because, unfortunately, a lot of people put it down to IBS problems, sometimes we just need to push doctors outside of stomach issues.
A JUDGE has expressed concern at the level of violence and aggression shown by a man who was encountered by gardai on three consecutive days earlier this year.

Mohamed Abdirahaman, aged 27, who has an address at Johnsgate, Limerick pleaded guilty to multiple charges, relating to different offences.

Inspector Fiona McGrath told Limerick District Court the defendant, who has 25 previous convictions, is known to gardai as she outlined the facts of each case.

The first incident, she said, happened on February 4 when gardai were alerted to an incident at Dunnes Stores, Harveys Quay.

Mr Abdirahaman, who was drunk and aggressive, was being removed from the store when he throw a glass bottle at a large window  causing more than 2,000 worth of damage.

It had to be boarded up, she told Judge Patricia Harney.

On February 5, gardai were alerted to an incident on board a bus in the Dooradoyle area of the city.

Insp McGrath said Mr Abdirahaman was extremely aggressive and verbally abusive towards the driver and later towards gardai when they arrived at the scene.

Less than 24 hours later, gardai were again subjected to aggressive shouting and roaring when they attended an incident near the defendants home shortly after midnight.

Solicitor Tom Kiely said his client, who also pleaded guilty to several theft offences, has a desperate alcohol problem and that the court will be seeing him more and more unless he deals with his difficulties.

In response, Judge Harney warned Mr Abdirahaman he can expect longer sentences too if his offending continues.

Sentences totalling six months imprisonment were imposed.

Mr Abdirahaman has lodged an appeal.
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  Norman Mineta, who broke racial barriers for Asian Americans serving in high-profile government posts and ordered commercial flights grounded after the 9/11 terror attacks as the nation's federal transportation secretary, died Tuesday. He was 90.

John Flaherty, Minetas former chief of staff, said Mineta died peacefully at his home surrounded by family in Edgewater, Maryland, east of the nation's capital.

His cause of death was a heart ailment," Flaherty added. He was an extraordinary public servant and a very dear friend."

Mineta broke racial barriers for Asian Americans in becoming mayor of San Jose, California early in his political career. He later became the first Asian American to become a federal Cabinet secretary, serving under both Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush.

Bush went on to award Mineta the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In a statement, the former president said Mineta was "a wonderful American story about someone who overcame hardship and prejudice to serve in the United States Army, Congress, and the Cabinet of two Presidents.

As my Secretary of Transportation, he showed great leadership in helping prevent further attacks on and after 9/11. As I said when presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Norm has given his country a lifetime of service, and hes given his fellow citizens an example of leadership, devotion to duty, and personal character, the former president said.

The son of Japanese immigrants who spent two years of his childhood at a World War II internment camp, Mineta began his political career leading his hometown of San Jose before joining the Clinton administration as commerce secretary and then crossing party lines to serve in Bushs Cabinet.

As Bushs transportation secretary, Mineta led the department during the crisis of Sept. 11, 2001, as hijacked commercial airliners barreled toward U.S. landmarks. After a second plane crashed into the World Trade Center, Mineta ordered the Federal Aviation Administration to ground all civilian aircraft  more than 4,500 in flight at the time. It was the first such order given in U.S. aviation history.

Mineta was subsequently tasked with restoring confidence in air travel in the aftermath of the terror attacks. He oversaw the hasty creation of the Transportation Security Administration, which took over responsibility for aviation security from the airlines.

Within a year, the TSA had hired tens of thousands of airport screeners, put air marshals on commercial flights and installed high-tech equipment to screen air travelers and their luggage for bombs.

The effort was derided at the time for wasteful spending and causing long lines at airports. But Mineta, widely liked and respected in Washington for his deep knowledge of transportation issues, managed to escape the brunt of that criticism.

In 2006, he resigned at age 74 after 5 and 1/2 years in his post, making him the longest-serving transportation secretary since the agency was created in 1967.

Born on Nov. 12, 1931, Norman Yoshio Mineta was 10 and wearing his Cub Scouts uniform when he and his parents were transported to be incarcerated in Wyoming after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

He went on to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelors degree in business administration and served as an Army intelligence officer in Korea and Japan. After three years with the military, he returned to San Jose to run his fathers Mineta Insurance Agency.

Minetas foray into politics came in 1967, when San Joses mayor tapped him to fill a vacant seat on the city council. He won re-election and served four more years on the council before winning the citys top seat in 1971, making him the first Asian-American mayor of a major city. It now has an airport that bears his name.

Mineta was elected to Congress in 1974 and served 10 terms representing Silicon Valley. During his tenure, he pushed for more funding for the FAA and co-authored a landmark law that gave state and local governments control over highway and mass transit decisions.

The co-founder of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus also scored a personal victory when he helped win passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which required the U.S. government to apologize to the 120,000 Japanese Americans forced to live in wartime internment camps. Former internees also received reparations of $20,000 each.

In 1993, Mineta became chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee  another first  but he quickly lost that job after Republicans won control of the House in 1994.

Mineta resigned from Congress in 1995 to join Lockheed Martin Corp. as senior vice president of its transportation division, which built and operated electronic toll collection systems.

But Washington came calling again five years later when Clinton, in the final months of his presidency, appointed him to replace William Daley as commerce secretary.

Mineta then became the first cabinet secretary to make the switch directly from a Democratic to Republican administration. He was the only Democrat in Bushs cabinet.

As transportation secretary, Mineta successfully promoted private investment in roads and bridges such as the Chicago Skyway and Indiana Toll Road and helped secure passage of a $286 billion highway spending plan after almost two years of wrangling with Congress.

After overseeing the rapid launch of the TSA, Mineta had his department downsized by almost two-thirds when the TSA and Coast Guard were moved to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 in the biggest government reorganization in nearly six decades.

After retiring from public service, he joined the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton as vice chairman and settled with his wife, Danealia, in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay.

___

Chea reported from San Francisco.
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A Pennsylvania judge on Friday dismissed a temporary protective order against Teddy Daniels, a far-right Republican candidate for lieutenant governor whose wife has accused him of verbal abuse and threatening behavior.

Justice was served today in a court of law, Daniels said outside the Wayne County Courthouse after President Judge Janine Edwards made her decision. Im going to go see my son.

Daniels defense argued that his wife, who testified on Friday, was not a reliable witness. Daniels himself did not testify. Our case was proven by cross-examination of a witness who lied, his attorney, Jen Gilliland Vanasdale, claimed to reporters. Obviously the court believed that, or the court would not have dismissed and denied the protection from abuse.

Rolling Stone reported last week that Daniels had been removed from his home after his wife asked a court for emergency protections against abuse. It is at least the third relationship in which Daniels has been accused in court documents of mistreating a female partner.

In court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Daniels wife accused him of stalking her and being verbally abusive, as well as threatening her, their young child, and the family dog. Daniels wife initially received an order granting emergency protection from abuse to her and her child last Monday from the Wayne County, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. Those protections were extended last Tuesday via a separate order from the same court.

Under the terms of the order, Daniels was barred from the couples home in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. The order barred Daniels from contacting his wife and gave her temporary custody over their child. It also noted that there were firearms present in the couples home and barred Daniels from possessing or acquiring any firearms while the order was in effect, while also requiring him to relinquish any he possessed to the court or an approved third party.

In handwritten notes from Daniels wife that the court included in its order, Daniels wife alleged that her husband  whom the court lists at six-foot-four and weighing 360 pounds  grabbed me by the shirt during an incident in August and threatened to kill [our] family dog in front of children.

I am afraid of him and what he will do to me and our [child], she wrote.

After this piece was published last week, Daniels reached out via Twitter: Please include this in your dishonest hit piece: Anyone can walk into any courtroom to get a temporary PFA, Daniels wrote.

The top of the Meet Teddy Daniels section of his campaign website features the candidate affectionately kissing a young child on the head. A subsequent photo shows him gazing at what may be the same child at a young age and describes Daniels as focused on spending time with his family.

As previously reported by Rolling Stone in February, in two earlier relationships with women, Daniels was accused of mistreatment. During a custody battle in 2013, an ex-wife of Daniels asked the district court of Maryland for an order of protection, citing alleged domestic violence. The petition also accused Daniels of harassing her at her workplace The order was not granted, and in other court documents, Daniels repeatedly suggested his motivation in his dealings with his ex-wife was to see his child.

In an earlier relationship, Daniels had sued a woman seeking visitation and custody of a child theyd had together. In 1999, a lawyer for that woman accused Daniels of having previously engaged in conduct which has been threatening to the woman and made her feel justifiably unsafe. Despite that contention, the presiding officer granted Daniels visitation.

Daniels campaign pitch is heavily based on his service in the military and in law enforcement, and, above all, on his political alignment with Donald Trump. Daniels has met personally with Trump and boasted of being present at the U.S. Capitol with the pro-Trump protesters on January 6, 2021 as the former presidents election loss was being certified. Daniels also has actively promoted conspiracy theories about the last election and vowed that, if he wins this race, he will revamp Pennsylvanias voting system for when Trump runs in 24.

The notes from his wife that accompanied the court order detail a disturbing domestic saga in which she lives in fear for her safety and the safety of her child.

According to Daniels wifes written notes, state police came to their home after being called to do a wellness check. After they left, Ted became very agitated about who called the State Troopers and accused my family of talking to Rolling Stone about his prior domestic violence, Daniels wife wrote. He falsely accused me of talking to Rolling Stone. He was verbally abusive and I called State Police.

Daniels wife testified on Friday that Daniels threatened to put a bullet in the head of one of the people he blamed for the coverage. And if I find out youre in on it, youre going down too, she said Daniels told her.

Daniels wife has never communicated in any way with this reporter and she did not respond to a request for comment. Rolling Stone is withholding her name as she is an alleged victim of domestic abuse. Rolling Stone obtained the court documents from a family friend of the couple, who asked that their name be withheld citing safety concerns.

According to Daniels wifes notes, when the State Police returned to their home on Sunday, April 24, they suggested her husband leave the home overnight to cool things down and suggested she get a protection from abuse order. Rolling Stone reached out to the State Police in Homesdale, Pennsylvania on April 24 to confirm they had visited Daniels home. The officer who answered the phone declined to comment.

In her statement included in the court order, Daniels wife said he returned to their home at approximately six that Monday morning. He asked if I was going to file a [protection from abuse order] and I started crying. I started to go to the courthouse and he tried not to let me go, Daniels wife wrote, adding, Ted followed me to the courthouse and came into the courthouse.

In her notes, Daniels wife makes alarming allegations about his prior conduct. He stalks me at work, screaming at me, making me cry. He cursed at me continually and our son repeats it to me, she wrote. He has constantly said he would throw myself and our son out of the house and, if he lost the campaign, I wouldnt have a place to live in three weeks. (Some punctuation has been added for clarity.)

In her statement, Daniels wife further alleges that he curses at me and our son. She also said Daniels has threatened the young boy by saying he would kick his ass and that he needs an ass whooping. She also claimed Daniels gave alcohol to a child he had with another woman when they were 12 years old.

Daniels wife also accused his campaign team of threatening her and trying to discourage her from going to court to request orders for protection from abuse. Teds Campaign Manager has called me twelve (12) times to persuade me not to file this PFA. He has threatened to investigate who made wellness calls to the State Police unless I dropped the emergency PFA + didnt file a temporary PFA, she wrote.

The campaign manager was not identified in the document. Daniels campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the order. Overall, Daniels wife described herself as terrified for herself, her young child, and even for Daniels.

I am afraid of him and what he will do to me and our son. He [threatens] to kill himself, she wrote.

Daniels is running for lieutenant governor with the support of Doug Mastriano, a pro-Trump state legislator who has led most polls of the Republican primary field. Mastriano has extensive ties to the effort to overturn Trumps loss and was subpoenaed by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack in February. In Pennsylvania, gubernatorial candidates and potential lieutenants do not run on the same ticket. However, Mastriano and Daniels are so closely associated that they have been described as running mates. Mastriano did not respond to requests for comment about the order.

In February, when asked about his prior abuse allegations, Daniels sent Rolling Stone a short statement that described the past accusations as FALSE, and MALICIOUS ALLEGATIONS. Days after the article was published, he posted an angry, lengthy video rant on Facebook dismissing the story as a smear piece.

Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome investigative journalism. You pulled public records. Like, does that impress me? You know, do you think that thats investigative journalism? You pulled public records, Daniels said, adding, Rolling Stone, take your bullshit and shove it.

This post has been updated.
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Film and TV workers will finally be able to take off their masks, as the entertainment unions and the studios have agreed to relax the industrys COVID protocols.

The loosened regulations will also mean less frequent testing during productions, though workers will still be required to get tested before starting a new job.

The industrys COVID protocols were set to expire on April 30, but were extended by a week as the studios and unions continued to negotiate modifications. The relaxed rules on masks and testing apply only in areas that have low COVID hospital admissions  meaning the rules could be reimposed if there is a surge in hospitalizations. Employers are also given the power to require masking and increase testing frequency if circumstances change.

The update marks the biggest change to the protocols since they were first enacted in September 2020. The studios negotiated the agreement with SAG-AFTRA, the Teamsters and other Basic Crafts, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and the Directors Guild of America. The latest agreement will be effective through at least July 15.

The vaccine rules in remain unchanged, as employers still have the authority to mandate vaccines and booster shots, but only in Zone A. The zone refers to actors and other workers on set, plus those who come in contact with actors  like makeup artists. There is no vaccine mandate for workers outside of Zone A.

Masks will still be required in shuttle vans, but will not be required in most settings, according to a statement from the unions. Workers in Zones A and B will still have to get tested weekly, but workers in Zones C and D will not have to get tested after their pre-employment test.

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SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses the main post-credit scene in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, currently in theaters.

For as long as hes been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)  former genius neurosurgeon turned master of the mystical arts  has only had eyes for one person: Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). After breaking things off with her in 2016s Doctor Strange, Strange spends a considerable amount of time in its sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, coming to terms that he and Christine were never fated to be together, in any universe.

Turns out, theres room in the MCU for another woman in Stranges life. And shes played by Charlize Theron!

In the post-credits scene of Multiverse of Madness  or, technically, the mid-credits scene  we see Strange walking down a Manhattan street when suddenly, a white haired, purple-costumed Theron calls out his name. She tells Strange that his universe-hopping shenanigans has caused an incursion between universes, which weve already been told could rip the fabric of the multiverse apart. Then she uses an energy blade to cut into the fabric of reality, exposing the Dark Dimension  as introduced in the first Doctor Strange movie. She asks Strange to join her to fix the incursion. Stranges third eye opens, and he agrees. End of scene!

At no point does Therons character introduce herself  rude!  but comic book fans and keen-eyed observers of the Multiverse of Madness end credits know that her name is Clea. Like Strange, Clea is a sorcerer, and she hails from the Dark Dimension. In the Marvel comics, she has a long and complicated history with its menacing overlord Dormammu  her mother is his sister, for starters  and she and Strange eventually enter into a rather unconventional inter-dimensional marriage.

Its unclear how much or little of Cleas comic book history will wind up being a part of the characters backstory within the MCU, and she certainly is not anywhere close to a marquee character in the Marvel comics canon. But she is now played by an action movie icon, between the Fast & Furious movies, 2020s The Old Guard, 2017s Atomic Blonde, and especially 2015s Mad Max: Fury Road. Theron is a star, not a supporting player, and Marvel Studios would not hire an actor of her fame, stature and talent if its not planning big things for her.

Just how big is the question.

Its no surprise that Disney and Marvel are radio silent on their plans for Theron and Clea. But at the very least, we can reasonably expect Cumberbatch and Theron to headline the third Doctor Strange movie  and likely much sooner than the six year gap between the first and second films. (Doctor Strange in the Dark Dimension certainly has a good ring to it.) But how much should audiences should expect Clea, and Theron, to become entangled with the rest of the MCU, in the same way Cumberbatchs Strange has through the last two Avengers movies and Spider-Man: No Way Home?

In a previous era of the MCU, of course Marvel Studios would hope to include Theron is as many projects as possible  Robert Downey Jr. was in nine MCU movies from 2008 to 2019. Post-Endgame, however, the horizon is far less clear.

Heres what we know for sure: To date, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has yet to show his cards as to how  or even whether  the Phase Four suite of MCU films and Disney+ shows will come together with an Avengers-style culminating mega-event. Jonathan Majors is set to appear in 2023s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as Kang the Conqueror  a Marvel comics Big Bad on par with Thanos in terms of universe-threatening ambition. Strange and Clea dont have much history with Kang in the comics per se, but since the Disney+ series Loki established that Kang has designs to subjugate all of the multiverse, theres a decent chance that Strange and Cleas mission to prevent a multiversal incursion could lead them to pop up in the third Ant-Man movie. (For one thing, Dormammu isnt about to give up control of the Dark Dimension to Kang or anyone else.)

Another possibility: Upcoming releases like this Julys Thor: Love and Thunder, and 2023s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels  not to mention the as-yet-undated Fantastic Four film  will shift the MCUs focus away from Earth and into the multiversal cosmos, where Strange and Clea could find themselves especially useful, leading to a big team-up movie that would debut in May 2024.

With so many films and Disney+ titles to manage now, however, it is just as likely that we wont see a grand, unifying movie for Phase Four at all, or at least as weve come to expect them. Consider that Therons franchise dance card is already pretty full, between playing Cipher in Fast X (and, presumably, its sequel) and reprising her starring role as Andy in The Old Guard 2 and any other sequels beyond it. She is an in-demand star who often produces her own material, so devoting years of her career to making Marvel Studios movies may not be possible.

It almost seems like, by casting an actor too big and busy to turn over her career wholesale to the MCU, Marvel is signaling (intentionally or not) that the era of massive team-up films is over. But whether Theron goes on to a major MCU career or a minor one, Marvel  and audiences  will be happy to have her.

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An endorsement from former President Donald Trump wasnt enough to prevent MAGA devotees from repeatedly booing Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz at a campaign rally in Greensburg, Pennsylvania Friday evening.

Although the event was designed to promote Ozs run for the states Senate seat, the majority of the crowd  many of whom waited for hours in the pouring rain  was clearly gathered to see Trump. Reaction to Oz was icy at best, with the audience letting out an audible groan when the former president began stumping for the fellow reality TV charlatan, referring to Oz as his friend. The boos were even more apparent after Trump implored Pennsylvania Republicans to secure a massive victory for Oz.

The apathetic response to Oz was a running theme throughout the evening. The Daily Beast reports that the crowd jeered when pro-MAGA Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Penn.) explained his reasons for backing Oz in the May 17 primary, while Huffington Post reporter Daniel Marans shared video on Twitter of Trump supporters booing Oz campaign ads that played before the rally.

Even so, between his usual rants against liberal Democrats and self-avowed enemies like Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.), Trump attempted to sell his supporters on Oz in a variety of ways, ranging from the banal to the bizarre  even going so far as to remind the audience that Oz was in the bedrooms of women across America, as if that was a good, totally un-creepy asset for a would-be politician. (This isnt the first time Trump has praised Ozs popularity with female voters; after initially endorsing Oz last month, the ex-president boasted that women are drawn to Dr. Oz for his advice and counsel.)

Dr. Oz is running against the liberal Wall Street Republican named David McCormick, Trump said of Ozs opponent, adding that the former Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury for International Affairs may be a nice guy, but hes not MAGA.

Losing out on Trumps coveted endorsement appears to have Camp McCormick concerned about their prospects in Pennsylvania  and, given the recent success of Trump-backed author-turned-venture capitalist J.D. Vance in Ohio, its a fear thats not entirely unfounded. According to Bloomberg, the candidate outspent Oz by over $6 million last month. In recent days, McCormick has zeroed in on Ozs dual Turkish citizenship, suggesting the TV doctors ties to the country make him a potential threat to American democracy.

These are pathetic and xenophobic attacks on Dr. Oz by David McCormick, who should be ashamed of himself, Oz campaign spokesperson Brittany Yanick told The Philadelphia Inquirer. Now that he lost President Trumps endorsement, hes resorted to sad and desperate attacks that are no different than the tropes used against Catholics and Jews.
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LONDON (AP)  The election of Sinn Fein as the biggest party in Northern Irelands Assembly is a historic moment -- the first time an Irish nationalist party, rather than a British unionist one, has topped the voting.

With all but two of the assembly's seats filled Saturday, Sinn Fein has won with 27 seats out of 90. The Democratic Unionist Party, which had been the largest for two decades, has 24 seats and the Alliance Party, which defines itself as neither nationalist nor unionist, has 17.

WHY IS THIS A BIG DEAL?

The outcome is hugely symbolic. A party that aims to unite Northern Ireland with the neighboring Republic of Ireland has a mandate to take the reins in a state established a century ago as a Protestant-majority region within the United Kingdom.

Its a major milestone for a party long linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs, bullets and violence to try to take Northern Ireland out of U.K. rule during decades of unrest. More than 3,500 people died in 30 years of violence involving Irish republican militants, Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries and the U.K. army and police.

A 1998 peace accord ended large-scale violence and Northern Ireland now has a government that splits power between British unionists and Irish nationalists. The arrangement has often been unstable, but has endured.

WILL SINN FEIN NOW GOVERN NORTHERN IRELAND?

The result gives Sinn Fein the right to hold the post of first minister in Northern Irelands power-sharing government, with the DUP taking the deputy first minister role.

But its unlikely a government will be set up smoothly soon.

Under Northern Irelands delicate power-sharing system, the posts of first minister and deputy first minister have equal status, and both posts must be filled for a government to be formed.

While Sinn Fein is ready to nominate its Northern Ireland leader Michelle ONeill as first minister, the DUP says it will not follow suit unless there are major changes to post-Brexit border arrangements that it says are undermining Northern Irelands place in the U.K.

WHAT DOES BREXIT HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

Britains decision in 2016 to leave the European Union and its borderless free-trade zone has complicated Northern Irelands position. It is the only part of the U.K. that has a border with an EU nation. Keeping that border open to the free flow of people and goods is a key pillar of the peace process.

So instead, the post-Brexit rules have imposed customs and border checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. -- a border in the Irish Sea, rather than on the island of Ireland.

Unionists say the new checks have created a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. that undermines their British identity. The largest unionist party, the DUP, is demanding the arrangements, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, are scrapped.

Britains Conservative government says the arrangements cannot work without unionist support, and is pressing the EU to agree to major changes. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has threatened to unilaterally suspend the rules if the bloc refuses.

But the U.K.-EU negotiations have reached an impasse, with the bloc accusing Johnson of refusing to implement rules he agreed to in a legally binding treaty.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Northern Ireland Assembly must meet within eight days so the newly elected legislators can take their seats. Assembly members will then choose a Speaker, followed by the nomination of ministers, starting with the first and deputy first ministers.

If, as seems likely, no executive can be formed because the DUP refuses, ministers from the previous government will stay in power and basic governance can continue  though ministers are barred from making major or controversial decisions.

If there is still no executive after 24 weeks, a new election must be held.

IS IRISH REUNIFICATION LIKELY?

Irish unity did not play a big role in this year's Northern Ireland election campaign, which was dominated by more immediate worries, especially a cost-of-living crisis driven by the soaring costs of food and fuel.

But it remains Sinn Feins goal, and party leader Mary Lou McDonald says a referendum in Northern Ireland could be held within a five-year framework.

The 1998 Good Friday peace deal stated that Irish reunification can occur if referendums support it in both Northern Ireland and the republic.

In Northern Ireland, such a vote would have to be called by the British government, if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland.

There are no set rules for deciding when that threshold has been met.

Complicating the picture is the fact that Northern Irelands identity is in flux, with a growing number of people -- especially the young -- identifying as neither unionist nor nationalist. That is reflected in the strong showing of the centrist Alliance Party. There are growing calls for the power-sharing rules to be changed to reflect the move beyond Northern Ireland's traditional religious and political divide.
HOUSTON  A Houston police officer was shot and wounded on Wednesday while conducting a traffic stop as part of a drug investigation, according to officials.

At 11:20 a.m., two police officers pulled over a truck at a southeast Houston gas station, said Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.

The driver, whose name was not immediately released by authorities, had been the focus of a multi-agency drug investigation and had a warrant for his arrest, Finner said.

After the truck had stopped at the gas station, the officers asked the driver to get out of his vehicle.

"The suspect got out of the car and immediately started firing upon our officers," Finner said. "The officers returned fire, both of them, striking the suspect multiple times."

One of the officers was shot and wounded in his pelvic area. Finner said the officer was also shot in his chest but only suffered a minor injury because his bulletproof vest and a flashlight stopped the bullet.

"He's going to be fine," Finner said of the wounded officer. The other officer was not injured.

The suspect was wounded and taken to an area hospital, where he was in critical condition.

Both officers were placed on administrative leave while police and the Harris County District Attorney's Office investigate the shooting.

Finner said this was the 15th shooting involving a Houston police officer this year.
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea flight-tested a ballistic missile that was likely fired from a submarine on Saturday, South Koreas military said, continuing a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations that may culminate with a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred from waters near the eastern port city of Sinpo, where North Korea has a major shipyard building submarines. It said the short-range missile flew 600 kilometers (372 miles) at a maximum altitude of 60 kilometers (37 miles) but it didnt immediately provide details about the submarine that would have been involved in the launch.

The U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said it a statement that while the launch did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to its allies, it highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRKs illicit weapons program. The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobu Kishi told reporters that the missile fell outside of Japans exclusive economic zone and that no damage to aircraft or vessels was reported.

South Koreas national security director Suh Hoon and other senior officials during an emergency meeting denounced the launch and urged North Korea to return to long-stalled talks aimed at defusing the nuclear standoff, Seouls presidential office said.

It was apparently North Koreas first demonstration of a submarine-launched ballistic missile system since October last year, when it fired a new short-range missile from the 8.24 Yongung  its only known submarine capable of launching a missile. The October underwater launch was the Norths first in two years.

On Wednesday, the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected a suspected ballistic missile fired from near the capital, Pyongyang. Both exercises come ahead of the inauguration on Tuesday of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, who has vowed to take a tougher approach over the Norths nuclear ambitions.

Yoons office said in a statement that his government will pursue actual deterrence ability against the Norths nuclear and missile threat, but didnt specify how. Yoon has vowed to strengthen South Koreas defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States, which he said would include enhancing missile striking capabilities.

So far this year, North Korea has fired missiles 15 times. They include the country's first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017 in March that demonstrated a potential range to reach the entirety of the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has been clearly exploiting a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program with the U.N. Security Council divided and effectively paralyzed over Russias war on Ukraine. The unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores a brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and remove crippling sanctions, experts say.

There are also signs that North Korea is restoring tunnels at a nuclear testing ground, where it had conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017, in possible preparations for another explosive test. Analysts say the North could use another nuclear test to claim it can now build small nuclear warheads for its expanding range of shorter-range weapons threatening South Korea and Japan, or put a cluster of bombs on a multi-warhead ICBM.

Jalina Porter, the U.S. State Department's deputy spokesperson, said during a briefing Friday that the United States assesses that North Korea could be ready to conduct a nuclear test at its Punggye-ri test site as early as this month.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has punctuated his recent missile tests with statements warning that the North could proactively use its nuclear weapons if threatened or provoked. Experts say such rhetoric possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that would create greater concerns for South Korea and Japan.

Kim made one of those statements during an April 25 parade in Pyongyang, where he showcased the most notable weapons in his military nuclear program, including ICBMs and what appeared to be a new type of missile designed to be fired from submarines that could be larger than previous models.

(North Koreas) submarine technology probably remains short of being able to stay at sea for extended periods while avoiding detection. But the ability to launch ballistic missiles from a submarine would further complicate missions to neutralize and defend against North Koreas nuclear forces, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seouls Ewha Womans University.

He said the Kim regime appears to be preparing to test a miniaturized nuclear device that it can use to arm its submarine-launched or tactical missiles, and multiple warheads on its ICBMs.

North Korea has been pushing hard to acquire an ability to fire nuclear-armed missiles from submarines, which in theory would bolster its deterrent by ensuring retaliation after absorbing a nuclear attack on land.

Ballistic missile submarines would also add a new maritime threat to the Norths growing collection of solid-fuel weapons fired from land vehicles, which are being developed with an apparent aim to overwhelm missile defense systems in South Korea and Japan.

The North in recent years has been developing and testing a family of missiles named Pukguksong, which are designed to be fired from submarines or land vehicles. Still experts say the heavily sanctioned nation would need considerably more time, resources and major technological improvements to build at least several submarines that could travel quietly in seas and reliably execute strikes.

The South Korean and Japanese militaries said the North Korean missile fired on Wednesday traveled about 500 kilometers (310 miles) at a maximum altitude of 800 kilometers (500 miles). North Korean state media have yet to comment on that test.

___ Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to the report.
Two Ukrainian women have heaped praise on the unbelievable support they have received from locals after fleeing the war torn nation in the midst of Russias ongoing invasion.

Like thousands of others, Alina Marchuk and Maryna Lytvynova flew into Ireland last month seeking refuge from a war that has gripped the eyes and ears of the watching world.

Their safe haven for the foreseeable future is a newly refurbished three bedroom apartment that lies adjacent to Happy and Healthy Veterinary Hospital and which was kindly donated by its proprietor Emma Plant.

We are shocked every day because these people have made us feel so welcome and every day they come to us and ask if we need anything, said Alina.

The Leader got a first hand look at the quartets new surroundings over the weekend with the finished product more than matching the expectations both women had originally anticipated upon stepping foot on Irish soil.

Their contentment turned to melancholy when the pair switched their focus to the crisis that continues to engulf their motherland more than 2,000 miles away.

Maryna's mother and brother have remained on in Ukraine while Alina's husband has taken up arms in a bid to fend off Russian forces.

Its a terrible situation in Donbas and south and east, added Maryna.

Every day there is fighting, bombs exploding and people and children die every day.

Those atrocities have not surprisingly negated their own hopes of returning home.

We think about this but it is such a terrible situation, we just dont know, she continued.

Their anguish has, aside from the self sacrificing efforts from a small, but good natured band of Killoe volunteers, been further stengyhened by the fact both their children have been enrolled at St Teresa's National School. All of the clothes have been given to us too which has been a great help, added Alina.

The people here have really shocked us, we have been made feel so welcome and we are so grateful for everything they have done for us.
A junction located just off one of north Longford's busiest carriageways is an accident waiting to happen, it was claimed this week.

Cllr PJ Reilly revealed his fears over the safety of a turn off adjacent to Macken's Filling Station which branches off from the main N55 and onto the R194 Ballyjamesduff road.

The Fianna Fail local representative issued the call at a recent Granard Municipal District meeting following what he described as a string of near misses over the past number of weeks.

The design of this junction is just unacceptable for a junction like it, he said.

Cllr Reilly said the layout of the junction made it especially hazardous for motorists approaching the town from the Abbeylara direction.

You have to go far to far up the road and the danger is that cars coming from the other direction looking to turn left cut across too short.

The long serving councillor revealed how local authority bosses have agreed to open talks with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) officials in a bid to oversee a realignment of the road.

One possible solution, according to the Abbeylara based representative is the option of installing a mini roundabout or island.

It is an accident waiting to happen, said Cllr Reilly.

The layout of the junction is all wrong and it needs addressing sooner rather than later.

The call comes after a woman in her forties sustained critical injuries in a road accident involving a car and a lorry only a matter of hundred yards down the road.

She was flown by air ambulance to Tallaght University Hospital after the car she was driving collided with a lorry close to the town's Cnoc Na Greine housing estate at around 10:30am.

A young girl, who was also travelling in the car, was treated at Cavan General Hospital for what were described as non-life threatening injuries.

The incident, while in no way related to concerns surrouding the junction's safety, is an episode which could yet prompt road chiefs into taking a more sterner hand with its layout and accessibility.

The bottom line is the way it (junction) is arranged needs revising and the quicker it is done, the better it will be for all road users, added Cllr Reilly.
A former priest and newspaper columnist has been sentenced to four years in prison for multiple sexual assaults on a school boy in the 1990s.

Barry Fergal Jennings (56) of Cloonkeerin, Frenchpark, Co Roscommon was convicted by unanimous jury decision last March of six counts of sexual assault of the boy at places in Dublin on dates between September 1998 and December 1999.

At the time Jennings aka Fr Jennings and Fr Fergal Mac Eoinin, was a chaplain at Tallaght community school in Dublin. He had denied the charges.

At his sentence hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Monica Leech BL, prosecuting, outlined how the priest went to the victim's home and molested him in his bed. He also sexually assaulted him a number of times while driving him around and also molested him twice at locations at the school.

In his victim impact statement, the man said that he was previously a happy child but that the sex attacks destroyed his life.

He said that the abuse left him feeling ashamed and suicidal. He ended up leaving school after completing his Junior Cert, turned to alcohol and drugs and lost his friends.

His first attempt at suicide was a drugs overdose at 19 and he was admitted to hospital a number of other times after that. He said he was diagnosed with PTSD and that the trauma negatively affected his relationship with his family.

He said the trial was very difficult and that seeing my abuser laughing and smirking in the court was difficult.

I am angry a lot. The pain remains. I don't know if I'll make it. If I do overcome I don't know how I will build a life, he said. The man's sister read the statement in court on his behalf and she broke down in tears a number of times while doing so.

Patrick O'Sullivan BL, defending, said Jennings was a highly educated man who had a number of primary degrees and qualified as a barrister. He joined the Dominican order in 1993, became a chaplain at the school in 1996 before moving to a parish in Waterford.

The court heard Jennings had a column in the Irish Times which ended as soon as the allegations against him came to light.

Defence counsel said Jennings left the priesthood in 2016 after becoming disillusioned. He now lives effectively as a hermit in a rural area in Co Roscommon, where he has little interaction with anyone.

In a medical report handed in to court, Jennings was described as being depressed and anxious. He was very despairing because of the allegation against him.

The report said Jennings described himself as a hugely idealistic person who was dedicated to his principles and was angry at the false allegations. He described his life as being a living nightmare and that he suffers anguish on a daily basis.

The defence called three witnesses to give character evidence in defence of Jennings - all young men Jennings worked with when he was a priest. They described him as being like a father figure to them.

Mr O'Sullivan urged Judge Patricia Ryan to consider imposing a non-custodial sentence, saying the offence was at the lower end of the range for such offences.

Judge Patricia Ryan said that there was many aggravating factors in this case that she needed to consider before sentencing. She said it was a very serious abuse of trust as Jennings was a chaplain at the school the boy attended.

She said the offence involved the grooming of a young boy, with a significant age disparity between the injured party and Jennings. She noted from the victim impact statement the effect that the assaults have had on the injured party, which have impacted his mental health, his relationships and interfered with this occupational life.

Judge Ryan also took into account Jennings' lack of previous convictions, the good work he has done in the community as well as 36 letters of support that were handed in to court.

Judge Ryan said that these were very serious crimes and that a custodial sentence was unavoidable. She sentenced him to four years in prison with this sentenced backdated for time already served.
A midlands secondary school has been leading tributes after one of its students was killed in a tragic road accident on Thursday night, May 5.

Third-year student Shane Hickey has been named locally as the victim of the accident which occurred close to his home at Clonmore, Rhode, Co Offaly shortly after 11pm on Thursday.

Gardai have confirmed that the teenager was driving a tractor when it left the road and entered a deep drain at Black Castle Bog, Clonmore.

His body was removed from the scene to Tullamore Hospital.

St Mary's Secondary School in Edenderry have led tributes to Shane. They said: "We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of our 3rd-year student, Shane Hickey.

"We extend our thoughts and prayers to his parents Paula and Richard, and brothers Alex and Evan. May Shane's gentle soul rest in peace. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis."

We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of our 3rd year student, Shane Hickey. We extend our thoughts and prayers to his parents Paula and Richard, and brothers Alex and Evan. May Shane's gentle soul rest in peace. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis  pic.twitter.com/ca9NKxIwY3  stmarysedenderry (@SMESecondary) May 6, 2022

Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin which covers the Rhode and Edenderry parishes said his "prayers and thoughts were with Shanes family and the entire school community at this very sad time. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis."

Gardai are still appealing for witnesses to come forward and any road users with video footage (including dash cam) is asked to make this available to them

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tullamore Garda Station 057 932 7600 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Crime

By Long Island Published: May 07 2022

AG James Has Taken Nearly 3,000 Firearms Out of Communities Since 2019

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that 240 firearms were turned in to law enforcement at a gun buyback event hosted by her office, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, and the Syracuse Police Department. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) accepts  with no questions asked  working and non-working, unloaded firearms in exchange for compensation on site. Todays event is a part of Attorney General James initiative to vigorously combat gun violence and protect New Yorkers throughout the state. To date, Attorney General James has taken nearly 3,000 firearms out of communities through gun buyback events and other efforts since taking office in 2019.

Communities throughout New York and the country are dealing with a rise in gun violence, and we must do all we can to protect people from harm, said Attorney General James. Our gun buybacks have been one of the most successful ways to get guns off the streets and out of homes, and todays event is no exception. Every gun turned in today will help make a difference in protecting communities in Syracuse and across Onondaga County, and I thank our partners for their invaluable support.

Todays community gun buyback resulted in the collection of 240 guns, including 91 long guns, 104 handguns, 39 non-working guns, and six assault rifles. Since 2013, OAG has hosted gun buyback events throughout New York state and has successfully collected nearly 5,000 firearms. To date, Attorney General James has taken a total of nearly 3,000 guns out of communities since 2019.

In exchange for the firearms, OAG offered monetary compensation, in the form of prepaid gift cards, when an unloaded gun was received and secured by an officer on site.
Politics

By Ls Cohen Published: May 07 2022

Karine Jean-Pierre grew up in Hempstead and attended Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale.

President Bidens pick to replace Jen Psaki as White House press secretary is a Long Islander from Hempstead who graduated from Kellenberg Memorial High School, a Catholic school in Uniondale, in 1993, according to reports.

At Kellenberg, Jean-Pierre excelled as a track star and student. She earned a bachelors degree from the New York Institute of Technology and a masters in public affairs from Columbia University.

Jean-Pierre made history when she accepted the post as the first Balck woman and openly gay person to serve in the position. She also worked on Obamas two presidential campaigns and Bidens 2020 campaign.

According to ABC News, Jean-Pierres resume includes a stint as a volunteer firefighter in Hempstead. Her old captain in the company told the news outlet that he always felt like she was destined for great things, because she never took no for an answer.

I cant wait to see her shine as she brings her own style, brilliance and grace to the podium, Jennifer Psaki tweeted about her replacement.
BEIRUT  Since the start of Lebanons economic crisis, much has been written about the latest exodus of its citizens, looking for a better life elsewhere, adding to the already massive Lebanese diaspora.



High hopes have been pinned on that diaspora  of whom 225,624 are registered to vote abroad on May 15  in the upcoming elections.

Less noticed are the Lebanese formerly living abroad who have chosen to move back to Lebanon during what is arguably its most tumultuous time since the Civil War. Unlike those migrating out of the country, their numbers have not been quantified in studies.

Some were forced into this reverse diaspora by losing their jobs abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. Others were driven by a sense of obligation to be back in the home country in its time of crisis, or a need to reconnect with their roots.

Myrna, a 41-year old who works in marketing and who asked not to be identified by her full name for privacy reasons, had lived in Dubai for 15 years when the pandemic led her company to place its employees on unpaid leave.

At the time, I thought it would be a matter of months before things got back to normal, she said. But it dragged on for a really long time, and being without any salary for more than four or five months, it became impossible to support myself in Dubai, where life is really expensive.

Although Myrna found an opportunity to work remotely for another company, her salary wasnt enough to stay in Dubai, so she moved back to Lebanon, to be able to save some money.

I definitely didnt want to move back, as the country is in a state of collapse. I dont think anyone in their right mind would want to move back.

While Myrna cherishes her time with her parents  over the years, being far from them had made her wonder whether it was time to move back home  being back made affirmed once again that Lebanon is not the right place for her.

After having been away for such a long time  I dont want to say its a cultural shock as Im Lebanese and have lived here all my life, [but] it was difficult to come back and be confronted with everything you dont see when youre abroad, the mere lack of having your basic needs met, she said. Being back in her parents house, she also missed her independent life in Dubai.

She does cherish little things, like the change of seasons and the freedom of walking in nature on the narrow roads of her da3ya (village), where she and her friends used to steal fruit from neighboring orchards as children. She doesnt completely rule out ever moving back home permanently.

But not before reforms are truly implemented, corruption is dealt with and at least our basic needs are being met, she said. You cant invest in anything here, it will be a waste of your money. I dont think theres any benefit to anyone being here. Except for those who work with politicians probably or politicians themselves or their kids because they robbed the country blind.

In the meantime, Myrna is still applying for jobs in Dubai every day but said she wont go back unless she finds one with a salary that will allow her to sustain and support my parents.

As for the upcoming elections, she wont be voting in them; last year, she booked a trip to see her favorite band in Paris, and it happened that the May 15 election date falls on that weekend. Otherwise, I would have voted, she said.

For Lebanese who grew up in the diaspora, the reasons to come back are different. While its not new for second generation Lebanese immigrants to move back to Lebanon, the circumstances over the past two years have not been encouraging. There are some who decided to come back despite the abysmal state the country finds itself in.

Madelynn Azar is one of them. Born in Philadelphia to Lebanese parents from the village of Kousba, in the Koura district of north Lebanon, Madelynn visited her village in the summer when she was 17.

After that, university, medical studies, raising a family and her career kept her busy. But she never forgot her Lebanese roots, which she also instilled in her two children.

Azar didnt go back to Lebanon until 2009, when she visited with her daughter.

I remember walking around Beirut when I suddenly stopped in the middle of the street, looked over at my daughter and said: This feels like home.

While that feeling never left her, it took more than ten years for her to come back to Lebanon. What was supposed to be a mere visit to her brother was suddenly and, in some ways, serendipitously, turned into a longer stay due to the outbreak of the pandemic, which prevented her from flying back to New York, where she was the medical director of employee health, safety and wellness at the Mount Sinai Health System, overseeing the health and wellbeing of their 36,000 staff members at seven hospital locations. Her prolonged stay in Lebanon had yet again struck her with such a visceral sense of belonging that she decided to change her whole life and start a new chapter in the country her family once left for the United States.

However, while she was making arrangements for her move overseas, the Beirut port blast happened.

Not only was the place I had stayed in destroyed, it devastated me, she said. I mourned with the country.

Azar couldnt let go of Lebanon and finally, more than a decade after she felt like she had finally arrived home, she actually made Lebanon her permanent home in November of last year.

She found that she was always accepted as Lebanese even though she doesnt speak the language, in contrast to the US, where some didnt regard her as fully American even though she grew up there. Azar said its her peoples generous spirit that makes her feel at home in Lebanon.

Everywhere I go Im met with curiosity and warmth, she said. Ill be sitting somewhere alone and by the end of the night Ill have made a new friend, if not more.

One anecdote in particular exemplifies the sense of community shes so enamored with. While having one of her strolls in Hamra in an attempt to get to know the city she now calls home, she suddenly tripped and fell.

In Manhattan, passersby had once ignored her being mugged. But here, several people rushed to her side to help her. Downplaying her injury, and confident shed be able to deal with it at home, Azar insisted she was fine. One person, who turned out to be an off-duty doctor, noted she had a split upper lip, an injury that, in her complete disorientation, she hadnt realized. The young Lebanese doctor brought her to a hospital, checked her in and made sure that she was properly taken care of.

Azar did not come back to Lebanon just to take strolls, meet people and finally learn her parents mother tongue. As an expert in occupational medicine, she is determined to play her part in developing what she describes as still a barely existing field in Lebanon.

From giving workshops to doctors and medical staff to creating a registration system with the Ministry of Health, to determining whether peoples symptoms are related to job-specific conditions such as dealing with hazardous chemicals, a once distant daughter of Lebanon has now come back to help her ailing mother.

However, she wont be able to take part in the upcoming polls either. She just got her Lebanese ID card, but not in time to be placed on the voter rolls in Koura, where her family is from.

For others, like lisa luxx (lowercase intentional), the return to the homeland is a type of resistance.

luxx is a Syrian-British writer, performer, essayist and activist who grew up in the United Kingdom after she was adopted and raised by a Lebanese father  a fact that left her with a lasting relationship to Lebanon even though she does not have the nationality. While she initially moved to Lebanon in 2017 to return to her heritage, which she describes as a bit of Iraqi, lots of Syrian, a chunk of British, a dash of Palestinian, bit of this, bit of that, it has now become an intrinsic part of her work, her activism and even her masters thesis.

I came back to get to know parts of myself that had been omitted through the cultural annihilation that occurs when you're a second generation immigrant in the diaspora and you have one foot in the global south.

When the Beirut blast happened, she was living abroad and felt that that diasporic essence came with a strong sense of responsibility.

I like to use the word responsibility because the word privilege has become so passive. Its a concept that is inherently hierarchical itself and has a passive sense of power which feels very useless, luxx said. Its about how we each use our resources to work with people as part of the grassroots movements inside and outside of Lebanon, how we each activate our responsibility to a country that means a lot to us.

She worked with the diaspora to support LGBT+ communities and migrant domestic workers through collecting donations of medicine and money while working with landlords and hospitals for health concerns and urgent shelter needs.

Leaving after the blast was not an option, luxx said. There is no such thing as a post-blast period. That diminishes how big the blast was and how much work was and still is to be done as a community in looking after each other in terms of mental health care as well as material resources such as medicine, when it comes to all the different communities who are marginalized.

After the blast, luxx, who would usually travel back and forth to Lebanon, decided to make Lebanon a more permanent home. She only left to finish her masters but fully intends to come back to Lebanon indeterminately as soon as she finishes her classes next month.

Since then, all of her family and most of her friends have now left Beirut, which she reluctantly admits feels like a ghost town in some ways, especially since last summer, which was an endless string of goodbye parties.

Ive been asking myself this question, is a country made of land and borders or is it made of blood and people? she said. And its an impossible question to answer. It depends on the moment, on the context. If we look at the material politics of that question then its lands and borders but if we talk about the soul and resistance then blood and heritage comes into play.

While there are many Lebanese, inside the country and in the diaspora, who have written Lebanon off as a lost cause, and luxx admits it did feel that way a little bit even to her last summer, she prefers to believe in the capacity of the new generations.

The predictions that it will take 10-18 years for Lebanon to recover from the current economic meltdown remind her of her father saying that he doesnt want to come back because its not his Lebanon anymore.

And now I see my friends who grew up solely in Lebanon during a period after my father had left, and they too say that it's not going to be their Lebanon anymore, she said. But to me, I feel like its such a perpetually moving and shifting place and there is a new generation shaping its future.
(Alliance News) - The Conservatives suffered a net loss of almost 400 councillors as a day of vote counting delivered a bruising set of local election results for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Government ministers conceded it had been "tough" for the ruling party, particularly in the south of England where it lost ground to Labour in London and the Liberal Democrats in its "blue wall" heartlands, but warned against extrapolating the results on a national level.

As the losses trickled in throughout the day, Tory figures continued to publicly raise the prospect of Johnson being replaced as party leader as one senior pollster suggested middle and upper class voters had distanced themselves from the PM after his fixed-penalty notice for breaking Covid laws.

Labour, which is facing its own difficulties after police announced a probe into whether leader Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules last year, said the result had been "shattering" for the Conservatives.

A Labour spokeswoman said: "Boris Johnson was on the ballot paper and the British public has rejected him.

"The question every decent Conservative will be asking themselves is how much further are they willing to fall for a man who never fails to put his own interest above his councillors, his MPs, his party, and his country."

Tory peer Lord Hayward said there had been a "revolt of the upper to middle class" against Johnson's leadership.

Speaking to TalkTV, the election analyst said it was the "university educated, managerial, Remain-oriented groups who have defected", while long-term Conservative supporters had stayed at home during the local elections.

The former member of Parliament said the losses were likely to "add to the unease" over the allegations of coronavirus rule-breaching parties in Downing Street, with the potential of difficult by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton still to come.

"There are a series of hurdles that Boris Johnson has got to face, and there is no question he was an issue, and a big issue, on the doorsteps  in some parts of the country more than others," Lord Hayward added.

Earlier on Friday, David Simmonds, the Tory MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, said "a change of leader" could be one way of restoring public confidence in the government after admitting the so-called partygate had been brought up by voters.

But farming minister Victoria Prentis said the Johnson had developed a strong reputation as a winner and argued it was "too early" to say he had hindered the party's performance in Thursday's poll.

Conceding the results in some areas had been "tough", she told BBC's Newsnight: "I think it is important that we should keep remembering that these are local electionsand we shouldn't try and extrapolate too many national trends.

"I know it is very tempting but there are very low turnouts in many of these elections and I think it is very hard to make real concrete guesses as to how [the results would play out in a general election]."

An analysis for the BBC by John Curtice calculated that if the whole country had been voting, Labour would have gained 35% of the vote  five points ahead of the Tories on 30%  the party's biggest lead in local elections for a decade.

Labour's most striking gains came in London where it took the totemic Tory authority in Wandsworth, won Westminster for the first time since its creation in 1964, and clinched victory in Barnet.

The Tories, however, managed to snatch Harrow from their red rivals, providing a silver lining to their woes in the capital.

Starmer's outfit also took Southampton from the Conservatives and Worthing in traditionally Tory West Sussex from no overall control.

Monmouthshire, the only Conservative majority-controlled council in Wales before polls opened, went to no overall control, with Labour becoming the largest party.

The Tories also dropped into third place in Scotland behind the dominant SNP and a resurgent Scottish Labour.

But despite the celebrations, Labour found the result overshadowed by Durham Constabulary announcing officers will investigate whether a beer and curry event last year in Durham attended by Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner breached Covid regulations.

Starmer insisted again that no rules had been broken after the force stated an inquiry was underway following receipt of "significant new information".

The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party both enjoyed a strong election showing, finishing Friday's counts with 189 and 81 net council seat gains respectively.

Ed Davey's Lib Dems took the new unitary authorities of Somerset  also traditional Conservative territory  and Westmorland and Furness and dislodged the Tories in West Oxfordshire, pushing the council into no overall control.

After full results were declared from 196 councils across England, Scotland and Wales, the Tories had lost control of 12 authorities and suffered a net loss of 398 councillors.

Labour had a net gain of eight councils and more than 250 seats and the Lib Dems had gained five councils.

In Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein is on course for a historic victory in the Assembly election, after receiving the most first-preference votes.

The republican party secured 29% of first preference votes, compared with 21.3% for the DUP, 13.5% for Alliance, 11.2% for the Ulster Unionists and 9.1% for the SDLP.

It raises the prospect of Sinn Fein holding the post of First Minister and will be sure to reignite debate around a united Ireland.

Mary Lou McDonald, president and leader of the party, told TalkTV she believed a border poll would be "possible within a five-year timeframe".

By Patrick Daly, PA Political Correspondent

source: PA

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
AVI Japan Opportunity Trust PLC

Results of Annual General Meeting

LEI: 894500IJ5QQD7FPT3J73

3 May 2022

The Board of AVI Japan Opportunity Trust PLC (the "Company") is pleased to announce that all Resolutions proposed at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held at 11.30am on Tuesday, 3 May 2022 were duly passed. Voting on all resolutions was conducted by poll.

The full text of the Resolutions can be found in the Notice of Annual General Meeting dated 16 March 2022, which has previously been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and is available for inspection at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism. The document is also available for download from the Company's website, www.ajot.co.uk.

For completeness, proxy votes received in respect of the Resolutions were as follows:

Resolutions Votes For Votes Against Votes at Chairman's Discretion Votes Withheld Resolution 1 To receive the directors' report and audited accounts of the Company 42,354,037 99.92% 35,816 0.08% 0 5,711 Resolution 2 To approve a final ordinary dividend of 0.70p per Ordinary Share 42,359,748 99.92% 35,816 0.08% 0 0 Resolution 3 To re-elect Norman Crighton as a Director of the Company 42,314,205 99.82% 75,648 0.18% 0 5,711 Resolution 4 To re-elect Mr Yoshi Nishio as a Director of the Company 42,298,205 99.82% 75,648 0.18% 0 21,711 Resolution 5 To re-elect Ms Margaret Stephens as a Director of the Company 42,352,205 99.91% 37,648 0.09% 0 5,711 Resolution 6 To re-elect Ms Ekaterina Thomson as a Director of the Company 42,352,205 99.91% 37,648 0.09% 0 5,711 Resolution 7 To re-appoint BDO LLP as Auditor of the Company 42,298,205 99.78% 91,648 0.22% 0 5,711 Resolution 8 To authorise the Directors to determine the Auditor's remuneration 42,352,105 99.91% 37,748 0.09% 0 5,711 Resolution 9 To receive and approve the Directors' Remuneration Report 42,261,853 99.7% 129,211 0.30% 0 4,500 Resolution 10 To receive and adopt the amended Directors' Remuneration Policy 42,292,385 99.77% 98,679 0.23% 0 4,500 Resolution 11 To authorise the Directors to allot securities up to an aggregate nominal amount of 274,423 42,345,105 99.91% 37,748 0.09% 0 12,711 Resolution 12 To authorise the Directors to allot securities for cash and to disapply statutory pre-emption rights up to an aggregate nominal value of 137,211 42,321,072 99.85% 61,581 0.15% 0 12,911 Resolution 13 To authorise the Directors to allot securities for cash and to disapply statutory pre-emption rights up to a further aggregate nominal value of 137,211 41,878,977 98.81% 503,876 1.19% 0 12,711 Resolution 14 To authorise the Directors to make market purchases of Ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company up to an aggregate number of 20,568,034 shares 42,359,748 99.92% 35,816 0.08% 0 0 Resolution 15 To authorise the Company to hold general meetings on 14 clear days' notice 42,141,495 99.4% 254,069 0.60% 0 0 Resolution 16 To adopt the new articles of association 42,328,284 99.85% 61,569 0.15% 0 5,711

Enquiries:

Joe BauernfreundAsset Value InvestorsInvestment Manager 020 7659 4800 Nezia MorganLink Company Matters LimitedCompany Secretary 01392 477 500

Notes:

A copy of this announcement will be available on the Company's website and, in accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.2, copies of resolutions 10 to 16 have been submitted to and will shortly be available for inspection at the National Storage Mechanism at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

Terms used and not defined in this announcement bear the meaning given to them in the Notice of Meeting.

Neither the NSM website nor the Company's website nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on those websites (or any other website) is (or is deemed to be) incorporated into, or forms (or is deemed to form) part of this announcement.
29 April 2022

Chaarat Gold Holdings Limited

("Chaarat" or "the Company")

Q1 2022 Operational Update

Chaarat (AIM:CGH), the AIM-quoted gold mining Company with an operating mine in Armenia and assets at various stages of development in the Kyrgyz Republic, announces its production and operational results for the quarter ended 31 March 2022 (the "Quarter", "Q1" or the "Period") for its Kapan Mine ("Kapan"), in Armenia and a general corporate update.

Q1 2022 Highlights

Macro

 The conflict in Ukraine and associated sanctions against Russia have had minimal impact on the Company's operations in Armenia and Kyrgyz Republic in Q1 2022. The Company is continuing to monitor the developments closely.

Kapan

 Chaarat Kapan has achieved a 12-month recordable injury frequency rate ("RIFR") of zero for the first time in its history. The RIFR for Q1 2022 was zero vs 0.78 in Q1 2021.

 Ore mined of 163,652 tonnes vs 149,102 tonnes for Q1 2021 (+9.8%). Strong mine production has resulted in 41kt of own ore on stock ready for processing during the remainder of 2022.

 Total production of 15,266 gold equivalent ounces1 ("oz") vs 16,174 oz in Q1 2021 (-6.9%) consisting of 12,381 oz from own ore and 2,885 oz from third-party ore. Production was lower due to reduced third-party processing and lower grade ore currently being mined. Performance was in line with the Company's plan based on the areas currently being mined.

 All-in-sustaining cost ("AISC"2) of USD1,352 /oz vs USD1,024 /oz in Q1 2021 (+32.0%) due to increases in energy prices, other raw materials costs and increased development work.

 Preliminary unaudited standalone Kapan EBITDA contribution of USD7.6 million vs USD6.9 million in Q1 2021 (+10.1%).

Tulkubash & Kyzyltash

 Resolution of the dispute between the government of Kyrgyz Republic and Centerra Gold regarding the Kumtor mine was announced on 4 April 2022 and allowed Chaarat to recommence financing discussions on the Tulkubash project.

 Updated mineral resource and reserve statements on the Tulkubash project are on track to be released in Q2 2022.

 Ongoing project work will focus on engineering completion and appropriate construction activities to optimise full activities once debt financing is secured.

 Metallurgical test work on the Kyzyltash drill core is underway at SGS Lakefield and results are on track for Q3 2022. The results will enable the Company to undertake an economic assessment to determine the optimum processing route in 2023.

Corporate

 Mike Fraser joined the company as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board on 17 January and has had the chance to familiarize himself with the Company, its people, and the assets in Q1 2022.

 The Company has started discussions on various solutions for the convertible bond due in October 2022. A variety of options are being assessed.

 Chaarat reduced the principal outstanding for the Kapan acquisition loan by another USD2.8 million to USD16.3 million outstanding resulting in an unaudited Net Debt3 at group level of USD42.5 million.

1 Gold equivalent ounces for 2021 recalculated on 2022 budget prices with Au at $1,775/oz and gold ratios of 75 for silver, 6,597 for copper and 20,381 for zinc. In last year's Q1 2021 operations update, 2021 oz were based on gold ratios of 68 for silver, 7,287 for copper and 21,862 for zinc leading to a lower AuEq number reported in that previous year.

2 AISC on a gold oz produced basis exclude smelter TC/RC charges, others which add c. USD$ 142/oz. Sustaining capex of c. USD6.6 million p.a. is included in the AISC, of which capex of USD1.9 million was spent in Q1 2022.

3 In reporting financial information, the Group presents Net debt as an alternative performance measure, "APM", which is not defined or specified under the requirements of IFRS. The Group Net debt comprises convertible loan notes, other loans, contract liabilities, lease liabilities and warrant financial liabilities, net of cash and cash equivalents.

Mike Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"Kapan continues to operate on a steady state basis with the team focusing on value, not just volume, and managed to increase utilisation of equipment and efficiency. The on-site stockpile will give us improved operational flexibility in the coming quarters.

The continued strong price environment has offset the pressures of anticipated increased energy and raw materials costs which enabled us to increase our Kapan Q1 EBITDA by 10.1% vs Q1 last year.

At Tulkubash, the resource and reserve update including the 2021 drilling results will be available this quarter and feed into an updated economic model for the project."

Kapan Polymetallic Mine - Q1 Highlights and Outlook

Chaarat Kapan has achieved a 12-month recordable injury frequency rate (RIFR) of zero for the first time in its history. The RIFR for Q1 2022 was zero vs 0.78 in Q1 2021.

Production of 15,266 oz represents a 6.9% decrease on Q1 2021 (16,174 oz). Production was lower due to reduced third-party processing and lower grade ore currently being mined. Performance was in line with plan based on the areas currently being mined.

Ore hauled of 163,652t vs 149,101 in Q1 2021 (9.8%) while grade was 3.09 g/t vs 3.30 g/t (-6.4%) in Q1 2021.

Total ore milled was flat with 178,117 tonnes vs 180,507 tonnes in Q1 2021. This is despite 4 days of mill downtime during March due to national grid outages. Such outages are very unusual with national power supply normally being very stable.

Own ore milled of 151,429 tonnes vs 146,482 tonnes in Q1 2021. Third-party ore treated was 27kt for Q1 2022 vs 34kt for Q1 2021 (-20.6%). Own ore run-of-mine stockpile has accumulated to 41kt. This will allow for strong milling rates for the remainder of 2022.

Own ore contained gold equivalent ("AuEq") was 12,382 oz in Q1 2022 compared with 12,575 oz in Q1 2021 (-1.5%).

Q1 2022 production consisted of:

o 8,721 ounces of gold;

o 138,257 ounces of silver;

o 481 tonnes of copper; and

o 1,492 tonnes of zinc;

AuEq recoveries were flat at 79.5% in Q1 2022 compared with 79.8% in Q1 2021.

Resource development metres drilled were 17,181 in Q1 2022 compared with 11,234 in Q1 2021 (+52.9%).

Underground development of 6,474 metres achieved in the quarter, compared to 5,755 metres in Q1 2021 (12.5%).

Capital expenditure was USD1.9 million compared to USD1 million last year in line with budget.

Realised gold price for the quarter of USD1,853 /oz versus USD1,762 /oz in Q1 2021 (+5.1%) in line with the average gold price for Q1 2022. Continuing strong price environment, especially with realised copper prices of USD9,891/t vs USD8,590 in Q1 2021 (+15.1 % vs Q1 2021) above budgeted prices.

All-in-sustaining cost ("AISC" 2) of USD1,352 /oz was higher compared to Q1 2021 (USD1,024 /oz, +32.0%). AISC has started to decrease in March compared to January and February 2022 and the Company sees this trend continuing. The team is working on its sourcing and cost planning in order to optimise the cost structure.

Unaudited Q1 2022 Kapan standalone EBITDA contribution of USD7.6 million vs USD6.9 million in Q1 2021 (+10.1%).

Outlook for Kapan

Chaarat remains on track to deliver on its AuEq 56-62koz guidance for the year including third-party ore production, as previously set out in its FY 2021 Production, Operational and Financial Update on 9 February 2022.

Third-party ore supply and mill throughput is expected to remain stable for the remainder of 2022 with the approximately 41 kt stockpile of own ore available for processing in the next quarters.

East Flank 2022 drilling campaign is ongoing as part of a 2-year programme to develop a JORC-compliant resource and reserve for this potential new ore body.

Tulkubash and Kyzyltash Project Update

A resolution of the dispute around the Kumtor mine was announced on 4 April which was perceived as a positive signal by several institutional investors. Chaarat has started to reengage on its previous debt financing discussions and also opened new debt financing discussions in April and is still expecting to close the project financing in H2 2022.

The 2022 focus on site will be to conclude the detailed engineering work of the remaining items and ensure a full construction ramp up once debt financing is in place.

A revised Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") and Ore Reserve Estimate ("ORE") including the results of the 2021 programme is being developed and will be released in Q2 2022 which will feed into an updated economic model for the project.

Metallurgical test work on the Kyzyltash ore samples is continuing at SGS Lakefields laboratories and on track for results in Q3 2022.

Corporate Finance

The Kapan acquisition facility was reduced by a further USD2.8 million in January 2022 and stands now at USD16.3 million (principal only).

Chaarat is assessing different options for the convertible loan notes due in October 2022 in order to find a solution in a timely manner.

Corporate debt position comprising of convertible loan notes is USD26.5 million, including accrued interest of USD6.8 million, with the group cash at the 31 March 2022 at USD6.6 million.

Enquiries

Chaarat Gold Holdings Limited +44 (0)20 7499 2612 Mike Fraser, Chief Executive Officer IR@chaarat.com Canaccord Genuity Limited (NOMAD and Joint Broker) +44 (0)20 7523 8000 Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor James Asensio finnCap Limited (Joint Broker) +44 (0)20 7220 0500 Christopher Raggett Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Joint Broker) +44 (0)20 7886 2500 John Prior Hugh Rich

About Chaarat

Chaarat is a gold mining company which owns the Kapan operating mine in Armenia as well as Tulkubash and Kyzyltash Gold Projects in the Kyrgyz Republic. The Company has a clear strategy to build a leading emerging markets gold company through organic growth and selective M&A.

Chaarat aims to create value for its shareholders, employees and communities from its high-quality gold and mineral deposits by building relationships based on trust and operating to the best environmental, social and employment standards. Further information is available at www.chaarat.com/.

Q1 2021 PRODUCTION SUMMARY

Q1 2022 Q1 2021 Tonnes ore mined 163,652 149,102 AuEq Grade (g/t) 3.1 3.25 Tonnes own ore milled 151,429 146,482 Tonnes ore milled (Third-Party Ore) 26,688 34,025 AuEq Recovery Kapan (%) 79.5 79.8 Gold equivalent production (oz) 15,266 16,403 from Third-Party Ore 2,885 3,792 Gold production (oz) 8,721 8,893 Silver production (oz) 138,257 160,945 Copper production (t) 481 605 Zinc production (t) 1,492 1,527 AuEq Sales 12,333 12,775 Realised gold price (USD/oz) 1,853 1,762 AISC (USD/oz) 1,352 1,024

ENDS
Over 1.25 bln Chinese fully vaccinated against COVID-19: official

Xinhua) 10:10, May 07, 2022

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.25 billion Chinese have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of Thursday, accounting for 88.74 percent of the country's total population, a Chinese health official said Friday.

As of Thursday, about 3.35 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered across the Chinese mainland, and nearly 757 million people had received the booster jab, Wu Liangyou, an official with the National Health Commission, told a press conference.

As for the senior citizens, nearly 228 million people aged 60 and above had been vaccinated. Among them, nearly 216 million people had been fully vaccinated, and over 162 million people had received booster shots, Wu said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Seventeen African migrants of several nationalities were rescued northwest of Misrata (220 km east of Tripoli), a statement from the Libyan maritime forces headquarters said on Friday, illustrating an upsurge in illegal immigration operations from Libyan territory in recent weeks
5 May 2022

Power Metal Resources PLC

("Power Metal" or the "Company")

Ditau Camp Project - Exploration Programme Expansion

Power Metal Resources plc (LON:POW), the London listed exploration company seeking large-scale metal discoveries across its global project portfolio, announces an update from the Ditau Camp Project ("Ditau" or the "Project") located in southwest Botswana which is prospective for carbonatite hosted rare-earth element ("REE") and base-metal mineralisation.

Ditau is held within a 50/50 Joint Venture ("Kanye Resources") with London-listed Kavango Resources plc (LSE:KAV) ("Kavango"). Kavango is the operator.

Following completion of drillhole DITDD003, which was drilled into the i10 target, Power Metal in conjunction with Kavango have decided to expand the ongoing exploration programme. Initial observations in respect of DITDD03 were announced on 29 April 2022 and can be viewed at the follow link:

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/POW/ditau-camp-project-botswana-drilling-update/15432783

The expanded exploration programme will include 16.1 line-km of Audio-Magnetotelluric ("AMT") geophysics surveys over various target areas.

DITDD003 is the first of six planned exploration drillholes to be completed at the Ditau Project as part of the ongoing drilling campaign. Based on results achieved thus far, Kanye Resources has confidence in the utility of its new AMT inversion modelling introduced this year and believes the expanded geophysical surveys will enable it to further optimise the location of planned drill collar locations.

Kanye Resources also announces the commencement of drilling of drillhole DITDD004 which is also targeting the i10 Target geophysical anomaly.

Paul Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Power Metal Resources, commented:

"It's great to see the exploration programme at Ditau moving forward at pace with the second drill hole now underway. The Ditau Project represents a significant exploration opportunity, with a district-scale land holding believed to be prospective for rare-earth element mineralisation. This exploration comes at a critical time when this commodity group is in great demand, particularly from stable mining jurisdictions.

The work undertaken thus far, and the building knowledge we are collating, is highly valuable and I look forward to providing further updates to the market as additional developments occur."

Operational Summary

- Commencement of DITDD004, the second hole to target the i10 Target

- The i10 Target is a discrete circular geophysical anomaly which is roughly 2.2km in diameter.

- Kanye modelled the i10 Target using inversions of Aeromagnetic ("AEM") combined with its interpretation of limited existing AMT data.

- Kalahari sediment thickness was determined to be 105m based on the first hole drilled (DITDD003) which is consistent with the estimated thickness based on the AMT modelling completed.

- An additional 16.1 line-km of AMT geophysical surveying is now planned with coverage over multiple drill target areas including:

- 1 line-km over the i10 Target;

- 5.5 line-km over the i8 Target; and

- 9.6 line-km over the i1 Target.

The plan is to collect high-frequency AMT profiles over near-surface potential carbonatite targets with the ultimate goal of better resolving the location of breccia zones and intrusive sills/dykes intersected in drillhole DITDD003. AMT surveys can aid geophysicists and geologists in mapping subsurface geological structures and layers; further identifying potential areas for mineralisation which allows for the refinement of drill targeting.

To date 12 targets from geophysics have been identified at the Ditau Project (i1 through i12) which Kanye believes could be carbonatites and/or intrusive complexes that may host carbonatites pipes. Carbonatites account for the primary source of mined rare-earth elements; and REEs are vital component materials in many high-tech industries.

As part of the ongoing exploration programme, Kanye is planning to drill test three geophysical targets (i10, i1 and i8).

COMPETENT PERSON STATEMENT

The technical information contained in this disclosure has been read and approved by Mr Nick O'Reilly (MSc, DIC, MIMMM, MAusIMM, FGS), who is a qualified geologist and acts as the Competent Person under the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr O'Reilly is a Principal consultant working for Mining Analyst Consulting Ltd which has been retained by Power Metal Resources PLC to provide technical support.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.

For further information please visit https://www.powermetalresources.com/ or contact:

Power Metal Resources plc Paul Johnson (Chief Executive Officer) +44 (0) 7766 465 617 SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nomad and Joint Broker) Ewan Leggat/Charlie Bouverat +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 SI Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Nick Emerson +44 (0) 1483 413 500 First Equity Limited (Joint Broker) David Cockbill/Jason Robertson +44 (0) 20 7330 1883

NOTES TO EDITORS

Power Metal Resources PLC - Background

Power Metal Resources PLC (LON:POW) is an AIM listed metals exploration company which finances and manages global resource projects and is seeking large scale metal discoveries.

The Company has a principal focus on opportunities offering district scale potential across a global portfolio including precious, base and strategic metal exploration in North America, Africa and Australia.

Project interests range from early-stage greenfield exploration to later-stage prospects currently subject to drill programmes.

Power Metal will develop projects internally or through strategic joint ventures until a project becomes ready for disposal through outright sale or separate listing on a recognised stock exchange thereby crystallising the value generated from our internal exploration and development work.

Value generated through disposals will be deployed internally to drive the Company's growth or may be returned to shareholders through share buy backs, dividends or in-specie distributions of assets.

Power Metal Exploration Programmes Underway/Results Awaited

Power Metal has exploration programmes completed or underway, with results awaited, as outlined below:
Kylian Mbappe is still planning to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2021/22 season, according to the former France international and current journalist Jerome Rothen.

Real Madrid have been linked with a move for Mbappe since they made a huge offer to PSG last summer and it is expected that the young forward will move to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu this summer, when he becomes a free agent.

Even though Le Parisien reported this week that he is set to sign a two-year contract extension with the French club, that has been denied by his mother Fayza Lamary, who spoke to MARCA to label that report as "completely false".

Now, Jerome Rothen has spoken about the situation too and echoed that statement from the player's mother.

Mbappe wants the best sporting project

Rothen, now an RMC Sport journalist, explained that Mbappe wants to be part of the most solid sporting project.

"Mbappe has remained open to the possibility of an extension, so PSG could offer him something substantial, but money isn't his priority, it's the sporting project," Rothen said.

"He wants these answers and he is waiting for them. He doesn't have them.

"His plan, if nothing changes at PSG, is to leave. I hope that the PSG leaders are aware of that.

"What is certain, and the fans should know this, is that PSG means a lot to him and he does have strong connections to the club."

If Mbappe does leave the French club, it won't be because of a higher pay cheque at Real Madrid. In fact, he might be leaving money on the table in order to make the move.

From his point of view, he wants to join a winning team and Real Madrid's Champions League run may have convinced him that Los Blancos have everything he wants and more.
Isaiah Lee, that's the name of Dave Chappelle's attacker who tackled him during his comedy set at the Hollywood Bowl a few days back. Initially, the comedian's security detail beat him to a pulp and even dislocated his arm. Chappelle refused to make this incident bigger than it already was because the main focus needed to be on the 'Netflix is a Joke' festival.

The best comedians from all around the world are gathering in this massive festival to celebrate the art form and Dave wasn't going to let this overshadow the event. However, his lawyers did press charges that so far have been ifnored. As it turns out, this is setting a precedent for anybody who wants to assault anybody on stage while they are working without any consequences.

Chappelle's attorney Gabriel Colwell spoke to the folks at the New York Post about what's happening with this case that is completely being ignored as what it is. Isaiah Lee commited a felony and he should be charged for it, especially for carrying a weapon that seemed like it could definitely kill someone.

In the images released to the public, it appears Lee had a mock-up gun that also turned into a knife and that's the weapon he had on him at the moment he attacked Dave. Colwell still can't fathom that DA George Gascon is refusing to prosecute Lee with any felony charges, only with a misdemeanor.

What did Colwell say about Chappelle's attacker?

Here's what Colwell said: "It's a travesty of justice that DA [George] Gascon is refusing to prosecute this case as a felony. The City Attorney, who filed the case, is doing his job but DA Gascon should also do his job and charge this as a felony. This was a violent assault that was perpetrated on an unsuspecting entertainer while he was giving a show in front of thousands of people at the historic Hollywood Bowl.

"The idea that [Lee] had a deadly weapon on him - one that was a replica of a handgun that had a knife - that is a violent assault. Entertainers in LA need to know this is a justice system that will protect them. There is no question here that when someone is violently assaulted by another in possession of a deadly weapon that it should be charged as a felony."
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This study, which was published inin February, offers important insights into information workers who have become increasingly used to and interested in working remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic."In the future, there will be a greater percentage of the workforce who is involved in some sort of office-style technology work activities," said Benden, who is director of the school's Ergonomics Center."Almost all of the study's employees were right back up to the same level of output as they were doing before Hurricane Harvey. This is a huge message right now for employers because we're having national debates about whether or not employees should be able to work remotely or in a hybrid schedule."This study is part of a large effort by the Ergonomics Center that is looking at the health of information workers. Although seemingly less taxing than blue-collar work, information workers are prone to injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome."The research says that if you work a certain way at a certain pace over a certain duration, you're more likely to become injured from that work," Benden said. "But if you work a little less or a little less often or break up the duration or have certain other character traits  like posture  then you're less likely to develop a problem from doing your office work."The Texas A&M researchers believe this information can be used to promote healthy behaviors for employees, including those working remotely, and to inform corporate policies. They also will be looking at tracking the ergonomic environment in employees' home offices. The team believes that tracking this type of data can help companies address remote employee health issues, including stress, depression and substance abuse."The question was whether we could track people and rather than letting them stay in a bad place, a bad habit or bad behavior, could we give them a healthful nudge over the computer to remind them that it was time to take a walk or a break," Benden said."We as humans are not very good at keeping track of time, especially when we're in the zone. In order to keep us from physically hurting our bodies, we need to have nudges and reminders, which people respond to, and which work really well."Benden noted that taking breaks does not hinder employees' quality of work."The people who took the recommended breaks were more productive overall. They got more done," he said. "We need to learn this about people, we need to teach people about it, and then we need to help people actually do it."Source: Eurekalert
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Two Oakland County residents have been working to turn a former Lake Township bar into the Oak Beach Lavender Farm, working on the development for nearly two years.

Mark Anderson and his wife Alicia have been looking to start one of these for a few years now, having been to many such farms. Mark is a carpenter by trade in Oakland County.

The two owned property down the road from the former Oak Beach Tavern, which had been vacant for 12 years. They watched and looked at the site to re-purpose it for something special for the community.

We have 2,100 plants in the ground, Anderson said. Were just waiting for Lake Township to give us the final green light to go ahead and start working.

The plan for the farm is for guests to pick the lavender themselves, along with having an onsite retail store for lavender products, metal art, and crafts. Wine tasting will also be offered for strictly Michigan wines.

Despite their plans, it has taken Lake Township a very long time to approve the development, with the self-zoned township having its own planning commission. Robert Siver, a member of the Lake Township planning commission, said the township changed its zoning ordinance in 2020 to make provisions for planned-unit developments, which would allow for some flexibility on property zoned one way to be used for other things.

The land the farm is located on was rezoned from commercial land to a planned-unit development, the first of its kind in the township. Siver said that delays to approving the project since they first got the plans over the summer of 2021 included recommended changes to site plans, bringing a new planning commission member up to speed, and correspondence with attorneys involved with the project.

The planning commission approved preliminary plans at its most recent meeting and those plans are expected to be approved at the township board's next meeting, which takes place on the third Monday of the month.

"We're doing our best to accommodate the applicant," Siver said. "We have an obligation to the township and taxpayers. We need to watch out for everyone's interest.

County Commissioner Mary Babcock, who brought the issue up to the Huron County Board of Commissioners at a previous meeting, said that neighboring townships have also reportedly written letters of support for it.

Anderson said he and his wife have had a lot of support for their plans, even from Michigan State Police, who love the idea of the property being a beautiful place instead of a bar.

In the past, it had been a rowdy bar with overcrowding, Anderson said. It used to have bungee jumping and carnival rides. It was a nuisance to the community, and this should be exactly the opposite. It should be something the community wants to come in and enjoy.

The Huron County Board of Commissioners also threw its support behind the new business back in April, agreeing to write a letter of support for it. Commissioner Steve Vaughan felt the venture is viable since it is an agricultural business in an agriculturally-driven county.

A lot of reconstruction work still needs to take place to how the Andersons want it. With the high price of lumber and other materials, it is expected to take almost two years for the main building to be ready for the public.

When the farm does open, Anderson plans on it being open from April through the Christmas season, with whoever visits during during that time being able to do indoor wine tastings.
Sunday, May 8, marks the 100th anniversary of a tragedy near Elkton so shocking news of it spread throughout the state.

The deaths of Joseph and Agnes Lobert at their Huron County farm would be discovered by passerby who would alert authorities after hearing the cries of a child. The Loberts' five young children  all under the age of 11  were left orphaned by what would later be known as "The Bloody Duel."

What a Huron County Sheriff's deputy found when he arrived at the farm northeast of Elkton was so horrifying the county prosecutor would be summoned to the scene and a coroner's jury would be convened in Elkton to determine what had happened.

What the jury heard only created more questions, with one of the Lobert children  5-year-old Theresa  testifying about a mysterious midnight wagon ride occurring the night before the tragedy and rumors of scandal and a family history of insanity offered as possible explanations for a murder-suicide involving a "sharp kitchen knife" and a "dull axe."

The following is taken from the pages of The Huron County Tribune.

Tribune File Photo

A new life in Huron County

When Joseph Lobert returned to Huron County in 1916 to start a new life with the woman he had met and married while living in Detroit, the future seemed bright.

Joseph, who had worked as a conductor for the Detroit United Railway and later as a grocer, was born in Germany and came to Huron County as a boy with his family. As a young man, he decided to pull up stakes and see what the big city of Detroit had to offer.

It was there he met Agnes Gems, a Detroit native. The two would marry, eventually relocate to Huron County and settle on a piece of land once known as the Hasenour Farm, a mile-and-a-half east and three miles north of Elkton. In newspaper reports published after his death, Joseph Lobert was described as a "prosperous" farmer.

Neighbors talking 'slander'

National Domestic Violence Hotline Help is available by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE), by texting START to 88788 or live chat at thehotline.org. It's free, confidential and available in English, Spanish and more than 200 other languages through an interpretation service. See More Collapse

In 1922, Agnes and Joseph's family had grown to include five children  a 10-year-old son, daughters aged 7, 5 and 2, and an eight-month-old baby.

Despite their success at farming, an alleged issue with the ownership of the farm reportedly hung over the Loberts like a cloud. Joseph had once held the deed to the property after it was given to him by his father, who would later re-deed it to Joseph's brother, Conrad.

When Conrad died, the deed  and ownership of the farm  fell to Conrad's widow. This fact was a constant source of worry for Joseph and Agnes, relatives said at the time of their deaths.

Adding further strain to the family were rumors of a "scandal," the details of which were never revealed. Joseph's brother, Anthony, would testify neighbors had been "talking slander" about Joseph and Agnes. Joseph refused to pay any attention to the rumors, Anthony said, a fact that raised the ire of his wife, who had insisted he take steps to end the neighborhood gossip about her.

Agnes allegedly "nagged" Joseph constantly about the property issues and a "disgraceful story" that had been circulating in the community about the couple.

A few days before the tragedy, Joseph Lobert reportedly told his brother, "My wife is always sick, and I am a nervous wreck."

'Strange Night Ride'

When Huron County Prosecutor Alfred Sauer arrived at the Lobert farm early in the evening on May 8, 1922, he was met with a scene of unimaginable violence.

At the coroner's jury convened in Elkton two days later, witnesses  including one of the Lobert children  recounted the events that led up to deaths of the Loberts.

In addition to Anthony Lobert's testimony, jurors heard the account given by 5-year-old Theresa, who sat near the bodies of her parents for several hours until her older siblings returned from school.

The jury  consisting of Andrew Schifley, Sam Krause, John Ramseyer, Harry Hedley, Henry Krause and George Thompson  were told about a mysterious trip taken by the entire family the night before the deaths occurred.

Joseph Lobert had apparently loaded a large farm wagon with food and bedding, and the family headed north around 7 p.m. Sunday. Joseph told his family they were going on an overnight camping trip to Rush Lake. However, the family returned from the east, the children said, adding they were unsure of what transpired because they had slept through the night.

The oldest boy told authorities he woke up in the night and overheard his parents talking about Poland. Both Joseph and Agnes were said to be of Polish descent.

The family returned to the farm at 6 a.m. Monday, and the two oldest children left for school.

Investigators later found blankets, a womans pocketbook, a check for $3.50 and $6 in cash inside the wagon.

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

'The Bloody Duel'

The coroner's jury would later decide the deaths of Joseph and Agnes Lobert had occurred around 8 a.m. on May 8.

The jury concluded that sometime that morning, likely between 8 and 9 a.m., Agnes attacked Joseph with a butcher knife, inflicting "severe" wounds during a struggle in the farmhouse kitchen. Joseph had been holding his two-year-old daughter in his lap when his wife attacked him, evidenced by a deep knife wound on the child's arm.

Bleeding profusely, Joseph attempted to fight off his wife, somehow ending up outdoors, where he collapsed into a woodpile.

Mrs. Lobert followed her husband outside, grabbed a dull axe laying near the woodpile and struck him in the neck, nearly severing his head, the jury concluded. She returned to the kitchen, stabbed herself several times, returned to the place where her husband had died, fell beside him into the woodpile and expired.

According to newspaper reports, "Blood was everywhere and the furniture overturned, indicating a terrific struggle before death overtook the husband and wife."

'Engaged in a Combat with Each Other'

About 3:30 p.m. that day, the two oldest children returned home from school. They found their younger siblings sitting in a buggy in the barnyard. Theresa led them to the bodies of their parents and told them what had taken place.

It was at that time a man named Frank Brysdrak from Pigeon was passing by the farm when he heard the cries of the children. Brysdrak notified a sheriffs deputy named Huffman, who called Sauer to the farm.

Sometime around 4:30 p.m., Dr. A.W. Campbell, Ray Brown and Walter Doepker were passing by the Lobert place when they also heard the cries of the Lobert children.

Campbell examined the bodies and determined a time of death. He said both Joseph and Agnes suffered wounds on their hands and arms, which indicated Joseph Lobert had fought back with a knife. The cause of death was given as blood loss and shock.

'Five Small Orphan Children'

Joseph and Agnes Lobert were laid to rest on Thursday, May 11, 1922, following what was described by a reporter as a small, private double funeral at their home. A genealogy website lists Joseph Lobert's burial site as St. Felix Cemetery in Pinnebog. Joseph's age was listed as 33, according to a Tribune article published May 12, 1922. Agnes was 30.

Anthony Lobert, who had six children of his own, briefly provided a home for his nieces and nephews, but the children would be split up and sent to live with various relatives.

Articles about the tragedy appeared in newspapers across Michigan, including the Charlevoix County Herald and the Yale Expositor in St. Clair County. Longtime Elkton resident Don Weiss said he can remember adults referring to the tragedy in his youth but added the details of what occurred remained unspoken.

Help is Available

Whether "a quarrel over money affairs" or "a family scandal" led to the horrific events of May 8, 1922, five innocent children lost their parents and the only home they had ever known. The concept of domestic violence and laws aimed at its prevention were decades away from becoming commonplace, but a lot has changed in 100 years.

Help is available by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE), by texting START to 88788 or live chat at thehotline.org. It's free, confidential and available in English, Spanish and more than 200 other languages through an interpretation service.
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MIDDLETOWN  Some $5.5 million of the citys $21 million in American Rescue Act Plan funds was recently allocated to projects, including the expansion of summer and arts programming for families, and connecting those with mental health needs with key services.

U.S. Reps. John B. Larson and Rosa DeLauro held a round-table discussion Friday at the Russell Library with Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim, directors of the library, recreation and arts divisions, as well as the CEO of Gilead Community Services.

The grants, determined by the citys American Rescue Act Task Force, will be used toward expanded evening and weekend hours at the senior center, a teaching artist mentorship program for teens, humanities enrichment programming for K-12 and home-schooled students, Mental Health Service Navigation program to assist residents, and accessibility upgrades at the library.

Already, the city has used $2.75 million for water and sewer improvements.

When we first learned that this money was going to come, it was obviously sort of a shock for us in local government, the mayor said. Its the first time in generations that this much of an investment was made on the local level. Its not only once-in-a-lifetime funding, this is not something that happens every day or every generation, even.

The mayor, however, cautioned the funds need to be allocated appropriately.

Its funding that needs to address generational challenges that we have had to solve since before COVID that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and now to make sure we lay the groundwork best, Florsheim said.

The idea, Florsheim added, is to invest the money in programs that will benefit generations to come.

Larson likened the funds to President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal during the Great Depression.

This has been the biggest investment by government  some would say it supersedes the money that was put forward during the New Deal. We believe this money is being better spent because its going to the communities, Larson said.

Middletown Commission on the Arts Director Kisha Michael, Library Director Ramona Burkey and Director of Recreation and Community Services Cathy Lechowicz were among those who attended the meeting.

Lechowicz, Burkey and Michael are working mothers who realized the unique needs of families werent being supported during the pandemic, such as difficulties balancing home-schooling or remote learning with a professional life, Lechowicz said.

They came up with a proposal, Healing the Heart, Mind and Soul of the City, which earned $491,400 in support.

Health is important, Lechowicz said. We saw the impacts of the pandemic on folks that were not as healthy. How do we reengage people to reconnect with their health  mental, physical and family?

The senior center was at the forefront of helping connect with older adults early in the pandemic to make sure their needs, including food, health and safety, were being met, she said.

Staff also contacted a number of their clientele, helping them to get vaccinated, and offering transportation when needed.

It was incredible  the loneliness, the isolation  and [figuring out] how to draw them back into our programs, Lechowciz said.

The goal is to host events, meeting people where they are in their communities. How can you connect using the arts as a tool to draw people in, and then incentivize them to come back, Michael said of Healing the Heart.

We need to rebuild the social fabric and connectivity in our communities, Lechowicz added.

Michael talked about getting back to tactile experiences and addressing the social and emotional needs of youth during the pandemic. Exposing and bringing to light art therapy, and reaching our young children and reminding them that play is important to living, to growing, to development, Michael said.

Get them off that cellphone and put toys and art supplies and resources into their hands. We realized that if the three of us join our forces, we can do that, Michael said.

Gilead Community Services won $299,826 for its Navigating Wellness in Middletown initiative.

Studies show that one in every five people experience a mental health condition over the course of their lifetime, CEO of Dan Osborne said.

These numbers are, unfortunately, not going down, he said.

With the funding, Gilead can offer free service navigation to all city residents. The agency will also train every city employee in mental health first aid on tactics everyone can use in their jobs.

When peoples loved ones, friends or others need help, its often difficult to determine where to find which resources are best, Osbourne said.

The city has a number of organizations ready to help those with mental health needs, including Gilead, River Valley Services, Middlesex Health, Community Health Center and others, however, the services are here, but people have no idea where to start, he explained.

They dont know what they qualify for, and they certainly dont know what they can afford or resources they have access to, Osbourne said.

Other projects funded include:

Northern Middlesex YMCA Phelps Ingersoll Preschool, $350,000

Russell Library Rebuilding Community Connections, $250,000

Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Side Street to Main Street Business and Leadership Development Program, $181,290

Middlesex Health, A New Home for Behavioral Health, $250,000
CLACKAMAS, Ore. (AP)  Defective barcodes on an unknown number of primary election ballots in a Portland, Oregon, suburban county will likely delay election results on May 17, election officials said.

Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall said this week that an unknown number of ballots have blurred barcodes that cant be read by the countys ballot-processing equipment and election workers will need to fill out new ballots by hand for those voters before they can be counted. Oregon is a vote-by-mail state.

The county includes the southwest suburbs of Portland and parts of it are in the new 6th Congressional District, which was formed when Oregon gained a U.S. House seat following the 2020 Census. A number of Democratic and Republican candidates are vying to advance to November's general election in a closely watched primary.

Election officials didnt notice the printing error before the ballots were sent to voters, Hall said. The problem isn't expected to delay the vote tally significantly, but election officials won't have a good sense of how many ballots are affected until next week.

We have plans and procedures in place to competently and correctly respond with this situation and many others, Hall said in a statement.

There is no better election staff than the one we have here in Clackamas County and we expect to meet all deadlines for the release of tallies and certification of results in spite of the increase in workload.

At least two election workers registered with different political parties will participate in the transferring of votes to the new ballots and election observers will be present. The county will keep the damaged ballots on file.

It's not the first time the county has had elections problems.

Clackamas County drew national attention in 2013 when a temporary elections worker filled in races left blank on two ballots for Republican candidates. Deanna Swenson, 55, received 90 days in jail and three years probation for her actions, The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported. A citizen committee that reviewed the situation found that Hall followed protocol, but still suggested improvements to prevent something similar from happening again.

Hall, who has held the elected county clerk position since 2003, is being challenged this year by Catherine McMullen, who serves as a program specialist for the Multnomah County Elections Division and is certified as an elections administrator. The race will be on the November ballot.
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MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (AP)  Connecticut Republicans  gambling on the second time being the charm  endorsed businessman Bob Stefanowki as their candidate for governor on Friday night. Nearly 50 miles away, Democrats backed U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal for a third six-year term.

Both parties kicked off their two-day conventions Friday, where faithful from both sides of the aisle will endorse candidates for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state comptroller, secretary of the state and treasurer. Democrats control all those offices now, in addition to the five U.S. House of Representatives seats.

Stefanowski, who lost to Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont in a three-way race for governor in 2018, overwhelmingly won the GOP's backing on Friday.

We did it, Stefanowski told the cheering crowd in the Premier Ballroom at Foxwoods Resort Casino. What a difference four years makes.

The 59-year-old former GE executives coronation was a marked change from his last run for governor. In 2018, then a political newcomer, Stefanowski bypassed the convention and won the GOP primary in an upset. This time, he went through the convention process and easily defeated one GOP rival, Susan Patricelli Regan, a former senior international marketing executive.

People are going to vote for a new vision, a change in the way we do things, said Stefanowski, who blamed mostly 40 years of Democratic control for Connecticut's challenges, which he said range from aging roads and bridges to high taxes.

Ben Proto, chairperson of the state's GOP, sees this year's election as a generational opportunity," given voter frustration over rising inflation, high gas prices and past mask mandates in schools.

At the end of the day, Connecticut has become unaffordable under the Democrats  and theyve had control of the state for roughly 40 years, on and off, Proto said.

But state Democrats appear optimistic about their chances in November, especially after closing out a three-month legislative session earlier this week marked by a new, revised one-year state budget that cuts taxes by $600 million and invests in social programs, child care services, and a wide-ranging mental health initiatives.

Democratic leadership continues to deliver balanced, on-time budgets that invest in our kids, support our most vulnerable and reflect Connecticut values, the state party's chairperson Nancy DiNardo said in a statement.

In a fundraising message to supporters, Blumenthal stressed how Democrats cant take a single seat for granted this year" and how the Senate GOP has already targeted me and has $44 million in the bank to flip this seat.

Weve been through a lot of tough fights together, and were in one of the most consequential as we speak: the battle to protect a womans fundamental right to reproductive healthcare, he said.

On Saturday, Democrats are scheduled to endorse candidates for attorney general, comptroller, lieutenant governor, governor, treasurer and secretary of state. Republicans will choose candidates for U.S. Senate, secretary of the state and comptroller.

Republicans on Friday also endorsed state Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, for lieutenant governor; state Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, for state treasurer; and Norwalk lawyer Jessica Kordas for state attorney general.

The Republican convention began with Richard Grenell, former President Donald Trump's ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence, urging more than 1,100 delegates and guests to get involved in this year's election, describing it

If you don't fight and if you dont fight back, we are going to lose our country, he warned the crowd.

I'm tired of people saying they're worried about being canceled. We can't worry about that. We're half the country. Cancel them, he said, receiving a round of loud cheers and applause. As soon as you get comfortable that you're going to get called a racist, a sexist or a homophobe  or the new one, a Russian agent  then you will be able to stand up against these ridiculous attacks."
The state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection is investigating an incident involving an employee who allegedly sent an internal email containing a derogatory term and the word Jews in the subject line, officials said Friday.

An executive assistant sent the email Wednesday to the agencys equal opportunities officer and a state police colonel to discuss an upcoming interview with a job candidate, said Brian Foley, spokesperson for DESPP Commissioner James Rovella.

Foley said the body of the email was entirely related to the interview, but the subject line contained a derogatory term and the word Jews.

One of the recipients of the email notified the employee about the language, Foley said. When the employee realized what happened, the person immediately said it must have been an auto-correct and he meant to type interview, Foley said.

The employee apologized to the recipients, notified Rovella and requested an IT review to determine how the incident happened and how to prevent it in the future, Foley said.

Regardless of the source, we are aware of how painful and frightening these words can be, Foley said. As a result, and at the request of the employee who sent the email as well as the order of the commissioner, we have initiated an investigation.

Foley said the agency has also notified the Greater Hartford Jewish Federation and the American Defense League to make them aware of the incident and the investigation.

Hearst Connecticut Media Group has filed a public records request for the email and any documents pertaining to the investigation.
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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  Jill Biden heard heartbreaking stories Saturday from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russias war and found safe haven in Romania, with one mother telling the U.S. first lady of a harrowing escape after being holed up in a cramped, cold basement with her traumatized 8-year-old daughter.

Reaching Romania was a game change for us, Svitlana Gollyak of Kharkiv, Ukraine, told Biden in her native language during the first lady's tour of a Bucharest public school hosting refugee children. Gollyak said her daughter "feels much better here. ... No more tears and she adapted very nicely.

Biden told Gollyak and the other women, I think mothers will do anything for their children, adding that they were amazingly strong and resilient.

Biden said her message to the families was we stand with you. During a craft activity, she watched as the children scrawled messages on paper cutouts of their hands. One young Ukrainian girl wrote, I want to return to my father. Biden later told reporters the girls words were heartbreaking.

The first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to refugees. At the school, the first lady  herself a teacher  saw how teachers are helping some of the approximately 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Really, in a lot of ways, the teachers are the glue that help these kids deal with their trauma and deal with the emotion and help give them a sense of normalcy, Biden said.

She added that she saw signs of hope for families who felt that there was some structure to their lives and they were getting supplies. They all realized how much money the United States has been giving to Ukraine and to the refugee situation and to Romania to support the refugees.

Most of the Ukrainians who have fled to Romania, mainly women and children, have moved on to other countries, but about 100,000 remain, officials said.

Earlier, Biden was briefed at the U.S. Embassy on the relief effort. Her visit to Eastern Europe comes as President Joe Biden is pressing Congress to pass an additional $33 billion in security and economic assistance for Ukraine.

Jill Biden called the show of solidarity amazing" but also just the beginning. She said it was inspiring for Romanians to welcome all these refugees into their homes and offer them food and clothing and shelter and give them their hearts.

But she also cautioned that much more needs to be done by the U.S. and allies to assist Ukraine.

Were all hopeful, right, she told reporters. We wake up every morning and think this has to end but it still keeps going on and on.

About 7,000 Ukrainians cross the border and arrive in Romania daily, said Pablo Zapata, the Romanian representative for the U.N. refugee agency.

The United Nations, other agencies and the Romanian government are assisting refugees with food, shelter, education, health and mental health care, and counseling, among other services.

Biden asked specifically about the provision of mental health services and whether summer school was available to help refugee students catch up on their education. She said later that the whole world is seeing that we need more mental health assistance for the children and their parents.

The first lady is on the second day of a four-day trip to Romania and Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine, that is designed to showcase U.S. support for the refugees. Biden was scheduled to spend Sunday, Mother's Day, meeting with refugees in Slovakia and visiting a border village.

Biden had lunch with Romania's first lady, Carmen Iohannis, at her private residence. Iohannis, who accompanied Biden during the school visit, kept her job as an English teacher when her husband took office, just like Biden kept hers teaching at a Virginia community college.

The emotional thread to Biden's day continued after she arrived in Slovakia's capital. At her first stop, she left flowers at a memorial dedicated to Jan Kuciak, a 26-year-old investigative journalist, and his fiancee, who were assassinated in 2018. The case triggered a political crisis and brought down the country's government.

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.

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

Follow all AP stories on global migration https://apnews.com/hub/migration
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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Friday authorized the shipment of another $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine for artillery rounds and radar systems in its fight against Russias invading forces.

Biden said the latest spending means his administration has nearly exhausted what Congress authorized for Ukraine in March and called on lawmakers to swiftly approve a more than $33 billion spending package that will last through the end of September.

We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorized directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine, Biden said in a statement. U.S. support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping Ukraine win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putins war aims in Ukraine.

A U.S. official said the latest tranche of assistance includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars, jamming equipment, field equipment and spare parts.

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 50 more civilians rescued from besieged Mariupol steel plant

 UN council backs UN chiefs peace effort in its first action

 Europes farmers stir up biogas to offset Russian energy

 With Ukraines ports blocked, trains in Europe haul grain

 US seeks to downplay role in sinking of Russian warship

 Jill Biden brings thanks, ketchup to US troops in Romania

Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted its first statement since Russias military action began Feb. 24, expressing strong support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine.

The short statement adopted at a brief meeting Friday does not mention a war, conflict or invasion as many council members call Russias ongoing military action, or a special military operation as Moscow refers to it. Russia, which holds veto power in the council, has blocked all previous attempts to adopt a statement or resolution.

Instead, the statement expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine and recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

During recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv, Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and the Azovstal steel plant where the last Ukrainian forces are holding out along with hundreds of civilians in underground bunkers.

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ROME  The Italian finance minister has adopted a decree that will impede a mega-yacht from sailing away from a Tuscan port, after investigation indicated the luxury vessel Scheherazade has links to prominent elements of the Russian government.

The finance ministry also said in statement Friday evening that the probe, carried out by Italys financial police corps, found significant economic business links of the beneficial owner of the Scheherazade as well to other subjects included in a list issued in 2014 as part of European Union measures prompted by Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

There have been fears that the 140-meter (459-foot) long yacht, which has been in dry dock in the port of Marina di Carrara, was preparing to sail out of Italian waters soon. Based on the Italian investigation, Minister Daniele Franco adopted a freezing decree regarding the yacht, which flies the flag of the Cayman Islands and which had long been under the attention of the authorities, the statement said.

A few weeks after Russias war against Ukraine began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a speech to Italian lawmakers, urged Italy to continue freezing assets of Russian oligarchs and officials. He cited by name the Scheherazade, which, according to some reports, belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Italian ministry statement didnt identify the boats owner nor specify who are the prominent elements of the Russian government. But it said the actual owner of the Scheherazade should be included in the 2014 EU sanctions list.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The regional governor says one person was reported dead and three more were injured Friday as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

Russia is killing civilians! On May 6, as a result of Russian shelling, one civilian of the Donbas was killed in Lyman. Three more people were injured, Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote in a Telegram post.

The Donbas, Ukraines eastern industrial heartland, encompasses the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Kyrylenkos claims could not be immediately verified.

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KYIV, Ukraine  A top official from Ukraines interior ministry has warned against the activation of saboteurs and other criminal elements in the lead-up to Russias Victory Day on Monday.

Speaking to Ukraines state-run Ukrinform agency, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin said authorities were carrying out special operations in a number of Ukrainian cities to prevent possible provocations.

We receive information about the potential shelling of peaceful territories, and therefore I appeal to every Ukrainian, especially these days, not to ignore air raid sirens, he added.

Moscow commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on May 9 each year.

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Fifty civilians were evacuated Friday from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

In a statement, the Russian Interdepartmental Humanitarian Response Center says the 50 civilians include 11 children.

Ukraines deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, also said 50 civilians left the plant without giving a breakdown of how many were children.

Both Vereshchuk and the Russian body said the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal will continue Saturday.

Ukrainian fighters holed up at the sprawling complex are making their last stand to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategic port city.

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UNITED NATIONS  Members of the United Nations Security Council, including Russia, have agreed on a statement expressing strong support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine.

The council scheduled a meeting later Friday to adopt the brief statement, which would be the first approved by the U.N.s most powerful body since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

It does not mention a war, conflict or invasion as many council members call Russias ongoing military action, or a special military operation as Moscow refers to it.

The statement, drafted by Norway and Mexico, expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine and recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and its last Ukrainian forces holdout at the Azovstal steel plant where hundreds of civilians are also still living in underground bunkers.

The U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross have carried out two successful evacuations from Mariupol and surrounding areas so far and are currently trying to arrange a third from the steel plant.

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Russian state agencies reported that two self-proclaimed separatist republics in Ukraines industrial east both appointed extraordinary ambassadors to Moscow on Friday.

Olga Makeeva, the deputy chair of the legislative assembly of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, was chosen by the territorys Russia-backed government as its representative. Her counterpart from the Luhansk Peoples Republic is Rodion Miroshnik, a foreign policy adviser to the separatist territorys leader.

A Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman condemned the appointments, saying Makeeva and Miroshnik will likely face criminal punishment for high treason.

Its a country of crooked mirrors. Russia has created pseudo-republics. It appointed ambassadors, from itself to itself These diplomats will face the most severe responsibility. As will other traitors, Oleg Nykolenko wrote in a Telegram post Friday.

The Russian foreign ministry has released a statement congratulating Makeeva and Miroshnik on taking office, wishing them success in establishing and developing multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Officials from Ukraines national security council warned residents Friday against the increased risk of shelling on Sunday and Monday, coinciding with Russias Victory Day celebrations.

A Facebook post published on the profile of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, urged Ukrainians not to ignore air raid sirens.

Since Russian troops cannot boast of any significant achievements on the front by Victory Day, the risk of massive shelling of Ukrainian cities these days is increasing, the post said.

Separately on Friday, Kyivs mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said authorities will not be extending the curfew in Kyiv; one has already been introduced. But street patrols would be reinforced.

Moscow commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on May 9 each year.

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AIR FORCE ONE  White House press secretary Jen Psaki says President Joe Biden will meet virtually with other Group of Seven leaders Sunday along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The virtual meeting will occur just before Russias Victory Day on Monday. Psaki says the date of the meeting is significant because it shows the unity of the allies ahead of a day when Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped to mark his victory over Ukraine. But Russia has been bogged down by Ukrainian forces and hampered by financial and trade sanctions.

Speaking Friday aboard Air Force One, Psaki says the G7 countries will discuss the war, its global impact, Ukraines future and building on the existing sanctions.

Psaki says she does not have any additional sanction details to share.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian army said Friday it had made progress in the northeastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth.

As a result of the offensive by units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, control was restored over the settlements of Aleksandrovka, Fedorovka, Ukrainka, Shestakovo, Pobeda and part of the village of Cherkassky Tishki, said a Facebook post published Friday afternoon on the official profile of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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A village in Russias southern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, is being evacuated due to shelling from Ukrainian territory, the regional governor said Friday.

Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that as of Friday afternoon, fewer than 30 people remained in the village of Nekhoteevka, located directly next to a border crossing.

We have already taken most of the residents to a safe place, he said, adding that five houses had been damaged by shelling. His post featured two photos of what appeared to be the same damaged building.

The accuracy of Gladkovs claims could not be immediately verified, nor did his post specify the number of people currently living in Nekhoteevka. Russias 2010 census referenced the village as having 145 permanent residents.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region accused Russian troops Friday of terrorizing residents of a frontline city as they try to advance across the Seversky Donets River.

In a Telegram post, Serhiy Haidai said more than 3,500 residents of the city of Kreminna had found themselves in Russian-controlled territory.

The captured city is teeming with Russian military equipment. Fighting is going on in the vicinity, he wrote. The Russians are terrorizing the population in every possible way: from checking phones to forcibly disappearing Ukrainian patriots.  Almost every house has been looted.

He added that Kreminna suffered from food and electricity shortages and that mobile communications had been shut down.

The accuracy of his statements could not be immediately verified.

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SONCHAMP, France  In lush fields southwest of Paris, farmers are joining Europes fight to free itself from Russian gas.

Theyll soon turn on the tap of a new facility where crops and agricultural waste are mashed up and fermented to produce biogas. Its among energy solutions being promoted on the continent that wants to choke off funding for Russias war in Ukraine by no longer paying billions for Russian fossil fuels.

Small rural gas plants that provide energy for hundreds or thousands of nearby homes arent  at least anytime soon  going to supplant the huge flows to Europe of Russian gas that powers economies, factories, business and homes. And critics of using crops to make gas argue that farmers should be concentrating on growing food  especially when prices are soaring amid the fallout of the war in Ukraine, one of the worlds breadbaskets.

Still, biogas is part of the puzzle of how to reduce Europes energy dependence.

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TURIN, Italy  Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestras upbeat, melodic entry for this months Eurovision Song Contest was written as a tribute to the frontmans mother.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has become an anthem to the war-ravaged motherland.

Stefania is the most-watched song on YouTube among the 35 national entries that are slated to compete when the Eurovision contest takes place next week in Turin, an industrial city in northern Italy.

While some oddsmakers and data analysts have predicted other contestants will win, the song by Kalush Orchestra is quickly becoming a sentimental favorite.

Ill always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed, Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wrote in the lyrics for Stefania.

His words have become more poignant as missiles pound Ukrainian cities and villages, forcing more than 11 million to flee since Russia invaded the country.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines deputy prime minister said Friday that 41 more Ukrainians were released that day in a prisoner swap with Russia.

Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram that the 41 people who've been returned include 28 military personnel and 13 civilians.

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MOSCOW  Russia has no intention of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday, a day after Moscows top diplomat in the U.S. chided Western officials for targeting it with baseless accusations.

Russia firmly abides by the principle that there can be no victors in a nuclear war and it must not be unleashed, Alexey Zaitsev said. He added that Russian nuclear doctrine does not envisage any scenarios for potential strikes which would apply to Moscows military goals in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Zaitsev added that any provocations whatsoever can be expected from Ukraine and the West, and that Russia has to be ready for any development in the media space and directly on the ground.

His statement echoed remarks made by Russias ambassador in Washington on Thursday.

In an interview with Newsweek, Anatoly Antonov slammed what he called a flurry of blatant misrepresentation of Russian officials statements on our countrys nuclear policy. He accused top U.S. military leaders  including the Defense Secretary and Joint Chiefs of Staff  of falsely blaming Moscow for escalating nuclear tensions, calling their claims baseless and part of a propaganda campaign against Russia in response to the steps taken to neutralize threats to our national security emanating from the Ukrainian territory.

He also blamed the wider Western bloc for what he called its irresponsible handling of the situation in Ukraine, implying that NATOs rhetoric and continuing support for Kyiv contributed to heightening nuclear tensions.

The current generation of NATO politicians clearly does not take the nuclear threat seriously, Antonov told Newsweek.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Russias parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin both asserted this week that Moscow would not use nuclear weapons first.

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A Russian senator said Friday that Russia will remain forever in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, whose capital has been occupied by Moscows troops since early March.

Andrey Turchak from the ruling United Russia party visited Kherson on Friday, meeting with its Russian-appointed governor Volodymyr Saldo.

I want to say once again - Russia is here forever. There should be no doubt about it, Turchak is heard saying in a video published by Russias state RIA Novosti agency.

We will live together, develop this rich region, rich in historical heritage, rich thanks to the people who live here, he added.

When asked about the future formal status of the Kherson region, Turchak cautioned against running too far ahead and said that in any case, the status is determined by the residents.

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LONDON  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has invited Germanys head of government and its head of state to visit Ukraine on May 9, the day Russia marks the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the Victory Day holiday to make an announcement about the war  either declaring a victory or escalating the conflict.

Germany is part of the Western alliance supporting Ukraine, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to make a solidarity visit to the country. Scholz has traded barbs with Ukrainian officials in recent weeks because of Kyivs refusal to invite Germanys head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukraine accuses of cozying up to Russia during his time as foreign minister.

Speaking at Londons Chatham House think-tank on Friday, Zelenskyy said he had spoken to Steinmeier and invited both him and Scholz to come to Kyiv.

He said Scholz can make this very powerful political step to come here on the 9th of May, to Kyiv.

There was no immediate word on whether the German politicians had agreed. German Parliament President Baerbel Bas is scheduled to visit Ukraine on Sunday and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is due to visit soon.

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BERLIN  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his country is providing Ukraine with all the support we can give and also take responsibility for in its war with Russia.

Speaking to business leaders in Hamburg on Friday, Scholz said Russia must not gain the upper hand in the conflict, which he described as a war of destruction waged by Moscow against Ukraine.

The German leader said that Russias position as a global power with a seat on the U.N. Security Council means that if (Vladimir) Putin gets away with it then theres a risk of international lawlessness.

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LONDON  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is still open to negotiations with Russia, but he repeated his position that Moscow must withdraws its forces to their pre-invasion positions.

Zelenskyy told a meeting at Londons Chatham House think-tank on Friday that regaining the situation as of the 23rd of February  the day before the invasion  is a prerequisite for talks.

He said in that situation we will be able to start discussing things normally, and Ukraine could use diplomatic channels to regain its territory.

The British government, a key ally of Ukraine, has said Russia must be driven from all of Ukraine, including Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.

Despite Russias intensified attack on Ukraines eastern Donbas region, Zelenskyy said there is still space for diplomacy. He said not all the bridges are yet destroyed, figuratively speaking.

Asked whether Russia would soon take full control of the besieged port city of Mariupol, Zelenskyy said: Mariupol will never fall. Im not talking about heroism or anything  There is nothing there to fall apart. It is already devastated.

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BERLIN  Police in the German capital are bracing for possible confrontations between pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine protesters around the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Berlin police said Friday that security around 15 memorial sites across the city will be stepped up on May 8 and 9, and officers will crack down on any attempts to glorify Russias attack on Ukraine.

The Russian government has tried to portray the leadership in Kyiv as Nazis  a claim both Ukraine and Germany have ridiculed.

Berlins police chief Barbara Slowik said authorities have banned the use of Russian or Ukrainian flags, the playing of military music or the wearing of uniforms or the orange and black ribbon of St. George showing support for the Russian military anywhere near the memorial sites.

German news agency dpa quoted police saying that some 3,400 officers will be deployed throughout the city on both days.
WATERTOWN  A man was found dead early Saturday off of Ice House Road, according to police.

Officers received a call from passing motorists of an unresponsive male laying in the dirt parking area of the Echo Lake conservation trail off of Ice House Road soon before 8 a.m., officials said on Facebook.

Upon arrival first responders found the unidentified male party to be deceased. The circumstances appear suspicious in nature, police said. The Watertown Police Departments Detective Bureau is investigating with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Squad.

The department said Ice House Road will be closed from Saco Street to Echo Lake Road for the time being. They advised motorists seek alternate routes.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Answers

Elon Musk ready to launch Internet service in India

.Setting up a local office will enable Starlink to apply for the licenses needed to provide broadband in the country.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX, which also has a satellite Internet division. It aims to have 200,000 Starlink devices in India by December 2022, 80% of which are in rural areas. Starlink, the satellite Internet arm of SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk's rocket company, registered operations in India on Monday. The company is preparing to launch an Internet service in India, according to its government filings.

Owning a local subsidiary, Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, will enable the company to apply to the government for the licenses it needs before it can offer broadband and other satellite-based Communications services.

"We are pleased to share that SpaceX now has a 100 percent owned subsidiary in India," Sanjay Bhargava, the country director for Starlink in India, said in a LinkedIn post. "We can now start applying for permits, opening bank accounts, and so on," Mr. Bhargava said. He only joined the company in October, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Starlink is one of a growing number of companies launching small satellites. These satellites are part of a network in low Earth orbit that provides low-latency broadband Internet services around the world, with a particular focus on remote areas where ground-based Internet infrastructure is difficult to reach. Its competitors include Amazon's Project Kuiper, UK'S OneWeb, and India's Bharti Enterprises.

Starlink plans to "develop telecommunications services" in India. These plans include satellite broadband Internet services, content storage, and streaming, multimedia communications, and more, according to the company's filing. The company will also operate satellite phones, networking equipment, wired and wireless communications equipment, and data transmission and reception equipment.

Starlink also said it would "catalyze rural Indian development" with its broadband service, according to a company profile Bhargava shared on LinkedIn over the weekend. Once allowed to offer the service, Starlink will give away 100 free devices to schools in Delhi and nearby rural areas in the first phase. It will then target 12 rural areas in India.

In its presentation, the company said it aims to have 200,000 Starlink devices in India by December 2022, 80% of which will be located in rural areas. Starlink has received more than 5,000 pre-orders in India.

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Many countries have begun to study digital currencies, which will have little impact on world tungsten carbide prices in 2021

The Bank of Japan plans to start empirical experiments on digital currencies in the spring of 2021. The idea is divided into 3 stages. Among them, the main work of the first stage is to establish basic functions. The second stage is to carry out functional tests under more complex conditions. The third stage is to discover problems in actual operation, make up for loopholes, and continuously improve. It is still in the initial stage and has little effect on the prices of industrial products such as tungsten carbide.

South Africa has great potential for digital currency applications. In recent years, the South African Reserve Bank (Central Bank) has carefully tested the central bank\'s digital currency to improve the efficiency of the financial system, enhance security and stability, and incorporate more customers into the financial system. In 2016, the South African Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group was established to study the feasibility of issuing central bank digital currencies. Currently, the working group is discussing with potential solution providers. South African scientific and technological workers do not study much in the field of tungsten carbide, so it will affect the price of tungsten carbide.

The President of the European Central Bank said a few days ago that he hopes to make the digital euro a reality within five years. This statement is equivalent to the European Central Bank\'s "policy announcement". The introduction of the digital euro is already on the line and has to be issued. For many years, Europe has been hesitant to use and promote electronic payments and is even more cautious about digital currencies. In 2018, the European Union issued the "Fifth Edition of the Anti-Money Laundering Order", recognizing that the development of digital currencies is an inevitable trend. There are many tungsten carbide manufacturers in Europe, but they all exchange traditional currencies, so they have no effect on the price of tungsten carbide.

South Korea officially began to promote substantial preparations for digital currency in early 2020. As soon as the preparatory work started, South Korea immediately turned on the "acceleration" mode. At present, most of the preparatory work has been completed. However, active preparation does not mean that South Korea is eager to put digital currency into use. The Bank of Korea\'s attitude towards digital currency is more inclined to "need not discuss it, but have it yourself." South Korean digital currency is not in a hurry to use, so the few with tungsten carbide have almost no impact.

Affected by digital currency research and development and the new crown epidemic, as a professional tungsten carbide supplier manufacturer, Luoyang Tongrun achieved a 150% growth in performance in 2020, and hired twice as many people for the research and development and application of tungsten carbide. According to research, the current tungsten carbide production capacity is quite stable, the supply of tungsten carbide raw materials is sufficient, and the tungsten carbide market price is stable, but due to the influence of traditional Chinese holidays, the delivery date will be delayed by 1-2 weeks.

"We will continue to serve the global market while maintaining price stability", said Luo Zhang, general manager of TRUNANAO.

For more tungsten carbide products, please visit their website nanotrun.com

At the same time about tungsten carbide technology: sales1@nanotrun.com
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Frontrunner Vaccine Will Affact the Price of Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder - 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 Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder 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 Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder 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 Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder 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 Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder will increase to a certain extent.

Due to changes in consumer demand, import and export conditions, and various investigations on the development of Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder, the cost of Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder is constantly changing. Taking into account the current market macroeconomic parameters, value chain analysis, channel partners, demand and supply, the cost of Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder will also be affected to a certain extent. It is estimated that the cost of Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder will increase slightly from today to next week.

The market trend of Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder?

The global Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powdermarket is constantly changing. The latest Global Market Report provides clear and accurate statistics and market estimates of the global Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder target market. The report includes an analysis of the different factors driving the market growth. It includes market drivers, constraints, opportunities and trends. This report is written by experienced and knowledgeable market analysts and researchers. It is an amazing compilation of important research that explores the competitive landscape, segmentation, geographic expansion, and revenue, production and consumption growth of the global Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder target market. In addition, the report provides a series of different market segments and applications that can promote market development during the forecast period. In-depth information is based on historical milestones and current trends. In addition, the Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder market report also covers development policies and plans, manufacturing processes and cost structures, marketing strategies, and then analyzes top Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder producers, distributors, marketing channels of Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder, potential buyers and Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder History of development. The report also lists import and export, supply and consumption data as well as costs, prices, revenue and gross margins by region.

The market demand for Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder?

The world's leading Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder target market report contains research on competitive dynamics. It also has a specific awareness that can help you choose the right business execution and steps. Market reports systematically display information in the form of organizational charts, facts, charts, statistics and graphs, which represent the status of related transactions on global and regional platforms. In addition, the report also includes the entire business chain, through which the growth rate and decline rate of specific industries in the market can be analyzed. The report also describes the total cost of manufacturing the product and analyzing its assembly process. In addition, the report also includes major developments in the market. The report involves value chain analysis and represents the workflow in the market. In addition, the market is classified by category, process, end-use industry and region. The report divides the market based on geographic location.

TRUNNANO (aka. Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd.) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12 years experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials. As a leading nanotechnology development and Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4)-Powder manufacturer, Luoyang Tongrun dominates the market. Our professional work team provides perfect solutions to help improve the efficiency of various industries, create value, and easily cope with various challenges. Please send an inquiry as needed.

Li3N is short for lithium nitride, which is a metal nitrogen compound that is a purple or red crystalline solid, showing a light green luster under reflected light and a ruby color in transmitted light. At room temperature, metallic lithium can partially generate lithium nitride when exposed to air, and lithium generates lithium nitride in a nitrogen stream 10 to 15 times faster than in air. At this time, all lithium is converted into lithium nitride. Learn more knowledge about Lithium nitride from nanotrun website.

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Global Aluminum Nitride powder market trend 2023-2027 What is Aluminum Nitride AlN Powder? by Newsmis-asia

Recently, covid 19 outbreak spreads in Shanghai, China. There are more than 25,000 new asymptomatic domestic infections every day. China is implementing a dynamic zero-out policy. A leading respiratory expert said the key to COVID-19 prevention and control is to minimize transmission and fatality rate. Omicron has a low case fatality rate but is highly transmissible and can still claim many lives in large outbreaks. "Total openness is not applicable in China. For China, we should keep to the dynamic zero-out and gradually open up."

However, "dynamic zero clearance" is not the pursuit of complete "zero infection". As the Novel Coronavirus has its own uniqueness and strong concealment, there may be no way to prevent the detection of cases at present, but rapid detection and prompt treatment must be carried out, as soon as one case is found, one case will be dealt with.

The situation in Shanghai is serious. As the financial center of China, Shanghai is a very important city, and the outbreak of the epidemic in Shanghai will put a great impact on China's economy. The current task is to contain the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible, to achieve social zero so that Shanghai's life and economy quickly return to normal.

As China plays an important role in the global supply chain, the outbreak will have a significant impact on the supply and prices of many Aluminum Nitride powder.

Introduction to Aluminum Nitride AlN Powder

Aluminum nitride is a covalent bond compound. The chemical formula is AIN. It is an atomic crystal, belongs to the diamond-like nitride, hexagonal crystal system, has a wurtzite type crystal structure, non-toxic, white or off-white.

Aluminum nitride is a synthetic mineral that does not occur naturally in nature. The crystal structure of AlN is hexagonal wurtzite type, with low density (3.26g/cm3), high strength, good heat resistance (Decomposition happens at about 3060), high thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and other advantages.



Physicochemical Properties of Aluminum Nitride AlN Powder

AlN remains stable at a maximum temperature of 2200. Its strength at room temperature is high, and the strength decreases slowly with the increase in temperature. AlN has good thermal conductivity, and a low thermal expansion coefficient, so it is a good heat shock material. It is an ideal crucible material for melting and casting pure iron, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. Aluminum nitride is also an electrical insulator with good dielectric properties. It is also a promising electrical component. The aluminum nitride coating on gallium arsenide protects it from ion implantation during annealing. Aluminum nitride is also a catalyst for conversion from hexagonal boron nitride to cubic boron nitride.

It reacts slowly with water at room temperature. It can be synthesized from aluminum powder in ammonia or nitrogen at 800~1000. The product is white to grayish-blue powder. Or by al2O3-C-N2 system reaction synthesis at 1600~1750, the product is gray powder. Or aluminum chloride and ammonia gas should be opposite. The coating can be synthesized from the AlCl3-NH3 system by vapor deposition.



In summary,

1. Has high thermal conductivity (about 320W/mK), which is close to BeO and SiC, and is more than 5 times that of Al2O3;

2. Excellent electrical properties (eg, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, body resistivity, dielectric strength);

3. Good mechanical properties. The flexural strength is higher than that of Al2O3 and BeO ceramics, and can be atmospherically sintered;

4. Good optical transmission characteristics;

5. Non-toxic.



Aluminum Nitride AlN Powder Properties Other Names Aluminium nitride CAS No. 24304-00-5 Compound Formula AlN Molecular Weight 40.9882 Appearance white to pale yellow powder Melting Point 2200  C Boiling Point 2517 C (dec.) Density 2.9-3.3g/cm3 Solubility in H2O N/A Exact Mass 40.9846

Aluminum Nitride AlN powder CAS 24304-00-5





Applications of Aluminum Nitride AlN Powder

Because of the piezoelectric properties of AlN, the extensional extension of al nitride crystals is also used in surface acoustic wave detectors, which will be placed on silicon wafers.

Aluminum nitride ceramics have high room temperature and high-temperature strength, a small coefficient of expansion, and good thermal conductivity, so they can be used as high-temperature structural parts of the heat exchange equipment materials.

Aluminum nitride ceramics can be used as crucibles and casting mold material for melting Al, Cu, Ag, Pb, and other metals by virtue of their corrosion resistance to iron, aluminum, and other metals and alloys.

Aluminum nitride ceramics is a new kind of high technology ceramics. Aluminum nitride substrate has the characteristics of high thermal conductivity, non-toxic, corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, good thermochemical stability, and so on. It is an ideal packaging material, heat dissipation material, circuit components, and interconnect carriers for large-scale integrated circuits, semiconductor module circuits, and high-power devices. It is also the best additive to improve the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of polymer materials, so aluminum nitride ceramic can also be used for smelting non-ferrous metal and semiconductor gallium arsenide crucible, thermocouple protection tubes, high-temperature insulation parts, microwave dielectric ceramic materials, high temperature resistant, corrosion-resistant structure and microwave transparent aluminum nitride ceramic products, used as a high thermal conductive ceramic production materials and resin, filler, etc. Aluminum nitride is an electrical insulator with good dielectric properties. The aluminum nitride coating on gallium arsenide protects it from ion implantation during annealing.



Main Supplier of Aluminum Nitride AlN Powder

Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd. (TRUNNANO) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12-year-experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials, including silicon powder, nitride powder, graphite powder, zinc sulfide, calcium nitride, 3D printing powder, etc.

If you are looking for high-quality Aluminum Nitride AlN Powder, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry. ([email protected])



The Free Trade Agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has come into force on.

The UAE is the gateway to the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, said Subramaniam, a senior official at India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The agreement will help boost bilateral trade in goods from $60 billion a year now to $100 billion a year within five years.

On 18 February 2022, India and the United Arab Emirates signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. With the entry into force of the agreement, 90 percent of Indian goods and 65 percent of UAE goods will enjoy tariff-free market access.

Apart from its FTA with the UAE, India is also pursuing FTAs with Australia, the UK, Canada, Israel, the European Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Influenced by international situations, the supply and prices of many Aluminum Nitride powder are still very uncertain.

Inquery us
One of Ghanas finest musicians, Gambo has thrilled music lovers at this years Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA23) with a truly dazzling performance.

Gambo is unarguably the best Unsung Act in the history of the VGMA and he displayed through his impressive performance on Friday night, May 6, 2022, that he has broken his chains into the Ghanaian music industry.

His performance at the 2022 VGMA was nothing short of a brilliant display of musical talent.

He left thousands of music fans in the Grand Arena and viewers across the country and around the world virtually mesmerized and ecstatic with his enthralling performance, clearly demonstrating that indeed, he deserved to win the VGMA Unsung Act of The Year Award for 2022. He beat competition from several other artistes to win this years Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Unsung Act of The Year, demonstrating his relevance in the Ghanaian music industry over a short period of time.

Even though this year was his first time performing at the VGMA, his performance was nothing short of expectations, as he showcased that he is an artiste who knows his craft and can deliver a great performance at any given moment on big stages like the VGMA stage.

He opened his performance with his yet to be released song, setting the Grand Arena on fire and moving on to wrap up his performance with his hit song 'Boys Aye Wild' in which he featured Strongman.

The controversial musician, Gambo has come to be loved for marketing the beautiful side of Ghana in music videos, always urging his fellow musicians to do good music videos, showcasing that life in Ghana is good.

Watch Gambo's performance at the VGMA below:
The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North Constituency, Dr. Kwamena Minta Nyarku has donated 35 pieces of plywood to the Pedu MA Basic 'A' School to aid them in the refurbishment of their staff common room.

"I remember I came here to donate mono and dual desks on my birthday last year and you put this request across to me for assistance to upgrade your staff common to make it more habitable for teachers. I'm here to fulfil my promise to you," he stated.

Receiving the slates of plywood, the headteacher of the school. Mr. Issah Otoo expressed his delight at the honour done them by their Member of Parliament.

According to him, the staff common room doesn't look appealing for teachers to use.

He noted that he had to draw the MP's attention to their plight when he came to donate the desks (Mono and dual) to them last year as part of his birthday celebration.

He added that the MP visited to ascertain things for himself and pledged to support as when resources are available to him.

"Today is the day the Lord has made it possible for him to redeem his pledge. The slates of plywood are 35 and would be enough to panel the whole office and also demarcate it," he intimated.

He added, "the MP has also promised to take the cost of workmanship for the refurbishment of the office.

"I stand here representing all my teachers, Circuit Supervisor, Metro Director of Education and all parents to express our profound gratefulness to the MP for his kind gesture."

The headteacher stressed that like Oliver Twist, he shall ask for more."We intend to tile the whole staff common room and we shall be pleased if the MP can help in that regard."

Mr. Otoo furthered that "When the time comes for the inauguration, the MP's name would be written and displayed to show appreciation for his support."
With a few days to go for the NPP regional elections across the various regions, most of the aspirants have intensified their campaigns in the bid to galvanize support from the delegates to win the elections.

Various social media platforms, especially on WhatsApp and Facebook, have been flooded with flyers and posters of some of these aspirants.

One of the aspirants, Boampong Darlington Bill, who is seeking to become the next NPP Bono Regional Organiser told modernghana.com in an exclusive interview in Sunyani that he was sure of massive victory when the election is held.

So far, so good all grounds are fertile for me and the entire team. We are winning hands down. Very sure of winning. At least I am likely to get about 82% of the total votes cast.

According to him, he has toured all the 12 constituencies in the region and is satisfied with the response from the grassroots, and believes that they will endorse him with their votes to become the next Bono Regional Organiser of the party.

He said his prime objective when elected would be to commit his time, energy and resources towards the partys resolve to break the 8 because that is the surest way to secure a bright future for Ghanaians.

He said one of his priority deliverables if he is elected as the next Bono NPP Regional Organiser, would be to immediately set up a reconciliation team made up of men and women of substance to handle all internal conflicts and misunderstandings in the region.

We will win if only we agree to work together as a team. It will all boil down to togetherness, he said in an exclusive interview with this reporter in Sunyani.

Vison

When asked to share his vision for the party in the region when voted, Mr. Boampong said he would strike a partnership deal with interested tertiary institutions to run short-courses for constituency and polling station executives who do not have any academic certificates to prepare them for better job opportunities.

The Scholarship Secretariat is another key area that we can use to deliberately prepare our TESCON and other Young Patriots for future leadership roles. "Deliberate" means that we shouldn't wait for the young patriots to apply, but with the help of our database and data science, make an in-depth selection across the region for the facility to strengthen our base (at least 5 per Constituency) in each Constituency every year.

This means that we will deliberately push 60 into education every year (There is an implementation plan). Which can help refine our Party across the region, he further said.

The Regional Organiser hopeful also emphasised the need to improve vocational training with the involvement of volunteer groups and some State Agencies to develop jobs and sources of income for the grassroots.

Job opportunities

As a result, agencies, ministries, and non-profit organizations will be given a clear mandate to support this goal (An implementation Plan is also available). The vocational training will be linked to 1D1F to prepare our grassroots for greater career opportunities within the Constituency. If there is no 1D1F in that Constituency, training on the key source of livelihood in that Constituency might be provided to increase their source of livelihood.

In his view, training the young patriots to earn a career via social media management would help the digitalization goal while also providing a source of income.

Besides, Mr. Boampong added, the trained Patriots may be deployed to educate the populace about the digitalization drive across the country.

Brief background

Born on in 1983 at Badu in the Tain district of the Bono region, Mr. Boampong had his basic education in Asuafo SDA Primary School at Badu, St. Paul's International School, Dadieso, Aowin district, and Rapid International school in Sunyani.

He is also a product of the Twene Amanfo Secondary/Technical, Sunyani, the University of Cape Coast University, Sikkim Manipal University and the London School of Economics.

Career

Darlington has worked with many institutions and had achieved a lot both in politics and social life. He is currently the Deputy Director for Policy Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at NADMO headquarters, Accra.

Political life

Boampong Darlington Bill, has always been a true family member of the NPP since ages. His family is rooted to the United Party and Progress Party, both offshoots of the NPP.

He started his active politics at Dadieso in the Western region where he joined the party as a grassroot mobilizer. It was there that he met Former President John Agyekum Kufuor one on one as a tent and canopy erector at the time the aspirant was touring the nation. This was in 1996. Kufuor put his hands on him and prayed for him to become a notable person in Ghana for his hard work.

In Sunyani, he worked closely with Late J.H Mensah and was an observer in the 2000 and 2004 limited registration exercises.
President Emmanuel Macron's La Republique en Marche party (the Republic on the Move) has changed its name to "Renaissance". The French leader has also announced the formation of a centrist coalition to try and win a majority in parliament for his second term in office.

We are initiating a movement to rebuild La Republique en Marche (LREM) in order to continue expanding this political movement  in a political party that will carry the name of the Renaissance, party secretary Stanislas Guerini told a press conference on Thursday.

The choice of the name Renaissance was to show the party would always choose enlightenment over obscurantism, he said.

The rebranding of the party comes as campaigning for June parliamentary elections is set to begin.

Polls suggest Macron's centrist party has a good chance of securing a majority in France's National Assembly, but it faces strong competition from a new left-wing alliance led by hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon, as well as Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally.

The name change is aimed at helping Macron's party gain ground in local government, where it is far less established than the older mainstream Republicans and Socialists.

It will be a party of the people, open to citizens, Guerini said, adding that local elected officials wherever they come from were most welcome.

Centrist coalition

Guerini also announced the Renaissance party would be teaming up with two other centrist parties to fight next month's elections  its traditional allies in the MoDem party, led by Francois Bayrou, and the new Horizons party founded by Macron's former prime minister Edouard Philippe.

Renaissance, which was also the name given to Macron's party list in the 2019 European election, will field 400 candidates, he added.

This is not the first time the party has changed its name.

Macron created the political movement En Marche (On the Move) in 2016, when he was economy minister, to fuel his 2017 presidential bid, vowing to reform France.

Based on his own initials EM, it was seen as a very personal and unconventional branding, designed to stand out from traditional political parties.

In 2017 it became LREM for the parliamentary elections, during which Macron's party won an outright majority.

Read also:
06.05.2022 LISTEN

Then Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has said it is too early for him to predict when the Agenda 111 project will be completed.

The Minister was speaking on Thursday, 5 May 2022, while taking delivery of medical supplies from the Italian government.

According to him, there are some challenges facing the project initiated by the Akufo-Addo-led administration to build hospitals across the country.

He is, however, hopeful that the project will be completed.

The Minister said: It is too early for me to predict whether we will finish or not".

But optimistically, that is what we want to do and we try to push ourselves.

The Minister also noted that the infrastructural design of the project is now being changed.

We still have challenges with even land, especially in the big cities like Accra and Kumasi.

We are now changing the infrastructural design so that instead of spreading across bigger land area, we want to go up. So, they are doing designs. Even in the communities, in the districts, some chiefs are coming and there are litigations in some areas, the Health Minister stated.

Source: classfmonline.com
07.05.2022 LISTEN

Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Cletus Avoka has extolled Private Legal Practitioner, John Ndebugre, following his demise on May 6, 2022.

Reacting to news of his death, Mr. Avoka described Ndebugre as an intelligent lawyer who was passionate about his work.

All those who know him can testify to his ability. He is very forthright. He has a lot of passion for what he does and what he believes in. He is a brilliant lawyer. I think the whole country has lost an illustrious politician, he recalled.

Mr. Avokas friendship with Mr. Ndebugre dates back to the 1980s at the Navrongo Senior High School where they both schooled.

He posited that they maintained a good relationship over the years until they both started pursuing their interests in politics.

Mr. Ndebugre passed on at his residence in Zebilla on Friday afternoon, May 6, 2022.

It is unclear what caused his death, but family sources say, he was battling a short illness until his demise.

The late politician and lawyer was known to be a vociferous person who shared strong views on pertinent national issues.

Mr. Ndebugre spoke on many legal and political issues in the media, as he was often relied upon as a resource person.

He served in other capacities until he fell out with the late Jerry John Rawlings.

He left behind a widow and four children.

---citinewsroom
This week on The Sound Kitchen you'll hear the answer to the question about the Hilder Nursery and Primary School. You'll take a tour of a "GreenLab" house in Dallas, Texas, hear "Ollia's Happy Moment and Music from Erwan - and of course, there's the new quiz question, too. Just click on the Audio arrow above and enjoy!

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday  here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winner's names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, On This Day, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music  so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your musical requests, so get them in! Send your musical requests to [email protected] Tell us why you like the piece of music, too  it makes it more interesting for us all!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts which will leave you hungry for more.

There's Paris Perspective, Africa Calling, Spotlight on France, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have a bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, too.

As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website and click on the three horizontal bars on the top right, choose Listen to RFI / Podcasts, and you've got 'em ! You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is Headline News) until you see Podcasts, and choose your show.

Teachers, take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected] If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.

Another idea for your students: My beloved music teacher from St Edward's University in Austin, Texas, Dr Gerald Muller, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement  and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that's how I worked on my French, reading books which were meant for young readers  and I guarantee you, it's a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald's free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

And don't forget, there is a Facebook page just for you, the independent RFI English Clubs. Only members of RFI English Clubs can belong to this group page, so when you apply to join, be sure you include the name of your RFI Club and your membership number. Everyone can look at it, but only members of the group can post on it. If you haven't yet asked to join the group, and you are a member of an independent, officially recognized RFI English club, go to the Facebook link above , and fill out the questionnaire !!!!! (if you do not answer the questions, I click decline).

There's a Facebook page for members of the general RFI Listeners Club, too. Just click on the link above and fill out the questionnaire, and you can connect with your fellow Club members around the world. Be sure you include your RFI Listeners Club membership number (most of them begin with an A, followed by a number) in the questionnaire, or I will have to click Decline, which I don't like to do!

This week's quiz: On 26 March, I asked you a question about an article written by my colleague Laura Angela Bagnetto, which also was a feature on her excellent bi-monthly podcast Africa Calling  which I know you all listen to regularly.

Laura Angela's story was about a marvelously dedicated teacher in Uganda, Irene Ocwee Trends, who during the pandemic lockdown took into her very own family home 30 children. The boys and girls  from 13 to 17 years old - were in the final year of her primary school, and Trends wanted them to be able to continue their schooling uninterrupted. And the hard work paid off  all her students passed Uganda's national exams and will go on to secondary school. Teachers. What heroes!

Uganda ranks schools on how well students at any particular school do on their national exams. My question to you was: after Ocwee Trends' students took their national exams and passed with flying colors, where did Uganda rank the Hilder Nursery and Primary School in their list of schools?

The answer is, as Laura Angela wrote: Her final year students took their national exams, and Hilder Nursery and Primary school was named the 20th top school in the whole country after the results were announced.

The winners are: M. N. Sentu, who's a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and Ms. Fatematuj Zahra, who serves as the co-secretary of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Also on the list this week are RFI Club members Jean-Maurice Devault from Montreal, Canada and Ms. Dipita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Last but not least, RFI English listener Aiman Shad from Bogura, Bangladesh.

Congratulations winners!

Here's the music you heard on this week's program: Take the A Train by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, performed by Duke Ellington and his orchestra; Dance of the Nursemaids from the ballet Petrushka by Igor Stravinsky, performed by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer; The Flight of the Bumblebee by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; Happy by Pharrell Williams, and Agonde from Os Tincoas.

Do you have a musical request? Send it to [email protected]

This week's question ... You have to listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, refer to David Coffey's articleEU fines against Poland's 'rule of law' dispute surpass 160m to help you find the answers.

You have until 30 May to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 4 June podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

[email protected]

or

Susan Owensby

RFI  The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

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Former President John Dramani Mahama arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday, 6 May for a meeting of the Board of the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa.

The Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa promotes African-led solutions by holding discussions on the strategic and pro-active management of African peace and security issues driven by the interest to contribute to stronger ownership of these issues.

Mr Mahama and his colleague African leaders will be discussing plans and preparations for the next in-person Tana Forum after some postponements because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Forum is an annual meeting that brings together African leaders and stakeholders to engage and explore African-led security solutions.

Source: Classfmonline.com
According to the World Bank, the average income in countries with high levels of corruption is about one-third of that in countries with low levels of corruption. In addition, the infant mortality rate in such countries is about three times higher, and the literacy rate is 25% lower.

Corruption, in simple words, is the giving and receiving of bribes. Bribery to obtain advantages in material values, property rights, for oneself or others, as well as illegal provision of the interests of individuals, officials, etc. The sole purpose of this crime is to gain benefits or amass wealth.

According to Rodrigo Duterte in his fight against corruption in the Philippines, "If you pay taxes, fees, customs duties, and so on, and these fools demand a bribe, beat them." If you have a gun, you can shoot them, but don't kill them, because otherwise, you may not get a pardon. "

The fight against corruption has been one of the toughest issues facing every government in both developed and developing countries. Whereas in the developed world, it has been reduced through modern technology and putting offenders behind bars, it has increased rapidly in developing countries because they add them to their governments.

From country to country, every government has its method to fight this crime that affects the nation's political and economic operations, but there are others too, who are willing to go to extremes and be cruel if they think that will be the right solution. One such world leader is the Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Rodrigo Duterte in his fight against corruption in the Philippines, "If you pay taxes, fees, customs duties, and so on, and these fools demand a bribe, beat them." If you have a gun, you can shoot them, but don't kill them, because otherwise, you may not get a pardon. "

Does Duterte sound harsh and cruel? What do you expect of him after he has tried everything yet corruption keeps increasing in his country? I tell you, if you want to know how people abuse the law, give them an inch and they will take a yard, or give them a yard and they will take a mile.

Imagine a country like Ghana, heavily infested by corruption, which has affected the entire infrastructure by creating a high rate of unemployment, a collapsed economy, and a depressed currency, yet no corrupt government official or politician has ever been jailed. Therefore, what do you expect in such a country?

We shouldnt be surprised if Nana Akufo Addo, the current president, who promised to protect the public purse, has rather become the most corrupt leader in Ghanas political history because there is no law in Ghana to incriminate offenders, including politicians, who do it with impunity.

Even the developed world, despite all its modern technological facilities, they are still facing tougher challenges in defeating corruption. Thats why I find it an insult to Ghanaians whenever the Vice-President comes out and blows his horn, "Corrupt people hate transparency; we've made tremendous progress."

Corrupt government officials and politicians are people without sympathy, integrity, and conscience. They are like drug dealers, only interested in the money they make but not the victims they hurt or the lives they destroy. One of the reasons America has been a successful country is that the government doesn't spare corrupt politicians and judges. They are convicted and jailed.

Even though the Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte says "citizens to shoot officials demanding bribes but only on the legs, is not something any country will be interested in, however, that also shouldnt encourage corruption in any government because that crime is affecting the ordinary people."

The Philippine President hasnt only declared war on corruption but also on drug dealers, and this has led to his government's being repeatedly condemned for its brutal crackdown on drug traffickers and those involved in such corruptible activities.

Since taking office as President of the Philippines in 2016, Rodrigo Duterte has worked to restore order in the country, employing harsh measures that many regard as cruel. According to him, "he once dropped a suspect in the rape and murder of a Chinese citizen from a helicopter."

This he intends to do to corrupt offenders violating the law. Certainly, I will neither support the shooting of the legs of any corrupt official or politician in Ghana nor even support the throwing of any corrupt politician from a helicopter. However, I will support putting a corrupt politician in jail because until that is done, the fight against corruption in Ghana will be meaningless and fruitless.
07.05.2022 LISTEN

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says government has delivered on its promises to enhance the peace and security of citizens.

According to him, Ghanas recent ranking by the global peace index, among other things, points to massive investment by government in the security sector.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Shukura District Police Command, Dr. Bawumia reiterated governments commitment to retooling security agencies to enable them discharge their duties effectively.

This government has lived up to the expectations [in boosting safety and security in the country]. Ghana continues to enjoy a good reputation as a peaceful and safe country with an enviable international image as an oasis of peace. Recent data shows that we are the 2nd most peaceful country in Africa and the most peaceful country in West Africa. This is according to the most recent Global Peace Index. The peace and stability of our country could not be achieved and maintained without the significant efforts of the law enforcement agencies, he said.

Dr. Bawumia said the commissioning of the ultra-modern edifice will help ensure peace and security within Laterbiokorshie, Abbosey Okai, Mataheko, Shukura and neighbouring communities.

He further applauded the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, for elevating the status of the police station to a district command.

Security, peace and stability are the cornerstones of sustainable development Ghana has become one of the most conducive investment destinations in Africa, he said, stressing that Ghanas credentials in peace and safety cannot be achieved without the efforts of law enforcement agencies, hence the governments commitment to ensuring that they are well-equipped.

---citinewsroom
Turkey is becoming a prime destination for Russians seeking to escape crackdowns by President Vladimir Putin and the effects of global economic sanctions. Turkey remains one of the few countries where Russian airplanes can fly, and where Russian passport holders can enter without visas.

Andre, not his real name, makes a cup of his favorite Russian tea for his Turkish hosts. Sipping the strong black brew offers a "taste of home, he says.

Andre fled to Istanbul last month as rumours spread of nationwide conscription.

"When I received the news that there might be conscription, I had just two hours to take my things and go," he explains.

"I know people are trying to leave Russia; police started to talk with them; 'why are you going'?"

Andre says with Russia becoming a country of fear for those who oppose the war in Ukraine, there is now a growing exodus.

"A lot of people left Russia; people who cannot leave are just silenced somehow. I know friends who just wrote something on their social media and police came to their houses.

"My friends are careful, and most of them have already left Russia, But I know that there are situations where police stop on them the streets and check their phones. It's just a nervous situation for all of us."

Popular city

Istanbul is an increasingly popular destination for those escaping Putin's Russia. "I chose Istanbul because it's not so far. I already knew something about this city," Andre explains.

"Istanbul has similar prices as in Russia, and I have connections here ... I can hear the Russian language everywhere."

Istanbul has historical ties with Russia and a long tradition of hosting Russians escaping their country's turmoil. In the Karakoy district, Russian orthodox churches are a common sight.

And one of the city's oldest and most prestigious restaurants was founded by refugees from the Bolshevik revolution.

Today, Turkey is one of the few remaining countries where Russian planes can fly to. It also offers visa-free travel. That also makes it a popular destination for Russians seeking a way into EU countries. This Russian exile, who also declined to give his name, says he left just in time.

"I read the news, and I think that the borders will be closed. I think it's the last chance to move," he said. "You can easily come to Europe from Russia.

You just firstly go to Istanbul and then to Europe. I have met many Russians here many friends of mine are in other countries. They just traveled and decided not to go back."

Properties

Many Russians are now buying properties in Turkey. That allows them to secure their savings and even Turkish citizenship for themselves and their family.

"For citizenship, via investment program, you can buy like one or two properties, depending on your budget, but it should be fitting to 250 thousand dollars," explains Alex Cihanoglu, a real estate agent at the Istanbul-based Property Istanbul.

Istanbul is witnessing a property boom, says Cihanoglu, given that Turkey is uniquely placed for Russians seeking a way out. "Nowadays, there are only five countries to which Russians can travel, and one of them is Turkey," said Cihanoglu.

Even Russia's exclusion from the SWIFT money transfer system is not proving an obstacle to buying property here. "There are a lot of people stuck with transferring money," said Cihanoglu,

"But there is always, especially cryptocurrency is one of the best ways to move their money to Turkey. So, of course, it's a big destination where people want to park their money."

European dream

But Andre has no plans to settle in Istanbul, even if he had the funds to buy a home. Instead, he says he plans to move on to Europe and establish a new life there, but his thoughts are with the family and country he left behind.

"I am thinking about them every day and making calls; I am writing them almost every day," he said.

"Actually, I want to take them from Russia, but I don't know I will be able to do it or have just hope Russia can change in the next five or ten years. I cannot imagine how long it takes; it already looks like the bad years of the USSR. For me, it's like the death of Russia."

But for now, Andre spends his time in Istanbul counting on the support of locals and a growing network of Russians for whom Turkey has become a refuge.
Popular broadcaster Paul Adom Otchere has suggested that Ghana must develop its own press freedom ranking in order to situate the findings within the right context.

He is unable to accept that journalists in Burkina Faso under a military junta are freer in practicing their profession more than their colleagues in democratic Ghana as captured in the latest press freedom ranking.

Ghana has performed poorly in the latest press freedom ranking, dropping 30 places from 2021 to rank 60th on World Press Freedom Index 2022 with a score of 67.43.

The report cited government's intolerance, a situation that forced journalists to engage in heavy self-censorship in the line with their work.

Although the country is considered a regional leader in democratic stability, journalists have experienced growing pressures in recent years. To protect their jobs and their security, they increasingly resort to self-censorship, as the government shows itself intolerant of criticism, the World Press Freedom indicated in its latest ranking released May 3,2022.

It added: The 2019 information access law authorises journalists to demand information of national interest. However, a clause in the law allows a fee to be charged if the information requested is in a language other than English  a provision used to deny journalists' access to the information they seek

In addition, one third of media outlets are owned by politicians or by people tied to the top political parties. The content they produce is largely partisan. In Ghana, most media outlets face financial problems, reflected in low salaries and poor working conditions for journalists. Frequently, new newspapers are launched only to fold in a few months, due to inability to meet production costs.

State-owned media, for their part, benefit from government advertising contracts and payment for publishing news items. Government advertising is awarded through a non-transparent and inequitable process.

Suggesting wayforward for Ghana with respect to the poor performance while speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday May 7 with host Dzifa Bampoh, Mr Adom Othcrere who is also Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited said  the way forward is what Gyan Apenteng (Former Chairman of the National Media Commission ) has said, we have to develop our own index. We will be able to put in these contest that give us the real fee.

You are telling us that Burkina Faso journalists under military junta are freest than Ghanaian journalists? The complaints must be reduced to own one context.

He further said media houses must find a way of generating revenue without having to rely on government advertisement.

The former Board member of the National Communications Authority (NCA) argued in favour of Ghana embracing digital migration, a system he believes is the potent way for media houses to generate revenue.

The broadcaster said My reactions to the report on the economics of it, I was very surprised but when I looked at the criteria I was excited, I was no longer surprised because this point about independent mechanisms for media today, I have been talking about it forever.

That is the beginning and end of independent media in the modern world. Independent media right now is economics, that is fundamental. Any media you see across the world that you can think if as independent, I will give an example of the relationship between Donald Trump, the former US President and the CNN over that period and the exchanges they had.

The reason why CNN was able to survive that situation is that they have independent way of generating revenue their own money. I have attended many digital migration conferences and the real reason for the American's insistence that this must happen globally is towards independent media.

---3news.com
Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal got married in the month of December last year. While they kept their affair hidden from all, their wedding too was a very intimate event. However, now, the couple has no qualms in expressing their love Khulam Khulla. On social media, we often see Vicky and Katrina sharing some sweet PDA-filled pictures to treat their fans.

Recently, the actress shared a picture from their quick getaway. In the image we see them chilling in a pool, however, the caption has all our attention.

Katrina Kaif shared the picture with the caption, "Me and mine." Aww, this made our Saturday morning. In the picture, one can see Katrina dressed in a white swimming costume hugging her hubby dearest Vicky Kaushal who is shirtless. All the Victrina fans are going gaga over this picture. Take a look at her post below:
It was just about a month or two to Cheryl Akosua Bemah Frimpong's first birthday - and Sarah, her mother, who is my brother's wife had to choose the best option - and leave Bemah with us, her In - laws, in order for she the mother to further her education to be a registered mid-wife in our beloved country, Ghana.

I am forever grateful to God - that I had still not left my father's home - and had the opportunity to be integral part of raising Bemah - and though me being a man, sharing great and lovely motherhood with my own mother - for Bemah.

Bemah had her basic growth lessons in our household - she took her first step to walk, learnt to speak, learnt to write - she was moulded here and I experienced all of it. I remember due to my eagerness and anticipation to see her take her first step to walk, I was wondering if her 'ability to walk' was delaying - and I prayed all the time - that God "please let her stand up, and do the walking".

I had to use hope, prayer and faith to usher her into every stage of her growth process - and to the 'Glory of God' - Bemah has grown into a beautiful, intelligent and lovely seven year old girl. As young as she is - she is so full of wisdom and maturity - it's very admirable!

I recall times when Bemah would get hold of my small masculine nipple - and would try to squeeze breastmilk out of it - when her mother eventually left for school. From the very day she was left in our care, she developed strong likeness for me - it was so instantaneous and this grew with time. Her preference always was to sleep in my room. When she learnt to speak, she would say "ene, me da Wofa" - meaning, tonight I will sleep at Wofa's room.

In the early days, I hardly close my eyes. I would just be looking at her - throughout the night. I was very conscious and super alert to every sound she would make during the night - to serve her needs. This may be thirst for water, sometimes hunger for food, being uncomfortable in her diapers after easing herself, crying for warmth and others. I understood that every sound of cry that a baby makes in the night meant request for service - and there ought to be one committed person who would be available to serve the baby. One of the best things that has happened to me is the opportunity to share this motherly role with my mother - because of the blessing of learning a lot from this beautiful responsibility.

One day, the Spirit of the Lord dealt with me. As I was reflecting on all what has been happening - I learnt to appreciate all mothers. Mothers go through all these! - a mother is a practitioner of hope and faith - thus through uncertainties, fight for her child to be delivered, breastfed, to walk, to speak, to write, and to reason. Every mother fought to be! - and she is a warrior!

How could a good mother sleep at night? - when a baby lays right beside her! The thought of her unconsciously pushing or rolling over to sleep on the baby to get the baby hurt, not being able to attend to the needs of the baby when she cries would involuntarily cause a mother to only 'half sleep' at night. That's a sacrifice! - and as a matter of fact - a mother's love is the greatest love a mortal can show to another mortal.

All mothers who have seen survival of their children go through this - you just have to learn how to sacrifice to be a mother. My part of the contribution in bringing up Bemah helped me to appreciate every thing my own mother went through - when I was a baby - and this has helped me to have genuine soft spot for all mothers.

Record of the wisest judgment ever in humanity - as written in the Holy Bible - was made by King Solomon to define the value of a mother's love, care and sacrifice. In 1 Kings 3 : 16 - 28, the narrative accentuates the fact that "a good mother 'half - sleeps' at night". The lazy and unconcerned mother laid uncontrollably and slept on her child - and her infant son died - but the wise mother laid well, she was half conscious in her sleep, and didn't hurt her own son.

In the deep of the night, every good mother hears the cry of her baby. This is what mothers go through when they give birth - and are handed the responsibility to raise a child.

In this write up, I don't intend to address the sacrifices of motherhood beyond the Kindergarten stage. However, as an adult, when you look back and assess the 'yesteryears' - the food that was cooked for you everyday, bath you took, clothe you wore, teeth they brushed for you, warmth you were given when you were sick, the mess they cleaned for you, our loads of weight they carried at their back, having taken us to school, correcting us to be respectful - then you have to be grateful, and bless everyone who in one way or the other played motherly role in your life.

Motherhood is a calling! - Yes, because a mother never ceases to be a mother.

I love mama. I am made today because my mother, Mama Comfort, played and still playing her absolute role in my life - for me to keep being - and I celebrate her in this special season for mothers. Celebrate your own mother too! - be grateful for every bit of sacrifice she made and is still making in your life.

Maamefo nyinaa ara, yen ma mo amo!

God bless you!

Samoa Mensa.
Twin blasts in Beletwein town in Hiran region still haunting my memories. Being a lecturer in English Language and literature at Mogadishu and City Universities, I taught English literature for both undergraduate and graduate students in both Universities,

as I have alluded earlier. I was born, raised and educated in Beletwein and took all my high school education in Beletwein a town which is 300 Km from Northeast of Somalia.

It was March, 2022 I frequently traveled to Beletwein my Ancestral hometown since I concluded my high school education in Beletwein in Mid 2009.

This was my fifth trip to the town, in the past 13 years I had an ample opportunity to visit my grandparents who still live there, whenever I had an academic recess. I paid a visit to Beletwein which is considered to be the breadbasket for Somalia in terms of agriculture and livestock rearing.

My city is hosting the election of 25 members of the house of the people of Somalia's federal parliament and intense electioneering was underway. A parliamentary candidates were flying with us and each has its retinue accompanying him or her.

we had to wait for a few minutes due to long queues of passengers willing to board the plane as soon as we boarded the plane, the plane took off immediately, inside the plane brief ceremony to welcome and inspire the candidates were organized by his or her entourage.

He was MP for the last four years and currently he was lobbying to retain his seat. Supporters loyal to him were thronged in front of the new terminal. Some were dancing folklore dances "Wilisaqo' a famous and traditional dance in Hiran region as soon as the plane landed and were allowed to disembark,

women wearing a traditional dresses were dancing, while others were waving the Somali flag to showcase solidarity, synergy and patriotism. Armed soldiers and vehicles were around the crowd due to sweltering heat. We entered the terminal swiftly and waited there for our pickup.

I lived in Beletwein for almost eight years. (2002-2010) that was the most complex and challenging period of my life because I lost my grandfather who was ailing throat cancer for ages and finally paid the Ultimate price.

I remember the day my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. But we initially thought to be minor and curable disease All my family members were petrified, upset and frustrated and said cancer has no panacea at all.

In Somalia there is no professional oncologist at all.let alone to have three types of oncologists namely: medical oncologists, surgical oncologists and radiation oncologists who can diagnose, prevent and treat types of cancer Majority of the patients ailing with cancer are airlifted to Turkey or India to receive further and effective treatment.

We were able financially to airlift my grandfather to India but the country was in lockdown due Covid_19 pandemic.

In Somalia the first case of covid_19 was confirmed on 16th of March, 2020, A Somali national who came from China was tested positive and was immediately quarantined. This gruesome incident has left indelible mark in my heart and still remains fresh in my memory.

I used to live in Bundoweyn village. I would go to school in the Morning without even drinking a tea. At 9:30 am we had a short 30 minutes interval, during thus breaktime, I used to go our house in Koshin Village for breakfast. I had to hurry. It would take 12 minutes to reach and another 12 minutes to come back to school. Therefore, while I was doing my best to be on time. Sometimes the school gate would be closed.

It was 21th March, 2022, I was sitting with my grandmother enjoying cool breeze after sweltering day and It was 7:30 pm and I was sipping with Coffee due to being Coffee maniac and was reading a book authored by Mary Harper BBC east Africa editor due to being Bibliophile and my grandma was narrating my siblings.

Suddenly we heard huge, deafening sound of explosion. Then we rushed to the scene of the explosion and were told that the blast was carried out by suicide bomber and were very close to the scene of the detonation.

And soon it turned into Chaotic, apocalyptic and helter skelter. Human flesh scattered the whole areas. Corpses charred beyond recognition.

Our youngest sibling has perished in that blast and his body was slashed into pieces due the scale and magnitude of the blast as someone hacked to death with machetes and my grandmother was also sustained a minor injury when a shrapnel torn down and penetrated her neck and started bleeding.

My grandmother had narrowly survived last month's blast in Beletwein. My beloved city may never recover the impact of this blast or it may take years to recover. There was also prior and devastating blast which occurred February 19th, 2022 when 10 people were killed and dozens injured.

My grandmother told us to remain indoors and be vigilant for potential and vicious cycle of explosions due to electioneering.

After two restive nights and spent much of our time at home the apocalypse that my grandma had projected finally came. Colossal and massive explosion was heard once again, a close proximity to our grandmother's home. This explosion was unprecedented in terms of scale and damage and has caused irreparable losses to the entire city.

We heard wailing and mourning from the victims and relatives asking for help and we did everything possible to assist the victims, ever since the news broke, fortunately we receive an ambulance and we rushed the victims to the hospital. The first explosion was carried out by a man wearing explosive vest as he approached and embraced the lawmaker Amina Mohamed and blew himself up she was the prime target of the suicide bomber.

The late MP was vocal and fierce government critic and became prominent due to her fiery speeches advocating for Justice of the downtrodden, marginalized and voiceless communities and she succumbed at the scene of the

explosion, while others were rushed to the main hospital where the injuries were taken. Car laden with explosive devices was used in the second blast which was devastating. And the death toll has soared exponentially from 15 to 40 as initially reported.

As far as we can confirm, 48 people were killed and 108 others injured in the twin blast Said Ali Gudlawe Hussein, leader of Hirshabelle state citing these blasts. were planned and deliberate

. On the other hand the caretaker Prime Minister Said he knows the culprits behind the killing of Amina Mohamed. A female MP. Roble has vowed to work tirelessly on finding justice for the slain lawmaker killed in Beletwein blasts last week by Alshebab suicide bomber.

Without providing empirical evidence to substantiate his claims as the names of the killers, The PM said the murder was politically motivated. Amina was running for her third time as a legislator, the eulogy was attended by former presidents, Various officials, members of both houses of parliament, religious scholars, civil society activists and relatives of late MP.

The worst nightmare came, when special troops known as "Haramcad" or Cheetah in English were deployed in and around the explosion scene soon as they launched an offensive dubbed "Iron Hammer" to trace, hunt down and stamp out the remnants of the extremist groups who were hiding in the area.

They raided the entire neighborhoods and conducted house to house search without search warrant from court and rounded up dozens of people who were suspected of aiding and abetting or conniving with the suicide bomber because the suicide bomber didn't act alone and still the accomplices who were the Mastermind of the blasts. are in the city

I was among the youth that was rounded up, we were blindfolded and our hands were bound on our back and they started clubbing, beating and kicking us and opened several bullets on air, we were tortured and ill-treated absolutely complete victimization

We petrified and thought our days are numbered and this was the harrowing and melancholic ordeal that had gone through in my life. They singled out few individuals and tge rest were released.

My grandmother kept crying until I arrived at home and she presumed that I was dead because she heard the sounds of gunfire at point blank or close range and she thought that we were shot or summarily executed at the scene.

To get the matter worse my grandmother was diagnosed with Post stress traumatic disorder "PTSD" due to heartwrenching and shocking episode she has gone through.

Killing spree and the rampage that my beloved city had gone through. The twin blasts of Beletwein has became a matter of public discussion.

The residents of my town was given a 24-hour ultimatum to leave or be killed after four days, the tension, consternation and mistrust had subsided after the situation returned to normal. The darkest and gloomiest days in my life. The terrifying reminder of suicide bombing and shooting spree whenever I heard the phrase of Beletwein town blast.

Tears are bursting out into my eyes, days of bloodshed and devastation, still I can see a mutilated bodies and life-threatening torture I had gone through still remains fresh in my mind. I felt demoralizing the way the security forces dealt us because we were innocent, we haven't committed any crime.

Whenever I heard an explosion it reopens old wounds of trauma and fear but my grandmother inspired me by saying we were reduced to ashes, but we know how to rise from ashes.

She also said our cry has fallen on deaf ears, the only option is to hold back tears but this wound would never heal. Still the blood stains on the victim's clothes and bullet holes in the wall and windows.still remains fresh in my memory.

Most of our neighbours have fled from the city due to the unfolding hostility and the only thing I have seen for that day was trucks loaded with Mattresses, furniture, electronic appliances and household items moving from one direction to another. And it reminds me the looting spree that took place at the beginning of civil strife.

My town has turned into a ghost city what a frightening days we had gone through. The expressions that still echoing my ears I offer sincere condolence to the bereaved families and wished them speedy recovery and called for investigation and accountability for the perpetrators these cliches repeatedly used by Somali politicians.

My hometown was decimated by series of explosions and most of its denizens were uprooted briefly but now it has recovered and the business is thriving as usual.

As a child who grew up in hostile environment and war-shattered country, this episode I have witnessed personally traumatized me and took me years to recover it also reminiscent the scars and scourge we inherited from the internecine conflict which unleashed pain, anguish, suffering and total devastation, millions vanished and entire regions wiped out. And nepotism, favoritism and cronyism fully entrenched.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MOHAMED HUSSEIN MENTALIST: Author, blogger, prominent researcher, Horn of Africa Affairs analyst and senior lecturer at Mogadishu University.

AUTHOR: Holds BA in English Language and literature at Mogadishu University and BA in Business administration at Simad University. Master of arts in applied Linguistics at Kisii University in Nairobi as well as Master of peace and conflict studies at Uppsala University in Sweden.
07.05.2022 LISTEN

The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has cautioned litigants to shun the verbal abuse on judges when they lose cases in court.

JUSAG President, Alex Nartey says some of the allegations leveled against judges by some disgruntled petitioners are unfair and unwarranted and needs to cease.

I will only plead with Ghanaians to cooperate with the courts and stop the attempt to run the Judiciary down. So when you go to court and the case does not go your way, you dont stand somewhere and create the impression as if the court has done something untoward, he told Citi News.

Once its litigation, one party will win the other party will lose whether government or party in opposition. So when losers of cases in court are talking, we need to be very objective in the assessment of some of the allegations they make, Alex Nartey added.

Meanwhile, JUSAG is backing calls for the broadcast of court proceedings in the country.

There have been several appeals by some Ghanaians to the Judicial Service to start broadcasting proceedings of prominent constitutional, criminal and human right cases in the country, with the conviction that it will help deepen the countrys democracy, and engender public trust in the activities of the judiciary.

Alex Nartey, said allowing the broadcast of court proceedings will be a good move, but Ghanaians must be ready to bear the cost associated with it.

Any call that our court hearings be telecast is a call in order, and we must all support it, but it comes at a cost at the instance of the taxpayer, and we must all be ready to pay for whatever gadgets we need for all the courts nationwide to be able to do a decent and efficient telecast, he said.

He noted that the Judicial Service will need to procure modern equipment and recruit persons to operate them and this will be done across the country which will be a substantial investment.

He also added that the scope of what should be telecast must not be limited to only political matters but all other critical cases including domestic violence and child abuse.

In Ghanas recent history, one of the most significant times of telecasting a court proceeding live was in 2013 when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge the results of the 2012 elections.

The Supreme Court okayed the call for a live broadcast with then Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Woode giving the directive that the hearing be telecast live by the nation's broadcaster GTV and Radio Ghana.

The nine-panel judge adjudicating unanimously ruled in support of the directive for live coverage.

Justice Atuguba who gave the ruling stated that elections in the country come with a lot of tension and acrimony, and therefore it was proper for the proceedings to be telecast live on TV.

He said with the live telecast everyone would be offered the opportunity to see what is actually happening and know that the Court is hiding nothing from the public.

citinewsroom
Mr. Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the Director of Local Governance at the Presidency has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will not repeal the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) when it comes to power.

He argues that the NDC lacks the credibility to do so.

It can be recalled that former President John Dramani Mahama during his address on Ghana at a Crossroads promised Ghanaians that the next NDC government will repeal the E-Levy Act.

He said although his party is not against taxation, it is of the view that the E-Levy is not the way to go.

We in the NDC do not oppose taxation as a principle. We will not be pretentious and couch fanciful slogans to condemn the principle of taxation like the NPP did in the past. We are, however, implacably opposed to distortionary and burdensome taxes like the e-levy that only force Ghanaians to endure more suffering.

A new National Democratic Congress Government, God willing and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana in 2025 will repeal the E-Levy Act, ex-President Mahama said on May 2, 2022.

Reacting to that declaration today, Mr. Dennis Miracles Aboagye has said it is all lies.

According to the Director of Local Governance at the Presidency, the NDC lacks the credibility to fulfill that promise and will not do it even if the party comes to power in 10 years time.

What you need to be able to repeal a law is credibility which the NDC doesnt have. If you have credibility you can get both sides to support it.

They dont have the credibility to repeal the e-levy if they come to power in 2032, Mr. Dennis Aboagye said on TV3s Key Points programme.
07.05.2022 LISTEN

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development has invited members of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) to an emergency meeting over the associations ongoing industrial action.

The meeting scheduled for Monday, May 9, 2022, will hinge on the non-payment of the political neutrality allowance, which has forced the group to embark on strike for two weeks.

The demand for the allowance has been criticised by many including Civil Society Organizations, yet, the association says the strike will not be called off until its demands are met.

Government business is being heavily affected, with many Ghanaians seeking the services of CLOGSAG members being stranded.

There have been calls for the striking workers to rather push for better salaries and improved service conditions, but members of CLOGSAG insist government must do due diligence and get the political neutrality allowance paid.

The letter from the parliamentary select committee sighted by Citi News is signed by Anita Quartey-Papafio and addressed to the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG.

It would be appreciated if your Association would kindly attend upon the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development on Monday 9th May at the 7th Floor East of the Job 600 building of Parliament House to discuss issues relating to the industrial action. A fruitful meeting is anticipated, parts of the letter read.

CLOGSAG has been lamenting what it believes is government's lack of commitment to honour the payment of the political neutrality allowance due its members.

The concern comes after the National Labour Commission (NLC) directed the Ministry of Finance on a payment plan of the allowance.

A week after that order, CLOGSAG is yet to receive payment compelling the striking association to continue with its strike.

Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Isaac Bampoe Addo said the Finance Ministry is being disingenuous with the agreement reached by the parties involved.

That directive from the National Labour Commission that they [Finance Ministry] sends instruction to the Controller and Accountant General for the payment of the allowance has still not been done as we speak. That should have been done last week as directed by the NLC, he said on Eyewitness News.

Isaac Bampoe Addo further lamented the current turn of events, thus questioning the delay in the payment.

If two parties have gone to the National Labour Commission and there has been a directive and the Ministry of Finance with impudence doesn't comply with the directive, what signals are they sending? NLC has directed the payment and the Finance Ministry has still not done it.

The allowance is just a minute part of our conditions of service. The whole conditions of service are even yet to be tackled. The allowance was a decision taken by government to be implemented in 2022 so the payment structure is tackled in 2023. That was the agreement, and the Finance Ministry is flouting the directive with impudence. It is the Ministry of finance that is not playing ball. We wonder what is happening, Mr. Addo added.

---citinewsroom
Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, says Ghanas poor ranking in the Reporters Without Borders 2022 World Press Freedom Index aptly reflects the situation on the ground.

Mr. Vanderpuye said the increasing attacks on journalists had created a culture of silence, where journalists and other Civil Society Organisations shy away from holding powerful persons accountable.

People are not talking; the clergy is not talking, journalists are not talking, CSOs are not talking because they are scared of the intolerant nature of security operatives, Mr. Vanderpuye said on Citi TV/Citi FM's The Big Issue.

While acknowledging some excesses under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, Mr. Vanderpuye pointed out that suppression of press freedom had worsened in recent years.

I thought that over the years, the pervasive intolerance of authorities to media practitioners will be whittling It looks to me that within this short period, it has increased.

Ghana has been ranked 60th in the world on the press freedom ranking.

The country also recorded its worst ranking on the African continent this year, moving from 3rd to 10th in Africa.

This is Ghana's lowest-ever ranking in almost two decades, after it ranked 66th and 67th in 2005 and 2002, respectively.

The latest report is out of 180 countries assessed, with Ghana recording a decline in its indicative points from 78.67 percent to 67.43 compared to last year.

---citinewsroom
The Takoradi Circuit Court has sentenced a 49-year-old self-acclaimed 'Mallam' to five years imprisonment for defrauding by false pretense contrary to section 131 of the Criminal Offenses Act 1960 (Act 29).

The accused, Ibrahim Adelove, is said to have duped a Takoradi-based businesswoman, Kike Rahim, of $10,000 equivalent to GH77,000 under pretense of securing some goods from Togo.

The accused had earlier duped the businesswoman of huge amount in Ghana cedis to help her reverse some so-called misfortunes in life.

The court presided over by His Lordship Michael Ampadu convicted Ibrahim and sentenced him to serve as a deterrent to others.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Robert Yawson told the court that complainant Kike Rahim is a trader who deals in spiritual fragrances and ointments in Takoradi.

In 2019, she approached Ibrahim Adelove, a self-acclaimed 'Mallam' who resides in Kwesimintsim in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality of the Western Region.

He added that the accused tactfully established acquaintances with the complainant to assist her to put brakes on her spiritual retardation.

The accused later revealed to the complainant that her own mother was the cause of her backwardness in life and promised to help her to clear the bondage.

Complainant naively believed the self-acclaimed Mallam and he succeeded in extorting countless amount of money from her.

The self-acclaimed Mallam convinced the complainant to give him money to buy her merchandise at a considerably cheaper rate from the Republic of Togo.

She accepted the idea and gave the accused an equivalent amount of $10,000 in Ghana Cedis for the purchase of the items.

After a week, the accused was nowhere to be found and several phone calls to his phone proved unsuccessful.

He later told the complainant that the whole money got missing whilst in transit to Togo.

The businesswoman, however, debunked his claims, insisting that he pays back her money.

The accused returned to Takoradi but refused to pay back the money.

On Wednesday, March 9 at about 5:00pm, the complainant spotted the accused around Davi Ama Chop Bar in Takoradi and raised an alarm that led to his arrest.

The accused admitted receipt of the money and further admitted that he invested it in a petrol business in Togo but the business unfortunately crashed.

---3news.com
The President of the Greater Accra Council of Bissa Chiefs Chief Mohammed Ali Dabre III has urged Ghanaians, especially Muslims to take advantage of the governments free Senior High School policy to enroll their wards in schools to create a better future.

Education provides a foundation for development, the groundwork on which much of our economic and social well-being is built. It is the key to increasing economic efficiency and social consistency.

By increasing the value and efficiency of their labor, it helps to raise the poor from poverty, Chief Dabre stated at Nima during a courtesy on him at his Palace (Faada) by the chiefs and people from Klagon and Tema to pay homage Barka Da Sallah monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult).

He also called on Ghanaian Muslims to support the needy and underprivileged not only during the Eid celebrations by giving out Zakat to the poor.

He encouraged Muslims to be guided by the selfless lifestyle of Prophet Mohammed, which was demonstrated during the month of Ramadan.

Chief Dabre advised family heads particularly men to be patient with their families, especially their wives and children.

This is because women and children form the backbone of every family, thereby making it almost impossible for families to survive and succeed without taking good care of offspring.

Families need support, I Pray to Allah to strengthen families economically, to be able to cater for themselves and toward the education of their children, Chief Dabre said.

Touching on education, Chief Dabre who is a retired educationist said Muslims all over the world went into the traditional month of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic calendar in the entire month of April on the Gregorian calendar.

The holy month of Ramadan, the month of fasting came to an end on Sunday, May 1, 2022. Eid-ul-Saeed and Eid-ul-Mubarak. We must continue with the disciplines we developed during the fasting period, Chief Dabre stated.
Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua (JFK), aka "Okumkom" the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), on Wednesday 4th May 2022 on Asempa FM 'Ekosii Sen' program officially declared his intention to contest for the position of the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua is poised to transform the administrative set-up of the NPP to make it work again. Justin Frimpong Kodua intimated that 'breaking the 8' requires fresh ideas, and a united front to energize the party base.

JFKs strong administrative and managerial prowess is evidenced by the enormous transformations that have taken place at YEA under his stewardship.

JFK's declaration to contest the NPP General Secretary position has been received with thunderous applause by many NPP members, followers and sympathizers who believe that change in the General Secretary's position is necessary to invigorate party faithfuls, particularly the teeming youths, build bridges and form strong teams to make NPP more appealing to the Ghanaian electorates and to turn around its fortunes.

The current hung parliament and its adverse impact on government business is a great worry to many NPP sympathizers and financiers.

As the wind of change blows on the political landscape of Ghana in these turbulent times, many party faithful admit without reservations that NPP needs JFKs energy and strong disposition to mobilize and reenergize the base to make the breaking the 8 a reality.

Contributing on the "Ekosii Sen Programme," JFK solemnly pledged to strengthen the structures of the NPP and uphold the tenets and provisions of the party's Constitution when given the nod.

According to him, he had listened, prayed, consulted widely, and assessed himself and he strongly believes that he has the desired qualities to deliver NPP from the doldrums.

JFK has not only built an open personality that endears him to the rank and file of the party, but also he is very confident that he has the wherewithal to steer the affairs of the NPP in the right and desired direction for electoral victory in 2024 and beyond.
Commentary: China's effective anti-pandemic efforts bespeak institutional strength

Xinhua) 13:46, May 07, 2022

Workers work at the assembly workshop of automaker SAIC Motor Company's Lingang base in Shanghai, east China, April 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- While China is still checking new epidemic flare-ups with its dynamic zero-COVID approach, some Western bigots sensed a chance to talk badly about the country's anti-pandemic efforts and heap scorn on the Chinese government's epidemic control policies.

For example, in its latest rant against Shanghai's anti-epidemic fight, The New York Times (NYT) has gone to great lengths to depict an inept Chinese government and question the "legitimacy" of the Communist Party of China (CPC) "in a time of crisis."

But all those jabs have crumbled in the face of facts. As China has struck a fine balance between pandemic control and economic development, its way of taming the virus has proven to be scientific and effective, and has testified to the country's institutional strength.

For more than two years, China has been putting people's lives and well-being first and sticking to its dynamic zero-COVID approach. In the meantime, it has been making dynamic conditions-based adjustments to its targeted epidemic control measures. All these efforts, coupled with an epidemic prevention focus to guard against both inbound cases and domestic resurgence, have enabled the country to restrict the spread of the virus and minimize the epidemic's impact.

As the highly contagious and latent Omicron variant is sweeping the world, multiple Chinese regions have been overshadowed by the current COVID-19 resurgence. But China has been rising to the challenge.

Through a resolute and full implementation of the dynamic zero-COVID approach, and with the whole-hearted support of the Chinese people, Shenzhen in southern China resumed normal work and production in late March as the resurgence subsides, while community transmission has been cut in Jilin Province since mid-April. Racing against time, Beijing has carried out multiple rounds of nucleic acid testing, and has grasped the basic picture of hidden transmission in society.

Besides, data shows the epidemic situation is steadily improving and under effective control in the city of Shanghai. Daily new COVID-19 cases have fallen from a peak of 27,000 to under 5,000, and nearly two-thirds of the infections have recovered in the city. Over 70 percent of Shanghai's 1,800-plus major enterprises have resumed work and production, and the resumption rate of the first batch of more than 660 key industrial enterprises in the city has exceeded 90 percent.

China's capability of successfully arranging massive nucleic acid tests, building makeshift hospitals, dispatching medical staff and delivering much-needed supplies have all demonstrated the country's systemic ability to pool strength behind significant undertakings and the solidarity of the Chinese people.

Under the guidance of the Chinese central government, Shanghai has mobilized nucleic acid testing teams with a daily handling capacity of 2.38 million test tubes. More than 30,000 medics from 22 provincial-level regions nationwide have rushed to the city to aid in the anti-epidemic battle. To many experts, such prompt actions in Shanghai are a miniature of China's unprecedented mobilization and organization abilities made possible out of the strong and wise leadership of the CPC, which has firmly stood as the most reliable backbone of the Chinese nation and people.

According to preliminary statistics in late April, more than 720,000 Party members volunteered to report for duty during the current resurgence in Shanghai. As of April 30, Party members have also helped set up 164 nucleic acid testing sites in the city.

Support from the people makes a difference in the anti-epidemic response, noted a meeting convened on Thursday by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, stressing the need to make sure that the Chinese people are well-informed, and to timely respond to their concerns.

This people-oriented philosophy, warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by the Chinese people, has secured China in achieving major strategic progress. Among major economies, China has been the first to bring the pandemic largely under control, the first to resume work and production, and the first to achieve economic growth. Even though thousands of daily cases have been reported recently, China, the world's most populous country, is still one of the countries with the lowest infection rates worldwide.

"The comprehensive strategy, marked by rapid mass testing, vaccinations and government support in terms of care for the afflicted, stands in stark contrast to what has happened in other jurisdictions around the world," noted Kenya-based international relations scholar Cavince Adhere. "On the basis of the experience, China is now taking right steps for its densely populated cities and around," said Muzaherul Huq, former Southeast Asia Region adviser at the World Health Organization.

The Chinese people's growing confidence in the government's epidemic control policies, as well as the international community's broad recognition of China's anti-pandemic achievements, have slapped the NYT and its like in the face. In the time ahead, more practice will prove that China's epidemic control strategy is the right choice that can stand the test of history.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The Multi-sectoral development program of the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs is changing the destiny of Muslims, giving advantages to Muslims in 90 districts.

Dr. Shujaat Ali Quadri Conditions are changing in 90 districts of India because of the developmental plans in the minority-majority districts. These 90 districts were classified as MCD in 2008. It is a regional developmental initiative to remove the developmental deficiencies of minority concentrated areas by building and developing social infrastructure and providing basic amenities. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains have been identified as minority communities under section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minority Act,1992. The actual name of this scheme is 'Multi-Sectoral Development Program for Minorities'.

The scheme is overseen by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India.The significance of this scheme in the context of Muslims is heightened because of the high poverty rate among Indian Muslims. While 53% of Dalit men have jobs, however merely 48% of Muslims have jobs. Similarly, 23% of Dalit women are employed while the percentage of Muslim women is only 9.6%.

According to the 2001 census, the literacy rate of the country is 64.80% while among Muslims it is only 59.10%. Muslims are also becoming more ill on average because only 19% of their homes have plumbing for clean drinking water. Now that the situation is extremely serious, it is clear that the Government of India will also work to improve their situation.

Today, the multi-sectoral development program has completed 14 years and is beginning to show good consequences in lots of districts. 90 districts identified under the Multisectoral Development Program, most are in Uttar Pradesh. In this plan, 21 districts have been identified here. Assam 13, West Bengal 12, Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh 7-7, Manipur 6, Jharkhand and Maharashtra 4-4, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Mizoram 2-2, Delhi, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar, Orissa 1-1 Districts. The scheme covers Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Sikkim and Ladakh. Along with this, 338 towns and 1228 blocks of class 1 are also listed in this scheme.

The basis of the scheme is that the minority population in the district or town should be 25% or more. The advantage of going to town and block level is that many states are not included in the district list but their minority areas have been included at town and block level. For example, Punjab and Rajasthan are not in the national list of 90 districts but 26 towns of Punjab and 16 towns of Rajasthan are covered on the basis of town list.

But this does not mean that the towns or blocks of the districts of the states which are included in it have been left out. For example, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of 21 districts covered under the MCD scheme, while Uttar Pradesh has 71 additional towns under the scheme in addition to these 21 districts.

It aims to provide better infrastructure for education, skills development, health, sanitation, shelter, roads and drinking water, and to create income opportunities for minorities. This is due to the joint efforts of the Center and the States.

The scheme also seeks to fill the gaps in the existing schemes of the government by providing additional resources and also undertakes new minority welfare projects so that the development gap created during this period can be filled up expeditiously.

In 2017, the Indian Institute of Public Administration presented a detailed report on the MCD scheme. Chapter 4 of the report states that these items appear to be related to three main areas: education, health and drinking water. Given the improved quantity or duration of water supply for better access to healthcare facilities or access to secondary school in this case, the recorded data confirms the impact of MSDP on their daily life.This may sound ridiculous, even trivial to some, but we see very little satisfaction on the faces of those who felt basically isolated from being ignored for so long. It is true that not everyone has benefited, but with these small actions, MSDP has been able to stem the tide of frustration in the minds of a large segment of the population in minority areas. "

It would appear that these items are essentially related to three sectors: education, health and drinking water. Staring from improvement in volume or duration of water supply to improved access to health care facilities or access to secondary school for that matter, the recorded data confirms impact of MsDP on their day-to-day life. It may sound mundane, even trivial to some but we noticed little satisfaction on the faces of the people who were until necessarily feeling alienated because of prolonged neglect.

True, everybody has not reaped benefits but with these small gestures, MsDP has been able to arrest the drift from the psyche of a sizeable section of people in minority populated areas.

Muslims have three needs. Education, employment and health. In the budget for the year 2022-23, Rs. 50.50 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Minority Welfare. This is Rs 674 crore more than the previous budget. Obviously, it also aims at the development of minority populated areas. Minority Welfare Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi described the budget as promoting confidence and development amid the Corona epidemic.

If full dedication and purposeful social workers in all 90 selected districts do with hard work, these districts can become an example for the Muslims of India. It is hoped that with the light of 90 districts, minorities across India will be able to shed light on their development.

(The Author is a freelance Journalist and chairman of the Muslim Students' Organization of India.)
A judge has reportedly dismissed a lawsuit by former US President Donald Trump seeking to lift his ban from Twitter.

But, San Francisco federal district court Judge James Donato left the door open for Trump and other plaintiffs to file an amended complaint against Twitter that is consistent with his written decision to toss the lawsuit in its entirety, reports CNBC.

The micro-blogging platform had banned Trump on January 8, 2021, citing the risk of the incitement of further violence on the heels of the Capitol riot by a mob of supporters of the then-President two days earlier.

Trump, the American Conservative Union and five individuals had sued Twitter and its co-founder Jack Dorsey last year on behalf of themselves and a class of other platform users who had been booted from the app.

The ruling comes nearly two weeks after Trump told CNBC he had no interest in returning to Twitter even if his ban were to be lifted by Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO whose $44 billion offer to buy the site has been accepted by the company's board.

Before the ban, Trump was an avid Twitter user, tweeting an average of more than 30 posts per day toward the end of his presidency, the CNBC report said.

At the time of the ban, Trump had nearly 90 million followers on Twitter.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula Times

Visitors to the Agricultural Museum in Santa Paula on Saturday, May 7, will be able to meet legendary civil rights activist and labor leader Dolores Huerta and another Dolores, who is the main character in author David Damian Figueroas childrens book El Oz.

Huerta  who co-founded the United Farm Workers Union with the late Cesar Chavez  will be joining Figueroa at the Agriculture Museum for the book signing and reading of his critically acclaimed book.

The program will start at 12:30 p.m. as student musicians from Inlakech Cultural Arts Center play and welcome Huerta and Figueroa to the museum. At 1 p.m., books will be available for purchase (all proceeds donated by Figueroa to the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum), and the author will sign copies.

The reading from El Oz, by Figueroa, will begin at 2 p.m., to be followed by a Q&A session with the legendary Huerta.

Figueroa is an author, producer and farmworker rights activist. His second book, El Oz, is for children ages 8 and up. It centers on Dolores, a young Mexican girl from the fictitious town of El Pueblito de los Milagros, and her Chihuahua named Pepito, who find themselves in a strange land after a violent rainstorm.

There, they encounter a series of fantastical characters and wild adventures as they seek the elusive El Oz to help them return to their home. Author Figueroa grew up working in the fields in Buckeye and Yuma, Arizona  the birthplace of Cesar Chavez. Figueroas two official hometowns and his own family provided the inspiration for El Oz.

Huertas own adventure on her way to becoming one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement is equally fascinating: a native of New Mexico, her mother, Alicia, moved the family to Stockton when she divorced, finally opening a restaurant and small hotel. Alicias community activism and compassionate treatment of workers greatly influenced her daughter and helped set her on her life path.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australias foreign minister has met her Solomon Islands counterpart for the first time since the South Pacific nation signed a security pact with China, which has raised concerns about Beijing's encroachment on Australia's doorstep.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Saturday she met the Solomon Islands' Development Planning and Aid Coordination Minister Jeremiah Manele in the Australian east coast city of Brisbane as he transited through the airport on Friday night.

Australia has been consistent and clear in stating our respect for Solomon Islands sovereign decision-making, however we have reiterated our deep concerns about the security agreement with China, including the lack of transparency, Paynes office said in a statement.

Paynes office said the two agreed that Australia remained the Solomon Islands security partner of choice and that the Solomon Islands would not host a foreign military base less than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) off Australias northeast coast.

Manele could not be contacted for comment on Saturday.

The United States has said it will take unspecified action against the Solomon Islands should the agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests. The Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told Parliament this week that opponents of the security pact with China had threatened his country with invasion.

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan told Australian Broadcasting Corp. the two ministers had a very productive conversation. Australia said a Chinese base in the Solomon Islands was not in the interests of the region, Tehan said.

What we want to do is to be making sure that were presenting a very strong case as to why it is incredibly important that we dont see militarization of the Pacific islands, Tehan said.

Tehan said Payne and Manele also discussed how Prime Minister Scott Morrisons conservative government needed to keep working on the bilateral relationship.

Morrisons coalition is seeking a rare fourth three-year term in elections on May 25.

Morrison welcomed the meeting as a reinforcement of Australias leadership role in the region.

It also reassured, once again, that the Solomon Islands are not considering or would not support the establishment of a naval presence, Morrison told reporters while campaigning in the west coast city of Perth.

The China-Solomon Islands security pact announced last month has become a major focus of the election campaign.

After details of a draft pact were released, Australias minister for international development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, flew to the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, on April 12 to unsuccessfully ask the government to abandon it.

The center-left opposition Labor Party said at the time that Payne, a more senior minister than Seselja, should have been sent instead.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese welcomed Paynes meeting with Manele, saying, Its about time.

Albanese has also criticized Morrison for not phoning his Solomon Islands counterpart since the pact was signed. Morrison has said he was following the advice of intelligence officials.

The Labor Party has condemned the pact as Australias worst foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II. Albanese has promised closer engagement between Australia and its South Pacific island neighbors if Labor wins government.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has suggested that Beijing timed the pact's announcement during an election campaign to undermine her conservative Liberal Partys prospects for reelection.

Seselja arrived in Honiara on the same day that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Manele about Washingtons plan to reopen an embassy in Honiara.

While not mentioning the United States or Australia by name, Sogavare said in Parliament that his country was insulted by the lack of trust by the concerned parties.

Sogavare has maintained that there would be no Chinese base in his country and China has denied seeking a military foothold in the islands.

A draft of the pact, which was leaked online, said Chinese warships could stop in the Solomon Islands for logistical replenishment and China could send police and armed forces there to assist in maintaining social order. The Solomon Islands and China have not released the final version of the agreement.
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NEW YORK (AP)  A hit-and-run driver pleaded guilty Friday in a suburban New York a suburban New York crash that killed the father of Nicki Minaj and was promised a year or less in jail, disappointing prosecutors and the hip hop star's mother.

In state court in Long Island's Nassau County, businessman Charles Polevich admitted leaving the scene of the February 2021 accident that fatally injured Robert Maraj as he walked along a road in Mineola.

Polevich initially got out of his car and looked at the injured man on the ground, but then drove off, didn't call 911, garaged his car and covered it with a tarp, authorities said. Polevich pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence by concealing the car.

Maraj, 64, died at a hospital the next day.

Judge Howard Sturim said Polevich would get no more than one year in jail, along with community service and a suspended license. The 71-year-old is due to be sentenced Aug. 3.

The victim's widow, Carol Maraj, told reporters she was not happy with the planned sentence. The widow, who is suing Polevich, said seeing him in court left her shaking at the memory of her husband fighting for his life in the hospital.

Prosecutors, who sought a one-to-three-year prison sentence, also took issue with the planned penalty.

Given the severity of the defendants conduct, we disagree with the sentencing commitment from the court, Nassau County District Attorneys office spokesperson Brendan Brosh said in a statement.

Polevich's lawyer, Marc Gann, called the hit-and-run completely out of character for his client, who hails from Long Island but has a drilling and water purification business in Guam.

He does feel tremendous empathy for Mr. Maraj's family and tremendous remorse for any role he played in his death, Gann said by phone after court. He suggested that Polevich might have had a medical problem that made him not fully aware of what he was doing, while noting that it wasn't a legal justification.

Messages were sent to representatives for Nicki Minaj, who called her father's death the most devastating loss of my life in a post on her website last year.

The platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated rapper  known for tracks including Anaconda, Starships and Super Bass  was born Onika Tanya Maraj.

In interviews years ago, she described a troubled relationship with her father. But she later said he had changed.

After his death, she wrote about wishing she could pick up the phone and talk to him.

"He was very loved & will be very missed, she wrote.
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ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Saturday and bombarded a besieged steel mill in Mariupol, hoping to complete their conquest of the port in time for Victory Day celebrations. Officials announced that the last women, children and older adults had been evacuated from the mill, but Ukrainian fighters remained trapped.

In a sign of the unexpectedly effective defense that has sustained the fighting into its 11th week, Ukraines military flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that was captured in the wars first days and has become a symbol of resistance.

Western military analysts also said a Ukrainian counteroffensive was advancing around the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv, even as it remained a key target of Russian shelling.

The largest European conflict since World War II has developed into a punishing war of attrition that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed large swaths of some cities. Ukrainian leaders warned that attacks would only worsen in the lead-up to Russias holiday on Monday celebrating Nazi Germanys defeat 77 years ago, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged people to heed air raid warnings.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that Zelenskyy and his people embody the spirit of those who prevailed during the Second World War. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.

As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions, Blinken said in a statement as the United States and United Kingdom commemorated the Allied victory in Europe.

The most intense fighting in recent days has been in eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce battle to capture or reclaim territory. Moscow's offensive there has focused on the Donbas, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014.

The governor of the Luhansk region, one of two that make up the Donbas, said a Russian strike destroyed a school in the village of Bilogorivka where 90 people were seeking safety in the basement. Gov. Serhiy Haidai, who posted pictures of the burning rubble on Telegram, said 30 people were rescued. The emergency services later reported that two bodies had been found and more could still be buried under the rubble. Rescue work was suspended overnight but was to resume on Sunday.

Haidai also said two boys aged 11 and 14 were killed by Russian shelling in the town of Pryvillia, while two girls aged 8 and 12 and a 69-year-old woman were wounded.

Moscow also has sought to sweep across southern Ukraine both to cut off the country from the sea and create a corridor to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, long home to Russian troops. But it has struggled to achieve those objectives.

On Saturday, six Russian cruise missiles fired from aircraft hit Odesa, where a curfew is in place until Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed thick black smoke rising over the Black Sea port city as sirens wailed.

The Odesa city council said four of the missiles hit a furniture company, with the shock waves and debris badly damaging high-rise apartment buildings. The other two missiles hit the Odesa airport, where the runway had already been taken out in a previous Russian attack.

Air raid sirens sounded several times early Sunday, the city council said.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed Ukraine targeting Russian-held Snake Island in a bid to impede Russias efforts to control the Black Sea. An image taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed that most of the islands buildings had been destroyed by Ukrainian drone attacks, as well as what appeared to be a Serna-class landing craft against the island's northern beach.

The image corresponds with a Ukrainian military video showing a drone striking the Russian vessel, engulfing it in flames. Snake Island, located some 35 kilometers (20 miles) off the coast, figured in a memorable incident early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, purportedly using colorful language.

In Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters made a final stand against a complete Russian takeover of the strategically important city, which would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion.

Satellite photos shot Friday by Planet Labs PBC showed vast devastation at the sprawling Azovstal seaside steel mill, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. Buildings had gaping holes in the roofs, including one under which hundreds of fighters were likely hiding.

After rescuers evacuated the last civilians Saturday, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that the focus would turn to extracting the wounded and medics: Of course, if everyone fulfills the agreements. Of course, if there are no lies.

He added that work would also continue Sunday on securing humanitarian corridors for residents of Mariupol and surrounding towns to leave.

The situation at the plant has drawn the worlds attention, with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross desperately trying to organize evacuations.

In recent days, fighters inside described bringing out small groups of civilians who had been hiding there for weeks. The fighters said via social media that both they and the Russians had used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out.

But Russian forces have intensified fire on the mill with mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from the sea, making evacuation operations difficult.

Three Ukrainian fighters were reportedly killed and six more wounded during an evacuation attempt Friday. Capt. Sviatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, said his troops had waved white flags, and he accused Russian forces of firing an anti-tank weapon at a vehicle.

It remains unclear what will happen to the estimated 2,000 fighters at Azovstal, both those still in combat and the hundreds believed to be wounded. In recent days the Ukrainian government has been reaching out to international organizations to try to secure safe passage for them. The fighters have repeatedly vowed not to surrender.

Zelenskyy said officials were trying to find a way to evacuate them. He acknowledged the difficulty, but said: We are not losing hope, we are not stopping. Every day we are looking for some diplomatic option that might work.

Russian forces have probed the plant and even reached into its warren of tunnels, according to Ukrainian officials.

Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine and had a prewar population of about 4 million, remained a key target of Russian shelling in the northeast. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Saturday that the Russian military also hit large shipments of weapons from the U.S. and other Western countries with Iskander missiles in the region. His claims couldnt be independently verified.

But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city. The Ukrainian military said it retook control of five villages and part of a sixth, and that Russian forces destroyed three bridges on a road northeast of the city to try to slow Ukraine's advance.

A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraine may be able to push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders' momentum into a successful, broader counteroffensive.

Overnight, a Russian missile destroyed a national museum in the Kharkiv region dedicated to the life and work of 18th-century philosopher and poet Gregory Skovoroda, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the building engulfed in flames.

Zelenskyy expressed outrage at the missile attacks on the museum and on Odesa, where almost every street has something memorable, something historical. He said Russian forces have destroyed or damaged about 200 cultural heritage sites.

Every day of this war, the Russian army does something that leaves you speechless, he said. But then the next day it does something that makes you feel this way in a new way.

___

Gambrell reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Yesica Fisch in Bakhmut, David Keyton in Kyiv, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and AP staff around the world contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Forty years after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right to a public education for all students regardless of legal status, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says that decision is another longstanding precedent worth challenging.

The Republican is raising the idea of Texas mounting a renewed challenge over school funding for children living in the U.S. without legal authorization. It comes as the Supreme Courts conservative majority appears ready to overturn another decades-old ruling, Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the right to an abortion nearly 50 years ago.

The comments by Abbott, who is running for a third term in November and has elevated his national profile over the past year through hardline immigration measures, drew swift criticism from immigration rights groups and the White House.

Heres what to know:

WHAT WOULD TEXAS CHALLENGE?

The requirement that public schools teach all children was affirmed by a 1982 ruling in a case known as Plyler v. Doe. The 5-4 decision struck down a Texas law that sought to deny enrollment to any student not legally admitted" into the country.

The ruling held that the Texas law violated the Constitutions Equal Protection Clause. It is considered by legal experts to be a landmark case over public education.

Advocates for strict immigration limits have previously sought ways to weaken the decision. One of the more prominent tests came when California voters in 1994 approved Proposition 187, which prohibited immigrants in the country without legal authorization from receiving public health care, education or other social services. The law was overturned.

What the court recognized in Plyler is that youre creating a shadow population," said Geoffrey Hoffman, director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Houston Law Center. In other words, these children, therell be repercussions throughout their lives if they dont get an education."

WHAT DID ABBOTT SAY?

Texas Republicans have moved increasingly to the right during Abbotts seven years in office, particularly over immigration and border security, which Abbott has made the cornerstone of his administration.

One law Abbott signed in 2017 lets police ask during routine stops whether someone is in the U.S. legally. More recently, Abbott has spent billions of dollars on a sweeping border security mission called Operation Lone Star, which has resulted in state troopers arresting migrants on trespassing charges and thousands of National Guard members stationed on the border.

On Wednesday, a conservative talk radio host asked Abbott what he could do about the costs of educating children living in the U.S. without legal authorization, describing it as a burden on local districts. It is unclear how many such students there are or the costs, as Texas does not track citizenship in classrooms.

Abbott pointed to the Plyler decision in his answer.

I think we will resurrect that case and challenge this issue again," Abbott said. Because the expenses are extraordinary and the times are different than when Plyler v. Doe was issued many decades ago."

Asked again about it Thursday, Abbott said the crux of the argument would be that the federal government should foot the bill amid the high numbers of migrant crossings.

Hoffman said Texas made those same economic arguments in the Plyler case and was rejected by the court.

WHATS BEEN THE RESPONSE?

Immigration rights advocates, Democrats and the White House bristled at Abbotts remarks.

One of the groups behind the Plyler case, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said Abbott was trying to inflict harm the court sought to avoid decades ago. Democrat Beto ORourke, the former presidential candidate who is running against Abbott in November, accused the governor of being against providing public education to all the children of the state of Texas."

WHATS NEXT?

Abbott gave no timeline of when or how Texas might bring a new challenge. Any new law drafted by Republicans would have to wait until 2023, when the state Legislature returns.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli troops on Saturday demolished the home of a Palestinian man who killed a Jewish seminary student in a shooting ambush in the occupied West Bank five months ago, the military said.

The demolition took place around dawn in the village of Silat al-Khartiyeh, with troops swinging sledgehammers to break walls and setting off explosives. Residents threw stones and firebombs at soldiers who fired live rounds, the army said. Palestinian medics said three Palestinians were injured by live fire and others by tear gas inhalation.

Such demolitions have been denounced by rights groups as collective punishment, and the military suspended the practice for several years, starting in 2005, after concluding it did not serve as an effective deterrent. The army resumed demolitions several years ago and now carries them out routinely in response to attacks in which Palestinians kill Israelis.

In the most recent attack, two Palestinians from the West Bank killed three Israelis and wounded four in a mass stabbing in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish town of Elad in central Israel on Thursday. As of Saturday, the suspected assailants, two young men from the town of Jenin, remained at large.

Officials familiar with the investigation said the attackers arrived in Elad in a vehicle driven by one of the victims and then killed him. At least one attacker also used an axe, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details with the media. A gag order has been placed on much of the investigation.

At least 18 Israelis have been killed in five attacks since March, including another stabbing rampage in southern Israel, two shootings in the Tel Aviv area, and a shooting last weekend in a West Bank settlement.

Nearly 30 Palestinians have died in violence  most of whom had carried out attacks or were involved in confrontations with Israeli forces in the West Bank. But an unarmed woman and two apparent bystanders were also among those killed, and rights groups say Israel often uses excessive force.

Hamas, the Islamic militant group ruling the Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for one of the attacks in which two assailants killed a security guard at the entrance of a West Bank settlement last week.

Some Israeli media personalities suggested that Israel respond by targeting Yehiyeh Sinwar, Hamas top leader in Gaza. On Saturday, the group's armed wing warned Israel of unprecedented response if Sinwar was hurt. Hamas and Israel have fought four wars and dozens of shorter rounds of cross-border skirmishes since 2008.

The ongoing conflict plays out against the backdrop of Israel's occupation, now in its 55th year, of the West Bank and other lands Palestinians seek for a state. Serious peace talks collapsed more than a decade ago, while Israel's settlement expansion on occupied lands has continued unabated.

On Friday, Israel said it is set to advance plans for the construction of 4,000 settler homes in the West Bank. If approved, it would be the biggest advancement of settlement plans since the Biden administration took office. The White House is opposed to settlement growth because it further erodes the possibility of an eventual two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earlier this week, Israels Supreme Court upheld an expulsion order that would force at least 1,000 Palestinians out of an arid region in the southern West Bank where they say they have been living for decades. The military declared the area a firing zone in the early 1980s.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met with his Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukele, on Friday but did not mention rights complaints about El Salvador's massive roundup of suspected street gang members.

The two leaders' approach to high levels of homicides  a pressing problem in both countries  couldn't be more different. Lopez Obrador espouses a hugs not bullets non-confrontational policy, while Bukele brags about 24,000 arrests in just over a month and cutting food rations for inmates.

But the focus Friday, at least in public remarks, were the concerns about immigration and the Mexican president's desire for development aid so that people in Central America won't feel forced to emigrate.

As in Guatemala  the first stop on Lopez Obrador's five-day tour to four Central American countries and Cuba  he touted his pet program, known as Planting Life, which pays farmers a monthly wage to plant and care for fruit and lumber trees.

The tree-planting program has been criticized in Mexico for being designed as a social program without the necessary environmental science input. Scientists have noted that planting commercial species of trees could actually damage some ecosystems. And there are reports farmers have cleared natural forest  which they don't make much money from  to plant trees and get paid for it.

When it was launched, Lopez Obrador promoted it as a way to keep rural farmers on their land and relieve the pressure to migrate. He rarely mentioned an environmental benefit until coming under more criticism for his promotion of polluting industries and attempting to get the U.S. government to fund an expansion of the program.

Mexico is also funding a program of workplace apprenticeships for unemployed youths. Critics say both programs lack accountability and transparency.

Lopez Obrador has helped fund the expansion of the programs to El Salvador and Guatemala. But he has criticized American officials for being loath to fund his programs.

It would be expected that the U.S. government and Congress would hand over the $4 billion that President (Joe) Biden offered to invest in these programs, Lopez Obrador said. In fact, U.S. officials have long indicated they would invest in their own development programs.

We don't have to be waiting and we cannot depend on anybody, the Mexican leaders said. We have to make use of our right to self-determination as free and sovereign people.

Lopez Obrador later visited Honduras, where he met with President Xiomara Castro. The two discussed Mexico helping Honduras look for ways to explore for oil along its Caribbean coast.

The Mexican president will next travel to Belize and Cuba.

It is only be the third overseas trip in more than three years for Lopez Obrador, who is fond of saying that the best foreign policy is good domestic policy. The tour is an opportunity for Mexico to reassert itself as a leader in Latin America and will be welcomed by some leaders under pressure from the U.S. government and others for their alleged anti-democratic tendencies.

Both geographically and metaphorically, Mexico finds itself wedged between the United States and the rest of Latin America. Lopez Obrador has deflected criticism dating to the Trump administration that his government is doing Washingtons dirty work in trying to stop migrants before they reach the U.S. border.

Lopez Obrador will be received in Central America, in part, as an emissary of the United States when it comes to migration policy.

The U.S. government has been trying to build consensus ahead of the June Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles to cement a regional approach to managing migration flows. In recent years large numbers of Central Americans, but also Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans, Colombians and migrants arriving from other continents, have made their way up through the Americas.

The Central America tour is an opportunity for Lopez Obrador to show some independence from the United States. Lopez Obrador has criticized the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba and he said that he told U.S. officials that no country should be excluded from the Summit of the Americas. The Biden administration has signaled that Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua would not be invited.
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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Mehmet Ozs rivals in Pennsylvanias competitive Republican primary for U.S. Senate are escalating their attacks on the celebrity heart surgeons connections to his parents native country of Turkey, raising it as a possible national security issue.

Oz, best known as TV's Dr. Oz, has rejected any suggestions he is a threat to national security and accused an opponent, ex-hedge fund CEO David McCormick, of making bigoted attacks. If elected, Oz would be the nation's first Muslim senator, although Oz has not campaigned on that milestone.

The criticism of Oz and his ties to Turkey has mushroomed in the weeks after Oz won the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who remains popular with conservative voters. With the state's May 17 primary in sight, Trump held a rally with Oz in western Pennsylvania on Friday evening, coming off a big win in Ohio's Republican Senate primary for Trump's candidate, JD Vance.

Oz, who was born in the United States, holds Turkish citizenship, served in Turkeys military and voted in its 2018 election, but says he would renounce his dual citizenship in Turkey if he is elected.

Trumps former secretary of state and CIA director, Mike Pompeo, who endorsed McCormick in the race, told reporters Friday that Oz owes an explanation about the scope and the depth of his relationship with the Turkish government.

Americans should know if Oz is fit for duty," Pompeo said.

As CIA director, Pompeo served side-by-side in the Trump administration with Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser who drew Justice Department scrutiny because of lucrative consulting work he and his firm did that benefited the Turkish government.

Oz has financial ties to Turkey, as well.

In his financial disclosure report to the Senate, Oz disclosed property that he owns in Turkey, assets from his late father's estate that are tied up in legal proceedings there and an endorsement agreement with Turkish Airlines, which is partly owned by the Turkish government.

In recent debates, McCormick  a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of the Gulf War  has accused Oz of unnecessarily holding dual citizenship in Turkey and tried to contrast Oz's service in the Turkish military with McCormick's in the U.S. Army.

Another rival, Carla Sands, Trumps former ambassador to Denmark who inherited a commercial real estate fortune, has suggested Oz has dual loyalties, calling him Turkey First, as a play on Trumps America First governing philosophy.

Fending off McCormick's attacks in March, Oz suggested that his religion is being targeted, accusing McCormick of making bigoted attacks that are reminiscent of slurs made in the past about Catholics and Jews.

Oz has maintained that he served in Turkey's military as a young man to keep his dual citizenship. He keeps it to this day, he said, so he has legal power in Turkey to make health care decisions for his mother, who has Alzheimer's disease.

Oz voted in Turkey's 2018 election when he was at the consulate in New York for meetings about his humanitarian work on behalf of Syrian refugees in Turkey, his campaign said.

He voted against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his campaign said, noting that it is not unusual for Americans with dual citizenship to vote in elections in other countries.

Voting in an election is far different from being actively engaged in the political work of the Turkish government, which Dr. Oz has never been involved with," Oz's campaign said.

Senate historians have been unable to find a U.S. senator who maintained dual citizenship.

Trump, in an hourlong speech at Friday nights rally, attacked McCormick for the first time by name, saying he'd been with a company that managed money for communist China.

McCormick is, Trump said, the candidate of special interests and globalists and the Washington establishment spending millions of dollars to defeat Oz and ripping off the United States with bad trade deals and open borders.

Trump did not specifically mention attacks on Oz's ties to Turkey, but boosted Oz to the crowd as a "warrior" and a longtime friend who has the best chance of winning the battleground state seat in the fall general election.

David Laufman, the former chief of the counterintelligence section at the Department of Justices national security division, said he thinks of a national security concern as individuals and organizations that present terrorist threats, cybersecurity threats or economic security threats, or are involved in influence operations directed at the U.S. on behalf of foreign powers.

I think we need to be careful about categorizing any American as a national security risk simply because of their ties to a foreign country, Laufman said in an interview.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the nonprofit does not comment on specific campaigns.

But in general, he said, the organization has seen attacks on one aspect of a candidate  such as their place of birth  as a stand-in for a more obviously racist attack, such as on their race or religion.

Flynn  Trumps former national security adviser  was ousted in the first month of the Trump administration after the White House said he lied about his Russian contacts during the transition period.

He later admitted in a criminal case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller that his filings to the Justice Department when he registered as a foreign agent for his Turkish work included false statements and omissions.

___

Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at twitter.com/ap_politics

___

Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at twitter.com/timelywriter
When Stalin started his governance, he appointed a committee of economic experts including Nobel laureate to advice him on reviving the economy of the state. It appears that the committee has not met even once so far in the last one year.

by N.S.Venkataraman

When DMK won the election and assumed power in Tamil Nadu a year back, many people were hopefully looking forward to a state of better governance after having seen the performance of the AIADMK government over several years. Having made many promises during poll campaign which were impressive, the natural expectation of people was that such promises would be fulfilled competently.

When one would try to evaluate the performance of one-year governance under the leadership of Stalin, it is appropriate that people tend to compare it with the earlier Edappadi governance.

Chief Minister Stalin

DMK government has been accusing former AIADMK ministers of indulging in corruption, raided their houses and arrested one minister and statements have been released about several hundreds of crore of rupees worth of cash , gold , etc. that have been seized during the raid. Many people believe that such allegations could be true and some former ministers could have been corrupt.

Nevertheless, people tend to conclude that the overall Edappadi governance was much better than that of Stalin governance.

Common men are of the view that politicians and ministers belonging to DMK government are no less corrupt than the AIADMK ministers and there is nothing to choose between Stalin governance and Edappadi governance as far as corruption and nepotism is concerned . Several allegations made about the corruption of DMK ministers by the state BJP president Annamalai are believed to be true by people.

What is even more striking is that a few of the ministers in Stalin government are facing corruption and criminal charges in the court. A number of ministers in the Stalin government were earlier senior members of the AIADMK party and who were criticised by Stalin during the pre election campaign.

The financial conditions of Tamil Nadu government is extremely in bad shape with cumulative debt exceeding Rs. 7 lakh crore. Stalin government has done nothing significant about reducing the debt burden by better finance management. Instead, it is taking another Rs. 90 ,000 crore of loan with no time bound plan for repayment of the debt. Several public sector undertakings in the state like TANGEDCO, transport corporations and others are in deep red and no meaningful strategies have been developed to revamp them.

Apart from the above, excessive focus of Stalin government on Hindu temples and the move to take the gold from Hindu temples and use them to boost the governments finance have shocked the Hindu community . People have not missed to note that Stalin would not greet Hindus during Hindu festivals but greet christians and muslims during their festivals, which has made even the pledged admirers of Stalin suspect that he has an anti Hindu mindset. Several Hindu temples have been demolished and age old Hindu religious practices are being blocked or criticised , the latest being the imposition of ban on forthcoming procession of Dharmapuram Addheenam.

The interference in the field of education in variety of ways and the move to appoint the Chief Minister as Chancellor of Universities are matter of high concern.

The excessive focus of Stalin government on NEET exam is creating huge doubts about the priorities and thought process of Stalin and his ministers . Many people believe that this is really a non issue and government is wasting its time on such matter.

The conflict with the state governor by DMK government which now appears to be motivated , is marring the political discourse in the state considerably.

When Stalin started his governance, he appointed a committee of economic experts including Nobel laureate to advice him on reviving the economy of the state. It appears that the committee has not met even once so far in the last one year.

So many other committees have been constituted on variety of subjects and one loses the count.

The campaign to promote Tamil language has now deteriorated to a campaign to hate Hindi language.

Anti Hindi moves of Tamil Nadu government will not help the state in any way and is counter productive and discerning observers realise this.

The net conclusion after watching the one year of Stalin governance is that the Stalin governance has lost the focus and is really drifting and appears to be losing an opportunity to take the state forward in multiple direction.

Stalin promised many things before election, out of which one was to impose prohibition. On the other hand, the liquor consumption in the state has increased considerably during the last one year ,doing great damage to social fabric and family life in the state. While liquor sale brings much needed revenue to government , it appears that DMK government is not particularly concerned that women are suffering, murders and violence in the state have increased and even school students misbehave and social scientists say that such disturbing conditions are developing, as the liquor consumption is increasing in the state by leaps and bounds.
The school year is almost over, and time is running out for seniors to fulfill the states new graduation requirement.

The Texas legislature in 2019 passed a new financial aid requirement that went into effect this school year and affects all school districts across the state. Under the rule, all students or their parents must complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Texas Application for Student Financial Aid (TASFA) or sign a waiver acknowledging that they do not wish to sign either the federal or state aid form.

A student will not graduate until they have completed one of these three options.

Guidance counselors and administrators have worked since October 2021 to inform seniors and their families about this new graduation requirement and to help them fill out any necessary paperwork. Campuses have hosted FAFSA nights, sent messages and have talked with seniors in-person.

Despite these efforts, some students and families are hesitant to fill out FAFSA, TASFA or sign a waiver. Here are answers to commonly asked questions weve received about the new state requirement.

--

Q: Will MISD have access to my income information if I fill out FAFSA or TASFA?

No. MISD only sees whether a FAFSA or TASFA form has been completed. MISD and your students campus do not have any access to the personal information shared on these forms.

Q: If I sign a waiver, does that mean I cant fill out FAFSA or TASFA in the future?

No. You can sign a waiver and still fill out FAFSA or TASFA at a later date.

Q: What is the benefit of completing FAFSA or TASFA?

FAFSA and TASFA connect students with grants and student loans that can help pay for college. Many scholarships also require the completion of FAFSA or TASFA.

Q: Are the forms available in Spanish?

Yes. FAFSA, TASFA and the waiver are available in Spanish.

Q: My child doesnt have a social security number. Can they still get grants, scholarships or student loans?

Yes. TASFA was created so non-US citizens in Texas can access these funding opportunities.

Q: My child isnt going to college. Do I still need to fill out the forms?

Yes. The state requires completion of either FAFSA, TASFA or a waiver no matter what a students plans after graduation might be.

Q: Who can fill out a waiver?

If the student is 18 or older, they can fill out the waiver on their own. For students 17 and younger, a parent or guardian must fill out the waiver. A guidance counselor can also fill out the waiver, but they need to document why this is being done in good cause on behalf of the student.

Q: If I dont fill out the forms, can my student still graduate in spring?

No. Per the state requirement, a student cannot graduate until at least one of the forms has been completed.

Q: How long do I have to meet the state requirement?

Complete one of the forms as soon as possible. The state can take a few days to process the forms, and MISD cannot guarantee it will be notified in time that your child has met the requirement if you wait until the last minute.

You can also turn in the following documents to the students counselor as alternate proof:

For FAFSA, submit a screenshot of the submission acknowledgement page or provide the financial award letter from the institution of higher education.

For TASFA, submit a screenshot of the submission acknowledgement page, a copy of the signature page or provide the acknowledgement receipt from an institution of higher learning.

Q: What are the deadlines?

To have your students name included in the graduation program, the information needs to be in by May 24.

To take part in the graduation ceremony, the information needs to be in before your campus graduation rehearsal. The rehearsal schedule is as follows:

Early College High School: 8 a.m. May 20, at Midland College Chaparral Center.

Legacy High School: 8 p.m. May 26, at Grande Communications Stadium.

Midland High School: 9 a.m. May 27, at Grande Communications Stadium.

Coleman High: 10 a.m. May 27, at Midland College Chaparral Center.

Q: What happens if I turn in the graduation requirement information late?

The student can participate in the Summer 2022 graduation ceremony.

Q: Who can I talk to for more information?

Contact your students campus guidance counselor.

Q: When are graduation ceremonies this year?

Early College High School: 7 p.m. May 20, at Midland College Chaparral Center.

Coleman High School: 7 p.m. May 27, at Midland College Chaparral Center.

Midland High School: 10 a.m. May 28, at Grande Communications Stadium.

Legacy High School: 8:30 p.m. May 28, Grande Communications Stadium.

Graduation is the culmination of more than a decade of hard work by our students. Help your senior close this chapter of their life in the celebratory manner they have earned: donning their cap and gown, receiving their diploma and being celebrated by a community that is passionate about their success.

* * *

Trevor Hawes is a communications specialist at Midland ISD. He can be contacted at trevor.hawes@midlandisd.net.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  One person was killed and six others were injured Friday in shootings on a main boulevard in Mexicos Caribbean coast resort of Cancun, authorities said.

A suspect had been detained in relation to the attack, which did not take place in the resorts hotel zone, according to prosecutors in the coastal state of Quintana Roo.

The shootings occurred on an avenue lined with restaurants and bars a bit farther inland.

It was the latest instance of violence that has blotted Cancuns reputation as a laid back getaway.

In March, tourists were sent scrambling by loud bangs heard at the international airport in Cancun. Flights were suspended for almost three hours after authorities received reports of gunshots at the airport. Videos posted on social media showed travelers scrambling and rushing out of a terminal.

The National Guard said later there was no evidence of any gunshots having been fired, and said the bangs may have occurred after someone knocked over three free-standing vertical display stands in the terminal.

Also in March, authorities found four bodies dumped in undergrowth in Cancun, and said they were part of a total of 13 murders committed by the Jalisco cartel in the resort since September. Most of the bodies were found in vacant lots or houses.

The Caribbean coast, Mexicos top tourism money-maker, has been hit by rampant violence.

In January, prosecutors said the killing of two Canadians near Cancun was motivated by debts between international gangs apparently dedicated to drug and weapons trafficking.

In late October, farther south in the laidback destination of Tulum, two tourists  one a California travel blogger born in India and the other German  were caught in the apparent crossfire of rival drug dealers and killed.
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

 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.

 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.

 St. Johns UCC Grief Group: 7 p.m., St. Johns UCC, 216 North St., Brighton. Free | Support group for those grieving the loss of a loved one.

 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
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  A dispute is unfolding in Polk County district court over who owns the sofas in Gov. Kim Reynolds house.

A petition filed by the Terrace Hill Society Foundation lays out a conflict it says has grown between it and the Terrace Hill Commission, the state agency responsible for managing Terrace Hill, the official Iowa governors mansion in Des Moines.

The nonprofit organization maintains it owns many of the furnishings and other items in the spectacular Second Empire edifice, long the citys most famous residence. But, according to court filings, the Terrace Hill Commission is denying the group access to maintain and inspect its collection.

A list of the items the foundation claims are part of its collection does not include all furnishings at Terrace Hill, but foundation attorney Jason Casini said it encompasses hundreds of items, including furniture, books, fine china and historical artifacts. Many of those items are irreplaceable, Casini said in an email, and the collection is insured for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to the complaint, the foundation, which abbreviates its name THSF, for decades has had access to the property to inspect, maintain and repair or replace items, as needed. It said that in recent years, however, A disagreement has developed between the Commission and THSF regarding ownership and control over the Collection, resulting in the Commission, in effect, seizing control of the Collection and denying THSF  control over it or access to it.

The disagreement over ownership and control of the collection dates back to 2014, Casini said.

The Commission has not explicitly claimed ownership, but it claims that the Collection is not owned by THSF and based on that position has denied THSF access to it, he said.

The petition seeks declaratory judgment, asking the court to pronounce the foundation the proper owner of the items as well as monetary donations for the collections upkeep. It further seeks an injunction from the court granting the foundation access to its collection.

Casini said in a news release that the foundation was reluctant to pursue this legal action and viewed it as a last resort.

Numerous attempts over several years to amicably and informally resolve these pending issues with the Commission have been met with indifference and inaction, he said.

A representative of the commission declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

Reynolds office referred questions about the dispute to the Iowa Attorney Generals Office, where a spokesperson also declined to comment.

Reynolds is the fifth Iowa governor to live at Terrace Hill, which occupies a commanding position atop a towering hill south of Grand Avenue, overlooking the Raccoon River and Waterworks Park as well as the downtown skyline. The first resident governor, Robert Ray, took occupancy in 1976, and Gov. Terry Branstad lived there twice, returning after defeating then-Gov. Chet Culver in 2010.

The home dates from 1869, built by Des Moines first millionaire, Benjamin Franklin Allen, who made his fortune in banking and real estate. He served as a state senator before going bust in a controversial bank failure, and sold the mansion in 1884 to insurance and real estate magnate Frederick Hubbell for a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of dollars he had paid to have it built.

Hubbells descendants lived there until 1957. In 1971 they donated the house, long vacant, to the state, and the Legislature voted to renovate it to serve as the governors mansion. But it didnt initially allocate any funds for the project, so the Terrace Hill Society, later to add foundation to its name, formed the following year to raise the funds and to collect fine furniture, art, carpets, books, silver, china and other items to decorate and equip the vast house, empty since the Hubbells moved out.

One potential source of the current disagreement about who controls the collection: From the beginning, the society was tied closely to the state. Though it was a nonprofit corporation, among it incorporators was then-Iowa Secretary of State George Mills, who headed the states Terrace Hill Planning Commission  forerunner of the Terrace Hill Commission. Also among the founders was the state treasurer, and contributors to the society were directed to send their donations in care of the treasurers office.

Still, Des Moines Register coverage over the years indicates the two groups long worked amicably together, and provide no indication of what sparked their rift.
We have political Bhikkhus who behave worse than laymen. We have a Bhikkhu leading a nurses trade union. We have Veda Hamuduruwos. We have astrologer Bhikkhus. We have many Bhikkhus involved in many activities prohibited by the Buddha.

by Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

Our proud claim, as Sri Lankan Buddhists, is that we are the guardians of Theravada Buddhism. Further, some believe that we practise the purest form of Buddhism. It is said that the Buddha predicted His Dhamma would survive longest in Sri Lanka. However, I have had my reservations and expressed my concerns repeatedly about the behaviour of some of our Bhikkhus. While Sri Lanka is facing the worst ever economic crisis, the behaviour of some Bhikkhus makes me do so again.The right to protest should be guaranteed. However, it is incumbent upon those who protest to understand that there is a big difference between protest and intimidation and that peaceful demonstrations have a more profound effect.Myanmar, yet another majority Buddhist country, has faced difficulties for a very long period due to the interventions of its military. Though there are some fire-brand political Bhikkhus there, too, they are a tiny minority, and their actions are forgotten, but what has remained in our memory is the lengthy procession of Bhikkhus marching silently through the streets of Yangon during exacerbation of problems. They protested with dignity. This is in contrast to what we saw during a recent procession of undergraduate Bhikkus in Colombo. It was far from peaceful! They were aggressive and tried to bring down barriers, etc. Do they think that Vinaya rules do not apply when they are in university? By allowing Bhikkhus to attend universities, instead of the two seats of higher learning established for them, are we allowing this sort of indiscipline among Bhikkus?

What was mentioned above, in fact, was not an isolated incident. There were men in robes protesting violently in many places, and in one instance, one of them was seen holding on to the back of a moving police jeep, shouting and jeering.Buddha advised kings and politicians, when his advice was sought, and expected his disciples to follow his example. But what do some of our Bhikkhus do? They not only get actively involved in politics but also seek political power. They fight over parliamentary seats and are prepared to go to courts! A law should be brought in to prevent the clergy from entering Parliament, as religion and government should be kept apart.Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhita Thera led the first anti-Rajapaksa campaign and imposed the Yahapalanaya on us. It proved to be a disaster and Rajapaksa returned to power. True, Bhikkhus supported their return but even without their support, the Rajapaksas comeback would have happened. Now, some Bhikkhus are in overdrive to oust the Rajapaksas without realising that the real problem facing us today is an economic one. A change of government is not going to make our economy prosper. Of course, they have no inkling about the economy as they live relatively easy lives, depending either on dayakayas or temple property.Members of the Sangha are divided on the basis of Niakyas and sub-Niakyas; some divisions are even based on caste.

The Buddhist monastic order broke down thrice during the preceding five hundred years before the Thai monk Upali visited the Kingdom of Kandy in 1753 and performed Upasampada during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy on the initiative of Ven. Weliwita Saranankara. This led to the establishment of Siam Nikaya but as its hierarchy decided to restrict higher ordination to the members of certain castes in contravention to Buddhas teachings, Amarapura and Ramanna Niakyas were established.Though the Amarapura and Ramanna Nikayas were merged in 2019, it does not seem to be an effective merger as there are still two Maha Nayakas and plenty of Anu-nayakas.Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera, a former member of Parliament, is described as the Chief Prelate of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya in Southern Sri Lanka. He recently conferred an honorary title on Sajith Premadasa but it is claimed that he is more interested in promoting his former colleague of the Jathika Hela Urumaya. We have political Bhikkhus who behave worse than laymen. We have a Bhikkhu leading a nurses trade union. We have Veda Hamuduruwos. We have astrologer Bhikkhus. We have many Bhikkhus involved in many activities prohibited by the Buddha. Defying the Buddhas teaching of equality, Bhikkhus promote an archaic caste system. Still, we claim we are the true guardians of Theravada Buddhism!
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The following are being sought on arrest warrants, according to various sheriffs departments. The addresses listed are the last known addresses provided by the warrants and may be outdated.

 Kai A. Organ, 36, of 411 S. East St. is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on charges of possession of methamphetamine, domestic battery and interference with a report of domestic violence.

He is a white male standing 5 foot 6. He has red hair and blue eyes.

 Nichole M. Rodriguez, 26, of 252 S. Cass St., Virginia, is being sought on a warrant accusing her of failing to appear in court on a battery charge.

She is a white female standing 5 foot 3 and weighing 200 pounds. She has brown hair and hazel eyes.

Morgan County

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Luke T. Adams, 29, of 740 E. Douglas Ave. was arrested at 3:50 a.m. Friday on a retail theft charge after being accused of taking items from Casey's convenience store, 525 E. Morton Ave., without paying.

Cass County

Sheriff



ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Three people were arrested on drug and other charges after a traffic stop Thursday. Travis Holmes, 41, of Rushville was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy. Shawn Fox, 31, of Rushville was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy. Nathaniel Palmer, 40, of Rushville was arrested on a traffic offense and a charge of conspiracy, according to a sheriff's department report.

Calhoun County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Paul D. Cummines, 51, of Fieldon was booked into Greene County Jail at 4:22 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owners Identification card and unlawful use of a weapon.

 Jeffrey S. Roberts, 40, of Troy, Missouri, was booked into Greene County Jail at 9:43 p.m. April 16 on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of cannabis and illegal possession or transportation of liquor.

Greene County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Eric D. Brown, 20, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 9:54 a.m. Tuesday on charges of speeding and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Donelle M. Vangiesen, 51, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 9:26 a.m. Monday on a charge of driving under the influence.

 Coltin W. Jackson, 18, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 4:34 p.m. April 27 on a charge of contempt of court.

 Heather M. Breedlove, 33, of Jerseyville was booked into Greene County Jail at 12:38 p.m. April 26 on a petition to revoke probation.

 Shaun K. Cox, 33, of Carrollton was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:36 p.m. April 21 on a trespassing charge.

Carrollton Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Tina M. Hendrix, 60, of Jerseyville was booked into Greene County Jail at 4 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of having no valid driver's license.

 Deizel J. Middleton, 19, of Carrollton was booked into Greene County Jail at 9:09 a.m. Tuesday on charges of having no valid license and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration.

 Sheena M. Linneman, 35, of Carrollton was booked into Greene County Jail at 7:50 p.m. Monday on charges of unlawful restraint and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.

 Lindsey T. Retherford, 31, of Carrollton was booked into Greene County Jail at 11 a.m. April 21 on a battery charge.

 Heather M. Gibson, 38, of Carrollton was booked into Greene County Jail at 11:38 a.m. April 18 on a charge of having no valid driver's license.

Greenfield Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Michael S. Hillis, 53, of Greenfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 5:47 p.m. April 28 on a Greene County arrest warrant accusing him of delivery of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine.

 Anthony G. Talley, 33, of Alsey was booked into Greene County Jail at 6:31 p.m. April 27 on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

 Daniel L. Gernigin, 44, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:59 a.m. April 27 on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Elijah A. Hickman, 22, of Alton was booked into Greene County Jail at 2:03 a.m. April 27 on a charge of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration.

 Michael S. Hillis, 53, of Greenfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:56 p.m. April 26 on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Lonnie E. Woods, 35, of Greenfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 1:05 a.m. April 25 on an assault charge.

 Arnold R. Cotton, 52, of Greenfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:52 p.m. April 23 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and having a suspended registration.

 Telecia D. Banks, 31, of Alton was booked into Greene County Jail at 5:56 p.m. April 22 on a charge of driving while license is expired.

 Jayden M. Harper, 27, of Medora was booked into Greene County Jail at 2:01 p.m. April 21 on charges of aggravated fleeing of police and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Jason L. Price, 45, of Greenfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 11:18 p.m. April 20 on a battery charge.

 Jacinto Martinez, 43, of Brownsville, Texas, was booked into Greene County Jail at 4:45 p.m. April 14 on a charge of having no valid driver's license.

Roodhouse Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Timothy M. Hazelwonder, 40, of Carrollton was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:25 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of violating an order of protection.

 Dekoda L. Matthews, 23, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:30 p.m. April 19 on a charge of contempt of court.

 Lakin D. McMurl, 28, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 11:43 a.m. April 17 on a domestic battery charge.

 Lincoln A. Morrell, 28, of Virginia was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:58 a.m. April 17 on a domestic battery charge.

State police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jacob D. Edwards, 27, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:47 p.m. April 24 on charges of aggravated domestic battery, theft of a motor vehicle and driving while license is suspended.

U.S. Marshals Office

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Trevor W. Hardwick, 40, of Hillview was booked into Greene County Jail at 11:31 a.m. Wednesday on an Illinois Department of Corrections parole violation warrant.

White Hall Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Brian T. Crum, 43, of Griggsville was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:03 p.m. April 24 on an assault charge.

 Tony C. Davidson, 35, of Jacksonville was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:34 a.m. April 20 on battery and disorderly conduct charges.

 Tony C. Davidson, 35, of Jacksonville was booked into Greene County Jail at 7:22 p.m. April 15 on charges of trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
What's new at Jacksonville Public Library:

"Other Peoples Clothes" by Calla Henkel: Art student Zoe Beech finds herself studying abroad in the bohemian capital of Europe  Berlin  and subletting an apartment from Beatrice Becks, a famous thriller writer. Haley and a fellow exchange student soon find themselves spending nights twisting through Berlins club scene. They become convinced that Beatrice intends to use their lives as inspiration for her next novel. As the year unravels and events spiral out of control, they begin to wonder whose story they are living  and how will it end?

Adult Non-Fiction

"Sidecountry" by John Branch: Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter John Branchs riveting, humane pieces about ordinary people doing extraordinary things at the edge of the sporting world are gathered for the first time in this book, featuring 20 of his favorites.

DVD

"Tina": This original documentary charts Tina Turners rise to early fame, her lifelong personal and professional struggles, and her rebirth as a global phenomenon in the 1980s. Tina is celebrated as an immensely talented performer and survivor who refused to let age, gender or a difficult past stand in her way.

Young Adult Fiction

"Blood Scion" by Deborah Falaye: As a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods, Sloane can use her power to incinerate her enemies. But under the Lucis brutal rule, she must keep her powers a secret or face death. When she is forcibly conscripted into the army on her 15th birthday, Sloane sees an opportunity to destroy Lucis from within.

Juvenile Fiction

"How to Catch a Mermaid" by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton: Can you catch a mermaid? Follow along as two kids explore the beach, searching for signs that a mermaid is nearby. When the kids encounter some sharks in their search, it might be the mermaid who finds them instead.

Did you know?

Get ready for the librarys Adult Summer Reading Program. which includes crafts and movies and starts June 1. A full schedule is coming soon.

 Compiled by Angela Bauer
Episode Date Covid Cases 5_6_22 View Photos

Tuolumne County Public Health reports 70 new community cases and two hospitalizations from Saturday, April 30th to Friday, May 6th. There are 123 active community cases. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reports one active inmate cases at the Sierra Conservation Center. Last week, including Saturday and Sunday there were 71 new community cases.

Public health officials state As we continue to see a higher number of cases, we encourage those who are booster-eligible to get their booster. Appointments can be made at local participating pharmacies, and at one of Tuolumnes Public Health Clinics through https://myturn.ca.gov

The State testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds is expected to implement Test to Treat operations by the end of next week. Through the program, people are able to get tested and if they are positive and treatments are appropriate for them, they can receive a prescription from a provider and have the prescription filled all at one location. The Public Health Officials will provide further updates as they receive more information. Info on the Test to Treat program can be found here: https://aspr.hhs.gov/TestToTreat/Pages/default.aspx

The newly reported community cases this week include four cases age 17 and younger and 24 cases age 60 or older. The new Covid cases demographics: one girl and two boys age 0 to 11, one boy age 12 to 17, ten women and four men age 18 to 29, eight women and four men in their 30s, three women, three men and one other in their 40s, three women, and six men in their 50s, five women and three men in their 60s, six women and four men in their 70s, one woman and three men in their 80s, and one woman and one man age 90 or older.

The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County increased to 17.1 from 11.9 per 100,000 population. A total of 11 more are counted as released from isolation, in all 10,709 have been released from isolation. The 7-day test positivity rate is 5.6% up from 5.3% and 63% of the population eligible to get vaccinated has been vaccinated.

The CDC reports Tuolumne County and all counties in California except those in the Bay Area remain in the least severe low (green) community Covid three-tier level according to the CDC determined by the higher of the new hospital admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days. The three costal counties above and below San Francisco are in the medium (yellow) level along with 318 other counties in the U.S. including the city of Portland, Oregon (Multnomah) and Seattle, Washington (King).

Tuolumne has moved up to the High community transmission level (red is the highest of the four-tier levels) while Calaveras is in the Substantial (orange) level along with Stanislaus, Mariposa, and other surrounding counties as determined by the CDC based only on new cases per 100,00 population in the past 7 days. As stated above transmission is just one factor the CDC uses to assign the overall community level which again, remains low (green) except for 79 counties, most in the northeast of the country, that are in the highest (orange) Community level.

Positive actions to protect ourselves and those around us including anyone not fully vaccinated, children under 5 who cannot be vaccinated yet, and those with weakened immune systems from illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 are to get vaccinated (including a booster), wear a mask in public (Masking is not required but is still strongly recommended. State guidance on face coverings here, requires that all individuals regardless of vaccination status wear a mask on public transit, in healthcare settings, and in emergency shelters and cooling centers. Public health also recommends that individuals keep six feet of distance and avoid crowds when possible, wash hands and clean surfaces frequently, and stay home when sick.

Calaveras Public Health updates weekly on Tuesdays. They report 28 new cases among residents since its last update on April 26th. They reported 17 active cases, last week there were nine active cases. There are no Covid hospitalizations or new deaths to report.

Mariposa Public Health reports 37 new cases, (Saturday through Thursday). There are 26 active cases up from nine active cases last week and no residents are hospitalized with Covid.

COVID-19 Testing Starting Sunday, May 8, 2022 the hours of the Mother Lode testing site will be: Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Antigen tests are by appointment and PCR tests are by walk-in only. Free at-home tests are available to local students. To get a test for your student, call your school or the County Superintendent of Schools Office at: 209-536-2000. To make an appointment for testing at the testing site visit: https://lhi.care/covidtesting

COVID-19 Vaccine Individuals may receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first booster dose if they are age 12 years and older and moderately or severely immunocompromised, or 50 years and older. Another booster is also recommended for those age 18-49 years if they received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine as both their primary series dose and booster dose. More information can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html. Appointments in Tuolumne and Calaveras can be made through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255 or through local pharmacies, more details are here.

County

Date

New

Active (Hospital)

Total 2022 All Cases (All Deaths) Amador

4/26 to 5/2 28 30 (0) 1,827 6,002

(77) Calaveras 4/27 to 5/3 28 17 (0) 2,612 7,340

(123) Mariposa 4/29 to 5/5 37 26 (0) 1,258 3,095

(34) Mono

4/29 to 5/6 6 N/A 1,025 2,997

(9) Tuolumne 4/30 to 5/6 70 123 (2) 5,298 13,661 (181) Citing at-home testing, there are no Stanislaus updates.
GANADO, Texas (AP)  Deputies found about 100 migrants in the back of a semitrailer that had broken down on a South Texas highway on Friday, but many of them fled, authorities said.

Deputies with the Jackson County Sheriffs Office found the semitrailer around 7 a.m. just north of Ganado, about 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Houston.

When authorities opened the back of the vehicle, many of the occupants  whom authorities suspect illegally immigrated into the U.S.  jumped out and ran away into nearby brush and corn fields, the sheriffs office said.

Deputies took 64 people, including the semitrailers driver, into custody. The individuals who are illegally in the country are being processed by the U.S. Border Patrol, said Jackson County Sheriff Kelly Janica. Authorities were still searching the area for about 40 other migrants who fled on foot.

Nine of the people detained were treated at Jackson County Hospital for dehydration, Janica said.

Authorities did not say how long the migrants were inside the tractor-trailer before they were discovered.

Various other agencies, including the Corpus Christi Fire Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, helped the sheriffs office search for and treat the migrants who were taken into custody.
Labor agency: Amazon unions meeting complaints have merit View Photo

NEW YORK (AP)  The National Labor Relations Board has found merit in a union charge that Amazon violated labor law in New York Citys Staten Island by holding mandatory worker meetings to persuade its employees not to unionize.

The labor board has in the past allowed employees to mandate such meetings, which are routinely held at companies like Amazon and Starbucks during union drives.

But in a memo sent to the agencys field offices last month, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said she believes the meetings, often called captive audience meetings, are at odds with labor law, and would seek to get them outlawed.

The agencys determination was shared Friday with an attorney representing the Amazon Labor Union, which filed the charge in the lead-up to the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giants history.

The attorney, Seth Goldstein, called it a big victory.

These meetings have been legal for over 70 years, an Amazon spokesperson said. Like many other companies, we hold these meetings with our employees because its important that everyone understands the facts about joining a union and the election process itself.

An NLRB spokesperson said the agency will issue a complaint against Amazon unless the retailer agrees to a settlement. If the company doesnt settle, the complaint would trigger an administrative court process where both parties can litigate the case.

Bloomberg News first reported on the agencys determination.

The agency also found merit in an accusation from the union that the company indicated to workers they could be fired if they voted to unionize, and threatened to withhold benefits should they chose to do so, according to an email from Matt Jackson, an attorney with the NLRBs field office in Brooklyn.

These allegations are false and we look forward to showing that through the process, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a union that ran a separate organizing effort in Alabama, has also filed a complaint over the mandatory meetings.

The e-commerce giant has filed objections over the union election that led to a labor win, claiming organizers and the agencys regional office in Brooklyn acted in a way that tainted the vote. A hearing over its claims is scheduled for later this month.

The union lost another election earlier this week at another Staten Island Amazon warehouse.

By HALELUYA HADERO

AP Business Writer
Live updates | Biden: US sending another $150M in assistance View Photo

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Friday authorized the shipment of another $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine for artillery rounds and radar systems in its fight against Russias invading forces.

Biden said the latest spending means his administration has nearly exhausted what Congress authorized for Ukraine in March and called on lawmakers to swiftly approve a more than $33 billion spending package that will last through the end of September.

We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorized directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine, Biden said in a statement. U.S. support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping Ukraine win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putins war aims in Ukraine.

A U.S. official said the latest tranche of assistance includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars, jamming equipment, field equipment and spare parts.

___

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 50 more civilians rescued from besieged Mariupol steel plant

 UN council backs UN chiefs peace effort in its first action

 Europes farmers stir up biogas to offset Russian energy

 With Ukraines ports blocked, trains in Europe haul grain

 US seeks to downplay role in sinking of Russian warship

 Jill Biden brings thanks, ketchup to US troops in Romania

Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

___

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted its first statement since Russias military action began Feb. 24, expressing strong support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine.

The short statement adopted at a brief meeting Friday does not mention a war, conflict or invasion as many council members call Russias ongoing military action, or a special military operation as Moscow refers to it. Russia, which holds veto power in the council, has blocked all previous attempts to adopt a statement or resolution.

Instead, the statement expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine and recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

During recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv, Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and the Azovstal steel plant where the last Ukrainian forces are holding out along with hundreds of civilians in underground bunkers.

___

ROME  The Italian finance minister has adopted a decree that will impede a mega-yacht from sailing away from a Tuscan port, after investigation indicated the luxury vessel Scheherazade has links to prominent elements of the Russian government.

The finance ministry also said in statement Friday evening that the probe, carried out by Italys financial police corps, found significant economic business links of the beneficial owner of the Scheherazade as well to other subjects included in a list issued in 2014 as part of European Union measures prompted by Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

There have been fears that the 140-meter (459-foot) long yacht, which has been in dry dock in the port of Marina di Carrara, was preparing to sail out of Italian waters soon. Based on the Italian investigation, Minister Daniele Franco adopted a freezing decree regarding the yacht, which flies the flag of the Cayman Islands and which had long been under the attention of the authorities, the statement said.

A few weeks after Russias war against Ukraine began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a speech to Italian lawmakers, urged Italy to continue freezing assets of Russian oligarchs and officials. He cited by name the Scheherazade, which, according to some reports, belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Italian ministry statement didnt identify the boats owner nor specify who are the prominent elements of the Russian government. But it said the actual owner of the Scheherazade should be included in the 2014 EU sanctions list.

___

KYIV, Ukraine  The regional governor says one person was reported dead and three more were injured Friday as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

Russia is killing civilians! On May 6, as a result of Russian shelling, one civilian of the Donbas was killed in Lyman. Three more people were injured, Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote in a Telegram post.

The Donbas, Ukraines eastern industrial heartland, encompasses the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Kyrylenkos claims could not be immediately verified.

___

KYIV, Ukraine  A top official from Ukraines interior ministry has warned against the activation of saboteurs and other criminal elements in the lead-up to Russias Victory Day on Monday.

Speaking to Ukraines state-run Ukrinform agency, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin said authorities were carrying out special operations in a number of Ukrainian cities to prevent possible provocations.

We receive information about the potential shelling of peaceful territories, and therefore I appeal to every Ukrainian, especially these days, not to ignore air raid sirens, he added.

Moscow commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on May 9 each year.

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Fifty civilians were evacuated Friday from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

In a statement, the Russian Interdepartmental Humanitarian Response Center says the 50 civilians include 11 children.

Ukraines deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, also said 50 civilians left the plant without giving a breakdown of how many were children.

Both Vereshchuk and the Russian body said the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal will continue Saturday.

Ukrainian fighters holed up at the sprawling complex are making their last stand to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategic port city.

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UNITED NATIONS  Members of the United Nations Security Council, including Russia, have agreed on a statement expressing strong support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine.

The council scheduled a meeting later Friday to adopt the brief statement, which would be the first approved by the U.N.s most powerful body since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

It does not mention a war, conflict or invasion as many council members call Russias ongoing military action, or a special military operation as Moscow refers to it.

The statement, drafted by Norway and Mexico, expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine and recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and its last Ukrainian forces holdout at the Azovstal steel plant where hundreds of civilians are also still living in underground bunkers.

The U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross have carried out two successful evacuations from Mariupol and surrounding areas so far and are currently trying to arrange a third from the steel plant.

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Russian state agencies reported that two self-proclaimed separatist republics in Ukraines industrial east both appointed extraordinary ambassadors to Moscow on Friday.

Olga Makeeva, the deputy chair of the legislative assembly of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, was chosen by the territorys Russia-backed government as its representative. Her counterpart from the Luhansk Peoples Republic is Rodion Miroshnik, a foreign policy adviser to the separatist territorys leader.

A Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman condemned the appointments, saying Makeeva and Miroshnik will likely face criminal punishment for high treason.

Its a country of crooked mirrors. Russia has created pseudo-republics. It appointed ambassadors, from itself to itself These diplomats will face the most severe responsibility. As will other traitors, Oleg Nykolenko wrote in a Telegram post Friday.

The Russian foreign ministry has released a statement congratulating Makeeva and Miroshnik on taking office, wishing them success in establishing and developing multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Officials from Ukraines national security council warned residents Friday against the increased risk of shelling on Sunday and Monday, coinciding with Russias Victory Day celebrations.

A Facebook post published on the profile of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, urged Ukrainians not to ignore air raid sirens.

Since Russian troops cannot boast of any significant achievements on the front by Victory Day, the risk of massive shelling of Ukrainian cities these days is increasing, the post said.

Separately on Friday, Kyivs mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said authorities will not be extending the curfew in Kyiv; one has already been introduced. But street patrols would be reinforced.

Moscow commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on May 9 each year.

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AIR FORCE ONE  White House press secretary Jen Psaki says President Joe Biden will meet virtually with other Group of Seven leaders Sunday along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The virtual meeting will occur just before Russias Victory Day on Monday. Psaki says the date of the meeting is significant because it shows the unity of the allies ahead of a day when Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped to mark his victory over Ukraine. But Russia has been bogged down by Ukrainian forces and hampered by financial and trade sanctions.

Speaking Friday aboard Air Force One, Psaki says the G7 countries will discuss the war, its global impact, Ukraines future and building on the existing sanctions.

Psaki says she does not have any additional sanction details to share.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian army said Friday it had made progress in the northeastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth.

As a result of the offensive by units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, control was restored over the settlements of Aleksandrovka, Fedorovka, Ukrainka, Shestakovo, Pobeda and part of the village of Cherkassky Tishki, said a Facebook post published Friday afternoon on the official profile of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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A village in Russias southern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, is being evacuated due to shelling from Ukrainian territory, the regional governor said Friday.

Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that as of Friday afternoon, fewer than 30 people remained in the village of Nekhoteevka, located directly next to a border crossing.

We have already taken most of the residents to a safe place, he said, adding that five houses had been damaged by shelling. His post featured two photos of what appeared to be the same damaged building.

The accuracy of Gladkovs claims could not be immediately verified, nor did his post specify the number of people currently living in Nekhoteevka. Russias 2010 census referenced the village as having 145 permanent residents.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region accused Russian troops Friday of terrorizing residents of a frontline city as they try to advance across the Seversky Donets River.

In a Telegram post, Serhiy Haidai said more than 3,500 residents of the city of Kreminna had found themselves in Russian-controlled territory.

The captured city is teeming with Russian military equipment. Fighting is going on in the vicinity, he wrote. The Russians are terrorizing the population in every possible way: from checking phones to forcibly disappearing Ukrainian patriots.  Almost every house has been looted.

He added that Kreminna suffered from food and electricity shortages and that mobile communications had been shut down.

The accuracy of his statements could not be immediately verified.

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SONCHAMP, France  In lush fields southwest of Paris, farmers are joining Europes fight to free itself from Russian gas.

Theyll soon turn on the tap of a new facility where crops and agricultural waste are mashed up and fermented to produce biogas. Its among energy solutions being promoted on the continent that wants to choke off funding for Russias war in Ukraine by no longer paying billions for Russian fossil fuels.

Small rural gas plants that provide energy for hundreds or thousands of nearby homes arent  at least anytime soon  going to supplant the huge flows to Europe of Russian gas that powers economies, factories, business and homes. And critics of using crops to make gas argue that farmers should be concentrating on growing food  especially when prices are soaring amid the fallout of the war in Ukraine, one of the worlds breadbaskets.

Still, biogas is part of the puzzle of how to reduce Europes energy dependence.

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TURIN, Italy  Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestras upbeat, melodic entry for this months Eurovision Song Contest was written as a tribute to the frontmans mother.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has become an anthem to the war-ravaged motherland.

Stefania is the most-watched song on YouTube among the 35 national entries that are slated to compete when the Eurovision contest takes place next week in Turin, an industrial city in northern Italy.

While some oddsmakers and data analysts have predicted other contestants will win, the song by Kalush Orchestra is quickly becoming a sentimental favorite.

Ill always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed, Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wrote in the lyrics for Stefania.

His words have become more poignant as missiles pound Ukrainian cities and villages, forcing more than 11 million to flee since Russia invaded the country.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines deputy prime minister said Friday that 41 more Ukrainians were released that day in a prisoner swap with Russia.

Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram that the 41 people whove been returned include 28 military personnel and 13 civilians.

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MOSCOW  Russia has no intention of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday, a day after Moscows top diplomat in the U.S. chided Western officials for targeting it with baseless accusations.

Russia firmly abides by the principle that there can be no victors in a nuclear war and it must not be unleashed, Alexey Zaitsev said. He added that Russian nuclear doctrine does not envisage any scenarios for potential strikes which would apply to Moscows military goals in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Zaitsev added that any provocations whatsoever can be expected from Ukraine and the West, and that Russia has to be ready for any development in the media space and directly on the ground.

His statement echoed remarks made by Russias ambassador in Washington on Thursday.

In an interview with Newsweek, Anatoly Antonov slammed what he called a flurry of blatant misrepresentation of Russian officials statements on our countrys nuclear policy. He accused top U.S. military leaders  including the Defense Secretary and Joint Chiefs of Staff  of falsely blaming Moscow for escalating nuclear tensions, calling their claims baseless and part of a propaganda campaign against Russia in response to the steps taken to neutralize threats to our national security emanating from the Ukrainian territory.

He also blamed the wider Western bloc for what he called its irresponsible handling of the situation in Ukraine, implying that NATOs rhetoric and continuing support for Kyiv contributed to heightening nuclear tensions.

The current generation of NATO politicians clearly does not take the nuclear threat seriously, Antonov told Newsweek.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Russias parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin both asserted this week that Moscow would not use nuclear weapons first.

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A Russian senator said Friday that Russia will remain forever in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, whose capital has been occupied by Moscows troops since early March.

Andrey Turchak from the ruling United Russia party visited Kherson on Friday, meeting with its Russian-appointed governor Volodymyr Saldo.

I want to say once again  Russia is here forever. There should be no doubt about it, Turchak is heard saying in a video published by Russias state RIA Novosti agency.

We will live together, develop this rich region, rich in historical heritage, rich thanks to the people who live here, he added.

When asked about the future formal status of the Kherson region, Turchak cautioned against running too far ahead and said that in any case, the status is determined by the residents.

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LONDON  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has invited Germanys head of government and its head of state to visit Ukraine on May 9, the day Russia marks the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the Victory Day holiday to make an announcement about the war  either declaring a victory or escalating the conflict.

Germany is part of the Western alliance supporting Ukraine, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to make a solidarity visit to the country. Scholz has traded barbs with Ukrainian officials in recent weeks because of Kyivs refusal to invite Germanys head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukraine accuses of cozying up to Russia during his time as foreign minister.

Speaking at Londons Chatham House think-tank on Friday, Zelenskyy said he had spoken to Steinmeier and invited both him and Scholz to come to Kyiv.

He said Scholz can make this very powerful political step to come here on the 9th of May, to Kyiv.

There was no immediate word on whether the German politicians had agreed. German Parliament President Baerbel Bas is scheduled to visit Ukraine on Sunday and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is due to visit soon.

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BERLIN  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his country is providing Ukraine with all the support we can give and also take responsibility for in its war with Russia.

Speaking to business leaders in Hamburg on Friday, Scholz said Russia must not gain the upper hand in the conflict, which he described as a war of destruction waged by Moscow against Ukraine.

The German leader said that Russias position as a global power with a seat on the U.N. Security Council means that if (Vladimir) Putin gets away with it then theres a risk of international lawlessness.

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LONDON  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is still open to negotiations with Russia, but he repeated his position that Moscow must withdraws its forces to their pre-invasion positions.

Zelenskyy told a meeting at Londons Chatham House think-tank on Friday that regaining the situation as of the 23rd of February  the day before the invasion  is a prerequisite for talks.

He said in that situation we will be able to start discussing things normally, and Ukraine could use diplomatic channels to regain its territory.

The British government, a key ally of Ukraine, has said Russia must be driven from all of Ukraine, including Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.

Despite Russias intensified attack on Ukraines eastern Donbas region, Zelenskyy said there is still space for diplomacy. He said not all the bridges are yet destroyed, figuratively speaking.

Asked whether Russia would soon take full control of the besieged port city of Mariupol, Zelenskyy said: Mariupol will never fall. Im not talking about heroism or anything  There is nothing there to fall apart. It is already devastated.

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BERLIN  Police in the German capital are bracing for possible confrontations between pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine protesters around the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Berlin police said Friday that security around 15 memorial sites across the city will be stepped up on May 8 and 9, and officers will crack down on any attempts to glorify Russias attack on Ukraine.

The Russian government has tried to portray the leadership in Kyiv as Nazis  a claim both Ukraine and Germany have ridiculed.

Berlins police chief Barbara Slowik said authorities have banned the use of Russian or Ukrainian flags, the playing of military music or the wearing of uniforms or the orange and black ribbon of St. George showing support for the Russian military anywhere near the memorial sites.

German news agency dpa quoted police saying that some 3,400 officers will be deployed throughout the city on both days.

By The Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Pilots and airlines have expressed concerns over an increase in potentially dangerous incidents in Mexico Citys airspace since it was redesigned to accommodate a second airport, including alerts that planes could crash unless action was taken.

They suggest air traffic controllers have been insufficiently trained to operate the newly configured airspace.

In the past year, there were at least 17 incidents of ground proximity warning system alerts for planes approaching Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport, according to a letter the International Air Transport Association, which represents some 290 airlines, wrote this week to the head of Mexican Airspace Navigation Services, the government agency responsible for managing the airspace.

As you know, these alarms, without the quick action of the flight crew, can lead to a scenario of controlled flight into terrain, CFIT, considered by the industry to be one of the highest risk indicators in operational safety, and with the highest accident rate, as well as fatalities, the letter said. The Mexican agency referred a request for comment to the transportation ministry Friday.

The following day, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations issued a safety bulletin drawing attention to such incidents, as well as planes landing with very low fuel after being forced to circle unexpectedly and diversions to other airports because of excessive delays. It also cited significant ground proximity warning systems alerts, including a near collision.

The incidents follow the opening of the new Felipe Angeles International Airport north of Mexicos capital in March. The converted military air base was one of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors signature projects.

It would appear that with the opening of this newly converted airport, (air traffic control) has apparently received little training and support as to how to operate this new configuration in the airspace, the bulletin said.

Mexico's Communications and Transportion Department, which oversees air safety agencies, acknowledged in a statement that there had been one instance of a Ground Proximity Warning System, or GPWS, alert on a plane on June 15, 2021.

But it said that was the only incident that was reported to authorities.

Both the pilots' federation and the International Air Transport Association noted that a factor in the incidents appeared to be air traffic controllers not using standard phraseology in their communications with flight crews. The association requested a meeting with Mexican aviation authorities as soon as possible.

Lopez Obrador cancelled the previous administrations partially constructed airport, which was supposed to replace Benito Juarez, because it was too lavish.

There were concerns at that time that Lopez Obradors plan to operate two airports simultaneously could create problems over the capital. The International Air Transport Association's letter said the incidents had been reported "since the implementation of the first phase of the redesign of the Mexico Valley airspace.

The pilots' federation bulletin said, Crews have received clearances that do not adhere to terrain avoidance restrictions on routes used to approach the Benito Juarez airport. IFALPA declined to comment beyond their safety bulletin and referred questions to their Mexican affiliate.

On Wednesday, Transportation and Infrastructure Undersecretary Rogelio Jimenez Pons told local media the government has decided to reduce the number of flights allowed to land at the old airport by 20 percent. He made no mention of the safety bulletin or the reported incidents.

The reduction is to start in July, and could force about 10 daily flights to the new airport. The government had already said any new flights scheduled into Mexico City will have to use Felipe Angeles, but the new reduction applies to some existing routes.

Jimenez Pons said the old airport had to reduce traffic because it is overloaded and needs updates. He said airlines can choose to go the Felipe Angeles terminal or to an even more distant, largely unused airport in city of Toluca over a mountain pass to the west.

The Mexican pilots association, a member of the international federation, said Thursday that it had requested a meeting with Mexican aeronautical authorities to discuss the situation and share the experiences of its pilots.

It called on Mexican Airspace Navigation Services to address Mexican and foreign pilots reports, seeking in the first place the safety of air operations and the efficiency of our airspace.

One year ago, U.S. regulators downgraded Mexicos aviation safety rating, a move that prevents Mexican airlines from expanding flights to the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration had found that Mexicos ability to oversee its airlines falls short of standards set by a United Nations group called the International Civil Aviation Organization. Those standards cover a broad range of issues including the regulators technical expertise, inspection procedures and record-keeping.

The International Air Transport Association letter alluded to that situation, noting that these incidents without a doubt do not help in the process in which Mexico finds itself immersed, trying to recover its Category 1 (aviation safety rating) that was withdrawn by the FAA last year.

Mexicos National Air Transport Chamber called on the countrys aviation authorities to address with the highest priority the reports that have been made to them for months and make known the diagnosis and the measures to mitigate the corresponding risks.

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AP writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.
GANADO, Texas (AP)  Deputies found about 100 migrants in the back of a semitrailer that had broken down on a South Texas highway on Friday, but many of them fled, authorities said.

Deputies with the Jackson County Sheriffs Office found the semitrailer around 7 a.m. just north of Ganado, about 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Houston.
A Houston police captain whose botched raid of drag racers last summer sparked a public uproar was fired Wednesday.

Police Capt. Mark Aguirre, commander of the Aug. 18 raid in a Houston Kmart parking lot and a 23-year veteran of the police force, is already under indictment on five counts of official oppression in connection with the case.

He met Tuesday with acting Police Chief Tim Ottmeier, who announced Aguirre's firing during Wednesday's Houston City Council meeting.

Houston police Sgt. Ken Wenzel, a 26-year veteran and one of 13 officers suspended with pay after the raid, resigned Tuesday hours before he was to meet with Ottmeier. Aguirre's lawyer, Terry Yates, had expected Aguirre to be terminated and has said his client would fight any departmental discipline.

Wenzel also was indicted in December on the same five charges.

"I think what occurred is a grotesque charade," Aguirre said Wednesday.

He was in charge of the raid intended to curb drag racing, and Wenzel was a sergeant in his division.

Police found no evidence of drag racing the night of the raid, but they arrested more than 270 people in the department store's parking lot and those of a nearby Sonic Drive-In and James Coney Island restaurants.

Many of those arrested were restaurant customers, and they were charged with curfew violations and trespassing.

All charges against those arrested in the raid were eventually dismissed. They are being expunged from their records at city expense, but several lawsuits have been filed against the city and police department.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  Jill Biden heard heartbreaking stories Saturday from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russias war and found safe haven in Romania, with one mother telling the U.S. first lady of a harrowing escape after being holed up in a cramped, cold basement with her traumatized 8-year-old daughter.

Reaching Romania was a game change for us, Svitlana Gollyak of Kharkiv, Ukraine, told Biden in her native language during the first lady's tour of a Bucharest public school hosting refugee children. Gollyak said her daughter "feels much better here. ... No more tears and she adapted very nicely.

Biden told Gollyak and the other women, I think mothers will do anything for their children, adding that they were amazingly strong and resilient.

Biden said her message to the families was we stand with you. During a craft activity, she watched as the children scrawled messages on paper cutouts of their hands. One young Ukrainian girl wrote, I want to return to my father. Biden later told reporters the girls words were heartbreaking.

The first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to refugees. At the school, the first lady  herself a teacher  saw how teachers are helping some of the approximately 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Really, in a lot of ways, the teachers are the glue that help these kids deal with their trauma and deal with the emotion and help give them a sense of normalcy, Biden said.

She added that she saw signs of hope for families who felt that there was some structure to their lives and they were getting supplies. They all realized how much money the United States has been giving to Ukraine and to the refugee situation and to Romania to support the refugees.

Most of the Ukrainians who have fled to Romania, mainly women and children, have moved on to other countries, but about 100,000 remain, officials said.

Earlier, Biden was briefed at the U.S. Embassy on the relief effort. Her visit to Eastern Europe comes as President Joe Biden is pressing Congress to pass an additional $33 billion in security and economic assistance for Ukraine.

Jill Biden called the show of solidarity amazing" but also just the beginning. She said it was inspiring for Romanians to welcome all these refugees into their homes and offer them food and clothing and shelter and give them their hearts.

But she also cautioned that much more needs to be done by the U.S. and allies to assist Ukraine.

Were all hopeful, right, she told reporters. We wake up every morning and think this has to end but it still keeps going on and on.

About 7,000 Ukrainians cross the border and arrive in Romania daily, said Pablo Zapata, the Romanian representative for the U.N. refugee agency.

The United Nations, other agencies and the Romanian government are assisting refugees with food, shelter, education, health and mental health care, and counseling, among other services.

Biden asked specifically about the provision of mental health services and whether summer school was available to help refugee students catch up on their education. She said later that the whole world is seeing that we need more mental health assistance for the children and their parents.

The first lady is on the second day of a four-day trip to Romania and Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine, that is designed to showcase U.S. support for the refugees. Biden was scheduled to spend Sunday, Mother's Day, meeting with refugees in Slovakia and visiting a border village.

Biden had lunch with Romania's first lady, Carmen Iohannis, at her private residence. Iohannis, who accompanied Biden during the school visit, kept her job as an English teacher when her husband took office, just like Biden kept hers teaching at a Virginia community college.

The emotional thread to Biden's day continued after she arrived in Slovakia's capital. At her first stop, she left flowers at a memorial dedicated to Jan Kuciak, a 26-year-old investigative journalist, and his fiancee, who were assassinated in 2018. The case triggered a political crisis and brought down the country's government.

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.

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

Follow all AP stories on global migration https://apnews.com/hub/migration
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A San Francisco judge tossed out former President Donald Trumps lawsuit challenging his permanent ban from Twitter.

U.S. District Judge James Donato said Friday that Trump failed to show Twitter violated his First Amendment right to free speech. Free speech rights dont apply to private companies and Trump failed to show Twitter was working as a state actor on behalf of Democrats, the judge wrote.

The amended complaint merely offers a grab-bag of allegations to the effect that some Democratic members of Congress wanted Mr. Trump, and the views he espoused, to be banned from Twitter because such content and views were contrary to those legislators preferred points of view, Donato wrote. But the comments of a handful of elected officials are a far cry from a rule of decision for which the State is responsible. Legislators are perfectly free to express opinions without being deemed the official voice of the State.

Trump sued Twitter, Facebook and Googles YouTube in July 2021, claiming they illegally censored him.

The platforms suspended Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, in which his followers violently stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to block Congress from certifying Joe Bidens presidential win. The companies cited concerns he would incite further violence.

The ruling comes as Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man, is in the process of purchasing Twitter for $44 billion. The deal has raised questions about whether, Musk, a self-described free speech absolutist, would reinstate the former president.

Trump, who has continued to repeat lies about his 2020 election defeat in speeches, has started his own social network, Truth Social. He said last week that he wouldn't rejoin Twitter if given the chance.

The suit had sought to reinstate Trump's account, which had roughly 89 million followers, and those of five others who claimed they were also censored by Twitter. The group had sought unspecified damages and class action status on behalf of others removed from the platform.

Legal experts had predicted the lawsuit would fail but suggested Trump would milk it for political purposes. Trumps political action committee immediately began raising money after the lawsuit was announced last year.

The lawsuit had also sought a declaration that Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act was unconstitutional.

The act says providers such as Twitter can moderate services by removing obscene posts that violate their standards and cannot be held responsible for content posted by others.

Trump had only shown a vague and speculative allegation that he believed he would not have been banned if Twitter wasn't granted immunity by Section 230, Donato said.

Donato gave Trump another opportunity to amend his complaint. Trumps lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Former President Donald Trumps businesses and inaugural committee have reached a deal to pay Washington, D.C., $750,000 to resolve a lawsuit that alleged the committee overpaid for events at his hotel and enriched the former presidents family in the process, according to the District of Columbias attorney general.

Attorney General Karl Racine announced the settlement agreement in the case against the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the Trump Organization and the Trump International Hotel in Washington in a tweet on Tuesday. The document had not yet been signed by a judge.

The agreement says the case is being resolved to avoid the cost, burden, and risks of further litigation and that the organizations dispute these allegations on numerous grounds and deny having engaged in any wrongdoing or unlawful conduct.

As part of the agreement, the defendants will pay the District of Columbia a total of $750,000, which will be used to benefit three nonprofit organizations, the settlement paperwork says.

Were resolving our lawsuit and sending the message that if you violate DC nonprofit lawno matter how powerful you areyoull pay, Racine said in a tweet.

In a statement, Trump blasted Racine and noted that the settlement includes no admission of guilt or liability.

As crime rates are soaring in our Nations Capital, it is necessary that the Attorney General focus on those issues rather than a further leg of the greatest Witch-Hunt in political history," Trump said. This was yet another example of weaponizing Law Enforcement against the Republican Party and, in particular, the former President of the United States.

Racine has said the committee misused nonprofit funds and coordinated with the hotels management and members of the Trump family to arrange the events. He said one of the events planners raised concerns about pricing with Trump, the presidents daughter Ivanka Trump and Rick Gates, a top campaign official at the time.

The committee has maintained that its finances were independently audited, and that all money was spent in accordance with the law. The committee raised an unprecedented $107 million to host events celebrating Trumps inauguration in January 2017. But the committees spending has drawn mounting scrutiny.

Gates, a former Trump campaign aide who cooperated in the special counsels Russia investigation, personally managed discussions with the hotel about using the space, including ballrooms and meeting rooms, the attorney generals office has said. In one instance, Gates contacted Ivanka Trump and told her that he was a bit worried about the optics of the committee paying such a high fee, Racine said.

Prosecutors say the committee could have hosted inaugural events at other venues either for free or for reduced costs but didnt consider those options.

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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
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No one, except maybe Donald Trump and his inner circle, expected the ex-presidents legal challenge to Twitters permanent ban on him  on First Amendment grounds  to succeed. But now a federal judge has officially dismissed the suit.

Trump, joined by the American Conservative Union and five individuals, sued Twitter (and then-CEO Jack Dorsey) in July 2021 in a class-action lawsuit claiming they were censored by the service  in the case of Trump and others, by s outright ban. Trumps lawsuit had asserted that Twitter  as well as Facebook and Google, which Trump also sued  are actually government actors, and that they are therefore bound by the First Amendments prohibition against abridging freedom of speech.

But Judge James Donato of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California rejected that idea.

For starters, The First Amendment applies only to governmental abridgements of speech, and not to alleged abridgements by private companies, Donato pointed out in the May 6 decision. Regarding the argument that Twitter was somehow a state actor, he wrote, the Trump lawsuit does not plausibly allege that Twitter acted as a government entity when it closed plaintiffs accounts. (Read a copy of the ruling at this link.)

The lawsuit also sought to have Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act  which grants internet companies legal protections for content shared on their services and allows them to moderate their platforms as they see fit  declared unconstitutional, and asserted that Section 230 significantly encouraged defendants censorship of the plaintiff and the putative class members.

Donato struck down those arguments as well. The government cannot plausibly be said to have compelled Twitters action through Section 230, which in any event imposed no affirmative obligations on Twitter to act in any particular way. Consequently, the amended complaint does not plausibly allege a First Amendment claim against Twitter, he wrote. The claim for a declaratory judgment that Section 230 is unconstitutional is dismissed for lack of standing, per the judges ruling.

Twitter banned Trump permanently on Jan. 8, after the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol two days prior, citing the risk of ongoing violence if the then-president were allowed to remain on the social network. Other services, including Facebook and YouTube, followed suit in deplatforming Trump.

Last year Trump formed Trump Media & Technology Group, hiring former GOP congressman Devin Nunes as CEO, and in February launched Truth Social, a virtual copycat of Twitter that claims it is free from political discrimination. Trump is currently listed as having 2.6 million followers on Truth Social (which calls posts in the app Truths). When Trump was banned from Twitter, he had more than 88 million followers.

The ruling against Trump comes as billionaire Elon Musk is poised to acquire Twitter in a $44 billion deal, having continued to line up financing for the acquisition including from Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Prince al-Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia and cryptocurrency exchange Binance.com.

Musk, like Trump, has complained that Twitter has censored free speech, and he has vowed to force the social network to adhere to principles of free speech as defined by governments.

Coincidentally, also Friday, Musk shot down a claim by Nunes that Trump encouraged Musk to buy Twitter to take on these tech tyrants. Musk said that was false, saying he has had no communication at all with Trump and pointing out that the ex-president has claimed he wont rejoin Twitter even if Musk successfully closes the deal.

Trumps lawsuits against Meta Platforms (Facebooks new corporate name) and Googles YouTube, both similarly alleging First Amendment violations, remain pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Its hard to see how the outcome in those cases could be any different than in the Twitter litigation.

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Summer-like heat arrives this weekend with near record high temperatures, meaning it's time to grab the bathing suit and hang out by water. In the San Antonio area and Hill Country, there are plenty of swimming places to cool off from the summer-like heat.

Here are 8 gorgeous places to visit:

Hays County

Jacob's Well Natural Area in Wimberley

Jacob's Well Natural Area is open to the public during open hours 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Reservations are required for water access.

Jacob's Well is an artesian spring that releases thousands of gallons of water a day. It's the second-largest fully submerged cave in Texas, according to Hays County. The water temperature stays a constant 68 degrees.

The source of the water comes from the Trinity Aquifer, which makes its way from an extensive underground cave system. The deepest part of the cavern system is 140 feet deep. The main cavern length is 4,341 feet and the secondary cavern, which branches off the main cavern, is 1,314 feet in length.

Priscilla Aguirre, MySA.com

Guadalupe River State Park

With four miles of river frontage, the Guadalupe River takes center stage at the park. On the river, you can swim, fish, tube, and canoe. It's open daily for day use and overnight camping but reservations are needed.

Before ending the river you can start off with a hike. Explore 13 miles of hike and bike trails. Trails range from the 2.86-mile Painted Bunting Trail to the 0.3-Mile River Overlook Trail, which leads you to a scenic overlook of the river.

The state park is located at 3350 Park Road 31, Spring Branch.

Barton Springs in Austin

Barton Springs is a set of four natural water springs located at Barton Creek on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, resulting from water flowing through the Edwards Aquifer. The pool itself measures three acres in size, and is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 68-70 degrees, ideal for year-round swimming.

Entry passes can be purchased here.

Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News

San Marcos River

The San Marcos River bubbles to life from hundreds of springs right in the city's center. Always a refreshing 72 degrees, the river is enjoyed year 'round. Grab a tube and go for a float. Rent a kayak or stand-up paddle and navigate its length.

Since the river is spring-fed and begins in San Marcos, the water is clear which allows you to view to the bottom of the river.

You can find tubing outfitters and kayak rentals here.

Priscilla Aguirre, MySA.com

Garner State Park

Garner State Park is a great place to visit for a swim or hike. With 2.9 miles of Frio River winding through 1,774 acres of scenic Hill Country terrain, the park offers lots to see and do.

Swim in the Frifittero River or float its waters on an inner tube, operate a paddle boat, and hike 16 miles of scenic trails. It's open for day use and for overnight camping but reservations are needed. For more, visit its website here.

Randi Stevenson / Express-News

Comal River

The Comal River is a beautiful spring-fed natural flowing body of water that has been the pinnacle attraction for New Braunfels for generations. The headwaters spring up from the Edwards Aquifer and flow 2.5 miles through Landa Park, passing Downtown New Braunfels, bordering Schlitterbahn Waterpark, and merging with the Guadalupe River, running entirely within the city limits of New Braunfels.

The Comal River is open for recreation, it is only closed during times of high water or for public safety. River Access Parks are open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.

For tubing outfitters, click here.

Sarah P. via Yelp

Blue Hole

Blue Hole Regional Park is a natural, spring-fed swimming hole lined with the iconic Cypress Trees located deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. The whole family will enjoy swimming in crystal clear water, sunbathing on the grassy swim lawn, and of course, swinging on our famous rope swings.

Swimming reservations are now open for May. Guests are able to purchase reservations for any day and time slot for the entire summer season. Click here for more.

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Paradise Canyon

Since 1957, Paradise Canyon has offered a little piece of heaven on the Medina River. A weekend at Paradise Canyon is the perfect getaway from the city as it has activities where you can fish, float, camp and have a picnic.

It's $40 per carload (limit 5) and $3 per person for more than five people over 2-years-old. Paradise Canyon is located at 2220 Country Road 2615 Rio Medina.
SAN ANTONIO  The No. 3 Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives charged into a raging national firestorm over abortion rights Wednesday as he visited Texas to campaign with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a rare Democrat who opposes the practice, in his hotly contested primary runoff.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburns trip was announced over a week ago, but it fell two days after Politico published a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that favors overturning Roe v. Wade. The timing of the news cast an uncomfortable spotlight on Cuellar  and the senior Democrats who support him  as he was the only House Democrat last year to vote against a proposal to codify Roe v. Wade.

As Clyburn traveled to Texas on Wednesday morning, Cuellars progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, issued a statement calling on Democratic House leadership to rescind its support for Cuellar in light of the Roe v. Wade bombshell. But Clyburn was unswayed as he attended a series of events across the city with the Laredo congressman, stressing that he does not always agree with Cuellar but believes divergent views are healthy for democracy. In doing so, Clyburn sent a message that the Democratic Party should not shun abortion opponents.

We have a big-tent party, and if were gonna be a big-tent party, we got to be a big-tent party, Clyburn told reporters after an evening rally at an outdoor barbecue joint. I dont believe we ought to have a litmus test in the Democratic Party. I think we have to bring as many people into the party as we possibly can.

Addressing a crowd of about 80 people from the stage of his campaign rally, Clyburn hailed Cuellar for his role as a chief deputy whip, saying together they have been very effective in getting Joe Bidens [agenda] across the finish line. He joked that he does not always agree with Cuellar just like he did not always agree with his late wife of 58 years. But he said people do not grow if they speak only with those they agree with.

We have to sit down with people with whom we do not agree and try to find common ground so that you do what is necessary to continue moving this country forward, Clyburn said.

Cuellar did not shy away from his party-splitting ways when addressing supporters.

Im a Democrat  but I follow the words of [Lyndon B. Johnson], who said many years ago, Im an American, Im a Texan and then Im a Democrat  in that order, Cuellar said. If you put the party first before your country, youre doing a disservice. I think what we need to do  is make sure that we put our country, our district, first, and thats what I do.

Cuellar and Cisneros are facing off again after she first ran against him in 2020 and lost by 4 percentage points in a head-to-head primary. This time, she forced him to a runoff after a primary that was upended in January when the FBI raided Cuellars home in Laredo. The FBI has not said what it was investigating, and Cuellar has denied any wrongdoing.

The runoff was relatively low-key until news broke Monday about the Supreme Courts intentions, which set off Democratic leaders vowing to fight back in Congress. But Cisneros and other progressives suggested those were hollow words if leaders continued to stand by Cuellar.

Cuellar has the support of not only Clyburn but also House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the No. 2 House Democrat, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Their names and others were featured prominently on campaign literature that was handed out at the rally.

With the House majority on the line, [Cuellar] could very much be the deciding vote on the future of our reproductive rights and we cannot afford to take that risk, Cisneros said in her statement. I hope Democratic Party leadership wont stand in the way of delivering for South Texans.

Asked about the high courts leaked opinion after the rally, Cuellar reiterated a statement he issued Tuesday evening. He criticized the draft opinion, saying it is not based on precedent and not incremental in nature like they should be. But he told reporters he is a Catholic and you know my position, adding that many people in his district believe in at least some sort of limitation on exception.

After the rally, attendees said they supported Cuellar, often offering effusive praise and recalling a long relationship with him, but made clear they disagreed with him on abortion.

JoAnn Ramon, a 78-year-old party activist who said she has known Cuellar since he served in the state House, flatly said she would disagree with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

I have never had an abortion, would never have an abortion, none of my children have had one  thank God none of my grandchildren  but I dont tell people what to do with their bodies, she said. So no, Im not pro-abortion  Im pro-choice and Henry is not, and thats OK. Im a Catholic, too. Henry and I can agree to disagree. Thats the beauty of Henry Cuellar.

State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio, a Cuellar endorser who spoke at the rally, also said her views on abortion did not align with Cuellars. But she said she understood that belief was grounded in his Catholic faith.

Im pro-choice all the way, OK? But thats one issue, she said. That one issue dont separate me from supporting someone in my party because we can agree to disagree, and I hope we as Texans and we as Americans really start looking at it that way. One issue doesnt stop us from having a relationship.

The rally was part of multiple events that Clyburn did with Cuellar on Wednesday in San Antonio. Earlier in the day, they attended a private gathering with faith leaders on San Antonios East Side and after the rally, Clyburn was set to headline a fundraiser for Cuellar.

Regardless of who wins the runoff, Republicans believe they have a chance to flip the district as they push to make new inroads in South Texas. They are currently in a primary runoff for the seat, though the national GOP has coalesced behind Cassy Garcia, a former staffer for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

In defending his campaigning for Cuellar, Clyburn nodded at the potential for a competitive general election.

I would ask anybody: Which is more important  to have a pro-life Democrat or to have an anti-abortion Republican? Clyburn said. Because come November, that could very well be the choice in this district.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration sought Friday to downplay the role of American intelligence in the high-profile sinking of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, distancing itself from any direct role in one of the greatest embarrassments for Russia since it attacked Ukraine.

A day after an American official confirmed that the U.S. provided Ukraine with information on the location of the ship, the White House and Pentagon described a limited role in last month's attack and said the Ukrainians make their own decisions.

The effort reflected the fine line President Joe Biden walks as he touts increasing support for Ukraine while fighting off criticism he isnt doing enough and simultaneously trying to avoid dragging the U.S. into a direct conflict with Russia.

We had no prior knowledge of Ukraines intent to target the ship, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. The Ukrainians have their own intelligence capabilities to track and target Russian naval vessels, as they did in this case. 

Amid strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine, the administration has provided more than $3.4 billion in military assistance, and U.S. forces are actively training Ukrainian troops in the use of howitzers, drones and other hardware in a war now focused on the eastern Donbas region of the country.

The White House announced an addition $150 million in military support Friday that included artillery rounds, radar systems capable of detecting artillery projectiles, and other equipment.

Asked about reports that the U.S. provided intelligence on the Moskva, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Ukraine receives relevant and timely intelligence from the U.S., but also gets assistance from other nations and makes its own decisions about how to use it.

And if they do decide to do something with that intelligence, then they make the decisions about acting on it, Kirby said.

American officials insist this is a fight launched by President Vladimir Putin against Ukraine, not a proxy war with the U.S., and the intelligence assistance stays within these limits.

The Pentagon spokesman said the U.S. had no advanced knowledge of the attack on the ship, the flagship of Russias Black Sea Fleet.

We provide them what we believe to be relevant and timely information about Russian units that will allow them to adjust and execute their self-defense to the best of their ability," Kirby said. The kind of intelligence that we provide them, it's legitimate, it's lawful, and its limited.

An American official said Thursday that Ukraine alone decided to target and sink the Moskva using its own anti-ship missiles. But given Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian coastline from the sea, the U.S. has provided a range of intelligence that includes locations of those ships, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Biden administration has ramped up intelligence sharing with Ukraine alongside the shipment of arms and missiles to help it repel Russia's invasion. The disclosure of U.S. support in the Moskva strike comes as the White House is under pressure from Republicans to do more to support Ukraine's resistance and as polls suggest some Americans question whether Biden is being tough enough on Russia.

Since Putin ordered the invasion in February, the White House has tried to balance supporting Ukraine, a democratic ally, against not doing anything that would seem to provoke a direct war between Putin and the U.S. and NATO allies. As the war has gone on, the White House has ramped up its military and intelligence support, removing some time and geographic limits on what it will tell Ukraine about potential Russian targets.

The official who spoke Thursday said the U.S. was not aware that Ukraine planned to strike the Moskva until after they conducted the operation.

Speaking earlier Thursday after a New York Times report about the U.S. role in supporting Ukraine's killing of Russian generals, Kirby said American agencies "do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine combines information that we and other partners provide with the intel that they themselves are gathering and then they make their own decisions and they take their own actions," Kirby said.

-

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed.
Record heat is in store for much of the Lone Star State starting this Mother's Day weekend and most Texans are not ready. Temperatures in Houston are expected to reach the mid to upper-90s Saturday and Sunday, but the humidity will make it feel more like it's over 100 degrees, according to Space City Weather.

The relentless heat will only grow in intensity through next week, which is expected to have 93-96 degree days each day, per Space City Weather. In fact, the Bayou City is forecast to tie or break numerous heat records from Saturday through Thursday, baking along with much of the Lone Star State.

Earlier this week, Austin-based energy consultant Doug Lewin, announced that the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is expecting demand for power across Texas to reach 69.3 gigawatts on Saturday, as temperatures in Houston and Dallas hit highs in the low-to-mid '90s and eclipse 100 in towns such as Midland and Laredo. ERCOT issued a follow-up statement saying it has asked power plants to delay or curtail planned power outages accordingly.

Even though the scorch hasn't hit yet, Texans are already taking to social media to say they're "over this Texas heat."

"Ima be honest idk if Im going to be able to handle the Texas heat next week," said one user on Twitter. "That Texas summer heat is getting real too close for comfort," wrote another Twitter user.

Some remarked that the Texas temperatures are out of this world. "This morning as I was stepping out of the shower, I heard the weather person say, 'five times hotter than the surface of the sun', as I looked up to see her pointing to a high pressure system over the US. So Im pretty sure she was talking about the heat in Texas this weekend," another user said on Twitter. "Texas heat aint for the weak. I wanna work inside," tweeted another.

The temperatures even had some questioning how their Texas ancestors were able to get through it. "Texas weather is seriously nothing to play with this CANT be the same heat my ancestors dealt with," tweeted one user. Others are soaking up their air conditioning while they still can in anticipation of potential blackouts. "Just hibernated for an hour in pure cold," tweeted one user. "Texas heat wins man."

However, some Texans are taking the upcoming forecast a little more optimistically as it indicates summer is just around the corner. "Not gonna post any Youtube videos today and no streams for this weekend. I'm on marvelous vacay enjoying the massive heat of Texas," tweeted one user along with a GIF of a man on fire.

"Love coming back to Houston right on the cusp of a record heat weekend in May babaaaay!!" tweeted another user.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced this week that his next move to combat illegal immigration will be trying to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring Texas to provide free public education to all children, including those of undocumented migrants. The Republican leader's remarks were met with stark criticism Thursday, including from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

"An uneducated society is a very dangerous society," Turner warned in a statement posted on Twitter late Thursday evening. The Houston mayor continued, writing, "If we dont educate all of our children regardless of where they come from, neither democrats or republicans, rich or poor, urban, suburban or rural are safe. There are no savings in an uneducated society."

Other Houston area leaders also chimed in. State Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) tweeted, "Governor Abbott is the single largest driver of consumer costs and increasing property taxes in the state of Texas. Kids in school don't even come close." Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee simply wrote, "Race to the bottom."

The statements were made in response to Abbott announcing Wednesday that Texas "will resurrect" a challenge to Plyler v. Doe (1982) in order to lessen the costs of educating undocumented immigrants. The Supreme Court decision voided Texas education laws in 1975 that allowed the state to withhold funds from local districts for educating children of undocumented immigrants. The high court held that all children, regardless of their immigration status, are entitled to access public education.

"Texas already long ago sued the federal government about having to incur the costs of the education program, in a case called Plyler versus Doe," Abbott said. "And the Supreme Court ruled against us on the issue. ... I think we will resurrect that case and challenge this issue again, because the expenses are extraordinary and the times are different than when Plyler versus Doe was issued many decades ago."

In response Thursday, Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), which filed the case in 1977, called Abbott "irresponsible" and "desperate," adding the governor's latest stance "epitomizes the dangers of dog-whistle populism in the style of Donald Trump."

First, Abbott needs some remedial education on Plyler itself," Saenz continued. "This was a case brought against Texas, not by Texas, as Abbott asserted. The case was filed by MALDEF on behalf of students threatened by a Texas statute allowing schools to exclude undocumented students from public school."

Saenz also clarified that while the Supreme Court split 5-4 on declaring the Texas law unconstitutional, even the dissenters "agreed that the Texas law seeking to exclude undocumented children from school was bad public policy."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki also weighed in on Abbott's remarks Thursday, stating Well, thats ultra-MAGA right there. We're talking about, just to restate that, denying public education to kids, including immigrants to this country. I mean, that is not a mainstream point of view."
Yves here. Im at a loss to understand why the West continues to flog the dead horse of the Azovstal factory. The soldiers in there are trapped and will be starved out. The media push to pretend they are putting up a fight is absurd, since their leader/spokesman has been begging to be rescued, and this week, to barter civilian captives for food.

The press is bizarrely ignoring the fact that if there are civilians in there (and since some did emerge, it appears yes, but fewer in number that the Ukrainians pretended) who arent coming out even though they are hungry, it sure suggests that they are being detained.

Now admittedly, there is a less pernicious reason for the civilians to stay hunkered down in the Azovstal factory: they might have been persuaded that theyd be sent off to a gulag or worse. So the UN could play a role in persuading them that nothing bad would happen if they left. But as youll see from Helmers post, theres more to this story

By John Helmer who has been the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to have directed his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. Originally published at Dances with Bears

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, is refusing this week to answer questions on the role he played in the recent attempt by US, British, Canadian and other foreign combatants to escape the bunkers under the Azovstal plant, using the human shield of civilians trying to evacuate.

In Guterress meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on April 26 (lead image), Putin warned Guterres he had been misled in his efforts. The simplest thing, Putin told Guterres in the recorded part of their meeting, for military personnel or members of the nationalist battalions is to release the civilians. It is a crime to keep civilians, if there are any there, as human shields.

This war crime has been recognized since 1977 by the UN in Protocol 1 of the Geneva Convention. In US law for US soldiers and state officials, planning to employ or actually using human shields is a war crime to be prosecuted under 10 US Code Section 950t.

Instead, Guterres ignored the Kremlin warning and the war crime law, and authorized UN officials, together with Red Cross officials, to conceal what Guterres himself knew of the foreign military group trying to escape. Overnight from New York, Guterres has refused to say what he knew of the military escape operation, and what he had done to distinguish, or conceal the differences between the civilians and combatants in the evacuation plan over the weekend of April 30-May 1.May.

Russian officials have remained publicly polite towards Guterres, despite what Moscow regards as his taking sides with the US, the NATO alliance, and the Kiev government from the beginning of the military operation on February 24. We are dealing, the Secretary-General declared on April 5, with the full-fledged invasion, on several fronts, of one Member State of the United Nations, Ukraine, by another, the Russian Federation  a permanent member of the Security Council  in violation of the United Nations Charter, and with several aims, including redrawing the internationally recognized borders between the two countries.*

Putin told Guterres his interpretation of the military operation and of the UN Charter was wrong and biased.

Source: http://en.kremlin.ru/

I know, Putin said as the cameras recorded, about your concern over Russias military operation in Donbass, in Ukraine. I think this will be the focus of our conversation today. I would just like to note in this context that the entire problem emerged after a coup detat staged in Ukraine in 2014. This is an obvious fact. You can call it whatever name you like and have whatever bias in favour of those who did it, but this was really an anti-constitutional coup.

Putin was explicit that he rejected Guterress claim that the Russian military operation violated the Charter: Unfortunately, our colleagues in the West preferred to ignore all this. After we recognised the independence of these states [Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics], they asked us to render them military aid because they were subjected to military actions, an armed aggression. In accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Chapter VII, we were forced to do this by launching a special military operation.

It is a fact that many Western countries recognised Kosovo as an independent state.* We did the same with the Donbass republics. After that, they asked us to provide them with military assistance to deal with the state that launched military operations against them. We had the right to do so in full compliance with Chapter VII, Article 51 of the UN Charter. Just a second, we will talk about this in a minute. But first I would like to address the second part of your question, Mariupol. The situation is difficult and possibly even tragic there. But in fact, it is very simple.

To Guterres, Putin also made a clear distinction between civilians and combatants using the civilians as hostages or human shields. Putin identified this as a war crime. The Azovstal plant has been fully isolated. I have issued instructions, an order to stop the assault. There is no direct fighting there now. Yes, the Ukrainian authorities say that there are civilians at the plant. In this case, the Ukrainian military must release them, or otherwise they will be doing what terrorists in many countries have done, what ISIS did in Syria when they used civilians as human shields. The simplest thing they can do is release these people; it is as simple as that. You say that Russias humanitarian corridors are ineffective. Mr Secretary-General, you have been misled: these corridors are effective. Over 100,000 people, 130,000140,000, if I remember correctly, have left Mariupol with our assistance, and they are free to go where they want, to Russia or Ukraine. They can go anywhere they want; we are not detaining them, but we are providing assistance and support to them.

The civilians in Azovstal, if there are any, can do this as well. They can come out, just like that. This is an example of a civilised attitude to people, an obvious example. And anyone can see this; you only need to talk with the people who have left the city. The simplest thing for military personnel or members of the nationalist battalions is to release the civilians. It is a crime to keep civilians, if there are any there, as human shields.

In his many public statements before the Kremlin meeting, and in his remarks at the Russian Foreign Ministry the same day, , Guterres has not mentioned war crimes except to repeat the US and Ukrainian allegations about the Russian side. The war has led to senseless loss of life, massive devastation in urban centres and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, he said on April 5. I will never forget the horrifying images of civilians killed in Bucha. I immediately called for an independent investigation to guarantee effective accountability. I am also deeply shocked by the personal testimony of rapes and sexual violence that are now emerging. The High Commissioner for Human Rights has spoken of possible war crimes, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law. The war has displaced more than 10 million people in just one month  the fastest forced population movement since the Second World War.

Two weeks later, on April 19, Guterres announced his plan for the evacuation of the Azovstal bunkers, mentioning only civilians. The intense concentration of forces and firepower makes this battle inevitably more violent, bloody and destructive. The onslaught and terrible toll on civilians we have seen so far could pale in comparison to the horror that lies ahead. This cannot be allowed to happen.The humanitarian pause would provide the necessary conditions to meet two crucial imperatives. First, safe passage of all civilians willing to leave the areas of current and expected confrontation, in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Second, beyond humanitarian operations already taking place, a pause will allow for the safe delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid to people in the hardest-hit areas such as Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk. The United Nations is ready to send humanitarian aid convoys during this period to these locations. We are submitting detailed plans to the parties. Humanitarian needs are dire. People do not have food, water, supplies to treat the sick or wounded, or simply to live day to day.

When Guterres and Putin met the following week, on April 26, the Russians already suspected Guterres of planning his civilian evacuation scene to conceal the escape of the foreign officers from their Azovstal bunker. He was warned privately. Putins remarks were the public warning. Guterres stuck to his position in the only remark the Russian media caught him as saying at the meeting: We are deeply concerned about what is happening now. We believe that there has been an invasion of the territory of Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov (right), had announced on April 17 that up to four hundred foreign mercenaries were trapped [at Azovstal] Most of them are citizens of European countries, as well as Canada. We have already reported earlier that radio conversations between militants in Mariupol are conducted in six foreign languages. Konashenkov also announced that in addition to these foreigners there were up to 2,100 Ukrainian troops in Azovstal.

The Russian intelligence at the time was that far fewer civilians had been taken hostage or had voluntarily sought shelter in the Azovstal bunkers. It would turn out, two weeks later, that the number of civilians was 101. They were outnumbered by the foreign and Ukrainian combatants twenty-five to one.

Guterres knew this before he arrived in Moscow. There on April 26, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov revealed that Guterres had been briefed for several weeks by his own officials on the human shield and hostage-taking tactics of the Ukrainian forces during the battle for Mariupol, and inside the Azovstal bunker. After the UN Secretary-General contacted our Defence Ministry on March 4, 2022, Lavrov said in Guterress presence, we established the Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response at the National Defence Control Centre of the Russian Federation. UN representatives are coordinating practical matters to organise safe humanitarian deliveries.

Yesterday, May 5 New York time, Guterres was asked three questions to clarify what he had known about the combatants at Azovstal; when he had known it; and how he proposed to the Russians he met  as well as to the Ukrainians  to distinguish between the civilians and the combatants in the evacuation.

TO READ ENLARGED IMAGE, RIGHT CLICK AND CLICK ON NEW TAB.

Guterres has refused to answer. Instead, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: all I can tell you is that the United Nations and the international committee of the Red Cross are focused on evacuating civilians from Mariupol , including the steel plant. This is done in coordination with Ukrainian authorities and the Russian authorities on the ground. I have no further comment.

Dujarric (right) is a veteran reporter for the US television network ABC; before that he was a US foreign service trainee in Washington and a member of the Paris branch of the Rothschild banking family. In follow-up email he was asked to correct the error of fact in your comment. The UN and Red Cross evacuation of civilians did not focus on the civilians who opted not to go to the Kiev side at Zaporozhye; the ICRC statement makes explicit that other peoplewent elsewhere. Dujarric refused to answer.

On May 3 a press release by the Red Cross headquarters in Geneva announced that the five-day safe passage operation at Azovstal, which it had run with the UN, had evacuated several dozen civilians. Why the precise number, which was known, was left so vague in the announcement is unclear. Also left unclear by the Red Cross was why it had conducted the evacuation exclusively for those civilians from the bunker who chose to go to the Kiev government sides reception centre at Zaporozhye. Referring to those who opted to remain in the Donetsk Republic or seek refuge in Russia, the Red Cross statement said only other people from the plant went elsewhere.

On the difference between these two groups of civilians, the UN official at the scene explained what happened to a Russian reporter. The UN Humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, said that she had not seen any attempts to take people forcibly evacuated from Azovstal to Russia. I didnt have the feeling that there were any attempts to send people to Russia. This has not happened, as far as I know, Lubrani said. Lubrani also pointed out that people who did not want to go to the territory controlled by Ukraine made this choice of their own free will, there were about 30 of them.

Source: Osnat Lubrani in front of the Azovstal bus convoy assembled by the UN on April 30-May 1. See Osnatis Twitter postings.

Lubranis official statement, cleared by UN headquarters in New York and by the Ukrainians in Kiev, confirmed there had been 101 evacuees, and that 32 of them had opted for the Donetsk or Russian side. The operation started on Friday 29 April, Lubrani declared, and was agreed with the parties to the conflict, following engagements by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv. Note how the UN official ignored the large number of evacuees who opted against the Kiev side. She omitted altogether the discrepancy between the number of buses ordered and the number of civilian evacuees.

Also unclear is why the UN statement was precise on the number of evacuees while the Red Cross statement was vague.

Source: https://www.icrc.org/

On the same day, May 3, Guterres told Dujarric to issue a press release in which he claimed credit with the Red Cross for successfully evacuating more than 100 civilians. Again, Guterres evaded the issue of the civilians taken hostage by the Ukrainian forces and their foreign officers, and used by them as hostages and shields.

Source: https://www.un.org/

In Moscow the Russian Ministry of Defense announced officially that 101 people had been evacuated in the April 30-May 1 operation. The Russian reporters at the site also interviewed some of these civilians. In its report, Tsargrad counted that that more than 70 passenger buses had been sent by the UN and the Red Cross for civilians, who were hiding behind the militants who had settled on Azovstal. Quite a large number to rescue 100 hostages.

The bus capacity at Azovstal which had been delivered by the UN and Red Cross was more than 2,100. This was several magnitudes larger than the estimated total of civilians in the bunkers; it was roughly equal to the count of both civilians and combatants in the bunkers.

Russians sources believe that, despite the explicit warnings Guterres received from Putin and Lavrov in Moscow the week before, the Secretary-General authorized the plan to assist in a break-out by the combatants using the civilian evacuees as their shield.

Source: https://tsargrad.tv/

[*] Putins civility contrasts with the Belgian, French, German, British, South African and US governments. When they objected to what they regarded as the bias of UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, they killed him by arranging to bomb his aircraft in 1961. Thirty-five years later, when US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright objected to UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, she said publicly I will break his legs.
Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war  both real fog and stage fog  in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.

And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.

Yves

P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:

Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please dont do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.

* * *

Faithful Dog Refuses To Leave Side Of Friend Being Taken To The Hospital The Dodo (Li)

Can Animals Have Wealth Inequality? RealClearScience (Dr. Kevin)

Bird populations in eastern Canada declining due to forest degradation, research shows Oregon State University Resilc: I used to see more bird transits here in Vermont, heading north..

Goodwill Sold a Bust for $34.99. Its an Ancient Roman Relic. dnyuz (J-LS)

#COVID-19

Climate/Environment

The Emerald Isle

New Not-So-Cold War

Syraqistan

Big Brother Is Watching You Watch

Apple, Google, and Microsoft want to kill the password with Passkey standard ars technica (Kevin W). The only problem this is solving is allowing them to better snoop. Theres no user demand for this. This will assure that I will eventually move to Linux (and please dont tell me to do it now, I have no time, loathe complexity and a transfer is complex, and hate learning new software with the burning passion of a thousand suns).

Imperial Collapse Watch

Trump

Supremes

New ruling threatens Coast Guards high seas counter-drug mission Military Times (Kevin W)

Oregon law requires menstrual products in boys bathrooms New York Post (furzy)

Our No Longer Free Press

Florida pension fund sues Elon Musk and Twitter to stop buyout Guardian (furzy). Let me stress that that there may be case law that supports the argument of the plaintiff, so I could be all wet. However, voting shares in support of a merger (and here a specific one) is only one of the rights of ownership, which include being able to sell the stock and receive dividends. So unless the agreements granted other rights to Must, like requiring the owners not to sell their shares at all save to Musk in a tender offer, this sounds pretty iffy.

Column: U.S. gas prices soar as Europe and Asia scramble for LNG Reuters (resilc)

Legendary investor Jeremy Grantham says were in the fifth great bubble of the modern eraand warns the economy wont skate through a housing crisis Fortune

US stocks suffer longest streak of weekly losses in over a decade Financial Times

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour (Chet V):

And a bonus (furzy):

See yesterdays Antidote du Jour and Links here.
(Natural News) Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 106 children have died following Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.

A quick search on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) showed there had been 48,033 reports of adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines among children up to April 22. A similar search for serious adverse reactions among children, ranging from hospitalizations to permanent disability and death returned 12,548 results.

All these data showed that children have suffered adverse reactions to the COVID-19 injections  either through being breast-fed by vaccinated mothers or due to overeager healthcare workers who have been vaccinating children not yet legally eligible for the vaccines.

As of April 22, two children under six months died, as did four other children between ages one and five.

The information acquired from VAERS does not paint the whole picture. The CDC itself estimated that only one to 10 percent of adverse reactions are actually reported to the system. Thus, the number of children who died because of the vaccines could be as high as 10,600. (Related: Dr. Zelenko: Covid vaccine mandates for children are coercive human experimentation, crimes against humanity.)

Still, drug regulators in the U.S. are looking to authorize the administration of the injections to children as young as six months old.

Big Pharma pushes for COVID shots in children

Its been long established that children are the least affected by the COVID-19 virus, and vaccines are associated with serious adverse events. Yet, big pharmaceutical companies like Moderna are pushing through with their desire to vaccinate them as fast as possible by requesting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization of its two-dose vaccines for children as young as six months.

Public health officials, including the CDC, have consistently downplayed and ignored the natural immunity among children, despite studies confirming that it is equal to or even superior compared to vaccine-induced immunity.

Ironically, despite the agency forcing COVID-19 vaccines on children, it doesnt feel the same way for their chickenpox, measles, mumps or rubella vaccine. The agency said these vaccines are not necessary for individuals who have laboratory confirmation of past infections or had blood tests to show that they are immune to the aforementioned diseases.

Studies have also shown that children are at very low risk of spreading COVID-19 infection to other children or adults, as seen in household transmission studies.

A report from 2020 also said scientists observed children fare much better than adults when it comes to contracting the virus. Furthermore, they have far fewer illnesses or mortality from COVID.

Another research, this time from 2021, also revealed that the airway immune cells in children are ready to sense viruses, resulting in a stronger, earlier response to an infection compared to adults. (Related: Leaked top-secret Pfizer document shows COVID-19 vaccine is FAR MORE DANGEROUS than the world knows.)

Pfizer has also admitted that from its own study trial data, the chance of death in children from the COVID-19 vaccine shot is 107 times higher than death due to COVID itself. Children ages 10 to 14 were statistically 52 times more likely to die if they are double vaccinated. Teenagers aged 15 to 19 with two COVID shots were at least three times more likely to die than unvaccinated persons in the same age group.

Follow VaccineDamage.news for more information about the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch the clip below to know more about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines to children.

This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Florida surgeon general: COVID vaccine risks OUTWEIGH benefits for healthy children.

Covid vaccine mandates dangerous for children, warns former Australian medical official.

FDA trying to hide data showing Pfizers covid vaccine is seriously injuring children.

Fauci demands America use children as human guinea pigs for covid vaccine experiments.

Pfizer recorded so many adverse events that it had to hire 2,400 more employees to handle paperwork and data processing.

Sources include:

DailyExpose.uk

TheDesertReview.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A group of liberal, pro-abortion activists called for protests at the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices. The calls for protests followed the release of a leaked document that insinuated a potential overturn of the Roe v. Wade ruling.

The group, which used the name Ruth Sent Us (RSU), published the supposed home addresses of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

The groups website said: Our 6-3 extremist Supreme Court routinely issues rulings that hurt women, racial minorities, LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights. We must rise up to force accountability using a diversity of tactics.

According to RSUs website, it plans to visit the homes of the conservative magistrates on May 11. Fox News was subsequently told that there has been a strong police presence at the justices homes following the documents May 2 leak.

The groups name pertains to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September 2020. The liberal Ginsburg had been a staunch supporter of abortion from her 1993 appointment to the high court by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 until her passing.

Former President Donald Trump appointed Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett to the high court  with the latter taking over the seat vacated by Ginsburg. Thomas was appointed to the bench during the first Bush administration, while both Roberts and Alito were appointed during the second Bush administration.

The leaked document was a draft copy of Alitos opinion that upheld a Mississippi abortion law. If adopted by four other justices, it could overturn the 1973 Roe decision that upheld abortion. Roberts described the leak of Alitos opinion as a betrayal of the court, and subsequently ordered an investigation.

Republican lawmakers expressed outrage over the leak, while their Democratic counterparts sounded the alarm over a purported attack on womens rights.

Somebody  likely somebody inside the court itself  leaked a confidential brief to the press to stir up a pressure campaign. Whoever committed this lawless act knew exactly what it could bring about, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, meanwhile, wrote in a tweet: I dont care how the draft leaked; thats a sideshow. What I care about is that a small number of conservative justices, who lied about their plans to the Senate, intend to deprive millions of women of reproductive care.

Protesters also targeting churches following the drafts leak

A subsequent report by Tyler ONeil of Fox News said pro-abortion protesters were also planning to target Catholic churches on Mothers Day, May 8, in condemnation of the leaked opinion. RSU led the charge by tweeting a video of activists disrupting a church service.

Whether youre a Catholic for Choice, ex-Catholic, of other [faith] or no faith  recognize that six extremist Catholics [are] set out to overturn Roe. Stand at or in a local Catholic Church [on Sunday], May 8, RSU captioned the video.

Meanwhile, Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights (RU4AR) organized a week of action, which kicks off on May 8 with Actions Outside of Churches. An event schedule from RU4AR elaborated: Several cities will be hosting protests outside of prominent churches in their towns. These can look like a group of people holding signs [while] wearing The Handmaids Tale outfits, passing out flyers outside to churchgoers or doing a die-in.

Brian Burch, president of the advocacy group Catholic Vote, denounced the planned protests in a May 5 statement. In the wake of the shameless leak of a draft opinion of the Supreme Court, pro-abortion groups are now threatening to disrupt Catholic churches and to protest outside the homes of Supreme Court justices, he said. (Related: VIOLENCE IS THEIR RELIGION: Abortion advocates in LA attack cops with rocks, smash squad car windows.)

Burch also called on President Joe Biden to immediately and forcibly condemn these domestic terrorist threats. Biden, himself a Catholic, has drawn flak for his support of abortion.

Anti-Catholic zealots are planning to intimidate and harass Catholics across the country, along with justices and their families. This country was built on freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The president must stand up for both.

Uprising.news has more stories about protests and demonstrations.

Watch this video as Jenna Ellis, member of the Trump legal team, called Alitos leaked opinion an insurrection.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Howling leftist demons call for targeted violence against high court justices over Supreme Court plan to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Elizabeth Warren fumes over leak about Roe v. Wade, says extremist pro-life Supreme Court justices need to be investigated.

STUNNER: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade abortion ruling in draft decision; leak to media aimed at inciting violence, civil war.

Democrats trying to RIG Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade just like they rigged the 2020 election if they dont CHEAT, they cant win.

In fight for ABORTION, the radical Left suddenly rediscovers the gender of WOMEN but wants to exploit women to justify VIOLENCE against infants.

Sources include:

FoxNews.com 1

Twitter.com

FoxNews.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The only reason why the Democratic Party has any voters at all is due to the fact that they are masters of political disguise.

If the partys members ever came clean about who they really are and what they really want  the literal destruction of our country  the party would quickly become extinct.

A classic example of this duplicitous behavior can be found in a new piece of legislation that Democrats are claiming will allegedly rid the U.S. military and local police forces of bigots and racists but in reality, is aimed at culling the ranks of political opponents under the false guise of ridding them of bigots and racists, as The Federalist reports:

A bill in Congress would create new domestic terrorism units within the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and FBI tasked with spying on Americans considered terrorist threats, then investigating and prosecuting them.

H.R. 350, also known as the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (DTPA) of 2022, is making its way through the House Judiciary Committee. It would give federal law enforcement agencies the power to classify as domestic terrorism whatever the federal government considers a hate crime. One of the new domestic terrorism agencies the bill would create would focus on domestic terrorism matters that may also be hate crime incidents.

The new domestic terrorism agencies would also ensure that such programs include training and resources to assistlaw enforcement agencies in understanding, detecting, deterring, and investigating acts of domestic terrorism and White supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of law enforcement and corrections agencies.

Mind you, this is a Democrat-sponsored bill, and these days, an increasing number of Democrats are little more than counter-revolutionary activists who hate the Constitution, hate our country as founded, and believe any display of patriotism is a blatant display of white supremacy (yes, even if an American of color is being patriotic). That is stated openly by the purveyors of the racist and historically inaccurate 1619 Project and its champions burrowed within the federal bureaucracy.

Critical race theory states that anyone born white is essentially a white supremacist in waiting and is immediately born into a society dominated by white privilege. This disturbing piece of legislation, then, would literally weaponize federal agencies against a large segment of society including the power to charge patriotic members of the U.S. military and local police agencies who are constitutionalists with domestic terrorism due to the commission of a hate crime of white supremacy.

And in fact, as The Federalist notes, the use of racial division to take power away from local police and give it to federal agencies is already underway:

The Biden administration has also already proven itself willing to apply the extremist label of domestic terrorists to parents who publicly disagree with critical race theory at local school board meetings. This bill is exactly in step with that view of dissent as not only merely criminal, but an act of domestic terrorism. So is the Biden White Houses new Disinformation Governance Board, which also classifies dissent as a concern for federal law enforcement.

In addition to targeting local police, the bill establishes a federal task force to analyze and combat White supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the uniformed services and Federal law enforcement agencies.

While most Americans readily support monitoring and heading off actual domestic terrorism of the type associated with acts of subversion and/or violence, speech is not an act of domestic terrorism; having a different political opinion or societal viewpoint does not make one a domestic terrorist.

But clearly, the Democratic Party and the Biden regime are working in tandem to make political opposition to their lunacy an actionable criminal act. Anyone who still doesnt believe the Democrats want to literally silence conservatives by jailing them should read this bill.

It is just the latest act of a party disguising its true intentions because to admit them would be political suicide.

Sources include:

TheFederalist.com

NewsTarget.com
(Natural News) The mainstream media is now openly discussing the fact that many pharmaceutical drugs contain ingredients derived from the venom of snakes and other reptiles and creatures.

In a new feature piece, The New York Times profiled how the field of venomics is growing. Teasing apart venom proteins has become Big Pharmas forte, resulting in the development of many new drugs. (Related: Check out this piece we recently published about the burgeoning market for venom-derived drugs.)

A century ago, we thought venom had three or four components, and now we know just one type of venom can have thousands, says Leslie V. Boyer, a professor emeritus of pathology at the University of Arizona.

Things are accelerating because a small number of very good laboratories have been pumping out information that everyone else can now use to make discoveries. Theres a pharmacopoeia out there waiting to be explored.

The Times describes venomics as modern-day scientific alchemy, and that is precisely what it is: The manipulation and transformation of animal defense materials into drug medicines.

Venom-derived drugs have been around since the 1970s

One venom-derived drug currently being worked on in Australia is based on extracts from the funnel web spider. Researchers say this creatures venom can be used to halt cell death following a heart attack.

Scientists were able to create a protein called Hi1A that they say blocks the ability of cells in beating human hearts to sense acid, so the death message is blocked, cell death is reduced, and we see improved heart cell survival, says Nathan Palpant, one of the researchers involved with the project.

If all goes as planned, the funnel web spider-based drug could be used by emergency medical workers to potentially improve outcomes in heart transplants by protecting the donor heart for a longer period of time.

It looks like its going to be a heart attack wonder drug, said Bryan Fry, an associate professor of toxicology at The University of Queensland. And its from one of the most vilified creatures in Australia, he added.

Venomics has been around for several decades, but only recently has the technology grown to the point that Big Pharma is able to manipulate it for wide-scale use.

We can do assays nowadays using only a couple of micrograms of venom that 10 or 15 years ago would have required hundreds of micrograms, Fry added.

What this has done is open up all the other venomous lineages out there that produce tiny amounts of material.

Many different animals produce venom, and each type is unique. Reptiles, insects, spiders, snails and jellyfish, among many other creatures, all make it in varying quantities, and at varying concentrations.

We are made of protein and our protein has little complex configurations on it that make us human, says Boyer, the founder of the Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology, and Emergency Response Institute, also known as VIPER.

And those little configurations are targets of the venom.

The first venom-derived drug to ever hit the market is called captopril. It was developed in the 1970s from the venom of a Brazilian jararaca pit viper to treat high blood pressure.

Another one called exenatide for type 2 diabetes was derived from the venom of the Gila monster, while still another, draculin, was developed from vampire bat venom as an anticoagulant to treat stroke and heart attack.

Right now, the venom of the Israeli deathstalker scorpion is undergoing clinical trials as a treatment for breast and colon tumors.

According to Boyer, Arizona is venom central. There are more venomous creatures there than in any other state.

More related news can be found at PharmaSnakes.com.

Sources for this article include:

NYTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Senior officials claimed that the United States has provided intelligence that helped Ukrainians target and kill Russian generals.

The officials confirmed this on the condition of anonymity. However, they refused to specify how many Russian generals were killed as a result of this intelligence. Data exchanged between Washington and Kyiv include information about Russian units on the field, predicted troop movements based on American assessments of the Kremlins strategy and the real-time location of the Russian militarys mobile headquarters.

Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, have combined the U.S.-provided intelligence with their own to conduct artillery strikes and other attacks. These include intercepted communications that alert the Ukrainian military to the presence of senior Russian officers. Kyiv claims it has killed approximately 12 generals.

Aside from playing a role in the death of Russian generals, intelligence support provided by Washington has confirmed the location of targets identified by Ukrainian military force and has pointed to new targets. Other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have also provided real-time intelligence to Kyiv.

While the Biden administration has sought to keep much of the battlefield intelligence secret, top White House officials confirmed that Kyiv is being fed U.S. intelligence.

Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. is indeed providing the Ukrainians with information and intelligence that they can use to defend themselves. But he quickly added that the Pentagon will not speak to the details of that information.

Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement that the battlefield intelligence provided to Kyiv was not given with the intent to kill Russian generals.

Not all military strikes against Moscow were aided by U.S. intelligence, the anonymous American officials said, citing one attack in eastern Ukraine that killed Russian General Valery Gerasimov. The U.S prohibits itself from providing intelligence about the most senior Russian leaders, they added.

US already has its fingers in Ukraine since 2015

Washingtons involvement in Ukraine is not only limited to sharing battlefield intelligence. A report revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has trained Ukrainian forces since 2015.

According to InfoWars, the CIA had been training the Ukrainian military since 2015 in preparation for a potential conflict with Russia. An unnamed former senior official at the agency confirmed this, adding that the training program commenced after former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted.

Under the program, a select group of CIA paramilitary personnel were deployed to the Donbas region to instill key skills for irregular warfare to their Ukrainian counterparts. (Related: Report: CIA has been training the Ukrainian military since 2015.)

These skills included sniper techniques, operating U.S.-supplied equipment such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, evading digital tracking used by the Russians, using covert communications tools and remaining undetected in the battlefield. The Ukrainians were also taught how to draw out Russian forces and their separatist allies from their positions.

We tried to really focus on operational planning, then really hard military skills like long-range marksmanship. Not just the capacity to do it, but to know how to do it on a battlefield  [so] to really deplete the leadership on the other side, said the former official.

He added that the CIA training had a two-fold purpose. First, it sought to determine how the intelligence agency could best help train Ukrainian soldiers to fight against the Russians and their allies in the separatist region. Second, it sought to test the Ukrainians backbone if they were indeed ready for battle.

According to the official, the CIA believes its presence in Ukraine could trigger a major conflict with Russia. Everything we did in Ukraine had a chance to be misinterpreted, and escalate the tensions. One miscalculation, one overzealous paramilitary guy, and weve got ourselves a problem, he said.

The paramilitary training program operated for years. But it immediately came to a halt, with the Biden administration pulling all CIA personnel out of the country as the Russia-Ukraine war loomed.

WWIII.news has more stories about the role of U.S. intelligence in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Watch author and journalist Douglas Valentine talking about the CIAs involvement in Ukraine below.

This video is from the CONSERVATIVE POLITICS & NWO channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

US scrambles to cover up bioweapons labs in Ukraine.

Retired Col. Douglas Macgregor: America is waging a proxy war in Ukraine.

Will the Russia-Ukraine conflict end with the collapse of Western civilization?

US sending billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine that could end up in Russias hands.

US weapons sent to Ukraine appear to be disappearing into big black hole, intelligence official warns.

Sources include:



DNyuz.com

InfoWars.com

News.Yahoo.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) In a civilized society, violence, intimidation and rioting are not used as political tools. Unfortunately, the United States is no longer a civilized society, and violence, intimidation and rioting are now regularly being used as political weapons. On Monday, I posted an article warning that there would soon be chaos in the streets, and many others have issued similar warnings. Unfortunately, it didnt take long for the violence to start. As you will see below, on Tuesday there was an extremely disturbing clash between pro-abortion protesters and police in the Pershing Square area of Los Angeles. Sadly, this is just the beginning. I expect more rioting during the weeks leading up to the official unveiling of the Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs case, but the real violence will come once it has been confirmed that the Court has actually chosen to overturn Roe v. Wade.

(Article republished from EndOfTheAmericanDream.com)

It all began after the sun went down on Tuesday evening. Protesters began to congregate at a key intersection, and when police arrived at the scene those that had gathered began throwing rocks and bottles at them

Around 8:50 p.m., the LAPD sent out a tweet urging people to avoid the area due to police activity which was expected to cause traffic delays and congestion. Chief Moore later said that some of those who were in attendance at the rally attempted to take the intersection and some in the crowd threw rocks and bottles at officers as police tried to clear the area.

Needless to say, this incident reminds a lot of people of the horrifying riots that we witnessed in the middle of 2020.

The back window of a police vehicle was smashed by a crazed protester, and according to NBC Los Angeles at least one police officer was actually injured during the melee

A citywide tactical alert was ordered Tuesday after a Los Angeles Police Department officer was injured while attempting to control a group of protesters near Pershing Square.

I could try to describe how chaotic things became, but it will be better if I just show you.

The following are some of the best videos and images from the rioting that I could find

NOW: LAPD attempt to arrest pro-choice protesters but fail as they get mobbed by rioters. pic.twitter.com/XWn9xC23Hk  Katie Daviscourt?? (@KatieDaviscourt) May 4, 2022

The Department of Homeland Security is getting aggressive here in Downtown Los Angeles at the pro-choice protest pic.twitter.com/dX12CVqK8Y  Vishal P. Singh (they/he) ????? (@VPS_Reports) May 4, 2022

Far-left rioters threatened police at the pro-abortion direct action in Los Angeles last night. pic.twitter.com/jfbVCnlGLV  Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) May 4, 2022

Los Angeles: Far-left pro-abortion protesters threaten law enforcement before back-up arrives & pushes them back. pic.twitter.com/UdswTGIR1K  Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) May 4, 2022

Pro-abortion protestors smash windows tonight in Los Angeles: pic.twitter.com/HwGyOqGd0Z  Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 4, 2022

Never miss an opportunity to indoctrinate pic.twitter.com/vxaHz1pxeG  austin frisch (@realaustinzone) May 4, 2022

?#BREAKING: Protesters clashing with police Downtown LA?

?#LosAngeles l #California Right now LA police are requesting backup as protests in LA have turned violent with one cop having a head injury, and several protestors being arrested a tactical alert has been declared pic.twitter.com/H27L40WtFo  R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 4, 2022

This is not how our society is supposed to function, and this sort of thing should not be happening in the United States of America.

But there is little doubt that we will soon see even more violence.

Many people simply do not understand how important Roe v. Wade is for the radical left. For them, it is essentially one of the core pillars of our entire political system.

I know that may sound absurd to you, but the truth is that many on the left actually use the word sacred to describe the right to abortion. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley was 100 percent correct when he told Tucker Carlson that abortion is religion for the left

Abortion is religion for the left, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Miss.), a former law clerk for Chief Justice John Roberts, told Fox Newss Tucker Carlson Tuesday night. Hawley said leftists are willing to do anything to defend that religion and to force it on everybody else, and that is why theyre willing to burn down the court as an institution, you know, theyre only for the institution if it does exactly what they say it should do.

Throughout human history, pagan religions have adopted rituals that involve the termination of children.

Even though many of those that are pro-abortion today are not overtly religious, they still fight for the right to terminate their children with religious fervor.

And I find it quite interesting that Joe Biden chose to use religious terminology during remarks that he just made about the importance of Roe

Read more at: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com
(Natural News) Russia has claimed that it has made a radical new weapons system that can render enemy satellites and weapons futile. According to Russian makers, it is a fundamentally new electronic warfare system that can be installed on ground-based, as well as air- and sea-borne, carriers.

The new electronic warfare system is said to be capable of quashing cruise missile and other high-precision weaponry guidance systems and satellite radio-electronic equipment. The system, which sounds like scalar type weaponry, can also target the enemys electronic means, military satellites and deck-based, tactical, long-range and strategic aircraft.

Applications in various warfare scenarios of scalar wave technology have long been known. A video titled Secret Super Weapons That Drive Disarmament Negotiations-Lt. Col. Thomas Bearden takes a deep look into the theory of scalar directed energy weapons and how it can be used against humans if Russia were to launch an attack against the United States.

Whats most concerning is its effects on nuclear weapons and radioactive materials, which can be catastrophic. Other factors of great importance is the possible use of the Russian HAARP-style woodpecker transmitter, which is said to have been partly responsible for the Chernobyl reactor failures. (Related: New NASA research points to possible HAARP connection in Japan earthquake, tsunami.)

Ukraine disposed of all of its stocks of highly enriched uranium purportedly out of fear of Russia employing scalar weapons to have Ukraines own materials blow up and render the country radioactive for centuries.

Russians already using scalar weapons systems

Systems like satellite-based lasers, webs of listening devices and other non-specified new technologies for uncovering and identifying submarine locations already exist. In his lecture, Bearden said the Russians have these kinds of technology using scalar weapons system.

This system was allegedly brought by former Soviet Navy Admiral Sergey Gorshkov, known as the father of the Soviet Ocean Fleet and the commander in chief of the Soviet Navy from 1956 to 1985. Gorshkov once claimed that we have made the oceans of the world transparent.

It must be noted that there are more claims to Russian advances in scalar weapons systems than just the information provided by Bearden.

The technology also means American missiles and bombers can be attacked on the ground or in the initial launch phases when they are still of low velocity to make them easy targets.

Bearden claimed an early test model of the scalar wave generator was used  instead of an anti-aircraft rocket  to bring down Gary Powers U2 spy plane.

There are several examples of documented sightings of probable scalar weapons activity, but nothing could be found from any web searches. This could mean that they are fake news, but could also mean that they are classified information and dangerous.

Bearden, a retired lieutenant colonel who works as a weapons analyst for an aerospace company, has been gathering reports of unexplained explosions such as a 1976 sighting in Afghanistan of gigantic, expanding spheres of light emanating from deep within the Soviet Union.

According to Bearden, one can make extremely powerful weapons by merging and concentrating electromagnetic and gravity waves. Bearden noted that this could very well be what former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was referring to 25 years ago when he announced the Russians had a fantastic weapon that could destroy life on Earth.

Follow WeaponsTechnology.news for more news about high-tech weapons systems.

Watch the video below to know more about scalar weapons system.

This video is from the RDChillin channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russia, China building powerful, exotic, new weapons capable of destroying American coastlines and entire cities by stealth.

China, Russia, working on weapons that can kill US GPS satellites.

Russia once again warns of a possible nuclear strike against Ukraine.

Russia building up massive military presence in Arctic with advanced secret weapons, occupying the high ground of planet Earth.

Report: US lags behind Russia, China in hypersonic weapons race.

Sources include:

All News Pipeline.com

Britannica.com 1

Britannica.com 2
(Natural News) Joe Biden has already committed a number of impeachable offenses in the minds of many, but perhaps the worst offense is his refusal to enforce immigration laws.

On his first day in office, Biden signed dozens of executive orders and actions, among them reversing nearly all of President Donald Trumps border security and immigration enforcement policies, putting our country at risk and literally destroying American sovereignty.

What happened next was predicted: Our southwest border, which was essentially secure under Trump, immediately became inundated with record numbers of illegal migrants. Whats more, instead of turning them away as the law requires, the regimes lackey, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, instructed border and immigration agents to release most of those who crossed illegally into the heartland of the country.

Both of these men are in serious violation of U.S. laws and the Constitution, and they have been repeatedly taken to court over their horrid policies. But for some reason, writes Andrew Arthur, the resident fellow in law and policy for the Center for Immigration Studies, none of the states have argued that Biden and his DHS Toadie are in violation of the most important border security law, the Secure Fence Act of 2006.

Arthur points out in a recently published analysis that the law is not just about fences, but in reality, is one of the most significant in terms of mandating that administrations ensure full enforcement of border integrity:

The Southwest border, which prior to January 2021 was in pretty good shape, is teetering on dissolution due largely to President Bidens ham-handed rescission of nearly all of the policies his predecessor implemented to deter illegal migration there, Arthurs legal analysis begins.

States have sued (thus far, successfully) to block Biden from rescinding the most effective of those Trump policies, but for some reason neither they nor reviewing courts have paid attention to the most important border law  the Secure Fence Act of 2006, Arthur continued.

Its title notwithstanding, the Secure Fence Act is not just about building fences at the border, although that is what it is best remembered for.

Rather, the fences and other infrastructure that the bill authorized and mandated were intended to be just a part of a regime to secure the nations borders, and in particular the Southwest border. Thats not to say that the Northern border was given short shrift, but the bill simply authorized a study of the need for and feasibility of erecting infrastructure along the 49th parallel, it did not mandate construction there.

By contrast, the Secure Fence Act was rather exacting (and specific) when it came to fencing and security improvements between the Gulf and Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

Signed into law by then-President George Bush, Section 2 of the measure mandates achieving operational control on the border, something that is simply not occurring given the record numbers of encounters with illegal migrants since Biden took office and reversed Trumps policies.

Why Isnt Anyone Talking About the Most Important Border Law?

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 isnt just about fences  it mandates that DHS prevent all illegal entries https://t.co/tK8AOotqr0 via @CIS_org  Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) April 8, 2022

Mayorkas is required under the law to ensure operational control, Arthur points out.

It is a congressional mandate that the secretary of Homeland Security is required to meet under Section 2(a) of the Secure Fence Act, which states as follows, he noted, adding the relevant section:

Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all actions the Secretary determines necessary and appropriate to achieve and maintain operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States.

In addition, both men are also violating an older law, Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires that all migrants caught crossing illegally into the U.S. be detained (or deported) until their cases are heard by an immigration judge.

Without a doubt, Biden and Mayorkas are refusing to do the jobs they swore to do and they need to be charged and held accountable.

Sources include:

PatriotsForAmerica.news

CIS.org
(Natural News) Big Pharma Johnson & Johnson and three of the countrys biggest drug wholesalers have agreed to a $589 million settlement with hundreds of Native American tribes who accused the companies of contributing to their opioid crises.

According to The Epoch Times, the three big pharma distributors  Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen Corp., and McKesson Corp.  will pay out more than $439 million over the course of seven years, while Janssen-owned J&J has said it would pay $150 over two years.

The report noted that plaintiffs accused the big pharma firms of not honestly stating the risks of becoming addicted to opioids when it began marketing them years ago. Also, the tribes accused the distributors of allowing highly addictive painkillers to be diverted to illegal channels, court filings noted.

Represented by the Tribal Leadership Community, the Native American tribes said in their court filings that their individual governments have spent considerable tribal funds to cover the costs of the opioid crisis that included expenses for health care, social services, child welfare, law enforcement, and other government services, all of which have imposed severe financial burdens on plaintiffs.

Were not solving the opioid crisis with the settlement, but we are getting critical resources to tribal communities to address the crisis, said Steven Skikos, a lawyer for the tribes, in a Zoom-like court hearing, according to Reuters report.

The Epoch Times reported further:

J&J told Reuters in a statement that it did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement and that the company was appropriate and responsible in its role of promoting opioid pain relief prescription medications.

This follows a 2019 lawsuit in which the drug distributors agreed to pay $75 million to resolve similar claims made by Cherokee Nation, one of the largest Cherokee tribes recognized by the federal government.

A 2016 report released by the National Congress of American Indians found that American Indians suffered the highest rate (8.4 overdose deaths per 100,000 people) of opioid overdoses, followed by whites (7.9 overdose deaths per 100,000 people).

According to the outlet and court filings, all 574 Native tribes recognized by the federal government will get a share of the settlement money even if they have not filed legal action, Tara Sutton, another lawyer for the tribes, noted in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

The tribal settlements come on the heels of a $26 billion settlement with 44 states proposed by J&J and the three drug distributors to resolve literally thousands of similar lawsuits, all of which have accused all four of the companies of enabling and then worsening the opioid epidemic, which has killed tens of thousands of Americans via overdose.

Native Americans have endured disproportionately high opioid-related overdose deaths, by many metrics, The New York Times reported.

In 2016, for example, Oglala Lakota County in South Dakota, home to the Oglala Lakota tribe, had an opioid-related death rate of 21 people per 100,000, more than twice the state average. According to one study, pregnant American Indian women were as much as 8.7 times more likely than pregnant women from other demographic groups to be diagnosed with opioid dependency or abuse, the paper continued.

Tribal leaders and officials said that any settlement money received will go towards combatting the epidemic.

My tribe has already committed to use any proceeds to confront the opioid crisis, said the chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa in Michigan, on behalf of all 45,000 members.

The impact of the opioid epidemic is pervasive, such that tribes need all the resources we can secure to make our tribal communities whole once again, he added.

The Times reported that tribes did not get a seat at the table when it came to settlement money from Big Tobacco, but U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster, who is presiding over the thousands of merged opioid cases in Cleveland, ruled that they can bring their own legal action separate from states.

Sources include:

NYTimes.com

TheEpochTimes.com
(Natural News) The Biden regimes new Ministry of Truth, also known as the Disinformation Board of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is nothing more than authoritarianism in disguise.

That disguise is about as obvious as it gets, demonstrating that the government no longer cares what people think about its totalitarianism to the point that camouflaging its true agenda is apparently no longer necessary.

Bidens puppet-masters have basically come out of the closet as the tyrants they always were with this new DHS arm, which claims to fight disinformation on the internet. What they really mean, of course, is that telling the truth will soon be criminalized.

For some, telling the truth is already criminalized (i.e., Edward Snowden). For many others, it will soon be apparent that anything other than political correctness is now off limits in the Land of the Free. (Related: The Biden regimes Disinformation Board expects us to believe that men can become women, and vice versa.)

The witch hunt against truth really started to reach a fever pitch after Donald Trump was elected president in 2020. Suddenly, everything conservatives said and believed was dubbed as Russian disinformation, and the Kremlin was blamed for Trumps win.

Now we have Hunters dad, and anti-Russia xenophobia is off the charts, as is the federal governments crusade against anything that questions its official story on a given matter.

This same strategic motive  to vest accusations of disinformation with the veneer of expertise  is what has fostered a new, very well-financed industry heralding itself as composed of anti-disinformation scholars, explains Glenn Greenwald on his Substack.

Knowing that Americans are inculcated from childhood to believe that censorship is nefarious  that it is the hallmark of tyranny  those who wish to censor need to find some ennobling rationale to justify it and disguise what it is.

Big Tech and Big Government are both on an anti-truth crusade

There have been many iterations of government censorship programs over the years, many having benign names such as The Atlantic Council and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Fact-checking is another illusory form of censorship that has cropped up in recent years, also with the same goal of stamping out truth by branding it as disinformation.

Just as media corporations re-branded their partisan pundits as fact-checkers  to masquerade their opinions as elevated, apolitical authoritative, decrees of expertise  the term disinformation expert is designed to disguise ideological views on behalf of state and corporate power centers as Official Truth, Greenwald contends.

Yet when one subjects these groups to even minimal investigative scrutiny, one finds that they are anything but apolitical and neutral. They are often funded by the same small handful of liberal billionaires (such as George Soros and Pierre Omidyar), actual security state agencies of the U.S., the UK or the EU, and / or Big Tech monopolies such as Google and Facebook.

The very idea of institutional authority being the sole arbiter of truth is fraudulent. It gives propagandists official-sounding titles and makes them appear as experts, when the reality is that they exist to steer people away from truth and critical thinking.

The mainstream medias constant reliance on former intelligence officials for information throughout the Trump administration is one example of how the scam works. It is an appeal to false authority, which is what the Biden regime is now doing with its Disinformation Board.

There is no conceivable circumstance in which a domestic law enforcement agency like DHS should be claiming the power to decree truth and falsity, Greenwald warns.

Operatives in the U.S. Security State are not devoted to combatting disinformation. The opposite is true: they are trained, career liars tasked with concocting and spreading disinformation.

To keep up with the latest news on this topic, be sure to check out Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

Greenwald.substack.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) If you do any kind of business through PayPal, you might want to reconsider. The Big Tech platform is reportedly now seizing accounts and threatening to steal cash from people and companies that question the government.

Consortium News and MintPress both learned this the hard way recently after PayPal deleted their accounts. Both independent media outlets received a message stating, You cant use PayPal anymore, along with the following:

At PayPal, we value a safer community for our customers to do business. We noticed activity in your account thats inconsistent with our User Agreement, and therefore we can no longer offer you PayPal services.

The message went on to explain that any associated bank and credit card details can no longer be removed or added, and that any money in the account will be held for up to 180 days.

After 180 days, if applicable, well email you with information on how to withdraw any remaining money from your PayPal account, the message concluded.

Unless you want your money stolen from you, its best to flee PayPal as soon as possible

According to Consortium editor Joe Lauria, who was able to speak to an actual human at PayPal about the frozen or held funds, PayPal could keep the money forever if it deems that there was a violation.

It is possible, a company representative told Lauria, that his papers remaining $9,384.14 balance in PayPal could be seized for good if the company decides to keep it. That amount would cover damages, he was told.

A secretive process in which they could award themselves damages, not by a judge or a jury, Lauria explained to Matt Taibbi. Totally in secret.

One primary focus of Consortium is exploring disinformation emanating from the United States intelligence community. Recent topics include NATO and the Pentagons involvement in the Ukrainian bioweapons laboratories, as well as the Russiagate scandal.

Consortium also regularly covered the Julian Assange case, and was one of the few news outlets to offer sympathy rather than condemnation.

The site has had content disrupted by platforms like Facebook before, but now its pockets are being picked in addition, Taibbi writes.

This episode ups the ante again on the content moderation movement, toward the world hinted at in the response to the Canadian trucker protests, where having the wrong opinions can result in your money being frozen or seized.

It is one thing to censor content, but it is a whole other thing to start stealing money from people and groups with which you disagree. But this is what is now happening at PayPal, which is why patriots would do well to link up with a different platform as soon as possible.

Going after cash is a big jump from simply deleting speech, with a much bigger chilling effect, Taibbi adds.

This is especially true in the alternative media world, where money has long been notoriously tight, and the loss of a few thousand dollars here or there can have a major effect on a site, podcast, or paper.

MintPress founder and executive director Mnar Adley says that PayPal first started conspiring with government intelligence to target the finances of independent news outlets in 2010 when it made the historic decision to halt all donations to Wikileaks.

PayPal reportedly received a letter from the State Department claiming that the donations were illegal, and without any protest PayPal fell right in line with the governments demands.

PayPal banning donations from WikiLeaks really set up the blueprint for todays censorship, Adley says.

More related news about PayPal and other such Big Tech platforms can be found at Corruption.news.

Sources for this article include:

Taibbi.substack.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A report published last month claimed that there were dozens of NATO military trainers trapped in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after it was encircled by invading Russian forces.

The report, posted to the website The Saker, said that the information was based on confirmation by the Russian government and military officials:

Firstly Russian State Duma member Adam Delimkhanov in an interview with RT has openly stated he estimates around 100 such foreigners there, and that they are in communication with them and the rumors are true that they are trying to negotiate a release and escape corridor. It seems to imply all those Macron rumors were accurate.

The report then linked to a report posted at the video-sharing site Bitchute, which said that trainers from Britain, France, and even neutral Sweden were trapped in the city.

WATCH:

A Sputnik News report also noted that according to Russian communication intercepts, there were a significant number of foreign mercenaries also stuck inside the city:

The joint Russian military-Donetsk Peoples Militia operation to free the Azov Sea-adjacent city of Mariupol has turned into one of the toughest slogs of the campaign in Ukraine, with Ukrainian military and neo-Nazi Azov units setting up defenses inside the city, taking civilians hostage, and turning the battle into a brutal house-by-house fight.

Significant numbers of foreign mercenaries are active in those areas of Mariupol which remain under Ukrainian control, Russian Ministry of Defence spokesman Igor Konashenkov has reported.

The joint operation of the troops of the Donetsk Peoples Republic and units of the Russian armed forces to liberate the city of Mariupol continues. The results of an analysis of radio intercepts show that in addition to neo-Nazi elements from the Azov regiment and the remnants of the Ukrainian armed forces, a significant number of foreign mercenaries are located in the occupied areas of the city, Konashenkov said in a press briefing late last week.

In addition to Ukrainian and Russian, radio communications are being carried out in six other mainly European foreign languages, he added.

Another report by Sputnik noted that a Ukrainian vessel attempted to break through Russias naval blockade of Mariupol and rescue the trapped mercenaries, but to no avail.

On the evening of 8 April, the regime in Kiev made a new unsuccessful attempt to evacuate the neo-Nazi fighters leaders [trapped in Mariupol] by sea. In the evening darkness the Ukrainian dry cargo vessel Apache, assigned to the Maltese port of Valletta and flying the Maltese flag, followed a caravan of ships from Taganrog Bay to the Kerch Strait, Konashenkov added at a separate press briefing.

Warships belonging to Russias Black Sea Fleet enforced the blockade around Mariupol, the Sputnik report added.

At 10:38 pm, 30 km southeast of Mariupol, the vessel abruptly changed course and attempted to break through to the Mariupol port, blocked from the sea by forces of the [Russian] Black Sea Fleet, Konashenkov said.

The Apache ignored commands from Russian patrol ships to respond via an international communications channel. Also, the vessel ignored warning shots from Russian warships attempting to get the vessel to change course.

Rather, someone from the vessel radioed instead, This is Maniac, I am coming for you, while signal fires were observed from areas along the shore controlled by Ukrainian forces.

Russian naval fire struck the Apache, the report said, causing a fire but it was controlled and extinguished by the vessels crew and there were no reported injuries. Russian forces boarded the vessel and inspected it before taking it to the port of Yeysk in Russias Krasnodar region.

A day earlier, a pair of Ukrainian Mi-8 transport helicopters were shot down by Russian troops using man-portable missiles as they, too, attempted a rescue.

NATO is doing all it can to get involved in this war, and thats going to be a huge mistake.

Sources include:

SputnikNews.com

TheSaker.is
(Natural News) Rational Americans on both sides of the aisle know in their hearts that the 2020 election was stolen from President Donald Trump, but yeomans work and a thorough investigation by a voter integrity organization have now produced direct evidence of it.

Turning Point USA founder and executive director, Charlie Kirk, conducted an interview with ballot integrity group True the Votes Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Philips last week to discuss the organizations extremely high-tech probe into an organized crime ballot trafficking operation they say most definitely tipped the election to Joe Biden.

Philips began by noting that the acts of stuffing ballot boxes in various parts of the country  which occurred mostly in swing states  mimicked a pattern with every operation featuring a set of collectors, a collection point or stash house for all the ballots, the bundling of those ballots, and then the casting of those ballots [in the drop boxes] by, what we were calling, mules.

And as we began putting the pieces and parts together, it really did dawn on us: Well, this sounds like whats happening in Atlanta or in San Luis, Arizona This was a conspiracy, this was organized crime, he explained.

At one point in the interview, Engelbrecht talked about the fateful moment when she turned to Philips and asked, How do we take down a cartel?

Thats when we began to use the terms like stash houses, and drop points, and mules, and trafficking, and voter abuse because thats what were looking at, she said.

A press release noted:

True the Vote spent $2 million to buy publicly available cell phone data that can pinpoint an individuals location to within a few inches. They then narrowed their search to targets that began visiting drop boxes and NGO offices during the early voting weeks leading up to November 3rd, activity that was contrary to their prior pattern of life. In Georgia, the threshold was at least two dozen trips to drop boxes and five visits to a non-profit.

The organization used open records requests to obtain as much surveillance video of dropboxes as they could get, which went a long way in helping them determine that indeed, ballot trafficking and dropbox-stuffing operations occurred.

Also, they examined chain of custody documents to see what an average day looked like at any given dropbox location. According to the records, they found that normal ballot drop-off rates were punctuated by spokes in ballot receipts, which helped the researchers identify specific dates and times to examine the nearly 4 million minutes worth of video footage obtained.

BREAKING! GEORGIA!? Video appears to show illegal ballot harvester in Gwinnett County on Oct 12, 2020! He fans out ballots, takes a photo, & places them in the dropbox. Its been reported that illegal ballot harvesters were paid $10 per ballot, & had to show proof. @RealAmVoice pic.twitter.com/dEejRiSrX7  Heather Mullins  Real Americas Voice (RAV-TV) (@TalkMullins) January 29, 2022

This is how money laundering works, Philips said. This is not just a one-off thing, this is not some Democrat activist that really wanted Trump gone and might have had a couple friends do this. This was a machine.

Kirk asked which state saw the most trafficking activity.

Pennsylvania, Philips responded. The worst in every way: 1,155 people met our criteria in Philadelphia.

Whats even more insane is watching the data, watching the pings come across the bridge in New Jersey and into Philly, Englebrecht noted further, strongly suggesting that the traffickers crossed state lines in order to allegedly commit ballot fraud  a massive RICO felony.

In addition to Philadelphia, both researchers noted that two mules in Arizona made their way to Georgia for the runoff elections, both of which went to Democratic candidates. And a bartender in South Carolina came in to help out in Atlanta, Philips said.

Whats worse, Philips charged, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSA) knew about the systematic ballot stuffing and did nothing.

We learned that there were off-duty law enforcement officers, paid for by the Republican Party, that reported all of this. And [the NRSA] just covered it up, Philips said.

WATCH:

Sources include:

CharlieKirk.com

NaturalNews.com
The natural world around us is continuously inspirational, intriguing, and occasionally bizarre, as seen by a shot of Bolivian river dolphins swimming about with a Beni anaconda snake in their mouths.

The findings were reported in Ecology.

Elusive River Dolphins

River dolphins are rarely observed since it's unusual for them to have their heads above water for lengthy periods of time, let alone while juggling a predatory snake between their jaws.

While it's unclear exactly what happened here, dolphins and cetaceans in general are renowned for their playful actions, in which other animals may participate freely or involuntarily.

The shot was taken along the Tijamuchi River in Bolivia in August 2021. Researchers saw a group of dolphins lingering above the water for longer than usual, but it wasn't until they looked at their photos that they realized what was happening.

"We recognized a snake was handled by [the dolphins]. While it was difficult to estimate their group size, at least six of them," the researchers wrote in a study documenting the incident.

"It was evident that they were more interested in playing with the snake than eating it."

Also Read: Scientists Used AI to Better Analyze Animal Behavior to Help Improve Animal Welfare

A Rare Interaction

\

Bolivian river dolphins were photographed with an anaconda in their mouths in August 2021. The aroused males could have been having a sexual romp with each other before the snake became entangled. https://t.co/wOyrIe6CUL pic.twitter.com/tADtnIbPWv  The New York Times (@nytimes) May 4, 2022

The dolphins engaged with the snake in various ways, swimming in synchronized formation on occasion but mainly staying in the same region (the activity moved around 70-80 meters or 230-262 feet downstream while the researchers were watching over the course of 7 minutes).

These interactions between dolphins are unusual, and the researchers speculate that the dolphins were either teaching each other about the snake or eating it rather than playing with it. Another hypothesis is that the lighthearted behavior was, in fact, sexual.

The researchers add, "After that, we were able to see on the images that the adult males were sexually aroused when engaged in object play with the anaconda."

"There were also juveniles there, and it appeared that the adults were demonstrating the snake to them."

Anaconda

The Beni anaconda (Eunectes beniensis) may reach a length of 2 meters (6.5 feet) and dwells in the same region of the globe as the Bolivian river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis boliviensis): northeastern Bolivia's Amazon rainforest.

Why Is It Hard to Find River Dolphins

River dolphins are notoriously difficult to see since rivers are often muddier and more difficult to maneuver than seas, so even if the intricacies of what's going on aren't apparent, it's still a valuable insight into how these creatures spend some of their time (even more so considering that these dolphins are threatened with extinction).

Unfortunately, the snake's experience is likely to have been unpleasant. It didn't move during the encounters and remained submerged for an extended period of time, leading the researchers to believe it was likely dead at the conclusion.

"I don't think the snake had a pleasant time," said Steffen Reichle, a scientist from Bolivia's Noel Kempff Mercado Natural History Museum, to the New York Times.

Related Article: Dolphin Population Becomes Extinct After Last Member Got Entangled in Fishing Gear

For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
The sunken ship at Kolkata port in West Bengal. -- UNB photo.

A total of fifteen Bangladeshi crew members of a ship have been stranded in Kolkata, the capital of Indian state of West Bengal, for five weeks as their vessel capsized at a Kolkata port while loading goods.

On March 24, the Bangladesh-flagged MV Marine Trust-1 sank at Netaji Subhash Chandra Dock in Kolkata.

Fifteen Bangladeshi crew members, including Mizanur Rahman of Kushtia Sadar upazila, narrowly escaped the accident. Since then, they have been confined to Marine Club Hotel (C-Man Hostel) adjacent to the port in Kolkata.

On Wednesday night, a three-minute video message was uploaded on social media by the stranded crew pleading for help.

In the video message, the crew expressed their misery and sought immediate intervention of the President, Prime Minister and other authorities concerned to bring them back to Bangladesh.

Fahim Faisal, chief engineer of the ship, said in the video that the ship left Chittagong port on March 20 and they reached Kolkata on March 23.

He said neither the Bangladesh government nor the Indian authorities were taking any initiative to repatriate them.

The hostel has also threatened to stop food supplies at any time, said Faisal.

We are in danger. Anything can happen at any time. We are helpless.

The owner of the ship has assured to bring the crews back to the country but has been out of touch for several days.

UNB contacted one of the stranded crew, Kushtias Mizanur Rahman, through WhatsApp on Friday afternoon.

Mizanur said that 15 crew members are staying in 7 rooms in the hotel and are not even allowed to go out. They have run out of money.

Besides, agent of PNN Shipping confiscated their passports. Their belongings, including their education certificates, are in the capsized ship.

He further said the owners of the ship MV Marine Trust-01 contacted them on Thursday following the video message and assured them to bring them back to the country soon.

At the same time, the Bangladeshi embassy authorities in Kolkata also contacted them over the phone assuring them to send them back to the country very soon.

He also mentioned that the embassy authorities wanted to hold a meeting with them in a day or two. The embassy authorities also sent them an email in this regard.

Mizanur said that the crews who are with him here are residents of different districts of the country. They all want to celebrate Eid with their families.
Hundreds of motorcycles wait for getting on a ferry at Kanthalbari Ferry Terminal in Madaripur on Saturday.  New Age photo

The rush of people returning to the capital Dhaka and adjacent areas after celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr increased on Saturday putting huge pressure at ferry and launch terminals.

The ferries on the Paturia-Daulatdia, Aricha-Kazirhat and Shimulia-Banglabazar routes were seen as crowded, especially with people on foot and motorcycles.

Most of the Dhaka-bound launches on the southern routes were also seen overcrowded while passengers alleged that buses, launches and speedboats charged them extra fares on their return journeys.

The number of Dhaka-bound buses from different northern districts increased on the day.

Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated on Tuesday and the official Eid holidays ended on Wednesday.

Although most government and non-government organisations opened on Thursday, many people took leave for an extra day, which, coupled with weekends on Friday and Saturday, extended their holidays.

Many people were seen returning to Dhaka by trains, launches and buses on Thursday and Friday and the rush intensified on Saturday.

A 10-kilometre long tailback was created on Dhaka-Khulna highway and regional road adjacent to the Daulatdia ferry terminal due to the pressure of returnees, United News of Bangladesh reported.

New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that people towards Dhaka and adjacent areas came from south-western and north-western districts at Aricha and Paturia ferry terminals like floodwater on Saturday.

A huge number of motorcycles and people on foot were seen crossing the river Padma by using Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes.

Passenger Habibur Rahman alleged that buses were charging the passengers Tk 250 to Tk 300 instead of the regular fare of Tk 120 for travelling to Gabtoli from Aricha.

Another passenger Akkas Ali said that he came to the Kazirhat terminal by paying an extra bus fare and then at Aricha the buses were asking for extra money from him.

We have almost no money after Eid, then how we will survive by paying extra, he said.

Drivers of different buses claimed that they were taking extra as they were coming from Dhaka with an empty vehicle.

Shibaloy assistant commissioner (land) Md Mahbubul Islam said that mobile court operated by district and upazila administrations filed nine cases and realised Tk 42,000 in fine from buses for charging passengers extra.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Aricha regional office commercial department deputy director general Shah Md Khaled Newaz said that 20 ferries were running on the Daulatdia-Paturia and three were running on the Kazirhat-Aricha routes.

New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that the pressure of people at the launch terminal at Shimulia increased on Saturday.

In the morning the number of vehicles from Banglabazar was higher which started to reduce later in the day.

At the launch terminal, passengers faced problems getting transport to go to Dhaka and adjacent districts.

Launch passenger Afzal Hossain said that though the launch took normal fare it was overloaded with passengers.

Ilish Paribahan passenger Hanufa Begum said that the bus took an extra Tk 15 from Shimulia to Dhaka.

On the Shimulia-Banglabazar route on Saturday, 10 ferries were running along with 155 speedboats and 85 launches, said BIWTC Shimulia ghat manager (commercial) Faisal Ahmed.

He also said that the number of Dhaka-bound people increased on Saturday.

District additional police super Yeasina Ferdous Rithi said that they had already warned buses not to take extra fares from the passengers.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority joint director at Sadarghat launch terminal in the capital, Alamgir Kabir, said that on the day 130 launches came to Dhaka from different areas with full passengers.

The flow of passengers would continue till Sunday, he added.

New Age correspondent in Barishal reported that people in the southern region continued to return to Dhaka using different river transports, including launches, after celebrating Eid in their ancestral home.

People were seen crowding launch and bus terminals on Saturday.

Passengers alleged that the launches were overcrowded and late to leave.

New Age correspondent in Sirajganj reported that the number of Dhaka-bound buses from Bogura and Gaibandha districts increased on the day.

Traffic congestion was seen in Gobindaganj, Polashbari and Bogura Charmatha areas.

New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that the Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway was clear on the day.

A huge number of people were seen returning to Dhaka by trains throughout the day.

People walk out of Sadarghat Ferry Terminal in Dhaka on Saturday as the return of holidaymakers in the capital continues after Eid.  New Age photo
 New Eastern Outlook

WHAT was, until a year ago, a brain dead organisation according to the French president has suddenly found not only a working brain but also a conflict to revive itself. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, while originally pushed by the US/western insistence on expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to include Ukraine to encircle Russia, has become a direct source of oxygen for the organisation to expand further to include countries like Finland and Sweden. While the organisations expansion via the Russia-Ukraine conflict is a setback for those in Europe  including France and Germany  who favoured a European security infrastructure independent of NATO, it is good news for those in Europe who have been advocating a further strengthening of the organisation against emerging threats, including terrorism, migration and far-right supremacists, and last but not least, geopolitical pressures, ie, Russia. But the geopolitics of NATOs expansion is a recipe for disaster, not stability.

A simple way of understanding this is a question: how will bringing forces of war to the border of Russia help to de-escalate geopolitical pressures? With western troops and weapon systems on its border, there is only one potential way left for Russia to respond. It involves its own military build-up, including, as Moscow recently warned in view of Swedens and Finlands bid to join NATO, deployment of nuclear and hypersonic weapon systems in the East European exclave. How the geopolitics of NATOs expansion will not contribute to peace is evident although it is another matter that NATOs expansion will ensure that the European continent remains tied to Washington for a very long period of time. Such an arrangement serves both Washington and those European political elites tied to the United States.

The United Kingdoms Jeremy Corbyn recently said that NATO must ultimately disband as it does not contribute to dialogue and peace. NATOs expansionism, others think, is keeping the Cold War alive, which is possible only when the threat of Russian invasion from the east is constantly  and purposefully  over projected.

Lets see what the father of the USs notorious containment policy, George Kenan, during the Cold War has to say about NATOs post-Cold War continuation. In 1998, in an interview with The New York Times, Kennan said that NATO was essentially an instrument of Cold-War geopolitics. The interview was given around the time NATOs first expansion happened in the late 1990s, and Kennan explained that NATOs enlargement was the beginning of a new Cold War, adding that I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anybody else.

That expansion in 19981999 was justified on the basis of a Russian threat. It is ironic that the same threat  and a very similar language  are being used today as well. To quote Kennan further, I was particularly bothered by the references to Russia as a country dying to attack Western Europe. Dont people understand? Our differences in the Cold War were with the Soviet Communist regime and not Russia as Kennan explained at length in that very timely  and very futuristic  interview.

NATO, very much like the Warsaw Pact, was a Cold-War arrangement. Warsaw Pact was disbanded  a clear indication of Moscows intention to discontinue the Cold-War politics of alliances and counter-alliances. But NATO was not disbanded; it was enlarged. Today, its enlargement is being pursued much more aggressively than was the case in the 1990s or the early 21st century.

With the Cold War over, NATO turned further into an instrument of American foreign policy. Its role in various conflicts from Afghanistan to Libya has served the US objectives. If NATO were to be disbanded, as some European leaders implied recently, it would strip the United States of an instrument of foreign policy that not only helps it to materialise its core foreign policy objectives, eg, the removal of the Taliban from power in 2001, the removal of Gaddafi, etc., but also keeps European ambitions of strategic autonomy in check. That is one core reason why NATO was not disbanded and is highly unlikely to be disbanded in near future, even though people like Corbyn have different thoughts about it and Russia has been warning, ever since 2007, about the adverse effect this expansion will have.

When Russias president Vladimir Putin addressed the Munich Security Conference in 2007, he said: NATO has put its frontline forces on our borders NATO expansion represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust. And we have the right to ask: against whom is this expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact?

But the US has different thoughts. It sees in NATOs enlargement the very survival of its hegemony. Therefore, when recently asked about NATOs expansion to include Finland and Sweden and Russias warnings, the US state department said that NATOs door is an open door.

Apparently disagreeing with George Kennan, the state department further said that this expansion will promote stability on the European continent. It is twisting facts and changing history. For instance, Sweden is a country that has not fought a war in over 200 years. It has enjoyed stability without NATOs help. With the US now seeking to make this country part of a military alliance against Russia, it will be forced to make changes to its geopolitics and foreign policy that would make war, or fighting a war, inevitable, as it has been for the rest of the NATO countries under the US leadership ever since the alliances establishment in 1949.

Sweden will inevitably need to bolster its defence. It has already increased its defence budget, as the country seeks to purchase state-of-the-art weapon systems from the US. NATOs expansion, thus, has a double advantage for the US. It ties more and more European countries to the US foreign policy and it adds to the US military-industrial complex as well. All in all, it not only keeps the US hegemony intact but also reproduces it with an active partnership with the European elites.

New Eastern Outlook, May 5. Salman Rafi Sheikh is a research analyst of international relations and Pakistans foreign and domestic affairs.
Chinas fixed-asset investment gets off to a good start

People's Daily Online) 14:08, May 07, 2022

In the first quarter of 2022, Chinas fixed-asset investment was up 9.3 percent year on year, getting off to a good start.

Employees inspect transmission towers in Anhui province, part of an ultrahigh-voltage direct-current transmission project. SONG WEIXING/FOR CHINA DAILY

The 102 mega projects earmarked for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) are being steadily pushed forward. Of these projects, notable progress has been achieved in stabilizing investment in transport infrastructure projects.

According to Zheng Jian, deputy director of the Department of Infrastructure Development at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), in the Jan-March period, Chinas fix asset investment in the transport industry is expected to reach 636 billion yuan ($95.15 billion), an increase of about 9.8 percent year-on-year.

Sun Wei, deputy director of the Department of Innovation and High-Tech Development, the NDRC, explained that in the first quarter of this year, China has built 81,000 new 5G base stations, bringing the total number to over 1.5 million, as well as 549,000 new gigabit network ports, taking their total to 8.41 million, capable of covering 300 million families.

Li Mingchuan, deputy director of the Department of Rural Economy, the NDRC, said that the commission will allocate a large portion of its budget to support the effective supply of food and important agricultural products, and ramp up investment so as to improve agricultural infrastructure and boost comprehensive productive capacity, to enable the agricultural sector to cope with external uncertainties.

This year, the NDRC has allocated 22.6 billion yuan to support farmland infrastructure projects across the country. It will earmark a total of 3 billion yuan this year to push forward two sci-tech projects, including a project focused on boosting the modern seed industry and another project on improving the countrys capabilities to protect animals and plants.

According to Li, this year the country will allocate 3.5 billion yuan to manage agriculture-related pollution in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin, and support counties which see the animal and husbandry industry as a pillar industry, to turn animal waste into resources.

Sun Zhicheng, deputy director of the Department of Social Development, the NDRC, explained that the central government will invest more in the healthcare sector during the 14th Five-Year Plan period than it did during the previous Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), with a great portion of this investment going to major projects such as epidemic prevention and control, expansion of high-quality medical resources and the revitalization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

At the beginning of this year, the country earmarked 3.38 billion yuan to support construction of 61 projects, including laboratory construction and purchase of disease diagnosis and treatment equipment in nine land border areas.

This year, the country plans to build about 30 national TCM epidemic prevention and treatment bases across the country, Sun said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
 Qantara

Aggressive propaganda is increasingly distorting public debate in India. Government agencies tolerate and sometimes even promote prime minister Narendra Modis Hindu chauvinism. Those daring to criticise the government face intimidation, harassment and suppression, writes Arfa Khanum Sherwani

IN DECEMBER 2021, leading Hindu supremacists met for a three-day conclave in the north Indian town of Haridwar. One demand raised was that Muslims in India be treated in the same way as Myanmars Rohingya minority. It was a blatant call to genocidal action. After all, the Rohingya were murdered in pogroms, villages were burned down and masses had to flee the country. The message spelt out in Haridwar was that Hindus should perpetrate bloodshed in order to entrench their lifestyle in India. Hate speech of this kind must be taken seriously, in view of Indias dark track record of pogroms.

It is illegal to stir communal hatred in India. Nonetheless, the authorities did not intervene even after the nature of what the extremists had discussed in Haridwar became known. As nationwide outrage at the news grew, the police finally arrested some participants, but it is unlikely they will be punished. Yati Narsinghanand, the mastermind of the meeting, was granted bail in February.

By contrast, non-violent government critics often languish in jail for years before a trial even starts. One current example is Umar Khalid, a prominent student activist who became a face of the protest movement against the anti-secular Citizenship Amendment Act in 20192020, in which Muslim women played leading roles.

Khalid has been detained since September 2020 and is accused of having instigated riots in Delhi. The charge is absurd because the riots were actually an anti-Muslim pogrom. Dozens of people were killed; mosques were torched. Two-thirds of those who died were Muslims. After perpetrating acts of violence, Hindutva fanatics can mostly expect impunity, but state action against dissidents is usually very harsh. As with Khalid, the latter are often accused of violating Indias draconian anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Unconstitutional ideology

THE ideology of Hindu dominance is called Hindutva. Narendra Modis party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, belongs to a network of organisations that insists that India must be a Hindu nation. The organisation at the heart of this movement is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which was inspired by Italys fascists in the 1920s. International observers tend to underestimate the totalitarian aspirations of Hindutva proponents.

The RSS is mostly intolerant of any worldview other than its own. The RSS and its network equate the nation with Hindus, yet mainly focus only on the upper castes. Minorities do not figure and are expected to simply accept the social order the RSS wants. Its approach to governance is at times undemocratic and at times authoritarian. The Hindutva right longs to gain total control of Indias institutions and resents being challenged, as it was by the farmers movement or the movement against the national citizenship law. BJP-controlled state agencies often respond with UAPA charges, accusing opponents of terrorism.

Hindutva ideology is fundamentally incompatible with Indias secular constitution, according to which no religious community may be oppressed or marginalised. Modi himself is a member of the RSS. He is known for his right-wing authoritarianism and his unwillingness to disown supporters who perpetrate violence.

To a large extent, mainstream media have caved in to his government. Commercial television stations in particular make a point of multiplying its aggressive propaganda. These channels do not have a reputation for fact-checking and generally accept everything the government says at face value.

Social media manipulation

AT THE same time, Hindutva trolls spread hate on social-media platforms. Anyone who dares to disagree with the Modi government is called anti-national, treasonous, or a terrorist. As the independent website The Wire, for which I work, recently revealed, the trolls use an app called Tek Fog to co-ordinate their action and to make disinformation go viral. To a considerable degree, Tek Fog manipulates digital media by technological means. The multinational corporations who own the platforms hardly intervene. They have shown on several occasions that pleasing the government is more important to them than promoting democratic discourse. Moreover, they do not really pay any attention to languages other than English.

The result is that Hindu supremacists appear more numerous and stronger online than they actually are in Indian society. In more ways than one, Facebook and Twitter have allowed themselves to become machines that spread hatred, misused to intimidate anyone who opposes the majoritarian agenda.

Targeted persons include social activists, human-rights defenders, members of opposition parties, lawyers and journalists. I myself have been exposed for a long time. Indeed, I am now on the list of the 10 Indian women who are most attacked on social media. Death and rape threats occur regularly.

Last year, the Hindu supremacists launched an app called Bulli Bai on which they staged fake auctions of Muslim women, using real photos and names. Due to public pressure, the app was taken down again, but it certainly served its purpose of harassing and intimidating the minority community.

Oppressed minorities

MINORITIES feel the impact in their daily lives. At the end of February, Muslim schoolgirls and students were barred from entering their educational institutions in the southern Indian state of Karnataka if they wore the Muslim headscarf. A court had passed an interim order permitting colleges to implement dress codes that were already in place. That order was misinterpreted, so all over the state, Muslim girls and young women were suddenly prevented from attending class. Karnatakas chief minister Basavaraj Bommai belongs to Modis BJP.

Recently, Hindutva mobs have also regularly disrupted Friday prayers in Gurgaon, the Delhi suburb, which has officially been renamed Gurugram. The hooligans demanded that Muslims pray indoors, though everyone knows that the mosques are too small and too few to accommodate all the faithful on Fridays. At Christmas, Christian communities in southern India were attacked in a similar way.

Things are probably worst in Kashmir. The region was previously Indias only Muslim-majority state, but the Modi government dismantled its relative autonomy and put it under central rule in 2019. Repression is rife. In February, the arrest of Fahad Shah, the editor of the independent website The Kashmir Walla, made international headlines. The New York Times spoke of harassment and intimidation while The Guardian stated that a crackdown on the press in Indian-administered Kashmir continues to escalate. Indian democracy needs more attention of this kind.

Qantara.de, April 29. Arfa Khanum Sherwani is managing editor of the independent online newspaper The Wire.
Listed companies must disclose all kinds of loan activities as price sensitive information, according to a draft on Prohibition of Insider Trading Rules formulated by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission.

The BSEC sought public opinion on the draft rules within May 26. The rules will repeal SEC (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Rules, 1995.

The rules also changed definition of price sensitive information saying that PSI means such information which may affect share price or asset valuation of a listed company.

According to the new rules, the company must disclose information about any local and foreign loan or investment agreement, loan disbursement and receivable, asset mortgage, and failure to repay any loan or liability to bank or creditor or LC recipient within three months.

Information on loan payment or advance loan payment or loan received between inter-company or subsidiary or associate company or with director of the company must also be made public.

The current rules do not oblige companies to disclose loan-related information.

In the draft rules, the BSEC brought major changes in disclosing material information of a company amid introducing Principles of Disclosure of Material Information in the rules which would compel the listed entities to publish a wide range of information about their business immediately.

Apart from the disclosure on changes in basic accounts and raising capital, the companies must disclose information on any substantial changes in accounting policy and any regulatory instruction in pertaining with keeping provision.

In addition, the company must disclose information if it jointly or individually acquired assets worth above 5 per cent of its existing assets.

Proposal of taking over another company, changes in company ownership and capital reorganisation and decision on buying or selling of permanent assets must be made public immediately.

Information on conversion of any securities (bond or Sukuk) into equity shares and letter of credits (LC) into shares and any kind of shares consolidation must also be published as PSI.

In addition to the basic BMRE, the company must reveal capital investment plan or substantial change in the purpose of the company, major change or development in technology, production and installation, change in agreement, production, patent or services or business and realisation of long-term unrealised funds.

Changes in chief executives, company secretary and board of directors, and auditor and credit rating company must be published as PSI.

Any verbal or written contract including related party transaction, management contract and service agreement must be made public.

A company must also reveal about damage of companys asset and event that tarnished image of the company.

Insider trading happens when any insider trade shares of a company on the basis of the companys undisclosed PSI. Insider is a person or organisation who has access to a companys PSI.

The regulator included immediate relatives including parents, spouse, children, dependent or investment adviser as insider of a company.

All market intermediaries and their directors, employees and authorised representatives and their related party can be an insider of a listed company as they have access to companys PSI.

The listed company and asset management company must preserve three years of PSI and material information on its web site.
Rabindranath Tagore

Different organisations and institutions will celebrate the 161th anniversary of the birth of the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore organising different in-person programmes after a hiatus of two years today.

Cultural affairs ministry, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, Chhayanaut, Dhaka University, Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad and others will pay tribute to Rabindranath Tagore at programmes scheduled to be held at different venues. They could not organise in-person events in the past two years due to the Covid situation.

Cultural affairs ministry will organise a programme at national level marking Rabindranaths birth anniversary at Rabindra Kuthibari at Shelaidaha in Kushtia at 2:30pm.

Jatiya Sangsad speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, chairperson of the standing committee on cultural affairs ministry Simin Hossain Rimi, state minister for cultural affairs KM Khalid and cultural affairs secretary Abul Monsur, among others, will be present at the event.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will celebrate the Nobel laureates birth anniversary organising different cultural programmes, including art camp, painting exhibition, discussion and others.

The BSA is scheduled to organise a discussion and cultural programme at 7:00pm at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Sunday.

A painting exhibition displaying paintings of Rabindranath Tagore and paintings on him will begin at National Art Gallery III. The exhibition will remain open from 11:00am to 8:00pm till May 22.

Besides, art camps will be held at the BSAs branches in different Upazilas, namely, Shelaidaha in Kushtia, Shahjadpur in Sirajganj, Potisor in Naogaon and Dakkhindihi and Pithabhog in Khulna.

Chhayanaut will pay tribute to Rabindranath by organising a two-day festival titled Rabindra-Utshab on Sunday and Monday.

The festival will feature solo and group songs, dance recitals and recitation. The programme will begin at 7:00pm every day.

With the theme titled Crisis of humanity and Rabindranath, Dhaka University will organise a discussion and cultural programme at the Teacher-Student Centre auditorium of the university at 11:00am.

DU Bangla department professor Bhishmadeb Choudhury will be present as key note speaker at the programme, which will be presided over by the universitys vice-chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman.

Following the discussion, a culture programme will be held by DU music department and dance department.

Bangla Academy will organise a discussion and cultural programme at its Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad auditorium on Monday.

Khulna University treasurer Sadhan Ranjan Ghosh will be present as key note speaker and Bangla Academy director general Nurul Huda will deliver the welcome speech at the programme, which will be presided over by Bangla Academy president Selina Hossain.

Rabindra Puraskar 2022 will be handed over at the programme.
The son of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was set to address hundreds of thousands of supporters Saturday on the final day of presidential election campaigning, as polls showed him heading towards a landslide win.

Victory in Mondays election would cap a decades-long effort to rehabilitate the Marcos legacy after the patriarch was deposed and the disgraced clan chased into US exile.

But the prospect of Ferdinand Marcos Jr moving back into the presidential palace has alarmed rights activists, church leaders and political analysts who fear he could rule without constraint.

The Marcoses remarkable return from pariahs to the peak of political power has been fuelled by public anger over corruption and poverty that persisted under governments that followed the dictatorship.

Hundreds of thousands of red-clad Marcos supporters on Saturday amassed on a dusty wasteland overlooked by a gleaming luxury casino resort  a stark reminder of the countrys vast income gap.

Wielding national flags, they gathered before a stage featuring an enormous screen of the smiling candidate as Filipino reggae, hip-hop and pop played at deafening levels.

Mary Ann Oladive, a 37-year-old call centre worker, said she hoped Marcos Jr would bring unity to the country.

We hope for greater opportunity and jobs. We trust him, we hope that after the election they will give us a better future in the Philippines, she said.

Ten candidates are vying to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte in the landmark elections seen by many as a make-or-break moment for Philippine democracy.

Polls indicate Marcos Jr will win more than half the votes, which would make him the first presidential candidate to secure an absolute majority since his father was ousted in 1986.

Analysts warn such an outcome would lead to weaker democratic checks and balances, more corruption and a fresh attempt to overhaul the 1987 constitutionwhich could include scrapping the one-term limit for presidents.

Previous administrations, including Dutertes, have tried to amend the constitution but they lacked sufficient support in Congress to push through changes.

The latest poll by Pulse Asia Research showed Marcos Jr on 56 percent -- 33 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival Leni Robredo, who narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice-presidential race.

Such a winning margin would give Marcos Jr the power to govern the way Duterte wanted to, one long-time observer of Philippine politics told AFP.

That is without constraint, he said.

Robredos recent poll bump has raised hopes among progressive supporters that their volunteer-driven campaign could yet deliver an upset.

There was a carnival atmosphere in the capitals financial district on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of Robredo fans wearing her pink campaign colour and waving flags and balloons packed out avenues, dancing to live Pinoy pop blaring over loudspeakers.

In a rousing speech, Robredo told her supporters there was always hope and declared victory awaits us.

First-time voter Charmaigne Ang, 18, said the election was very important.

Our next six years of life will depend on it, Ang, 18, told AFP. Surveys are not a basis of who will win.

But pollster Ana Maria Tabunda of Pulse Asia Research gave Robredo little hope.

Our error margin is only plus or minus two percentage pointsgiven the large gap, its not going to be affecting the results, Tabunda told AFP.

Allegations of dirty tricks marred the last week of a bitter presidential campaign, as Marcos Jr warned of vote-rigging while Robredo accused him of being a liar.

Marcos Jr has run a tightly-controlled campaign, skipping televised debates with rivals and largely shunning media interviews to avoid own goals before election day.

A massive and well-funded social media misinformation campaign targeting a mostly young electorate with no memory of his fathers violent and corrupt rule has also sought to rewrite the familys history.

Marcos Jrs popularity has been further enhanced by a formidable alliance with vice-presidential frontrunner and first daughter Sara Duterte, and the backing of several rival political dynasties.

Days ahead of the election, rights defenders and many Catholic priests made a final push to stop Marcos Jr returning to the Malacanang Palace, where he grew up.

It will be another six years of hell, warned political satirist and activist Mae Paner, 58, who was part of a popular uprising that ended the elder Marcoss regime and has been campaigning for Robredo.

Hundreds of priests endorsed Robredo and her running mate Francis Pangilinan, telling their flocks the election was a battle for the soul of the nation.

But after enduring six years of attacks from the elder Duterte, Robredo has seen her popularity hammered by a relentless and vicious online smear campaign.

Political analyst Richard Heydarian said Robredos late decision to enter the race had cost valuable time, while unnecessary infighting among rival candidates had benefited Marcos Jr.

They are handing this on a silver platter to the princeling of Philippine politics, Bongbong Marcos, he said, using Marcos Jrs nickname.
Eleven Egyptian soldiers were killed on Saturday attempting to thwart a terrorist attack on the Suez Canal zone abutting the Sinai Peninsula, a hotbed of jihadist activity, the army said.

It was the heaviest loss the army had suffered in years in its long-running campaign in and around the Sinai against militants loyal to the Islamic State group.

Five soldiers were also wounded in the firefight on the eastern, Sinai bank of the canal, the army said, adding that security forces are continuing to chase the terrorists and surround them in an isolated area of the Sinai.

Egypts Sinai Peninsula has been gripped by an armed insurgency for more than a decade, which peaked after the ouster of late Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

In February 2018, the army and police launched a nationwide operation against militants focused on North Sinai.

More than a thousand suspected militants and dozens of security personnel have been killed since the start of operations, according to official figures.

In November, Egypt agreed with Israel to boost its troop numbers around the border town of Rafah in order to quell IS militants.

In August, the army said 13 militants had been killed and nine of its soldiers were killed or wounded during clashed in Sinai, without indicating when the fighting had taken place.

In recent years, pipelines carrying Egyptian oil and gas to neighbouring Israel and Jordan have been the primary focus of insurgent attacks.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh brings out a procession at Paltan crossing in Dhaka on Saturday decrying the government decision to raise the prices of edible oils.  New Age photo

Different left-wing political parties on Saturday held countrywide protests denouncing the governments decision on increasing soya bean oil and palm oil prices.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh held countrywide protest rallies in districts demanding the withdrawal of recent price hike of edible oil and steps to reduce prices of daily essential commodities.

The Workers Party of Bangladesh, a partner of the Awami Leagueled alliance, and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) in separate press statements also condemned the government move.

The CPB held a protest rally at PuranaPaltan crossing where the partys presidium member AN Rasheda chaired.

Former president of the party Mujahidul Islam Selim said that the left parties would go for tougher programmes to compel the government to take immediate steps for withdrawing the increased price.

He also called on the people to take to the streets protesting against the failures of the Awami League government.

General secretary of the party RuhinHossain Prince said that the Awami League government had failed to fulfil the aspiration of the people.

Assistant general secretary Mihir Ghosh, central leaders of the party SajjadZahirChandan, KaberiGayen, Lucky Akhter and others spoke at the rally.

The rally was followed by a protest procession that paraded different city roads.

The politburo of the Workers Party in a press statement said that the recent rise in prices of edible oils would increase sufferings of the people.

SPB (Marxist) coordinator MasudRana in a press statement also said that the government had failed to keep prices of essential commodities under buying capacities of the common people.

The party called on the government to take immediate steps against the hoarders and syndicates responsible for the abnormal rise in prices of daily commodities.

The government and vegetable oil refiners on Thursday officially announced the new edible oil prices.

Though the commerce ministry and refiners on Thursday set the price of unpacked soya bean oil at Tk 180 a litre, the item was selling at Tk 190200 a litre in different city areas on Friday.

A one-litre bottle of soya bean oil is sold for Tk 195198 while a five-litre container of the item is sold for Tk 960985 in the city on the day.
Our County Editor

Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com.
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
New University of Illinois police Officer Chris Elston, left, talks with field-training Officer Darren Lewis during his first day on the job in December 2012 near a squad car outside the departments headquarters on campus in Urbana.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. 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 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Mostly sunny. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
AP

Relatives of the missing in Cubas capital are desperately searching for victims of an explosion at one of Havana's most luxurious hotels that killed at least 27 people
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
(Newser)  Toby Dorr thinks she has a pretty good understanding of why jail supervisor Vicky White might have gone on the run with an inmate in an Alabama county lockup. Authorities are searching for White and inmate Casey White, who are not related, after they fled last Friday. "People were saying we really don't know what happened, and I thought I know exactly what happened," Dorr said. She smuggled an inmate out of a Kansas state prison in 2006, eluding police for 12 days and hiding out for most of the time in a cabin in Tennessee, per WDAF.

Dorr, who was married, met John Manard when she was leading a dog-training program at Lansing Correctional Institution. He was serving a life sentence for a fatal carjacking. "When you create a situation having female officers or volunteers with male inmates, all it takes is for that one officer or volunteer to just be a little bit nicer at that moment to an inmate, and things just take off from there," she said. They began planning for a life together. Dorr, who previously went by Toby Young, got Manard out in a dog crate. While they were fugitives, his temper flashed at times, but Dorr said she didn't think about turning him in.

"I fell in love with John and I know he was in love with me, but we didn't really know each other," Dorr said. Their life together ended after a high-speed chase. She got a 27-month prison sentence for aiding Manard's escape. He's in prison on a life sentence plus 10 years for the escape. Dorr has remarried, and she and her husband have visited Manard in prison. They "consider John a friend still to this day," she said. Still, she's worried about Vicky White. Officials said Casey White should be regarded as "extremely dangerous," per CNN. (Their escape vehicle has been found in Tennessee.)
(Newser)  The US is sending another shipment of military equipment to Ukraine, costing $150 million, White House officials said Friday. But the fund for such aid is nearly dry, CNBC reports, and President Biden reminded Congress to approve more money. "For Ukraine to succeed in this next phase of war its international partners, including the US, must continue to demonstrate our unity and our resolve to keep the weapons and ammunition flowing to Ukraine, without interruption." Biden said in a statement, per CNN.

The packagethe ninth from the US since Russia invaded Ukraineincludes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars, and jamming equipment, an administration official said. The most recent shipment, announced April 21, totaled $800 million and brought total US military assistance to $3.4 billion. Biden is waiting for Congress to act on the request he made last month for another $33 billion. "Congress should quickly provide" the funding, he said Friday. (Read more Ukraine stories.)
(Newser)  North Korea flight-tested a ballistic missile that was likely fired from a submarine on Saturday, South Korea's military said, continuing a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations that may culminate with a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred from waters near the eastern port city of Sinpo, where North Korea has a major shipyard building submarines, per the AP. It said the short-range missile flew 372 miles at a maximum altitude of 37 miles, but it didn't immediately provide details about the submarine that would have been involved in the launch. South Korean and US intelligence officials were analyzing the launch, the military said, describing it as a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a "serious threatening act that harms international peace and stability."

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters that the missile fell outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone and that no damage to aircraft or vessels was reported. Suh Hoon, who's South Korea's national security director, and other senior officials denounced the launch during an emergency meeting and urged North Korea to return to long-stalled talks aimed at defusing the nuclear standoff, Seoul's presidential office said. It was apparently North Korea's first demonstration of a submarine-launched ballistic missile system since October last year, when it fired a new short-range missile from the 8.24 Yongungits only known submarine capable of launching a missile. The October underwater launch was the North's first in two years.

So far this year, North Korea has fired missiles 15 times. They include the country's first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017 in March, which demonstrated a potential range to reach the entirety of the US mainland. A US State Department spokesperson said during a briefing Friday that the United States assesses North Korea could be ready to conduct a nuclear test at its Punggye-ri test site as early as this month. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has punctuated his recent missile tests with statements warning that the North could proactively use its nuclear weapons if threatened or provoked. Experts say such rhetoric possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that would create greater concerns for South Korea and Japan.

(Read more North Korea stories.)
(Newser)  "As a PhD student in marine ecology, Eric Ste Marie knew what he saw was rare." That sighting in the Detroit River last month, as described by WXYZ, is now making headlines, and it may be the first of its kind in a century. Ste Marie, a 27-year-old going for his doctorate at the University of Windsor in Ontario, was taking a stroll with his partner at the end of April along the river's shoreline when he "noticed something furry bobbing its way toward the Ambassador Bridge," reports the Detroit News. Ste Marie pulled out his phone and started recording, ruling out the possibility that the creature was a mink, muskrat, or beaver.

That's when it hit him and his partner: They were looking at an otter, a species experts say was pushed out of Detroit area waters a century ago thanks to the buildup of the city, too much hunting and trapping, and pollution. "It was the last thing I was expecting to see," Ste Marie tells John Hartig, a member of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy who tells the Detroit News that even though there've been "a few anecdotal reports from citizens" on otter sightings in the Detroit River, Ste Marie's video is the first photo or video documentation of one in 100 years.

So what's the big deal that an otter suddenly showed up in the river? "Their presence indicates clean water," a WXYZ reporter noted in the station's Monday story on the sighting. "It's really cool. It's heartening. It's evidence that our pollution control and pollution prevention programs are working," Hartig tells the Detroit News, though he adds the caveat that climate change and contaminated runoff will likely continue to pose further challenges. As for Ste Marie, "I'm never going to not look for otters when I'm walking along the river," he says. "I hope we'll see more otters and other animals that we don't see here anymore but traditionally were in these waters." (Read more Detroit stories.)
(Newser)  The hit-and-run driver who struck the father of Nicki Minaj last year, killing him, has entered guilty pleas in a deal that will bring him a sentence of no more than a year behind barsan outcome that upset prosecutors and the victim's widow. Charles Polevich pleaded guilty on Friday to felony charges of leaving the scene of a fatality and tampering with physical evidence, People reports. He admitted in court that he struck Robert Maraj in February 2021, left the area without reporting the accident, and covered his car with a tarp to hide it at his New York home. He later turned himself in. Maraj was 64.

Sentencing is scheduled for August, per Billboard, but Judge Howard Sturim told Polevich in court that the sentence would be "no more than one year in jail," plus community service and a suspended license, per the AP. A spokesperson said the Nassau County District Attorney's Office disagrees with the sentencing promise, "given the severity of the defendant's conduct." Carol Maraj told reporters she was angered by the outcome. After seeing Polevich in the courtroom, she said, "I started to shake because it brought back all the memories of that night when I was sitting in the hospital." Her husband was hit while walking on a roadway in Mineola. He died the next day.

Nicki Minaj didn't publicly address her father's death until three months later. "Tho I can't really bring myself to discuss the passing of my father as yet; I can say it has been the most devastating loss of my life," the rapper wrote on her website. "I find myself wanting to call him all the time. More so now that he's gone. Life is funny that way." Polevich's lawyer said in a statement that Polevich, 71, "could not be more sorry for the loss of Mr. Maraj." (Read more Nicki Minaj stories.)
(Newser)  Detectives are investigating the deaths of three Americans whose bodies were found at a Bahamas resort with no obvious cause of death, including no signs of trauma. A fourth American, a woman, was airlifted to a hospital in Nassau, a spokesperson for the Sandals Emerald Bay resort said. Royal Bahamas Police officials said they were told Friday morning that two bodies, a man's and a woman's, had been found in one villa and a man's body in another, People reports. A police statement said the couple found together had "complained of illness the previous evening" and received treatment nearby. They then returned to their villa, officials said.

The couple displayed signs of convulsions, the police statement said. The acting prime minister, Chester Cooper, said the cause of death isn't known but added, "I am advised that foul play is not suspected." Health officials were dispatched to the resort in Exuma to assist the police investigation, per the Mirror. (Read more Bahamas stories.)
(Newser)  Jill Biden on Saturday heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russia's war and found safe haven across the border in Romania. She praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to refugees, the AP reports. At a public school hosting refugee students, the first lady saw firsthand the efforts to assist some of the 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Most of those Ukrainians have moved on to other countries, but manymainly women and childrenhave remained as the fighting rages. "We stand with you," Biden told students' mothers after visiting classrooms where kids ages 5 to 15 attend school.

Earlier, Biden received a briefing at the US Embassy on the relief effort. She said it was inspiring for Romanians "to welcome all these refugees into their homes and offer them food and clothing and shelter and give them their hearts." But she cautioned that much more needs to be done by the US and allies to assist Ukraine. About 7,000 Ukrainians cross the border and arrive in Romania daily, an official said. UN and other agencies and the Romanian government are providing refugees with a range of services, including food, shelter, education, health and mental health care, and counseling. Biden asked specifically about the provision of mental health services and whether summer school was available to help refugee students catch up on their education.

Biden met with Romanian first lady Carmen Iohannis over lunch at her private residence, as well. Iohannis kept her job as an English teacher when her husband took office just as Biden kept hers at a community college. At the public school, a young Ukrainian girl told Biden through a translator, "I want to return to my father." Biden later told reporters the girl's words were "heartbreaking." At moments, Biden appeared anguished as she listened to the stories from mothers who told her of their difficult decisions to flee their homeland. The first lady was on the second day of a four-day trip to Romania and Slovakia, which also shares a border with Ukraine. She was scheduled to spend Sunday, Mother's Day, meeting with refugees and visiting a border village.

(Read more Jill Biden stories.)
(Newser)  French President Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated for a second term on Saturday, vowing to take action to avoid any further escalation of Russia's war in Ukraine and promising he would promote France and Europe on the world stage. Macron was reelected for five years after winning the April 24 presidential runoff against far-right rival Marine Le Pen. "The time ahead will be that of resolute action for France and for Europe," Macron said, the AP reports, promising to "take action relentlessly with a goal, which is to be a more independent nation, to live better and to build our own French and European responses to the century's challenges."

He promised his second term would not amount to a continuation of the first, saying he'd use "a new method," per the Guardian. Among the goals he mentioned in his brief, handwritten speech are creating a "more inclusive" education system, more accessible health care system, greater sexual equality , and a strengthened military. He said government and parliament will work with unions, associations, and others, and strive to ease the social tensions in France. His reelection, Macron said, represents a "fundamental democratic renaissance" in the nation.

About 500 guests were invited to the ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris. They came primarily from the world of politics, though they included actors, health care workers, military officers, and former Presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. Most of those attending were white men in suits, despite a growing push for diversity in French politics. Hollande, a Socialist who held office from 2012 to 2017, said, "I think there will be considerable hardship," listing the war in Ukraine, rising prices, the decreasing purchasing power, and climate-related issues. "It means the responses will need to be up to the challenges," he said. Hollande noted Macron's message that he will seek new methods to govern as encouraging, "not only because it will be a very difficult period, but also because France is very divided."

(Read more Emmanuel Macron stories.)
(Newser)  The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a "new era" Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win. With almost all votes counted from Thursday's local UK election, Sinn Fein secured 27 of the Assembly's 90 seats, the AP reports. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has dominated Northern Ireland's legislature for two decades, captured 24 seats. The victory means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfasta first for an Irish nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921.

The centrist Alliance Party, which doesn't identify as either nationalist or unionist, also saw a huge surge in support and was set to become the other big winner in the vote, claiming 17 seats. The victory is a major milestone for Sinn Fein, which has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs and bullets to try to take Northern Ireland out of UK rule during decades of violence involving Irish republican militants, Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries, and the UK army and police. "Today ushers in a new era," Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O'Neill said shortly before the final results were announced. "Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds, my commitment is to make politics work."

O'Neill stressed that it was imperative for Northern Ireland's divided politicians to come together next week to form an Executivethe devolved government of Northern Ireland. If none can be formed within six months, the administration will collapse, triggering a new election and more uncertainty. While Sinn Fein's win signals a historic shift that shows diminishing support for unionist parties, it's not clear what happens next because of Northern Ireland's complicated power-sharing politics and ongoing tussles over post-Brexit arrangements. Still, Saturday's results bring Sinn Fein's goal of a united Ireland a step closer, though the party kept unification out of the spotlight during the campaign. O'Neill has said there would be no constitutional change on unification until voters decide on it. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald indicated Friday that planning for any unity referendum could come within five years.

(Read more Northern Ireland stories.)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, yesterday hailed Press as the cornerstone of Bahrain's comprehensive development process. Marking Bahrain Press Day, observed every year on May 7, the Speaker attributed the wide-ranging freedom of opinion and expression the press and media outlets enjoy in Bahrain to the democratic approach and ongoing reform in Bahrain.

These achievements, the Speaker said, reflect His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's unlimited support and interest of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Speaker Zainal also highlighted the positive role of journalists in Bahrain, citing their commitment to assuming national responsibilities during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local press, Zainal said, was highly successful in raising awareness of sustainable development projects, which motivated all social segments to contribute effectively to building the nation, raising growth rates and mitigating COVID-19 effects. She called on everyone to support the press and journalists to enable them to cope with the ongoing digital and technological developments the world is witnessing.

Speaker Zainal extended congratulations to the local press and the Bahrain Journalists Association, recalling with pride the contributions of the pioneers of journalists and media personnel in Bahrain.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) will participate in the Arabian Travel Market 2022 exhibition, which is the market-leading, international travel and tourism event unlocking business potential within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.

ATM 2022 will be a hybrid event, which will be held in person on 9-12 May and then will take place online a week after from 17-18 May. The focus will be on The future of international travel and tourism.

BTEA is participating in this international exhibition with a special pavilion that includes the national carrier "Gulf Air," as well as 19 of Bahrain's leading tourism facilities, such as hotels, resorts, and tour operators, aiming to establish a distinguished presence among 111 countries participating in the event. The pavilion is expected to draw a big crowd of over 20,000 visitors, in addition to examining the potential for cooperation and partnership between Bahraini participants and almost 1,500 exhibitors.

Gulf Air's participation in the Bahraini pavilion seeks to reaffirm its leading position among regional and worldwide airlines by showcasing its services to exhibition visitors and participating companies, as well as its expansion plans and development strategies.

Fatima Al Sairafi, Deputy CEO of BTEA, stressed the significance of Bahrain's participation in the upcoming Arabian Travel Market, particularly to explore more opportunities for the Kingdom of Bahrain's tourism sector, to accelerate its recovery from the effects of the pandemic, and to increase its competitiveness, as well as to showcase Bahrain's tourism strategy 2022-2026.

The presence of such a significant number of Bahraini tourism facilities at the exhibition gives visitors from the region and other countries an idea of the integration and harmony of the diverse components of the Kingdom of Bahrain's tourism industry, such as airlines, reservation offices, tour operators, hotels, resorts, restaurants, and others facilities. Al Sairafi said

"We will explore during the exhibition the current developments in the tourism sector, including technology, transportation, sustainability, and international events, with tourism experts from across the world, and how to take the industry forward, investing all of this in the tourism sector's further recovery and growth." Added Al Sairafi.

ATM 2022 will include many events and seminars that run across four days and feature a variety of speakers from the travel industry to help visitors gain better insight into the latest industry trends. This includes ATM Global Stage, Travel Tech, Influencer Speed Networking, ARIVAL @ATM Dubai Forum which features unmissable sessions covering digital, tech, distribution, and more for operators of tours, activities, attractions, and experiences. This is in addition to the Draper-Aladdin Startup Competition (DASC), which gathers innovative startups to compete for the Startup Hero title.
Japan will resume accepting some foreign tourists in June at the earliest, a government source said Friday, likely reversing a ban on their entry introduced during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ahead of the highly anticipated move that would boost the country's struggling tourism industry, the government may accept a limited number of group tours on a trial basis by the end of May to see the impact on the COVID-19 situation, the source added.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during his visit to London on Thursday that Japan will review its COVID-19 measures "in stages" after consulting with public health experts, and bring them on par with other Group of Seven nations.

The government currently allows up to 10,000 people a day to enter Japan, but visitors are limited to businesspeople, technical interns and students.

It plans to raise the cap as well as the number of foreign tourists in stages in the coming months.

During the trial phase, small groups of foreigners would visit sightseeing spots based on fixed itineraries in order for the government to see whether it can grasp their movements and how to respond if a COVID-19 case is detected, according to the source.

The government will also consider requiring that participants have already had booster vaccine shots before the tours.
Japanese Defense Ministry officials say North Korea has launched a projectile that is thought to have been a ballistic missile.

They say they believe it fell into waters outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan. No damage has been reported.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North fired the projectile, thought to have been a submarine-launched ballistic missile, or SLBM on Saturday afternoon. This would be the first time since October that North Korea has launched an SLBM.

Experts say North Korea wants to highlight its commitment to accelerating its nuclear and missile development programs ahead of the start of the administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Yoon is set to take office on Tuesday and hopes to strengthen his country's alliance with the United States. He is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden on May 21.

North Korea has launched ballistic missiles every month since the beginning of the year.
A Japanese newspaper reported that the country's ruling party lawmakers visited the Sado mine located on the island of Sado in Niigata Prefecture where Koreans were subject to forced labor during the colonial period.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said Saturday that 20 lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party toured the mining facility on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after the visit, former foreign minister Hirofumi Nakasone said it's an astonishing feat to produce quality gold for such a long period by relying on only traditional skills. He expressed hope that Japan's bid to list Sado mine as a UNESCO world heritage site will be successful.

The Tokyo government formally recommended the mine as a candidate for world heritage designation in February, prompting South Korea's protest.

Over a thousand Koreans are believed to have been forced into labor at the gold mine, which shifted to producing war materials such as copper, iron and zinc during the Pacific War.

When recommending the site for heritage listing, Japan left out that part of history linked to wartime forced labor.
HARTFORD  An August primary will likely be necessary to sort out the Democratic Party nominations for the offices of Secretary of the State and Treasurer after multiple candidates received enough support from delegates at the partys State Convention Saturday to appear on the ballot.

After a string of uncontested races to begin the convention, more than eight candidates contested the final two statewide offices, which were left open by the retirement of Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and recent announcement that Treasurer Shawn Wooden would not seek reelection. Both are Democrats.

Some party leaders have also called on delegates to address a lack of diversity on the Democratic ticket through the final two races after earlier nominations left the party with a majority white and majority female slate of candidates.

In the treasurers race, Woodens decision not to seek reelection last month led three candidates to submit paperwork for the office: Former Greenwich investment manager Dita Bhargava, head of the New Haven Housing Authority Karen Dubois Walton and Erick Russell, a former vice chairman of the state party from New Haven.

Erick Russell prevailed after leading the first round of voting Saturday with support from 47 percent of the delegates, as opposed to nearly 27 percent for Dubois Walton and 26 percent Bhargava.

The work of the state treasurer is about a lot more than maximizing returns and managing debt, its about supporting everyday hard-working people, its about building stronger, safer and more sustainable communities, its about creating a more financially-equitable Connecticut, said Russell.

Both Dubois Walton and Bhargava agreed to cede the party's endorsement to Russell to avoid additional balloting for a candidate to receive a majority of the delegates, while promising to contest the nomination during the primary.

Speaking to her supporters, Bhargava directly addressed the lack of gender diversity on the ticket, calling on the voters to get behind women, empower our women.

The secretary of the states race, meanwhile, was poised to continue into the early evening after no one in the field of five candidates appeared close to the 50 percent threshold needed to secure the partys endorsement.

Those candidates included three state representatives  Rep. Hilda Santiago, of Meriden, Rep. Stephanie Thomas, of Norwalk, and Rep. Josh Elliott, of Hamden  along with New Haven City Health Director Maritza Bond and state Sen. Matt Lesser of Middletown.

Thomas led the first round of voting, with nearly 26 percent of the vote, followed by Santiago with 23 percent, Lesser with 22 percent, Bond with 17 percent and Elliott with 11 percent. While all five of the candidates met the minimum threshold to move on to a second round of voting, Bond publicly bowed out and vowed to take her fight to the primary.

In a surprise to some convention observers, Thomas prevailed after leading in all three rounds of voting, winning the final round as her supporters marched through the convention hall chanting we want a woman. Lesser, the other candidate to make it to the final round, was trailing heavily and withdrew to take his fight to primary.

Thomas, who said she had not expected to need a speech at the end of the convention, addressed the remaining delegates saying We need really strong policy and we need authentic engagement with voters.

Lesser, Santiago and Bond all received the minimum number of delegates in at least one round of voting to advance to the primary, and all three said they would continue their fight there. Elliott, who failed to qualify for the ballot, withdrew from the race during the second round of voting.

Candidates who are unable to make the ballot at the convention are also able to collect signatures afterward to petition their way onto the ballot. No Democratic candidates for statewide office have publicly announced plans to do so.

Earlier in the day, the party delegates gave their endorsement to Gov. Ned Lamont by acclaim, along with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Attorney General William Tong and comptroller candidate Sean Scanlon, a state representative from Guilford.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  North Carolina's highest court has refused to hear the appeal of a civil rights leader who was convicted of trespassing during a 2017 demonstration inside the Legislative Building.

The state Supreme Court announced on Friday that it had denied the request of the Rev. William Barber II of Goldsboro for the justices to review his case and his 2019 trial. The court also granted the request of state attorneys to dismiss the appeal motion from Barber's attorney.

The decisions, which come after a Court of Appeals ruling in December also siding with the state, appear to mean Barber's second-degree trespass conviction is final.

Jurors had found Barber guilty after he led a call-and-response chant with roughly 50 people outside Senate leader Phil Bergers office, protesting poor health care spending.

A Court of Appeals judge wrote that Barbers free speech rights were not harmed by his arrest, stating he was not expelled from the General Assembly for the content of his words. He was removed for their volume.

Barber, a former state NAACP leader who is now president of the national Repairers of the Breach group, said at the trial that he was using his preaching voice and he had the constitutional right to instruct legislators.

The Legislative Buildings rules prohibit noise loud enough to impair conversations and disrupt the ability of legislators and their staff from carrying out their duties, Decembers opinion says.

Barber received a suspended one-day sentence, unsupervised probation, a $200 fine and 24 hours of community service.

Barber's lawyer wrote the justices that his client's case merited review because it had significant public interest and involved legal principles related to the First Amendment. Since the Court of Appeals opinion was unanimous, the court was under no obligation to hear the case.

A spokesperson for Repairers of the Breach or an attorney for Barber didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
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JINBA, West Bank (AP)  Everything here is makeshift, a result of decades of uncertainty. Homes are made from tin and plastic sheets, water is trucked in and power is obtained from batteries or a few solar panels.

The lives of thousands of Palestinians in a cluster of Bedouin communities in the southern West Bank have been on hold for more than four decades, ever since the land they cultivated and lived on was declared a military firing and training zone by Israel.

Since that decision in early 1981, residents of the Masafer Yatta region have weathered demolitions, property seizures, restrictions, disruptions of food and water supplies as well as the lingering threat of expulsion.

That threat grew significantly this week after Israels Supreme Court upheld a long-standing expulsion order against eight of the 12 Palestinian hamlets forming Masafer Yatta  potentially leaving at least 1,000 people homeless.

On Friday, some residents said they are determined to stay on the land.

The verdict came after a more than two-decade-long legal struggle by Palestinians to remain in their homes. Israel has argued that the residents only use the area for seasonal agriculture and that they had been offered a compromise that would have given them occasional access to the land.

The Palestinians say that if implemented, the ruling opens the way for the eviction of all the 12 communities that have a population of 4,000 people, mostly Bedouins who rely on animal herding and a traditional form of desert agriculture.

The residents of Jinba, one of the hamlets, said Friday that they have opposed any compromise because they have lived in the area long before Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war.

Issa Abu Eram was born in a cave in the rugged mountainous terrain 48 years ago and has endured a tough life because building is banned here.

In the winter, he and his family members live in a cave. In the summer, they stay in caravans near the cave. His goats are a source of income, and on Friday, he had laid out dozens of balls of hardened goat milk yogurt on the roof of a shack to dry.

He said his children grew up with the threat of expulsion hanging over them. They are attending a makeshift school in Jinba, with the oldest son now in 12th grade.

He did not live in any other place except Jinba. How are you going to convince him ... to live somewhere else? he said.

The Palestinian leadership on Friday condemned the Israeli Supreme Court ruling, which was handed down on Wednesday  when most of Israel was shut down for the country's Independence Day.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, said the removal order amounts to forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, in violation of international law and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Also on Friday, Israel's interior minister said Israel is set to advance plans for the construction of 4,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank. If approved, it would be the biggest advancement of settlement plans since the Biden administration took office.

The White House is opposed to settlement growth because it further erodes the possibility of an eventual two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The West Bank has been under Israeli military rule for nearly 55 years. Masafer Yatta is in the 60% of the territory where the Palestinian Authority is prohibited from operating. The Palestinians want the West Bank to form the main part of their future state.

Jewish settlers have established outposts in the area that are not officially authorized by Israel but are protected by the military. Last fall, dozens of settlers attacked a village in the area, and a 4-year-old boy was hospitalized after being struck in the head with a stone.

For now, the families say they have only one choice left: to stay and stick to their land.

I dont have an alternative and they cannot remove me, said farmer Khalid al-Jabarin, standing outside a goat shed. The entire government of Israel cant remove me. We will not leave ... we will not get out of here because we are the inhabitants of the land.

Referring to West Bank settlers who came from other countries, he said: "Why would they bring a replacement from South Africa to live in the high mountains, in our land, and replace us, and remove us, why? 

___

Associated Press writer Fares Akram in Hamilton, Canada, contributed to this report.
Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, alleged said that Punjab police barged into his residence in huge numbers and arrested him "like they do with a terrorist"

Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, alleged said that Punjab police barged into his residence in huge numbers and arrested him like they do with a terrorist.

Bagga described the entire scenario of his arrest saying No warrant was shown to me. I told them to let me tie my turban when roughly eight people picked me up. I was denied the opportunity to wear the turban and slippers. I was shoved into the car. The Punjab police took me hostage. The local police department was also kept in the dark. As they do with a terrorist, over 50 police officers arrived.

The CCTV footage revealed that nearly ten police vehicles had arrived. Its an attempt to send a message that everyone who speaks out against Arvind Kejriwal is a terrorist who will not be spared Bagga stated.

Bagga said in April that while he was in Lucknow, Punjab police personnel arrived at his residence to arrest him without telling the Delhi police.

Bagga claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) filed a FIR against him based on a edited footage of his remarks on a television show in which he requested an apology from Kejriwal for his address in the Delhi Assembly in March over the flight of Kashmiri pandits.

Bagga further attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for illegally arresting him, claiming that it is an attempt to send a message that anyone who speaks out against the AAP chief will be labelled the greatest terrorist and will not be spared.

Earlier he was taken back from Haryana, where he was enroute to Mohali after being nabbed by Punjab Police, on the intervening nights of Friday and Saturday.

The arrest is allegedly linked with the matter of BJPs demand on Vivek Agnihotri film The Kashmir Files be tax-free in the national capital which was opposed by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Following his claim of assault, Bagga was transported to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in the national capital for a medical check-up on Friday night after being returned by Delhi police.
Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) issued a resolution on Friday opposing the World Health Organization's (WHO) estimates of 4.7 million COVID-19 fatalities in India

Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) issued a resolution on Friday opposing the World Health Organizations (WHO) estimates of 4.7 million COVID-19 fatalities in India.

WHO issue of COVID-19 deaths was discussed during the 14th Central Council of Health and Family Welfare Conference (CCHFW) in Kevadia, Gujarat, which was chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

The resolution was passed by around 20 health ministers who were present at the CCHFW.

According to reports, The CCHFW passed a resolution on WHOs modelling projections, as the Council is very dissatisfied and troubled with WHO modelling, which is based on very high estimates of excess mortality in India during the pandemic.

Punjab Health Minister Vijay Singhla told ANI that the resolution was passed in opposition to WHO.

However, Singhla said The resolution was passed against WHO, which lied about the pandemics numbers. They havent employed good mathematics; our system for estimating deaths and births is extremely robust. This issue has been highly denounced by us.

K Sudhakar, Karnatakas Health Minister, stated, This resolution was passed unanimously by all of the Health Ministers in attendance. We stick to our numbers because, for many years, this has been the standard procedure and statistics in India; every death in the country has been scientifically recorded.

According to the WHO research, COVID-19 is likely to have killed over 4.7 million individuals in India.

India has expressed strong opposition to the WHOs use of mathematical models to predict coronavirus excess mortality figures, claiming that actual data is available.

Dr. Balram Bhargava, Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said on Thursday that the country has a systemic data pool and that it no longer needs to rely on modelling, extrapolations, and press reports to determine COVID-related death.

Furthermore, Bhargava enquired, Will it be a COVID death if someone tests positive today and dies two weeks later? Will it be COVID death if someone dies two or six months after developing the disease?
Bagga arrived Delhi on the nights of Friday and Saturday after being held by Punjab Police in the national capital the day before

Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said on Friday that his incarceration by Punjab police was illegal and that he will continue to fight until Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologises for his remarks towards Kashmiri Pandits.

Bagga arrived Delhi on the nights of Friday and Saturday after being held by Punjab Police in the national capital the day before.

Baggas family members were seen welcoming his homecoming in Delhi. Bagga was apprehended by Punjab Police in Delhi earlier today. The gang was halted by Haryana cops on its way to Mohali after the Delhi Police filed an abduction case based on a complaint from Baggas father.

Punjab Police car carrying Bagga was encircled by Haryana Police and escorted off the highway to a police station in Kurukshetra. Punjab police officers were detained.

Simultaneously, the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected the AAP-ruled Punjabs appeal that Bagga be kept in Haryana rather than handed up to Delhi cops.

However, Haryana Police Department responded to a request from the Delhi Police Department, which had hurried to a court to get a search warrant based on the kidnapping accusation. A squad of Delhi police arrived in Kurukshetra with the search warrant and rescued Bagga, bringing him back to the national capital.

Bagga was charged with making an inflammatory statement, spreading religious enmity, and criminal intimidation by the Punjab Police earlier this month for targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal over his comments on The Kashmir Files.
Two Tamil Nadu police officers have been arrested in connection with the suspected death of a 25-year-old man in custody in Chennai

Two Tamil Nadu police officers have been arrested in connection with the suspected death of a 25-year-old man in custody in Chennai.

Following the killing of V Vignesh, the Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) detained Munaf and constable Ponraj on Friday night.

On April 18, the 25-year-old was detained and died the next day. At the CB-CID headquarters yesterday, nine police officers, including the two arrested, appeared before investigating officers.

Following the investigation, Munaf and Ponraj were arrested and charged with murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (Punishment for Murder) (IPC).

Ponraj was one of three police officers suspended previously in the case.

M K Stalin, the Chief Minister, announced in the Assembly on Friday that Vigneshs death would be treated as murder. Vigneshs body exhibited many injuries, according to a post-mortem examination report. The case was turned over to the CB-CID, which was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Saravanan.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government announced a Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia payment to the deceaseds family.

The 25-year-old man was detained for alleged narcotics possession on April 18 and was declared dead the next day.

Vigneshs brother said that the police tried to pay the family with Rs 1 lakh to stay quiet about his brothers death. He further said that the cops refused to let them see the body after the autopsy.
Retired Dutch diplomat Gerrit van der Wees has said that former Chinese premier and chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Mao Zedong, had refuted Chinas claims over Taiwan. Pointing out the historical inconsistencies of Chinas position on Taiwans status over time, Wees said that Mao Zedong, in 1937, reportedly told American journalist Edgar Snow, We will extend them (the Koreans) our enthusiastic help in their struggle for independence. The same thing applies for Taiwan.

According to Van der Wees.,the Chinese Communist Party of the 1920s held the opposite view on Taiwan as compared to that of todays CCP, recognizing the people of Taiwan as a distinct nation or nationality. He also added that the Chinese communist leaders described the anti-colonial resistance by the Taiwanese against imperial Japan as a national liberation movement separate from the Chinese revolution.

Writing for The Diplomat, Van der Wees said the CCPs position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China is problematic for two reasons. He wrote that the first treason is that the claim lacks a historical basis, and secondly, it is inconsistent since it is quite a recent position for the CCP to hold.




While referring to the G7 nations, Kishida called on "like-minded" countries to oppose any attempt by China to unilaterally change the status quo in Taiwan.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has warned that the invasion of Ukraine could be replicated in Taiwan by China if leading powers dont respond as one. Speaking at a meeting in London, the Japanese Prime Minister said that China might use the Wests military commitments in Eastern Europe to its benefit and launch an operation against Taiwan, reported The National Interest.

While referring to the G7 nations, Kishida called on like-minded countries to oppose any attempt by China to unilaterally change the status quo in Taiwan, reported The National Interest. Kishida stated, We must collaborate with our allies and like-minded countries, and never tolerate a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by the use of force in the Indo-Pacific, especially in East Asia.

The Japanese Prime Minister further reiterated Japans stance regarding the issues surrounding Taiwan and China. Japan maintains its position to expect a peaceful resolution through dialogue to issues surrounding Taiwan  and the situation will be watched carefully from that perspective, said the Japanese PM.
As per a Colombo Page report, Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to resign from his post as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at a special cabinet meeting headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Mahinda Rajapaksa has reportedly agreed to step down as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at the request of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in view of the deepening economic crisis in the country. As per a Colombo Page report, Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to resign from his post as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at a special cabinet meeting headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Notably, emergency has been imposed in the island nation from Friday midnight.

Mahinda Rajapaksas resignation will also mark the dissolution of the Sri Lankan Cabinet as well. According to political sources cited by the Colombo Page. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is due to announce his resignation from his post in a special statement on Monday, followed by a cabinet reshuffle in the next week.

Political sources cited by Sri Lankan media outlets suggest that Cabinet ministers Prasanna Ranatunga, Nalaka Godahewa, and Ramesh Pathirana, have all agreed to Mahinda Rajapaksas decision of resigning as the Prime Minister of the country.






After a devastating strike and protest over the external debt for the second time in five weeks, Sri Lanka imposed a state of emergency on Friday.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka proclaimed a state of emergency today, citing public security and public order, as well as the maintenance of supplies and services necessary to the communitys livelihood.

It has been in effect at midnight on May 6th.

The move comes after widespread protests around the island nation calling for President Rajapaksa and the whole government to quit over the countrys economic predicament. On April 1, 2022, the first state of emergency was announced.

Trade unions held a statewide walkout in response to the issue, calling for his resignation. Colombo Page claimed that approximately 2,000 trade unions took part in todays statewide hartal and strike against the President, Prime Minister, and administration.

All Ceylon Transport Workers Union, the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters Union (SLRSMU), university students, and a number of other organisations are opposing the Rajapaksa family.

Earlier, President Rajapaksa suggested that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stand down as a solution to the countrys protracted political crisis in a special meeting.

PM Rajapaksa said in a special meeting with the President and cabinet ministers that if the new government can address the economic issue and deliver an immediate solution, he will give his blessing to it.

Sri Lanka is experiencing severe food and electricity shortages, leading it to seek assistance from its neighbours. Foreign exchange problems caused by a tourism ban during the COVID-19 pandemic are blamed for the slump. The country is unable to purchase sufficient fuel and gas, and its citizens are without basic necessities.

The economic condition has sparked widespread protests, with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa being called to quit.
With a video going viral on social media showing him comparing himself to a donkey, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again been drawn into a funny meme fest

With a video going viral on social media showing him comparing himself to a donkey, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again been drawn into a funny meme fest.

Hasan Zaidi, a Pakistani journalist, shared a video clip of Imran Khans interview.

In the footage supplied by the Pakistani Journalist, Imran is heard saying that Because I am Pakistani, I never regarded the United Kingdom to be my home. Whatever happens, I will never be able to become a British citizen. A donkey does not become a zebra by drawing lines on it. Donkey will continue to be a donkey.

The video has gone viral, and Twitterati is not shy about mocking the former Prime Minister for his remarks.

A Twitter user jumped into the meme frenzy with the phrase self-realisation at 69.

Another user, Imran Khan mocks the English language and returned to Pakistan from the United Kingdom because he couldnt integrate into society since he was nervous around foreign delegates.

This isnt the first time Imran Khan has faced backlash for his views.

Following Imran Khans live Twitter Space, which had an average of 165,000 followers listening at any given time, the greatest amount ever, the social media was flooded with humorous memes.

Meanwhile, Imran Khans record-breaking 160k listeners were dubbed bots in some memes.
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This didnt start out as a Mothers Day column. But when youre talking to a psychotherapist, its probably an inevitable turn in the conversation. The twist here is that it was her mom we talked about.

I was interviewing psychotherapist Sandra Eagle to hear about her recent work with RESULTS, an agency that unites volunteers to try to stem poverty around the globe. Eagle and her fellow members of the Coastal Connecticut Chapter pay their own way to the annual international conference in Washington, D.C., where they lobby members of Congress.

This journey to D.C. was different. RESULTS funded Eagles trip so she could try to sway U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut. Its not as though any of Connecticuts Congressional delegation need convincing about the goal of replenishing The Global Fund to fight HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. President Joe Biden has already pledged $6 billion, along with a $1 match for every $2 from other donor nations. All in the hope of hitting a minimum of $18 billion.

Murphy and DeLauro have key roles on the Senate and House Appropriations committees. Eagle is a domino, nudging them to get others in line so Biden can focus on his peers in other countries rather than on members of Congress. Eagle wasnt asked to contact U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, but she says he promised to deliver a House floor speech in support of the Global Fund.

RESULTS gave similar assignments to some 30 advocates, a sort of Impossible Mission Force dedicated to ending poverty. Most had tasks like Eagles, to try to push legislators forward as the Global Fund was knocked backward by COVID, just like everything (and everyone) else. About seven advocates had tougher missions. They had to pitch lawmakers who need convincing.

This is the time, Eagle repeats.

The pitch is simple: The investment saves lives as well as money. It protects traveling Americans, including members of the military.

Eagle, who lives in Stamford, speaks rapidly because she knows Im familiar with the impact of the fund in saving a reported 44 million lives over the past two decades. She has her own version of yada, yada, yada, when words dont need to be said, abbreviating the abbreviation to da, da, da.

As we talk about the big picture, Im distracted by a smaller one behind Eagle. The collage depicts a woman rising like a tree and branching out. Its a fitting backdrop as I inquire about her own roots as an activist.

Eagles smile promises a good story to come.

I was born on the set of West Side Story, she begins. My mom is Puerto Rican and they didnt want her marrying the Italian. My father is Italian and they didnt want him marrying a Puerto Rican. So my parents eloped.

Her parents separated in 1957, when she was 4, over a showdown mirrored in countless American households of the era. Mom wanted to work. Dad said no.

So Iris Iaccarino took her two daughters to Puerto Rico. Six months later, Eagles father brought the girls back to Brooklyn, N.Y.

It was the initial trauma in my life to be without my mother at 4 years old, the psychotherapist shares.

It may have taken a few rounds, but Mom won the fight.

And what did my mother go to work as ...?

Its a provocative pause. My faith in a worthy answer is rewarded. A business rep for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.

Iris only had a 10th-grade education and lacked confidence in her own written English. So she recruited 10-year-old Sandra to write reports about people in sweat shops who needed eye surgery, or moms desperate for time off to care for ailing children.

My mother was fighting for these peoples rights, Eagle recalls.

Back then, it wasnt political. Her mom was freestyling.

There was nothing in our household that said This is the left, this is the right. This is Republican, this is Democrat. What she was trying to say is that this was the human thing to do.

Decades on, Eagle recognizes that her mother was a radical, in the way Mister Rogers was a radical.

In 1975, she was presented with the Borinquen Woman of The Year Award in honor of her work on behalf of Latina women and their families. A 1977 New York Times article documented Iaccarino as one of the first women appointed to a leadership position with the union.

Iaccarino died in Stamford last September at age 93.

You have to have a heart for the working people, she is quoted as saying in the Times. You must be a real dedicated person, not think about time or money.

Within the four walls of her Greenwich office, Eagle discovered the rewards of experiencing miracles with patients. But a self-awareness that she was primarily helping educated and affluent clients left her with a sense of personal irrelevance, a feeling that my whole world was burning.

That eventually inspired her to help start the RESULTS chapter in 2010, which led to that call to persuade members of Congress to reassure the president of the United States so he could prioritize rallying support from other nations. All for the benefit of strangers.

Eagle grew up in the Kennedy years when the future belonged to us. Her own sons became disenchanted. Mom, whats the use? Nothing ever changes, she was told.

The events of Jan. 20, 2021 delivered an unexpected epiphany.

I turn on the TV and its a woman senator ... reaching over to the woman vice president of the United States, to introduce her to the woman Supreme Court Justice, Eagle says. She cant quell her emotions or language as she relives the moment. F--- yes, things have changed.

It validated my life. It validated my mothers life.

The tears cease. And Eagle laughs. She sounds like shes just had a conversation with her 4-year-old self, the girl who was without my mom for a while. The girl who couldnt know her mom was always with her. She always will be.

John Breunig is editorial page editor of the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time. jbreunig@scni.com; twitter.com/johnbreunig.
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DANBURY  The teen arrested for his alleged involvement in the fight that led to a shooting at the Danbury Fair Mall last summer has pleaded guilty to one of six charges brought against him.

Derek Sotelo, 19, has pleaded guilty to the class D felony charge of attempt to commit second-degree assault stemming from the August 2021 incident that resulted in a girl getting shot and a more-than-hour-long lockdown of the mall.

Danbury police responded to a report of shots fired at the mall around 7 p.m. Aug. 11, and found the 15-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to the left side of her throat.

She was transported to Danbury Hospital with a fractured vertebrae and later transported to Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford for further treatment, according to police.

The shooting stemmed from a fight at the mall carnival two months prior, during which Sotelo was allegedly jumped by a group of juveniles, according to the warrant for his arrest.

Police said the 14-year-old boy accused of firing the shot that wounded the 15-year-old girl and subsequently charged with first-degree assault is believed to have been one of the juveniles who attacked Sotelo at the carnival.

A witness who was at the mall with Sotelo and the 15-year-old girl Aug. 11, told police a group  identified as the Ridge Kids  started yelling and clapping at them and Sotelo recognized the group as those who had jumped him at the carnival.

According to police, Sotelo grabbed a hammer from a car parked outside and was joined by four friends before walking back into the mall through Macys.

Danbury police said surveillance footage showed the 14-year-old accused shooter sitting alone on a chair inside the mall near Macys and Sotelo taking a seat on a nearby couch.

They were joined a short time later by their respective groups and things (got) heated after someone allegedly asked the Ridge Kids if they had a problem with her friends, according to the warrant for Sotelos arrest.

Police said video footage showed the 14-year-old boy getting up from his chair and back pedaling toward Jennys Spa before pulling a gun from his waistband and firing at least one shot, striking the 15-year-old girl.

Sotelo allegedly lunged toward the shooter with a hammer in his right hand, according to the warrant for his arrest, and the suspected shooter ran away in the opposite direction of Macys.

Police said Sotelo then ran back into Macys and out of the exit before discarding the hammer in the parking lot.

In addition to criminal attempt to commit second-degree assault, Sotelo is also facing first-degree reckless endangerment, inciting a riot, inciting injury to a person, risk of injury to a minor and breach of peace charges.

He remains held on a $150,000 court-set bond and has a disposition hearing scheduled for July 28, at state Superior Court in Danbury.
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Bethel American Legion Post 100, SAL will sell Mothes Day flowers beginning this week.

Flowers will be sold from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, as well as from 9 p.m until theyre sold out on Sunday.

The American Legion Post is at 7 Elizabeth St.

Brookfield

Conservation Commission hosts Earth Day event

The Brookfield Conservation Commission recently hosted an Earth Day event at the Eriksen Farm Open Space on Nabby Road in Brookfield.

The event held April 23 featured the planting of a tree, birdhouse building, and information about the local Pollinator Pathway program. The commission also kicked off its No Mow May initiative encouraging residents to not mow a section of their yard throughout the entire month of May to provide a temporary habitat for pollinators before the summer flowers begin to grow.

The highlight of the event was a ceremony unveiling Brookfields first ever barn quilt. Barn quilts are large wooden boards painted in the style of a quilt and hung on local barns. They pay homage to a local areas agrarian past and the actual quilts that are passed down throughout generations of farm families.

Bridget OHara, a local artist, and member of the Brookfield Arts Commission, created the design for the quilt, and then painted the two four- foot- by- eight- foot boards that became the actual quilt.

Danbury

Commission to meet with seniors

A program will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday for residents to meet members of the Commission on Aging.

The goal is to introduce the commission to senior citizens in the city so members can hear their concerns and answer questions. The event will be held at the Danbury Senior Center at 10 Elmwood Place. RVSP by calling 203-797-4686 or emailing s.tomanio@danbury-ct.gov.

Danbury

WCSCU students to present research

Western Connecticut State University is hosting its annual Western Research Days this week when students will present research and other creative projects.

The event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday in the universitys Science Building on the Midtown campus at 181 White Street, Danbury. Awards for top presentations will be given at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Keynote speakers include Yanerys Leon, Ph.D., at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, and AmberJean Hansen, M.P.H., at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Leon is a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology of the University of Miami (ABA Masters Program), among other positions. Her address is entitled Token Economies for Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Bridging the Research to Practice Gap and is sponsored by the WCSU Foundation.

Hansen graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in biology and a minor in chemistry. She received a masters degree in public health from the University of New England in 2016, and is a research assistant at the Connecticut Emerging Infections Program at the Yale School of Public Health. Her presentation, sponsored by the WCSU Alumni Association, is entitled It Started Out with Just Ticks, How Did It End Up Like This? Public Health Research in Endemic and Pandemic Times.

For more information, go to https://www.wcsu.edu/wrd/ or contact WCSU Public Relations at pr@wcsu.edu.

Danbury

Company founder to be honored

George Mulvaney, founder of Mulvaney Mechanical, will be honored with the WestConn Society Breakfast for Student Success hosted by the WCSU Foundation in a ceremony on Tuesday.

Mulvaney founded his high technology mechanical contracting company that has done millions of dollars worth of work over its 41 years of operation. The company has been recognized with a Connecticut Subcontractor of the Year award from the General Contractors Association of America.

Mulvaney has made community volunteer work an equal part of his life, having served as director and chair of several important boards in Danbury and Ridgefield, where he lives.

Mulvaney has been recognized previously with several awards from various groups.

To order tickets for the breakfast, go to www.wcsu.edu/giving/events/ or call (203) 837-9820.

New Fairfield

Groovin in New Fairfield to present a coffeehouse show

The Groovin in New Fairfield nonprofit organization is going to present a coffeehouse show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the New Fairfield Senior Center.

Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.

The organization is welcoming back Toby Walker, a songwriter and roots music fingerstyle guitar virtuoso. Walker will have a special guest in a band, Potters Field.

There will be a moderately priced dinner that will be catered by Brunos Restaurant before the show. The menu choices for the meal will include: Eggplant rollatini, chicken francese, pizza, coffee, tea, hot mulled cider, water, and homemade desserts.

Tickets are $15 and are payable by cash or check made out to Groovin In New Fairfield. Tickets may be purchased at the senior center, or checks or cash may be mailed to Groovin In New Fairfield, c/o New Fairfield Senior Center, 33 Route 37, New Fairfield, CT 06812.

Mail needs to be received no later than Tuesday to ensure attendees reservations.

All sales are final.

More information is available by calling the organization at 203-746-1142, or by emailing grcoffeehouse@gmail.com.

The organization has a website at http://groovininnewfairfield.com/.

New Milford

Shopping mall to host another season of cruise nights

The Litchfield Crossings shopping center in New Milford is hosting another season of its family friendly, and Paradice car club Classic Cruise Nights events.

The series will be held at 5 p.m. to dusk every Tuesday, beginning this week.

More information is available by visiting the car clubs website at paradiceclassiccruisers.org.

New Milford

New Milford Rotary Club to host shredding event

The New Milford Rotary Club will host its community document shredding day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, at the Pettibone Community Center.

The event is back, following the coronavirus pandemic.

No appointment is necessary. The cost is $10 per standard copy paper type box.

There will be no limit to the number boxes that attendees will be able to bring to be shredded. Shredded material will be recycled. The event is open to residents, and businesses from all towns.

All money collected will be donated by the New Milford Rotary Club within the community to help senior citizens, environmental projects and fund scholarships and 0ther local projects. For more information, or if you have a large number of boxes call 860-866-7141, email shredfest@nmrotary.org or visit www.nmrotary.org.

The community center is located at 2 Pickett District Road in New Milford.

Region

Medical Reserves Corps earns $10K grant

Housatonic Valley Medical Reserve Corps has earned a $10,000 award that will go toward the standardization of medical and non-medical volunteers.

This 2022 Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Operational Readiness Award was given by the National Association of County and City Health Officials, which represents the countrys nearly 3,000 local health departments.

These awards, made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Responses Medical Reserve Corps Program Office, will build the operational readiness capabilities of Medical Reserve Corps units to meet the emergency preparedness and response needs of local, regional, and statewide stakeholders. More than $1 million in awards will support 129 units to build Medical Reserve Corps response capabilities (Tier 1) or strengthen Medical Reserve Corps response capabilities (Tier 2). Housatonic Valley Medical Reserve Corps received a Tier 2 award.

Regional

Regional Hospice to honor Womans Club

Regional Hospice will host its annual Danbury/Bethel Giving Circle Breakfast event at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury.

The nonprofit health organization will to honor the Womans Club of Danbury/New Fairfield for all its support to the mission of the Regional Hospice.

Bethel resident Robert Stosser will be the testimonial speaker of the event. Stossers wife, Ann, previously received care from Regional Hospice for close to three years.

More information is available at makingthebestofeveryday.org.

Ridgefield

Parent Circles program series returning to library

The Ridgefield Library is hosting a Parent Circles program series for parents this month.

The series will be titled: Getting Back on Track After the Pandemic: Parenting a Child That's Happy, Confident, Resilient and High-functioning.

The series will also have facilitated discussion groups that will be co-sponsored by the Ridgefield Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse, RCCASA, the Ridgefield Library, and the Ridgefield Council of Parent Teacher Associations, PTAs.

Registration and more information is available by contacting Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Doug Barile at dougbarile@gmail.com.

Ridgefield

Authors to speak at library

The Ridgefield Library and the Books on the Common bookstore, are going to host three authors for events in-person this month in the main program room of the library.

The first of the events will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, with author Bill Roorbach, who will present his latest novel, Lucky Turtle.

The second of the events will be at 7 p.m. May 19 with author Rich Cohen, who will talk about his book, The Adventures of Herbie Cohen: Worlds Greatest Negotiator. Herbie is Rich Cohens father.

The third of the events will be at 6:30 p.m. May 24, with co-authors Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster, who will both discuss their new book, Seen and Unseen: Technology, Social Media, and the Fight for Racial Justice. Hill will join the event via Zoom, while Brewster will be in-person.

Registration is available by visiting ridgefieldlibrary.org, or by calling the librarys main phone number at 203-438-2282.

Washington

Experts to discuss war in Ukraine

The Gunn Memorial Library plans to welcome members of the United Nations Association of Connecticut who will present a panel discussion about the historical scholarship, personal engagement and the current situation in Ukraine.

The event will be held virtually via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Panel members will include Sergei Kambalov, a retired director of the United Nations, Alex Kuzma, a Ukrainian attorney and educator; Hamish Lutris, a historian and college professor; and Joseph Baxer, president of the United Nations Association of Connecticut and moderator of this discussion.
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NEW HAVEN  Anton Sovetov was a loyal friend with a wide range of interests, whose death has left his friends feeling a hole in their lives.

Sam Gold, who called Sovetov his best friend, already had his birthday present bought and Sovetov had already paid his share of a rental for an annual trip to Provincetown, Mass.

He loved it and we were so looking forward to going again this summer, said Gold, who met Sovetov when Sovetov came to New Haven to attend the Yale School of Art in 2014. We quickly became friends. He was my best friend in New Haven, Gold said.

Sovetov, 44, a graphic designer known for his innovative, colorful posters, bulletin board messages and COVID-19 informational materials, was found deceased April 30 on a beach in Southold, N.Y., at the far end of Long Islands north fork. He last was seen Feb. 5 on a video in the Elm City Market on Chapel Street, buying groceries.

The Adirondack Mountains, the films of Frenchman Jacques Tati and Peter Greenway of Wales, Japanese graphic design, video games, books and the tabletop game Magic: The Gathering were among Sovetovs passions. As a downtown resident, he frequented Criterion Cinemas and loved Mecha Noodle Bar, Gold said.

Every time Id see him, hed give you a big hug and had a big smile on his face, said Gold, who lives in New Haven and is executive director of the Lower Connecticut River Council of Governments.

He was always game for anything and always had a lovely time. He had a circle of friends that really acted as his family here, Gold said. Anton was witty and smart and observant and direct, as direct as Russians can be. He was always sincere and caring and just using his wit to lighten moods and what I appreciate about Anton is he enriched lives that he touched.

Sovetov was born June 15, 1977, in St. Petersburg. His mother Victoria Sovetova, whom Gold said worked in the hospitality industry before the pandemic, since has moved to a dacha outside the city.

As an art lover, he loved going to MassMOCA, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. Gold said he had tickets for them to see Kraftwerk, a German electronic music group, for Sovetovs birthday: We were going to go to the museum and the concert and some other friends were going. Gold has Sovetovs ticket as well as his birthday gift, this beautiful box set of books about Jacques Tati.

Gold said Sovetov was the friend he would get together with most often for hikes, dinner, art exhibits and the movies. The last movie we saw was The French Dispatch before everything shut down for COVID, he said.

He was more of an introvert, but he loved gatherings with close friends, Gold said. His closest friends were people from outside of work and outside of Yale. Work was work and friends were friends. Three of his friends had attended the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, Netherlands, with him and who joined him at the Yale School of Art.

Each year, a group would make a 31/2-mile hike to the forever wild section of the high peaks of the Adirondacks, Gold said. Its off the grid, theres no electricity, no cellphones and we would have a great time and Anton went every year. I introduced him to his first mountains. He had never seen a mountain before.

They also took a trip to the Maroon Bells peaks outside of Aspen, Colo., in June 2021.

Mark Oliver met Sovetov through Gold about 2015, when he made a trip to New Haven from California. He moved to Branford in 2019. He would just drop everything to come and help you. Fiercely loyal and a nice, nice man, Oliver said.

Before COVID, Anton was my cinema buddy, Oliver said. They would go to the Criterion and then to Mecha. There was always noodles, always noodles.

Oliver, a native of England, said, The thing with Anton is he has a really dry wit, which as an Englishman with a dry wit I just adored.  We immediately clicked because we had a similar sense of humor.

Marvin de Jong of New Haven also met Sovetov as an undergraduate at the Hague. When he was missing, it didnt feel so real. Its hard right now to process it, he said.

At the Royal Academy of Art, there werent rally classes, per se. You werent sitting in a class being lectured to, de Jong said. You would get an assignment.  We would work at school together, a lot of conversations and showing each other work and talking about work.

At Yale, they would take walks through East Rock Park and talk about whatever was bothering us, de Jong said. He was huge. He was over 6 feet and this big Russian guy, but he loved birdwatching and he loved nature.

Joe DiMaggio spend most time with Sovetov hiking or playing Magic: The Gathering. Anton introduced me to a bunch of other people at Yale who play it, he said. I thought it was always associated with kids, but it was a very complex game. He would get a kick out of learning all these complex strategies to win.

While Sovetov was a very shy person, he would really come alive when he would play, DiMaggio, a distant relative of the Yankee star, said.

DiMaggio, who works in the Yale registrars office, also went on the Adirondacks trips and said, Anton knew a lot about foraging. As we were hiking on these 10-mile hikes, he would collect these mushrooms. He would know which were safe to eat and he would cook them up.

DiMaggio said Sovetov could have made a name for himself in graphic design. I think if he had had the opportunity to do something bigger, he could have designed really big, beautiful things that would have made a difference in the world, he said.

Dolina Vasilyeva, who also studied in the Hague, was a year behind Sovetov at Yale and now lives in New York City. He reminded me of my friends in St. Petersburg because hes also kind of laid back, she said.

He was the first person who I met when I arrived in New Haven. He would show me around, Vasilyeva said. He would honestly talk about things and he was pretty straightforward.

Another friend, Paulo Seixas, wrote in an email, Anton and I shared a deep passion for design. Never have I met anyone who spoke that language so well and understood the inherent challenges of being true to oneself and the tension of between being a creative and making a living at it.

Seixas said, There was always a kindness and unrelenting passion for everything he did. He approached life with both a naiveness and a depth of understanding that is so hard to describe.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
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PHOENIX (AP)  A federal judge on Saturday refused to halt an Arizona execution planned for Wednesday after the state provided attorneys for convicted killer Clarence Dixon with documents outlining testing done on the drug it will use, but an additional flurry of last-minute court action could still lead to a delay.

That court action is almost certain to include Dixon's contention that the test results released late Friday showed that the sedative to be used has exceeded its expiration date. Arizona's lawyers contend it will not expire until August.

Dixon's attorneys also plan to appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court a state judge's Tuesday ruling that while Dixon suffers from schizophrenia, he understands what is about to occur and is therefore competent to be executed. If the state high court refuses to overturn that, they plan to turn to federal court on that issue.

But time is running short, as U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa noted.

I just do want to remind you that the window of opportunity here is closing, Humetewa told Dixon's lawyers at the close of Saturday's hearing. I do ask you to be mindful of that.

Saturday's hearing primarily focused on whether the barbiturate sodium pentobarbital that was compounded into a solution by a licensed pharmacist met expiration guidelines. But that issue itself was not before the judge, only Dixon's contention that he had a constitutional right to know the test results the state was relying upon to set the expiration date.

Once that was provided by the state Friday night, Humetewa said she had nothing before her.

So your request has been met," Humetewa said. "I think the argument over whether or not the compound has expired is a wholly different question.

Dixon attorney Jennifer Moreno said an amended lawsuit seeking to explore that will be expedited.

Arizona and many other states have struggled to get execution drugs in recent years after drug-makers refused to sell their products for that use. Arizona obtained the pentobarbital they plan to use from an unidentified compounding pharmacy.

That pharmacist mixed a batch of the drug into a solution last September and sent it to a federally registered lab for testing, according to state documents. The testing showed it would last 180 days. The pharmacist then mixed a second batch from the same powder in February for use in Dixon's execution, and the state contends it won't expire until this coming August.

But Moreno said the documents just provided by the state do not show what the state contends.

The underlying data demonstrates that the drug tested did not pass the defendants own tests, Moreno said. These are the tests the (state) said needed to be done to extend the beyond-use date beyond 45 days.

Since they failed, Moreno said, the drugs the state plans to use actually expired in mid-April.

Dixon, now 66 and blind, is set to be the first person put to death in Arizona since in nearly eight years, mainly because of problems with the previous execution. The state had to give Joseph Wood 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours before he died in July 2014 in an execution that his lawyers said was botched. The state now is using just one drug.

Dixon was convicted of murder in the killing of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin. He was serving life sentences for a 1985 attack on a 21-year-old Northern Arizona University student when DNA testing linked him to Bowdoin's unsolved rape and murder.

Dixon had was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra Day OConnor, nearly four years before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bowdoin was killed on Jan. 7, 1978, two days after that verdict, according to court records.

Bowdoin was found dead in her apartment, and had been raped, stabbed and strangled. Dixon had been charged with raping Bowdoin, but the charge was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. He was convicted, though, in her death.

Defense lawyers said Dixon has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia on multiple occasions, has regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and should not be executed.

On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a warrant for a second execution. Frank Atwood is set to die June 8 for killing an 8-year-old girl in 1984. Authorities say Atwood kidnapped the girl, whose body was found in the desert northwest of Tucson.

___

Associated Press reporter Jacques Billeaud contributed.
Waterbury Police Department / Contributed Photo

WATERBURY  Police detectives found two guns, 500 bags of heroin and more than 40 grams of crack in a city apartment Tuesday, the Waterbury Police Department announced Friday.

Police searched the apartment on Craftwood Road Tuesday after investigating Christopher Poller, 28, of Waterbury. Though the apartment was not his primary residence, police found him and a woman there, according to the police department.
DEAR ABBY: My adult son has a drug addiction, for which he is receiving treatment. My family and I have just met his daughter, who we had only recently learned about. She's 6. I had a celebration for her birthday at my house. My mom (the great-grandma) took pictures of the birthday girl and her friends, and posted them on social media. I had asked her before the party started to please not post pictures of the children on social media. She said she does what she wants.

I don't believe pictures of children under 18 should be posted on social media and, in this case, especially since we just met my granddaughter. She didn't have permission from the other children's moms to post. I feel my mother disrespected my house and my rules, and I need to know how to handle future events. Please help.

I was raised to respect my parents, but this is a deal-breaker, and I'm seriously considering not including her in future events involving the children.

 DEAL-BREAKER IN NEW MEXICO

DEAR DEAL-BREAKER: Your mother has made it clear that your wishes and your rules mean nothing to her  she does what she wants. Now it's time to exercise your own good judgment and do what YOU want. If you feel she might do something that would place the children in harm's way, by all means exclude her from events involving them.

DEAR ABBY: After three years together, my boyfriend and I decided to split up amicably once we graduated from college. I bought him an expensive engraved pocket knife as a graduation gift, but there was a delay and it didn't arrive until we had graduated and he'd returned to his home country in Europe. I forwarded it to him with a card when I received it. Unfortunately, when the box arrived in his country a month later, it was empty except for the card. Someone had stolen my gift.

We have both filed claims with our countries' post offices, to no avail. Should I buy him a new one, or has the moment passed? While the knife was expensive, it didn't cost so much that I can't afford another one, and he stressed that he didn't expect a replacement. What's the right thing to do? The gift was intended as a memento of his graduation and our relationship, but it feels strange to repeat the exercise now that we're broken up. What do you think?

 MOMENT HAS PASSED

DEAR MOMENT: Because your ex-boyfriend made clear that he doesn't expect a replacement, let the matter rest. Allow his memories of college  and you  to be his mementos. They are what's most important because they can't be stolen.

DEAR ABBY: I have been with someone for seven years. From the start, he said he wasn't the jealous type. He says that when we are out, flirting is OK because we go home together, and if someone wants a kiss, I should give it. What do you think of this? I'm not for it.

 HEARTBROKEN IN FLORIDA

DEAR HEARTBROKEN: So this man says it's OK for both of you, I assume, to flirt and kiss others? What I "think" is that regardless of how long you have been together, this person isn't interested in an exclusive relationship, and if that's what you want, it may be time to find someone whose values more closely mirror your own.

DEAR ABBY: Last year my mother passed away after a 15-year battle with lung cancer. When I tell people she died, I am not bothered if they ask what she died from. However, more often than not, when they learn she died of lung cancer, they proceed to ask me if she ever smoked. It's so upsetting! Why would they ask this? Because she got what she deserved if she did?

Without answering their rude question, I explain that my mother had a rare, slow-growing type of cancer that afflicts nonsmokers (which is true). Am I overreacting to this insensitive question, or is there something I'm missing? And is there a better way to answer so that people realize it doesn't matter?

P.S. I would normally call my mother with questions like this.

 MOTHERLESS DAUGHTER

DEAR MOTHERLESS: Please accept my deepest sympathy for the loss of your mother. People ask this question for a variety of reasons. Curiosity is one of them. However, I think there's also an element of fear involved  was this the death of an innocent, or did the person do something to bring it on? Because lung cancer is linked so strongly to smoking and secondhand smoke, people often forget that nonsmokers can get it  including individuals who work around asbestos.

While I understand why you would be especially sensitive to the question, I think you should answer it honestly. If you do, you might educate the asker. I can't guarantee that your mother would advise you to do it but, from my heart, I suggest you do.

DEAR ABBY: I have been in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend for four years. He works for a company that takes him all over the country. We see each other sometimes once a month for three to five days. Other times we don't see each other for two months. He is 62, and I'm 55. He has looked for a job in my hometown, but never gets an interview, probably because of his age. I have a stable job with retirement benefits that I cannot leave.

I have broken up with him several times, but we always get back together. He is kind and treats me well. I worry I won't find that again, but I'm tired of doing things by myself. I have often asked him what the future holds for us, and he can never give me an answer.

Because he doesn't have retirement benefits, he will have to work until he can get on Medicare. I can't wait three more days much less three more years. I guess I'm asking you what should I do. I worry about being alone but, in reality, I am already alone.

 ANXIOUS IN ARIZONA

DEAR ANXIOUS: Because your gentleman friend can never give you a straight answer when you ask what the future holds for the two of you, you are right  you ARE alone. You didn't mention whether you and this man love each other or if you are seeing other people, but I'm advising you to leave your options open, because there are no guarantees as far as your boyfriend is concerned.

DEAR READERS: I wish a very Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere  birth mothers, adoptive and foster mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren, and dual-role dads. Orchids to all of you for the love you give not only today, but each and every day.

 LOVE, ABBY
Jieyang city in Guangdong gains momentum in express delivery industry

People's Daily Online) 14:16, May 07, 2022

The express delivery industry in Jieyang city, south Chinas Guangdong Province, handled 847 million parcels in the first quarter of this year, ranking fourth nationwide.

(Photo/Jieyang Daily)

The citys express parcel volume exceeded 3.5 billion in 2021, ranking sixth out of all Chinese cities, the countrys State Post Bureau said earlier this year. Last year marked the third year in a row that Jieyang was ranked among the top ten cities nationwide in terms of express parcel volume.

This prosperity in Jieyangs courier industry can be attributed to young peoples enthusiasm for having their own start-ups, a convenient transport and logistics network, a well-developed manufacturing industry, fully-fledged supporting industries, and the local governments policies, which have helped to boost the development of the e-commerce sector.

Junpu village in Jieyang is home to over 10,000 online shops, with their combined transaction volume exceeding 10 billion yuan (about $1.5 billion) annually, according to an executive of the citys e-commerce association.

Xu Bingfeng, a villager from Junpu village, who engaged in e-commerce in the provincial capital Guangzhou, returned to his village to conduct e-commerce business there in 2012 because living costs and warehouse rent are much lower than that in Guangzhou. One year later, Xu received hundreds of orders each day.

Like Xu, many young people have started e-commerce businesses in Jieyang, leading to a thriving e-commerce sector in the city. In addition, major Chinese express delivery companies have established 10 regional parcel distribution centers and 475 outlets in Jieyang.

Jieyang has improved its transport infrastructure. The maximum annual passenger throughput capacity of Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport hits 7.35 million; and the annual cargo throughput in Jieyang Port exceeds 30 million tons. The city has five high-speed train stations, allowing residents to travel between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in one hour and a half. In addition, eight expressways pass through the city.

By leveraging on the traditional manufacturing industry, Puning, a county-level city administered by Jieyang, has witnessed a flourishing e-commerce business.

Supporting industries of the manufacturing sector are indispensable for the rapid development of the e-commerce industry in Jieyang, said Chen Hongyu, a professor with the Party School of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of Communist Party of China.

For example, the total output value of Punings textile and apparel industry surpassed 120 billion yuan last year. It takes just about one week to turn a piece of cloth into a garment that is made available for sales here, said Huang Zhenbiao, an online store owner in an e-commerce industrial park in Puning.

The local government has also taken proactive measures to facilitate the development of the e-commerce industry.

Jieyang has made use of favorable policies to ensure sound interaction among market forces, industry associations, and market entities, Chen explained.

In 2020, Jieyang launched policies to promote the development of its e-commerce sector by providing support through financial and land policies, rewards and subsidies and has stepped up efforts to train e-commerce talents.

Jieyang is also making efforts to continue building up its strength in the express delivery and e-commerce industries.

By taking the opportunities provided by Chinas efforts in promoting the development of new business models such as cross-border e-commerce, Jieyang has accelerated the deep integration of foreign trade and e-commerce. The State Council approved on Feb. 8 the establishment of a cross-border e-commerce pilot zone in Jieyang, which is expected to boost the development of cross-border e-commerce in the city.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The Director General of the Bola Tinubu Campaign Organization, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has announced his decision to dump the ruling All Progre...

The Director General of the Bola Tinubu Campaign Organization, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has announced his decision to dump the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a tweet on Saturday evening, Jibrin, who is expected to be actively involved in the coming APC presidential primary election, said he was moving on from the party.

With this latest development, some Nigerians on social media are wondering what will become of his position in Tinubus camp while others wonder if the national leader of the APC may also dump the party.

Jibrin said he would return with full details of his reasons to dump the ruling party, but there is the feeling that the former lawmaker has envisaged a not-too-good future for Tinubu.

I have done my best for APC. Its time to move on. I will announce my new political party within the next 24 hours Insha Allah.

I will make a formal statement in due course. Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin, Jibrin tweeted, promising to provide more details later.
Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, has asked Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to resign his position i...

Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, has asked Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to resign his position if he wants to contest the presidency.

Three interest groups procured the presidential nomination form of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Emefiele.

The representatives of the coalition of three groups  rice farmers, Emefiele Support Group and Friends of Godwin Emefiele  were said to have picked the form on Friday at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.

The development stirred varied reactions on social media as some Nigerians queried the possibility of the CBN governor contesting the presidency while in office.

Speaking on the development in a statement, Akeredolu said Emefiele cannot participate actively in partisan politics and also hold the position of CBN governor.

Consequently, we admonish Mr Emefiele to leave the office, immediately, for him to pursue his interest, the Ondo governor said.

He cannot combine partisan politics with the very delicate assignment of his office. Should he refuse to quit, it becomes incumbent on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to remove him forthwith.

Rumours had been rife on the subterranean partisan activities linked to him through these shadowy characters in the recent weeks.

Pictures of branded vehicles, ostensibly purchased for electioneering campaigns, were also posted on social media. The audacious moves by those who claimed to be supporting this interest have been unsettling.

This latest news confirms that the Governor may indeed be interested in immersing himself in the murky waters of politics like any other Nigerian with partisan interests.

It is incontrovertible that Mr Emefiele enjoys a constitutionally protected right to belong to any group or association and participate fully, just as any Nigerian.

It is, however, difficult to imagine that a person who occupies the exalted and sensitive office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria will be this brazen in actualising his ambition.

There is no gain asserting the obvious. The combined effect of the Public Service Rules, CBN Act and the 1999 Constitution, as amended, exposes not only the oddity inherent in this brash exercise of presumed right to associate.

It also confirms the illegality of the act should he proceed to submit the forms while occupying the seat as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.








American doctor, Justin Dean, has denied claims that he stole money from his estranged wife and popular Nigerian dancer, Korra Obidi. ...

American doctor, Justin Dean, has denied claims that he stole money from his estranged wife and popular Nigerian dancer, Korra Obidi.

Obidi had cried out in a Facebook live video on Saturday, alleging that her husband stole a sum of $5,000 from her.

The mother of two said she had mistakenly sent the sum to her PayPal account, which was connected to the couples joint account.

Justin went into the joint account, I had mistakenly sent $5,000 there for rent and a bunch of other stuff. I sent it to my PayPal; I didnt know the account linked to the PayPal was still a joint account. He emptied the account, she claimed.

Responding to the allegations hours later, the chiropractor said the withdrawal from the joint account was a bona fide mistake.

I transferred money, he admitted. It was an accident. I was not expecting anyone to transfer any money to the joint account or any account. I was paying bills. Im a busy person. I returned the money, it was an accident, a bona fide accident.

$27,445, thats what I make as a $300 an hour clinician. An elite clinician, one of the top paid clinicians in the country, he boasted.

He also stated that he had transferred funds from the joint account thinking it was his savings account.

Dean announced he was divorcing his wife in March, shortly after they welcomed their second child.

According to him, the marriage was detrimental to his mental health, and the safety of his children.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has monitored with keen interest the deluge of reports in the media on the demand by ...

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has monitored with keen interest the deluge of reports in the media on the demand by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to increase tariffs of telecom services and has taken notes of the fears being expressed by telecom subscribers on the agitation.

The demand being made by MNOs under the auspices of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), citing high cost of running their operations as the major reason for their proposed tariff hike, is contained in a letter to the Commission.

Consistent with international best practice and established regulatory procedures, the NCC said it ensures its regulatory activities are guided by regular cost-based and empirical studies to determine appropriate cost (upper and floor price) within which service providers are allowed to charge their subscribers for services delivered.

The Commission, in a statement signed by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, its Director of Public Affairs, said it ensures that any cost determined, as an outcome of such transparent studies, is fair enough as to enhance healthy competition among operators, provide wider choices for the subscribers as well as ensure sustainability of the Nigerian telecoms industry.

The Commission informed telecoms subscribers and allayed the fears of Nigerians that no tariff increase will be effected by the operators without due regulatory approval by the Commission.

Tariff regulations and determinations are made by the Commission in line with the provisions of Sections 4, 90 and 92 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which entrusts the Commission with the protection and promotion of the interests of subscribers against unfair practices including but not limited to; matters relating to tariffs and charges.

The current tariff regime being administered by the service providers is a product of NCCs determination both for voice and SMS in the past.

However, while there could be justifiable reasons for MNOs demand for tariff increase, it should be noted that they are not allowed to do such either individually or collectively without recourse to the NCC, following the outcome of a cost study.

Through NCCs commitment to engendering healthy competition among the licensees, the cost of services has been democratised and become more and more affordable for Nigerian subscribers. The regulator is even more committed to this cause to ensure subscribers get greater value for money spent on telecom services.
A political group, Orlu Political Action Committee, OPAC, has reacted angrily to the Supreme Court verdict that settled the legal fireworks ...

A political group, Orlu Political Action Committee, OPAC, has reacted angrily to the Supreme Court verdict that settled the legal fireworks between Imo and Rivers States over the 17 disputed oil wells.





The dispute was resolved in favour of Rivers State.





In a statement on Saturday, the group from Orlu, politically disowned Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.





It called on the sons and daughters of Orlu currently serving in Uzodinmas government to resign.





Uzodinma is the immediate past Senator that represented Orlu Senatorial District in the National Assembly.





The political group said any political party dealing with Uzodinma would be roundly rejected at the poll in 2023.





The groups Publicity Secretary, Barrister Nnamdi Maduka made this declaration in the statement made available to newsmen.





Part of the statement reads, It is deeply unacceptable and unpardonable that our ancestral land has been taken away from us right under the watch of an Orlu son.





We have placed a perpetual ban on the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma from seeking re-election as governor, contesting any other election in future or holding any other public office upon the expiration of his current office.





Any political party that is dealing with Chief Uzodinma should be aware that the collective wrath of Orlu people awaits such party.





For us, this loss is occasioned primarily by the inability of the regime of Chief Hope Uzodinma to prioritize the legal battle and deploy other relevant political tools in asserting ownership over the land and its accompanying resources.





It is disheartening to note that while the litigation lasted, Chief Uzodinma lost focus and instead busied himself with frivolities and shameful political razzmatazz.





In the last few days, countless lives, including those of law enforcement personnel, have been lost. What is really worrisome is that the so-called helmsman of Imo has remained clueless over these killings.





The inept regime has continually blamed everyone else and everything else for killings but has neither budged about addressing the issue in a sustainable manner nor taken responsibility for its indefensible inability to protect the lives and property of our people.





Much of our territory in Orlu Zone, has today become uninhabitable. There are now more internally displaced persons in Orlu Zone than the entire Borno State. No investor thinks Orlu anymore.





Businesses have shuttered. Basic amenities are sorely lacking. Personal safety in Orlu today has become a mirage, and violent deaths have become as constant as the sun.





OPAC, therefore, finds it embarrassing, outrageous and condemnable that even in the face of these tragedies, Chief Uzodinma has begun plotting and putting up structures to pursue a second term ambition.





This is an open and unabashed assault on the memories of our departed brothers and sisters who died untimely as a result of the irresponsibility of the people in power. We cannot allow these ravages, miseries and agonies in our land to continue.





Also, OPAC mandates all indigenes of Orlu Zone who are serving the regime of Chief Uzodinma to immediately resign their positions and seek atonement and forgiveness from the people.





Whoever that comes from Orlu and serves a regime that brings tears to our people is a traitor who must be exposed and committed to the hall of shame.





OPAC said this unfortunate development had become a reminder of why Uzodinma allegedly failed in curtailing the festering insecurity in the State.
Ahmed Yerima, former governor of Zamfara, says he introduced Sharia law in the state in line with the constitution on the freedom of relig...

Ahmed Yerima, former governor of Zamfara, says he introduced Sharia law in the state in line with the constitution on the freedom of religion.

Yerima said this on Friday while speaking with journalists after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Yerima said he had received go-ahead from Buhari to join the race for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former Zamfara governor had, in October 1999, introduced Sharia law in the state, after which several other states in the north followed suit.





Speaking on perceptions of him as a religious extremist, Yerima said he will fight the problem of ignorance and also ensure that whatever he does is in line with the constitution.

On the issue of Sharia, Im a Muslim and I say everywhere I go, that I am a Muslim and I want to die as a Muslim. Like I said, Im going to fight the problem of ignorance and this is one of them, he said.

People dont know; a lot of people dont know that the constitution of Nigeria, section 38, has provided for freedom of religion, including the freedom to change your religion if you want to, to practise alone, or in community with others, in private or in public.





So, as governor of the state, I followed the constitutional provision, prepared a law, sent it to the state assembly and they passed it into law and I implemented what the constitution of Nigeria has given me the powers to do, even in Zamfara state.

I have never, never required or asked or forced any Christian to follow Islamic faith because I would have done an unconstitutional act.

So, if Im elected, by the grace of God, Im going to be elected under the constitution and Im going to take an oath to protect and defend the constitution of Nigeria. I will never do anything unconstitutional.

Yerima also said if he is elected as president, he will focus on fighting insecurity and poverty.





I have three points as well  to fight insecurity, fight poverty and ignorance. Some people think that if you say ignorance, youre talking of only western education. No. Illiteracy is different from ignorance. There are people who are professors, who are well educated in western terms, but theyre ignorant of their society, he said.

That is why you see people talking about rotational presidency as if it is an allocation of power. The constitution of Nigeria is very clear  every Nigerian is qualified to contest so long as he reaches the age prescribed for different offices.

So, every Nigerian is qualified so long as he follows the constitutional provisions of this country to contest for any office and aspire to any office of this country.
The Zac Brown Band has been booked to replace Willie Nelson at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on its closing Sunday.

The band will be the final act of the 2022 festival on the Shell Gentilly Stage.

The 89-year-old Nelson's camp announced Friday that he'd been forced to cancel his Jazz Fest gig, and postpone two other shows, after an unnamed member of his band tested positive for COVID.

In need of a popular country band to replace Nelson, the festival learned that, after a performance in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night, the Zac Brown Band wasn't scheduled to play another show until May 20.

The band and crew will now drive overnight Saturday from Austin to New Orleans in order to make the Jazz Fest show on Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m.

The Zac Brown Band last performed at Jazz Fest in 2012.

Willie Nelson's son Lukas Nelson and his band Promise of the Real are still scheduled to play at the Gentilly Stage on Sunday.

Willie Nelson wasn't Jazz Fest's only COVID-related cancellation this weekend. Melissa Etheridge bowed out of her Saturday headlining slot at the Blues Tent after a member of her road crew tested positive.

She's been replaced by Mavis Staples.
Where else on Earth but Jazz Fest do dudes in tropical-patterned shirts, straw hats and cargo shorts set the tone for stylishness?

This tribe of Tom Sellecks has arrived at the gold standard in festival comfort: efficiency, appropriateness and an undeniable smidge of sexiness.

With hundreds of variations on the theme, this collective fashion statement can be found everywhere, at every stage, every food booth and in every beer line. Especially every beer line. In the grassy, Gentilly zeitgeist it is perfection, the Jazz Fest equivalent of Audrey Hepburn slinking into a little black dress and pearls.

But this paragon outfit  which is not, it should be said, confined to guys  is not all that Jazz Fest couture has to offer. On Thursday, we wandered the infield searching for those who contributed to the springy, sun-soaked fashion tout ensemble in their own ways. Epicurean eclecticism was the rule.

Flying the flag

Erica Dumas, of the Lower 9th Ward, cut a striking figure as she waited patiently for the start of the Playing for Change concert at the Congo Square stage Thursday. Dumas bold sunglasses, straw fedora and perforated knit blouse were sparked by her cascading thread earrings in red, black and green.

Her look, Dumas said, was all about being festive, flowing, breezy and showing the African colors.

Nancy Sinatra-approved

Luke Combs did not receive an especially enthusiastic review from The Times-Picayunes august music critic after his performance on Thursday. But the appearance of the contemporary country star at the fest may have nonetheless influenced fashion, as there seemed to be a preponderance of young women sporting cowboy boots.

Tulane students Elizabeth Morota, Kylie Cragun and Sydney Miller  who may or may not be Combs fans  coordinated their footwear for the occasion. Asked why they chose white boots, one of the young women said, because theyre made for walkin.

Groovy getup

Bravo to Bob Seal, a 23-Jazz Fest veteran from Falls Church, Virginia, who doubled down on his stylish silver goatee by staining it in DayGlo orange and green. He added to the psychedelic effect by donning a top hat meant to resemble a snare drum (complete with sticks) and hologram sunglasses that reflected veiny, Big Daddy Roth-style protruding eyeballs.

I like to make people smile, Seal said. If I can impart a little happiness, life is good.

Sherbet beacon

Christen Mestre of Portland, Oregon, planned to stand out in the sea of humanity at the fest by dying her hair an audacious, citrus-yellow, neon hue that harmonized with her fluorescent tank top.

Her startling sartorial style was based on comfort, she said And I want my friends to be able to find me.

Summer shift

Forget the solstice. Everyone knows that the Jazz Fest always marks the change of season. The first weekend is spring, the second is summer. And nobody rocked breezy summer fashion better than New Orleanian Vaughn Randolph Fauria and her daughter Christian Fauria Robinson, whose flowing taupe-toned dresses were the height of Congo Square elegance.

Fauria said she picked up her dress sometime around Hurricane Katrina and she wears it at least once each Jazz Fest. The key is cool, she said, and indeed, the mother-daughter team couldnt have been cooler.

Couple consciousness

New Orleanians Grace Donovan and Chaz Simms had already arrived at a Jazz Fest fashion paradigm with their identical Hawaiian-style shirts. But the couple was quick to point out that their dual ensemble was even more intentional. Their white-ish shoes, black ankle-length socks, and denim shorts also matched  more or less.

Its a head-to-toe look Simms said, laughing, as he and Donovan adopted a deliberately generic couples pose.

Bywater classic

With the faded denim vest, buttons, dreads and tats, Mike Licardi of the Bywater had optimized the neo-punk aesthetic. The crowning touch was the uncountable silver spikes that Licardi had hand-applied to his ensemble.

I studded up myself, he said.

Utilikilt

Robin and Scott Venturelli of Santa Monica, California, were in perfect harmony with their fabulous, high-fashion yet functional, westward-leaning outfits. She wore blond-leather, saddle-bag-inspired twin purses. He wore a marvelous Crayola-blue Billy Jack hat and a deep-pocketed khaki kilt.

Scott said that all of the jewelry that accented his outfit had been purchased at the fest during the 34 years the couple has attended. He said that Jazz Fest is a time for fashion liberty and that he would not be wearing this at home, ever.

Getting together and feeling all right

As Ziggy Marleys voice boomed in the background, friends Britney Chauntae, Morgan Legaux and Nomalizwe Bydon, demonstrated sunny, casual, Jazz Fest chic out on the sand track.

As Andy Warhol would surely agree, no single fashion accessory is more captivating than a camera.

That ineffable New Orleans look

With wavy platinum hair adorned with violet flower blossoms, exclamatory round-lensed glasses, and scarlet lipstick, Nicole Jones of Syracuse, New York, projected a certain restless elegance, made all the more magical by her pastel orange paper sun umbrella.

Her hope, she said, was to achieve a New Orleans look. Which is exactly what she did, in that we want you to look however you want to look. You are our mirror. Thats how we roll.

Emoji man

And then there was this: In New Orleans, the line between fashion and costuming is customarily blurred.

We spotted the emoji man on the first Sunday of the Fest, and ascertained that his fashion goal was to cause people to laugh. Which we did, though we neglected to get his name.
Benjamin Beale, who kept a woman's headless torso at his house in New Orleans' Florida neighborhood, has been indicted on a second-degree murder charge in her death.

The Orleans Parish district attorney's office said a grand jury on Thursday charged Beale with killing Julia Dardar, 36. Police found her body Jan. 11, in a freezer aboard an old, graffiti-covered bus parked beside Beale's house. Dardar had been reported missing by her ex-husband.

Beale faces several additional charges: obstruction of justice, creating or operating a clandestine drug laboratory and doing so within 1,000 feet of a school, carrying a weapon while possessing illegal drugs, possession with intents to distribute methamphetamine and psilocybin and simple assault.

Billy Sothern, an attorney for Beale, told The Associated Press his client will plead not guilty at an arraignment expected next week, and that the defense will continue to investigate issues involving Beales mental health.
Three people were killed and five injured in shootings over a 90-minute period Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a burst of widespread violence on the final weekend of the 2022 Jazz & Heritage Festival.

The bloodiest crime, a mass shooting in the Village de L'Est area off Chef Menteur Highway, took two lives and sent four people to hospitals.

Police said they were alerted at 2:14 p.m. to casualties in the 4800 block of Alcee Fortier Boulevard. Investigators placed at least 45 evidence markers at the scene and taped off the entire block of Fortier, between Peliter and Saigon drives.

A 25-year-old man died there, and another man of unknown age died in a hospital, police said. Four men made their own way to a hospital, where three of them, ages 29, 33 and 57, were listed in stable condition, and the fourth, whose age was not immediately known, was reported to be in critical condition.

The afternoon's homicides began at about 12:45 p.m. in the St. Roch area. Officers said they found an unresponsive woman with gunshot wounds in the 1800 block of Painters Street. She died there.

At about 2 p.m., a man was shot at the edge of the French Quarter, in the 600 block of Esplanade Avenue, and taken by Emergency Medical Services to a hospital. Police initially said the shooting occurred two blocks away, at Chartres and Governor Nicholls streets in the Quarter, but they revised the location on Saturday.

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City Council member Oliver Thomas, whose district includes the Village de L'Est killing field, said he visited the neighborhood in the evening to talk with police and residents. The pressing crime issue in New Orleans now is not where the shootings occur, he said, but how indiscriminately the shots are fired.

A number of recent shootings throughout the city can be tied to beefs between drug gangs, he said, and their members don't care who gets caught in the crossfire. At Peliter and Alcee Fortier, he said, police found 25 to 30 bullet casings.

How do we get these gangs off the street? Thomas said. Because theyre actively pursuing each other.

They're all walking around with machine guns.

In the Alcee Fortier killings, police asked that anyone with information on the shootings call homicide detective Jameson Diesburg at (504) 658-5300 or Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans Inc. at (504) 822-1111.
Nearly a dozen New Orleans Police Department officers are under federal investigation for allegedly fudging their work hours and double dipping with off-duty details, officials confirmed Friday.

In response to a Thursday WVUE-TV report, the department acknowledged the FBI is now investigating 11 officers  up from five that sources said received federal target letters earlier this year over the pay scandal.

The city also confirmed that an internal investigation found that Capt. Sabrina Richardson, the former ranking officer in the NOPDs Public Integrity Bureau, committed myriad violations related to details. The department said it forwarded a report Friday to District Attorney Jason Williams office for review of possible criminal charges. Richardson heads the NOPDs Third District.

The six additional officers under federal investigation do not include Richardson, and none of them have received target letters, the department said.

The department confirmed that Capt. Nicholas Gernon, who was tapped to investigate Richardson, found 44 violations of NOPD policy. The department declined to provide the report, citing an ongoing investigation.

Richardson was briefly suspended from off-duty privileges last fall along with several other officers as the department began investigating their timesheets. Richardsons detail privileges were again revoked April 11, a week after Gernon's report, the department said.

Skip Gallagher, a University of New Orleans chemistry professor whose analysis of city and NOPD pay records exposed the scandal, said Friday that the timesheets of at least four other current or former Public Integrity Bureau officers reflected similar abuse.

There are too many officers, and it is particularly disturbing that so many are current and former PIB officers, Gallagher said. The police of the police should be above reproach.

The NOPD said none of the 11 officers under federal investigation were assigned to the Public Integrity Bureau at the time of their alleged misconduct.

Overlaps and heavy hours

Richardsons timesheets revealed multiple occasions where she was double dipping or had work schedules that were just impossible, Gallagher said.

The records show that in 2019, when she made $141,000, including $34,000 through details, Richardson logged overlapping on-duty and detail hours and often exceeded the limit of 16.35 hours in a 24-hour period.

In March 2019 alone, her recorded detail and on-duty shifts overlapped four times. Three times that month, she worked past the daily work limit, then double dipped again in April, Gallagher found.

City records show Richardson has worked a regular Fairgrounds neighborhood detail for years along with off-duty work at UNO Lakefront Arena and elsewhere.

There are others that are worse. The ones that are in front of the FBI now are worse. But shes doing it, and she (was) the ranking officer at PIB, Gallagher said. And that really is worrying.

Gallagher said hes identified more than 40 NOPD officers with timesheets that together show repeated overlaps in on-duty and detail work or excessive hours. The force stands at just above 1,000 officers.

Multiple investigations

Following media reports late last year, the NOPD announced an investigation along with the New Orleans Office of Inspector General and the New Orleans Independent Police Monitor.

According to the department, 33 officers fell under investigation related to the detail system, which has been managed by the city since 2013. Before then, the officers largely ran it themselves.

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Among them, the department said, 11 cases involved potential criminal allegations, 14 officers reached negotiated agreements that included short suspensions, and 8 prompted administrative investigations. Another officer was fired in an unrelated matter, the department said.

Sources say FBI target letters went out to former NOPD Sgt. Todd Morrell; his brother, Officer Nicholas Morrell; Sgt. Rene Benjamin; Sgt. Michael Stalbert and Officer Brian Sullivan.

Todd Morrell retired last year, soon after WVUE found him repeatedly behind the wheel of a race car at a West Bank track while clocked in for policework.

The Morrells, siblings of City Councilmember JP Morrell, both held steady details at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Their father, Arthur Morrell, recently retired as longtime clerk of Orleans Parish criminal court and is a Fair Grounds horseman.

'Confusion on every level'

Donovan Livaccari, attorney for the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge, said many of the suspicious timesheet entries he has reviewed show mistakes, small infractions or allowances that the timesheets don't reveal.

Ive seen a lot of them that were overblown. I would say that these things can be much more complicated than they look on their face, he said.

Stella Cziment, the independent police monitor, said only cases of suspected double dipping were being investigated criminally. Many of the lesser infractions resulted from policy confusion on every level of the chain of command, she said, particularly regarding a cap of 16  hours of work in a day.

Theres always going to be ways for bad actors to be able to manipulate rules and systems. But I do think what were seeing was just a lot of confusion and a lot of mistakes, she said.

Changes underway

At a hearing last month, U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, who is overseeing reforms to the department, called the payroll scandal quite concerning. But Morgan didnt see it as a roadblock to plans for the NOPD to begin exiting federal oversight. She said she hopes next month to place the NOPD in a 2-year sustainment period with stepped-down oversight.

Jonathan Aronie, the lead federal monitor, acknowledged that audits of the detail system stopped years ago after it passed muster under the consent decree.

When media reports began surfacing last fall of officers abusing details, officials with the citys Office of Police Secondary Employment claimed they kept close tabs. But NOPD officials soon acknowledged that the two payroll systems couldnt communicate with each other.

The department produced a PowerPoint presentation on its investigation, which covered three years of timesheets, and a host of measures taken since in training, technology, monitoring and audits.

Its resulted in policy clarifications, re-trainings on a department-wide level and multiple levels of investigation, Cziment said. I believe there will be additional investigations that will be conducted as audits continue.

She said the department also is looking closely at supervisors roles in approving or failing to spot officers dubious timesheets.

A spokesperson for the FBIs New Orleans declined to confirm or deny an investigation of officers, citing Justice Department policy.
The mass shooting investigation in Village de L'Est yielded its first arrest Saturday.

New Orleans police said they booked Alex Madison, 36, with second-degree murder in the carnage that killed two men and wounded four. They did not specify any evidence linking him to the crime.

The gunfire erupted Friday afternoon in the 4800 block of Alcee Fortier Boulevard and scattered dozens of bullet casings across a large area. A witness told WWL-TV he saw several men shooting from the breezeway that connects a parking lot to a strip mall with apartments in the back.

One victim died at the scene, another at a hospital.

The Police Department did not immediately release more details but asked that anyone with information on the shootings call homicide detective Jameson Diesburg at (504) 658-5300 or call anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans Inc. at (504) 822-1111.
New Orleans officials say they are close to reaching a series of agreements to pay for an electric substation at the Sewerage & Water Board to power its drainage system, a top infrastructure priority that was thrown into limbo earlier this year when Entergy New Orleans backed out of a financing deal.

But finishing touches on the agreements are still needed, and there is a looming deadline to finalize an arrangement in which the city will borrow half of the estimated $30 million construction cost.

Entergy New Orleans, which forced the city to scramble for funding after reneging on a pledge to finance part of the cost, will manage the substation construction. It has set a May 15 deadline to get the funding in hand, according to District A City Council member Joe Giarrusso.

After that date, Entergy has told Giarrusso that needed equipment may not be available and the backlog could be years.

Entergy has been steadfast that if it misses certain benchmarks, it runs the risk of not being able to procure some of the most vitally necessary equipment, Giarrusso said.

The S&WB and the City Council have scheduled special meetings to approve an agreement that would send $15 million to the S&WB from a line of credit the city opened in 2020. The S&WB would then fund Entergys construction work, an arrangement that requires a separate agreement that has not been finalized, according to Giarrusso.

Giarrusso said Entergy and the S&WB are close to an agreement, but are still working out details over what happens in the event of cost overruns or construction delays.

In a statement, S&WB Executive Director Ghassan Korban, said we have continued to work with Entergy on the design components of the substation and have remained confident that a deal would come together.

If all goes as planned, the substation should be up and running by late 2023, Giarrusso said. Entergy would own and operate the facility exclusively on the S&WB's behalf.

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Keeping system running

Once completed, the substation would bring 60 megawatts of Entergy power directly to the S&WB's drainage pumps. It would allow the utility to replace its ancient, failure-prone generators, which supply low-frequency power compatible with the citys pumps, as the primary source of the system's electricity.

With the help of $22 million frequency changers, which the city is also paying for, the substation is seen by Korban and others as the best bet for ensuring the citys drainage system runs at full capacity during hurricanes and other heavy rain events.

The source of the second half of construction costs is still to be determined, but that does not need to happen until early next year, Giarrusso said.

Entergy's response to questions about the deal was still pending as of Friday afternoon.

City officials celebrated last summer when announcing a deal in which Entergy would front the construction cost. But Entergy said in January that it could no longer afford to serve as financier, setting off disagreements at City Hall over how to fill the gap.

Giarrusso and other council members demanded the Cantrell administration set aside federal stimulus money through the American Rescue Plan Act, but administration officials were cool to that idea, since the second installment of the citys $387.5 million allotment has not yet arrived.

The agreement to use borrowed money represented a rare detente between the administration and council, which have engaged in pitched arguments over a range of issues since the beginning of the year.
Looking to invest in the latest technology like collaborative robots to make your factory more competitive?

Companies can learn how to apply for Manufacturing Readiness Grants from the state of Indiana that will help them invest in new technology.

The Economic Development Corp. Michigan City will host an information session from 1-2 p.m. May 13 virtually and at its office at 2 Cadence Park Plaza in Michigan City.

Manufacturers can get state grants from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to help "make innovative capital investments in smart manufacturing and leveraging technologies, including advanced robotics, cobots and beyond."

Conexus Indiana, an agency that aims to grow Indiana's advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors, administers the grant funding program. It has provided nearly $20 million in matching grants to Indiana companies since it first launched in mid-2020.

Conexus Indiana Vice President of Innovation and Digital Transformation Mitch Landess and Leah Konrady, CEO of Portage-based Konrady Plastics, which received one of the grants, will speak at the info session, giving companies guidance on how to apply. They will cover how the program works, the grant funding specifics, eligibility and the application timeline.

To register, visit www.conexusindiana.com/about/michigan-city-edc-mrg-event/.

For more information, email Leighton Johnson at ljohnson@conexusindiana.com.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Friday authorized the shipment of another $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine for artillery rounds and radar systems in its fight against Russias invading forces.

Biden said the latest spending means his administration has nearly exhausted what Congress authorized for Ukraine in March and called on lawmakers to swiftly approve a more than $33 billion spending package that will last through the end of September.

We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorized directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine, Biden said in a statement. U.S. support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping Ukraine win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putins war aims in Ukraine.

A U.S. official said the latest tranche of assistance includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars, jamming equipment, field equipment and spare parts.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 50 more civilians rescued from besieged Mariupol steel plant

 UN council backs UN chiefs peace effort in its first action

 Europes farmers stir up biogas to offset Russian energy

 With Ukraines ports blocked, trains in Europe haul grain

 US seeks to downplay role in sinking of Russian warship

 Jill Biden brings thanks, ketchup to US troops in Romania

Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted its first statement since Russias military action began Feb. 24, expressing strong support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine.

The short statement adopted at a brief meeting Friday does not mention a war, conflict or invasion as many council members call Russias ongoing military action, or a special military operation as Moscow refers to it. Russia, which holds veto power in the council, has blocked all previous attempts to adopt a statement or resolution.

Instead, the statement expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine and recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

During recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv, Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and the Azovstal steel plant where the last Ukrainian forces are holding out along with hundreds of civilians in underground bunkers.

ROME  The Italian finance minister has adopted a decree that will impede a mega-yacht from sailing away from a Tuscan port, after investigation indicated the luxury vessel Scheherazade has links to prominent elements of the Russian government.

The finance ministry also said in statement Friday evening that the probe, carried out by Italys financial police corps, found significant economic business links of the beneficial owner of the Scheherazade as well to other subjects included in a list issued in 2014 as part of European Union measures prompted by Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

There have been fears that the 140-meter (459-foot) long yacht, which has been in dry dock in the port of Marina di Carrara, was preparing to sail out of Italian waters soon. Based on the Italian investigation, Minister Daniele Franco adopted a freezing decree regarding the yacht, which flies the flag of the Cayman Islands and which had long been under the attention of the authorities, the statement said.

A few weeks after Russias war against Ukraine began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a speech to Italian lawmakers, urged Italy to continue freezing assets of Russian oligarchs and officials. He cited by name the Scheherazade, which, according to some reports, belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Italian ministry statement didnt identify the boats owner nor specify who are the prominent elements of the Russian government. But it said the actual owner of the Scheherazade should be included in the 2014 EU sanctions list.

KYIV, Ukraine  The regional governor says one person was reported dead and three more were injured Friday as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

Russia is killing civilians! On May 6, as a result of Russian shelling, one civilian of the Donbas was killed in Lyman. Three more people were injured, Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote in a Telegram post.

The Donbas, Ukraines eastern industrial heartland, encompasses the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Kyrylenkos claims could not be immediately verified.

KYIV, Ukraine  A top official from Ukraines interior ministry has warned against the activation of saboteurs and other criminal elements in the lead-up to Russias Victory Day on Monday.

Speaking to Ukraines state-run Ukrinform agency, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin said authorities were carrying out special operations in a number of Ukrainian cities to prevent possible provocations.

We receive information about the potential shelling of peaceful territories, and therefore I appeal to every Ukrainian, especially these days, not to ignore air raid sirens, he added.

Moscow commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on May 9 each year.

Fifty civilians were evacuated Friday from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

In a statement, the Russian Interdepartmental Humanitarian Response Center says the 50 civilians include 11 children.

Ukraines deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, also said 50 civilians left the plant without giving a breakdown of how many were children.

Both Vereshchuk and the Russian body said the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal will continue Saturday.

Ukrainian fighters holed up at the sprawling complex are making their last stand to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategic port city.

UNITED NATIONS  Members of the United Nations Security Council, including Russia, have agreed on a statement expressing strong support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine.

The council scheduled a meeting later Friday to adopt the brief statement, which would be the first approved by the U.N.s most powerful body since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

It does not mention a war, conflict or invasion as many council members call Russias ongoing military action, or a special military operation as Moscow refers to it.

The statement, drafted by Norway and Mexico, expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine and recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and its last Ukrainian forces holdout at the Azovstal steel plant where hundreds of civilians are also still living in underground bunkers.

The U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross have carried out two successful evacuations from Mariupol and surrounding areas so far and are currently trying to arrange a third from the steel plant.

Russian state agencies reported that two self-proclaimed separatist republics in Ukraines industrial east both appointed extraordinary ambassadors to Moscow on Friday.

Olga Makeeva, the deputy chair of the legislative assembly of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, was chosen by the territorys Russia-backed government as its representative. Her counterpart from the Luhansk Peoples Republic is Rodion Miroshnik, a foreign policy adviser to the separatist territorys leader.

A Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman condemned the appointments, saying Makeeva and Miroshnik will likely face criminal punishment for high treason.

Its a country of crooked mirrors. Russia has created pseudo-republics. It appointed ambassadors, from itself to itself These diplomats will face the most severe responsibility. As will other traitors, Oleg Nykolenko wrote in a Telegram post Friday.

The Russian foreign ministry has released a statement congratulating Makeeva and Miroshnik on taking office, wishing them success in establishing and developing multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries.

KYIV, Ukraine  Officials from Ukraines national security council warned residents Friday against the increased risk of shelling on Sunday and Monday, coinciding with Russias Victory Day celebrations.

A Facebook post published on the profile of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, urged Ukrainians not to ignore air raid sirens.

Since Russian troops cannot boast of any significant achievements on the front by Victory Day, the risk of massive shelling of Ukrainian cities these days is increasing, the post said.

Separately on Friday, Kyivs mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said authorities will not be extending the curfew in Kyiv; one has already been introduced. But street patrols would be reinforced.

Moscow commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on May 9 each year.

AIR FORCE ONE  White House press secretary Jen Psaki says President Joe Biden will meet virtually with other Group of Seven leaders Sunday along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The virtual meeting will occur just before Russias Victory Day on Monday. Psaki says the date of the meeting is significant because it shows the unity of the allies ahead of a day when Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped to mark his victory over Ukraine. But Russia has been bogged down by Ukrainian forces and hampered by financial and trade sanctions.

Speaking Friday aboard Air Force One, Psaki says the G7 countries will discuss the war, its global impact, Ukraines future and building on the existing sanctions.

Psaki says she does not have any additional sanction details to share.

KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian army said Friday it had made progress in the northeastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth.

As a result of the offensive by units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, control was restored over the settlements of Aleksandrovka, Fedorovka, Ukrainka, Shestakovo, Pobeda and part of the village of Cherkassky Tishki, said a Facebook post published Friday afternoon on the official profile of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

A village in Russias southern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, is being evacuated due to shelling from Ukrainian territory, the regional governor said Friday.

Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that as of Friday afternoon, fewer than 30 people remained in the village of Nekhoteevka, located directly next to a border crossing.

We have already taken most of the residents to a safe place, he said, adding that five houses had been damaged by shelling. His post featured two photos of what appeared to be the same damaged building.

The accuracy of Gladkovs claims could not be immediately verified, nor did his post specify the number of people currently living in Nekhoteevka. Russias 2010 census referenced the village as having 145 permanent residents.

KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region accused Russian troops Friday of terrorizing residents of a frontline city as they try to advance across the Seversky Donets River.

In a Telegram post, Serhiy Haidai said more than 3,500 residents of the city of Kreminna had found themselves in Russian-controlled territory.

The captured city is teeming with Russian military equipment. Fighting is going on in the vicinity, he wrote. The Russians are terrorizing the population in every possible way: from checking phones to forcibly disappearing Ukrainian patriots.  Almost every house has been looted.

He added that Kreminna suffered from food and electricity shortages and that mobile communications had been shut down.

The accuracy of his statements could not be immediately verified.

SONCHAMP, France  In lush fields southwest of Paris, farmers are joining Europes fight to free itself from Russian gas.

Theyll soon turn on the tap of a new facility where crops and agricultural waste are mashed up and fermented to produce biogas. Its among energy solutions being promoted on the continent that wants to choke off funding for Russias war in Ukraine by no longer paying billions for Russian fossil fuels.

Small rural gas plants that provide energy for hundreds or thousands of nearby homes arent  at least anytime soon  going to supplant the huge flows to Europe of Russian gas that powers economies, factories, business and homes. And critics of using crops to make gas argue that farmers should be concentrating on growing food  especially when prices are soaring amid the fallout of the war in Ukraine, one of the worlds breadbaskets.

Still, biogas is part of the puzzle of how to reduce Europes energy dependence.

TURIN, Italy  Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestras upbeat, melodic entry for this months Eurovision Song Contest was written as a tribute to the frontmans mother.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has become an anthem to the war-ravaged motherland.

Stefania is the most-watched song on YouTube among the 35 national entries that are slated to compete when the Eurovision contest takes place next week in Turin, an industrial city in northern Italy.

While some oddsmakers and data analysts have predicted other contestants will win, the song by Kalush Orchestra is quickly becoming a sentimental favorite.

Ill always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed, Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wrote in the lyrics for Stefania.

His words have become more poignant as missiles pound Ukrainian cities and villages, forcing more than 11 million to flee since Russia invaded the country.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines deputy prime minister said Friday that 41 more Ukrainians were released that day in a prisoner swap with Russia.

Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram that the 41 people who've been returned include 28 military personnel and 13 civilians.

MOSCOW  Russia has no intention of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday, a day after Moscows top diplomat in the U.S. chided Western officials for targeting it with baseless accusations.

Russia firmly abides by the principle that there can be no victors in a nuclear war and it must not be unleashed, Alexey Zaitsev said. He added that Russian nuclear doctrine does not envisage any scenarios for potential strikes which would apply to Moscows military goals in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Zaitsev added that any provocations whatsoever can be expected from Ukraine and the West, and that Russia has to be ready for any development in the media space and directly on the ground.

His statement echoed remarks made by Russias ambassador in Washington on Thursday.

In an interview with Newsweek, Anatoly Antonov slammed what he called a flurry of blatant misrepresentation of Russian officials statements on our countrys nuclear policy. He accused top U.S. military leaders  including the Defense Secretary and Joint Chiefs of Staff  of falsely blaming Moscow for escalating nuclear tensions, calling their claims baseless and part of a propaganda campaign against Russia in response to the steps taken to neutralize threats to our national security emanating from the Ukrainian territory.

He also blamed the wider Western bloc for what he called its irresponsible handling of the situation in Ukraine, implying that NATOs rhetoric and continuing support for Kyiv contributed to heightening nuclear tensions.

The current generation of NATO politicians clearly does not take the nuclear threat seriously, Antonov told Newsweek.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Russias parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin both asserted this week that Moscow would not use nuclear weapons first.

A Russian senator said Friday that Russia will remain forever in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, whose capital has been occupied by Moscows troops since early March.

Andrey Turchak from the ruling United Russia party visited Kherson on Friday, meeting with its Russian-appointed governor Volodymyr Saldo.

I want to say once again - Russia is here forever. There should be no doubt about it, Turchak is heard saying in a video published by Russias state RIA Novosti agency.

We will live together, develop this rich region, rich in historical heritage, rich thanks to the people who live here, he added.

When asked about the future formal status of the Kherson region, Turchak cautioned against running too far ahead and said that in any case, the status is determined by the residents.

LONDON  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has invited Germanys head of government and its head of state to visit Ukraine on May 9, the day Russia marks the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the Victory Day holiday to make an announcement about the war  either declaring a victory or escalating the conflict.

Germany is part of the Western alliance supporting Ukraine, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to make a solidarity visit to the country. Scholz has traded barbs with Ukrainian officials in recent weeks because of Kyivs refusal to invite Germanys head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukraine accuses of cozying up to Russia during his time as foreign minister.

Speaking at Londons Chatham House think-tank on Friday, Zelenskyy said he had spoken to Steinmeier and invited both him and Scholz to come to Kyiv.

He said Scholz can make this very powerful political step to come here on the 9th of May, to Kyiv.

There was no immediate word on whether the German politicians had agreed. German Parliament President Baerbel Bas is scheduled to visit Ukraine on Sunday and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is due to visit soon.

BERLIN  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his country is providing Ukraine with all the support we can give and also take responsibility for in its war with Russia.

Speaking to business leaders in Hamburg on Friday, Scholz said Russia must not gain the upper hand in the conflict, which he described as a war of destruction waged by Moscow against Ukraine.

The German leader said that Russias position as a global power with a seat on the U.N. Security Council means that if (Vladimir) Putin gets away with it then theres a risk of international lawlessness.

LONDON  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is still open to negotiations with Russia, but he repeated his position that Moscow must withdraws its forces to their pre-invasion positions.

Zelenskyy told a meeting at Londons Chatham House think-tank on Friday that regaining the situation as of the 23rd of February  the day before the invasion  is a prerequisite for talks.

He said in that situation we will be able to start discussing things normally, and Ukraine could use diplomatic channels to regain its territory.

The British government, a key ally of Ukraine, has said Russia must be driven from all of Ukraine, including Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.

Despite Russias intensified attack on Ukraines eastern Donbas region, Zelenskyy said there is still space for diplomacy. He said not all the bridges are yet destroyed, figuratively speaking.

Asked whether Russia would soon take full control of the besieged port city of Mariupol, Zelenskyy said: Mariupol will never fall. Im not talking about heroism or anything  There is nothing there to fall apart. It is already devastated.

BERLIN  Police in the German capital are bracing for possible confrontations between pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine protesters around the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Berlin police said Friday that security around 15 memorial sites across the city will be stepped up on May 8 and 9, and officers will crack down on any attempts to glorify Russias attack on Ukraine.

The Russian government has tried to portray the leadership in Kyiv as Nazis  a claim both Ukraine and Germany have ridiculed.

Berlins police chief Barbara Slowik said authorities have banned the use of Russian or Ukrainian flags, the playing of military music or the wearing of uniforms or the orange and black ribbon of St. George showing support for the Russian military anywhere near the memorial sites.

German news agency dpa quoted police saying that some 3,400 officers will be deployed throughout the city on both days.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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CROWN POINT  A scrap of fabric from a car, a woman's call to a hospital and ballistics evidence all tied an Indianapolis man to a fatal shooting in 2020 in Gary, Lake Criminal Court records state.

Joseph Durden, 33, made an initial appearance Friday on one count of murder in the July 2020 homicide of 29-year-old Keith Daniel, of Gary, in the 600 block of Maryland Street.

A magistrate entered a not guilty plea on Durden's behalf and appointed a public defender to represent him.

Durden was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on charges filed in March, records showed.

Gary police found Daniel about 2:50 p.m. July 19, 2020, after responding to reports of shots fired and a man down.

While walking the crime scene near Sixth and Maryland, investigators noticed a piece of red fabric determined to be from a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero later found parked in the 1800 block of Connecticut Street with shattered passenger windows, apparent bullet holes and suspected blood in the driver's seat, records state.

Police also found shattered glass, possibly from two car windows, at the homicide scene.

Daniel was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds. He was shot in the right hand and back, records state.

While police were at the hospital, a woman called looking for Durden and said she feared he may have been shot, according to court documents.

Detectives later learned the woman's relative, who lived near the homicide scene, had been expecting Durden just before shots rang out and attempted to call him afterward.

The woman told police she could hear Durden breathing heavily during the call and asked if he'd been shot. He replied he was going to the hospital and hung up, records state.

Investigators determined the Alero's title was transferred to Durden in April 2020, documents state.

Police recovered two spent bullets from Daniel's body and one from inside the Alero, and a firearms examiner concluded all of the bullets were fired from the same gun, according to court records.

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BURNS HARBOR  A lengthy child pornography investigation resulted in Region officers arresting a Burns Harbor man, police said.

Burns Harbor and Porter police arrested Harold A. Harvey, 56, on Friday, according to Indiana State Police. Harvey faces five counts of possession of child pornography, which are level 5 felonies, according to Porter Superior Court.

Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force members were assigned to investigate Harvey due to reported suspicious internet activity.

In September 2021, a cyber tip was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about activities on a social media account associated with Harvey, police said.

Police said 14 more tips were received over the next few months, which were all connected to Harvey's social media accounts.

On March 2022, a search warrant executed at his residence uncovered more alleged evidence.

The case was presented to the Porter County Prosecutors Office and criminal charges were filed against Harvey. He is currently being held at the Porter County Jail.

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MERRILLVILLE  Students at Pierce Middle School had to be evacuated to the high school following the second bomb threat in the last month, a spokeswoman said.

Following an investigation, the Merrillville Police Department said no threat was found.

Merrillville police were alerted of the alleged bomb threat at 1 p.m., said Merrillville Cpl. Matt Vasel.

The school was evacuated and students were transferred to the high school, where they were dismissed at 2:15 p.m., said Merrillville Community School Corp. Public Information Officer Donna Stuckert.

Officers and Lake County Sheriff's police dogs searched the school and nothing was found. The Merrillville Police Department is continuing the investigation of the alleged threat. No further information was immediately available.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Vasel at 219-769-3531, extension 363, or mvasel@merrillville.in.gov.

The middle school students also had been sent to the high school March 22 in response to a bomb threat, officials said at the time.

"Our first priority was making sure everyone got out of the building safely," the parents of the middle school students were told by email following the March scare. "Law enforcement has completed a thorough sweep of the building and has determined the school is safe for reentry."

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HAMMOND  A family-owned meat processing company will be opening a new 120,000 square-foot facility in Hammond.

Operating out of Calumet City since 1963, Meats by Linz plans on building a new facility at the former Queen Anne Candy site at 628 Hoffman St. The project would include a $30 million investment in the city and would employ about 320 people. Director of Operations Zac Linz said the company's average wage is $27 an hour.

City Attorney David Westland said Hammond has been looking for someone to buy the land for some time now but has had issues because of the shape of the plot. He said Linz is the "first developer that is ready to rock."

"I don't know if there is a term higher than highest and best use, but this is the home run of uses for this property," Westland said.

During a Thursday meeting, the Hammond Redevelopment Commission approved a development agreement with Linz Enterprises LLC. The city will sell 628 Hoffman and a portion of 700 Hoffman to Linz at the appraised price of $622,000. However, if Linz begins construction, opens the facility and starts operating in the span of five years, the city will forgive 20% of the mortgage a year over five years, Westland explained.

"Meats by Linz is a great investment in Hammond, and the new jobs it will create will be felt all over the Region," Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said in a city news release.

The Redevelopment Commission approved the development agreement with a vote of 3-2: three yes, two absent.

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The women who had recently given birth had such pronounced biological changes in their brains that a computer algorithm could separate the new mothers from those who had never given birth. In particular, the gray matter in the brains of women whod recently given birth seemed to be reduced in certain areas, and those changes stuck around for up to two years after birth.

The brains gray matter, located mostly in the outer layers, plays a large role in muscle control and in the execution of high-level tasks like seeing, hearing, processing memories and emotions and decision making. The brain also contains white matter, which insulates the axons, helping brain signals travel further, faster and encouraging motor and sensory function. In Dr. Hoekzemas study, the white matter of pregnant womens brains did not appear to be changed at all by pregnancy and new motherhood, while gray matter volume was reduced.

Dr. Hoekzema said that these changes might partially occur because of a process known as synaptic pruning, a brain phenomenon that eliminates certain connections between brain cells to encourage the facilitation of new connections. Researchers believe that this process could help people focus on specific behaviors or activities  in this case, taking care of an infant. In other words, a loss of brain material might seem like a bad thing, but the changes could actually, in part, be beneficial to people faced with new conditions like parenthood, according to Dr. Hoekzema.

Catherine Monk, Ph.D., a professor of medical psychology at the NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Irving Medical Center, speculated that this pruning might even be the cause of mommy brain. In Dr. Hoekzemas study, the images showed reductions in gray matter in the hippocampus, which is largely responsible for regulating memory. Instead of focusing on relatively inconsequential tidbits of information, like a movie title, your pregnant or new-mom brain may reallocate resources to the parts of the brain that control theory of mind, which allows you to figure out what someone else wants and needs. Dr. Hoekzema says these same areas of the brain also lit up when mothers looked at their infants, suggesting that synaptic pruning might even promote mother-baby bonding.
But Im an American citizen, and I want us to be careful. Ukraine was, and still is, a country marbled with corruption. That doesnt mean we should not be helping it. I am glad we are. I insist we do. But my sense is that the Biden team is walking much more of a tightrope with Zelensky than it would appear to the eye  wanting to do everything possible to make sure he wins this war but doing so in a way that still keeps some distance between us and Ukraines leadership. Thats so Kyiv is not calling the shots and so well not be embarrassed by messy Ukrainian politics in the wars aftermath.

The view of Biden and his team, according to my reporting, is that America needs to help Ukraine restore its sovereignty and beat the Russians back  but not let Ukraine turn itself into an American protectorate on the border of Russia. We need to stay laser-focused on what is our national interest and not stray in ways that lead to exposures and risks we dont want.

One thing I know about Biden  with whom I traveled to Afghanistan in 2002 when he was a senator heading the Foreign Relations Committee  is that he is not easily romanced by world leaders. He has dealt with too many of them over his career. Hes got a pretty good sense of where U.S. interests stop and start. Ask the Afghans.

So where are we now? Putins Plan A  taking Kyiv and installing his own leader  has failed. And his Plan B  trying just to take full control of Ukraines old industrial heartland, known as the Donbas, which is largely Russian speaking  is still in doubt. Putins freshly reinforced ground forces have made some progress, but its still limited. It is springtime in the Donbas, meaning the ground is still sometimes muddy and wet, so Russian armor still has to stay on roads and highways in many areas, making them vulnerable.

As America navigates Ukraine and Russia and tries to avoid being ensnared, one bright spot in the effort to avoid a wider war is the administrations success at keeping China from providing military aid to Russia. This has been huge.

After all, it was just Feb. 4 when Chinas president, Xi Jinping, hosted Putin at the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, where they unveiled all sorts of trade and energy agreements, and then issued a joint declaration asserting that the friendship between Russia and China has no limits.

That was then. After the war started, Biden personally explained to Xi in a lengthy phone call that Chinas economic future rests on access to the American and European markets  its two largest trading partners  and should China provide military aid to Putin, it would have very negative consequences for Chinas trade with both markets. Xi did the math and has been deterred from helping Russia in any military way, which has also made Putin weaker. The Western restrictions on shipping microchips to Russia have begun to really hobble some of his factories  and China has not stepped in, so far.
Body camera footage from another police officer, Michael Bui, recorded someone believed to be Officer Bui saying, He is going to be hurting tomorrow, according to court papers.

Moments later, body camera footage captured a conversation between Officer Bui, who was not charged, and Corporal Mabry. In the video, Officer Bui asked Corporal Mabry if he had shot a man; the corporal said he did, and fist-bumped Officer Bui, according to the warrant.

We have the high-velocity rounds, Corporal Mabry said, according to the warrant. This is why I was able to get him from that far away.

Corporal Mabry also fired two shots at a man, striking him in the right bicep, left testicle and thigh, court papers said.

The indictments have echoes of other misconduct cases involving officers responding to protests over the killing of Mr. Floyd in police custody in 2020, such as in Austin, Texas, Columbus, Ohio, and Denver, where the police used force to break up demonstrations.

Mr. Williams was fired from the Dallas Police Department in January for violating the departments use-of-force policy in a separate episode, and Officer Mabry is on administrative leave while he is being investigated, the Dallas police said.

Officer Privitt will be placed on administrative duties, the Garland police said.

Robert Rogers, a lawyer for Mr. Williams, said on Friday that Mr. Williams had two options when he was called into action: Do nothing, allow downtown to burn and his fellow officers to get injured, or use the tools that he was provided and called on to use by his command staff to suppress the ongoing riots. He obviously chose the latter and now faces even more absurd criminal charges for lawfully targeting individuals that were clearly agitators.
BALTIMORE  In his closing arguments to the jury on Friday afternoon, an assistant U.S. attorney, Anatoly Smolkin, declared what U.S. v. Jonathan Wall was not about. This is not a case about marijuana possession, he said. This is a case about a drug conspiracy, about an operation that shipped massive amounts of weed across the country in return for enormous money.

When the defenses turn came, Jason Flores-Williams, a sharply dressed lawyer from Colorado, stood up and begged to differ. Its about pot, he said.

That the lawyers in the trial, one of a steadily shrinking number of federal criminal prosecutions concerning the trafficking of marijuana, differed on what the case was even about reflected the national legal consensus on pot  or more accurately, the confounding lack of one.

At the moment, marijuana is legal for recreational use in 18 states and legal for medical use in 37, a multibillion-dollar industry in states all over the political spectrum. Yet at the federal level, it is still classified as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin and LSD. Presidential administrations have sent memos about the priority of marijuana prosecutions only to have them rescinded by successors. While a bill to decriminalize marijuana recently passed in the House of Representatives, it faces long odds in the Senate.
The precedent of Roe v. Wade has often offered a shield to politicians in both parties when it comes to discussing abortion, allowing them to take up their preferred label  pro-choice or pro-life  without wading into the details.

But the leak this week of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the landmark ruling has cracked that shield, forcing many lawmakers and candidates to explain how they approach abortion morally and politically.

The court has warned that the ruling is not final, but with a post-Roe world seemingly on the horizon, Republicans face new pressure to define exactly where they stand on issues like full abortion bans, exceptions for rape or incest, and criminal penalties for abortion.

Democrats, for their part, have few immediate judicial or legislative options and must figure out a long-term political answer, which means confronting head-on an issue many in the party have long treaded carefully around.
The Republican Senate candidates J.D. Vance and Dr. Mehmet Oz rallied on Friday night in Pennsylvania with former President Donald J. Trump, seeking to replicate the endorsement boost that lifted Mr. Vance to a primary victory in Ohio  but enthusiasm for the celebrity doctor was middling at a wet and muddy rally.

Three days after helping Mr. Vance capture the G.O.P. nomination in another Northern industrial state, Mr. Trump descended on western Pennsylvania to campaign in a rainstorm for a slate of MAGA candidates led by Dr. Oz, one of the front-runners in a race that could determine control of the Senate.

Even with Mr. Trumps endorsement, the reception for Dr. Oz was mixed, and boos had erupted earlier in the rally when the doctors name was mentioned. The Senate candidate sought to burnish his Trump bona fides ahead of the May 17 primary, and the former president vouched for him.

His show is great, Mr. Trump said in his hourlong speech at the rally in Greensburg, southeast of Pittsburgh. Hes on that screen. Hes in the bedrooms of all those women telling them good and bad.
A federal judge in San Francisco on Friday dismissed former President Donald J. Trumps lawsuit against Twitter over the social media companys decision to bar him from its platform permanently after the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol.

The judge, James Donato of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, wrote that he was not persuaded that Twitter had infringed on Mr. Trumps free speech rights when it shut down his account on Jan. 8, 2021, two days after a mob spurred by Mr. Trumps stop the steal lies stormed the Capitol in hopes of overturning the presidential election results.

At the time, the tech giant said that Mr. Trump had violated its rules against glorifying violence with a pair of tweets, including one praising his supporters as patriots. The decision stripped Mr. Trump of his favorite megaphone: He had used Twitter to lob insults and grievances and had amassed more than 88 million followers.

In his lawsuit against Twitter, Mr. Trump had asserted that the San Francisco-based company had been pandering to liberal Democrats by barring him from its platform and had sought to silence contradictory viewpoints.
After weeks of investigation, Italian authorities announced late Friday evening that they had impounded a nearly $700 million superyacht, saying that its owner had significant economic and business links to prominent elements of the Russian government. According to U.S. officials, the prominent element is none other than Russias president, Vladimir V. Putin.

In recent days, the Scheherazade, as the enormous luxury ship is named, showed signs of readying to set sail, apparently aiming to leave before the Italian government could seize it. But late Friday, Italian police boarded the yacht  which is 459 feet long, with two helicopter decks, a gym and a swimming pool convertible into a dance floor  and told the crew that the ship was not going anywhere. The Italian finance ministry announced that an investigation had established that the ships owner, whom it did not name, was an individual that threatened peace and international security and that the individuals actions amounted to the undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

The ministry also specified the urgency to implement the restrictions as the reason to freeze the floating, and extremely expensive, asset.

The Italian authorities, who have actively impounded villas and yachts belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs, said in a statement that it had impounded the ship, which is in the dry dock of the port of Marina di Carrara, on the northern coast of Tuscany, even though the person they had identified as its technical owner did not currently appear on a European sanctions list. They added that they could not name the individual until the European Council published the name, and the Italian government committee tasked with protecting the countrys financial security called for the persons name to be added to the list.
In its first unanimous action on the Ukraine war, the United Nations Security Council on Friday adopted a statement expressing deep concern and strong support for diplomatic efforts by the U.N. secretary general to find a peaceful solution.

Security Council statements must be approved by all 15 of its members, and the one adopted on Friday appeared to have averted Russias veto by referring to the conflict as disputes rather than war  a term Russia has essentially criminalized within its borders. Russia instead maintains that its invasion, large military deployments, massive shelling and widespread airstrikes constitute only a special military operation.

I think its encouraging to see diplomacy is getting its place at the council, even though this is a very first initial step, Mexicos ambassador to the U.N., Juan Ramon de la Fuente, told reporters.

In the 10 weeks since Russia invaded, the Security Council has tried to pass a resolution condemning Russias actions, demanding it withdraw troops and allow access for humanitarian aid and evacuation of civilians. But Russia, one of five permanent members of the Security Council, vetoed it.
Fred Savage, the former child star of the television comedy The Wonder Years, has been fired as an executive producer and director of a reboot of the show after allegations of inappropriate conduct, the studio behind the new series said in a statement on Saturday.

Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched, the statement from 20th Television said. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of The Wonder Years.

The studio did not provide additional details or immediately respond to follow-up questions on Saturday. Representatives for Mr. Savage did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. Deadline reported the news of his firing on Friday.

Mr. Savage, 45, was a child when the original The Wonder Years premiered in 1988 on ABC, kick-starting his career with his portrayal of the suburban, sunny middle schooler Kevin Arnold. The television comedy  a nostalgic look back at 1968 from the vantage of 1988  was acclaimed at the time and brought Mr. Savage two Emmy Award nominations. The show aired until 1993.
Some years ago I watched a truck drive over a coconut. The coconut exploded dramatically beneath the vehicles wheel, though the driver didnt notice. (It was a large truck, and had probably mowed down many sizable objects in its lifetime.) I took a picture of the coconut  now a shattered nebula  as a reminder that paying attention to innocuous phenomena, such as loose coconuts, can pay huge dividends. What had caused my eye to land upon the nut only nanoseconds before impact? Why was it so satisfying to witness?

The first question is unanswerable. The second is because the incident answered a query that, despite never having been formulated (What would happen if a truck drove over a coconut?), became retroactively intriguing at the moment of its resolution. You may be wondering where this anecdote is going, and Ill tell you: The same jolt of contentment occurs when I read certain sentences in novels. These tend to be sentences that illuminate the psychology of a character that doesnt correspond to anyone Ive met in real life. As with the stricken coconut, an unimagined particle of reality becomes legible.

Below, a few books that contained coconuts for me  and perhaps might for you, too!

Molly
When Barbara Schwartz looks back at her younger days working as a Broadway stagehand, she remembers the electricity of it: the harried dancers slipping into their costumes backstage, the props people shoving past with flashlights between their teeth.

She was able to throw herself into that high-pressure career, she said, because of a choice she made in 1976. She got an abortion at a clinic she found in the Yellow Pages. It was three years after the Roe v. Wade ruling established the constitutional right to an abortion; to Ms. Schwartz, the world seemed full of new professional opportunities for women. She got a credit card in her own name, became one of the first women to make it into the local stagehand union and joined the throngs backstage at shows including Cats and Miss Saigon.

Ms. Schwartz, 69, is now retired. She is spending her retirement years escorting women to the doors of an abortion clinic on the border of Virginia and Tennessee. She was drawn to this volunteer work, she said, because to her, the promise from her 20s has dimmed  the result of laws that have chipped away at abortion access, with a leaked draft Supreme Court ruling this past week revealing that Roe is likely to be overturned.

This is my giant pay it forward, Ms. Schwartz said.

That is how Ginny Jelatis, 67, thinks about it too. She was of high school senior age the year Roe v. Wade was decided; she began serving as a clinic escort after retiring from her work as a history professor in 2016.
While such monitors are common in jail and prison litigation, a court has to clear a much higher bar to appoint a receiver, said Andrea Armstrong, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans who studies correctional institutions.

They have to show theyve exhausted all other options, she said.

Mr. Molina says he understands the gravity of the task. The oldest of four children whose parents are from Puerto Rico, he grew up in the early 1980s on St. Lawrence Avenue in the Bronx  a stones throw away, he says, from high-crime neighborhoods.

When he turned 18, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps to help pay for college. While in boot camp, his younger brother was arrested twice, once for weapons possession and once for robbery, and was sent to Rikers, then on to prison.

I can see now, as an adult, how it really impacted my mom and dads marriage, how it impacted the upbringing of my younger siblings, Mr. Molina said.

Weve survived that. But theres some level of guilt on me for not having been there, Mr. Molina said. Despite having the same sort of family environment that I grew up in, he made mistakes. And for lack of understanding on how the criminal justice system worked back then, and poor legal representation, he paid a heavy price.

The Robert N. Davoren Complex at Rikers, a jail for young adults that has seen high levels of violence, is a particular focus of Mr. Molinas. He ended the housing of gang members together there, and has since extended the practice to other facilities on the island.

He has also authorized sweeps for contraband. Since January, the agency has recovered almost 700 weapons from Davoren and about 2,300 across all facilities. Slashings and stabbings dropped 45 percent from March to April (to 13 from 24), and 35 percent departmentwide (to 43 from 66).
In one sense, liberal outrage at the prospect of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade seems like an uneasy fit with liberalisms current master narrative, which holds that liberals are defending democracy against the threat of authoritarianism and fighting for the principle of majority rule against a Republican Party that benefits from counter-majoritarian power. After all, overturning Roe would return the abortion issue to the democratic process, after two generations in which abortion policy has been set by a juristocracy, an elites-only vote of 7 to 2 or 5 to 4.

However, narratives are adaptable. In Draft Abortion Ruling, Democrats See a Court at Odds With Democracy ran a recent Washington Post headline, over a story summarizing some of the arguments (the polls showing public support for Roe, the fact that three of the justices were appointed by a president elected with a minority of the popular vote) being offered to prove that letting states or Congress legislate on abortion is actually authoritarian, not democratic.

I dont want to argue with these interpretations so much as take note of them, while offering a different view of abortions place in the American republics discontents. I share some of the anxieties that inform the liberal master narrative these days  about a country too deeply polarized to function, a populist right thats steeped in paranoia, a decay of the norms that allow republican government to function. But if I set out to write a story about how exactly we got here, I would place the original Roe decision near the center of the narrative  as an inflection point where the choices of elite liberalism actively pushed the Republic toward our current divisions, our age of chronic strife.

When seven Supreme Court justices overturned the nations abortion laws in 1973, they were intervening in a debate whose politics were unstable and complex. Both pro-life and pro-choice sentiment cut across both parties, and across ideologies as well  there were anti-abortion liberals, many of them Catholic Democrats, and Republican and right-wing supporters of abortion who regarded it as a possible prop to social stability.
To pass the time on a recent flight while my kids melted their brains with video games, I watched the classic 1980 movie 9 to 5. If you havent seen it, or need a refresher, its about three office workers played by Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda navigating their brazenly sexist workplace and taking on their male chauvinist pig of a boss. In the end, they triumph and establish a feminist fantasy of a supportive work environment, including flexible work schedules, on-site child care and a substance abuse rehabilitation program.

Id spent the days leading up to that flight sifting through mail from readers, hundreds of them, whod responded to a question from The Times: What would help them the most as parents in this moment? And what those parents wanted, in 2022, were the same things the heroines of 9 to 5 wanted more than four decades ago  and which remain frustratingly out of reach. Its enough to drive you crazy if you let it.

For the past two years, Ive been covering how parents, mothers in particular, have been primal screaming about how deeply our society has failed them. As the pandemic raged on, they were left to handle the bulk of child care and domestic duties while doing remote work and keeping an eye on Zoom school.

I know that it can feel as if all that screaming was into a void: At the beginning of this year, the expanded child tax credit, a crucial pandemic stopgap, ended; for many, child care is still unavailable or inconsistent, while paid parental leave for all on the federal level seems like a pipe dream.
Before last years temporary expansion, roughly one-third of American kids  about 23 million children  lived in families that received less than the full amount of the child benefit. (For example, before the expansion, a family with two kids making $20,000 annually would be eligible for a child tax credit check of only $2,625, while one making $200,000 would receive the full $4,000.) Changing the suite of child-related benefits in the tax code to a $300 monthly benefit, with an additional $50 per month for children under 6, would be a tangible way of making low-income and working-class parents lives easier.

Last year, of course, the Biden administration expanded the child tax credit to virtually all families, including those with no workers. But as I explored for The Times last year, many working-class parents viewed the idea of unconditional cash benefits going to families without a worker as fundamentally unfair. Polling, too, suggests that child benefits with no connection to work are unpopular.

A conservative pro-family economic agenda would incorporate the insight that work is an important part of being engaged in society and providing for ones family. This principle could be connected to the child tax credit in a method designed to be clear and administratively simple: To be eligible for the monthly payments, families would be required to hit an earnings threshold, such as the single-person federal poverty line ($13,590 a year in 2022). Families with earnings below that threshold would see their benefit scaled down, assuaging conservative concerns about perverse labor force incentives. (Parents who earned 50 percent of the threshold would, for instance, see their monthly child benefit amount reduced by half but continue to be eligible for safety-net programs.)

This approach would create an easily understandable linkage between receiving the child benefit and having at least one parent working and would be partly paid for by collapsing the tangle of existing child benefits, earned-income tax credit adjustments and child care deductions into a straightforward monthly benefit. It would recognize that families shouldnt lose benefits for having additional children and ensure that low-income couples dont face a marriage penalty.

Beyond the tax code, congressional Republicans could play to their supply-side strengths and champion a cost-of-living agenda aimed at some of parents biggest headaches: health care, child care and housing. They could listen to Robert Orr of the center-right Niskanen Center and boost the number of medical professionals while experimenting with increased cost sharing for maternal and child health care. They could expand child care options by bolstering the capacity of faith-based and community providers rather than relying on large-scale subsidies. And they could lower the cost of housing by attacking environmental regulations and restrictive zoning laws that make it difficult for housing supply to meet demand.

This policy agenda will require Republicans to restrain their usual impulse to reach for tax cuts as a cure-all. But if it is put into practice, they can showcase how parents lives can be made easier by applying traditional conservative principles about work, incentives and regulation to contemporary problems, without necessitating Build Back Better-style federal intervention.

A favorable Dobbs decision would certainly not turn the G.O.P. into a European-style Christian democratic party overnight. But some state-level action is showing signs of a party trending in a more pro-family direction while retaining its core principles. Texas backdoor abortion ban got most of the headlines, but the state also passed a bipartisan expansion of Medicaid for mothers up to six months after giving birth. Idaho and Oklahoma, with legislatures dominated by Republicans, have introduced state-level child tax credits, and the politically divided Minnesota may become the 10th to do so, as part of ongoing budget negotiations.
In 2007 the conservative magazine National Review hosted an online symposium in response to a column by Anna Quindlen in Newsweek titled How Much Jail Time for Women Who Have Abortions? She argued that anti-abortion activists were dodging the reality that overturning Roe v. Wade would bring. If abortion became a crime in the United States, she wrote, those attempting to enforce such a law would have only two choices: Hold women accountable for a criminal act by sending them to prison, or refuse to criminalize the act in the first place. If you cant countenance the first, she wrote, you have to accept the second. You cant have it both ways.

Her point was that if youre calling abortion murder, then if the law changes, youre going to have to treat those who get abortions as murderers. Were people prepared to do so?

Rather than answer Quindlens question  would women who have abortions be imprisoned and, if so, for how long?  many of the National Review respondents seemed to wave it away as an irritating hypothetical, with one calling it a desperate attempt to distract the public and another a fear- and panic-tinged wedge issue.

Walter M. Weber of the American Center for Law and Justice rejected Quindlens premise out of hand, arguing that women werent arrested for having abortions before the Roe decision in 1973 and that no law enforcement agency would prioritize arresting women who have abortions over the medical professionals who perform them. In other words, women wouldnt be imprisoned for having abortions because they just  wouldnt be, I suppose. (Im reminded of a brilliant piece in The Onion from 2003 titled This War Will Destabilize the Entire Mideast Region and Set Off a Global Shockwave of Anti-Americanism vs. No It Wont.)
But the most important distinction is that most other countries give parents more money when their children are young, many of them through direct child allowances. The evidence is overwhelming that child allowances are the single most important policy for preventing child poverty, said Irwin Garfinkel, an economist at Columbia. Giving parents cash goes an incredibly long way toward erasing poverty.

By contrast, weve spent significant resources over the past half-century on alleviating elderly poverty. Social Security is the greatest anti-poverty program we have in the United States. It kept 26.5 million people out of poverty in 2020, most of them seniors. Unemployment insurance, the safety net program that clocks in next, lifted 5.5 million people above the poverty line. We rarely talk about it this way, but Social Security is a form of direct cash payment to all Americans once they hit a certain age.

Its not rocket science, Dr. Hoynes said. When it comes to how much we spend on the elderly, we look pretty similar to other countries. The United States simply spends less on a permanent safety net for children.

Failing to invest in children comes with concrete consequences, for both them and everyone else. When families have less income, they cant afford as much food. Its perhaps not surprising, then, that the United States has had a high rate of food insecurity among families with children. Thats particularly dangerous for childrens development. Hunger not only can lead to health problems later in life but has also been linked with behavioral issues and mental health problems. Better food access, on the other hand, is associated with higher educational attainment and better earnings in adulthood.

Recent robust research out of Columbia University has linked better resources in childhood to a long list of benefits, including fewer infant deaths, better health, less interaction with the criminal justice system, higher graduation rates, more work and higher income. Lacking enough resources in childhood, on the other hand, leads to quite a profound level of insults in adulthood, Dr. Hoynes said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided a natural experiment that allowed us to see what happens when the U.S. government spends significantly more resources on alleviating hardship, especially through direct payments, than it usually does. What weve found is that it works.

Families began receiving an expanded child tax credit last July, created by the American Rescue Plan, passed exclusively by Democrats and signed into law by President Biden. The existing credit was expanded for the first time to reach all poor families and offered them more money: up to $300 a month for every child under age 6 and $250 for older ones. More than 90 percent of American families were eligible. Payments went out monthly.
Morton Mower, an entrepreneurial cardiologist who helped invent an implantable defibrillator that has saved many lives by returning potentially fatal irregular heart rhythms to normal with an electrical jolt, died on April 25 in Denver. He was 89.

His son, Mark, said the cause was cancer.

Dr. Mower and Dr. Michel Mirowski, a colleague at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, began work in 1969 on a device that would be small enough that it could be implanted under the skin of the abdomen and quickly correct a hearts rhythms when they go dangerously awry.

Dr. Mirowski had the idea to miniaturize a defibrillator; Dr. Mower, who had taught himself electrical engineering in his basement workshop, believed it could be done.

We were the crazy guys who wanted to put a time bomb in peoples chests, Dr. Mower said in 2015 in an interview with the medical journal The Lancet, which noted at the time that two million people around the world had received the implantable device.
Close your eyes and picture being face-to-face with a saber-toothed cat. Most likely youll see in your frightened minds eye the long, curved upper canines  particularly sinister because those dagger-shaped teeth remained in full view, even when the cat closed its mouth.

What appears in your imagination may be incorrect, at least for a species of saber-toothed cat that was one of the most widespread in Earths ancient history. In a study published last month in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, a team of researchers argues that many artistic reconstructions of Homotherium latidens are wrong. Depictions of the cats with pointy teeth at the ready need to be revised, because the animals defining feature was a concealed weapon until the cat was ready to strike or otherwise opened its mouth.

Homotherium latidens was the most powerful saber-tooth cat of the Old-World Pleistocene, Mauricio Anton, a paleontological artist, expert on saber-toothed cats and one of the studys authors, said. According to the fossil record, Homotherium first appeared around four million years ago, during the Pliocene. The species ranged from the southernmost tip of Africa, across Eurasia and into South America. A fossil site in Friesenhahn Cave in Texas suggested that groups of Homotheriums may have hunted cooperatively to bring down mammoths. The species fell extinct 10,000 years ago.
The early artists were very likely lying on sediment deposits when they made their mud carvings, either with fingers or delicate tools with tines.

It is highly detailed, Dr. Simek said. It covers an acre of surface area on the ceiling. The glyphs are in a single chamber, but the cave goes on.

Since cave art was first documented in North America in 1979, Dr. Simek and Mr. Cressler have been studying what is known as dark-zone cave art, which involves exploring passageways unreachable by natural light.

The cave documented in 1979 in Tennessee, contained mud drawings, 750 to 800 years old, depicting pre-Columbian Native American religious themes, the Antiquity study said. Since then, it said, 89 other pre-Columbian cave-art sites have been identified in southeastern North America. The earliest is nearly 7,000 years old, but most of them date from 800 A.D. to 1600 A.D.

Some are on private property, and those findings are kept secret to keep the area free of vandals. Others are on public lands, including in Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. Some can be reached only by boat because rivers have risen to entrances that were once accessible by land.

The use of 3-D modeling in Alabamas 19th Unnamed Cave promises a new era of discovery of ancient cave art because it reveals images that could not be perceived otherwise, the researchers said in their study.

The technique has been used elsewhere, such as to create a replica of the art in the Lascaux caves in France, but not as much in searching, as Dr. Simek said, to see if there are things we cant see.
Kevin Samuels, a YouTube and Instagram personality whose blunt lifestyle advice aimed at Black men and women drew a legion of admiring followers and a chorus of detractors who condemned his views as outdated and cruel, died on Thursday in Atlanta. He was 57.

His death was announced by two friends and fellow YouTube personalities, Dennis Spurling and Melanie King. Mr. Spurling, who is also a lawyer, identified himself as a family spokesman in an Instagram post.

The Atlanta police said he was found unresponsive on the floor of his apartment. No cause was cited.

Describing himself as an image consultant, Mr. Samuels had transformed in recent years from a personal stylist into a social media celebrity who built his following on an image of plain-spoken, hypermasculine authority, usually wearing a finely tailored suit. The approach brought him more than a million followers on both YouTube and Instagram, and many of his supporters viewed him as taking courageous stands for what they called traditional values.
But some Taiwanese defense officials are resistant. And U.S. officials have decided that certain weapons systems the Taiwanese Defense Ministry has tried to order  the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter made by Lockheed Martin, for example  are not suited for warfare against the Chinese military.

The U.S. officials have warned their Taiwanese counterparts that the State Department would reject such requests. They have also told American weapons makers to refrain from asking U.S. agencies to approve Taiwanese orders of certain arms. The procurement process is complex, with many parties weighing in.

On Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Scott D. Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said at a Senate hearing that Taiwanese officials were learning lessons from the Ukraine war, including the importance of effective training with the right weapons systems, and what those systems with the right people would be able to do to thwart that.

He said partner nations in Asia and the U.S. Defense Department could further mine the Ukraine war for suggestions for Taiwan and help them understand what this conflict has been about, what lessons they can learn and where they should be focusing their dollars on their defense and their training.

The push by the Biden administration has broadened and accelerated similar efforts by officials in the Trump and Obama administrations. Democratic and Republican officials and lawmakers say one lesson of the Ukraine war is the United States must help transform Taiwan into a porcupine to deter potential attacks from China.
These voters, several of whom expressed support for abortion rights but said they would still vote for an anti-abortion congressman, revealed the uphill battle Ms. Cisneros faces as she tries to convince voters to oust a familiar political figure whose family has long been a fixture in the community. Even among Democrats, support for abortion rights may not uniformly motivate voters, particularly working-class Latinos  a demographic that has shown signs of drifting away from the party.

Hector Gomez, 67, has known Mr. Cuellar since they were classmates at J.W. Nixon High School in the 1970s, and has voted for the congressman in every election since he first ran in 2006.

Hes doing his job, said Mr. Gomez, an antique store owner, adding that although he is Catholic and opposed to abortion, the issue does not determine his vote. Mr. Cuellar is the best choice because hes not someone you can just brush off.

Texas 28th Congressional District stretches from the Mexican border to San Antonio, and Laredo is its political center. A working-class city, it has been a Democratic stronghold for decades but remains culturally conservative, with residents who fill Catholic church pews on Sundays. Many describe themselves as apolitical, and said they are more focused on making ends meet than staking out positions on partisan political issues.

Before this weeks leaked Supreme Court opinion, abortion had not been the central issue in the primary campaign, though several national abortion rights groups had invested heavily in the district, focusing on the new state abortion restrictions in Texas. Ms. Cisneros did not run a television advertisement on the issue until late last month, according to AdImpact, an ad tracking firm. Until the focus on abortion was renewed this week, the runoff had been a mostly sleepy affair, with observers predicting an extremely low turnout.

Now, Ms. Cisneros and her supporters have moved to use the threat to abortion rights as a primary motivator for both voters and donors.

Were really at a moment where people are fired up and they know how much they are at risk of losing, said Kristin Ford, the vice president of communications and research at the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America, which has sent organizers to Laredo to campaign for Ms. Cisneros.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  Sri Lankas strongman president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has declared a state of emergency for the second time in just over a month as his government confronts large, continuing protests over a deepening economic crisis.

The announcement came late Friday, after a general strike closed shops and businesses across the South Asian island nation. Protesters outside the Parliament building in Colombo, the capital, blocked exits, trapping lawmakers inside for hours as the police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

Protesters are demanding the resignations of Mr. Rajapaksa and his elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, the prime minister, who have been accused of mismanaging the economy and sending Sri Lanka spiraling toward bankruptcy. The countrys usable foreign exchange reserves have plummeted to below $50 million, according to the finance minister. Food prices are soaring, hospitals have run out of essential medicine and fuel shortages have led to lengthy power cuts.

Anger was palpable on Friday outside Parliament, where lawmakers, instead of taking up a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition, had been occupied for days over a routine vote on a deputy speaker position. The person who previously held the position had been re-elected after resigning, only to resign again days later, underscoring the dysfunction that the protesters say they are tired of.
KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban government decreed Saturday that Afghan women must cover themselves from head to toe, expanding a series of onerous restrictions on women that dictate nearly every aspect of public life.

The decree, by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, drew condemnation from womens rights advocates and the United Nations, which described it as another bald betrayal of Taliban pledges to respect gender equality.

The ministry suggested the burqa as the preferred garment for covering a womans face, hair and body. But it did not mandate wearing the garment as long as women otherwise cover themselves with a hijab.

The full-body burqa, long emblematic of patriarchal control of womens public attire in Afghanistan, was described by the ministry as the good and complete hijab  a garment with various versions that cover a womans hair and much or all of her face and body.
For an upcoming contribution to an academic book about the North American car industry, Mr. Mordue has calculated that Ontario and the federal government have given automakers 9.1 billion Canadian dollars since 2000. The resulting level of employment and production that he calculated is not encouraging, he said. In 2000, auto factories in Ontario employed 54,000 people, who made three million vehicles. In 2020, despite the governments investments, the factories employed only 37,000 people, making about 1.1 million vehicles.

The future of Canadas auto industry dimmed, Mr. Mordue told me, about 22 years ago, when car companies realized that they could produce their most expensive luxury models in Mexico at the same quality levels as factories anywhere else in the world, including Canada. Since then, he said, Canada has been grasping for its source of competitive advantage.

Mexico, by contrast, has an overwhelming advantage when it comes to labor costs. The money given to Honda, he estimates, will cover six months worth of wages and benefits for the 4,000 workers in Alliston, Ontario. By contrast it would take six to 10 years for a plant in Mexico to run up a similar labor bill.

He said that Canadas approach to how it subsidizes auto jobs differed greatly from the approach of American states. In the United States, he said, state governments usually offer only a one-time incentive to get plants built. Canada, by contrast, generally subsidizes the retooling of factories as new products come along every five or six years.

The U.S. approach is: one and done, Mr. Mordue said. But we are: one and then every five years. Im not convinced that Canada needs to do that.
LVIV, Ukraine  At Lvivs grand and imposing Potocki Palace, now this western provinces National Gallery, workmen rolled coats of deep apricot paint over walls that until a few months ago held works by the French painter Georges de La Tour and other Baroque masters.

These days, the walls are empty because those works, along with paintings by Francisco Goya, Peter Paul Rubens and Titian, valued at millions of dollars each, have been whisked away to secret locations to protect them from the threat of Russian airstrikes.

Now, some parts of the National Gallerys 65,000-piece collection are being put back on exhibit in the organizations network of galleries for Ukrainians hungry for culture in the midst of war. For the gallerys director, Taras Voznyak, putting up the work is an act of resistance.

Putin now has the goal of turning Ukrainians into nobody, into nothing, he said, adding, In order to show that we are alive, we have opened several branches.
He believes that Europe is ungrateful and that if the European Union was built, it was only through Russian sacrifice, Michel Eltchaninoff, the French author of Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin, said. And he is utterly contemptuous of the idea that commerce can bring peace to nations.

That, of course, is precisely what a European Union of 450 million citizens, with its economy of more than $17 trillion, is all about. As an alternative, Mr. Putin has offered his Eurasian Union to the likes of Ukraine, but Belarus as model is a hard sell if Berlin and Barcelona are on the table.

The magnetism of European democratic success, whatever its flaws, appears more life-threatening to Mr. Putin than NATO because it challenges the autocratic kleptocracy he has built around a web of oligarchs beholden to him.

Hence his violent reaction to Ukraines association with the European Union, and his horror at the E.U. flag draped down the facade of the Ukrainian foreign ministry in 2014, after the country drove out Mr. Putins corrupt toady president, Viktor F. Yanukovych.

From the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, it has been clear that Mr. Putin is not merely at war to restore Moscows empire by subjugating, or dismembering, Ukraine. He is also at war against the United States and its European allies that he has come to regard as godless agents whose humiliation of Russia at the Soviet Unions breakup in 1991 can never be forgiven.

This wider war promises to be a long one, obliging Europe to restore at least some of the military focus it has largely shunned in the more than three decades since the end of the Cold War.
KRYVYI RIH, Ukraine  The solicitation to commit treason came to Oleksandr Vilkul on the second day of the war, in a phone call from an old colleague.

Mr. Vilkul, the scion of a powerful political family in southeastern Ukraine that was long seen as harboring pro-Russian views, took the call as Russian troops were advancing to within a few miles of his hometown, Kryvyi Rih.

He said, Oleksandr Yurivich, you are looking at the map, you see the situation is predetermined, Mr. Vilkul said, recalling the conversation with a fellow minister in a former, pro-Russian Ukrainian government.

Sign an agreement of friendship, cooperation and defense with Russia and they will have good relations with you, the former colleague said. You will be a big person in the new Ukraine.
TUNIS  The last time Tunisia plunged into political crisis  its infant democracy unraveling amid political deadlock, assassinations and mass unrest  it fell to the countrys traditional guardians to find a way forward.

A heavyweight coalition of unions, lawyers and rights activists stepped in to preserve the constitutional system, earning them the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel committee credited the National Dialogue Quartet, as the groups were known, with protecting the gains of the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, which felled the countrys longtime dictator and kindled the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East.

For a decade, Tunisia was the success story that much of the rest of the world wanted. While other Arab revolts withered in civil wars, coups or crackdowns, democracy in Tunisia  a wedge of 12 million people that juts toward Italy from North Africas Mediterranean coast  survived the 2013-2014 political crisis and kept advancing.

But a new constitution and several free and fair elections failed to deliver the bread, jobs and dignity that Tunisians had chanted for, and the country is now lurching toward disaster, its economy sapped by mismanagement, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Over the past few decades, the number of birth control methods available in the United States has grown sharply. Women today are faced with a dizzying array of new pills, implants, gels and patches.

Despite these advances, experts say a birth control pill for men is unlikely to hit the shelves any time soon, and the maze of options for women can be particularly confusing because each contraceptive carries its own set of precautions and side effects. The recent leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade has also raised questions about whether states might be able to tighten their regulation of contraceptives.

The New York Times spoke with seven gynecologists and reproductive health experts, seeking to identify and explain the types of contraceptives currently available, how to get them and what side effects and risks they carry.

Could overturning Roe v. Wade affect access to birth control?

The leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade does not indicate that the Court would revisit past decisions about birth control. We emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right, Justice Samuel Alito wrote. Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion.
The Met Gala  fashions equivalent of the Super Bowl, where famous people often attempt to one-up each other on the red carpet  was on Monday. What was this years dress code, seen in the outfits above?
AFTER two long years, 2022 will mark a new era for Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival.

The much-loved festival, now in its 54th year, will return to its full glory from July 29th-August 7th with the return of the old favourites including the sorely-missed Vintage Sunday parade.

With major plans for a revamped and refreshed festival now falling into place, the Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival team is calling on the wider community of Birr and the surrounding area to get involved to help bring Vintage Week to life like never before.

A Town Hall Meeting is taking place on Thursday May 19th at Doolys Hotel (7.30pm) to share news of the events and ideas so far as well as to pave the way for people to get involved; as participants in the parade, on-the-ground volunteers or behind-the-scenes organisers.

The meeting will also be a formal chance for community groups and individuals to hear more about the role of the Birr Festivals Collective in supporting the development and expansion of Vintage Week this year.

The Collective, with the support of the Arts Council of Ireland, has been able to fund the professional services of a Festivals Projects Co-ordinator and PR & Marketing Coordinator since late last year. This major development means a new way of structuring how the festival is managed and delivered, providing crucial support and most importantly, lessening the workload of the Vintage Week Committee and volunteers.

Colm Croffy is the Festivals Project Co-ordinator for the Collective: There is enormous excitement and expectation around the return of Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival this year and rightly so, the festival is the crown jewel of the Birr Festival Season.

A small team of volunteers has been working enormously hard over the winter and spring to lay the foundations for the full return of the towns biggest festival. But now, the time has come for the community to answer the call to get involved, particularly in the Vintage Sunday parade. This years organisers wish to see not only the usual colour and traditional elements of the parade on display, but also hope as many entries to the parade will be received from new firms and organisations from all parts of our diverse community.

We are asking all those groups who have been involved in the past, those who have never been involved at all as well as anyone who cares deeply about Birr continuing to have a flagship and cultural week and may be able to volunteer some time to come along.

To attend, please register via email to birrfestivalscollective@gmail.com by Monday May 16th at 5pm.

For those groups or people who cant make the meeting but wish to be involved, please also get in touch over email and the Committee will contact you.
Frederick Aaron Savage is an American actor and television director, known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years. He has earned several awards and nominations, such as People's Choice Awards and Young Artist Awards. He is also known for playing the Grandson in The Princess Bride, and voiced the titular protagonist in Oswald. Savage has worked as a director, and in 2005 later starred in the television sitcom Crumbs. More recently, Savage returned to acting in the television series The Grinder, as well as the Netflix series Friends from College.
As the US Supreme Court decides the fate of Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision legalising abortion in the US, Oklahoma is already at the forefront of the nations abortion wars.
The US State Department says North Korea could engage in a nuclear test "this month." US President Joe Biden's administration has struggled to restart diplomatic talks with Pyongyang as tensions escalate.
US President Joe Biden has authorized the shipment of another $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine for artillery rounds and radar systems. Follow DW for more.
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North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward its eastern sea on Saturday, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, in its second launch this week, apparently continuing a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations that may culminate with a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months.
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Innovative financial services facilitate rural industries in Ningde, SE China's Fujian

People's Daily Online) 15:40, May 07, 2022

Ningde city of southeast China's Fujian Province has launched over 10 new financial services for villagers to develop rural industries, making financing more accessible.

Photo shows a fish farm in Ningde, Fujian Province. (Photo/People's Daily Online)

As the city faces the sea, many local people engage in aquaculture industry, raising seafood such as abalone and large yellow croaker. However, local people, in the past, had difficulties in raising funds when expanding their businesses. To solve this problem, the local financial sector has set up archives for aquaculture farmers, and, with the help of big data, increased loans to those with a good credit score.

The 200,000 yuan (about $30,000) credit loan from Postal Savings Bank of China is really a timely help, said Wang Dongdong, a large yellow croaker farmer from Feiluan township, Jiaocheng district. Wang added that he got the low interest loan without collateral or guarantees in merely two days.

In addition, local financial sector has provided one-stop services for Dongyuan village in Fuan, a county-level city of Ningde, to support the village in developing its grape industry. With lower financing costs, these services are very popular among grape growers.

Lai Xianming, a grape grower from the village who has over 10 mu (about 0.67 hectares) of grape fields, explained that he received the financial services at home this year, and got a loan in less than 20 minutes. Its very convenient for the villagers, he said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Diane Abbott has become the first Labour MP to publicly say Sir Keir Starmer should "consider his position" if he is fined by police over "beergate".
The announcement was the latest move to constrain the lives of women since the Taliban took control of the country last year.
On March 2, the General Assembly had voted to reaffirm its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
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Mazhar Ali Khan

BAGHDAD (AP)  Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri made an appearance in a pre-recorded video to mark the 11th anniversary of the death of his predecessor Osama bin Laden.

Al-Zawahri says in the video that U.S. weakness was the reason that its ally Ukraine became prey for the Russian invasion.
David Yahr, of Hope, spent the first part of his working life serving his country in the U.S. Navy.

Now retired, he is serving local veterans at the Sanford American Legion Post 443  one of the most popular and growing veterans organizations in this part of the state.

Yahr, 63, is the post adjutant. And he admits that, since joining the group in 2013, he has become committed to it.

I think it was something I needed at the time, he said. I pretty much fell in love with it.

His story began in 1982, when the Eagle Scout and Meridian High School graduate, who was attending Northwood University at the time, did something that many of his family members have done. He decided to serve his country.

I got that military itch and signed up for the Navy, Yahr said. Theres about 30 veterans in my family. I have relatives in every branch of the service.

He said he settled on the Navy because I couldnt see myself living in tents.

After 24 years of service in naval intelligence, he retired, came home, and returned to Northwood University, where he got his bachelors and masters degrees in business administration. He then worked eight years at the Veterans Administration hospital in Saginaw.

Yahr then retired again and began to serve his community. He is now chairman of the Hope Township Park Commission, vice chair of the township road committee, and active at Floyd Church of God.

But mostly, he stands on guard for the American Legion.

Yahr became post adjutant in 2014 and since then, the group has been embraced by many new members. They are honorably discharged veterans from every American service branch.

My job is to take care of members and the administrative part of the post, he said.

There were 344 members when Yahr became adjutant eight years ago. But today, Post 443 has 450 members and has surpassed nearby Midland Berryhill Post 165 in membership, Yahr said.

Yahr said some American Legion posts are thought to be just drinking clubs. But he said his outfit is much different than that.

The Sanford Legion is more like a family post. We do a lot for the community and the veterans, he said. Were not a drinking club and not just an old guys' club.

They host burger nights, bingo, comedy nights, fish fries and usually one major event per month, as well as offering plenty of camaraderie and counseling. There also is a biker group, an auxiliary and sons of the American Legion detachment.

Its very open, very friendly. You cant replace the camaraderie.

Yahr said a new member, a veteran of the Persian Gulf era, recently sent him an email after being embraced at the club.

He said how much he enjoyed the club and it was so much fun. He said he loved it and he really thanked me for inviting him out.

Yahr said hes not in it for the glory. He simply enjoys getting veterans to see whats in it for them.

Thats my passion  membership, he said. I love going into a veterans home and talking to them about the Legion.

It doesnt matter what branch of the service, when it comes down to it. We are all brothers and sisters.  Only a veteran can understand what a veterans gone through.

Yahrs commitment to the Sanford American Legion was recognized when he was chosen the states Adjutant of the Year in 2017-2018. He admits that since his retirement, the post has become his mission.

His wife, Joy, also helps.

Shes there at a lot of the events for me, he said. Thats the only way she sees me.
Five Upper Thumb schools will be making safety upgrades thanks to qualifying a competitive safety grant from the state.

In total, 145 schools across Michigan will receive grant funds.

Cass City Schools will be installing an electronic access system for its doors and upgrading its video surveillance system.

"The timing is great, so it can be included in our bond project," said the school's Technology Director Lyle Severance.

The new door system could operate with anything from fob keys to Bluetooth signals from students' phones. The system will be integrated into 50 doors, 30 of them being at the high school complex. The elementary school will get 17 of its doors connected to the system.

"This is going to drastically improve the security and let us manage our key system and secure our buildings much more dynamically," Severance said.

Christ the King Lutheran will be installing new exterior doors for both of its campuses, while reinforcing the interior classroom doors on its Sebewaing campus.

"After the Oxford shooting, everybody's looking at how to make their buildings safer, so new doors seemed like a step in the right direction for us," said Principal Mary Eifert.

Eifert also explained that the Michigan State Police are involved in the grant, because each school needs an emergency management official to sign off on their application. This means that each school had to have a crisis plan in order to qualify.

"I suppose they don't want to give a safety grant to those who aren't prepared for an issue," Eifert said.

Laker Schools will use the grant to make the elementary school's vestibules safer, with extra surveillance. However, school officials plan on using the district's sinking funds to finish the project.

"That project will likely eat up all the grant money," said Superintendent Brian Keim.

USA Schools will be installing interior door security, using a night lock system manufactured in Michigan. This is the first grant like this the school has received, according to Superintendent Josh Hahn.

North Huron Schools will be adding vestibules to the entrances, so the people who monitor the doors and buzz people in have a better opportunity to see who's entering the building. It will also give an extra set of doors for anyone to get through.

"We currently just have one entrance of this type in the elementary building," said district spokesperson Barb Polega. "Our hope is that we'll be able to add this kind of entrance to three additional entrances in our building."

North Huron will likely be either under or over the $50,000 they were given, and the district does not have a sinking fund, so officials be looking at each vestibule one at a time and watching their funds.
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.

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: Summer Storm Safety. Join in on this quick free presentation at 1 p.m. May 9. 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 9 topic will be Spicing it Up! To register, visit events.anr.msu.edu/IFWSwinter2022/ Any questions should be directed to Kellie Jordan at jorda136@msu.edu

Financial Preparedness for Disasters. If a disaster occurs, the government and disaster-relief organizations will try to help you, but you need to be ready as well. To be better prepared financially, you can take the following actions before a disaster happens: get the insurance you need, set money aside in an emergency savings fund, keep some cash in a safe place, sign up for direct deposit, consider arranging for online or mobile banking, keep financial documents in a safe place. This session takes place 12-1 p.m. May 16. Pre-registration is required. To register, visit www.canr.msu.edu/mimoneyhealth/ click on the link online classes to see this course as well as other options that might be of interest. Registration for this class closes on May 13.

Nature Play! Its time to play outdoors 10-11 a.m. May 10 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.

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 participants complete, they 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. on 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.

Spring Wildflower Walk. Spring wildflowers bloom quickly on the forest floor before tree leaves open. Take a woodland walk with a Chippewa Nature Center naturalist to find and identify these colorful beauties, 6-7:30 p.m. May 11. Learn to recognize the diversity of shapes, patterns and unique pollination strategies. This program is designed for ages 9 and up 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 12 will be Freeze Drying. 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/

Spring Bird Migration Bandathon. See resident and migratory birds up close, as birds are caught in mist nets and banded for research, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. May 14-15. Join researcher Mike Bishop and Chippewa Nature Center staff at the Lanigan pavilion at the end of the Homestead Road. This program is designed for ages 5 and up (under 18 with adult). Visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org to learn more.

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.
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LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP)  With the worst of the thick wildfire smoke having blown out of town, residents of this small northern New Mexico city tried to recapture a sense of normalcy Saturday as their rural neighbors hunkered down amid predictions of extreme fire conditions.

Shops and restaurants reopened, the historic center was no longer just populated by firefighters, but there was a widely felt sense of anxiety, loss, and wariness of what lay ahead.

Its literally like living under a dark cloud," said Liz Birmingham, whose daughter had persistent headaches from the smoke. "Its unnerving.

While the city for now seemed spared of danger, rural areas were still threatened as the fire was driven by winds so fierce all firefighting aircraft had to be grounded. And the worst could be yet to come.

A combination of strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity were forecast by the National Weather Service to create an "exceptionally dangerous and likely historic stretch of critical to extreme fire weather conditions" for several days.

Some 1,400 firefighters worked feverishly to contain the largest fire burning in the U.S. The blaze, now more than a month old, has blackened more than 269 square miles (696 square kilometers)  an area larger than the city of Chicago.

Part of the fire was started by Forest Service workers who lost control of a prescribed burn meant to reduce fire risk. State leaders have called on the federal government for accountability, including reparations.

Nationwide, close to 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) have burned so far this year, with 2018 being the last time this much fire had been reported at this point, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. And predictions for the rest of the spring do not bode well for the West, where long-term drought and warmer temperatures brought on by climate change have combined to worsen the threat of wildfire.

Thousands of residents have evacuated due to flames that have charred large swaths of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northeastern New Mexico.

The fires main threat was now to the north, where flames burning vegetation clogging the forest floor threatened several small rural communities, fire spokesman Ryan Berlin said.

Firefighters, who typically rely on calmer winders and lower temperatures to make progress in the evening, have been hindered by unexpectedly strong winds at night.

The threat to Las Vegas, a city of 13,000, was reduced after vegetation was cleared to create containment lines. Local officials on Saturday allowed residents of several areas on the citys northwestern outskirts to return to their homes, Berlin said.

The city looked like a ghost town earlier in the week, with businesses shuttered, schools closed and the tourist district empty but for resting firefighters. By Saturday, it was in a partial state of recovery.

National Guard troops carried cases of water, people lined up to sign up for relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., met with local officials and toured the shelter housing some of the displaced.

We dont know if our houses are getting burned, or if its gonna stop, said Domingo Martinez, an evacuee from rural Manuelitas northwest of Las Vegas. I hope it dies down so we can go home.

Martinez, who is staying with his son on the east side of town, visited an old friend and neighbor who had been living in the middle school shelter for 15 days.

Outside the school, Martinez got a free haircut from Jessica Aragon, a local hairdresser who volunteered her time.

I love that everyone is coming together, Aragon said. I think a smile is worth a thousand words."

Birmingham was one of four dog owners leading German shepherds and a black Labrador through an obedience course in a park next to a library. All had been touched in some way by the fire.

One was a construction worker whose work sites had all been reduced to ash.

Fire officials warned Las Vegas residents that they should still be ready to leave and not to let their guards down because winds will pick up. High winds and increasing smoke will also make it difficult  or impossible  to fly water-dropping choppers and planes dumping fire retardant.

On a mountain ridgeline outside of town, a sloppy line of red retardant could be seen on the trees. Residents were praying that the line and the wall of rock would hold.

___

Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan, Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Paul Davenport and Michelle A. Monroe in Phoenix contributed to this report.
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Photo: (Photo : AFP via Getty Images)

Kader Arby, the dad of a world-record brood of nonuplets, has spoken to the Times about the experience of raising nine miracle babies as the kids celebrate their first birthday. The 36-year-old Arby, along with his wife Halima Cisse, set a new world record last year when the latter flew to Casablanca, Morocco, to incredibly give birth to nine children at the Ain Borja hospital.

Cisse, from Mali, displaced previous record-holder "Octomom" Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to a whopping eight babies in 2009. Arby and Cisse's nonuplets were only taken off a ventilator back in August, five months after the babies were born.

Each of the kids is now happy and healthy, living in a flat close to the Ain Borja hospital in Casablanca with their mom and a team of round-the-clock nurses on hand. Arby said that the nurses help with the nappies, which is not his area.

Nonuplets dressed in their finest for birthday party

Arby added that the nonuplets have been bottle-fed since the beginning, following their doctor's recommendation. Arby had joked then, asking, "What kind of person could breastfeed nine babies at the same time?"

It was a fun family affair for Arby, Cisse, and the kids as they celebrated the nonuplets' first birthday together. Joining the brood of five girls and four boys in the celebration was their big sister Souda, who is now three years old. The Daily Mail reported that the hardworking nurses of the nonuplets were also there for the babies' big day.

Each was dressed in their finest attire, with girls Oumou, Hawa, Kadidia, Adama, and Fatouma wearing baby dresses and tiaras, and boys Elhadji, Bah, Oumar, and Mohammed VI in baby tuxedos for the occasion.

The people who attended the party were delighted that the family was complete for this important milestone as doctors feared even before they were born that there was a less than 50 percent chance that any of the nonuplets would survive. They all proved to be survivors, with the babies passing that test with flying colors.

Read Also: Child Population in Japan Continues to Fall For 41st Straight Year; COVID Pandemic a Factor in Decline

Nonuplets delivered by a squad of doctors, nurses, and paramedics

According to Arby, who serves in the Malian military, the biggest challenge right now is getting the nine babies to sleep simultaneously. Arby said it is only the second time he has been able to visit his offspring since they were born.

Arby was prevented from seeing his kids up close, given their delicate situation after birth. They emerged into this world from a fraught labor just a year ago, weighing between 1 pound and 2 ounces (500 grams) and 2 pounds and 2 ounces. Metro reported that the nonuplets were delivered by a squad of 10 doctors, 18 nurses, and 25 paramedics.

Arby spoke of the difficulties of looking after so many children, pointing out that even just one baby is usually a challenge. Arby explained how each baby has a unique personality, with some kids needing more attention, some needing to be held more, and others getting upset more easily.

Related Article: Illinois Pregnancy Center 'Inspired Maternity' Opens Supply Bank For Moms in Need of Baby Formula
Photo: (Photo : Christopher Pearce/Getty Images)

Moms and dads in Arkansas are starting to feel the effects of a nationwide baby formula shortage. Bare shelves are now the norm in pharmacies and grocery stores, but a doctor at Arkansas Children's Hospital says it is no reason for parents to panic and that this baby formula shortage is only temporary.

Parents Michael and Mallory Kornegay of El Dorado, Arkansas, told KATV that they are concerned with the recent baby formula shortage in their state and nationwide. According to the couple, their seven-month-old son Malachi usually takes an easy-to-find formula. El Dorado is located about two hours from the city of Little Rock.

Kornegay said they use a pretty generic can called the Enfamil Gentle Ease. Kornegay said it is a purple can that is pretty standard for any store to carry, but they could not find any when they started searching for it.

Baby formula shortage worsening in the U.S.

Determined to feed their baby, the worried parents headed out to find some baby formula over the weekend. Kornegay said they went to over ten different stores between El Dorado and Fayetteville, and they still could not find any except for one location. It was the last box, and it was a refill. He added that it was not even a can.

According to data analyzed by consumer product data analytics firm Datasembly for Axios, 40 percent of baby formula inventory was out of stock nationally the week of April 24, up from 18 percent when the year started and 3 percent a year earlier.

Mothers from Michigan and New York told Fox Business that they were frustrated to discover that there was no homemade baby formula in their areas. Like so many parents right now in the United States, the Kornegays are turning to family and friends on social media and their out-of-state networks to find the baby formula they desperately need.

Read Also: Illinois Pregnancy Center 'Inspired Maternity' Opens Supply Bank For Moms in Need of Baby Formula

Arkansas doctor offers tips for baby formula shortage

Dr. Jared Beavers, a pediatrician at Arkansas Children's Hospital, is working on the same thing. Beavers said that social media groups are great for spreading information, with people in the community helping each other with their baby formula needs.

According to Beavers, it is important for parents not to panic as the baby formula shortage is expected to be temporary. Beavers said that parents need to utilize their greatest asset during this time, which is their pediatrician.

Beavers said that providers serve as a conduit for getting formula, and sometimes they have access to it when other retailers and things like that don't. Beavers also said that with a doctor's guidance, parents could look for alternatives for the time being.

Another thing to take note of, according to Beavers, is not to ever water down the formula or try to stretch it as that can be very dangerous for a baby. Beavers also reminded parents not to make their formula as it is not safe. Yahoo reported that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have already issued strong advisories against homemade baby formula.

Related Article: FDA Says Infant Formula Maker Abbott Nutrition to Release Certain Products on a Case-by-Case Basis
Photo: (Photo : Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

The parents of Miya Fillmore were baffled as to why their daughter was not permitted to walk at graduation when she completed high school earlier.

Connie Fillmore, Miya's mother, told On Your Side that her daughter, who attended Maumelle High School under the Pulaski County Special School District in Arkansas, actually finished 22 and 1/2 credits of the required 22 credits for her to graduate high school.

Miya was part of the school district's excel program, called the Driven School of Opportunity, and technically finished high school at the end of the 2021 school year.

By July 2021, Miya received her transcript of records because she was planning to apply to colleges for her senior year. She was already on track to graduate but was never advised by the school counselor.

During a visit to Pulaski Tech, one of the colleges Miya planned to apply for, she and her mom could not explain if she was actually an incoming senior high school student as she had finished her credits. The family could not get a clear answer just yet because school was out for that summer, and there were not many workers on the campus.

Read Also: Colorado School District to Scrap Valedictorian Designation in High School

Miya Told to Pick-Up Her Diploma

By November 2021, the parents received a call from the school district informing them that Miya could pick up her school diploma. The school explained that the student could not walk at the graduation ceremony because her records and grades were turned in one day after the deadline.

Miya told NBC 15 News that she was looking forward to walking at the graduation ceremony at 16 years old. However, the school district took that opportunity away from her.

"That's something every high schooler looks forward to - prom, graduation, especially growing up," Miya said.

Miya's father, David Fillmore, believes that the counselor still owes them an explanation for why they were negligent in keeping track of Miya's progress or submitting her records on time. David said that their daughter worked hard and was a "good student all her life." He said that what happened to Miya was a travesty.

Worse, Miya was informed that she could join the school prom. This confused the parents even more because it was okay for her to participate in that event but not the graduation ceremony.

According to reports, the Arkansas Department of Education does not want to comment on the matter as they are legally advised not to get involved in the school district's decisions.

MAUMELLE and MILLS HIGH SCHOOL just wrapped up a week of "Camp DRIVEN" where students learned about the program, participated in activities and interacted with teachers and fellow students. #pcssdproud #equityandexcellence #pcssdDRIVEN pic.twitter.com/6iKYPotMEn  Pulaski County Special School District (@pcssdschools) July 20, 2019

What is the Driven School of Opportunity program?

According to the Maumelle High School official site, the Driven School of Opportunity provides quality education for students to learn at their own flexible pace with teacher mentors and internship or project opportunities. The program works best for students with self-discipline who want to have more control over their learning courses.

Miya's father said that the program's point was to help students work ahead and graduate early. Connie also said that there were likely other students in the same situation as their daughter when she spoke with the counselors last August.

Related Article: Student Walkout Staged After Oklahoma School Rejects Mom's Request to Memorialize Dead Son at Graduation
Photo: (Photo : Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Mansfield Independent School District in Texas will see 35 sets of twins, and one set of triplets, graduating from high school this May among 2,600 students. To celebrate this remarkable event, all the twins gathered together for a photoshoot Friday, April 29.

Speaking with Today, one of the graduating twins said that it was "really cool" to be together in one place and meet all of the other twins. They felt an instant connection with each other since they lived their whole lives with another person by their side.

The school district is composed of nine high schools and alternative schools across Mansfield and Arlington, such as Frontier STEM Academy, Legacy High School, Lake Ridge High School, Mansfield High School, Summit High School, Timberview High School, Ben Barber Innovation Academy, The Phoenix Academy, and the Early College High School.

Twin births statistically happen once every 250 births, which means that the school district should only have about 10 or 11 sets of twins in the graduating class. Officials of the Mansfield Independent School District cannot explain the high number, but these twins are giving the community some pride, especially as some of them are set to attend the best universities in the country.

Read Also: Surrogate Mom Births Twins of New Dad Who Was Her Long-lost Biological Brother

Embracing the Big Changes

Anthony Morka and fraternal sister Angela Morka, from Lake Ridge High School, will live separate lives in college as he's headed to the University of Houston while his sister has been accepted at Yale. Speaking with KKTV, Anthony said they would embrace the big changes of living apart from each other. However, the twins will still be able to keep in touch all the time with calls, texts, and chat messages.

Jordan and Joshua Morris, on the other hand, are feeling the nerves about their upcoming separation because they have never been apart from each other this way before. Jordan recalled that they both cried as elementary kids when they found out that they would not be in the same classroom.

NO, IT'S NOT DOUBLE VISION: Mansfield Independent School District in #Texas believes it is setting a world-record with its 2022 graduating class.



There are an incredible 35 sets of twins among the graduating seniors and one set of triplets! pic.twitter.com/iqTUGuAGZD  KWTX News 10 (@kwtx) May 2, 2022

However, some of the twins have decided to keep their cozy pairing intact by going to the same university this fall. Sisters Avery and Keaton Slimak are attending the University of Texas at Austin, and they will continue to be roommates at the dormitory.

Despite having 35 sets of twins, Mansfield Independent School District has yet to beat the record of New Trier High School in Illinois, which has earned a Guinness World Record for having 44 sets of twins, and one triplet, in the sophomore class.

Twin Births Peaking

Experts say that twin births will peak in high-income countries in Europe or North America in the next two decades due to the rising popularity of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Christiaan Monden from Oxford University cited that the twinning rates in North America alone have risen to 71 percent in the last decade, per the New York Post.

The scientist also said that most of these twin births come from dizygotic eggs or fraternal twins born from different eggs. However, the rate of monozygotic births, or identical twins born from the same eggs, has remained stable.

Related Article: Quaternary Twins: Pairs of Identical Twins Marry and Have Sons Who Are Genetic Brothers
Photo: (Photo : Chikara Yoshida/Getty Images)

The youngest COVID-19 patient in Samoa has been discharged from a hospital in what is being described as a miracle by doctors. The toddler's life hung in the balance after contracting COVID-19, with the young girl also battling severe pneumonia.

Head pediatrician Papalii Kamu Tito told RNZ that the miracle baby had been taken home after being in an induced coma for five days. According to Papalii, the toddler was fighting for her life in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) for over a week. Papalii and his team were unsure if the baby would make it, but she did.

Papalii issued a statement about the toddler's incredible recovery, saying that the baby had COVID-19 which did not help her condition as she also suffered from severe pneumonia. Papalii added that they had to put her in a coma to allow her body to heal. The head pediatrician noted that she was in a critical condition, and it was a miracle that she was alive.

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc in Samoa

According to Mayo Clinic, pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs. The air sacs may fill with pus or fluid, causing fever, chills, cough with phlegm or pus, and difficulty breathing. A variety of organisms can cause pneumonia, including viruses, fungi, and bacteria.

Papalii acknowledged the assistance of Fiona Miles, a New Zealand pediatric specialist, for coming to the aid of Samoa and offering suggestions for treatment. Papalii paid tribute to the doctor, saying that Miles' input assisted in the baby's treatment. Aside from Miles' treatment, Papalii noted that they also prayed for her to survive, and God answered their prayers through medicinal expertise.

The toddler may have survived COVID-19, but the fight against the deadly coronavirus is far from over. According to Samoa's Ministry of Health report, one more person has died from COVID-19-related causes.

Read Also: Isa Slish Makes History as First Gerber Baby With a Congenital Deformity

COVID related deaths in Samoa now stand at 20

The ministry said that the deceased person was a 91-year-old woman with comorbidities. She was unvaccinated. Since March, the number of Covid-19 related deaths in Samoa stands at 20, with the Ministry of Health also reporting 618 new positive cases.

Of the 618 COVID cases reported in Samoa, 615 are community cases, and three new cases were detected at the border. The total number of confirmed cumulative positive cases in Samoa, both at the border and in the community, stands at 10,210.

According to a report by Xinhua, the ministry of health in Samoa has confirmed that 92.7 percent of Samoans aged 18 years and above have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The island nation of Samoa had a 100 percent vaccination rate of the first dose for those in its eligible population aged 12-17 years and 18 years and above. The total number of booster doses administered in Samoa currently stands at 72,480.

Related Article: AAP and FDA Warn Parents That Homemade Baby Formula is Not Safe for Babies and Infants
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Elon Musk's decision to accept some foreign investors as part of his $44 billion buyout of Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) runs the risk of inviting the kind of regulatory scrutiny over U.S. national security that social media peer TikTok faced, legal experts say.



Musk disclosed on Thursday that Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund and Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange founded by Chinese native Changpeng Zhao, were part of a group of investors that will help him fund the acquisition of Twitter. read more



This could give the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) an opening to scrutinize the deal for potential national security risks, six regulatory lawyers not involved in the transaction and interviewed by Reuters said. CFIUS is a panel of government agencies and departments that reviews mergers and acquisitions for potential threats to U.S. security.



"To the extent that Musk's proposed acquisition of Twitter includes foreign investment, it very well could fall under CFIUS jurisdiction," said Chris Griner, chair of law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP's national security practice.



A spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury Department, which chairs CFIUS, declined to comment on whether the national security panel planned to scrutinize Musk's Twitter deal.



Spokespeople for Musk, bin Talal, Qatar and Binance did not immediately respond to requests for comment.



Former President Donald Trump's administration turned to CFIUS in 2020 in a bid to force TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance to divest the short video app. His successor Joe Biden abandoned that effort after ByteDance agreed to changes on how the data of U.S. users are stored and protected.



The regulatory lawyers interviewed by Reuters said the risk of CFIUS blocking Musk's deal is small because he will control Twitter under the proposed takeover and the foreign investors are acquiring relatively small stakes.



They added that their assessment would change were Musk to give the foreign investors influence over the company, through a seat on its board or other means.



The risk is not negligible, however, given that the business of handling personal data by social media companies such as Twitter is typically viewed as critical infrastructure by CFIUS, the lawyers said.



"One of the items that's considered sensitive personal data, is non-public electronic communications. So that would be email, messaging or chat communications between users. Twitter allows you to do that," law firm Vinson & Elkins LLP partner Richard Sofield said.



One area of potential scrutiny for CFIUS, the lawyers said, could be Musk's business dealings with foreign governments hostile to free speech or keen to overtake the United States technologically. Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), the electric car maker he leads, relies heavily on China, for example, to manufacture and sell its vehicles.



China blocked Twitter in 2009 but many Chinese officials have been active on the social media platform. Some of them have complained that the company's efforts to restrict misinformation have targeted them unfairly.



"One of the considerations would be whether or not there will be an opportunity for China to leverage its business activity in order to achieve a desired outcome," Sofield added.



There is precedent for CFIUS shooting down a deal based on the risk that an acquirer's business ties could compromise them, the lawyers said. Trump blocked chip maker Broadcom Inc's (AVGO.O) $117 billion acquisition of U.S peer Qualcomm Inc 2018 after CFIUS raised concerns about the deal.



Broadcom was a publicly listed company with U.S. shareholders that was headquartered in Singapore, but the White House fretted that Broadcom's relationship with "third-party foreign entities" would set the U.S. back in its technology race with China.



Nevena Simidjiyska, a regulatory lawyer at law firm Fox Rothschild LLP, said it was possible CFIUS would look into whether Musk or other U.S. investors in the Twitter deal can be influenced by foreign entities in a similar way.



"CFIUS may determine that even U.S. investors in Twitter fall under CFIUS review if they are controlled by foreign parties," Simidjiyska said.



Musk's Twitter deal does not face the most common type of regulatory risk seen in mergers and acquisitions  pushback from antitrust regulators. The world's richest man has no media holdings, and regulatory experts have said they do not expect the deal to face significant antitrust scrutiny.

Source: REUTERS









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Mr Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address conflicts and challenges impeding trade integration.



He said although the bloc had emerged as one of the most vibrant in the African Sub-region, it fell behind in the realisation of trade integration and the elimination of conflicts.



The Deputy Minister was addressing the opening of a regional sensitization workshop on the ECOWAS protocols in Ho on Thursday.



He said member states must endeavor to pursue the implementation of the protocols and policies toward the maintenance of peace and security.



ECOWAS, being better integrated than other Regional Economic Communities in Africa, does not imply that it has achieved total peace nor has the best infrastructure in the Sub-region, he said.



Rather this means that despite other challenges, the ECOWAS Member States continuously strive to ensure the implementation, at the national level, of the various community protocols, programmes and policies needed to connect the citizenry while trading in the Sub-region.



Mr Sarpong said member states should exploit comparative advantages in integrating their economies towards more efficient use of resources.



He called on participants to discuss security instability within the bloc because regional integration was inextricably woven into the fabric of peace and security rather than just an economic issue.



Being fully aware that economic development cannot be achieved in the absence of peace and stability, conflict in our backyard should concern us and motivate us not only to find solutions but also to prevent its spread, the Deputy Minister said.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with Media Response and the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, facilitated the workshop.



It was attended by security services, state actors, civil society groups, and religious and traditional leaders.



Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, shared concerns over the pace of development of the regional bloc and expressed the hope that the workshop and similar initiatives would help attain the integration objectives.





Source: GNA









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Stakeholders at a forum have called for more education on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement for the benefit of indigenous businesses.



They said the Ghana National Coordinating Office of AfCFTA under the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the AfCFTA Secretariat needed to provide education on the operations of AFCFTA.



Mr Augustine B. Kidisil, a Lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School, said many SMEs were not taking advantage of the Agreement because they did not understand it.



Mr Kidisil was speaking at a forum organized by ActionAid Ghana together with the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) on the AfCFTA operationalization for Decent Work in Accra.



The forum was on the theme: AfCFTA Agreement and Regional Economic Integration Reflections and Opportunities for Decent Work and Human Security."



The event funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, was to provide a platform for Civil Society Organisations to engage in campaigns and advocacy against modern slavery, indecent work, and human insecurity.



It was also to provide a platform for deliberation on the impact of the AfCFTA Agreement on the acceleration of regional economic value chains and its implication on decent work practices and human security.



Trading under AfCFTA started in earnest on January 1, 2021, after negotiations were launched on June 15, 2015.



He said the educational activities should focus on the procedures, processes, and protocols of the Agreement.



The Lecturer said every participating Member State needed to design its own strategies and mechanisms to take advantage of opportunities in the Agreement.



Madam Mary Agyekum, Senior Legal Officer at AfCFTA Secretariat, said the Secretariat had established an adjustment fund to support countries and institutions affected by the implementation of the Agreement.



She said one of the key challenges to the implementation was infrastructural gap, because the Member States were at various developmental stages.



Mr John Nkaw, the Interim Country Director for ActionAid Ghana, said the forum was also to collaborate with the AfCFTA Secretariat to safeguard the rights and dignity of the vulnerable in an integrated regional economy.



He said it was expected that key stakeholders would obtain an improved understanding of the AfCFTA Agreement and its likely impact on the regional economic value chain.



Mr Nkaw said decent work was under the ActionAid Ghana Mission Priority two of the Country Strategy Paper Six.



The Country Director said the advocacy hinged on human rights-based approach and from a feminist leadership perspective to tackle structural causes and manifestations of poverty and injustice.



He said although significant efforts towards eliminating indecent work practices had been made by the human trafficking secretariat under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and other stakeholders, we have more work to do to ensure that Ghana meets this target.



Mr Nkaw said it was important attention was paid to the prospects of AfCFTA to streamline fair work practices, anti-human trafficking and anti-modern slavery activities and systems across the continent.





Source: GNA









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Three persons have been arrested by the Northern Regional Police Command with weapons at Kukuabila near Nasia in the west mamprusi municipality of the North East region.



The suspects Amadu Alhassan, a native of Tamale, Atito Godstime, and Seidu Ado Bala both Nigerian Nationals were arrested with a loaded Ak47 riffle, a foreign-made pistol and ammunition concealed in the vehicle that they were travelling with.



The Northern Region Crime Officer, Supt. Bernard Baba Ananga, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to DGN Online said preliminary investigations suggested that they were planning a robbery.



According to him, the suspects are being investigated to ascertain reason why they were in possession on the firearms.



He also indicated that during their interrogation, the suspects mentioned some individuals who maybe linked to the case and that police will invite the individuals to assist in investigations.



However, the suspects have been arraigned before the Tamale Circuit court and have been remanded into police custody to reappear on May 20,2022.



They have been charged with illegal possession of firearm.





Source: Daily Guide









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A former Prime Minister (PM) of Canada and Chairman of the International Democratic Union (IDU), Stephen Harper, has described Ghana as the freest and most democratic society in Africa.



He said since the advent of the Fourth Republic, Ghana has become a different and a better kind of model for Africa and has kept pace with its motto of Freedom and Justice. Ghana, he said, was at the forefront of advancing the concept of free election, rule of law, free trade, market oriented growth and continental free trade.



Mr Harper, who was the 22nd PM of Canada, said this as the keynote speaker at a High-Level Public Lecture Series on Governance in Africa held at the Cedi Conference Centre of the University of Ghana in Accra on Wednesday (May 4).



The lecture was organised by the Young Democrat Union of Africa (YDUA), the youth wing of the Democrat Union of Africa (DUA) under the IDU in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German development foundation and the New Patriotic Party, a member of the IDU.



It was on the theme " Democracy and Geo-Politics; a Global Perspective on the Changing Dynamics of the International Order". It was attended by the leadership and members of the YDUA and UDA from Cote d'Ivoire, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Morocco, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Ghana, leaders of the IDU, members of the diplomatic corps, some national executives of the NPP and some youth groups.



The IDU is an alliance of all centre-right political parties in the world of which the NPP is a member.



Awards



The event was also used to honour the former PM and the Chairman of the IDU and the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Akosua Frema Opare-Osei, for their various contributions to the growth of the YDUA.



They were presented with plaques while Mr Harper was decorated with a Kente cloth.



Centre-Right Ideology



Speaking on the theme, Mr Harper said any vibrant democracy had a strong centre-right effect in which was arguably democracy's oldest philosophy.



He noted that it was one of the political ideologies that had stood the test of time and anywhere it had been practised it had brought about tremendous economic growth and improvement in the lives of the people, expanding the frontiers of personal liberties.



He urged the youth not to subscribe to the current wave of coup detats that had swept through the sub-region but to continue to uphold the ideals and principles of democracy to ensure personal freedoms, free expression, rule of law among others that were the basis of economic development.



The General Secretary of the NPP and Deputy Chairman of DUA, John Boadu, said it would be noticed that countries that had experienced tremendous development in the world were countries that practiced centre-right political ideology and cited countries such as the United Kingdom, German to buttress his point.



It is even more gratifying to make the point that, despite our centre-right and capitalise orientation we in the NPP have introduced and successfully implemented almost all the pro-poor social intervention programmes witnessed in this country intended to mitigate the sufferings of the masses



He mentioned some of them as the free maternal care, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Free School Feeding Programme, and Free Senior High School (FSHS) Programme among others.



The YDUA President, Louisa Atta-Agyemang, noted that all over the world the dynamics of democracy and Geopolitics kept changing that affected wide range of issues and various philosophies of politics and their variables adopted to such changes.













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.

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Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, the chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), has stated that the freedom of the media in Ghana is not in any way under siege.



Reacting to the 2022 Press Freedom Index which saw Ghana drop 30 places from 30th in 2021 to 60th in 2022  the lowest in 17 years after Ghana had placed 66th in 2005, Boadu-Ayeboafo said the development is worrying.



Speaking on Asaase Radio Saturday (7 May), Boadu-Ayeboafo said, definitely every rational person will be concerned. For whatever it is, if it had been two or three [points] down, youll take it as something that is normal.



But 30 points down which is a 100% drop definitely arouses concern. But it also offers a sober moment for critical analyses to establish what are the fundamentals that are not working and how did we fly as far as this point? he said.



He added, I dont hold that belief that press freedom is under siege. That is not to suggest that there have not been some developments that undermine free expression in terms of overzealous security personnel, intolerant individual Ghanaians and there are also irresponsible journalists. So all these put together create that atmosphere.



Meanwhile, Sulemana Braimah, the executive director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has said the Ghanaian media is under siege following the recent arrest of some personalities including media practitioners for false publication.



At least three individuals including the executive director of ASEPA Mensah Thompson and governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bono regional chairman Kwame Baffoe (popularly known as Abronye DC), are currently being tried in court over statements they made in the media that the police say amount to false publications.



Speaking to Kofi Abotsi on Townhall Talk, Braimah said: So, if a journalist feels that, what is happening makes me unsafe and I am likely to be picked or to be arrested or to be beaten or bullied, then it leads to self-censorship and of course even if the person does not self-censor, he may or she may put out what he may put out there with fear.





Source: asaaseradio.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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About $23.5 million in looted funds by allies and family of former Nigerian dictator, the late Sani Abacha, has been recovered by the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom.



The NCA which said the looted funds were recovered after the USDOJ requested enforcement of the U.S. forfeiture order relating to the seized monies after nearly seven years of litigation and international negotiations to secure the recovery order, further disclosed that it is part of a wider pool of funds identified by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) as having been stolen out of Nigeria in the 1990s by Mr Abacha and his accomplices.



A statement shared on the U.K.s crime agency website on Thursday May 5, also revealed that the funds have now been transferred to the Home Office of the UK for onward transmission to the USDOJ.



Billy Beattie, Asset Denial Senior Manager at the NCA, said the civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon in the fight against corruption.



The official also added that the NCA is committed to ensuring that the UK is not a haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime.



The statement added;



The NCA is committed to ensuring that the UK is not a haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime, and the civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon in this fight.



We work closely with the UK and international partners to tackle the threat posed by corruption, which disproportionately impacts the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.



We are committed to ensuring that those who perpetrate corruption do not benefit from their actions.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A Senior Research Fellow of the Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Smart Sarpong, has responded to former President John Dramani Mahama's assurance to cancel the E-Levy when elected President in 2025.



According to the Ex-President, "a new National Democratic Congress government, God willing and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana  in 2025  will repeal the E-Levy Act. Even as this government remains fixated with taxing their way out of economic mismanagement, the Akufo-Addo government has been wasteful".



"They have failed to demonstrate prudence in public financial management. The people of Ghana cannot be called upon to pay more taxes only for the accruing money belonging to the people of Ghana, to be dubiously and wastefully shared among family and friends through various fraudulent procurement practices", Mr. Mahama said while delivering a public lecture at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Monday, May 2.



But Dr. Smart Sarpong is of a strong belief that Mr. Mahama will not be helping himself if he repeals the E-Levy.



He wondered how the Ex-President would govern the nation without the E-Levy should he become the next President.



" . . what would he do to govern the nation? Go to IMF?", he questioned.



To him, Mr. Mahama "doesn't mean it. In fact, I say he doesn't mean it because it is not even in his interest to make that suggestion . . . I don't believe not because of anything but I think if he wants to be President and govern the country well to benefit Ghanaians, he will need the E-Levy. So, it will not even be in his interest to cancel it".



Dr. Sarpong reiterated; "It won't help him. If it's true he will cancel it when he comes into power, it will not be in his own interest."



In his concluding remarks, he called on the populace to fully support the E-Levy stating, "let's do what we can do. We should all get involved in it and ask the government to be frequent with its accountability".



He made these submissions 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.

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Simon Cowell is reportedly set to tie the knot with his fiancee Lauren Silverman next month.



According to The Sun, the Britain's Got Talent judge, 62, has set the date for June and their son Eric, eight, will be 'front and centre'.



A source told the publication: 'Simon cannot wait to have Lauren as his wife and didn't see the point in delaying it. He has taken charge of the planning and the date has been set for June.



'The ceremony is going to take place in London, with their son Eric front and centre, naturally.



'It's been a long time coming and now Simon wants to get Lauren up the aisle as quickly as he can.'



Simon Cowell proposed to his socialite girlfriend Lauren, 44, on Christmas Eve in Barbados.



He said he decided to propose to his long-time girlfriend in January after feeling like they were already engaged while living together during lockdown. He also described the Covid-19 pandemic as a 'make or break' moment for relationships and said lockdown helped him and Lauren to grow closer and realise how much they get on.



Simon, who has never been married, admitted that he can't see himself dating ever again as he leaves his bachelor lifestyle behind to tie the knot with Lauren.



He told The Sun: 'I also just couldn't see myself ever dating anyone again. The idea of going out on a first date now is too weird.'



The Britain's Got Talent judge revealed another reason he decided to propose was because he felt it was the right thing to do for their son Eric.



'For Eric, as he gets older, he will be asked more and more about his parents, and I thought it was the right thing to do for him,' he added.



American socialite Lauren also has son Adam, 16, from her previous relationship with businessman Andrew Silverman.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ghanaian actor, Anthony Woode has opened up about his fears on set in a movie he shot with renowned actress and producer Yvonne Nelson.



Mr Woode has revealed that upon receipt of a script, he realised there will be a kissing scene and it was to happen with no other than Miss Nelson.



As someone who was shooting with one of the big women in the business, he needed to put out a good impression.



He, therefore, had to brush his teeth a couple of times just to ensure he had a good breath before the shot.



Mr Woode who has been featured in the lead role in YN productions new movie, Fifty-Fifty which premieres on May 21, 2022, disclosed this in an interview on Accra-based Pluzz FM.



I remember when we were shooting the film before we went on set, I read the script and realised I had to kiss Yvonne Nelson.



I played the role but I had to brush my teeth a couple of times before I shot that scene, he said amid laughter.

Anthonys revelation comes a few months after Yvonne narrated how she declined a kissing scene over an actors mouth odour.

According to her, she perceived the mouth odour during rehearsal and immediately requested the director to edit the script.



This she explained was because she couldnt put herself in an uncomfortable situation because an actor failed to observe personal hygiene.

Source: Gertrude Otchere









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
Secwepemc Nation man Mike McKenzie says we got it all wrong last week when we reported on a $40-million lawsuit against the B.C. government regarding cannabis sales on Indigenous lands.
After the town of Peachland spent more than $100,000 to buy this ugly public washroom, Interior Health has decided it isnt necessary, Mayor Cindy Fortin says.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath poses for a photo with Andrew Drummond, NDP Candidate for Burlington, after a visit to Nickel Brook Brewing Company Burlington, Friday, May 6, 2022. Horwath is set to announce a plan today to lower utility bills and reduce emissions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima
The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., Friday, April 13, 2018. RCMP are looking for witnesses of a fatal stabbing in Williams Lake, B.C., earlier this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour stop presented by Monte-Carlo Casino has come to a thrilling conclusion and it was Brazil's Marcelo Simoes Mesqueu who topped a field of 1,073 entries in the 2022 EPT Monte Carlo 5,300 Main Event. After a short-lived heads-up duel with Morten Hvam, Mesqueu secured the biggest portion of the 5,204,050 prize pool in the second-biggest EPT Main Event in the history of the stop at Le Sporting Monte Carlo.

While players from the South American poker powerhouse nation have made several deep runs in the marquee event of the popular live poker tour and sponsoring site PokerStars features three countrymen on their roster of ambassadors, it was the first EPT Main Event for Brazil. Prior to his victory on the French Riviera, most of his live poker results came from home soil. Mesqueu won the leaderboard of the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) in 2019 and currently sits in second place with a decent shot of a repeat victory.

The top prize of 939,840 represents the far biggest cash of his career and the same also applied for runner-up Hvam. In December 2019, the Dane already came close to glory and finished 13th in the EPT Prague Main Event for 55,690, which he now eclipsed more than ten-fold with a consolation prize of 564,640.

Also featured on the final day were Moldova's Dragos Trofimov, Jaime Cervantes on his first trip to Europe, French bracelet winner Hugo Pingray and German PokerStars qualifier Erkan Soenmez. PokerStars ambassador Ramon Colillas and Yannick Cardot had reached the official eight-handed final table but were eliminated at the end of Day 4 to set the stage for the grand finale.

Final Table Result 2022 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo 5,300 Main Event

Place Winner Country Prize 1 Marcelo Simoes Mesqueu Brazil 939,840 2 Morten Hvam Denmark 564,640 3 Dragos Trofimov Moldova 397,590 4 Jaime Cervantes United States 298,710 5 Hugo Pingray France 228,460 6 Erkan Soenmez Germany 167,050 7 Ramon Colillas Spain 125,420 8 Yannick Cardot France 89,770

Marcelo Simoes Mesqueu wins the 2022 PokerStars Monte Carlo 5,300 Main Event

Until the dinner break, there were only two all-in showdowns both of which featured Marcelo Simoes Mesqueu and Jaime Cervantes. The American first doubled and was then denied another double despite turning set with pocket nines versus ace-king. While all middling stacks traded the chips back and forth, Mesqueu sooner than later assumed control and stormed into a commanding lead thanks to using his growing advantage with relentless aggression. The Brazilian could seemingly not put any foot wrong and amassed an enormous lead over the other five contenders.

As the final six returned to a very cagey setup with the shortest stacks below ten blinds, it was Dragos Trofimov who doubled through runaway chip leader Mesqueu. The Brazilian however made up for it by knocking out Erkan Soenmez shortly after with five-trey getting there to beat the ace-deuce of the PokerStars qualifier from Germany in a preflop contest.

It opened the floodgates for a frantic period in which the tournament went from six to two hopefuls in the span of just half an hour.

Mesqueu also came from behind to crack the ace-king of Pingray with king-nine as he spiked a nine on the turn much to the delight of his Brazilian rail, which went nuts once the river bricked off.

Cervantes was flipping for his tournament life against Hvam with ace-jack versus pocket nines but found no help to bow out in fourth place. He was followed to the rail by Trofimov, who laddered up a few spots but missed a maiden EPT Main Event title for his home country of Moldova.

Brief deal discussions came to no conclusion and Mesqueu never lost his commanding lead despite two double-ups for Hvam when the Dane was getting it in with a severe short stack. Ultimately, Hvam risked it all for a third time with a gutshot in a three-bet pot but the pocket kings of Mesqueu prevailed to let his rail from Brazil commence with a boisterous celebration.

Among those to support their countryman en route to victory was also Lucas Scafini, who came out on top of the biggest France Poker Series 1,100 Main Event in Monte Carlo for a payday of 250,000. With two major victories during the series on the French Riviera, Brazil has once more confirmed that is the up and coming poker nation on the live and online poker circuit.

This concludes the PokerNews live coverage of the 2022 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo 5,300 Main Event and entire series. The next EPT stop has already confirmed, as the live poker tour will return to one of its most popular locations in Barcelona in August 2022.
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COLUMBIA  Russell Laffitte, the former chief executive for Palmetto State Bank, posted a $1 million surety bond to await trial on allegations he helped fellow Hampton socialite Alex Murdaugh steal $1.8 million from former law clients.

Circuit Judge Alison Lee set Laffitte's 7-figure bail at a May 6 hearing, but allowed the banker to post 10 percent, or $100,000, to be freed from Kershaw County jail.

Laffitte, 51, is required to remain under house arrest with GPS monitoring while awaiting trial. Defense attorney Bart Daniel said his client posted bail in the late afternoon.

Lee also ordered Laffitte's assets frozen until state prosecutors and his defense attorneys can reach an agreement on how his money would be safeguarded while the criminal case is pending.

A short time later, a separate court hearing also took place May 6 in Lexington County, where attorneys fought over a judge's order freezing Murdaugh's assets amid a slew of criminal and civil claims for compensation.

Laffitte was indicted last month on 21 felony charges that include criminal conspiracy, breach of trust with fraudulent intent and computer crimes. The indictments were announced May 4 by the S.C. Attorney General's Office. The charges against the banker carry a total of 170 years in prison.

The charges come four months after Laffitte was ousted as CEO of his family's bank amid concerns about his oversight of legal settlements that Murdaugh allegedly pilfered.

The indictments accused Laffitte and Murdaugh of conspiring to steal nearly nearly $660,000 in settlement proceeds owed to the family of Hakeem Pinckney, a deaf man who was left severely disabled after a 2009 car accident that also injured several of his relatives.

Laffitte also helped Murdaugh steal nearly $1.2 million from accounts he controlled at Palmetto State Bank, including to pay back loans Laffitte had issued him from a clients account, a grand jury alleged.

The Laffitte family purchased Hampton Loan and Exchange Bank in 1955 and expanded its footprint into nearby Allendale and Beaufort counties. Renamed Palmetto State Bank in 1970, the institution's assets steadily grew from $2 million to $700 million while providing steady work for generations of Laffittes.

The bank grew parallel to another Hampton institution  the law firm of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick, which was founded by Murdaugh's great-grandfather in 1910. The bank housed the law firm's operating and client trust accounts. And according to prosecutors, its former chief executive also performed a series of costly favors for Murdaugh.

State prosecutor Creighton Waters said at the May 6 virtual bond hearing that Laffitte would "happily" cash out ill-gotten checks for Murdaugh.

Both men came from prominent Hampton families with a common history, Waters said. But more than that, he said, Laffitte had made substantial loans "off the books" to the cash-strapped attorney, leaving Palmetto State Bank exposed to significant risk if he defaulted.

"In addition to anything that (Murdaugh) might legitimately earn, he had to constantly beg, borrow and, allegedly, steal to stay afloat," Waters said.

Waters said Murdaugh used the stolen money to pay off debts to a family member, a law partner, and a member of Laffitte's family.

Justin Bamberg, attorney for the Pinckney family, said at the bond hearing that Murdaugh and Laffitte continued to steal money from Pinckney's settlement even after he suffocated in a nursing home, leaving him brain dead.

The "callousness" the defendants showed toward the devastated family was evidence that Laffitte was a danger to the community, Bamberg said.

Bamberg also raised concerns about guns owned by Laffitte, an avid turkey hunter. But defense attorney Matt Austin dismissed the idea that Laffitte would pose a danger to the community.

"He likes to hunt," Austin said. "There may be some danger to the local turkeys, but there is no indication that he is a danger to anybody else."

Laffitte had been employed by his family's bank for 24 years, rising through the ranks from vice president of loans to chief operating officer and, finally, chief executive. The Newberry College graduate had never lived outside South Carolina, his defense attorneys said, and had strong ties to his family's hometown of Hampton.

In fact, his attorneys said, he planned to return there if released so he could celebrate his teenage son's birthday May 6 with the rest of his family.

Bamberg said Laffitte's recent decision to put his Varnville home up for sale raised doubts about whether he planned to stay in the community.

Daniel said his client was selling the home in order to make restitution to victims. He said the money would be held in escrow. The judge said parties should discuss those arrangements and file a motion with the court if they reach an agreement on how to handle Laffitte's finances.

Like Laffitte, questions loom over how Murdaugh's wealth will be safeguarded and, potentially, divided as alleged victims of the Murdaugh family's misdeeds seek compensation in pending criminal and civil cases.

In a courtroom in neighboring Lexington County, attorneys sparred over control of Alex Murdaugh's finances and assets during a May 6 hearing in the legal battle surrounding the 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.

Authorities alleged Paul Murdaugh, the youngest son of Alex Murdaugh, was driving the boat drunk when it crashed, ejecting Beach and other passengers into the water.

The Beach family's lawsuit accuses Paul Murdaugh's relatives of enabling his drinking and accuses Parker's convenience stores of selling an underage Paul Murdaugh alcohol on the night of the crash.

At the hearing, Murdaugh's attorneys said a freeze on Murdaugh's assets, ordered by Judge Daniel Hall in November 2021, is illegal and unsupported by legal precedent.

But Mark Tinsley, attorney for the Beach family, said the freeze was necessary to keep Murdaugh and his relatives from liquidating and disbursing his assets to pay off debts and limit the amount available for the Beach family and others to recover in civil lawsuits against Murdaugh.

Tinsley's assertions were backed by John Lay, one of two independent attorneys appointed to oversee Murdaugh's finances since last November.

"There was a tremendous amount of liquidation going on as we got into the case," Lay told Hall, saying Murdaugh relatives were selling off property below market value.

Hall did not rule on the issue May 6. He said he would take all sides' arguments into consideration before issuing a decision later.

Hall said he hopes to set a December trial date for the suit, but he ordered attorneys for all sides in the wrongful-death case to go through a second round of mediation to try to settle the claims before then.

Murdaugh's life began unraveling after his youngest son and wife, Maggie, were shot to death almost a year ago at the family's Moselle hunting lodge in Colleton County. He has sat in the Richland County jail since mid-October, accused of defrauding legal clients, law partners and other victims of nearly $8.5 million.

Murdaugh's former college roommate and fellow attorney, Cory Fleming, was indicted in March on accusations he also helped Murdaugh defraud a former law client out of a multimillion-dollar settlement. Fleming was released March 17 from jail on $100,000 bail. It was announced this week that he and Murdaugh also face new charges as the result of superseding indictments handed down by the grand jury.
Editors Note: The Index-Journal is one of 18 newspapers partnering with The Post and Courier for Uncovered, an investigative project meant to ferret out misconduct and questionable behavior by public officials.

South Carolina's newest governor's school says it changed its purchasing practices to better adhere to law.

But questions linger about what happened as John de la Howe sought to ready its aging residence halls and sprawling campus near Lake Thurmond for its new mission as the nation's only agriculture-focused residential high school.

Among the queries the taxpayer-funded agency has yet to answer:

 Before joining the staff, a person connected to questioned purchases was accused of bilking a woman out of more than $130,000 for an unlivable house. Did the school know about the allegations when he was hired?

 Information given to Inspector General Brian Lamkin doesn't match what's in procurement documents. Did administrators mislead state investigators?

 Discrepancies exist between what the agency purchased and what contractors installed. What happened to those extra materials?

 A company given more than $75,000 in no-bid work gave a quote 50 percent higher than the lowest bidder the first time it faced competition. Did the agency overpay to use favored contractors?

These and other questions dog the fledgling governor's school in the wake of a Post and Courier-led Uncovered investigation last year. The stories triggered at least two state probes into concerns about unethical behavior and problematic purchasing at the South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe.

The Index-Journal first told school President Tim Keown last summer that it had additional questions about the school's purchasing practices. He insisted the newspaper should wait until after the state completed a procurement audit.

After top South Carolina officials excoriated the school for how it handled procurement, including more than $1.5 million in divided purchases that appeared to steer business to favored vendors, the Index-Journal sent detailed questions to Keown and Facilities Director Ken Durham but received no reply.

After another push for answers last month, the agency described the problems as "growing pains" and said it wouldn't answer questions about past issues.

Past allegations

In August 2014, a fire severely damaged the Edgefield residence of Maddie Holloway.

Holloway says when Scott Mims first contacted her, he represented himself as being from her insurance company, Travelers Insurance, according to a lawsuit filed against Mims and his company, Edgefield Asphalt and Concrete Co., as well as Gregg Scoggins and Scoggins' company, Carolina Design and Inspection.

On Oct. 10, 2014, Mims had her write him a $25,067.19 check to get a building permit. Scoggins secured the permit and subcontracted work to Mims and Edgefield Asphalt. More checks followed  some to Mims, others to Allstar, another of his companies  that totaled $131,422.22.

The end result, according to the civil complaint filed in Edgefield County in 2018, was subpar.

She alleges workers failed to:

 replace the floor foundation

 slope and install moisture barrier in crawl space

 properly install electric panel

 properly install roof

 properly install appliances

 properly install chimney

 properly install interior doors

There were also concerns Holloway was overcharged for materials.

"The ultimate effect of Defendants actions, or lack thereof," her attorney wrote, "was that Plaintiffs Residence suffered a great loss in value and was negligently repaired so thereby making it an unsuitable environment in which to live."

He also wrote: "The Defendants conduct is capable of repetition, and, upon information and belief, has been repeated."

In a filed answer to the lawsuit, Mims acknowledged only that he did the work and denied any wrongdoing. Instead of going to trial or seeking to have the complaint dismissed, Mims settled out of court in May 2020.

In the meantime, Mims joined the John de la Howe staff as facilities and campus projects assistant. In that role, he arranged most purchases and contracts for millions of dollars in campus renovations and was the person on staff who received shipments of construction materials and verified when contracted work was completed. Since Durham retired as facilities director two months ago, Mims has been at the department's helm.

Keown told the Index-Journal in June 2021 that he wasn't involved in Mims' hiring  Sharon Wall was interim agency head at the time  but called him "a dedicated employee." Durham and Mims did not respond to questions about the lawsuit. Travelers also did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.

Questionable statement to IG

John de la Howe is authorized to make purchases of up to $50,000. Anything above that amount requires approval from the State Fiscal Accountability Authority.

Did the school artificially divide $70,000 in contracts so Shannon Philpott, a longtime business associate of Mims, could get the work without Columbia signing off?

The Office of Inspector General posed this question as it investigated whether it was unethical for the agency to contract with Philpott's company, Faith Remodeling 2 Construction, to remove and replace sidewalks. "JDLH leadership advised the SIG the sidewalk renovations were conducted in two phases because the JDLH staff was undecided on which areas of the campus were to return to natural sod instead of being replaced by concrete," Lamkin wrote after his review.

However, procurement documents tell a different story.

In addition to removing and hauling off 2,500 feet of old, 4-foot sidewalks, the bid request for the first phase included grading 1,850 feet of new, 5-foot walkways. Phase 2 included pouring 1,850 feet of concrete for 5-foot sidewalks.

But if the work was split into two phases because the agency didn't know how much was to return to natural sod, as was represented to the inspector general, how did staff know how much area to grade for new sidewalks?

John de la Howe won't say.

After listing the administration's response, Lamkin wrote: "Regardless, the separation of the project that required two separate quotes gave the appearance of the intent to circumvent JDLH's limit on awarding a procurement for each phase by keeping the cost under its procurement authority of $50,000."

It's not the only questionable statement the administration made about the Mims-Philpott matter.

In an email exchange with the John de la Howe board on April 28, 2021 about the initial Uncovered stories and Mims' association with Philpott, Keown wrote: "I was not aware of there (sic) association until this article came out."

But the relationship came up when The Post and Courier and Index-Journal interviewed Keown and other John de la Howe staff members April 14, 2021, and again the following day in an email to Keown with the subject line "Scott Mims/Faith Remodeling bid issue."

Keown did not respond to a request for comment or clarification on this statement.

Material discrepancies

During renovations at John de la Howe, facilities staff purchased much of the materials installed by contractors  an unusual practice among state agencies that normally rely on contractors to provide their own materials.

The agency did not respond directly to questions about the practice.

While addressing the procurement audit to the board the same week, the Index-Journal sent him detailed questions, Durham said the agency made the purchases for the sake of consistency.

The practice, however, was inconsistent. Painters, for instance, often bought their own supplies. And while the agency paid for bathroom tile from a distributor, the contractor who installed the tile was initially the one who worked with the distributor and passed along the pricing information. Also, these materials were acquired piecemeal, project by project, and not as part of a bulk order, which allowed them to be purchased without competition.

What is clear, however, is that materials from some purchases don't match the work contractors reported in invoices.

Take, for instance, the new fixtures in bathrooms across campus. John de la Howe bought toilets and sinks from Wrightsboro Supply in Augusta, Georgia, which were then installed by David Smith, a plumber from Plum Branch who has since joined the staff at John de la Howe.

The Index-Journal compared procurement documents for bathrooms in seven residence halls  Abbeville, Carolina, Lethe, McCormick, Nickles, Palmetto and Savannah  and found that 46 toilets and 67 sinks were purchased for these restrooms, yet only 39 toilets and 59 sinks were installed.

Invoices and requisition forms for work in Columbia and Huguenot residence halls did not detail how many sinks or toilets were installed and were not part of the comparison.

The Index-Journal found a similar anomaly with bathroom retiling. The school ordered 3,838 bathroom tiles, each 13 by 13 inches, for Nickles that would cover about 4,504 square feet. Yet work in the bathroom only required tiling 1,150 square feet. Other bathrooms of similar size on the campus had much smaller orders of tiles, ranging from 1,150 to 1,350 tiles.

What happened to those seven toilets and eight sinks, or the extra tile from Nickles, all paid for with tax dollars?

John de la Howe won't say.

The answer might be something innocuous: The materials were simply used in other residence halls.

Some clues point to this possibility. For instance, buried within the 146 pages of procurement-related documents for Wrightsville Supply, in a memo field at the bottom corner of a requisition form, someone typed: "Please transfer 9 sinks and faucets, 7 tub and shower trim kits, 7 toilets with flush vales (sic) and seats from Abbeville to Hugenot (sic)."

This note was with the comparatively small order made for Huguenot, which included just two toilets and four sinks.

While there were no materials left over from installing fixtures in Abbeville Residence Hall, it's unclear why a requisition form for materials from Wrightsville Supply would need to include an internal transfer of supplies, and the Index-Journal was not provided with documentation of fixtures installed in Huguenot to substantiate how many were used in that building, this could roughly account for the surplus the newspaper identified from earlier projects.

As for the large outlay of tile bought for Nickles, it does not appear that tile was purchased for some of the other retiling projects on campus.

This opens the door for a rational explanation of where unused supplies from earlier projects might be, but John de la Howe hasn't provided an answer.

Tile work

The state procurement code safeguards tax dollars by requiring agencies to get the most competitive prices and making it difficult for unscrupulous bureaucrats to line their pockets or those of their friends from government coffers.

There's just one catch: It only works if agencies follow the decades-old law.

However, John de la Howe divided purchases to thwart spending thresholds as it sought to rejuvenate aging buildings, allowing Durham and Mims to spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars without approval from Columbia  and oftentimes without competition.

After the Index-Journal reported on the practice in May 2021, the Division of Procurement Services audited John de la Howe and determined the agency had doled out $564,000 among 13 vendors for divided projects, "circumventing the agencys $50,000 procurement authority." Beyond that, auditors said they "identified 173 procurements, totaling approximately $990k, that were divided among 28 vendors circumventing the small purchase threshold of $10,000, and in some cases, steer business to favored vendors."

Still, ahead of that damning procurement audit, Keown claimed to the Index-Journal that Durham and Mims saved the agency at least a half-million dollars. He did not respond to a request to explain how he came up with that sum. And in April 2021, Durham said the knowledge he and Mims had from working as contractors meant they knew how much each task should cost and their experience made sure John de la Howe would get the best possible price.

But did the department's end-run around state procurement code save money?

In the morass of purchasing documents released through two requests to John de la Howe and one request to the state Division of Procurement Services, a number of the contracts were awarded with little competition and many lacked enough information to allow for an in-depth analysis of how the agency doled out tax dollars while conducting renovations.

But as auditors sifted through quotes, invoices and purchase orders while making sense of what had happened at the remote rural campus in McCormick County, one area of work garnered greater attention than others: tiling.

During renovations ahead of John de la Howe's reopening, Half Moon Tile Co. received the initial bathroom retiling jobs. With John de la Howe paying Clayton Tile directly for materials  a practice that officials questioned  some of these retiling contracts cost $9,975 to $9,995, which is just below the $10,000 threshold for seeking bids.

State spending records show Half Moon received $75,320 for this work, which happened during the 2019-20 fiscal year. None of the documents released to the Index-Journal indicates the agency sought competing bids, even though procurement code dictates that, "when practical, a quotation must be solicited from other than the previous supplier before placing a repeat order."

But when facilities shifted focus to Savannah and McCormick residence halls, the staff decided to solicit work for the bathrooms together while still providing the tile. This meant getting at least three bids.

On Sept. 22, 2020, Procurement Specialist Peggy Medlock flagged Mims on her concerns about the two bids she received and the need for a third estimate.

"We need to make sure vendors are bidding on the same thing as one references soap dishes and the other doesn't," she wrote. "One references cottage names and the other doesn't. They need to be receiving the same email and I need a copy of the original email you send them."

She followed up 13 days later with an email telling Mims that she received a third bid, but couldn't use it because it was vastly different from the first two.

"We must make sure vendors are bidding on the exact same thing. One says tile 5 bathrooms, one says 6 bath floors, 3 showers, etc., and one just says bid for Savannah & McCormick cottages & no reference as to how many of what. We cannot use bids such as this as being comparable. Everyone must be bidding on the EXACT same thing."

Mims responded: "I don't know who put what on their bids. Can you send me the bids and I'll get it straightened out? As far as a spec sheet I didn't have one. I made the contractors come out and look at the job personally. These jobs had too much patch work to spec out."

Durham offered a similar take.

"I would suggest considering letting Scott see the written bids (without prices if necessary) and determine which bid best described the work requested. He can then have the other two simply modify the description of the work to be performed and re-submit," he wrote.

Employees outside of procurement aren't allowed to look at the bids before they are awarded, something meant to keep unscrupulous officials from giving preferred contractors inside information that can guarantee them work. Finance Director Sylvester Coleman told Durham and Mims they couldn't see the bids.

"We cannot go after the fact and determine and modify description. The main issue is ensuring that companies are bidding on the same work, i.e., apples to apples. I suggest that when we are sending out emails for bids that you include Ms. Medlock on the email that has the scope of work and what they are bidding on," he wrote. "Bids out of compliance will be rejected."

Mims created a spec sheet and sent it to the three contractors. While two tailored their new bids to the spec sheet, the third contractor  the one that bid on five bathrooms instead of six  never sent a corrected estimate and another contractor was contacted. By the time three comparable bids had been received, it was Nov. 9, 2020.

Snead Builders Supply Co. was the low bidder at $22,035. Half Moon, which had received all previous retiling work, wanted $33,000 for the work, which was close to 50% more than the winning bid. The third bid came from Faith Construction and sought a $40,000 outlay for the work  nearly twice the winning bid.

Why didn't John de la Howe seek bids sooner? Would the agency have saved money by embracing a competitive process sooner?

Citing "growing pains," the agency declined to answer questions about these procurements.

John de la Howe says it now adheres to state procurement code.

"After a thorough review last summer from the State and continued oversight by the state's fiscal agencies, the South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe has put in place refined processes and personnel that will ensure the effective and efficient day-to-day operation of this institution going forward in accordance with state law and regulations," said Tony Baughman, public information officer at the school.

There are clear signs the agency has indeed turned a new leaf and is more in compliance with state purchasing law. For instance, the agency is making use of the South Carolina Business Opportunities website  scbo.sc.gov  to publicly advertise much of the contracted work at the school and online financial records indicate the agency is no longer following the divide-and-contract axiom.

Baughman says the school hopes to put this matter behind it and instead focus on teaching the age-old profession of farming, a sentiment he shared as the residential ag school readies for its first crop of graduates.

The long and winding road

Armed with an audit that detailed a litany of missteps with how John de la Howe's facilities department doled out contracts, top state officials raked John de la Howe over the coals last summer and insisted the school do better when spending tax dollars.

But those problems shouldn't have been news to Durham, Mims or the agency.

According to a complaint filed in McCormick County court, former maintenance manager Richard Lewis "raised multiple objections to Defendant Durham going outside of the procurement process to hire contractors." The response, the filing said, was that "Durham insisted that he could 'do whatever he wants.'"

Coleman and Medlock also questioned the purchasing practices of Durham and Mims.

In response, Keown and others sought to bypass Coleman, even slash the business office, according to a slew of emails received under the Freedom of Information Act.

And Keown added his signature ahead of Coleman's on requisition forms, which put Coleman in the position of having to override his boss should something run afoul of the state procurement code.

Why were legitimate concerns met with suspicion? Why did the school only seek to mend its practices in response to reporting by two newspapers and at least two state probes?

The school won't say.

In the meantime, Durham and Medlock have retired from John de la Howe.

The school reached a nearly six-figure settlement with Coleman that included his departure from the school and an agreement not to discuss his grievances.

And Lewis filed a lawsuit over his treatment by top current and former officials.
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.
Back when Democrats ran the S.C. Legislature, House leaders exasperated that lawmakers couldnt agree on a way to replace school property taxes with another source of funding proposed a radical idea: They would pass a bill to abolish the taxes effective a year later  without any provision for replacing the money.

Their logic was that having that law on the books would force the Legislature to come to an agreement on how to fund schools.

Fortunately, they werent able to sell that reckless idea even in the House.

Unfortunately, the Republicans in charge of the House today have revived that general approach to governing, with their plan to split the Department of Health and Environmental Control into two separate agencies.

No, the stakes arent as high as the 1994 plan to defund the schools and pray for a miracle. If lawmakers cant reach an agreement over the next two years on precisely how to divide up DHECs vast array of duties, the chaos likely will be minor.

And the odds are high that if lawmakers do pass the Houses details-to-be-determined version of S.2, they will in fact pass a follow-up bill providing those details, so we wont have a situation come July 1, 2024, where DHEC no longer exists but theres no law that spells out what is contained in each of the new agencies that replace it.

We agree with House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith that its a lot better to delay the split and actually take some time to study all the details than to rush a not-well-vetted divorce into law, as the Senate proposes. So thats a huge improvement, and we appreciate House leaders recognition of that fact.

But if lawmakers dont know which divisions should go in the new public health department, which in the new environmental department and which in some other agency entirely  and House leaders are the first to admit that they dont know enough now to know this  then it makes a lot more sense to figure that out before they pass the law that sets the process in motion.

In addition to removing all the details from the Senates 82-page bill, the Ways and Means Committee also voted Thursday to remove provisions that would have subsumed the state departments of Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services into the new public health agency. But it inserted language saying it was the Legislatures intention to eventually do that, and ordering the state Department of Administration and a special study committee to figure out how to make those changes, along with the big split.

Mr. Smith  chairing his last meeting before he becomes House speaker next week  said that while lawmakers have gotten a lot of pushback from advocates, patients and officials about the Senate plan to kill off the stand-alone Department of Mental Health, he hadnt heard from anybody who opposed splitting DHEC.

That was about five minutes before Goose Creek Republican Rep. Joe Danning urged his colleagues on the panel not to go through with the divorce. Mr. Danning talked a lot about how we cant trust federal health and environmental agencies, but his central point was that public health and the environment are inexorably linked.

As you consider the link between health and the environment, I suggest you consider the following, he said. Are the blood-lead levels in children an environmental or a health issue? Its both. Is a food poisoning event in a restaurant an environmental or a health issue? Its both.  People need to be aware that health and the environment are connected. Theyre not separated.

Mr. Danning is not alone in this perspective, even if others have been quiet. We urge public health experts, members of the public and other legislators who share those concerns to contact Mr. Smith and their representatives before the House rushes to pass the bill this coming week.

This effort to bifurcate health and environmental regulation has come to life after years of inaction at the very moment that we have the first DHEC director in decades (if ever) who fully appreciates the connection. Why wouldnt we allow Dr. Edward Simmer to make the marriage work the way national health experts are beginning to warn other states they need to explore?

Unless you think the problem with DHEC is that its doing too much to protect our environment and public health, theres nothing in this bill that will address the main problem with the agency. The main problem with DHEC is that the Legislature itself has never seen protecting our environment as essential to keeping us all healthy, so it has never given DHEC the tools, resources or mandate it needs to do that job. Just the opposite: It has on too many occasions cowed DHEC into backing away from the job.

Although some optimists believe that public health officials would have a freer hand to make that case if they were part of a separate agency, theres nothing to guarantee that  and much to cast doubt on that idea.
GREENVILLE  "We have been exposed to a psychological operation for well over a decade in the lead-up to the taking down of America," the Arizonan in Western wear told the crowd of 100 gathered in the ballroom of a luxury hotel.

The speaker, Arizona state representative and current secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem, then offered several reasons outlining America's steps toward decay, including a disbelief Democrat Joe Biden could have possibly defeated Republican President Donald Trump in the 2020 elections, leading Finchem to spearhead a heavily scrutinized  and dubiously conducted  audit of his state's election.

He then noted the influx of undocumented immigrants at the southern border he claimed were intent on upending American society.

And behind it all, a bipartisan political establishment seeking to tear the country down.

"That's the end goal to the people who are engaged in this," he continued. "It's not about the Democrats taking power. That is what they want you to think this is about. This is about the takedown of the United States."

Finchem was just one of the more than two dozen speakers at the third annual "Rock the Red" Convention May 7, an event begun as a right-wing alternative to the South Carolina Republican Convention that has since blossomed into a key stop in the South for some of the biggest names in the "Make America Great Again" movement.

Beyond major names like Lara Trump, former Trump strategist Roger Stone and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, speakers included Dr. Li-Meng Yan  the author of the widely disputed theory that COVID-19 was a human-made bioweapon purposefully leaked from a Chinese laboratory  alongside figures like Georgia gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor and Pastor Mark Burns, a conservative influencer once named "Trump's Top Pastor" who is currently running for the Republican nomination in South Carolina's 4th Congressional District.

While the topics discussed throughout the weekend varied widely  from the virtues of nationalism and vaccine mandates to border security, election integrity and critical race theory  the theme was consistent: America's institutions, from the nuclear family to capitalism itself, are under threat and it's up to the conservative movement to work to save it.

"What causes great nations to collapse? Anybody know what it is? It's not adversity, it's prosperity. They forget. And that's what will lead to their doom," Jeff Addington, a professor of law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, told the crowd.

The Greenville event, organizers said, was designed to turn aspiration into action. Between vendors hawking wooden art, MyPillows, paper targets of Democratic politicians and memberships to the John Birch Society, various tables offered sign-up sheets to become Republican precinct people or to sign up as volunteers for political campaigns.

One table manned by representatives from Understanding the Threat, an anti-Muslim group, sold trainings for activists to thwart wide-ranging threats by Muslims and communists who sought to infiltrate and destroy American institutions from the inside out.

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"Educate, motivate, activate. Those are three themes for we're doing," said Ray Sheen, a board member of Rock the Red USA, which put on the in-person event as well as the livestream, which was available to purchase for $20 a day.

While the gathering was designed to help expose conservatives to a wider breadth of subject matter than they might typically be exposed to, it was also an opportunity to help organize like-minded conservatives to help shape the future of the GOP.

"We can make things happen," Sheen said. "And we think we can, through the connections we make, we can get get our message out and a wider area. Make connections and determine what to do actually get some action plans in place and start doing things."

Sheen said the aim of the event, besides leadership in the Greenville GOP  which had been wracked by infighting in recent years  was to build more grassroots involvement by building public awareness of the issues of the day and arming them with the tools they need to hold power to account.

"When you put a lot of power in the hands of just a few people, it's very easy for that power to become abusive," he said.

The picture of the conservative movement painted May 7 was not only one of moral conviction, but also a religious one under attack by institutions gone amok.

Leigh Valentine, who sold anti-aging products for 14 years on QVC, called on people who took the COVID-19 vaccine to "repent" for their sins, and shared a dream she had in 1987 where God told her Trump was destined to become president. She criticized her former company for removing her from the channel over her outspoken support of Trump.

We have to stop supporting organizations that hate our country, she said.

David Sumrall, a conservative activist, screened his documentary of the Jan. 6 riots depicting those who stormed the U.S. Capitol as peaceful and the Capitol Police as aggressors. The footage focused on police-inflicted violence and protesters singing patriotic songs over the violence that dominated cable news.

"The FBI is woke. They've been weaponized against us," Sumrall told the audience. "If you don't like CRT, the FBI is gonna be knocking on your doors next just for being a part of this movement."
A POST-NATIVE PERSPECTIVE

As most of you who read me regularly know, Im an avid gardener. It is definitely in my blood. As a youngster, my grandfather, Jose Kanana C Read more
Looks like Dianne Feinstein isnt taking the hint. So, New York Times, youre up next!

These days, however, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the trailblazing Democratic power broker who has served in the Senate for 30 years, is far from the towering presence she once was on the American political stage.

At 88, Ms. Feinstein sometimes struggles to recall the names of colleagues, frequently has little recollection of meetings or telephone conversations, and at times walks around in a state of befuddlement  including about why she is increasingly dogged by questions about whether she is fit to serve in the Senate representing the 40 million residents of California, according to half a dozen lawmakers and aides who spoke about the situation on the condition of anonymity.

On Capitol Hill, it is widely  though always privately  acknowledged that Ms. Feinstein suffers from acute short-term memory issues that on some days are ignorable, but on others raise concern among those who interact with her.

Ms. Feinstein is often engaged during meetings and phone conversations, usually coming prepared and taking notes. But hours later, she will often have forgotten those interactions, said the people familiar with the situation, who insisted that they not be named because they did not want to be quoted disparaging a figure they respect.

Some of them said they did not expect her to serve out her term ending in 2024 under the circumstances, even though she refuses to engage in conversations about stepping down.

A recent article in The San Francisco Chronicle, her hometown paper, reported that some of Ms. Feinsteins colleagues believe she is mentally incompetent to serve. . .

One Democratic lawmaker who had an extended encounter with Ms. Feinstein in February said in an interview that the experience was akin to acting as a caregiver for a person in need of constant assistance.
 Oh goodythe identity politics crowd has come up with a substitute term for Latinx, which is hugely unpopular among hispanics according to repeated surveys. Campus Reform reports:

New York Universitys LGBTQ+ Center announced via Instagram that the university would be holding a slew of Cultural and Identity-Based Graduation Celebrations to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of graduating students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Among the celebrations listed was an event titled Latine Grad. Latine is a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino, similar to Latinx. Latine was created by gender non-binary and feminist communities in Spanish-speaking countries to remove gender from Spanish, by replacing it with the gender-neutral Spanish letter e, which can already be found in words like estudiante.

Im sure this will do the trick; hispanics are sure to flock to intersectional identitarianism now, and stop this silly drift to the GOP.

 I guess we just didnt re-imagine policing hard enough:

Nearly 20 Democrats are calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold a vote in the coming months on bipartisan legislation seeking to increase police department funding across the US. The group of 19 House Democrats  led by New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Iowas Cindy Axne  is looking to advance the Invest to Protect Act, a bipartisan and bicameral piece of legislation that would provide local departments with additional resources as national crime rates increase. The legislation was introduced by Gottheimer and Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) in January.

How long until Democrats dust off old Bill Clinton speeches about how we need to put 100,000 more police on the street?

 Learning from Disney?

PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights A massive public relations firm, Zeno, is privately advising its high-profile corporate clients to avoid commenting on the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, according to an internal communication obtained by Popular Information. Zeno is a multinational company with almost $120 million in annual revenue and a roster of blue-chip corporate clients including Coca-Cola, Salesforce, Hersheys, Netflix, and Starbucks. Zeno is also a part of Edelman Holdings, the worlds largest public relations conglomerate.

Zenos specific advice:

Do not take a stance you cannot reverse, especially when the decision is not final. This topic is a textbook 50/50 issue. Subjects that divide the country can sometimes be no-win situations for companies because regardless of what they do they will alienate at least 15 to 30 percent of their stakeholders Do not assume that all of your employees, customers or investors share your view.

 Shouldnt this story be a lot bigger deal? NahBiden has an Iran nuclear deal to close.
The New York Post debuts an excerpt of John Paul Mac Isaacs memoir American Injustice: My Battle to Expose the Truth. The Post has published the excerpt under the headline The night I met Hunter Biden: Mac Shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac recounts fateful encounter in exclusive excerpt. It is the story the Post reported before the 2020 presidential election, but it is the story that could not be told. It has to be suppressed. Isaac had to be defamed. The story had to be trashed. President Biden himself reiterated the blatant propaganda of retired intelligence officials asserting that it was Russian misinformation.

Among the laptops turned over to him by Hunter Biden, Isaac found the revelations with which we have become familiar, no thanks to the Democrats media adjunct. It is an incredible story. Isaac himself was a walk-on whose role was to serve as roadkill.

Quotable quote (Post photo caption): Isaac came across a few unsettling photos from Hunter Bidens laptop.

The Post flags the excerpt in the cover above. I am afraid the allusion to the classic film noir Night of the Hunter  screenplay by James Agee, directed by Charles Laughton  will escape at least a few readers. In one of the films highlights, the evil preacher played by Robert Mitchum uses his hands with the words LOVE and HATE as a visual aid to give a raving mini-sermon explanting the eternal battle of good and evil (as Michael Keaneys Film Noir Guide puts it). The film has the qualities of an incredibly scary nightmare that may put you in mind of our present circumstances.
Last night, Center of the American Experiment held our Annual Dinner. It was a great event, attended by 900 conservatives. Former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was our keynote speaker. He did a terrific job, and I had the privilege of beginning the question and answer session with a series of questions about current global trouble spots.

I knew that Pompeo is a brilliant and exceptionally effective guy who has succeeded in everything he has done, back to the day when he was valedictorian of his class at West Point. What I didnt realize is how personable and empathetic he is. The crowd loved him.

I take it that Secretary Pompeo will indeed throw his hat into the 2024 ring. I have been a strong supporter of Ron DeSantis, but if he starts getting traction with voters Pompeo could be an excellent alternative. Among his many other virtues, Pompeo has been known to check in on Power Line from time to time.

Secretary Pompeo is under a fatwa by Irans mullahs as a result of the killing of Qasem Soleimani, which he discussed last night. As a result, he receives heavy security. Our venue was the safest place in America.

While our guest speaker is normally the highlight, we use the Annual Dinner to highlight the achievements of American Experiment. This video features our policy fellows, and I also make an appearance:

My favorite 90 seconds of the evening occurred just before I took the stage to begin the program, when we played a walkup video. I will add that to this post when I have it in a format I can upload. Meanwhile, if learning more about our organization moves you to want to help our work, you can donate here. All amounts are welcome; our median contribution last year was $50.

UPDATE: Here it is, my favorite 77 secondsthe walkup video:
On the Ricochet podcast yesterday, I observed that for certain pro-abortion fanatics, it is not sufficient to defend a womans right to choose on the grounds that it is a sad and tragic necessity under some circumstancesa view that likely commands majority respect if not support. Rather, like the Southern slaveholders before the Civil War, the most radical leftist elements celebrate abortion as a positive good. You can even get t-shirts expressing pride in having had an abortion.

Which led to my analysis that the political fallout for the upcoming election may depend on which side of the debate commits the most unforced errors. Todd Akin likely cost himself a Senate seat in Missouri in 2012 with his poorly phrased comments on abortion in cases of rape. But I suspect heading into November it is more likely Democrats will commit more unforced errors with their abortion absolutism, which is not favored by a majority of Americans. I predicted that Democrats were likely to go into full Wellstone funeral mode, if you remember that grotesque incident.

Looks like we might not have to wait long:

Should Catholics worry about abortion protests disrupting Mothers Day Mass? Multiple reports and social media posts are warning that abortion activists will disrupt Mass on Sunday  Mothers Day. Should Catholics take these threats seriously? The Diocese of Charleston, the Archdiocese of New York, and some churches in Washington, D.C., are taking extra precautions. According to a statement shared by the Diocese of Charleston, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is now involved and warning parishes. Police in Washington, D.C., and in New York are also on alert.

Many Catholic parishes are sending out messages like this:

Why, you might ask, disrupt Catholic church services, and not Baptists or other pro-life Protestant denominations? Because hatred of the Catholic Church has become a core principle of the left, full stop. The reasons for this go beyond the coincidence that that the five Supreme Court justices who (may) form the majority to overturn Roe are Catholics. To quote Whittaker Chambers (a Quaker), the Catholic Church is the only fully consistent conservative position. Thats why.

I can think of few things that will alienate moderate voters than shrieking leftists disrupting church services. Though it is fitting that they might do so on Birthing Persons Day Mothers Day.

P.S. Damon Linker, who is resolutely pro-abortion, writes in The Week:

[T]he Democratic position isnt so popular. Just three months ago, 48 Senate Democrats voted in favor of a bill  the Womens Health Protection Act (WHPA)  that would enshrine the right to an abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. Thats despite the fact that polls show opposition to abortion rising to the mid-60s during the second trimester and then all the way up to 80 percent in the third trimester. The WHPA also would have knocked down parental consent laws in 37 states. The most recent Gallup poll to ask about parental-consent laws (from 2011) found 71 percent support for them. If congressional Democrats pass the legislation many activists are now advising, they could well end up overshooting public opinion. . .

UPDATEApparently not even waiting for Mothers Day:
Over the weekend, stories of the new and trending business of ladies having sex with dogs made the rounds on social media.

When a viral Tik-Tok video of a light-skinned lady presumed to be having sex with a dog hit the internet over the weekend, Nigerians strongly condemned the act.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video reportedly shot in Nigeria.

But, the Nigeria Police on Saturday declared the lady in the viral video wanted and said bestiality videos online wouldnt be tolerated.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, vowed that the police would apprehend the lady in the viral video.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES a medical doctor with expertise in sexual & reproductive health, Damian Avar, speaks on the medical and health implications of beastility (sexual relations between a human being and a lower animal).

PT: There have been reports of young Nigerian ladies engaging in sexual intercourse with animals for some financial remunerations. What are the implications of humans having sex with animals?

Dr Avar: With bestiality, which is having sexual intercourse with a non-human animal, in this case, dogs, it is also essential to note that some people have sex with goats, tortoises, and the like.

There are some infections we call zoonosis infections. A zoonosis infection is an infection that springs from animal to man. In this case, zoonosis infections, like rabies, Kurthia Gibsonii, and brucellosis are examples of infections that can be transmitted from an animal. For whatever reason, the animal is sexually having contact with a human.

PT: How dangerous are these zoonotic infections?

Dr Avar: The problem with zoonotic infections is that sometimes when these infections get into a human, it begins to evolve, and it becomes a problem.

If the infection evolves in an animal, it might not escalate. However, when humans get infected, it becomes a severe problem.

Over the years, we have seen instances where we dealt with human health pandemics that had to do directly or indirectly with zoonotic infection.

The challenge here is that there could be a potential raid of zoonosis infection or related matters that may cause a global health problem. But, if the practice of bestiality persists, especially in the highly congested Lagos State, we could expect another health pandemic from this part of the world.

PT: Is zoonosis only sexually transmitted?

Dr Avar: It is possible that some zoonosis is not sexually transmitted diseases from animal to man, for example, brucellosis. Brucellosis is an infection that bacteria can cause. People can get the disease when they come in contact with infected animals or animal products contaminated with the bacteria.

Also, some tumours and cancers can arise from certain bestiality, for example, penile cancer.

PT: Sleeping with an animal attracts 14 years imprisonment in Nigeria. Medically, is bestiality a legal practice?

Dr Avar: In Nigeria today, bestiality is an illegal practice. It amounts to a 14-years jail statement if convicted.

Therefore medically speaking or going by the position of the law, bestiality is not supposed to happen at all, regardless of the financial returns. People practising it are inexcusable.

If you get a zoonotic infection that causes a global pandemic, it would also affect peoples daily activities, just as we had recently. Therefore, no matter how much a person is offered, bestiality is a crime and, as such, be treated as one.

PT: What about those who naturally feel sexually attracted to animals?

Dr Avar: There is a distinction between bestiality and zoophilia. Zoophilia is the condition of having an emotional and sexual attraction of a human being to animals. It could be a dog, a goat or even a snake. Thats zoophilia. But, when a person has a sexual, emotional and romantic attraction or preference for a particular animal, it could be described as Ophidiophilia, and it is not just limited to sexual interests. There is also paraphilia.

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Ophidiophobia is a subcategory of zoophilia, the sexual attraction to animals in general.

People with Ophidiophilia are known as Ophidiophiles. Ophidiophilies dont always appear as sexual attraction, and some people are attracted to snakes on a platonic (non-sexual) level.

PT: Is it possible for a person to be a zoophile and not be involved in bestiality?

Dr Avar: Yes, we can see a zoophile still not engaged in bestiality. It happens when a person has an emotional attachment to an animal but does not engage in sexual activity with that animal.

Although those practising bestialities are doing it because of the financial reward, they cannot be called zoophiles.

It is essential to distinguish between bestiality and zoophilia, but also, you cant have an emotional and sexual attachment to animals and not engage in bestiality. Therefore as a zoophile, you are automatically going against the law.

However, zoophile is considered a disorder and a sexual deviant.

PT: Have there been pandemic outbreaks due to bestiality?

Dr Avar: There are several cases where bestiality has resulted in outbreaks. Recently, we heard that the issue of COVID-19. It may have been a result of zoonotic infection. As I said, the zoonotic infection does not mean primarily through sexual intercourse. It could be that you got in contact with such an animal and got infected with the disease.

The first history of AIDS is believed to be a zoonotic infection. Its possible the first person that got the disease must have picked it up from an animal.

In other cases, some people do not have a sexual relationship with an animal, but they are just exposed to the animal.

Zoonotic infections are natural, and it has been happening since time immemorial. Still, you cant pinpoint if an outbreak resulted from any sexual intercourse between one man and an animal.

PT: Is there a cure for zoonotic infections?

Dr Avar: Zoonotic infections have some medical treatments, but they must be detected and treated on time.

PT: How can zoophiles stop the act?

Dr Avar: A zoophile is a sexual deviant, and a person in such a condition must seek medical help.
Mixed reactions have trailed the decision of a Nigerian filmmaker, Seun Oloketuyi, to release Last Man Standing, a biopic of the ex-governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.

Although he insisted that the movie was not propaganda, the lead actor, Lateef Adedimeji, contended with critics who challenged his decision to star in the film.

Mr Tinubu, a national leader of the APC, will be among the frontrunners to succeed Muhammadu Buhari, whose tenure as president ends in May 2023.

He formally declared his intention to run for the countrys president in 2023 on January 10, 2022.

A biopic is a type of movie that tells the life story of a non-fiction or a real character. Biopic films typically revolve around a historical figure or a famous person.

Playing Tinubu

The 36-years-old actor, in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES at a movie premiere in Maryland, revealed why he agreed to take on such a challenging role.

He said, Tinubu could be a very controversial person. For me, I am only doing my job. I was contracted to play a role, so all I needed to do was to understand the scripts and deliver on the job.

According to Mr Adedimeji, some fans criticised him for acting as Mr Tinubu in the movie, but he also noted that he was only doing his job as a professional actor.

Mr Adedimeji began his career 15 years ago but became famous after his first significant role in Yewande Adekoyas 2013 movie  Kudi Klepto.

Although he has played the lead role in other biopic movies like Ayinla (2021) and Ige (2021), among other recent films, portraying Mr Tinubu wasnt an easy ride for him as an actor.

Speaking on the hurdles he encountered while playing the role, the actor noted that many people least expected him to accept the role.

People thought I could not act as Tinubu because of his serious personality. But I always tell them that I should be able to fit into any character as an actor. An actor should be flexible. It is basically about understanding who the person is and sinking yourself into that character, he said.

He also said that he had never met Mr Tinubu in person, I did not have a one-on-one encounter with Tinubu before I was able to act like him in a movie. Several documentaries about him exist, and I had to study how he speaks, interviews, and the like. I had to do my homework by sieving through all the available materials, and then I was good to go on and deliver, he said.

The movie also highlights his academic issues, local government issues, and the Fashola debacle until Muhammadu Buhari became president.

The actor, a graduate of Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabajo University, recently married his colleague, Bimbo, in a colourful wedding in December 2021.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it would monitor campaign finances including the legitimacy of funds used to purchase political parties nomination forms ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said this when he featured on a Channels Televisions programme, Politics Today, on Friday.

Mr Bawa said the commission would be working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other election-related organisations, to track the sources of the money spent on the purchase of nomination of forms.

When it comes to the issue of monitoring election funds as well as candidates funds, that has to do with the work of INEC in this regard.

But, of course, we are working hand in gloves with INEC and other related agencies in that field to ensure that we follow the money.

We want to know the source, whether it is legitimate or illegitimate because that is what concerns us, he said.

In the past weeks, the high costs of expressions of interest and nomination forms of the two largest political parties in the country  the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  have sparked angry reactions from Nigerians.

The presidential form for the APC costs N100 million, while the PDPs costs N40 million.

Corrupt persons should not be elected

According to the EFCC boss, the commission is more concerned with ensuring that corrupt elements do not gain power in the country.

The EFCC, he said, is more concerned with good administration, transparency, and accountability.

Mr Bawa went on to say that the anti-corruption body is already collaborating with relevant agencies.

Above all, we are concerned about good governance, transparency, accountability and we are concerned about ensuring that corrupt elements are not given leadership positions in this country, he said.

He added, Certainly. That is why we are here. That is part of our mandate to investigate every movement of any fund to ensure legitimacy or otherwise.

We are partnering already, not that we are willing to partner and working together to ensure some certain sanctity of the system.
Airline operators say they will shut down operations on Monday, May 9, due to high cost of aviation fuel and other operational costs.

The information was conveyed in a letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Sadi Sirika, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, on Friday in Lagos.

It was signed by Serina Abdulmunaf, President, Airline Operators Association.

He noted that overtime, aviation fuel price (JetA1) had risen from N190 per litre to N700 currently, and described the rise as astronomical

While aviation fuel worldwide is said to constitute about 40 per cent of an airlines operating cost globally, the present hike has shot up Nigerias operating cost to about 95 per cent.

In the face of this, airlines have engaged the Federal Government, the National Assembly, NNPC and Oil Marketers with the view to bringing the cost of JetA1 down, to no success, he said.

He said that the situation had made the unit cost per seat for a one hour flight in Nigeria to an average of N120,000.

Mr Abdulmunaf regretted that the cost of aviation fuel had continued to rise unabated thereby creating huge pressure on the sustainability of operations and financial viability of the airlines.

This situation is unsustainable and the airlines can no longer absorb the pressure.

The president, however, appealed to travelers to kindly reconsider their travel itinerary and make alternative arrangements.

Mr Abdulmunaf, however, said that the members appreciate the efforts of the current government to boost the growth of air transport in the country, and regretted the inconveniences the very difficult decision may cause our ccustomers.

(NAN)
Three persons, including a police officer, have been killed in a gun battle with suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigerias South-east.

The incident happened at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Michael Abattam, confirmed the incident on Friday.

He said the attack occurred when some suspected members of IPOB and its militant wing, ESN, emerged from surrounding bushes and opened fire on police officers on patrol duty in the area.

Mr Abattam, however, said the police operatives engaged the gunmen in a fire fight and killed two of the suspects during the attack.

The corpses of the hoodlums were later deposited at Federal Medical Centre Mortuary while investigation is on-going, he said.

He said the operatives gave the hoodlums a hot chase and arrested some of them who were attempting to flee the area.

He said other police officers who sustained minor injuries in the attack had been treated and discharged from hospital.

The police spokesperson said the surrounding bushes were combed for possible recovery of arms used by the suspects.

Two locally-made double barrel guns with seven live cartridges and 10 expended cartridges were some of the items recovered during the operation, the police said.

Mr Abattam said the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Ahmed Barde, has consoled the family of the police officer who was killed in the attack.

The commissioner appealed to residents to continue to support and collaborate with the police by giving them and other security agencies credible and timely information for prompt action.

Like other states in the South-east, attacks by gunmen have increased recently in Imo State. The attacks often target security agencies and government facilities.

The latest attack comes three days after gunmen killed and then beheaded two soldiers at an unknown location in the state.

The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the attacks in the region. But the separatist group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.

IPOB 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.

Leader of the separatist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently being detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for alleged treason.
No fewer than 69,828 pupils on Saturday sat for the 2022 National Common Entrance Examination (NECO) for admission into the 110 federal government colleges across the country.

Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, disclosed this when he led some top ministry officials and NECO officials on a monitoring exercise to some centres in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the centres visited included Government Secondary School, Lugbe; Junior Secondary School, Lugbe; and Federal Government College, Kwali, Abuja.

Mr Adamu, who was represented by David Adejo, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, added that out of the total figure, there are more female applicants than their male counterparts in the on-going examination.

Of the 69,000 plus, we have 36,855 female applicants while the balance of 32,000 plus are male, he said.

On his assessment of the exercise, he noted that the examination had been hitch-free and peaceful.

He added that laid out standards and criteria would strictly be adhered to in the selection of the successful candidates.

ALSO READ: 127 Enugu inmates to sit for NECO exams

As far as Nigerian basic education is concerned, and in respect to the junior and secondary schools, the unity schools still remains the best, so for you to get into it, it has to be competitive.

We are not looking at taking all the 69,000 plus, we are taking the best of the 69,000 plus and there are standards that measures what you take.

So the standard and criteria have been put on ground, so I dont see us having a problem with all that, he said.

On his part, Ibrahim Wushishi, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, NECO, confirmed that Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates for this years examination.

Lagos state registered the highest number of candidates with 19,516 candidates, while the least registered state is Kebbi with 74 candidates; they had 37 males and 37 females, he said. (NAN)
Residents of Bakura Local Government of Zamfara State said no fewer than 56 people were killed on Friday afternoon when bandits attacked three villages in the area.

A former councilor, who asked not to be named, told our reporter that the gunmen attacked Sabon Garin Damri, of the villages, around 2:30 p.m.

I was in the main town when the bandits entered Sabon Garin Damri. We suddenly saw people running towards us. Then we started hearing sporadic gunshots. I was miraculously saved, he said.

He said the bandits carried out what appears to be coordinated attacks from Sabon Garin Damri, Damri and Kalahe before a joint security team confronted them.

Another resident, Muazu Damri, said the number of casualties would have been more if the security agents didnt confront the bandits.

Ill have to personally applaud them (security agents), though I believe they should have come earlier because if they came at the right time, they would have saved a lot of people. But their arrival helped because the number would have been more than that, he said

Mr Damri also said the bandits were pursued by the team of soldiers and police personnel, forcing them to abandon the livestock, food items, and other things they had looted from residents.

Though Mr Damri said the number of those killed was 48, other sources, including the former councilor told PREMIUM TIMES that the number of those killed as at Saturday afternoon stood at 56.

We counted 56 people, the councillor said. In Damri, only three people were killed; a girl and two other men but the remaining were all killed in Sabon Garin Damri and Kalahe. Some of them were not residents of the two communities. They were people who came from nearby villages to celebrate Eid El Fitr with their relatives he said.

Another resident of Bakura Town, Usman Lauwali, also told PREMIUM TIMES that 56 people were confirmed dead by residents of the three communities.

He said those who were wounded were receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Bakura.

Though the Police Command spokesperson in Zamfara, Mohammed Shehu, didnt respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attacks, an officer at the command, who asked not to be named because he has not been authorised to speak with journalists told PREMIUM TIMES that they were aware of the situation.

Were aware but you can wait for an official statement. I know that a strong reinforcement has been sent to Bakura and Talata Mafara axis this morning. The CP may even visit the communities later, he said.

Zamfara, like in other areas in Nigerias North-west region, is convulsing under the attacks by gunmen locally called bandits who attack mostly rural communities and travellers.

These bandits have been blamed for killing thousands of people. They have also abducted many more in what is shaping to become one of the worst kidnap-for-ransom syndicates in the countrys history.

In the face of the failure of the government to protect residents of the area, many communities have set up vigilante groups to protect residents from attacks by bandits but this has worsened the security challenges in the area as it has given rise to an explosion of tit-for-tat killings between the bandits (who are mostly of Fulani extraction) and the vigilante groups set up by the majority Hausa communities in the area.
Come Saturday May 14, it will be exactly three months since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called its members out of their duty posts, and there are no signs that they will be resuming soon.

The union had on February 14 commenced a four-week industrial action before announcing a roll-over on March 14 for another two months.

On Friday, the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, said his team would meet the unions representatives next week to continue the dialogue.

But on Saturday, ASUU president, Emmanuel Osodeke, told PREMIUM TIMES that his union was yet to receive an invite for any meeting.

Mr Osodeke also discountenanced the possibility of a suspension of the industrial action soon, saying the union does not speculate but acts based on facts available on the ground.

Lingering crisis

ASUU has consistently demanded improved welfare for its members through the renegotiation of its agreement entered with the government in 2009, as well as the immediate deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) in replacement of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as payment platform for its members.

ASUU is also kicking against the proliferation of state-owned universities and demanded a review of the law governing the establishment of universities.

Apart from ASUU, other university-based workers unions are currently on strike for similar demands.

The unions, which are categorised as non-academic staff are the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).

Labour minister speaks

Speaking at a meeting with NAAT on Friday, Mr Ngige said he met with both SSANU and NASU earlier in the week.

He said he will meet the leadership of ASUU next week with a view to ending the strike.

As a conciliator, I manage you people in measured steps. That is why I want to take all of you holistically and I ask for your cooperation. When I finish with you today, I will continue with ASUU next week. I have done NASU and SSANU yesterday and they were happy. I want you people to be happy as we leave here, the minister was quoted to have said in a statement by Patience Onuobia, the acting head of press and public relations at the ministry of labour and employment.

The minister assured that the government was tackling all the disputes in the education sector holistically.

He, however, insisted that some of the issues causing the crisis are economic. He said they border on money and welfare, including old arrears and 2009 renegotiation of conditions of service.

He noted that his job is to negotiate and facilitate reconciliation between the union and the education ministry, which he described as the striking workers employer.

Mr Ngige said; My job is to prepare an agreement after conciliation on what you have agreed with your employers, the Federal Ministry of Education, put timelines and monitor them, to see whether the results will be there.

I believe that if we talk frankly to ourselves, knowing fully well that the economy is not good and that you should have money that can take you home. With an open mind, we will arrive at something. Once we arrive at something, It will be done.

We dont have to cry over spilt milk. Let us look at your issues to see the ones we can handle immediately, the ones we can do in the medium term and the ones we can do in the long term. There are certain ones that are over and above me that are not in my hands to do.

Rivalry

The minister also commented on what he termed rivalry among the university workers unions. He said none of the four prominent unions could work effectively independently of others.

Everybody is important in the university system, he said

He added that the multiple industrial disputes in the education sector could have been averted if the unions in the sector took advantage of his open door policy like the health unions, which culminated in the peace currently enjoyed in the health sector.

If you are from any union, you dont need to book an appointment to see me. The doctors started using that advantage, and JOHESU also did the same. That is why the health sector is quiet. But the education unions dont take advantage of my open door policy, he said.

Education ministry decries persistent strikes

Meanwhile, the newly appointed permanent secretary for the education ministry, Andrew Adejo, said while the government agrees that workers should enjoy better conditions of service, consistent industrial actions were worsening the situation.

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He said: In 2000 when this agreement was signed, N400,000 was equivalent to $3000. Today, that N400,000 is less than $400. Because of this consistent trend, we are reducing productivity in the economy. So, the things that will help us to generate more money to meet these demands have been taken away.

Why crisis may linger

Since the constitution of another agreement renegotiation committee by the education minister, Adamu Adamu, under the leadership of a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, Nimi Briggs, ASUU has refused to honour the invitation to the committees meeting.

The unions president, Mr Osodeke, said the draft document of the renegotiated agreement reached with the defunct Munzali Jibril-led committee in May 2021, should be taken sacrosanct by the government.

Speaking with our reporter on the phone on Saturday, Mr Osodeke said; We have finished the negotiation. Its the same thing they want us to renegotiate again. So, as a disciplined union, ASUU will not have two different negotiations.

Asked if the union will honour the invitation of the labour minister during the week, and if the meeting could lead to the suspension of the strike, he said it depends on what the government brings to the table.

It depends on what they are coming with. Until they come with something, we wouldnt know what to expect, Mr Osodeke said.

Stalled renegotiation?

While ASUU has consistently refused to participate in the new renegotiation efforts, Mr Ngige has said it is impossible for the government to implement that document.

He added that ASUU cannot force the document on the government as none of both parties signed the draft.

In his reaction, Mr Osodeke said; We have not done any negotiation with Mr Briggs-led committee because we are not supposed to do. They are supposed to come and tell us what they have done with the negotiation we have done before. That is what we expected them to come and tell us.

But on Saturday, when PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Briggs, he declined comments on the negotiations.

The matter is before the honourable minister, so there is nothing to answer. The ministry of education will handle it the way they deem appropriate, he told our reporter in a telephone interview.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the education ministry, Ben Goong, said it takes two parties to negotiate and that if ASUU has not joined, you cannot negotiate by yourself.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has identified the low number of women in politics and other leadership positions as a major setback to the countrys development.

The minister stated this on Friday in Abuja at a news conference while giving an update on the status of women inclusion, participation in governance, both at the state and subnational levels.

She stated that inadequate number of women in decision-making positions explained the countrys low investment and slow progress in some of the crucial sectors of human development outcomes.

Tallen listed the sectors where there were low level of development as security and peace processes, health, education, ICT development, finance, trade and investments , among others.

According to her, the essence of the news conference is to remind the political parties and aspirants that the level of womens representation at the various positions in states, despite their numerical population strength, is nothing to write home about.

She said that the news conference was also to take stock of how political actors and gatekeepers had fared in rewarding the sacrifices of Nigerian women to further determine how best to support their ambition.

The minister stated that over the years, there had been a sustained poor representation and gender imbalance of women in critical areas, saying that there was need to change the narrative.

For instance, currently in the House of Representatives, out of 360 members, only18 are women, representing about 4.61 per cent; Senate has eight women out of 109 members, representing 7.34 per cent.

The same trend, even worse, runs down all levels of governance in the states and local government areas. Available data from 12 out of 36 states are a clear demonstration of the injustice perpetuated in the election and appointment of women.

It is evident that women have been short changed. Out of 36 states of the federation there are no female governors, only two female deputy governors.

Statistics from the 12 states show that we do not have a female secretary to government; of 287 state assembly members in 12 states only 23 are women; of 2,050 special assistants only 425 are females.

Of 325 local government chairmen, only 31 are females, 73 vice chairmen and 368 females out of 2,075 councillors of LGAs. This cannot continue.

According to the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Report Ranking on Women Political Participation, Nigeria is worse off in 2019 (102nd) than nine years ago when it ranked 99th worldwide. This is a growing concern to Nigerian women, she said.

The minister said that the demand for full and equitable participation of women in public life and leadership space in Nigeria had consistently dominated public discourse due to the key role they played in the political process.

Mrs Tallen said that despite the key role women played in the country, they were still largely absent from national and local decision-making bodies; adding that they struggled to have voice in issues and concerns affecting them.

According to her, the highest political level of governance must embrace gender equality principles and practice for any meaningful change to occur in the country, adding that this has been adopted as a yardstick at the global level for measuring progress.

She said that women would not support or vote blindly in the 2023 general elections any politician that was not ready to give women the pride of place they deserved.

Mrs Tallen stated that the women would only support political parties that were ready to fill in at least 35 per cent of women representation in both elective and appointive positions and provide for women in their party structures and manifestoes.

According to her, womens participation is central and crucial to national growth and development and that now is the time for women to take the bull by the horn to achieve their aims.

She further said that the ministry would continue to strengthen accountability mechanisms for voices of women and responsiveness to womens needs, as well as fundamental principle of equality as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

WR4NNI

The minister said that in a few weeks time women would be launching a project which would be called Women Reconnect for New Nigeria Initiative (WR4NNI) as a new social mobilisation and sensitisation movement.

She said that the project was aimed at galvanizing the women to participate fully and equitably in the processes leading to the 2023 general elections and beyond and to reinvigorate the efforts of Nigerian women as they began to choose Nigerian leaders at all levels.

She stated that the movement was geared towards raising the bar in the demand for womens participation while calling for implementation of affirmative actions in all political spheres by all.

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She said that 50 per cent of political posts must be reserved for women, as well as mainstreaming of gender into party politics at all levels, both federal, state, and LGAs.

Mrs Tallen said that there was need to reform the political structures, which excluded women from participating in decision-making and made them amenable to equality and social justice principles.

She said that traditional councils must be sensitised to the rights of women to participate in politics, adding that the ministry had started a process of building a dashboard to display all the pro-women projects initiated and executed by the 36 states.

According to her, this will play a crucial role in determining the womens support, especially for those serving who wished to continue in office or seeking higher office.

(NAN)
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appealed to both the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the ongoing strike action and re-open the universities for the students to return to school.

In a statement issued on his behalf by the spokesperson of the Udom Emmanuel Presidential Council, Bola Bolawole, Mr Emmanuel said the time has come for both the government and ASUU to climb down from their high horses and avert a disaster that may strike the countrys educational system if the ASUU strike is not quickly called off and the universities re-opened for studies.

The discussions are already going on in some foreign countries where our people, especially our youths, run for greener pastures, to withdraw their recognition of university certificates from Nigeria. God forbid that this should happen! The all-round effects on our people are better imagined than felt.

According to data from the countrys apex Bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerias Diaspora remittances inflow for the first nine months of 2021 rose to $14.2 billion, up 10 percent Year-on-Year from $12.9 billion in the corresponding period of 2020 and beating the World Bank quarter-on-quarter projections for the same period.

This is second only to foreign exchange earned from the oil sector. Nothing must be done to adversely affect its growth in the short- and long-term. If university certificates from Nigeria are no longer recognised, how can our people flooding into countries abroad for further studies and job opportunities fulfil their dreams?

How can the Nigerian Government benefit from the bounteous energies of the Nigerian people in Diaspora noted all over the world for their resilience, industry, and capacity to excel and hold their own against the worlds best?

What will be the rationale for the continued maintenance and relevance of ASUU and its members if the students they claim to teach and train are seen and treated as half-baked by their counterparts in other parts of the world?

Of what benefit and relevance, then, is the continued maintenance of universities whose certificates are treated as worthless by their counterparts in other parts of the world?

Stating that unofficial reports put the population of Nigerians in the Diaspora at 15 million, Mr. Emmanuel said a very important safety valve releasing social tension will be closed with dire consequences if Nigerians, especially our youths seeking better life abroad, are unable to do so again.

This, then, is my clarion call to both the FG and ASUU: Put on the thinking cap of statesmen and resolve this issue as quickly as possible in the interest of all. Where necessary, sacrifices must be made on all sides. And as much as is humanly possible, agreements freely entered into must be respected and implemented.

The records of ASUU strike actions in recent years are worrisome; close to four years have been lost to strike actions, whereas an average semester is made up of between 3 and 4 months! Just imagine how many semesters and whole academic sessions the university system has lost to ASUU strikes alone, not to talk of time lost to strike actions by other workers in the university system and student demonstrations!

Enough is now enough! All the key players or gladiators should understand that what is going on is self-immolation. We all must stop cutting our noses to spite our faces. Saving the university system from imminent collapse is a task that must be done. It is the duty of each and every one of us; not Governments alone; and not ASUUs alone. Everyone must stand up to be counted.

I have added my voice! Add yours! Heeding this clarion call is the first step in the right direction, he said.
Former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar on Saturday visited Abeokuta to seek the support of delegates ahead of the May 28 presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Atiku met with PDP leaders, including governorship aspirant, Ladi Adebutu, and the state party chairman, Sikirullahi Ogundele, at the state party secretariat.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Abubakar is one of the PDP presidential aspirants seeking the partys ticket for the 2023 presidential election

Mr Atiku, while canvassing the votes of the delegates, said he was better qualified to represent the party and rule the country based on his experience and maturity

He explained that if voted into power, he would govern Nigeria on a five-point agenda which he listed as unity, security, economy, education and devolution of more resources and powers to the federating units.

I promise to give every part of this country a sense of belonging as we did in the past.

When we came to power in 1999, we experienced lack of unity and the first thing we did was to form a government of national unity which engendered the peace we needed for successful governance.

I am going to tackle insecurity because once you tackle insecurity, there will be peace and when there is peace, you can now begin to implement economic reforms which will create jobs and bring about development.

I am also going to tackle the issue of decentralisation or rather, devolution of powers to the state and the local governments, he said.

Mr Abubakar recalled that he did not visit Ogun during the 2019 presidential primaries of the PDP because he was angry with members of the party in the state for lack of unity.

I was angry with you people because you allowed outsiders from the South-west region to manipulate you and dictate the way you ran your affairs.

As long as there is disunity, you will continue to lose election in Ogun.

Ogun has provided political leadership for the entire nation several times and you are too politically sophisticated and advanced to allow outsiders to interfere in your affairs

I am, however, happy because you are now united and I urge you to sustain this unity, he said

He said with sustained unity in Ogun PDP, the party would take over power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

This will in turn enable you to positively affect lives of the people of this state, Mr Abubakar said.

Speaking earlier, the state secretary of the party, Sunday Solarin, assured Mr Abubakar of a bloc vote from Ogun delegates during the presidential primary. (NAN)
Political leaders in the South-west and many presidential aspirants from the region on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) resolved at a meeting in Lagos Friday that the region must produce the next Nigerian president.

The aspirants met with two former governors of the party  Segun Osoba and Bisi Akande.

The aspirants in attendance were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the party and former Lagos governor; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and Ibikunle Amosun, a serving senator and former governor of Ogun State.

Also present at the meeting were Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives; Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing; Rauf Aregbesola, former Osun State governor, and Iyiola Omisore, the National Secretary of the APC.

Gboyega Akosile, the spokesperson for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who hosted the gathering, said the meeting ended with a one-point resolution, that is to make sure that the region is united on purpose, that the next president of Nigeria must come from the South West.

Shortly after the meeting, Mr Akande also briefed journalists about the resolution. He, however, did not entertain questions from journalists.

Many observers had expected the meeting to discuss the option of a consensus candidate from the region.

The four presidential aspirants who were at the meeting are among the leading presidential aspirants of the APC.

Three of them, Messrs Osinbajo, Tinubu and Fayemi were close allies and members of the ACN, one of the parties that merged to form the APC in the build up to the 2015 general election.

Mr Osinbajo had also served as attorney-general of Lagos in the eight years that Mr Tinubu was the governor of the state. The former governor also played a major role in Mr Osinbajos emergence as vice president in 2015.

A group loyal to Mr Osinbajo had earlier raised an alarm about the venue of the meeting and the organisers, saying it was being held to promote the candidacy of Mr Tinubu.

Mr Akosiles remarks, however, indicate that the issue of a consensus candidate was not discussed.

Apart from the four aspirants who attended the Friday meeting, the APC has over a dozen other aspirants including Ebonyi governor Dave Umahi, Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi, and a pastor, Tunde Bakare, who is also from the South-west.

The APC concluded the sale of its nomination forms yesterday and about 22 aspirants are believed to have purchased the presidential nomination forms. The forms were sold for N100 million each.

The APC will elect its presidential candidate at the end of May.
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has said Igbo leaders should present something to the Nigerian government to secure a political solution for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Mr Umahi stated this when he appeared on Channel TVs Politics Today on Friday.

He said although Mr Buhari has agreed to a political solution for Mr Kanu, the South-east leaders should work harder to initiate the agreement.

Mr Umahi said he had visited the Attorney-General of the Federation, and also met with the president, as well as Nigerias secret police, SSS, and discussed extensively about the IPOB leaders release.

He noted that the Nigerian government has shown readiness to discuss with Igbo leaders on the release of Mr Kanu.

We wished that it be solved and thats why I went to Mr President. And our leader, Chief Mbazuluike Amaechi, has also gone to the president and he agreed for a political solution, but it should be us that should initiate it, he said.

We should be encouraging the president of Ohanaeze to work with the IPOB leader as Mr President suggested and then let them, you know, bring something before the federal government and say, these are what we are bringing on board. I think that the President is not averse to that, Mr Umahi added.

The governor, who is also a presidential aspirant, accused the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership of delaying the discussion with the presidency saying the leaders were yet to present something to the government to secure the IPOB leaders release.

This matter is in court and so he cant be saying the matter should be withdrawn from the court. But, I think the approach is this political solution and I urge George Obiozor, who is our cultural leader, to do something about it. It is being delayed, the governor stated.

He said he foresaw the current insecurity in the South-east stressing that it was the reason his administration started fighting IPOB at the early stage.

He regretted that some persons jumped into and used it for politics pointing out that the outcome has now become a pain in everybodys eye in the region.

The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Nnamdi, has been in the custody of the SSS. He is standing trial for alleged treason at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Leaders of the South-east have been seeking his release from detention. The latest effort to secure Mr Kanus release came Friday during Mr Buharis two-day working visit to Ebonyi State.

The leaders asked for the release of the separatist leader but President Buhari said Mr Kanus matter would be decided by the court.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it has not given approval for phone companies to raise their rates, after the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria proposed a 40 per cent rise in tariffs.

The commission said this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ikechukwu Adinde, on Friday.

Phone companies are seeking regulatory approval for increased rates on voice calls and text messages, citing energy and other rising costs caused by COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine war.

Last week, they submitted a letter to the NCC asking its authorisation to increase call rate from N6.4 to N8.95, and SMS fee from N4 to N5.61.

The NCC said in its statement that it has not granted approval and will first review cost-related issues raised by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

The demand being made by MNOs under the auspices of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), citing high cost of running their operations as the major reason for their proposed tariff hike, is contained in a letter to the Commission, it said.

Consistent with international best practice and established regulatory procedures, the NCC ensures its regulatory activities are guided by regular cost-based and empirical studies to determine appropriate cost (upper and floor price) within which service providers are allowed to charge their subscribers for services delivered.

The Commission ensures that any cost determined, as an outcome of such transparent studies is fair enough as to enhance healthy competition among operators, provide wider choices for the subscribers as well as ensure sustainability of the Nigerian telecoms industry.

The commission said no tariff increase will be effected by the operators without its approval .

However, while there could be justifiable reasons for MNOs demand for tariff increase, it should be noted that they are not allowed to do such either individually or collectively without recourse to NCC, following the outcome of a cost study. This is not the case for now, it said.
The Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group, Abdulmummin Jibrin, has announced his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Jibrin, a former House of Representatives member, announced his resignation via his Twitter handle on Sunday.

He promised to announce his new party within the next 24 hours.

I have done my best for APC. Its time to move on. I will announce my new political party within the next 24 hours Insha Allah. I will make a formal statement in due course, he said.

Mr Jibrin is believed not to be in the good books of Governor Umar Guanduje of Kano State. In 2019, he was sacked by the Court of Appeal as the representative of Bebeji federal constituency of Kano State.

He lost the bye-election that followed to Ali Datti-Yako of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Interestingly, Mr Datti subsequently defected to the APC some weeks after he was sworn in as a lawmaker.

Mr Jibrin is famous for his role in the emergence of Yakubu Dogara and Femi Gbajabiamila as Speakers in the 8th and 9th Assembly.

Lately, Mr Jibrin has been at the forefront of the campaign for the former Lagos State governor.

On Saturday, Mr Jubrin still posted pro-APC tweets, before announcing his resignation about nine hours later.

HON ABDULMUMIN JIBRIN KOFA CONTINUE POLITICAL CONSULTATION IN KANO in support of our great party APC, political aspirations of Governor Ganduje, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his goodself in Kano, he tweeted.
Nigerias main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called for the arrest and prosecution of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The party wants Mr Emefiele arrested and prosecuted for joining politics and allegedly purchasing Presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the All Progressives Congress (APC) at N100 million.

This call comes barely 24 hours after some farmers and friends reportedly obtained the form for the CBN boss.

The purchase of the form confirmed speculations making rounds in the past weeks that Mr Emefiele had interest in the presidential race ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The PDP referred to Section 9 of the CBN Act which demands that the governor and the deputy governors devote the whole of their time to the service of the bank and while holding office, shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation, whether remunerated or not

It also referred to Section 030422 of the Public Service Rule which says no public officer shall (a) hold any office, paid or unpaid, permanent or temporary, in any political organisation, (b) offer himself/herself or nominate anyone else as a candidate for any elective public office, (c) indicate publicly his support of or opposition to any party, candidate or policy and (d) engage in canvassing in support of political candidates unless such officer resigns his appointment. And Section 030502 (g) of the Rule that lists engaging in partisan political activities as SERIOUS ACT OF MISCONDUCT.

Mr Emefieles involvement in politics without resigning as CBN Governor therefore amounts to gross misconduct in contravention of Section 11 2 (2)(c) of the CBN Act, the party said in a statement by the Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.

The CBN governor had, however, said God will direct him over his decision on the 2023 presidency in the next few days.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, he appreciated his friends for the form but stated that should he answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination, he will use his own hard earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my own Nomination Forms without proxies in an open and transparent manner in full compliance with the laws and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

And should I not run for elected office, I will continue to serve and sacrifice for the good people of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, he said noting that it is a serious decision that requires Gods Divine intervention.

Ambition, danger to CBNs integrity

The PDP has also said Mr Emefiele cannot continue to work at the CBN and his act has become a danger to the health, integrity and reputation of the CBN.

His involvement partisan politics while still holding office as CBN Governor underpins the impunity, lawlessness and recklessness of the Buhari-led administration and further confirms that the CBN under Emefiele has all along been the finance department of the APC, the party said.

The party expressed disappointment that the president who promised zero tolerance for corruption will condone such atrocious regime in the CBN where the economy is opened to fraudulent pillaging to promote a political ambition.

The party, therefore, called for the immediate arrest, investigation and prosecution of Mr Emefiele by security and anti-graft agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged financial malfeasance and abuse of office in the CBN under his watch.

We wish Mr Emefiele well in his new found but ill-fated political vocation but we demand that he must be brought to account for the activities that he undertook, supervised and superintended over the years that he has been at the helm of affairs at the CBN and for which our economy is in comatose.

Although Mr Emefiele is yet to publicly declare interest in the presidential race, many Nigerians have called on the president to sack him immediately.

One of such is the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu who described it as a joke gone too far.

Mr Akeredolu asked Mr Buhari to fire him if he failed to resign.

Consequently, we admonish Mr Emefiele to leave the office, immediately, for him to pursue his interest. He cannot combine partisan politics with the very delicate assignment of his office. Should he refuse to quit, it becomes incumbent on the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to remove him forthwith, the Ondo governor had said.
Ibom Air, the commercial airline owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, has rejected the plan by Nigerian airlines to suspend operations from Monday over high cost of aviation fuel and other operational costs.

In a statement Saturday, Ibom Air said while it acknowledged the significantly increased cost of business, it could not in the circumstance agree to halt operations.

Airline operators had on Friday in a letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Sadi Sirika, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority said they will halt operations from Monday, amidst an astronomical increase in aviation fuel.

The letter was signed by Serina Abdulmunaf, president, Airline Operators Association, and jointly signed by the chief executive officers of eight domestic airline operators, including Mfon Udom, CEO, Ibom Air.

However, Ibom Air in its statement on Saturday said its inclusion as a signatory to the statement released by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) must have derived from its active membership of the AON.

The management of Ibom Air explained that it cannot suspend its operations due to its financial obligations to suppliers, financiers and staff, which depend on an uninterrupted flow of revenue to service.

The airline noted that more importantly, is the fact that having been paid by customers in advance for flight bookings, we are bound by contract to deliver the services already paid for, to avoid exposing the airline to the risk of avoidable litigation.

Read the airlines full statement below:

Ibom Airlines Limited (Ibom Air) has been inundated with inquiries about what will happen on Monday 09 May 2022, following the public statement issued by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) Executive, on Friday 06 May 2022 and it has become necessary for us to make the following clarifications:

1. Ibom Air acknowledges the existential threat that these runaway fuel price increases pose for the air transport industry in Nigeria. We agree that this out-of-control situation is simply unsustainable. However, every airline has its unique business model and pressures. We believe that despite the escalating fuel prices, airlinedpls volunteering to stop operations would exacerbate an already bad situation.

2. Ibom Air has financial obligations to suppliers, financiers and staff, which depend on an uninterrupted flow of revenue to service. More importantly is the fact that having been paid by customers in advance for flight bookings we are bound by contract to deliver the services already paid for, to avoid exposing the airline to the risk of avoidable litigation.

3. Apart from the above factors, Ibom Air is currently the only airline serving Akwa Ibom State directly and as such, any voluntary stoppage of operations would completely cut off access by air into and out of the State. Such action would be directly in conflict with and detrimental to the interest of our shareholders.

4. In view of the foregoing facts, Ibom Air had respectfully disagreed with the decision of AON to suspend flight operations on Monday 09 May 2022.

Ibom Air cannot in the circumstance volunteer to stop operating and will continue normal operations on Monday 09 May 2022 and beyond. Ibom Airs inclusion as signatory to the statement released by AON must have derived from its active and committed membership of the AON.

5. The above notwithstanding, we identify very strongly with our AON colleagues and will participate in every effort to resolve this frightening situation as soon as possible in the interest of our business, our customers, our stakeholders and our country.

6. We thank our customers for their continued patronage and we thank the AON for our collective efforts to secure a sustainable fuel pricing regime for the airlines.

Signed: Management
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Saad Abubakar III, has declared that the orphans of insurgency are his children.

Mr Abubakar made the declaration on Saturday, at the Eid-el-fitr lunch organised for the students of UK Jarma Academy in Sokoto State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the school, which was initiated by a Sokoto-based Philanthropist, Umarun Kwabo, has 171 Orphans from Borno, Yobe and Sokoto states.

They include 117 orphans from Borno, 21 from Yobe and 33 from Sokoto, being sponsored by the philanthropist to acquire their education to tertiary institution.

According to the Sultan, the children are no longer orphans because he is their father.

We will continue to ensure that this children are living comfortably, we are their parents and they are our children, he said.

Mr Abubakar also called on scholars to sustain more enlightenment on the need for the society to support orphans.

The gesture, if properly sustained by our society, will drastically reduce the ugly situation of rampant begging across our domain, he said.

The Sultan appreciated the sponsor of the children, Sokoto State Government and others, to continue to support the initiative.

He appealed for a sustainable prayer by Nigerians for peace, unity and progress in the country.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by his Deputy, Munir Daniya, reassured of his administrations commitment in supporting orphans.

He thanked Mr Kwabo for sustaining the initiative and appealed to other personalities to emulate the gesture, considering its abundant reward from the Almighty Allah.

Earlier, the school proprietor, said the gesture was part of his commitment to encourage the society to support orphans across the country.

This initiative is a massage to all Nigerians. I am sure no matter how little, one can assist to reduce the burden of a single orphan within the society, Kwabo said.

Also, Mohammed Maidoki, Chairman, UK Jarma Management Board, thanked the sponsor for taking the childrens responsibility to tertiary institution.

Mr Maidoki said that they had since engaged into various skill acquisition programmes which included tailoring, phone repairs and knitting. (NAN)
The police in Enugu State said they have arrested a 35-year-old lady, Juliet Donatus, for allegedly stealing and attempting to sell an eight-year-old boy in the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said the suspect confessed stealing the victim from Zamfara State before bringing him to Enugu State in search of a buyer.

Mr Ndukwe said the victim was rescued and that the case has been transferred to Gender/Anti-Human Trafficking Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Enugu for preliminary investigation.

The case has further been handed over to Kaduna State Police Command for conclusive investigation and prosecution, he said.

The police spokesperson said the suspected child trafficker was one of the 46 suspects arrested for various offences in Enugu State between March and April 2022.

In a related development, Mr Ndukwe said the command also arrested 19-year-old Onyemaechi Okorie of Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State for allegedly murdering his male co-worker at a construction site in Enugu on April 27.

Police operatives of the command serving in New Haven Police Division swung into action and arrested him on the same date, he said.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect engaged the victim in a serious fight and used a rod to hit him on the head leading to his death in a hospital.

Meanwhile, the case has been transferred to the State CID Enugu for conclusive investigation and prosecution, the police spokesperson added.

In another development, Mr Ndukwe said the command also arrested a native doctor and two others for allegedly kidnapping a man, Amechi Oguama, in October 2021.

The suspects, Oko Chukwudi, 27, Ifeanyi Eze, 36, and Sunday Ede Aneke, 34, (the native doctor), confessed of being actively involved in the kidnapping of the victim and the receipt of ransom of over N10 million, according to the police.

Mr Ndukwe said three other suspects of the same criminal gang had earlier been arrested, arraigned in court and remanded in Correctional Custodial Centre.

He said the latest arrested suspects would be arraigned in court and prosecuted alongside the previous suspects.

Mr Ndukwe, an assistant superintendent of police, said investigation into most of the cases had been concluded and charged to court while others are currently being investigated.

The operational activities led to the rescue of four kidnap victims, recovery of 25 firearms of different makes, 31 live ammunition of different calibres and 53 live cartridges, according to the police spokesperson.

Others are three motor vehicles, six tricycles, two motorcycles and other incriminating exhibits.

A breakdown of other arrests made by the police showed that three persons were arrested for alleged armed robbery, four for snatching a tricycle, three for cultism and four others for illegal possession of arms.

Mr Ndukwe said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Abubakar Lawal, commended the operatives for their efforts and commitment in the operations.

Mr Lawal equally charged them to sustain the tempo in the commands quest to rid the state of unrepentant criminals and their activities.

The commissioner further urged residents of the state to remain law-abiding, vigilant and continue to support the police by promptly reporting criminals and their activities to the police.
Knight-Hennessy Scholars cultivates and supports a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University and delivers engaging experiences that prepare graduates to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world. Knight-Hennessy scholars participate in the King Global Leadership Program and receive up to three years of financial support to pursue a graduate degree program in any of Stanford's seven graduate schools.

"While we face many challengesincluding the pandemic, racial justice, climate change, and ongoing conflictsthe accomplishments, dedication, and promise of these new scholars gives me hope for a better future." said John L. Hennessy, president emeritus and the Shriram Family Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars develops emerging leaders who have a strong multidisciplinary and multicultural perspective, a commitment to the greater good, and the tools needed to drive meaningful change. The King Global Leadership Program is a core part of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars experience and offers a wide range of workshops, lectures, projects, and experiences that complement scholars' graduate school education and help them reach their leadership objectives.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars has no quotas or restrictions based on region, college or university, field of study, or career aspiration. Among new 2022 scholars, 50% identify as female and 46% hold a passport from a non-U.S. country. Sixty-three percent of U.S. scholars identify as a person of color, and 13% have served in the U.S. military. The scholars earned undergraduate degrees at 13 international and 29 U.S. institutions. Seventeen percent are the first in their family to attend college.

The inaugural cohort enrolled in 2018, and the fifth cohort brings the total scholar count to 339 to date. Scholars are selected based on their demonstration of independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset. "It is a joy to work with the scholars, who come from around the world and across the university, as they build a community that is dedicated to contributing to the greater good," said Tina Seelig, Executive Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars.

The application for the 2023 cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars will open in July and is due in October 2022. The program offers online information sessions to describe the community, leadership development program, and admission process.

About Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Announced in 2016, Knight-Hennessy Scholars is named for Phil Knight, MBA '62, philanthropist and co-founder of Nike Inc., and John Hennessy, chairman of Alphabet Inc. and president of Stanford (2000-2016). Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest fully endowed graduate fellowship in the world.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1810500/DenningHouse.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1502473/Knight_Hennessy_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Knight-Hennessy Scholars
MONTEREY, Calif., May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys for the family of Carlos Patino Regalado filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Monterey County Jail and Wellpath after Carlos was found dead as the result of suicide stemming from alleged negligent care by the facility and staff.

On March 19, 2021, Carlos passed away as the result of injuries suffered in a suicide attempt just six days prior. He was arrested roughly one month before on various charges and both medical and jail staff were made aware that he suffered from serious psychological ailments. Carlos was taken on and off suicide watch on several occasions before his death, according to the complaint.

"We have to remember that these are people. Carlos was a person who needed and deserved to be treated with care and compassion," said attorney Elise Sanguinetti. "His death is the direct result of the negligence of jail and Wellpath staff."

On the day the attempt was made, Carlos had been on suicide watch only hours earlier as he had just returned from the hospital due to a psychiatric emergency. However, the watch was discontinued, and he was placed in an isolation cell. The cell contained a number of hanging points. Inmates suffering from mental health issues, including suicidal ideation, should not be placed in a cell where there is access to hanging point, especially when the inmate is left alone, as Carlos was. In addition, the complaint alleges he was not provided adequate medical and mental health attention or monitoring.

The lawsuit was brought by his mother for wrongful death as well as civil rights violations, medical malpractice, and negligence.

"The jail and Wellpath have been on notice for years regarding the dangers of putting someone like Carlos in an isolated cell with hanging points, but they just keep doing it. It is especially egregious knowing he just returned from the hospital for a mental health crisis and should have been on suicide watch," said attorney Jamie Goldstein. "Monterey County Jail and Wellpath continue to ignore inmates' Constitutional rights, and it's costing them their lives."

The case is Ana Regalado Patino v. County of Monterey, et al., United States District Court, Case No. 5:22-cv-01564.

About Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos, LLP

ASWT is a Trial Law Firm with offices in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Montreal. ASWT specializes in complex litigation in state and federal courts throughout the United States. The firm represents plaintiffs in wrongful death, sexual assault and harassment, serious personal injury, elder abuse, civil rights and mass and class actions on behalf of consumers and employees. To learn more about us, go to: https://aswtlawyers.com/.

Contact: Joe Marchelewski, [email protected]

SOURCE Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos
DURHAM, N.C. and BEIJING, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio" or the "Company," stock code: 2137.HK), a multi-national company developing innovative therapies for diseases with significant unmet medical needs and large public health burdens, today announced that it has published its first progress report on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments as part of the Company's 2021 Annual Report.

Available on the Company's website, the progress report details Brii Bio's strategic ESG initiatives to develop a long-term, sustainable and environmentally friendly business, reviews achievements made during the 2021 fiscal year.

"As a multi-national biotechnology company, Brii Bio is driven by a patient-first and society need philosophy, dedicated to finding solutions for the world's largest public health challenges," said Zhi Hong, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Brii Bio. "I am so proud of our employees, investors and partners who live through our mission during the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 knowing that we can't do it alone but we must play our part to lead by example. Brii Bio is committed to promoting public-private partnership, sustaining corporate growth and social responsibility as the company continues to grow."

Key highlights from the 2021 ESG report include:

Public Health Contributions: In the true spirit of its mission to tackle the biggest public health challenges, and in response to COVID-19, Brii Bio has allocated significant resources to help address the ongoing global pandemic. Throughout 2021, the Company continued to fund and progress the development of its COVID-19 neutralizing antibody therapy, the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination, including advancing global regulatory filings and commercial readiness, ensuring that upon potential approvals, the Company would be prepared to quickly meet the demand of patients in need. In addition, Brii Bio worked closely with government agencies and hospitals to donate nearly 3,000 doses of its amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination for the emergency treatment of COVID-19 and played an important role in the rapid control of the Delta virus outbreaks throughout cities and provinces in China .



The amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination is the first and only therapy discovered in China that was approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China based on the best-in-class clinical outcomes demonstrated in a global Phase 3 study conducted by the world's most experienced investigators.





In the true spirit of its mission to tackle the biggest public health challenges, and in response to COVID-19, has allocated significant resources to help address the ongoing global pandemic. Throughout 2021, the Company continued to fund and progress the development of its COVID-19 neutralizing antibody therapy, the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination, including advancing global regulatory filings and commercial readiness, ensuring that upon potential approvals, the Company would be prepared to quickly meet the demand of patients in need. In addition, worked closely with government agencies and hospitals to donate nearly 3,000 doses of its amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination for the emergency treatment of COVID-19 and played an important role in the rapid control of the Delta virus outbreaks throughout cities and provinces in . The amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination is the first and only therapy discovered in that was approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of based on the best-in-class clinical outcomes demonstrated in a global Phase 3 study conducted by the world's most experienced investigators. Commitment to Open Collaboration with Key Public Institutions:





Best-in-Class Public/Private Partnerships : Given the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brii Bio has worked closely with key public and private institutions to ensure the development of the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination is on target to meet the emerging needs of the global community. The Company developed highly successful partnerships with top scientists and clinical investigators in China and the United States , including the 3rd People's Hospital of Shenzhen and Tsinghua University, which discovered these neutralizing antibody leads, and the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) which sponsored and led the ACTIV-2 trial in which the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination was evaluated. These strategic partnerships were critical for the China NMPA approval of the combination therapy.





: Given the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, has worked closely with key public and private institutions to ensure the development of the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination is on target to meet the emerging needs of the global community. The Company developed highly successful partnerships with top scientists and clinical investigators in and , including the 3rd People's Hospital of and Tsinghua University, which discovered these neutralizing antibody leads, and the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) which sponsored and led the ACTIV-2 trial in which the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination was evaluated. These strategic partnerships were critical the China NMPA approval of the combination therapy.

Regulatory Acceleration, Discretion and Government Funding : No single company can take on a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic alone. Working closely with regulatory bodies around the world is essential. Brii Bio was able to progress the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination from discovery to completion of Phase 3 development leading to approval by the China NMPA in less than 20 months. Brii Bio continues to rely on government authorities to make the antibody combination therapy available to patients and communities in need.





: No single company can take on a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic alone. Working closely with regulatory bodies around the world is essential. was able to progress the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination from discovery to completion of Phase 3 development leading to approval by the China NMPA in less than 20 months. continues to rely on government authorities to make the antibody combination therapy available to patients and communities in need.

Scaling Production via Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) : As an emerging biotech company, Brii Bio has invested at risk to expedite timeline for its production plans. The Company relies on its CDMO to deliver timely supply of these antibodies in high quantity and quality.





: As an emerging biotech company, has invested at risk to expedite timeline for its production plans. The Company relies on its CDMO to deliver timely supply of these antibodies in high quantity and quality. Patient Advocacy Initiatives : In 2021, Brii Bio hired Coy Stout to serve as Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Market Access and Patient Advocacy and lead its strategic patient advocacy program. Mr. Stout has more than 25 years of experience in social work, public health and the biopharmaceutical industry, establishing strategic commercial planning and infrastructure to help advance U.S. patient access to important medications across a variety of disease areas, especially infectious diseases. 2021 laid a strong foundation to engage and foster key advocacy relationships with patients, their caregivers and disease-specific non-profit groups that support them. The Company's advocacy initiative also intends to ensure that patient voices are heard and understood by R&D through commercialization and access to care.





: In 2021, hired to serve as Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Market Access and Patient Advocacy and lead its strategic patient advocacy program. Mr. Stout has more than 25 years of experience in social work, public health and the biopharmaceutical industry, establishing strategic commercial planning and infrastructure to help advance U.S. patient access to important medications across a variety of disease areas, especially infectious diseases. 2021 laid a strong foundation to engage and foster key advocacy relationships with patients, their caregivers and disease-specific non-profit groups that support them. The Company's advocacy initiative also intends to ensure that patient voices are heard and understood by R&D through commercialization and access to care. Diversity & Inclusion : Brii Bio has worked hard to establish a diverse Board that brings various sets of strategic expertise to the company to ensure it is building an innovative and enduring business and therapeutics portfolio that will meet the needs of patients around the world for years to come as it continues its work to tackle the biggest public health challenges of our time. 50% of Brii Bio's board is made up of independent non-executive directors, ensuring a diverse set of opinions and feedback are built into the Company's governance.





: has worked hard to establish a diverse Board that brings various sets of strategic expertise to the company to ensure it is building an innovative and enduring business and therapeutics portfolio that will meet the needs of patients around the world for years to come as it continues its work to tackle the biggest public health challenges of our time. 50% of board is made up of independent non-executive directors, ensuring a diverse set of opinions and feedback are built into the Company's governance. Employee Engagement and Care : Brii Bio recently hired Karen Neuendorff as its Chief People Officer as part of its commitment to fostering employee satisfaction and ensuring each individual feels supported and valued. The Company is committed to providing an open, safe and healthy workplace with highly competitive compensation and benefits in recognition, engagement and the overall well-being of its employees. Brii Bio regularly seeks employee feedback, conducting town hall meetings, Brii Talks and "Ask the CEO" sessions to engage employees and hear their voices. This helps reinforce Brii Bio's core company values and provides platforms for both leadership and employees to better understand key issues.





: recently hired as its Chief People Officer as part of its commitment to fostering employee satisfaction and ensuring each individual feels supported and valued. The Company is committed to providing an open, safe and healthy workplace with highly competitive compensation and benefits in recognition, engagement and the overall well-being of its employees. regularly seeks employee feedback, conducting town hall meetings, Brii Talks and "Ask the CEO" sessions to engage employees and hear their voices. This helps reinforce core company values and provides platforms for both leadership and employees to better understand key issues. Open and Green Workplace: Brii Bio has created an inspiring workplace that is open, ergonomic and green. Every employee has the same access to our shared office space and equitable health benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company provided flexible working schedule and supported remote working for all employees who faced significant challenges at home or work. Brii Bio has also developed "Office Rules" to promote environmentally conscious behaviors amongst its employees and implemented energy-saving measures to enhance energy efficiency and minimize its environmental impact. In 2022, the Company aims to further reduce its carbon emissions, waste, energy and water consumption.

About Brii Bio

Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio," stock code: 2137.HK) is a biotechnology company based in China and the United States committed to advancing therapies for significant infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, COVID-19, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, multi-drug resistant (MDR) or extensive drug resistant (XDR) gram-negative infections, and other illnesses, such as the central nervous system (CNS) diseases, which have significant public health burdens in China and worldwide. For more information, visit www.briibio.com.

SOURCE Brii Biosciences Limited
GUANGZHOU, China, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 131st Canton Fair, which came to a successful conclusion on 24 April, attracted 536,000 overseas buyers from 228 countries and regions to register for the exhibition, boosting trade cooperation between Chinese and foreign companies.

Since its establishment in 1957, the Canton Fair has never been interrupted despite various challenges. Year after year, the Canton Fair has opened its arms to friends old and new from around the world. To preserve the cherished memories in all previous sessions, China Foreign Trade Centre (CFTC), the organizer of the Canton Fair, is calling for photos and videos themed "Canton Fair in My Eye" and welcomes everyone around the world to take part in the contest from 20 April to 15 July, 2022.

1. Entry Requirements

Anyone worldwide can enter the activity in the name of an individual or an organization. Contributions can be in either photo or video format, with a description of no more than 150 words. What you submit can be but not limited to historical, documentary or creative images and videos, and all artworks related to or showcasing the Canton Fair, especially with the following four topics: architectures, event scenes, booths and exhibits, and participants.

2. Submission

Method 1: Log into https://500px.com.cn/contest/cantonfair to register and submit;

Method 2: Email your contributions to [email protected], making sure the email is subjected "Call for Entries: Canton Fair in My Eye" and with a description of no more than 150 words. Please also include your name, organization, title and contact number in the email.

3. Awards

(1) For photo entries

Awards Bonus (RMB) Number of Winners First prize 5,000 yuan (pre-tax) 5 Second prize 3,000 yuan (pre-tax) 10 Third prize 1,000 yuan (pre-tax) 20 Merit prize 500 yuan (pre-tax) 100

(2) For video entries

Awards Bonus (RMB) Number of Winners First prize 6,000 yuan (pre-tax) 2 Second prize 4,000 yuan (pre-tax) 5 Third prize 2,000 yuan (pre-tax) 10

Apart from the winners, the remaining contributions would possibly be used in the publicity materials of the Canton Fair and be paid for the authorization of the works.

The final interpretation right of this contest belongs to China Foreign Trade Centre within the limits prescribed by law.

For more information, please call: 008620-89138085.

SOURCE Canton Fair
Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

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Some of the Top HR Benefits and Administration Services suppliers listed in this report:

This HR Benefits and Administration Services procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

Automatic Data Processing Inc

Aon plc

Xerox Corp

Fetch actionable market insights on post COVID-19 impact on each product and service segments:

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts:

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
A host of other free services are available to members and the general public at the Center, including fitness classes such as Zumba and yoga, mental health and stigma workshops, healthy cooking sessions and health education classes, as well as resources that address social determinants of health such as housing, food security, income security, and more. Its weekly food pantry, where anyone from the community can pick up free groceries on a first come, first served basis, is open every Wednesday between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The 12,000-square-foot Center provides L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise members with personalized services, including help with care management, free Wi-Fi and private rooms to support virtual medical visits, member services, and benefit navigation.

"We are committed to offering local health and social services that can positively impact the health and well-being of our members and the community," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. "That includes addressing food insecurity, which has been exacerbated during the pandemic in many communities, making hunger a persistent problem with health repercussions. We're helping to address that issue directly by offering a free weekly food pantry at this Center."

The new location is the latest addition in the $146 million commitment the two health plans made to open 14 jointly operated Community Resource Centers. The goal is to help improve the lives of members and the communities where they live all across Los Angeles County.

"At L.A. Care, we understand that health care should be more than just an ID card in your wallet. That's why we're thrilled to have our one-stop community hub serve the diverse communities of the San Gabriel Valley to keep them active, healthy and informed," said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. "This Center's offerings are designed to empower people with free classes and practical, on-the-spot resources that aim to improve total quality of life."

While the Center has been available to local residents since September 2021, the grand opening celebration took place today due to previous COVID-19 restrictions. Local leaders and representatives, who attended the grand opening included Sandra Armenta representing California State Senator Susan Rubio, Cameron Griffin representing California State Assembly member Blanca Rubio's office, and Anthony Cespedes representing Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis' office. The festivities included a ribbon-cutting, tours of the Center and performances by a mariachi band and Chinese lion dancers, honoring the music and dance traditions of various El Monte residents.

The L.A. Care/Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Center in El Monte is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about the Community Resource Centers, please visit activehealthyinformed.org or click here for specific information about the El Monte location.

About Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal and Cal MediConnect. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 400,000 members. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit www.news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

About L.A. Care Health Plan

L.A. Care Health Plan serves more than 2.3 million members in Los Angeles County, making it the largest publicly operated health plan in the country. L.A. Care offers four health coverage plans including Medi-Cal, L.A. Care Covered, L.A. Care Cal MediConnect and the PASC-SEIU Homecare Workers Plan, all dedicated to being accountable and responsive to members. As a public entity, L.A. Care's mission is to provide access to quality health care for L.A. County's vulnerable and low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. L.A. Care prioritizes quality, access and inclusion, elevating health care for all of L.A. County. For more information, visit lacare.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Media Contacts:

Blue Shield Promise Health Plan

Olga Gallardo - (323) 537-6364

[email protected]



L.A. Care Health Plan

Hector Andrade - (213) 703-5743

[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
National Fentanyl Advisory Board Advisory Council members, partners, and affected family members offer unique expertise, perspectives, and stories for journalists

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To assist with educating the public about the dangers of deadly illicit fentanyl in fake prescription pills and street drugs, experts in drug policy, public health, harm reduction, internet safety and neuroscience are offering to speak with journalists covering National Fentanyl Awareness Day. Their breadth of expertise is indicative of the urgency that stakeholders share about the need to alert the public to the unprecedented increase in drug related deaths driven by fentanyl, and to initiate a national conversation about solutions.

This availability is immediate and continues through May 10th, and beyond .

National Fentanyl Awareness Day Partners and Advisory Council members available to media:

James Carroll , Former Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

, Former Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Dan Schneider , "The Pharmacist," Founder, Tunnel of Hope Foundation

, "The Pharmacist," Founder, Tunnel of Hope Foundation Ryan Hampton , Author, Advocate, Person in Recovery and Founder of The Voices Project

, Author, Advocate, Person in Recovery and Founder of The Voices Project General Barrye L. Price , CEO, CADCA

, CEO, CADCA Christopher Landau , Former US Ambassador to Mexico

, Former US Ambassador to Uttam Dhillon , Former Acting Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration

, Former Acting Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration Timothy Mackey , PhD, Professor, Global Health Program, UCSD and CEO of S-3 Research

, PhD, Professor, Global Health Program, UCSD and CEO of S-3 Research Scott Hadland , MD, Chief of Adolescent Medicine, Mass General for Children/ Harvard School

, MD, Chief of Adolescent Medicine, Mass General for Children/ Hina Talib , MD, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Atria Institute

, MD, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Ryan Marino , MD, Medical Toxicologist

, MD, Medical Toxicologist Michael Beckerman , Vice President and Head of Americas Public Policy, TikTok

, Vice President and Head of Americas Public Policy, TikTok Eric Gremminger , ICADC, SAP, CEO, ERP Health

, ICADC, SAP, CEO, Avra Siegel , Head of US Policy Programs, Meta

, Head of US Policy Programs, Meta Jennifer Stout , VP of Global Public Policy at Snap, Inc.

Affected family members are available to speak with media upon request.

UPDATE: Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduce Bipartisan Senate Resolution to recognize May 10, 2022 as National Fentanyl Awareness Day.

On Friday, Senators Diane Feinstein of California and Chuck Grassley of Iowa introduced a bipartisan resolution that would recognize May 10, 2022 as National Fentanyl Awareness Day. With twenty Democrat and Republican co-sponsors, this resolution is expected to pass the Senate in advance of National Fentanyl Awareness Day.

BACKGROUND

A broad coalition of nonprofit organizations, major corporations, government agencies and schools  including Google, Snap, DEA, Meta, the Ad Council, Shatterproof and CADCA  have come together to launch the first ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 10, 2022. The activation is designed to raise awareness about illicit fentanyl in fake pills and street drugs. Illegally made fentanyl is the primary driver of the recent increase in overdose deaths, and fentanyl involved deaths are fastest growing among 14- to 23-year-olds.

For more information on National Fentanyl Awareness Day and the urgent issue of illicit fentanyl in fake pills and street drugs, please see this April 19th release.

To arrange an interview with an expert or affected family member, please contact Garrett Murch at [email protected].

SOURCE National Fentanyl Awareness Day
Innovative cybersecurity and threat intelligence company recognized for rapid growth, innovative solutions and leading the market

LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Resecurity, a Los Angeles -based cybersecurity and intelligence company, has received platinum recognition in the cybersecurity company and organization category from the TITAN Business Awards. The TITAN Business Awards acknowledge the achievements of both entrepreneurs and organizations worldwide, providing recognition for fast-growing, innovative organizations worldwide.

Resecurity was recognized as a leading cybersecurity organization based on the strength of its nomination, company growth, global expansion, and investments in R&D. The award comes at a time of exponential growth of the global cybersecurity industry, with the market valued at USD 181.12 billion in 2021 and predicted to reach $307.70 billion in 2026 (a CAGR of 11.2%).[1] Rising spending on cybersecurity solutions attributed to the increasing threat of cyberattacks and government regulations is projected to propel the cybersecurity market's revenues during the forecast period.

"Today, organizations face the challenge of increasing cyber threats while also rebuilding after the global pandemic, making cybersecurity and threat intelligence essential. The Resecurity team has worked diligently the past year to meet the ever-changing needs and threatscape of modern enterprises. This recognition from TITAN Business Awards is a testament to our team's hard work and the value our solutions bring to our clients and partners," said Gene Yoo, CEO of Resecurity, Inc.

Resecurity's cyber threat intelligence solutions provide proactive alerts and comprehensive visibility of digital risks targeting an organization's ecosystem. The innovative platform allows administrators to reduce potential blind spots and security gaps by quickly seeing in-depth analysis and specific artifacts obtained through the dark web, botnets activity, network intelligence and high-quality threat intelligence data.

Since 2017, the company has grown revenue by 1,446%, garnering credit as one of the fastest-growing companies from Inc. Magazine and the Financial Times. In the past year alone, the company has expanded globally, announced a dedicated cyber research center, exhibited, and presented at key industry conferences and scaled its cybersecurity services and solutions.

Visit https://resecurity.com/ to learn more about Resecurity's cyber intelligence solutions and upcoming events.

About Resecurity

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence. Known for providing best-of-breed data-driven intelligence solutions, Resecurity's services and platforms focus on early-warning identification of data breaches and comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks. Founded in 2016, it has been globally recognized as one of the world's most innovative cybersecurity companies with the sole mission of enabling organizations to combat cyber threats regardless of how sophisticated they are. Most recently, Resecurity was named as one of the Top 10 fastest-growing private cybersecurity companies in Los Angeles, California by Inc. Magazine. An official member of AFCEA, NDIA, SIA and Infragard. To learn more about Resecurity, visit https://resecurity.com.

[1] Accessed on 2/22/2022: https://www.bccresearch.com/market-research/information-technology/cyber-security-north-american-markets.html

SOURCE Resecurity
Digital village construction brings better lives to rural residents

People's Daily Online) 16:02, May 07, 2022

A live streamer with a trade company in Zongyang county, Tongling city, east Chinas Anhui province, helps sell free-range chickens online, Dec. 7, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhou Feng)

As Chinas digital infrastructure continues to improve, the construction of digital villages has promoted the transformation of consumption patterns in rural areas, bringing convenience to rural residents and raising the quality of life for people living in rural areas.

Zhu Yinghua, a resident in Jiushan village, which is situated deep in the mountains in Xiabaoping township, Yichang city, central Chinas Hubei Province, is hooked on the convenience of online shopping.

I recently bought a multi-function electric cooker online, which was delivered to my home three days later, Zhu said. Zhu also purchased a water heater and many other products online, saying that villagers now buy higher-quality products from around the country online.

In the past, villagers had to trek along a muddy road to buy things in the township. Now a hardened road connects the village to the outside world, and an express delivery station in the village makes online shopping more convenient for villagers.

The village has offered e-commerce training courses to villagers. After taking these courses, Zhu opened an online store to sell farm produce, such as tea and Gastrodia elat, an herbal medicine. Last year, the sales volume of Zhus store exceeded 300,000 yuan (about $44,910). The construction of digital villages has changed my life, Zhu said excitedly.

Jiushan village epitomizes Chinas efforts to build digital villages and facilitate the flow of industrial goods into rural areas and the flow of agricultural products to cities. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has held training sessions for more than 100 million farmers on how to use smartphones. In 2021, express delivery parcels reached over 80 percent of administrative villages across the country. Last year, Chinas rural online retail sales reached 2.05 trillion yuan, and the online retail sales of agricultural products hit 422.1 billion yuan, up 11.3 percent and 2.8 percent year on year, respectively.

Meanwhile, internet-based healthcare has provided rural residents with convenient access to quality medical resources. At present, 29 provinces in China have established provincial-level telemedicine platforms, and 2,400 medical consortiums have worked with hospitals to establish telemedicine centers. In addition, 535 counties, districts and cities across the country have built county-level medical communities that cover county-level hospitals, township health centers, and village clinics.

Recently, experts from the Peoples Hospital of Jiaxiang County in Jiaxiang county, east Chinas Shandong Province, conducted remote consultations via a telemedicine platform with a health center in the countys Laosengtang township for a patient named Du Jibin in the township.

After receiving suggestions from experts, Dus doctor, Gu Erying, gave targeted medical treatments for the patient, who gradually recovered..

Two health service stations and 21 village clinics in the township have adopted telemedicine technology. Jiaxiang county has realized a remote medical service system covering four administrative levels to alleviate problems including poor accessibility and affordability of health care services for rural residents.

Digital technology has also helped revive traditional rural culture, generating wealth for villagers.

Zhu Fujun, a villager in Xunxian county, central Chinas Henan Province, is an inheritor of the craft of making clay sculptures. This craft, with its history of more than 1,000 years, is a national intangible cultural heritage item.

He began promoting the craft via short videos on the popular Chinese video-sharing app Kuaishou in 2017. Much to his surprise, his first short video about the craft garnered more than 2 million views.

To perfect his skills, Zhu became an apprentice of a provincial-level inheritor of the craft. Consequently, his videos received more likes.

Zhu has also held live-streaming shows to sell vivid clay sculptures. During his first live-streaming session, he received about 200 orders of clay sculptures in a few seconds. He has helped over 100 craftsmen sell nearly 100,000 clay sculptures.

We encourage young people to create excellent short videos so as to digitize fine rural cultural resources, to effectively pass on rural culture, and to inject new impetus into the revitalization of rural culture, said Zhou Xiaohan, a Kuaishou executive.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
LOMPOC, Calif., May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation on Friday slammed the Bureau of Land Management's plan to zero-out three wild horse Herd Management Areas in southwest Wyoming and slash the herd population on a fourth.

"The BLM is putting an agreement with ranchers in front of its responsibilities under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act," said Neda DeMayo, president of Return to Freedom (RTF), a national nonprofit advocacy organization. "Federally protected wild horse and burro populations on our public lands must not be allowed to be removed due to private landowner pressure or, soon, whole herds will vanish not just from Wyoming but across the West."

Under the plan, the BLM would:

remove 1.95 million acres from wild horse use by converting the Salt Wells and Great Divide Herd Management Areas to inactive Herd Areas not managed for horses;

manage the herd on the 393,000-acre White Mountain Herd Management Area as non-reproducing, effectively zeroing it out, too, with the agency considering population management tools that are dangerous, inhumane, unproven, costly (surgical sterilization of mares), ineffective (sex-ratio skewing) or that do not have a fully understood effect on wild herds (gelding stallions);

slash its population target for the 478,000-acre Adobe Town Herd Management Area from a range of 610-800 wild horses to just 225-450.

The BLM has already set the stage for the changes. Starting last October, the agency spent more than $1.1 million to capture and remove 3,502 wild horses from their southwest Wyoming home ranges during a three-month-long helicopter roundup in which 37 horses died.

The BLM says that it is amending a Resource Management Plan to comply with a 2013 consent decree that the agency entered into with the Rock Springs Grazing Association.

The ranching group sued for the removal of all of the wild horses from the 2-million-acre Checkerboard region, an unfenced area of alternating, one-mile-square blocks of public and private land set up in the 1860s as part of negotiations with the Union Pacific railroad.

BLM's lone reason for its planned changes: creating a barrier between public and private lands is difficult.

"That's not good enough for the agency charged with conserving wild horses on our public lands on behalf of all Americans," DeMayo said. "Government agencies don't get to throw up their hands just because Congress handed them a challenge."

BLM's plan demonstrates explicit bias. It considered only reallocating forage from wild horses to other wildlife or livestock without making an equivalent amount of forage available to wild horses elsewhere.

The BLM already allows up to 191,791 Animal Unit Months of private livestock grazing on allotments overlapping the Herd Management Areas to as few as 18,600 AUM for wild horses (one AUM is the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow-calf pair, one horse or five sheep for one month).

The BLM apparently did not consider land swaps or other possible solutions, like scaling up a program of safe, proven and humane fertility control, an effort that would help lead to stabilization and a decrease, where necessary, of wild horse populations, with fewer horses ending up in already overcrowded off-range holding facilities at great taxpayer expense.

The BLM's plan would set a precedent that a special-interest association could demand the removal of wild horses from not just private but public lands. The courts have already ruled on this, however.

In 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit sided with RTF and other wild horse advocates, ruling that conducting a 2014 wild horse roundup on the Checkerboard without going through a full planning process violated both the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and Federal Land Policy Management Act. The court ruled that the BLM lacked the authority to treat the entire Checkerboard as private land from which wild horses must be removed.

The BLM must treat wild horses and burros fairly, DeMayo said.

"Wild horses and burros continue to be given the smallest allocation of land and forage while being disproportionally blamed for range degradation," she said. "It isn't so much the number of wild horses or livestock that is the problem, it is how they are managed on these sensitive habitats.

"All grazing mammals tend to overgraze certain areas and under-graze others. In a balanced ecosystem, predators would keep grazers moving and this works best for the land. Climatic change doesn't prefer one species over the other. To truly create sustainable and healthy rangelands, a new model of holistic land management must be implemented across the West."

Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation (RTF ) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to wild horse preservation through sanctuary, education, conservation, and advocacy since 1998. It also operates the American Wild Horse Sanctuary at three California locations, caring for more than 450 wild horses and burros. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram for updates about wild horses and burros on the range and at our sanctuary.

SOURCE Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation
NEW ORLEANS, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until July 1, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Riskified Ltd. (the "Company") (NYSE: RSKD), if they purchased or acquired the Company's Class A common stock in or traceable to the Company's July 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Riskified investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-rskd/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Riskified and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information in its IPO Registration Statement, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) as the Company expanded its user base, the quality of the Company's machine learning platform had deteriorated (rather than improved as represented in the Registration Statement); (ii) the Company had expanded its customer base into industries with relatively high rates of fraud  including partnerships with cryptocurrency and remittance business  in which the Company had limited experience, and that this expansion had negatively impacted the effectiveness of the Company's machine learning platform; (iii) the Company suffered from materially higher chargebacks and cost of revenue and depressed gross profits and gross profit margins during its third fiscal quarter of 2021; and (iv) as a result of the foregoing, the Company's representations in its Registration Statement were materially false and misleading, and lacked a factual basis.

The case is Thomas v. Riskified Ltd., et al., No. 22-cv-03545.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
NEW YORK, May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM) between April 4, 2017 and October 20, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important June 6, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased IBM securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the IBM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5104 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 6, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Strategic Imperatives Revenue and growth, CAMSS (the sectors of "Cloud," "Analytics," "Mobile," "Security," and "Social") and CAMSS Components' revenue and growth, and the Company's Segments' revenue and growth were artificially inflated as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives Revenue; (2) IBM's present success and positive future growth prospects concerning its Strategic Imperative business strategy were being fueled by the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperative Revenue; (3) as a result of the foregoing, defendants misled the market by portraying IBM's Strategic Imperative's financial performance and future prospects more favorable than they actually were as a result of the fraudulent scheme and/or the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives; and (4) Total Revenue and IBM's Segments' revenue and growth were artificially inflated as a result of the fraudulent scheme and/or the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic and/or the wrongful recognition of revenue. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the IBM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5104 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

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The seafreight forwarding market covers the following areas:

Seafreight Forwarding Market Sizing

Seafreight Forwarding Market Forecast

Seafreight Forwarding Market Analysis

Driver and Challenge

The growing global cross-border e-commerce market driving the LCL volume is one of the key factors driving the growth of the seafreight forwarding market. The global cross-border e-commerce market was valued at USD 460 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 1,265 billion during the forecast period. The US and China are the key contributing countries for the global cross-border e-commerce market. The growing Internet penetration and rising purchasing power parity (PPP) across all the regions are contributing to the growth of the cross-border e-commerce market. This growth is expected to influence the volume of seafreight worldwide positively. LCL seafreight shipments are propelled by the rise in the number of small package shipments. Moreover, vendors are planning to expand their service portfolio. Sea transportation is emerging as a preferred mode for e-commerce due to developments in infrastructure. In addition, there is a rise in the use of intermodal freight transportation due to the cost advantages it offers for the shippers as compared to using a single mode of transportation.

The consolidation in the shipping industry leading to high freight cost and operational difficulties will challenge the seafreight forwarding market during the forecast period. The shift toward consolidation in the shipping industry is expected to continue during the forecast period. Major shipping companies have formed alliances, thereby cutting down the excess capacity of vessels as well as lowering the cost of scrapping the ships lying idle in ports. Such consolidations in the shipping industry will lead to an oligopolistic market, which may result in fewer options for freight forwarders to select from. This, in turn, will lead to an increase in freight rates.

Regional analysis

Europe will account for 40% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The growing trade volume on European trade routes, increasing container port throughput, and the rising number of FTAs in the region will drive the seafreight forwarding market growth in Europe during the forecast period. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions. Germany and UK are the key countries for the seafreight forwarding market in Europe.



Companies Mentioned

Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.

CEVA Logistics AG

CJ Logistics Corp.

Deutsche Bahn AG

Deutsche Post AG

DSV Panalpina A/S

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG

Kuehne + Nagel International AG

United Parcel Service Inc.

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Seafreight Forwarding Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2019 Forecast period 2020-2024 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 3% Market growth 2020-2024 USD 10.78 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 1.92 Regional analysis Europe, APAC, North America, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution Europe at 40% Key consumer countries China, Germany, US, UK, Canada, and Japan Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP, C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., CEVA Logistics AG, CJ Logistics Corp., Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Post AG, DSV Panalpina A/S, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, and United Parcel Service Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Market Overview

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 - 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Service

Market segments

Comparison by Service

FCL - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

LCL - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Service

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

Europe - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

- Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

North America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

- Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

- Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.

CEVA Logistics AG

CJ Logistics Corp.

Deutsche Bahn AG

Deutsche Post AG

DSV Panalpina A/S

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG

Kuehne + Nagel International AG

United Parcel Service Inc.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.



Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
FAIRFAX, Va., May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Educational and Charitable Foundation (ECF), working with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter, held its annual Book Signing and Scholarship Awards Celebration today. Over $36,000 in scholarships and teacher grants were presented to students and teachers in the local area. The 2022 Book Signing featured internationally acclaimed author and actor Blair Underwood, who discussed the book Olympic Pride, American Prejudice.

The Educational and Charitable Foundation empowers the northern Virginia community for a brighter tomorrow through education, service, and philanthropy. "The Educational and Charitable Foundation provides academic achievement programs and scholarships, advances culture and civic engagement, enhances economic empowerment, and promotes health, wellness, and social welfare throughout Fairfax County and northern Virginia communities through partnerships and strategic alliances. The Book Signing allows us to celebrate our academic and community enrichment programs with our partners and the broader community," said ECF president Robyn C. Jones.

"With the support of several community supporters, we awarded $17,500 in scholarships to 2022 graduates, a $15,000 to a female medical student and we presented $3,700 in teacher education grants. We are proud to continue ECF's 20-year legacy of supporting academic excellence in the region," continued Jones. This year, ECF expanded its awards to recognize Community Shining Stars, individuals who've exemplified exceptional service in health and wellness, education, and economic empowerment.

2022 Scholarship Recipients are:

Natania Elias , Lake Braddock Secondary School, attending Harvard University

, Lake Braddock Secondary School, attending Leah Cobb , Patriot High School, attending North Carolina A&T State University

, Patriot High School, attending Vishnupriya Alavala , Freedom High School and the Academies of Loudoun , attending Virginia Commonwealth University

, Freedom High School and the Academies of , attending Catherine Caputo , Woodgrove High School, attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute

, Woodgrove High School, attending Jada Watts , Howard University College of Medicine

Teacher Grant Recipients are:

Brittany Walker , Stratford Landing Elementary School

, Stratford Landing Elementary School Dr. Tiffany Spann Casey , Mt. Vernon High School

, Mt. Jamilla Gault , Mullen Elementary School (sponsored by the Cora Faith Walker Foundation)

"We are honored to join our nation in celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week. These grants support classroom instruction, ensure student learning and demonstrate our appreciation and support of all teachers," said Sanita Walker-Resper, president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter.

The following Community Shining Stars were recognized:

Education Recipient: Reverend Dr. Howard-John Wesley , Senior Pastor Alfred Street Baptist Church

Reverend Dr. , Senior Pastor Economic Empowerment : Mr. Warren Thompson , President &CEO Thompson Hospitality, LLC

: Mr. , President &CEO Thompson Hospitality, LLC Health: Mark Health, LCSW

The event also featured a moderated discussion with actor, and author, Blair Underwood, who presented "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice," the Untold Story of 18 African Americans who defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

ECF 2023 Book Signing and Scholarship Awards Celebration will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

SOURCE Educational and Charitable Foundation
The tank container shipping market covers the following areas:

Tank Container Shipping Market Sizing

Tank Container Shipping Market Forecast

Tank Container Shipping Market Analysis

Driver and Challenge

The growing seaborne trade is driving the tank container shipping market growth. The rising global gross domestic product (GDP) and increased demand for goods and materials produced will contribute to the market growth in the coming years. The growth in population will also boost the demand for various goods and their transportation. Seaborne transportation is cost-efficient when compared to other methods. Thus, the rising seaborne trade is expected to increase the need for tank containers, which, in turn, will result in the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The increased use of alternate energy sources is challenging the global tank container shipping market. The growing environmental pollution, geopolitical risks, and foreign deficit are compelling countries to invest heavily in the development of alternate energy resources, which is reducing investments in the oil and gas industry. Various countries are focusing on diversification of energy sources instead of relying on a single or few energy sources, with the rising need to ensure energy security. Thus, the reduction in oil and gas well replacements and decline in investments in the upstream oil and gas industry will challenge the growth of the global tank container shipping market in the coming years.

Regional Analysis

APAC will account for 39% of the market's growth during the forecast period. An increase in international trade and the presence of growing economies such as China and India will drive the tank container shipping market growth in APAC during the forecast period. Moreover, the demand for crude oil is expected to grow by more than 25% during the forecast period in Asia due to the growing consumption in China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions. China is the key country for the tank container shipping market in APAC.

Companies Mentioned

Amfico Agencies Pvt. Ltd.

Bertschi AG

Bulkhaul Ltd.

Danteco Industries BV

Den Hartogh Holding BV

Eagletainer Logistics Pte Ltd

Gruber GmbH and Co. KG

HOYER GmbH

Intermodal Tank Transport Inc.

Lexzau Scharbau GmbH and Co. KG

M and S Logistics

NewPort Tank

R.M.I. Global Logistics BV

Singamas Container Holdings Ltd.

Stolt Nielsen Ltd.

Sun Logistics

Suttons Transport Group Ltd

The Dana Companies

Van den Bosch Transporten BV

VTG Aktiengesellschaft

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Tank Container Shipping Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.06% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 195.98 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.0 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 39% Key consumer countries US, Saudi Arabia, China, India, UK, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Amfico Agencies Pvt. Ltd., Bertschi AG, Bulkhaul Ltd., Danteco Industries BV, Den Hartogh Holding BV, Eagletainer Logistics Pte Ltd, Gruber GmbH and Co. KG, HOYER GmbH, Intermodal Tank Transport Inc., Lexzau Scharbau GmbH and Co. KG, M and S Logistics, NewPort Tank, R.M.I. Global Logistics BV, Singamas Container Holdings Ltd., Stolt Nielsen Ltd., Sun Logistics, Suttons Transport Group Ltd, The Dana Companies, Van den Bosch Transporten BV, and VTG Aktiengesellschaft Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Key Topics Covered:

***1. Executive Summary

**1.1 Market overview

*Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview

*Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview

*Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics

*Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography

*Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user

*Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth

*Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth

*Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

***2. Market Landscape

**2.1 Market ecosystem

*Exhibit 09: Parent market

*Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

***3. Market Sizing

**3.1 Market definition

*Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

**3.2 Market segment analysis

*Exhibit 12: Market segments

**3.3 Market size 2021

**3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

*Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

***4. Five Forces Analysis

**4.1 Five Forces Summary

*Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026

**4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

*Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

**4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

*Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

**4.4 Threat of new entrants

*Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

**4.5 Threat of substitutes

*Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

**4.6 Threat of rivalry

*Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

**4.7 Market condition

*Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

***5 Market Segmentation by End-user

**5.1 Market segments

*Exhibit 24: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 25: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

**5.2 Comparison by End-user

*Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by End-user

*Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

**5.3 Oil and gas - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 28: Chart on Oil and gas - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 29: Data Table on Oil and gas - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 30: Chart on Oil and gas - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 31: Data Table on Oil and gas - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**5.4 Chemical - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 32: Chart on Chemical - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 33: Data Table on Chemical - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 34: Chart on Chemical - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 35: Data Table on Chemical - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**5.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 36: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 37: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 38: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 39: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**5.6 Market opportunity by End-user

*Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million)

***6. Customer landscape

*Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria

**6.1 Customer landscape overview

*Exhibit 41: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

***7 Geographic Landscape

**7.1 Geographic segmentation

*Exhibit 42: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

**7.2 Geographic comparison

*Exhibit 44: Chart on Geographic comparison

*Exhibit 45: Data Table on Geographic comparison

**7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 46: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 47: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 48: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 49: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 50: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 51: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 52: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 53: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.5 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 54: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 55: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 56: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 57: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 62: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 63: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 64: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 65: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 66: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 67: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 68: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 69: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.9 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 70: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 71: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 72: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 73: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.10 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 74: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 75: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 76: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 77: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.11 Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 78: Chart on Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 79: Data Table on Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 80: Chart on Saudi Arabia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 81: Data Table on Saudi Arabia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.12 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 82: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 83: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 84: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 85: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.13 India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

*Exhibit 86: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 87: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

*Exhibit 88: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

*Exhibit 89: Data Table on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

**7.13 Market opportunity by geography

*Exhibit 90: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

***8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

**8.1 Market drivers

*8.1.1 Growing seaborne trade

*8.1.2 New exploration policies

*8.1.3 Expansion of oil terminals

**8.2 Market challenges

*8.2.1 Increased use of alternative energy sources

*8.2.2 High operational cost

*8.2.3 Stringent regulations associated with chemical storage and transportation

**8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

*Exhibit 91: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

**8.4 Market trends

*8.4.1 Growing LNG trade

*8.4.2 Technological innovations driving productivity in tank container shipping market

*8.4.3 Rising investments in chemical manufacturing facilities in emerging regions

***9. Vendor Landscape

**9.1 Overview

**9.2 Vendor landscape

*Exhibit 92: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

**9.3 Landscape disruption

*Exhibit 93: Overview on factors of disruption

**9.4 Industry risks

*Exhibit 94: Impact of key risks on business

***10. Vendor Analysis

**10.1 Vendors covered

*Exhibit 95: Vendors covered

**10.2 Market positioning of vendors

*Exhibit 96: Matrix on vendor position and classification

**10.3 Bertschi AG

*Exhibit 97: Bertschi AG - Overview

*Exhibit 98: Bertschi AG - Product / Service

*Exhibit 99: Bertschi AG - Key offerings

**10.4 Bulkhaul Ltd.

*Exhibit 100: Bulkhaul Ltd. - Overview

*Exhibit 101: Bulkhaul Ltd. - Product / Service

*Exhibit 102: Bulkhaul Ltd. - Key offerings

**10.5 Den Hartogh Holding BV

*Exhibit 103: Den Hartogh Holding BV - Overview

*Exhibit 104: Den Hartogh Holding BV - Product / Service

*Exhibit 105: Den Hartogh Holding BV - Key offerings

**10.6 Eagletainer Logistics Pte Ltd

*Exhibit 106: Eagletainer Logistics Pte Ltd - Overview

*Exhibit 107: Eagletainer Logistics Pte Ltd - Product / Service

*Exhibit 108: Eagletainer Logistics Pte Ltd - Key offerings

**10.7 Gruber GmbH and Co. KG

*Exhibit 109: Gruber GmbH and Co. KG - Overview

*Exhibit 110: Gruber GmbH and Co. KG - Product / Service

*Exhibit 111: Gruber GmbH and Co. KG - Key offerings

**10.8 HOYER GmbH

*Exhibit 112: HOYER GmbH - Overview

*Exhibit 113: HOYER GmbH - Business segments

*Exhibit 114: HOYER GmbH - Key offerings

*Exhibit 115: HOYER GmbH - Segment focus

**10.9 Intermodal Tank Transport Inc.

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
Kiev, May 7 : Ukraine evacuated 50 civilians from the Azovstal plant in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Friday.

"The evacuation was extremely slow. However, today we managed to free 50 women, children and the elderly from Azovstal," Vereshchuk wrote on Facebook.

The evacuation will continue on Saturday morning, Vereshchuk was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine's Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said that Ukraine had evacuated about 500 civilians from Mariupol.

Mariupol, a key Azov Sea port city in eastern Ukraine, saw one of the worst bouts of violence in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
United Nations, May 7 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed a Security Council statement in which the council "spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine." "Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine. As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter," the UN chief was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"I welcome this support and will continue to spare no effort to save lives, reduce suffering and find the path of peace," said the secretary-general.

Earlier in the day, the council released a statement expressing "deep concern" for the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.

"The Security Council recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means," said the statement.

"The Security Council expresses strong support for the efforts of the secretary-general in the search for a peaceful solution. The Security Council requests the secretary-general to brief the Security Council in due course after the adoption of the present statement," it said.

Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev last week.

The visits led to joint UN and International Committee of the Red Cross operations evacuating 500 civilians from Ukraine's port city of Mariupol and the besieged Azovstal steel plant in recent days.

A draft Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow's special military operation was vetoed by Russia on February 25. The international community has been concerned about the unity of the council in regard to its attitude toward the Ukraine crisis ever since.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Ottawa, May 7 : Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam has said that indicators showed decreasing transmission of Covid-19 in many areas in the country.

"While Covid-19 is still circulating across the country, current disease activity indicators, from daily reported cases to laboratory test positivity, indicated decreasing transmission in many areas," Tam said in a press conference, adding that wastewater data are showing signs of a potential plateau or post-peak decline in several areas.

Currently, lagging severity trends such as hospitalisations are still elevated, but beginning to decline in some jurisdictions. Nevertheless, weeks of Covid-19 resurgence including widespread illness and healthcare worker absenteeism has contributed to prolonged impacts on the health system, she was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

With the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron predominating and the SARS-CoV-2 virus continuing to evolve, the path ahead may not be smooth, Tam said, hoping that the Canadians can enjoy a period of lower activity and some time for recovery with the warmer weather beginning and continued caution.

The top doctor said the pandemic has impacted the lives in many ways, with some research suggesting that up to 50 per cent of Canadians have experienced declines in mental health during the pandemic.

"We know that as the pandemic has evolved we have faced different challenges, including now," she said, adding that while many people are happy to have measures easing, this can also bring about anxiety and stress as communities adapt to the changes.
New Delhi, May 7 : Conflicts in northern Ethiopia's Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions have pushed children and adolescents out of school and are fueling humanitarian needs.

In response, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, announced on Saturday a $2 million First Emergency Response Grant that will reach more than 20,000 refugees and displaced, as well as host community children and adolescents.

This brings ECW ongoing investments in Ethiopia to over $30 million.

The 12-month grant will be delivered by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and local strategic partners, focusing on early childhood education, primary education, accelerated learning programmes and secondary education, in and around refugee camps, as well as a settlement in the northern regions of Ethiopia.

The interventions are intended to primarily target refugees in the camps of Aysaita and Serdo in Afar, Alemwach site in Amhara, and Mai Aini and Adi Harush in Tigray.

Approximately 62 per cent of the people to be reached with this assistance are girls, and 10 per cent are children with disabilities.

As a result of both the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict, children and adolescents in Afar, Amhara and Tigray have missed education opportunities. To date, approximately 13 per cent of previously enrolled refugee children and youth in Ethiopia have not returned to school.

"Refugee and host-community children and youth are in urgent need of safe and protective learning environments. Children and adolescents face high risks of recruitment into armed groups, human trafficking, radicalization and exploitation. They have already lost their homes and loved ones. We cannot allow them to also drop out of school and thereby destroy their very last hope: an education that will empower them to arise from their dispossession and suffering," said Yasmine Sherif, Director of ECW.

"Education does not only provide protection to children and support them to return to normalcy; it is also beneficial to their mental and psychological health, which are critical for effective learning. ECW's valuable funding will support interventions to address the educational needs of the affected girls and boys as quickly as possible and will significantly contribute to strengthen the co-existence between the displaced communities and their hosts in Northern Ethiopia," said Mamadou Dian Balde, the UNHCR representative in Ethiopia.

The ECW investment will further support the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, including temporary learning spaces and latrines, to increase access to safe, protective and gender-sensitive learning environments for emergency-affected children.

Innovative cash transfers will incentivize families to return their children to school, as part of the wide back-to-school efforts.

The programme also includes the recruitment and training of teachers and school administrators and the provision of individual learning materials.

Teacher training will cover subject knowledge, curriculum, planning and pedagogy topics. The funding will also support strengthening of school and community capacity to provide gender and crisis-sensitive education for emergency-affected girls, boys and children with disabilities.

The new funding builds on the impact of ECW's $1 million Tigray response, announced in April 2021, along with the Fund's ongoing Multi-Year Resilience Programme in the country.
Washington, May 7 : US employers added 428,000 jobs in April amid a tight labour market, with the unemployment rate unchanged at 3.6 per cent, the Labour Department said in a report.

Job growth was widespread, led by gains in leisure and hospitality, in manufacturing, and in transportation and warehousing, according to the report released on Friday by the Department's Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS).

The growth in total non-farm payroll employment for February was revised down by 36,000 to 714,000, and the gain for March was revised down by 3,000 to 428,000, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

Companies were struggling to hire as labour market supply could not meet demand. The number of job openings was little changed at 11.5 million by end of March, the highest level in the history of the series which began in December 2000, the BLS had said on Tuesday.

Friday's report revealed that the number of unemployed persons, however, dropped slightly from 6 million in March to 5.9 million in April, indicating that there were 1.9 job positions for every unemployed.

The April employment report showed that the labour force participation rate dropped slightly to 62.2 per cent, still about one percentage point below the pre-pandemic level of 63.4 per cent.

Average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls rose by 10 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $31.85 in April.

Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 5.5 per cent.

The BLS report also showed that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.6 per cent in April, which was slightly above the pre-pandemic level of 3.5 per cent.
Washington, May 7 : North Korea may be preparing to stage a nuclear test as early as this month, a US State Department spokesperson said.

Principal Deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said on Friday the U.S has also shared the information with allies and partners, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"The US assesses that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test site and could be ready to conduct a test there as early as this month, which would be its seventh test," she said in a telephonic press briefing.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

Earlier reports have said the North appeared to be repairing underground tunnels at Punggye-ri that were purportedly dismantled in 2018 as a sign of its willingness to denuclearize.

Punggye-ri has been the site of all six nuclear tests conducted by North Korea to date.

The last test was held in September 2017 Porter said the assessment is "consistent" with what Pyongyang has said in recent public statements.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the country will continue to advance its nuclear capabilities and also use them to pre-emptively mitigate aggression against the country if necessary.

"We have shared this information with allies and partners and will continue closely coordinating with them as well," said Porter.

"We will also build on this close coordination when the president travels to the Republic of Korea and Japan later this month to strengthen our alliances and demonstrate that our commitment to their security is ironclad," she added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

President Joe Biden is set to visit Seoul and Tokyo from May 20-24, his first trip to Asia since taking office in January last year.
Srinagar, May 7 : A police constable was injured in Srinagar on Saturday after he was shot at by militants.

The police said that the militants fired at the constable from close range in the city's Eidgah area.

"The injured policeman has been shifted to a hospital and the area has been surrounded for searches."
Gurugram, May 7 : Three employees of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), who were attempting to collect a bribe of Rs 50,000 in lieu of demolishing an under-construction house, were handed over to the police by local residents, police said on Saturday.

The arrested have been identified as Junior Engineer (JE) Sumit, Hitesh and driver Karan.

The complainant, one Harish of Devilal Colony, said that he along with his family was residing in the locality for the past 25 years.

"On Thursday, JE Sumit, Hitesh and two other MCG employees visited my under-construction house and said the house will be demolished as it is being built illegally and later after consulting with the JE, Hitesh demanded a Rs 1 lakh bribe for not demolishing the house," the complainant told the police.

"I gave them Rs 50,000 on Thursday and also told them the remaining amount will be given within one or two days. But on Friday Hitesh again visited the spot and asked for the remaining amount. I assembled few of my neighbours and also recorded the video and called the police." Thereafter, Sumit was contacted and he also came to the spot and the trio was handed over to the police.

"In connection with the matter, a case of the Corruption Act and other relevant sections of the IPC was registered against the trio at the Sector-9A police station. Further probe is on," Subhash Boken, spokesperson of the Gurugram Police, said.
Kolkata, May 7 : A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, while passing an order on the 2012 Park Street rape case, has set aside the order of a lower court to allow the use of a recorded statement of the deceased victim against the prime accused.

A division bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Bivas Pattanayak on Friday, had set aside the earlier lower court order mainly on two grounds.

The first ground is that the public prosecutor in the state had not filed a separate application in the High Court with the plea that the recorded statements of the deceased victim in a lower court against the prime accused, who was absconding then. The second ground is that the counsel of the prime accused then did not get the chance to cross examine the deceased victim while the statement was being recorded at the lower court.

On February 6, 2012, a woman was gang raped in a moving car. The victim named five accused in the case -- Sumit Bajaj, Naser Khan, Ruman Khan, Kader Khan and Ali Khan.

However, Kader Khan, the prime accused, and Ali Khan went absconding.

IPS officer Damayanti Sen, as the-then deputy commissioner-I of the Kolkata Police's detective department (DD), went against the state administration's theory that rape complaint was false and carried on with the investigation and solved the case.

In September 2016, the two absconding accused were arrested, a year after the victim passed away.

The lower court allowed the investigating officers to use the recorded statements of the deceased victim to be used as evidence against Kader Khan.

However, Kader Khan's counsels challenged that permission by the lower court and ultimately on Friday the division bench had disallowed the plea to use the recorded statement.
New Delhi, May 7 : A medical leave certificate of BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who was freed following his arrest, revealed that he suffered multiple injuries on his back and shoulder, according to documents accessed by IANS.

Bagga has alleged that he sustained the injuries after he was assaulted by the Punjab Police.

There are now possibilities that a third complaint might be lodged against the Punjab Police by the BJP leader.

Bagga, was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Swayam Siddha Tripathi, who has now directed the SHO Janakpuri to ensure Bagga's safety and security.

According to R.K. Rathore, the Punjab Police, counsel, Bagga through his counsel had moved the Dwarka Court.

The plea stated that he was missing or taken by unknown persons.

The Dwarka Court passed an order of his production. After this, the Delhi Police swung into action and informed Haryana Police about Bagga.

The Punjab Police was then stopped and Bagga was freed. Since the Metropolitan Magistrate passed this order, Bagga was produced before Tripathi.

Now the Dwarka Court has noted in its order that Bagga has apprehended of a similar incident that can happen to him in near future and hence SHO Janakpuri should provide him full security.

"SHO is directed to make necessary arrangements for the safety and security of the complainant (Bagga), he is a major and requesting that he should be allowed to go home, since he is major there is no requirement of any further order with respect to his stay," the court noted in its order accessed by IANS.

(Atul Krishan can be approached at atul.k@ians.in)
Dhanbad : , May 7 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Over 6,000 street vendors in Dhanbad, the infamous coal town of Jharkhand, battle regular threats of displacement from their places of operation.

Since January 7 this year, the state's Urban Development Department has issued QR code-based smart identity cards and certificates of vending to 1,110 such workers, recognising their identity as street vendors as well as aiming to provide them protection against harassment by law enforcement agencies or other individuals.

Yet, the ongoing phase-wise drive of enabling vendors to sell their wares at allocated vending zones appears to be hitting regular roadblocks.

Mahesh Baranwal, a roadside bookseller near SSLNT Women's College on Luby Circular Road in the heart of the town, told 101Reporters, "When the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation [DMC] recently carried out an anti-encroachment drive near the college, we presented our smart ID cards and certificates of vending to them, which the DMC itself had issued us. These mentioned the place of trade as near SSLNT Women's College, but the officials leading the drive claimed that the certificates and ID cards had no value." "We were told that we were being driven out because of the unnecessary gathering of unwelcome individuals at our shops, many of whom harass students of the women's college," added Baranwal, the treasurer of the SSLNT Market Committee who believes that it's the responsibility of the police to deal with such issues, if these allegations were true.

Harassment from various quarters Janardan Thakur, another street vendor near SSLNT Women's College, who deals in cosmetic items, sheds further light on the grim circumstances.

"Due to the lack of a designated place of trade for us, not only are we compelled to face the batons of the police, civic body, railway and public works department, we also have to face extortion from local goons claiming that the space belongs to them. Many of us are being compelled by the local residents to pay rents amounting from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per month, as they claim that the land belongs to them, although we are sure that the land on which we carry out trade belongs to the DMC," said Thakur.

On being asked to corroborate this claim, DMC City Manager Chandra Shekhar, said, "We have received a complaint in this regard from the street vendors and will take action after verifying the facts." Meanwhile, Sneham Sinha, district coordinator of the National Association of Street Vendors of India, confirmed, "Though no street vendor was beaten up, their makeshift structures were uprooted and dismantled during the drive." Vending zones identified, but no NOCs

In 2018, the DMC selected the following 12 sites for the development of vending zones including a vacant land near the labour department office at Bartand, government land near the water tower in Purana Bazar area of Bank More and Ganesh Puja ground near Digwadih Number.

However, No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the respective departments were not granted to carry out their plans of setting up designated vending zones.

The DMC then constructed a vending zone of 232 shopping pedestals in Dhanbad's Baniahir area in September 2021. Situated around 4km from the existing main market of Jharia, this vending zone is on the outskirts of the town.

However, even after intensive awareness programmes carried out by the DMC, none of the street vendors turned up to receive shop allotments for the first four months - primarily due to apprehensions about customer footfall.

During the drive conducted in the first week of March this year, the DMC distributed pamphlets among the street vendors of Jharia market, listing out the facilities at the newly-constructed vending zones as well as the benefits of relocating. While 70 street vendors have so far turned up for the shop allotments, over 160 shops are lying unoccupied.

Sudama Ravidas, the street vendor allotted shop no. 63 in the Baniahir vending zone, said, "Earlier, I used to sell vegetables by visiting different localities with my cart. Now, I have around 25 to 30 customers visiting on a daily basis, but this is still not enough. So in the afternoon, I go to the adjoining localities to sell vegetables at the doorsteps of people's homes... The facilities at this vending zone are undoubtedly very good, be it the lighting arrangement, water availability, toilets, etc., but the footfall is low." According to Shekar, who is also in charge of the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) project, "Initially, there was some resistance among the street vendors, but after our awareness drives, they are now willing to move. We are also in the process of constructing another vending zone at the Kohinoor Grounds, near the district headquarters, which will be better equipped in terms of facilities and will have bigger spaces for individual shops." Possible solutions

According to Sinha, "The problem lies in the theoretical approach adopted by the civic body to relocate the street vendors to vending zones situated far from the heart of the town.

Instead, the DMC should construct small shops at the places of operation of the vendors by augmenting the facilities with lighting arrangements, drinking water, parking lots, toilets, etc. This was done in the nearby Giridih district, where the administration converted the existing places of operation into vending zones, instead of wasting time looking for new spaces. It's also difficult to find dispute-free land to construct these vending zones." Non-disbursement of bank loans

Besides displacement, street vendors also face the challenges of the civic body's nonchalance and banks unwilling to provide them loans under the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanibhar Nidhi Yojana (PM SVANidhi Yojana), which is being implemented locally by the DMC. This scheme, launched by the central government in June 2020, is aimed at providing collateral-free working capital loans of Rs 10,000 for a one-year tenure to approximately 50 lakh street vendors across the country.

"Instead of providing loans to needy street vendors under this scheme, DMC authorities seem more concerned with documentation to take credit for getting application forms filled, without pursuing them with the bank for the disbursement of the loans," Sinha told 101Reporters.

Shyamal Mazumdar, street vendor and general secretary of a local street vendors' organisation, Footpath Dukandar Roji Roti Uparjan Sangh, added: "The DMC has engaged Self-Help Group members or Cluster Resource Persons to carry out surveys to issue loans to street vendors under the PM SVANidhi Yojana. But instead of the names of genuine street vendors, the names of SHG members are being listed as loan beneficiaries." According to DMC City Manager Chandra Shekhar, a total of 3,966 vendors were disbursed the loan amount of Rs 10,000 each in the first phase; 218 were disbursed a loan amount of Rs 20,000 each in the second phase, bringing the cumulative figure of beneficiaries to 4,184. According to the scheme's dashboard, 7,715 applications have been received so far in Dhanbad. Meanwhile, 28,249 beneficiaries are supposed to have received Rs 30.59 crore up until March 24, 2002, according to this response in the Lok Sabha.

"Such is the state of affairs that sometimes, we feel our condition was much better when there was no law in place for the rights of street vendors. Ever since the enactment of the NULM, the situation has worsened," claimed Mazumdar, referring to the intensive anti-encroachment drives launched by different government departments in recent years, which are carried out without providing rehabilitation to street vendors as per the provisions of NULM.

(The author is a Dhanbad-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
United Nations, May 7 : After an acrimonious informal meeting on Ukraine, the UN Security Council came together formally for the first time to issue a statement that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine".

Without mentioning names, the simple statement that can be described as toothless said on Friday: "The Security Council expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine. The Security Council recalls that all Member States have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means." The Council which had been paralysed by Russia's veto power, managed for the first time since the Ukraine conflict took centre stage to agree on anything about it.

But the statement has no real impact on the situation as it was only an expression of concern and an acknowledgement of obligations without telling anyone what to do.

The statement also expressed support for the UN chief's efforts to "search for a peaceful solution".

Guterres followed it up with his own statement: "Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine. As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter." He added that he welcomed the Council's support and will spare no efforts to find peace.

He recently went on a peace mission to Moscow and Kiev to meet Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

The only tangible result to emerge from the journey was an agreement by Russia to allow a UN-sponsored evacuation of civilians from the Mariupol which is under siege by its troops.

Hammered out behind closed doors under the leadership of the United States which holds the council's rotating presidency, it was announced in a session lasting just over a minute.

US Deputy Permanent Representative Richard Mills, who presided over the session, said that it was "in accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council".

Earlier, Russia convened an informal meeting of the Council on what it said were violations of international humanitarian law by Ukraine.

Speaking at the meeting Pratik Mathur, a counsellor at India's UN Mission called for an immediate end to the conflict.

"We continue to remain deeply concerned about the worsening situation in Ukraine." Noting that India has "strongly condemned the killing of civilians in Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation", he said: "We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives." With videos and pictures at the meeting, Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia gave Moscow's narrative of the conflict in which the Ukrainian military and militias kept civilians hostage, damaged Ukrainian property and tortured captured Russian soldiers.

The US' UN Mission Political Coordinator Rodney Hunter countered by accusing Russia of "using the Security Council to spread disinformation, lies, and false narratives for years".

But later came the unanimous statement at the US-led formal Council meeting.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
San Francisco, May 7 : US-based chipmaker Nvidia will reportedly pay $5.5 million to settle charges that it unlawfully obscured how many of its graphics cards were sold to cryptocurrency miners.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the charges and a settlement with the company. Its order claims Nvidia misled investors by reporting a huge boost in revenue related to "gaming", hiding how much its success relied on the far more volatile crypto market, reports The Verge.

Nvidia is not admitting to wrongdoing as part of the settlement, but it agrees to stop any unlawful failures to disclose information.

The charges stem from Nvidia's fiscal year 2018 financial reports.

The SEC noted Nvidia saw an explosion in crypto mining-related sales in 2017, when the rewards of mining Ethereum grew dramatically.

Crypto mining was widely reported as a cause of GPU scarcity, and Nvidia launched a separate CMP line specifically for mining, attempting to prevent shortages for gamers. But employees apparently acknowledged that many gaming GPUs were still going to miners.

"The company's sales personnel, in particular in China, reported what they believed to be significant increases in demand for Gaming GPUs as a result of crypto mining," the order said.
Chennai, May 7 : After drawing ire from the Hindu community over the banning of 'Pattina Pravesam' of the Dharmapuram Adheenam, the Tamil Nadu government has initiated talks with the authorities of the Adheenam.

The age-old Shaivaite tradition at the Adheenam was scheduled to be held on May 22.

Dharmapuram Adheenam Seer Srivilluputhur Swamigal will be conducting a meeting with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in the coming days.

The 'Pattina Pravesam' or carrying the Seer in a Palanquin to the town by the disciples was banned by the district administration after the Dravidar Kazhagam and other political parties raised protests against this old-age tradition.

Meanwhile, the BJP and Hindu organisations came out in support of the Dharmapuram Adheenam and the BJP state president, K. Annamalai in a statement said that he would personally carry the seer in the palanquin if needed and would not allow the DMK government to ban the 'Pattina Pravesam'.

The Dharmapuram Adheenam in a statement on Saturday said that the seer would be holding a meeting with Chief Minister Stalin, and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) minister P. K. Sekar Babu in a few days' time to fizzle out the issue.
Seoul, May 7 : North Korea on Saturday fired an unidentified projectile towards the East Sea, the latest in Pyongyang's saber-rattling that comes just days before South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration, the military in Seoul said.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced the launch, the North's 15th show of force this year, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Details of the projectile were not immediately known.

Military authorities here presume the launch involves a ballistic missile, a source said.

The latest launch came after the North test-fired what was presumed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday.

In an unusual move, the North's state media did not report on Wednesday's launch, spawning speculation it might have failed.

Concerns have persisted that the North could continue to engage in provocations, such as another ICBM launch or a nuclear test, particularly around Yoon's inauguration slated for Tuesday or his summit with US President Joe Biden scheduled for May 21.
San Francisco, May 7 : Meta has announced to integrate Horizon Venues -- an app dedicated to attending live events in virtual reality -- with its main social VR platform Horizon Worlds.

People over 18 in the US and Canada who have access to Horizon Worlds on Quest 2 will be able to access Venues programming in the Horizon Worlds app on June 6.

"If you're not in the US or Canada, are 13-17 years of age, and/or are on Quest 1, you'll lose access to Venues programming when the standalone Venues app goes away on June 6, though you'll still be able to catch highlights and replays of Venues events in Oculus TV," Meta said in a statement.

Horizon Worlds is a social VR experience where you can discover new places with friends, build unique worlds of your own, and form teams to compete in action-packed games.

From June 6, people will be able to catch their favourite marquee shows -- from live sporting events to concerts from today's hit artists and beyond -- from within Horizon Worlds.

"We plan to expand access to Horizon Worlds in more countries this summer, so even more people will be able to build their own worlds, make new friends in VR, and enjoy our slate of Venues in Horizon Worlds programming," said the company.

The Horizon Worlds social metaverse platform is currently available only on the company's Quest VR headsets.

Meta (formerly Facebook) is working on four new virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets that the company will release by 2024.
Islamabad, May 7 : Pakistan Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel has rejected a World Health Organization (WHO) report raising questions on the country's Covid-19 death toll estimated to be eight times higher that what is reported.

He said the government knew about the WHO report claiming 260,000 people died of Covid in Pakistan but as per the official figures the death toll stands between 30,000 to 31,000, reports Samaa TV.

Going by WHO estimates, almost three times as many people have died around the world as a result of Covid-19 "Coronavirus pandemic killed around 15 million people worldwide in 2020 and 2021, nearly triple the number of deaths officially attributed to the disease," the report stated.

"In Pakistan, the figure was eight times as high." Pakistan, on the other hand, has reported only 30,369 Covid-19 deaths with more than 1.5 million infections.

"We (authorities) have been gathering data manually on Covid deaths, it could have a difference of a few hundred but it can't be in hundreds of thousands," Samaa TV quoted the Minister as saying.

"This is completely baseless," he added.

Patel said the government has explained the calculation process with its denying note to WHO and it would continue to engage with the world health body.

He further said the methodology of data collection is questionable, adding that authorities in Pakistan collected the figures from hospitals, union councils, and graveyards.

He suspected "some error" in the data collection software used by WHO which has been "showing figures in average".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Panaji, May 7 : Three Income Tax inspectors attached to office in Goa's Panaji have been booked for allegedly sexually assaulting and threatening a female subordinate staff, police said on Saturday.

Police Inspector Nikhil Palyekar told IANS that Income Tax Inspectors Manindar Attri from Delhi, Aditya Verma from Rajasthan and Deepak Kumar from Bangaluru were booked in this connection on Thursday.

"All the three accused persons have been booked under section 354 (A), 354 (D), 509 and 506 (II) rw 34 of IPC. We are investigating the case further." Palyekar said, adding that the accused are yet to be arrested.

The victim in her complaint had stated that accused persons were sexually assaulting her since February 2022.

According to the police, two of the accused persons were involved in sexually assaulting the victim and threatening her to delete the whatsapp messages and other stuff from her mobile. While, the third accused has outraged her modesty.

Panaji Police has sought CCTV footage from the Income Tax office.

Responding to the query, police said that so far, they have received complaint from only one woman. "But we will investigate if any other female staff has gone through a similar situation," the police said.
New Delhi, May 7 : A court here on Saturday issued a bailable warrant against Rujira Banerjee, the wife of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, after she failed to join an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation despite summons issued by the central agency in a money laundering case related to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria issued the warrant against Rujira, whose husband is the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A further hearing in the matter will take place on August 20.

Special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana represented the ED and submitted before the court that the accused did not appear before either the court or the probe agency despite the issuance of multiple summones.

Last month, the couple had moved the Supreme Court challenging the ED summons in the case.

The ED summoned the couple to appear for questioning on March 21 and 22.

Abhishek and Rujira Banerjee had earlier moved the Delhi High Court against the ED summons, contending that since both are residents of West Bengal, they should not be called by the agency to appear before it in the national capital.

On March 11, the high court dismissed their plea.

The couple has moved to the apex court challenging the high court order. Their plea, filed through advocate Sunil Fernandes, said: "The party to which the Petitioner No.1 (Abhishek) belonged, comprehensively trounced the political party at power in the Centre, thereby giving justifiable cause to 'target' and 'fix' the Petitioner No.1, by misusing the Central Investigation Agencies." The plea said the ED did not even attempt to interrogate the petitioners first at Kolkata, and it is still unclear as to what are the impediments that ED will face if it interrogates them at their full-fledged office in the city.

The plea added: "The petitioners' contention of political victimisation is further fortified by the inscrutable and inexplicable insistence of the ED to interrogate the petitioners at their New Delhi office instead of their full-fledged office in Kolkata. The ED seems more interested in causing prejudice to the petitioners herein rather than sincerely and expeditiously investigate the alleged offence." The petitioners urged the apex court to stay the high court order and direct the ED to summon the petitioners under section 50 PMLA only in Kolkata.
New Delhi, May 7 : The post of Chief of Defence Staff, once hailed as a major step to improve inter-service coordination, cooperation and operational integration in the Indian military, lies vacant for the last five months with no sign of immediate appointment.

Since a helicopter crash in December last year claimed the life of the country's first CDS General Bipin Rawat, the Indian military remains headless. Speculations that General M.M. Naravane would assume charge as country's second CDS a day after laying down office as the Army Chief on April 30 this year, also turned out to be untrue.

General Rawat took charge of post of CDS on January 1, 2020 after demitting office as the Army Chief in December-end in 2019. The Department of Military Affairs was created where he held the charge of Secretary of the newly created unit. With no appointment of new CDS, there are also speculations that the two posts - CDS and Secretary DMA - which solely late General Rawat was in charge of, will be split and held by two persons.

The CDS acts as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on tri-services matters.

Idea behind creating the CDS' post was that India should not have a fragmented approach. CDS' role was to ensure that the military power works in unison and all the three services move simultaneously.

The CDS was planned taken into consideration the changing nature of warfare, security environment and national security challenges. The aim was to bring about jointness between the armed forces of the country in training, procurement, staffing and operations, to enhance the quality of military advice given to the political leadership through integration of service inputs, and to develop and foster expertise in military affairs.

The CDS was working exclusively with military matters that fall within the purview of the Department of Military Affairs and the unit headed by CDS deals with the Armed Forces of the Union-- the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters and the Territorial Army.

Also, the Department of Military Affairs deals with works relating to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and procurement exclusive to the services except capital acquisitions, as per prevalent rules and procedures.

It has been promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the three services and facilitating in restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands.

As the post of CDS lies vacant, Indian military is looking upon the government to expedite the process to ensure that the proposal mooted during late Gen Bipin Rawat moves ahead.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)
Kiev, May 7 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country stands ready to resume talks on settling the conflict with Russia after Moscow's forces return to the positions they held before the invasion on February 24.

"They need to withdraw to those temporary contact lines or dividing lines, they must withdraw troops there. Then we can start the full-scale talks," Xinhua news agency quoted Zelensky as saying while speaking to mediapersons.

"To stop the war between Russia and Ukraine the step should be regaining the situation as of 23 February," he said, referring to the day before the war began.

"I was elected by the people of Ukraine as president of Ukraine, not as President of a mini Ukraine of some kind. This is a very important point." The reference to the situation as of February 23 suggests Ukraine may not insist on retaking Crimea before making peace with Russia, reports the BBC.

The peninsula was annexed by Russia eight years ago.

Calling for the resumption of diplomatic dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, the President said: "Despite the fact that they destroyed all our bridges, I think not all the bridges are yet destroyed, figuratively speaking." The Ukrainian and Russian delegations held their latest round of in-person peace negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey in late March.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Hyderabad, May 7 : AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has condemned the alleged honour killing of a Hindu man by the relatives of his Muslim wife in Hyderabad.

Stating that that the murder of Nagraju is against Islam, the Hyderabad MP said the girl had married the man of her choice and the law of the land permits it.

Billapuram Nagaraju (25) was hacked to death in Saroornagar area on the night of May 4 in front of his wife and in full public view by her brother and his friend.

The next day, police arrested both the accused.

Nagaraju had married Ashrin Sultana, his classmate in school and college, on January 31 this year at the Arya Samaj temple in Hyderabad.

Owaisi said there was no rationale for the two men to kill her husband.

"Murder is the worst crime in Islam," he told an Eid Milap programme at Darussalam, the headquarters of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), on Friday.

Stating that Majlis condemns the murder, the MP welcomed the action taken by Telangana government with the immediate arrest of the accused, adding that they should be punished.

Owaisi made it clear that his party will not stand by murderers. "You have no right to go and kill somebody. Have fear of Allah. Holy Quran says if one innocent human being is killed it amounts to killing the entire humanity and if one human being is saved it is like saving the entire humanity." He alleged that a section of media is trying to give the incident a communal colour and pointing fingers at him.

"Did I take out procession in support of killers, did I garland them or did I announce that I will arrange a lawyer for them?" he asked.

Owaisi pointed out that when a Muslim youth married a Hindu girl in Madhhya Pradesh, the authorities there went and demolished his father's house and shop. He said similarly the killer of Ikhlaq and other were felicitated.

The MP also made it clear that he will decide what to speak and where and when to speak on any issue and this can't be decided by media or others.
Sanaa, May 7 : Suspected Al Qaeda gunmen attacked a security headquarters in Yemen's southern province of Dhalea, a government official said on Saturday.

"Intense armed confrontations are still going on between the security forces and the Al Qaeda suspects in and around the security headquarters in Dhalea amid large explosions," the official told Xinhua news agency.

The attack on the security headquarters that includes a prison is aimed to free Al Qaeda inmates in it, he added.

A few security personnel, including two senior officials, were killed in the attacka.

Witnesses said the attackers also detonated bombs, causing large explosions.

Ambulances and a security unit backed by armoured vehicles rushed to the scene, they added.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces.

The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country.
New Delhi, May 7 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the reported stripping and assault of a woman by police personnel in Lalitpur.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

The NHRC has also sought a report on action taken against the responsible police officer and any relief granted to the victim by the authorities. Reportedly, the woman was working as a domestic help at the residence of a police officer and was beaten on the allegations of a theft in the house.

"The Commission has observed that the contents of the media reports if true, raise serious issue of violation of human right to the victim. The Police Officer and his family have not only misused their position but also subjected the victim to physical torture and cruelty", said the commission in a statement.

Reportedly, on May 2, the victim was locked in a room by the wife of the police officer who came along with a lady Inspector and started interrogating her regarding a theft in the house.

"Besides beating her brutally, they also subjected her to water cannon and electric shocks to force her accept the allegations. Later, sensing that the matter may snowball into a controversy, she was called to the Mehrauli police station where the police personnel tried to project the matter as a dispute with her husband and also initiated action against him for disturbing peace", said NHRC.
"Both of them are safe and of high quality," she pointed out.

People who attend vaccination centers in search of the fourth dose must have allowed five months to pass after the administration of the third dose; otherwise, it will not proceed.

"It must have been five months; this information is based on scientific research," she indicated.

The Minsa official explained that all those who received the third dose last December must go for the fourth dose in the following days.

"We are projecting that there are an average of one 1.2 million people who should be administered the fourth dose," she said.

As is known, the administration of a fourth dose was only allowed to citizens over 70 years of age, health personnel, and immunosuppressed people; however, it was necessary to expand this group.

The official reminded citizens that Peru is carrying out one of the most extensive vaccination processes in South America, ranking third in the region, after Argentina and Chile, in terms of the percentage of the population protected against the coronavirus.

Therefore, Martinez called on the population to continue attending vaccination centers and health establishments so as to be protected against COVID-19 and face the pandemic.

?? Las personas mayores de 50 anos deben asistir a cualquier centro de vacunacion del pais para la aplicacion de la cuarta dosis de la vacuna contra la COVID-19.

? El principal requisito es haber recibido la tercera dosis hace 5 meses o mas.#MeVacunoPeru #SiempreConElPueblo pic.twitter.com/gfXSgq3uKH
Conditions are changing in 90 districts of India because of the developmental plans in the minority-majority districts.

These 90 districts were classified as MCD in 2008. It is a regional developmental initiative to remove the developmental deficiencies of minority concentrated areas by building and developing social infrastructure and providing basic amenities.

Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains have been identified as minority communities under section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minority Act, 1992. The actual name of this scheme is 'Multi-Sectoral Development Program for Minorities'.

The significance of this scheme, overseen by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, in the context of Muslims is heightened because of the high poverty rate among Indian Muslims.

While 53 per cent of Dalit men have jobs, only 48 per cent of Muslims have jobs. Similarly, 23 per cent of Dalit women are employed while the percentage of Muslim women is only 9.6 per cent.

According to the 2001 census, the literacy rate of the country is 64.80 per cent, while among Muslims it is only 59.10 per cent. Muslims are also becoming more ill on average because only 19 per cent of their homes have plumbing for clean drinking water. Now that the situation is extremely serious, it is clear that the Centre will also work to improve their situation.

Today, the multi-sectoral development program has completed 14 years and is beginning to show good consequences in lots of districts.

The 90 districts identified are mostly in Uttar Pradesh. In this plan, 21 districts have been identified here. Assam 13, West Bengal 12, Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh 7-7, Manipur 6, Jharkhand and Maharashtra 4-4, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Mizoram 2-2, Delhi, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar, Orissa 1-1 Districts. The scheme covers Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Sikkim and Ladakh. Along with this, 338 towns and 1228 blocks of class 1 are also listed in this scheme.

The basis of the scheme is that the minority population in the district or town should be 25 per cent or more. The advantage of going to town and block level is that many states are not included in the district list but their minority areas have been included at town and block level. For example, Punjab and Rajasthan are not in the national list of 90 districts but 26 towns of Punjab and 16 towns of Rajasthan are covered on the basis of town list.

But this does not mean that the towns or blocks of the districts of the states which are included in it have been left out. For example, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of 21 districts covered under the MCD scheme, while Uttar Pradesh has 71 additional towns under the scheme in addition to these 21 districts.

It aims to provide better infrastructure for education, skills development, health, sanitation, shelter, roads and drinking water, and to create income opportunities for minorities. This is due to the joint efforts of the Center and the States.

The scheme also seeks to fill the gaps in the existing schemes of the government by providing additional resources and also undertakes new minority welfare projects so that the development gap created during this period can be filled up expeditiously. In 2017, the Indian Institute of Public Administration presented a detailed report on the MCD scheme. Chapter 4 of the report states that "these items appear to be related to three main areas: education, health and drinking water. Given the improved quantity or duration of water supply for better access to healthcare facilities or access to secondary school in this case, the recorded data confirms the impact of MSDP on their daily life.This may sound ridiculous, even trivial to some, but we see very little satisfaction on the faces of those who felt basically isolated from being ignored for so long. It is true that not everyone has benefited, but with these small actions, MSDP has been able to stem the tide of frustration in the minds of a large segment of the population in minority areas.".

It would appear that these items are essentially related to three sectors: education, health and drinking water. Staring from improvement in volume or duration of water supply to improved access to health care facilities or access to secondary school for that matter, the recorded data confirms impact of MsDP on their day-to-day life. It may sound mundane, even trivial to some but we noticed little satisfaction on the faces of the people who were until necessarily feeling alienated because of prolonged neglect.

True, everybody has not reaped benefits but with these small gestures, MsDP has been able to arrest the drift from the psyche of a sizeable section of people in minority populated areas.

Muslims have three needs -- dducation, employment and health.

In the budget for the year 2022-23, Rs 50.50 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Minority Welfare. This is Rs 674 crore more than the previous budget. Obviously, it also aims at the development of minority populated areas.

Minority Welfare Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi described the budget as promoting confidence and development amid the Covid pandemic.

If full dedication and purposeful social workers in all 90 selected districts do with hard work, these districts can become an example for the Muslims of India.

It is hoped that with the light of 90 districts, minorities across India will be able to shed light on their development.

(The author is a freelance journalist and chairman of the Muslim Students' Organization of India. Views expressed are personal)
Beirut, May 7 : A total of 16,535 out of the 30,930 Lebanese expat voters in nine Arab countries and Iran have cast their votes for the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Foreign Ministry announced.

The 53.46 per cent turnout in the 10 countries reflects their willingness to witness change in Lebanon, Xinhua news agency quoted Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi as saying.

Lebanese expats in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Iran cast their votes on Friday for parliamentary elections, before the rest of them living in 48 other countries will vote on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese at home will cast their ballots on May 15.

A total of 718 candidates, including 118 females, are running for the elections of the 128-seat Lebanese Parliament.

Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system allocates seats for its mosaic of religious sects in its Parliament, including Sunni and Shia Muslims, various Christian denominations, and the Druze.

The president must always be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni and the Speaker of Parliament a Shia.

Lebanon is in dire need to hold parliamentary elections, which is among the many conditions imposed by the international organisations and donor countries to extend support to the crisis-hit country.

The major financial crisis has plunged over 70 per cent of the country's population into poverty, while the Lebanese currency has lost more than 90 per cent of its value since 2019.
Hyderabad, May 7 : S. Thaman, who is awaiting the release of his next big-budget film 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata', is also a judge on the singing reality show, the 'Telugu Indian Idol'.

Thaman, moved by one of the contestant's words, promised to fund the latter son's education for the next three years.

Renu Kumar, a 'Telugu Indian Idol' contestant who impressed the judges with his singing performance, had his mother on stage to commemorate Mother's Day.

Renu Kumar revealed during his speech on stage that he struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic and couldn't even afford his son's education.

Thaman, who comes from a similar background and had to stop his education to support his family at a young age, was obviously moved by Renu Kumar's situation.O ther judges Nitya Menen and Karthik appreciated this gesture by Thaman.
Patna, May 7 : For the upcoming Presidential polls, the BJP would require good support from states like Bihar to place its candidate for the top post of the country.

The saffron party is sharing power with the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in Bihar and the former would manage to take support of its alliance partners JD-U and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), despite the fact that they are having difference of opinion on several issues, including CAA, NRC, Uniform Civil Code etc.

Experts believe that the presidential elections may not hit the political interest of parties like the JD-U and HAM at the ground level in Bihar. Hence, they would not oppose the BJP nominee.

There was a buzz that Nitish Kumar might be fielded as the Presidential nominee with the support of the BJP. However, Kumar said that he is not interested in the politics of the Centre.

"Nitish Kumar is the CM of Bihar and he is undoubtedly the undisputed top-notch leader of the JD-U. He is not going for the politics of the Centre, nor is he in the fray for Presidential or Vice-Presidential posts," said Neeraj Kumar, MLC and chief spokesperson of JD-U.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan also met with Nitish Kumar a couple of days ago, and there is a buzz that both the leaders discussed the issue of a cabinet reshuffle in Bihar. This also indicates that Nitish Kumar will stay here in Bihar. Besides, they also reportedly discussed the current strength of the BJP for the Presidential polls.

RJD Vice-President Shivanand Tiwari also said that there is strong indication that Nitish Kumar would not go to the Centre.

"He loves the chair and if he fails to bargain for the prestigious post of the President, why would he go to the Centre? I believe the BJP will promote current Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu for the post of President. Given that possibly, Nitish Kumar will stay in Bihar," Tiwari said.

"JD-U is also facing the crisis of Nitish Kumar's political successor. At present, JD-U has several groups like the R.C.P. Singh camp, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh camp and Upendra Kushwaha camp. If Nitish Kumar goes to the Centre, the JD-U will split in Bihar. In that case, some of the JD-U leaders will go towards the BJP, while some others would join the RJD, and Nitish Kumar can't afford such a situation," Tiwari said.

Recently, the JD-U in a bid to stop groupism in the party had issued official notification for all leaders that in every poster and advertisement, the photograph of only Nitish Kumar will be used. No other leaders are now entitled to promote themselves via poster politics in Bihar.

Nitish Kumar knew that he would come in a position of strong bargain with the BJP only by strengthening his party at the ground level. At present, JD-U has only 45 seats in the Bihar Assembly, which is less than the 69 seats it had won in the 2015 elections. The JD-U will get strong in Bihar only if Nitish Kumar remains at the helm of party affairs.

The Presidential elections would not affect any political interest of Nitish Kumar. Hence, he would most likely extend his party's support to the BJP nominee.

However, BJP leaders are tight-lipped on the Presidential polls. They believe that the party has adequate numbers to achieve the target and the decline of seats after the UP elections would not affect the party.

At present, BJP has 77 MLAs in Bihar while the JD-U has 45. HAM with 4 MLAs is expected to follow the stand of JD-U and support the BJP on this issue. In the legislative council, NDA has 53 seats, which include JD-U's 28, BJP's 22, HAM's 1, RLJP's 1 and VIP's 1.

As far as the RJD is concerned, its leaders have always maintained that on any decision at the Central level, it will go with the Congress.

In Bihar, RJD has 76 MLAs, Congress has 19, Left parties 16 while the AIMIM has 5 MLAs. In Vidhan Parishad, RJD has 11 seats, Congress 4, CPI 2 and Independent 5 seats.
Lucknow, May 7 : The Samajwadi Party (SP) has thrown a spanner in the Presidential elections by announcing that it will neither support a BJP candidate, nor a Congress nominee in the upcoming polls.

SP's national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, "Our party president and quite a few senior leaders feel that SP should maintain equal distance from the BJP and the Congress in the Presidential elections." In political circles, SP's decision is being seen as a clear message to the Congress to not to mess with its internal matters.

Sources said that Akhilesh Yadav had taken a strong exception to Acharya Pramod Krishnam's recent meeting with senior SP MLA Mohammad Azam Khan in jail.

While the BJP seems to be in a comfortable position to see its nominee through in the polls, for the Congress, the Presidential elections will be a major opportunity to position itself as the main challenger to the saffron brigade in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

For this, the Congress would need the support of all the BJP rivals, and SP's latest stance could leave the Congress strategists eyeing SP votes a bit concerned.

As the electoral college which elects the President comprises all members of both Houses of the Parliament and MLAs from all the states, SP will be a noticeable player. Presently, SP and its allies have 125 MLAs, 16 MLCs and 8 MPs (both Houses).

Interestingly, none of the SP allies have so far made any comment on SP's decision on Presidential elections.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), according to sources, is 'uncomfortable' with SP's posture.

"You need to take a stand in politics and cannot always queer the pitch. We do not understand what SP wants but we will take a decision at the appropriate time," said a senior RLD leader.

The RLD has eight MLAs in the UP Assembly.

The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is also a Samajwadi ally with six legislators and its President Om Prakash Rajbhar is also maintaining a studied silence on the issue.

Meanwhile, according to sources, a section of senior legislators in the SP is also against the decision announced by Akhilesh Yadav.

These legislators are apparently waiting for Shivpal Singh Yadav to decide his stand on the issue and may eventually go with him.

A senior SP MLA told IANS, "In politics, we cannot build castles in the air. We have to go either with the Congress or the BJP because we are not in a position to influence the outcome of the Presidential elections. Our leadership is not even negotiating with other non-BJP parties on the issue." The Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), meanwhile, have been reduced to the status of non-players in the Presidential polls from Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress has just two members in the state Assembly, while the BSP has one.
New Delhi, May 7 : Despite losing few states and alliance partners in the last five years, the BJP is comfortably placed to get its candidate elected as President of India in July. However, the current status of the Electoral College for the presidential poll has given a slight edge to the Opposition over the BJP led NDA.

The BJP strategists have two simple tasks to do to ensure the victory of the NDA candidate in the presidential election in July; first keep their votes intact and secondly win support of smaller or regional parties to fill the marginal gap in the electoral college.

Currently, Opposition parties collectively have 51.1 per cent share of the electoral college while the BJP and its alliance partners have 48.9 per cent. The mere two per cent difference can be easily managed by attaining the support of Opposition parties which are not comfortable in standing with the Congress.

A BJP insider said that responsibility to fill the gap in the electoral college will be given to senior leaders which include party chief J.P. Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Dhramendra Pradhan may also be roped in to reach out to the Opposition camp for support.

The party insider said that the victory in all four states it ruled in recent assembly elections has ensured that the BJP candidate would not face much difficulty in the presidential election.

"Currently, the NDA needs only 1.2 per cent to cross the halfway mark and it is not difficult to achieve with the support of a like-minded party," he said.

The BJP strategists are first trying to get support from Navin Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

"BJD and YSRCP have extended issue-based support to us in the past. With the support from both BJD and YSRCP, the NDA presidential candidate will easily manage to win the election. Both the party reportedly did not show interest in Congress' call for support in the presidential election," a senior BJP leader said.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the BJP will try to build consensus to avoid a contest by talking to key Opposition parties. "We believe that the President should be elected by consensus and the contest must be avoided. Our leadership may reach out to key Opposition parties to build a consensus over the choice of candidate. We will try to avoid a contest but if the Opposition parties do not agree to our request, we will fight the presidential election and ensure victory of the NDA candidate," another insider said.

In the last presidential election in 2017, NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind won with 65.65 per cent votes of the Electoral College. In 2017, the NDA was in power in 21 states, however, in 2022, as many as 18 states are being governed by the BJP or its alliance partners.
New Delhi, May 7 : Outspoken, educated in both secular and religious issues, against Islamic fundamentalism, and a career out and out in public life, is best how 71-year-old Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan can be described as.

Khan's name has been doing rounds as a probable NDA candidate for the Presidential poll due in July. Some BJP leaders point out that Khan fits the bill of Indian Muslims, the way the party envisages, those following Islam but practicing Indian ethos.

Graduating in Arts from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), followed by a law degree from Lucknow University, the Bulandshahar born Khan has always been known for his strong views about orthodox Islamic practices and has advocated for social reforms in Muslim community.

In fact, even after being a student leader at the AMU and starting his political career with former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh's Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Khan's claim to fame moment came when in 1986 he famously voiced staunch opposition to the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's move of constitutional amendment to nullify the Supreme Court's judgment in Shah Bano case.

Khan had opposed Rajiv Gandhi even when he was considered as a close aide of Rajiv Gandhi owing to his intelligence and bright acumen. His defiance of ruling Congress' official line in this crucial case that went on to alter the Hindu Muslim equation for the country paved the way for his exit from the Congress.

He then joined V.P. Singh's Janata Dal, which he left after some time to join Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

In his long political career, Khan served once as a member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and four times as a member of the Parliament. He also served as a Union minister in Rajiv Gandhi and V.P. Singh governments.

In 2004, he joined the BJP and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha poll that year. He had left the saffron camp in 2007 but rejoined after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014.

Khan also strongly opposed the practice of Triple Talaq and hence supported the Modi government's decision to ban it.

Many in the saffron camp believe that his opposition to the Islamic fundamentalism has earned him the post of a Governor in the NDA rule in September 2019.

Many in the BJP believe that Khan's progressive Muslim image fits well in Prime Minister Modi's "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas" vision and therefore he stands a good chance to be for Modi what A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was for Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002. However, the decision to field him as NDA's presidential candidate will be taken by the party's parliamentary board only after consultation with its alliance partners next month.
New Delhi, May 7 : With the Presidential elections round the corner, the BJP is seemingly in search of a candidate who can be sent to the Raisina Hill, but the road leading to it may be steeper as all regional parties are gearing up for a showdown with the ruling party.

The regional parties are rattled with the alleged hounding by the enforcement agencies reporting to the Union government. However, till now, no serious move has been initiated by either side.

Internal churning is on in the opposition as well as the ruling alliance, which is confident of winning the elections due to its numerical strength in the Parliament. But a united opposition can definitely upset the equations of the BJP.

Now, the big question is will Prime Minister Narendra Modi go the Atal Bihari Vajpayee way and propose a consensus candidate like A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, whose candidature had created a division in the opposition camp in 2002? Things may be little different this time as the BJP is stronger now than in the Vajpayee era, with more than 300 MPs in the Lok Sabha and around 100 MPs in the Upper House.

While the sources in the ruling party are tight-lipped on the Presidential nominee, several rounds of meeting with RSS leaders have been held to arrive at a conclusion.

In the past, Vajpayee had fielded A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to get the support of some non-NDA parties, while UPA candidates Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee had garnered support from many parties which were part of the NDA then. At the time of Kalam, outfits like the Samajwadi Party, which was in the opposition, had supported him.

In 2002, Vajpayee had successfully united the Congress and other regional parties, except the Left outfits, to get Kalam elected as the President.

At that time, the NDA's first proposed candidate was P.C. Alexander, a former bureaucrat, but the Congress was not keen as it was in favour of giving a second term to K.R. Narayanan, and was also trying for the elevation of Vice President Krishan Kant, who had the backing of the Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu, who was an NDA partner at the time. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was also backing Kant.

But on the announcement of the name of Kalam, Mulayam Singh sided with the NDA and the Congress too assented despite the party having differences. Kalam secured around 90 per cent of the votes.

Trinamool Congress' Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena's Bal Thackeray and BJD's Naveen Patnaik had also supported Kalam, and because of his Tamil Nadu connection, the DMK and the AIADMK also came on board.

BJP sources say that if the party wants to send across a political message, it could very well put up a tribal nominee this time around, given the fact that it had proposed a Scheduled Caste candidate last time in incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind.

In such a case, the two names doing the rounds are Anusuiya Uikey, presently the Governor of Chhattisgarh, and Draupadi Murmu, the former Governor of Jharkhand.

While Uikey belongs to Madhya Pradesh, Murmu hails from Mayurbhanj, a tribal district in Odisha.

The electoral college comprises 776 MPs of both the Houses and 4,120 MLAs from all the states and Union Territories. The electoral college had 1,098,903 votes, with 5,49,452 votes being the majority. However, with the Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir with a vote value of 6,264 suspended since 2019, the majority mark now is down to 546,320 votes.

As far as the value of votes is considered, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum with approximately 83,824 votes, followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal.

As for the BJP, it has 465,797 votes, and add to that its alliance partners' 71,329, the total comes to 537,126.

The BJP enjoys a brute majority in the Assemblies of Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand, but if the opposition joins hands and puts up a joint candidate, the saffron camp might find it tough to win the elections. The only way would be a division in the opposition camp.

If the opposition puts up a candidate like NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who is capable of garnering support from the Trinamool Congress, BJD, TRS, YSRCP, CPI-M, CPI and other parties, the BJP will have a tough task in hand, as though the saffron party has its government in big states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka, the opposition is not far behind in these states.

Incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind is about to complete his tenure and there is no clarity of him getting another term in office, as the BJP will field a candidate eyeing the 2024 general elections and the ensuing state polls.
Mumbai, May 7 : Twinkle toes Madhuri Dixit Nene has shared a sneak-peek of her second single titled 'Tu Hai Mera', which will drop on the actress' birthday on May 15.

Madhuri had released her first single 'Candle' during the lockdown and dedicated to all those fighting on the frontline. The diva is all set to launch her second single titled 'Tu Hai Mera' on her birthday May 15.

She took to Instagram, where she shared the teaser and poster of the single and captioned it: "Dive into the first look of #TuHaiMera with me." The song is her expression of love to all the fans who have supported her journey.

On the acting front, Madhuri was last seen on screen in the 2019 film 'Kalank' directed by Abhishek Varman.

Set in the pre-independence British era, the film also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sanjay Dutt.
Seoul, May 7 : North Korea fired an apparent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's military said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch in waters off the North's eastern coastal city of Sinpo at 2.07 p.m. and that the missile flew some 600 km at a top altitude of about 60 km, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The latest launch marks the North's 15th show of force this year. It came just three days after the reclusive regime test-fired what was thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and also ahead of the inauguration of South Korea's new President Yoon Suk-yeol.

"The North's recent series of missile launches are acts of serious threat that undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community, and a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions," the JCS said in a statement, urging Pyongyang to immediately stop them.

During a military parade last month, the North showcased a set of SLBMs, including a "mini-SLBM" that it claimed to have successfully test-fired from a submarine in October last year.

The SLBM is a bedrock asset for nuclear retaliation as a submarine carrying it can operate undetected, launch counterstrikes and thus allow a country to survive an enemy's preemptive attack.

At the parade, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hinted his country could use nuclear arms in case of encroachment on its "fundamental rights," raising speculation he is shifting to a more aggressive doctrine for nuclear use.

Concerns have persisted that the North could continue to engage in provocations, such as another ICBM launch or a nuclear test, particularly around Yoon's inauguration slated for Tuesday or his summit with US President Joe Biden scheduled for May 21.




"Peru, since the beginning of the conflict, has expressed its position in the sense that a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict must be found, one that involves the interests and security perceptions of the parties involved," said the official statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry

Likewise, it reaffirmed that Peru grants full support to the actions being carried out by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to fulfill the momentous mandate.

United Nations Security Council

Hours ago, the United Nations Security Council approved a declaration on the situation in Ukraine, in which it recalls that under the UN Charter, all member states have assumed the obligation to settle their international disputes through peaceful means.

Within this framework, it specified that the Council gave its firm support to efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General in search for a peaceful solution.

Approved unanimously, the declaration binds all UN Security Council members, and also reflects the first consensus adopted at the United Nations on the conflict in Ukraine.

It was specified that this is a decision in favor of peace.

(END) NDP/GSR/JCC/MVB

The Peruvian Government has expressed its full support for the decision of the United Nations Security Council which approved, by virtue of the UN Charter , to legally reaffirm the principle of a peaceful and negotiated solution to international conflicts, seeking to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Published: 5/7/2022
San Francisco, May 7 : The Orlando Police Pension Fund has sued Elon Musk and his $44 billion buyout of Twitter, claiming that the deal cannot close till 2025 owing to Tesla CEO's stake in the micro-blogging platform.

The proposed class-action lawsuit, filed by the Orlando Police Pension Fund in the Delaware Chancery court, alleged that since Musk was an "interested stockholder" before the merger agreement was approved by Twitter's board, "the proposed takeover may not lawfully close until 2025 absent approval by the affirmative vote of over 66 per cent of Twitter's voting stock not aowned' by Musk within the meaning of Section 203".

The lawsuit also named former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, current CEO Parag Agrawal and the company's board as defendants.

Under Section 203, shareholders who own more than 15 per cent of the company can't enter a merger without two-thirds of the remaining shares granting approval.

Musk began acquiring Twitter shares in January 2022 and ownedAapproximately 9.6 per cent of Twitter's outstanding voting stock when the Board approved the Proposed Takeover.

In connection with his efforts to acquire Twitter, Musk also had an "agreement, arrangement or understanding" within the meaning of Section 203 with at least two other significant beneficial owners of Twitter's outstandingAvoting stock, read the lawsuit.

They were Morgan Stanley which beneficially owns approximately 8.8 per cent of Twitter's outstanding voting stock and serves as Musk's financial adviser, and Twitter co-founder Dorsey who beneficially owns approximately 2.4 per cent of Twitter's voting stock and encouraged Musk to take Twitter private.

"Additionally, according to public reporting, it appears likely Musk also had and has additional aagreement, arrangement or understanding' with other significant holders of Twitter common stock whose support for the Proposed Takeover Musk secured prior to the Twitter Board's approval of the deal," the lawsuit read.

Musk, therefore, was an "interested stockholdera within the meaning of Section 203 before the Board approved the proposed takeover, it added.

The proposed class-action lawsuit said that since Musk is an "interested stockholder" within the meaning of Section 203, the $44 billion takeover of Twitter may not lawfully close within three years of the time that Musk became an "interested stockholder", unless the Proposed Takeover is approved by the affirmative vote of at least more than 66 per cent of Twitter's outstanding voting stock not "owned" by Musk.

Musk, who has to pay $21 billion from his pocket for the deal, is likely to take over as a temporary CEO of Twitter when the takeover deal is through.

A fresh US SEC filing this week revealed that Musk has secured nearly $7.14 billion in equity commitments from friends and other investors to acquire Twitter.

Musk received $1 billion from Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and $5 million from Honeycomb Asset Management, which invested in his SpaceX company, the report mentioned.
Shimla, May 7 : Five workers were trapped in a tunnel of the under-construction 150&MW Tidong hydel power project in Kinnaur district on Saturday, police said.

Three of them were rescued.

The mishap took place when the workers were coming out of the tunnel after their duty.

They were coming out on foot as the mechanical system for carrying the workers to the digging spot developed a snag, officials said.

The rescued workers were sent for medical treatment to Rampur. Rescue work is on to trace the two other workers.
Panaji, May 7 : The contours of Goa's legacy industry, iron ore mining, is set for a tectonic change, with the BJP-led coalition government in Goa poised to repossess 88 mining tracts leases to wealthy mining barons for generations, some of which were also transferred to multinational companies like Vedanta Resources.

Most mining tracts in the state, located in the hinterland away from the golden shoreline, were given as concessions to bidders by the Portuguese government during the colonial era, but a series of illegalities, including a Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam as well as irregularities in the lease renewal processes, had forced the Supreme Court to crack down on the industry, which has been shut down to a large extent since 2018.

The attempt to repossess 88 mining leases, with the objective of handing them over to the recently formed state government's mining corporation, has signalled yet another attempt by successive state governments to restart the mining industry in the state, which at its peak accounted for nearly 30 percent of Goa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Last week, the state government issued notices to lease holders of the 88 mining leases - the leases were incidentally scrapped by the SC in 2018 - directing them to comply with the Rule 12(1) (hh) of the Minerals (other than Atomic and Hydrocarbons Energy Minerals) Concession Rules, 2016, and vacate leases "within a period of one calendar month w.e.f. from 6th May to 6th June 2022 failing which further action will be initiated as deemed appropriate in terms of the MMDR Act and the Rules made thereunder".

The notice also directed leaseholders to clear ore, engines, machinery, plants, buildings, structures and tramways from the mining sites.

While the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association, a collective of iron ore exporters in Goa, has confirmed receipt of the notices, the lobby group has said that the matter was still pending in the High Court.

The Goa Mining People's Front, a collective of mining workers and small businesses linked to the trade, has also urged the state government to expedite the process of mining resumption.

"People in the mining belt have been waiting for years for mining to resume. This process should be completed as soon as possible so that mining activity begins at the earliest," the Front's convenor Puti Gaonkar said.

When mining extraction was at its peak between 2009-2011, nearly 13,000 trucks, dozens of river barges ferried iron ore from the mining sites to the state's major port in South Goa for export to China, Japan, etc. Nearly all the machinery, barge and truck owners now await the resumption of mining activity, through the e-auctioning route, which according to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is expected to be conducted by the newly formed Goa Mineral Development Corporation.

Noted environmentalist Claude Alvares, who heads the Goa Foundation, an NGO which has been keeping tabs on illegal mining and seeking judicial intervention in sectoral illegalities for nearly two decades.

Alvares has urged the state government to ensure that the process of e-auctioning by the Corporation should be conducted in a thorough manner, without being influenced by mining companies, stating that the state's economy cannot "afford another disaster".
New Delhi, May 7 : Allowing the suit filed by OCM Singapore Njord Holdings Hardrada Pte Ltd, the Delhi High Court has granted an interim injunction restraining promoters of UAE-based Gulf Petrochem FZC from disposing of any of their movable or immovable assets, in connection with an alleged trade fraud of over 12 million USD.

"As consolidated above, the plaintiffs have made out a strong prima facie case in their favour and the defendants have not been able to make out any credible case of defence. Irreparable harm and injury would be caused to the plaintiffs, if the defendants were to dispose of their assets. Therefore, balance of convenience requires that the plaintiffs be granted interim injunction," stated Justice Amit Bansal in an order passed on Friday.

The court also directed the defendant company promoters--Prerit Goel, Manan Goel to disclose all their bank account statements in India and abroad and particulars of movable and immovable assets within four weeks.

In the order, the court also specified the restraining of the property measuring 1 Bigha 12 Biswas situated in the revenue estate of Village Samalka, Tehsil Vasant Vihar, New Delhi.

As per the plaintiff Singapore-based shipping company, the United Arab Emirates-based Gulf Petrochem which had voyage chartered their Vessel "Torm Hardrada" on May 8, 2020.

The Vessel loaded 40,533.05 metric tonnes of Jet Aviation Fuel and a bill of lading was issued by the master of the Vessel, which was consigned to the order of Natixis, France, a French bank for delivery at Rotterdam.

On June 6, 2020, the defendant Petrochem company ordered the Vessel to proceed to Fujairah, UAE, and deliver the Cargo to Vitol Bahrain E.C which has to be delivered to the port of Rotterdam.Although the defendant company received payment from the buyers, they did not pay Natixis and misappropriated the proceeds of the sale. In the legal battle of Natixis, in order to mitigate their losses, the plaintiffs on November 16, 2020, furnished security of USD 14,908,056 to them towards theAprincipal claim amount of USD 12,423,380 around Rs 95.6 crore Indian money.

The Singapore company argued that the defendants have defrauded many more companies globally in a similar manner by inducing shipping companies to deliver cargo to other buyers without the production of the original bills of lading on the basis of Letter of Indemnities(LoI) and, thereafter, not honouring the said LoIs.

The court noted, as per the records, that the website of the defendant company has an office/place of business in New Delhi, a stand which they changed later.

The bench held that the defendants have failed to show that the territorial jurisdiction of the Court is highly debatable or prima facie not tenable.
New Delhi, May 7 : The Congress is gearing up for its Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan's Udaipur next week and party president Sonia Gandhi has sought a draft report from the sub committees on Monday ahead of the CWC meet which will formalise its agenda. Sources say among the political resolutions, the alliances will be the key focus on the lines of the Shimla Shivir, which paved the way for the government in 2004.

Sources say that as suggested by political strategist Prashant Kishor, the party will focus on how to take like-minded parties on board and start the consultation process just after the Chintan Shivir. The problem crops up where the party is pitted against regional parties, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there will be no alliance with the TRS and warned all the leaders not to talk about it.

Similarly in Andhra Pradesh, the party has to make a choice between the TDP or going alone as YSRCP is unlikely to go with the Congress. The party is in alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu, with JMM in Jharkhand and with the NCP-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

In the North East, either the BJP or the regional parties have replaced the Congress and the alliance with the AIUDF failed in Assam. The party is zero in West Bengal and state chief minister Mamata Baneejee is not willing to play second fiddle to the Congress at the national level as she is herself trying to build an alliance of regional parties.

The emergence of the AAP outside Delhi has created another problem as regional parties are taking the place of the Congress in the states. A leader who recently left the Congress to join the BJP said, "the real problem is regional parties which are eating into Congress votes while the BJP is strengthening its vote base socially and through social sector schemes which played a key role in recent electoral wins." States like UP, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal, where the regional parties are pitted against the Congress, will be on the agenda in the brainstorming session besides a focus on 180 Lok Sabha seats where there is minimal presence of the party which is a cause of concern. To get back its lost glory, the party has to form alliances to be a formidable challenger in the states.

The major test will be in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh this year, where the AAP is making inroads, then states like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh which are going to the polls in 2023. These are the major states where the Congress has to perform better and win to throw a challenge to the BJP in the 2024 general elections.
Hyderabad, May 7 : Director Parasuram Petla, who is currently awaiting the release of the much-anticipated film 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata,' will soon direct actor Naga Chaitanya, as the two have long wanted to collaborate.

The duo, who was supposed to work together before 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata', could not do so, due to the pandemic.

Parasuram then rolled his project with Mahesh Babu, as Naga Chaitanya got busy with other projects.

Now that Parasuram Petla is prepping up with the script, he will soon direct Naga Chaitanya.

Chaitanya, on the other hand, is shooting for his current project, which is a supernatural horror called 'Dhootha'.

Directed by Vikram K Kumar for Amazon Prime Video, the web series will be released later this year.

'Thank You,' Chaitanya's next film, directed by Vikram K Kumar, will be released this year.

Chaitanya has a prominent role in the Hindi film 'Laal Singh Chaddha', alongside Aamir Khan.

Chaitanya is also collaborating with Vikram Prabhu on a Tamil-Telugu bilingual.
New Delhi, May 7 : Vineeta Agarwala, the wife of Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, is now making headlines amid Elon Musk's $44 billion takeover deal.

Her role as general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) -- a top US VC firm which has agreed to pay $400 million as part of Musk's new $7.1 billion financing commitments -- is set to create a conflict of interest.

As a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, she leads investments for the firm's bio and health fund across therapeutics, life sciences tools/diagnostics, and digital health, with a focus on companies leveraging unique datasets to improve drug development and patient care delivery.

Andreessen Horowitz is also one of the biggest backers of Facebook (now Meta).

Prior to joining a16z, Vineeta held many different roles in the healthcare space.

She was a physician taking care of patients, an operator at healthtech startups and as a venture investor on the Google Ventures life sciences team.

She was an early data scientist at Kyruus, a management consultant for biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device clients at McKinsey & Co; and a director of product management at Flatiron Health.

She has collaborated with academic researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Broad Institute, where she did graduate work in computational biology and human genetics.

Vineeta holds a Bachelor of Science in biophysics from Stanford University, and MD and PhD degrees from Harvard Medical School/MIT.

She continues to see patients at Stanford as an adjunct clinical professor in the Division of Primary Care and Population Health.

Vineeta serves on a number of portfolio company boards, including BigHat Biosciences, GC Therapeutics, Memora Health, Thyme Care, Pearl Health, and Waymark.

Parag studied BTech in Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay and completed his PhD from Stanford University.

They have a son named Ansh and the couple is based in San Francisco, California.

Meanwhile, there are doubts over Parag's future once Musk takes over, as the Tesla CEO himself can become a temporary CEO of the platform. According to reports, Musk may have also lined up a new Twitter CEO.

Parag is likely to receive nearly $39 million due to a clause in his contract once he leaves Twitter. His total compensation for 2021 was $30.4 million, largely in stocks.
Moscow, May 7 : Russia is already under unprecedented sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine and now the European Union (EU) could target Alina Kabaeva, a politician, media boss, former Olympic gymnast, and, if the rumours are true, President Vladimir Putin's girlfriend and mother to some of his children, according to a media report.

The sanctions imposed by the EU and others are designed to punish those closest to Putin -- the oligarchs, politicians and other officials said to have benefited from their proximity to the President, said the BBC report.

Last month, the US and UK imposed sanctions on Putin's daughters Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova. They are his children with former wife Lyudmila.

Until now, Kabaeva has escaped, despite her reported status. She might have felt something was coming: an online petition in March demanded her expulsion from her residence in Switzerland, says the BBC report.

Sources have confirmed to the BBC that she is on the latest list of individuals to be sanctioned by the EU.

The Russia, leader has always been intensely private. When asked about his private life, he has tended to brush off the queries.

He has, though, explicitly denied a relationship with Kabaeva.

In 2008, the Moskovsky Korrespondent newspaper reported that he was planning to divorce his wife Lyudmila and marry Kabaeva.

Both rejected the story and soon after, the authorities shut the newspaper down.

Putin and Lyudmila however, announced their split five years later, the BBC reported.

At the time, the President denied he was involved with Kabaeva, who was transitioning from a successful sporting career to one in politics.

There are rumours that they also have children together, although reports vary on how many, BBC reported.

A Swiss newspaper reported that Kabaeva had a boy in 2015 at an exclusive clinic near Lake Lugano, and another boy at the same place in 2019.

But The Sunday Times and The Wall Street Journal said she had twins in 2019 in Moscow although they disagree on how many children she has had.

The Kremlin denies such reports. Back in 2015, Putin's spokesman said "information about the birth of a baby fathered by Vladimir Putin does not correspond to reality".

Such is Putin's guarded nature. In public, he's never mentioned the names of the children he has with Lyudmila, other than to say he has two adult daughters, the BBC reported.

Kabaeva has been in and out of the spotlight since reports of her relationship with Putin emerged.

There was a Vogue cover in 2011, where she wore a pricey gold dress from French fashion house Balmain. She was also a torch bearer at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

More recently in April, she appeared at a junior gymnastics festival in Moscow, quashing suggestions she was in hiding.

Since the Ukraine war began, there have been calls for her to face sanctions.

The Wall Street Journal has suggested that the US is reluctant to sanction Kabaeva, for fear it may be deemed "so personal a blow" to Putin that it may escalate tensions further.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
San Francisco, May 7 : Tech giant Google's virtual assistant software application Assistant can now warn users when they need to change their password, and can even help them change it.

According to Android Police, last year, Google had announced that it would be introducing a feature in Chrome for Android that would allow Assistant to help users change stolen passwords in a few taps.

The company had said the new experience would roll out gradually, but it is only about now that more than a handful of users have started to get it on their devices.

Chrome can also warn users if their stored passwords are unsafe or reused from a data breach, the report said.

In 2021, Google announced that it would roll out the ability to automatically handle changing compromised passwords for users, but most people still had to do the actual password-changing part manually.

With this update, users will be prompted as soon as they log into a site with a password that has been compromised. The dialogue box will have a big Assistant-branded "Change automatically" button, as shared by Android Police's Max Weinbach.

Once tapped, a confirmation sheet will pop up which users will need to agree to. Users will then be taken directly to the affected website to set up a new password for the account. Here, users can type in their own key or let the built-in password manager suggest one.

Assistant can handle the entire process for users from start to finish, but they do have the option to take over at any stage, the report said.
Hyderabad, May 7 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday told the party leaders in Telangana that those who remain in the midst of people and fight for them will get the tickets in the next year's Assembly elections.

Stressing the need for unity, he cautioned the state leaders against voicing their grievances before the media and also urged them to go to their respective constituencies and work on the ground.

On the second day of his two-day visit to Telangana, Rahul was addressing an extended meeting of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) at Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of the party in Hyderabad.

Reiterating that the coming elections will be a direct fight between TRS and Congress, he made it clear that the tickets will be given only on the basis of merit.

"Tickets will be given on the basis of merit. Nobody should be under any illusion. Those who work and remain in the midst of people, fight for farmers, workers, petty traders and youth will get tickets on merit basis," said the Congress MP.

"Our party is a family. No one should feel that he is being discriminated against. You will be rewarded for the work. No matter how senior a leader you are and no matter how many years you have spent in the party, if you don't work, you won't get a ticket," he said, adding that the tickets will be given after taking independent and ground feedback.

"If you sit in Hyderabad you will not get a ticket. Don't come to Delhi, it backfires. Go to constituencies and villages, take to streets and work. I know, in Hyderabad you get good biryani and chai but you will have to leave Hyderabad and go to villages to be with the people," he told the party leaders.

Stating that the Warangal Declaration passed at Friday's public meeting is the first milestone for Congress leaders, he said their first task is to tell every citizen and every farmer of the state about the Warangal declaration.

In the declaration, the party has made a slew of promises to the farmers of Telangana.

"It's not a mere declaration but a partnership between Congress party and Telangana farmers. This is the guarantee of the Congress party," he said.

Rahul said over the next one month, all the Congress leaders in their respective constituencies and areas should explain the Warangal declaration in detail to every person. "Even if I ask a 12-year-old child, he should be able to tell me all the points of the declaration." Describing Congress as a family, Rahul Gandhi warned the leaders against voicing their grievances publicly. "This is a family. The views may differ. This is not a family like RSS where one man takes all decisions. We want to hear views of all but not in the media. It should be in closed doors, the way a family talks," he said.

"If there are grievances or complaints we have an internal system. You can openly say whatever you want to say but if anyone goes out and tells something to the media, he will be damaging the Congress party and we will not accept this," he said.

Stating that the Warangal public meeting was very successful, he said this was the result of hard work put in by the party and congratulated all the leaders and workers.

Alleging that Chief Minister K.Chandrashekhar Rao, who is popularly known as KCR, looted Telangana, he said the TRS leader has no dearth of money. "He also has police and establishment with him but people are not with him and nothing is powerful than people, he said.

The Congress MP said the party wants to make Telangana a model state and realize the dream with which the state was formed.

"We don't want to make a government of a few selected people and monopolists but we want to form a government of farmers, the poor and every citizen of this state. Want to focus on education, health and employment. This is our target and dream and to achieve this need we need unity in the party." He also stated that outside the Congress party, there are several youth, leaders and the party's old workers who believe in Congress ideology. "We should open Congress doors for them. I am inviting all of them to come and work with us to fight TRS and KCR," he said.

"I want to tell the youth, you have seen eight years, you have seen how the dream of Telangana was ruined, how money was looted and your future was destroyed. You did not get schools, colleges and hospitals and the money which you should have got went to one family," he said.

Rahul said that removing TRS and KCR from Telangana is the responsibility of Congress but it's also the responsibility of the youth of Telangana.

"I also invite youth to come to Congress and work to change Telangana. Sonia ji had seen the dream of Telangana with you. She gave statehood. The Congress party suffered a loss but we stood with you because it was a just cause. I want to make the Telangana dream come true by working with people. Hence wherever my services are required invite me, I am with you," he added.
According to a supreme resolution, published in the Official Gazette El Peruano on Saturday , Boluarte will travel to the city of San Juan from May 7 to 9.
Los Angeles, May 7 : Hollywood star Jason Momoa's unofficial first look in 'Fast and Furious 10' has now surfaced online. Leaked on-set photos have captured the 42-year-old actor filming a wild motorcycle stunt in Rome.

In the images, the 'Game of Thrones' alum flaunted his serious arm muscles in a black tight vest paired with black leather trousers and sturdy black boots. He accessorised his look with gold chains and some rings, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The Hawaiian-born star got a massage on his shoulders from an assistant when waiting to film his scene. He sat cross-legged on the stairs while his long locks were swept up in loose bun.

Momoa then put on a snakeskin jacket and black shades as he was ready to film his scene. A man, probably his double wearing the same outfit as his, was seen on the set that day, but the 'Aquaman' star was seen filming his own action scene.

In the scene, Momoa's character rides a motorcycle up stairs while another person in a brown jacket, seemingly a woman, is trailing behind him.

After reaching the top of the stairs, he stops his motorbike and takes off his jacket as he walks down the stairs.

Momoa is confirmed to play a villain in the upcoming movie. It's said that the actor's character could work alongside Charlize Theron's Cipher, who escaped at the end of 'F9'.
Hyderabad, May 7 : The theatrical trailer of Siva Karthikeyan's 'Don' confirms the actor's attempt at comedy, which is his strong suit.

The makers of the upcoming Tamil film released its trailer on May 6 after releasing three chartbuster songs from the movie.

Sivakarthikeyan, who plays Vernuganan in the film, has already received a lot of praise for his performance. The trailer shows Sivakarthikeyan and Priyanka Arul Mohan, who plays the female lead, in a college romance.

As the trailer establishes the important roles in 'Don', Sivakarthikeyan is portrayed as a naughty student who is always looking for new ways to annoy his teachers. Despite having multiple talents, the hero's lack of concentration makes him feel defeated and puts him on the verge of losing everything.

Helmed by debutant director Cibi Chakaravarthi, 'Don' has Anirudh Ravichander as the music composer, while S.J. Suryah will essay an important role in the film.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 7 : Senior Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala, who is part of think tank group (Organisational), on Saturday suggested a Bharat Yatra by Rahul Gandhi to get the party in an upbeat mood ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Chennithala is part of the sub-committee chaired by Mukul Wasnik and according to sources, he has given his ideas which will be taken up during the Chintan Shivir and it includes a Bharat Yatra by Gandhi.

Other suggestions include that the party should dedicate one month in a year to raise funds for the party, jumbo committees should be avoided at all levels, the number of Pradesh Congress Committee members in big states should not exceed 100 and in small states not more than 50.

At the AICC level, there should not be more than 30 secretaries and the Constitution of the party should clearly specify about the strength of each and every committee of the party at all levels.

The 'Chintan Shivir' is being held in Rajasthan from May 13 to 15 and around 400 top leaders form the country are taking part.
Mumbai, May 7 : Jonny Bairstow scored his maiden fifty of IPL 2022 while Jitesh Sharma produced finishing fireworks to propel Punjab Kings in posting a brilliant 189/5 against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

Bairstow made the chance of opening the batting again count with a 40-ball 56, his highest score of the tournament. Sharma, on the other hand, justified his promotion ahead of Liam Livingstone with an unbeaten 18-ball 38 and sharing a 50-run stand with the Englishman. For Rajasthan, Yuzvendra Chahal picked 3/28 while Ravichandran Ashwin and Prasidh Krishna had a wicket apiece.

Bairstow began his innings by taking two fours through leg-side off Trent Boult in the opening over. He took a special liking to uncapped speedster Kuldeep Sen, taking him for successive fours through point and mid-wicket. After bowling a maiden in his second over of the day, Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan took 18 runs off his third over.

Dhawan got a four by dancing down the pitch to pull through backward square leg while Bairstow had a streaky four -- an edge on pull going past the keeper and ending the over with a lovely picked-up six over deep square leg. It took a stunning one-handed leaping catch from Jos Buttler at mid-on to send Dhawan back in the final over of power-play off Ashwin.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa gave Bairstow good support, welcoming Chahal with a clean six over cow corner and followed it up with another six over long-off. Bairstow showed his off-side finesse with a reverse sweep off Ashwin and cutting Sen through backward point for fours. After hitting Krishna for back-to-back fours, Rajapaksa tried to loft again against Chahal. But the leg-spinner had the last laugh by disturbing his leg-stump.

Mayank Agarwal looked set to go big with back-to-back fours off Ashwin but holed out to long-on off Chahal. Two balls later, Bairstow, who had reached his fifty with a lofted drive off Boult, was trapped lbw by the leg-spinner after missing a low flick.

Livingstone teed off with a huge six down the ground off Ashwin while Sharma crunched consecutive fours off Krishna. The duo then stole a six each off Chahal and Krishna with Livingstone taking four more off the latter.

Krishna finally had Livingstone out with a yorker hitting the base of off-stump. Sharma applied the finishing touch on Punjab's innings, smashing a six over mid-wicket followed by fours over mid-off and extra cover as 67 runs came off the last five overs.

Brief scores: Punjab Kings 189/5 in 20 overs (Jonny Bairstow 56, Jitesh Sharma 38 not out; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/28, Ravichandran Ashwin 1/32) against Rajasthan Royals

Latest updates on IPL 2022
Islamabad, May 7 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had accused the United States of conspiring against him to oust him from power because of his inclination towards Russia, and refusal to being party to the Western bloc in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Since then, Imran Khan has launched his campaign by holding political gatherings across the major cities of Pakistan, carrying the same anti-US narrative, and publicly slamming the Joe Biden administration for 'plotting a conspiracy' against his government, which he said refused to be a slave to Washington's demands and dictations.

Now, the new government in place under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is working towards mending the damaged ties with the United States.

After Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took office as Foreign Minister along with Hina Rabbani Khar as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Pakistan's foreign office has been actively reforming its foreign policy and working towards having active contacts with the Joe Biden administration, showing clear signs of siding with the Western bloc with regard to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In a latest, Zardari received a telephone call on Saturday from the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken.

"Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on assumption of his office and expressed the desire to continue strengthening mutually beneficial Pakistan-US bilateral relationship," read a statement issued by the Pakistan foreign office.

"Zardari underscored that Pakistan and the United States have a longstanding broad-based relationship," it added.

"Constructive and sustained engagement between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest is vital to promote peace, development and security in the region and beyond," said Zardari.

"The Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State agreed to remain in contact and enhance engagement on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the statement read.

On the other hand, Hina Rabbani Khar virtually participated in the high-level International Donor's Conference for Ukraine on May 5.

Khar also appreciated the efforts for humanitarian assistance for the Ukrainian people, expressing deep concerns over the continuation of war, increasing number of civilian casualties, deteriorating humanitarian situation and refugee crisis.

While Imran Khan continues to take an anti-US stance and accuses the current government of being an imported setup brought into power through an international controversy, the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government is visibly working on a damage control mode, shaping its foreign policy with a major focus on better relationship with the Western bloc.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, May 7 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday will visit Nagpur in Maharashtra to inaugurate the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Nagpur.

President Kovind would inaugurate IIM's permanent campus at Dahegaon Mauza, MIHAN, on the outskirts of Nagpur, a communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

Built to cater to 600 students, the new 132-acre-campus has been designed to minimise the environmental footprint while facilitating learning both inside and outside the classroom.
Chennai, May 7 : AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O. Panneerselvam said that the one year of the DMK government, which is celebrating its first anniversary on Saturday, was a year of suffering for the people of the state.

In a statement, the former chief minister said that several electoral promises of the DMK have remained unfulfilled. He said that getting Tamil Nadu exempted from the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), payment of Rs 1000 per month to every woman of a household, provision of Rs 100 for a refill of cooking gas cylinders, the restoration of monthly billing cycles for power consumers, the release of seven convicts of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, were some of the promises that were never met.

OPS said that the people of Tamil Nadu were not willing to be 'cheated' anymore and charged that the government failed miserably in the law and order situation and pointed out the alleged custodial deaths in the state during the DMK regime.

He said that the government has wound up several social welfare schemes of the AIADMK government. The AIADMK leader said that the government had taken a year to constitute a committee on new educational policy and that this has created doubts in the minds of the people about whether the government was adopting a soft approach towards or double standards on the matter.

The former chief minister also said that the DMK government has failed the people on all fronts and that the people are fed up with the performance of the government.
New Delhi, May 7: The mysterious Pakistani woman Farah Khan alias Farah Gogi is again in the headlines as the Shehbaz Sharif led Pakistani government has decided to bring her back from Dubai to initiate legal action in the money laundering cases worth millions of dollars.

"And if she does not come here, we will initiate the extradition process to get Farah Khan who is the "front person" of former prime minister Imran Khan who made assets worth Rs.850 million from unknown sources and through money laundering," Aaj News quoted one official source as saying.

Farah Khan, a close friend of Bushra Begum, Imran Khan's third wife had left Pakistan on a chartered flight under mysterious circumstances last month when Imran Khan was fighting for his political survival.

The picture, circulating widely on Twitter, shows Khan in a flight with the bag kept near her feet. The leaders of opposition parties in Pakistan claimed that the bag is worth $90,000. "Farah Khan, Bushra's Frontwoman who ran away. The bag with her is for $90,000. Yes, that's ninety thousand dollars," tweeted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Romina Khurshid Alam.

According to the Pakistani government, Farah Khan is the key person in Imran Khan's alleged corruption cases and wants to question her. The investing official claimed that Imran Khan sent Farah abroad as she is the one who was involved in corruption at his behest.

"Farah Gogi, at the behest of Imran Khan, committed corruption of crores of rupees under his nose, we have started getting evidence. If Imran Khan was not the real beneficiary, he should ask Farah Gogi to come back and face the investigations," the official told Aaj News.

Last week, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan said in a press release that "Farah Khan is accused of obtaining Rs 847 million from unknown sources and making assets through money laundering. The amount was withdrawn immediately after it was credited into her personal account." Farah Khan, also known as 'Farah Gogi' and 'Farhat Shehzadi', was considered extremely powerful during Imran Khan's tenure as prime minister as she was known as the only person to have direct access to Bushra Bibi - Khan's spiritual guide and third wife.

The opposition alleged Farah received huge sums of money for getting officers transferred and posted according to their choices, calling the scam the "mother of all scandals" amounting to 6 billion Pakistani rupees (USD 32 million).

Maryam Nawaz, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) vice president and former premier Nawaz Sharif's daughter, claimed Farah did these corrupt dealings at the behest of Imran Khan and his wife.

"I dare to name Farah, a friend of Bushra Bibi who is involved in receiving millions of rupees in transfers and postings and these are directly connected to Banigala (residence of Imran Khan)," said Maryam.

But Imran Khan rejects this, calling it political vendetta.

"I want to ask NAB, the case that you have opened against Farah Khan, to show it to anyone. Does this even merit a case?" the former prime minister told the media.

"Farah is absolutely innocent. I want her to have the opportunity to defend herself. A proper hearing should be conducted," said Khan.

But the country's watchdog NAB has said that it had enough evidence to initiate a probe against Farah Khan.

It is the same watchdog that Imran Khan used to settle scores with his political rivals including former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family members.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Gurugram, May 7 : In a shocking incident, a six-year-old girl was brutally killed in Manesar area in Gurugram, the police said on Saturday.

The police also suspect rape, but are waiting the autopsy report. The police have detained one suspect from the same neighbourhood.

According to the police, after committing the crime, the accused left the deceased's body in a pool of blood and ran away.

The complainant's father, a native of Uttar Pradesh, told the police that he works as a helper and stays in a village in the Manesar area along with his family.

He said that his daughter went outside at around 9 pm on Friday to buy a mango-flavoured drink from a nearby shop, but did not return till late. Thereafter, their neighbour returned to their home carrying the victim on his shoulder with multiple injuries on her head and face and informed him that he found the girl in a room located in a nearby field.

They immediately took the girl to a hospital in Sector-3, where she was declared brought dead.

The deceased's father has also suggested a suspect's name to the police and alleged that the suspect has served jail for killing a boy in another village in the past.

A senior police officer said that deep injury marks were found on her head, eyes and other body parts.

"We are questioning the detained suspect. Sections of the POCSO Act will be added only if the doctor confirms rape after medical examination. The motive behind the incident is yet to be known," he said.
Kolkata, May 7 : A fresh political mud-slinging has erupted between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition BJP over the post-mortem of BJP youth leader Arjun Chaurasia at Kolkata's Command Hospital.

Trinamool leadership has expressed doubts over the authenticity of the Command Hospital's post-mortem report which is yet to be made public.

Chaurasia was found hanging mysteriously at an abandoned room near his residence at Cossipore in the northern neighbourhood of Kolkata. The post-mortem was conducted at Kolkata's Command Hospital on Saturday, following an order of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court.

Two doctors, one each from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Kalyani in Nadia district and state- run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata were present during the autopsy.

State Transport Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim expressed doubts on how authentic the post-mortem report from Command Hospital will be. "On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Kolkata that Chaurasia was murdered. After all, the Command Hospital is a central government outfit. When the Union home minister has already described the death as murder, will anyone in Command Hospital have the temerity to defy that. Actually, the murder theory was floated in advance to create pressure on the post mortem authorities. I request the honourable court to look into this aspect," Hakim said.

Firhad's comment was countered by senior state BJP leader Kalyan Choubey who said that the post-mortem was conducted following an order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court chief justice. "Even a representative from state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital was present during the autopsy. A representative from AIIMS, Kalyani was also present there. So, the doubts expressed by Firhad Hakim were baseless," Choubey said.

After the completion of post-mortem, Chaurasia's body was first to BJP's state headquarters in Central Kolkata, where senior party leaders paid floral tributes. From there, it was first taken to his residence at Cossipore and finally to a crematorium in North Kolkata.

The BJP leaders have once again raised the demand for a CBI probe in the case.
(REUTERS)

Labour seized three Tory Crown Jewels town halls in London on Friday in blows to Boris Johnson as he fights to remain Prime Minister.

The Conservatives lost Wandsworth, Westminster and Barnet as more and more Londoners turned their back on the citys former mayor.

However, outside the capital, early results showed Labour not making gains which could give Sir Keir Starmer confidence that he has the door to No10 firmly within his sights.

His party also lost Hull to the Liberal Democrats who by early Friday morning were making more gains across the country than Labour.

As more counts were underway across England, political leaders also had their eyes firmly on Northern Ireland where Sinn Fein could gain the most members of the assembly and the First Minister post.

Such a result could spark political turmoil, fresh calls for a border poll, and raise fears over the break-up of the UK in the wake of Brexit.

But the immediate drama of the night came in the capital with Labours triple win of Tory flagship councils in elections held amid the growing cost-of-living crisis and the partygate scandal.

Wandsworth, an ultra low council tax authority held by the Conservatives for more than 40 years, Westminster, Tory since its creation in 1964, and Margaret Thatchers former town hall of Barnet, Conservative for more than two decades, all fell within hours.

Speaking shortly after 8am in Barnet, which Labour failed to gain in 2018 amid the Jeremy Corbyn anti-Semitism row, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: We have turned a massive corner in the Labour Party here.

From the depths of 2019 in that general election, back on track....We are winning in London, we are winning north and south of London.

London and UK Local Elections 2022: Labour takes Barnet, Wandsworth and Westminster

However, Tory party chairman Oliver Dowden told Sky News: I of course accept that these are challenging times and there have been some difficult results, however, I do not accept that Labour have the momentum to form the next government.

Story continues

We are mid-term and its quite a mixed picture because you look elsewhere, whether thats in Hartlepool or Nuneaton and Thurrock, weve actually made gain.

Lib-Dem leader Sir Ed Davey trumpeted what he called historic gains after gaining more seats in areas such as Wimbledon, West Oxfordshire and Richmond-upon-Thames where the Tories now only have one councillor.

This is a real trend now. Last year we took Chesham and Amersham in true blue Buckinghamshire, then we took North Shropshire, a seat the Tories had held for 200 years, this is not just a one-off, he said, referring to his partys two parliamentary by-election wins.

By shortly before 9am, with 75 out of 146 councils in England holding elections having counted, Labour had 1,200 seats, up 34, the Conservatives 540, down 122, the Lib-Dems 259, up 59, and the Green 39, up 23.

With around half the town hall results yet to come in, the picture in London and particularly nationally could still change.

But as Labour celebrated its historic gains in the capital, Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: London will now be even more clearly very much a one-party Labour fiefdom.

The other thing that perhaps some Conservative MPs will worry about is the party also seems to have lost ground quite heavily in the south...the results have been rather better the further north..but of course lots of Tory MPs have their seats in the South of England.

On the performance so far of Sir Keirs party, he added: Outside of London, as compared with 2018 when these seats were last contested, it looks as though Labours vote is actually down slightly.

For a party that is trying to make progress...to regain ground in the Red Wall seats of the Midlands and the North, this was not quite the degree of progress that they might have anticipated.

Labours overall vote share outside of the capital was down when the first results began to be called as the party lost out to the Lib-Dems and saw far more modest gains than in the capital.

Labour held Sunderland council but itws vote share was down. The Tories and Labour both lost one seat each to the Lib-Dems in the North East port city.

In Hartlepool, Labour made no gains, while the Conservatives increased their seats by two.

The town is seen as a key Red Wall constituency that Labour lost to Tories in a by-election last year and Sir Keir will probably need to win back if his party is to do well at the next General Election.

In Oldham, Greater Manchester, Labour retained control but lost five seats to the Tories, Lib-Dems and independent candidates.

Nuneaton & Bedworth saw the Tories keep control of the town hall and increase their seats by one.

But Labour gained Southampton from the Conservatives who lost Worcester to no overall control, as well as West Oxfordshire, which contains David Camerons former Witney constituency, also to NOC.

Tony Travers, professor of government at the London School of Economics, told The Standard: The Conservatives have to balance how many MPs they are willing to lose in London, the South East and the South West, in order to protect the Red Wall seats won in 2019.

Stephen Hammond, Conservative MP for Wimbledon, said partygate had been a factor in the Merton result, which saw Lib-Dem make gains.

That ought to be a clarion bell ringing in Downing Street to make sure we are concentrating on the cost of living, he added.

Asked about Mr Johnsons future, he said: I think he has to prove his integrity to the country.

Conservative MP David Simmonds said Mr Johnson has some difficult questions to answer after the partys losses in the local elections.

The MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner told the BBC radio: Overwhelmingly the message that I heard on the doorsteps was people were broadly positive about the Governments policies but they are not happy about what they have been hearing about partygate.

In Portsmouth, where the Tories lost four seats, Simon Bosher the leader of the Conservative group said Mr Johnson should take a good, strong look in the mirror because those are people that are actually bearing the brunt on the doorstep of behaviour of whats been going on in Westminster.

There was a Red Wall Labour resurgence in Cumbria, where it seized control of the first of two new councils winning 66 per cent of the seats. They gained 12 seats in the new Cumberland authority as the Tory vote collapsed. The area covers Carlisle, Workington and Copeland, which are all currently represented by Tory MPs. The Lib Dems and Green party also picked up two seats a piece in the north western town hall.
Chennai, May 7 : The Seithunganallur police in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday arrested four people -- father, stepmother, stepbrother, and another person -- in connection with a woman's murder.

Police said that the woman was murdered on Friday night as the family thought that she had brought disgrace to the family by marrying a second time after separating from her first husband.

The victim, according to Seithugnallur police is Meena 21, who is the daughter of Sudalaimuthu 42 from his first wife Kalaimmal who had passed away.

After Kalaimal passed away, police said that Sudalaimuthu married Mupidathi and the couple has a son, Mayandi,20.

Meena had married Isikapandi of Kalvai village and the couple has a four-year-old son who was living with his father after the parents separated. She remarried Muthu of Nanguneri village and was living with him for the past ten months in the Tirunelveli district.

She had come to her village to attend a temple festival on Friday evening and was staying at her aunt's place when her father and stepbrother along with her stepmother and two others reached there. An argument broke out and Sudailamuthu and Mayandi hacked Meena with the matchets they were carrying with them. Meena died on the spot and the accused fled the scene.

The Seithunganallur police sent the body of the deceased Meena to the Tirunelveli medical college hospital and registered murder case against all the five accused. Police registered a murder case against all the five and arrested ASudailamuthu, Mayandi, Mupidathi, and her sister Veeramal. Veeramal's son Murugan is at large, police said.
New Delhi, May 7 : Days after the Supreme Court pulled up Delhi police on its affidavit in hate speech case at a Dharam Sansad, the police have made a U-turn and told the court it registered an FIR after examining the materials.

In a fresh affidavit, the police said that all links given in the complaint and other materials available in public domain were analysed, and a video was found on YouTube. "After further minute verification of the materials, FIR dated May 4,2022 has been registered at police station Okhla Industrial Area for offences of Section 153A, 295A, 298, and 34 of the Indian Penal Codea," said the affidavit. The police said the investigation will be carried out in accordance with law.

The Delhi Police, in its earlier affidavit, said: "The findings of the inquiry after visual and audio examination of the evidence further disclose that the speech did not contain any hate words against a particular community, and persons who gathered there with a motive to save the ethics of their community". The police said there was no use of such words which mean or could be interpreted as open calls for genocide of Muslims in order to achieve ethnic cleansing or an open call for murder of an entire community' in the speech.

On April 22, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, said the Delhi Police said an inquiry was conducted into the matter, and justified that person gathered to save 'ethics of their community'.

Sibal said: "Your lordships may have to decide constitutionally, what ethics are?" A bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar noted that the affidavit was filed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police and queried Additional Solicitor General (ASG) K M Nataraj, "Do you accept this position....we want to understand.....Has any superior officer verified this?" The bench, also comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka, said: "We want to know that the senior officer has understood the nuances of other aspects before filing this affidavit. Has he merely reproduced an inquiry report or applied his mind? Do you want to take a relook?" Justice Khanwilkar further queried: "Is it your stand as well... the reproduction of the inquiry report of the sub-inspector level officer?" Nataraj, representing the Delhi Police, said: "We have to take a re-look".

Justice Khanwilkar asked Nataraj: "Do you want to have a relook at the whole matter?...Is this the stand of Commissioner of Police, Delhi?" Nataraj submitted that a fresh affidavit will be filed, after taking instructions from the authorities concerned. The top court noted that the ASG sought more time to file a better affidavit in the matter.

The Supreme Court was hearing a plea -- filed by journalist Qurban Ali and former Patna High Court judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash -- seeking direction to ensure investigation and action against those who allegedly made hate speeches during events held in Haridwar and Delhi, last year. The top court is scheduled to take up the matter for further hearing on May 9.
New Delhi, May 7 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted raids at multiple premises belonging to AAP MLA Jaswant Singh and his family members in Malerkotla, Punjab, in connection with a bank loan fraud case.

As many as 90 blank cheques signed by different people were seized by the CBI, along with cash to the tune of Rs 16.57 lakh, around 88 foreign currency notes, some property papers, and other incriminating documents.

The CBI raided the premises of Balwant Singh, Jaswant Singh, Kulwant Singh, Tejinder Singh and a privare firm, Tara Health Foods Ltd.

The searches followed after a case was registered on the complaint of Bank of India, Ludhiana, against Tara Corporation Ltd (renamed as Malaudh Agro Ltd), Gaunspura, Malerkotla, and others, including then directors and guarantors of the private company, another private firm and unknown public servants and private persons.

The borrower firm was sanctioned loans at four intervals from 2011-2014 by the bank.

The firm through its directors had concealed hypothecated stock and diverted booked debts with malafide and dishonest intention so that the same were not made available to the creditor bank for inspection and for effecting recovery as secured creditor.

An alleged loss of Rs 40.92 crore was caused to the bank.

The account was classified as NPA on March 31, 2014 and based on the anomalies, the account was declared as fraud on September 2, 2018 with an outstanding amount of Rs 40.92 crore.

It was also alleged that the loan availed by the accused was been used for the purpose for which it was sanctioned.
New Delhi, May 7 : Abhinav Deshwal, a 15-year-old from Roorkee, gave India their second gold in shooting after he won the men's 10M Air Pistol competition on Day five of the ongoing 24th Deaflympics 2021 in Caxias do Sul, Brazil.

The teenager was tied with silver-winning Ukrainian Oleksii Lazebnyk at 234.2 points apiece at the end of the 24-shot final, before winning in a shoot-off where he shot a 10.3 to the Ukranian's 9.7. Chinese Taipei's Hsu Ming-Jui won bronze.

Abhinav made the top eight final round after finishing second in the 60-shot qualification round with a score of 575 out of 600. He was tied on points here too with Kim Kihyeon, but the Korean topped on account of more inner 10s.

Shubham Vashist, the second Indian in the field, also made it to the finals, finishing sixth with a score of 563. He bowed out in the same position in the finals as well.

It wasn't all easy going for Abhinav in the finals as he started slowly placing fifth after the first five-shot series and moving up to fourth after 10-shots. He however displayed great consistency and fought to string together some good scores as the single shots began and slowly climbed up the ladder, eventually catching up with Oleksii who had maintained a top-two position throughout the final.

Going into the final two shots, Abhinav was 0.6 behind Oleksii. He displayed nerves of steel to maintain high scores when it mattered even as Oleksii faltered, enabling the Indian to clinch the title.

India now have four medals from the 24th Deaflympics Shooting competition. Dhanush Srikanth had won gold in the men's 10M Air Rifle while Shourya Saini had won bronze in the same event. Then on Thursday, Vedika Sharma won a bronze in the women's 10M Air Pistol.

India have sent ten shooters in their 65-strong contingent for the Brazil Deaflympics. It is their largest and youngest-ever squad and will be participating in 11 sporting disciplines.
New Delhi, May 7 : The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and the Ministry of Law and Justice on a plea challenging the vires of provisions of limitation prescribed under Sections 14, 15 and 16 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.

A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant said: "Issue notice, returnable on July 2022." The petitioners were represented by senior advocate Sanjay Parekh, and the petition was filed through advocate Abhimanue Shrestha. The petitioners are agriculturists having their agricultural land in Talli village in Saurashtra region of Gujarat.

The plea contended that the top court took cognisance of deterioration of the environment and passed various directions for remediation and restoration of the environment.

The plea submitted that it is in this background that the provisions of limitation prescribed under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, are required to be considered.

The plea urged the top court to either strike down or read down the impugned provisions. It argued that the limitation clauses also allow arbitrariness and unjustness in connection with environmental issues and, therefore, violate Article 14 of the Constitution.

"The limitation clauses in Sections 14, 15 and 16 of the Act cause unconstitutional hindrance in realisation of Article 21 of the Constitution in relation to nature and environment to its full extent. The gap in the remedies available under Articles 32 and 226 of the Constitution, as against what is available in the NGT Act, creates a situation which becomes unexplainable in the context of environment matters," read the plea.

The plea said that in cases where fraud is played by the project proponent, the plea is not entertained by the tribunal/court because of the law of limitation, in spite of the well-established principle that fraud vitiates all the actions and the principles of limitation, delay and laches do not apply.

It added, "In certain other statutes, discretion has been given to the court/tribunal to decide the question of limitation even after the initial period within which the complaint/petition should have been instituted, had expired, like in the Consumer Protection Act. But as far as the infringement of the fundamental rights are concerned, no such impediment of limitation can be prescribed."
New Delhi, May 7 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday that the citizen in the last mile should be the priority for delivery of health services.

"Let's resolve and take a pledge to ensure best implementation of health policies for well-being of our citizens to fulfill aim of Antyodaya. The citizen in the last mile should be our priority for delivery of health services," Mandaviya said while addressing the concluding session of 'Swasthya Chintan Shivir' at Kevadia, Gujarat.

Addressing the session, Mandaviya said that 'Siddhi' (accomplishment) is the driving force behind any 'Sankalp' (resolution). Appreciating the participation of around 25 Health and Medical Education Ministers in the Swasthya Chintan Shivir, he said, "We have been enriched by deep insight of knowledge due to presentation of best practices by states. This provided us knowledge regarding effective implementation of government schemes in the health sector." "All States have shared one best practice, so now we have more than 25 best practices to learn from and implement across the country. Goals of Centre and States are complementary. It is the goal of state which would define policy making at the central level. States' goals provide us national goals," he said, adding that the Swasthya Chintan Shivir has laid foundation of a healthy family for the country.

Mandaviya also appealed everyone to join the soon-to-be-launched a 'TB Patient/Village Adoption' scheme where everyone can adopt TB patients and ensure their well-being, people nourishment, timely diagnosis and prompt treatment.

"Chintan Shivir provided us the beneficial collaborative platform of collective brainstorming on various aspects of health sector and quality service delivery," said Bharati Pravin Pawar, MoS Health, who was also the present on the occasion.
Kolkata, May 7 : "All of you need to be conversant with your roles during actual operations. You need to be confident in operating the latest aircraft and systems inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF)," Air Marshal D.K. Patnaik, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Eastern Air Command, told the personnel of Air Force Station Kalaikunda in West Midnapore district of West Bengal during his four-day visit that ended on Friday.

The AOC-in-C was received by Air Commodore Ran Singh, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Kalaikunda.

Surrounded by forests of Sal and Mahua, Air Force Station (AFS) Kalaikunda is located in a sleepy hamlet off National Highway 6 (old numbering) or National Highway 49 (as the stretch from Deoghar in Bihar to Kharagpur in West Bengal is now called). But action inside the gates of this air base is anything but sleepy. The growl of powerful jet engines greet visitors from a distance. The base is home to two squadrons of Hawk advanced jet trainers and this is one of the two locations in India where rookie pilots of the IAF receive their final round of operation conversion training before being assigned to fighter squadrons. The other location is Bidar in Karnataka.

But, there is more to AFS Kalaikunda than meets the eye. The base plays host to squadrons of Su-30 MKIs, Mirages, Mig-29s and the Tejas (as well as the last of the Mig-21 Bisons) as and when they require air-to-air practice with live munitions. Latest inductions of air-to-air missiles or rockets are also test-fired by fighter aircraft based out of AFS Kalaikunda. The air base has two ranges. One is an air-to-ground range at Dudhkundi. But, there are other air-to-ground ranges in the country as well, such as in Pokhran in Rajasthan. The unique thing that Kalaikunda offers is the air-to-air range over the Bay of Bengal.

"Training is a continuous process. Even the best of pilots needs to practice firing of missiles and cannons on a routine basis. This facility is offered only by AFS Kalaikunda. While pilots can carry out target practice with their cannons on banners carried behind aircraft designated for this job, missiles are fired at unmanned aerial vehicles developed as targets by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This is posible only at sea after notices are issued to civilian aircraft and merchant vessels. The Bay of Bengal, off the Digha coast, is considered the best location for this," a senior IAF official said.

Over the years, AFS Kalaikunda has played host to the air forces of several friendly countries who were keen to use these facilities and carry out aerial combat exercises with the IAF. Even the IAF benefitted from such exercises, with its aircraft operating alongside those from the United States Air Force, Royal Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force. They got to fly alongside the F-16 fighters that is in the inventory of one of India's not so friendly neighbours.

More importantly, AFS Kalaikunda operates as a staging point for both the northern border as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It would take less than an hour for fighter aircraft based at Kalaikunda to reach the Andamans in case of any eventuality. There are landing and maintenance facilities at Car Nicobar for such aircraft. Aircraft from Kalaikunda can also reach the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sikkim that falls within the Eastern Air Command's jurisdiction, in less than 30 minutes to provide support to air operations from AFS Hasimara. The air bases at Chhabua and Tezpur in Assam are primarily meant to counter any threat from across the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

During his visit to AFS Kalaikunda, Air Marshal Patnaik also inspected the base at Salua nearby. This is a very important IAF radar station that keeps track of all air traffic in the region.
New Delhi, May 7 : The Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, said on Saturday that the government must step in in a big way to tackle breast cancer, which is becoming a leading cause of concern in the society.

He also said the government should develop a roadmap to tackle this issue.

Speaking at the release of a book titled 'Atlas of Breast Elastography and Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Cytology', the CJI said breast cancer is becoming one of the leading causes of concern in the society and considering the socio-economic considerations, this disease can be a curse for the entire family.

He added that from diagnosis to treatment, at every stage, the patient has to shell out substantial amounts which very few can afford.

Emphasising that the need of the hour is to generate awareness, Ramana said, "It is essential to design breast cancer awareness campaigns on the scale of cervical cancer, anti-tobacco and pulse polio campaigns. Celebrities and famous personalities should be involved. The mass media plays a significant role in disseminating information." He said that primary healthcare centres lack even basic infrastructure and there is also lack of affordable treatment options.

"Often, women belonging to marginalised sections lack access to information, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. We need interventions and strategies addressing inequities of cancer screening and treatment in India. If this disease is to be tackled effectively, the government has to step in in a big way. The government must give a boost to medical infrastructure and research," the CJI said.

He added, "Ultimately, a roadmap is necessary to tackle up this issue. The Health Ministry, the government of India must involve doctors, leading NGOs and industrialists to prepare the same." Ramana pointed out that every four minutes, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, which is the most common cancer in women.

"As many as 27.7 per cent of all new cancers detected in women in 2018 were breast cancer cases. Every eight minutes, one woman dies of breast cancer. A total of 87,090 women died of breast cancer in 2018, which was the second highest number in the world for that year. Around 32 per cent of new cases belong to the age group of 25 to 49," he said.

The CJI further pointed out that the role of doctors is also of great significance and the responsibility of gynaecologists cannot be under-stated.

"It is because of their active efforts that cases of cervical cancer has come down. They must play a similar role in the war against breast cancer," he added.

Ramana said that women form 50 per cent of the population in the country, and they are the backbone of the family and society.

"Therefore, their health must find equal attention and reflection in our society and policies. But several socio-cultural factors prevent women from getting the best possible attention on health. Women often end up taking care of others. However, when it comes to their own health, it is often suppressed and ignored. It is high time that we change the attitude surrounding women's health," he said.

The CJI also that he is extremely saddened to witness rising violence against doctors and several false cases are being lodged against upright and hardworking medical practitioners.

"They need a better, and more secure working environment. This is where professional medical associations assume great significance. They have to be pro-active in highlighting the demands of doctors," he said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Hyderabad, May 7 : Police in Telangana's Kamareddy district on Saturday arrested a six-member gang of poachers who killed two deer.

The gang tried to flee in a car but police nabbed them after a dramatic chase. Two dead deer, two cars, an air rifle and six mobile phones were seized from them.

A group of poachers from Hyderabad shot dead two deer in the Polkampet forest area of Lingampally late on Friday night.

A police patrol team found the men moving under suspicious circumstances on Saturday morning near Iyalapur village and asked them to identify themselves. The group panicked and tried to flee in a car leaving the other car behind. After covering some distance, the car broke down forcing them to leave the vehicle and escape. One of the poachers was caught by a farmer, who handed him over to police.

The arrested man revealed all the details to police. The patrol team alerted the control room which informered check posts on district borders. Subsequently, all the accused were arrested.

Those arrested were identified as Hameed Uzzaman, said to be a competitive rifle shooter, Ubaid Khan, Mir Mustafa Ali, Farzan Ghulam Hussain, Syed Rashid and Mir Tayeb Ali.

A police officer said the accused had cut the deer into halves from the middle and stuffed them in a car. They had left behind this car while trying to flee in another vehicle.

Police are on the lookout for two locals who helped the gang in killing the deer.
Srinagar, May 7 : A local policeman, who was critically wounded in a militant attack in Srinagar, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital here on Saturday evening.

Police sources said that Ghulam Hassan Dar from Danwar Eidgah was shot at by suspected militants at Aiwa Bridge on Ali Jan road in Srinagar when he was on the way to join duty.

"Dar was working as a driver at the police control room. He was rushed to SKIMS Soura for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries," the police said.
A BBC documentary featuring never-before-seen footage of the Queen taken from her personal archive will include clips of the monarch beaming at her engagement ring - months before the announcement was made public.

The Queen granted the BBC unprecedented access to hundreds of home-made recordings shot by her, her parents and the Duke of Edinburgh in honour of her upcoming Platinum Jubilee.

The home movies, which had been held privately by the Royal Collection in the vaults of the British Film Institute, capture the Queen's life from being pushed in a pram by her mother to her coronation in 1953.

The 75-minute documentary, titled Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen, captures the first extended visit of Prince Philip to Balmoral in 1946 while the couple's engagement was still not public.

It depicts a beaming Princess Elizabeth showing the camera her engagement ring.

The Queen, 96, was a young princess when she first met naval cadet Prince Philip of Greece in 1939, during a visit to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth where he was studying.

Philip, who was just 18, was introduced to 13-year-old Elizabeth at the house of the captain of the college.

The pair began writing to each other and Philip was invited to spend the Christmas of 1943 with the royal family at Windsor.

It has previously been suggested the couple became unofficially engaged in the summer of 1946 while they were staying at Balmoral but the official announcement was delayed until after Princess Elizabeth reached the age of 21 and returned from a royal tour of South Africa the following year.

The couple married in November 1947 and were married for 73 years before the Duke of Edinburgh died in April 2021, just a few months before his 100th birthday.

The BBC documentary will depict rare moments including footage of Princess Elizabeth with her uncle Prince George The Duke of Kent, who died in a plane crash in 1942 while on active service, and King George VI's last visit to Balmoral in 1951.

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It will also show her as a young mother to Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

BBC Studios reviewed more than 400 reels of film, discovering lost newsreel and behind the scenes recordings of state events, believed to have been privately commissioned by the royal family.

Filmmakers listened to more than three hundred of the Queen's speeches, spanning over eight decades, to make the film which will be narrated by the Queen's own voice and words alongside newsreel audio.

Simon Young, the BBC's commissioning editor for history, said: "This documentary is an extraordinary glimpse into a deeply personal side of the royal family that is rarely seen."

Four days of events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee begin on June 2 with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade in central London followed by a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, a concert outside Buckingham Palace, and a pageant through the British capital on subsequent days.

The Queen's 70 years on the throne will also be marked with events across the Commonwealth.

In Australia this will include the lighting of a Platinum Jubilee Beacon in Canberra, while buildings and monuments around the nation will be illuminated in royal purple.
Bengaluru, May 7 : Already under attack from the opposition over alleged corruption, the ruling BJP in Karnataka is now facing fresh attacks over the controversial statement made by one of its MLAs who is a former Union minister.

During the course of a speech at a function on Thursday, Vijaypura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal stated that some people had offered to make him the Chief Minister in return for Rs 2,500 crore.

Yatnal said that the people who had approached him were from Delhi and offered to organise his meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi also, apart from BJP President J.P. Nadda.

Pointing out that he had served under the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Yatnal wondered how he could have amassed so much wealth.

Yatnal had made the statement while cautioning people not to be taken in by false assurances. However, the video of the speech went viral, and soon enough the opposition parties launched attacks against the ruling BJP over the issue.

Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked if the BJP had demanded money for the post of Chief Minister.

Siddaramaiah also demanded a probe into Yatnal's statement.

Meanwhile, in a desperate damage control exercise, some BJP leaders in the state said that action would be initiated against Yatnal.

BJP leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra said, "The party leadership is looking into the issue and will take action against Yatnal soon." Yatnal had served as the Minister of State in the Vajpayee government. He has been known to make controversial statements.
New Delhi, May 7 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called for 'collective action' from the people, along with enabling policies, for limiting the impacts of climate change.

"To be able to achieve the 1.5-degree Celsius global warming limit, we must aim at both macro-level systemic changes as well as micro-level lifestyle choices. We need a people's movement for environmental protection," Naidu said.

Calling for serious introspection and bold actions to mitigate the reality of increasing extreme events and diminishing biodiversity, Naidu said: "It is not only the duty of the government to deliberate, but it is the duty of every citizen and human being on earth to save this planet." The Vice President was inaugurating the International Conference on Environmental Diversity and Environmental Jurisprudence at Chandigarh University, Mohali.

Addressing the gathering, Naidu stressed that India has always been leading the world in climate action. He reiterated India's commitment to fulfil the ambitious national targets set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow last year.

Referring to how Indian culture has always revered and worshiped nature, Naidu said India had enshrined principles of environmental protection in the Constitution and passed many related laws "even before environmental discourse gained pace in the developed world".

"This spirit draws heavily from our ancient values that look at human existence as part of the natural environment and not as one that exploits it," he added.

Lauding the Indian higher judiciary for upholding environmental justice over the years, he suggested that "lower courts too must uphold an ecocentric view and keep the best interests of the local populations and biodiversity in their judgments".

He also called for stringent action against violators of pollution laws and strict enforcement of the 'Polluter Must Pay' principle.
Srinagar, May 7 : The J&K Police along with security forces have arrested two hybrid terrorists linked with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) in Bandipore district, officials said on Saturday.

The police said that based on a specific input regarding the movement of terrorists from Bandipora to Srinagar, a joint checkpoint was set up by the police, army and CRPF near the Wullar Vantage Aragam.

"While conducting search of pedestrians and vehicles, two individuals were observed moving suspiciously in an Alto car, who tried to conceal their identity on seeing the naka party. On being challenged, the duo tried to break the checkpoint but were apprehended," the police said.

The arrested duo has been identified as Abid Ali and Faisal Hassan Parray, both residents of Herpora Achan Pulwama.

During search of the duo and the vehicle, incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including one AK-47 rifle, two magazines with 30 live rounds, one pistol, and one magazine with four live rounds were recovered.
Srinagar, May 7 : J&K State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Saturday carried out raids at 19 different locations in the Valley in connection with 11 FIRs registered in connection with increasing misuse of SIM cards by militants, their overground workers (OGWs) associates, narcotics smugglers and other criminals.

According to a statement by SIA, A majority of the premises belonged to Point of Sale (POS) vendors who sold these cards in violation of Department of Telecom regulations and in a manner that amounts to forgery and cheating.

In three cases preliminary evidence strongly indicated that the SIM cards were procured to help the militants in maintaining their communication with their handlers across the border and other modules inside J&K, the agency said.

One PoS vendor in Chawalgam in Kulgam under the name M/S Airtel Micro World created a SIM card against a non-existent person namely Gowhar Ahmad Hajam and gave the SIM card to a person in Qaimoh in Kulgam who turned out to be an OGW of militant outfit Ansar Gazwatul Hind.

In yet another case, a PoS vendor of Mir Mohalla Monghall of Anantnag created a SIM card for a subscriber who handed it over to an OGW of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

The houses of all the three (the vendor, the subscriber and the OGW) were searched to look for additional evidence.

Similarly, in a third instance, four POS vendors one belonging to Konibal in Pampore, another to Walina, Ichgam in Budgam, the third one to Barzullah in Srinagar and forth one to Lasjan created SIM cards in the name of real persons by stealing their identity and misusing their identity documents. Subsequently these POS vendors fraudulently gave the SIM cards to unauthorised persons without the knowledge of the original persons.

"A majority of the premises belonged to Point of Sale (PoS) vendors who sold these cards in violation of Department of Telecom regulations and in a manner that amounts to forgery and cheating. In three cases preliminary evidence strongly indicated that the SIM cards were procured to help the militants in maintaining their communication with their handlers across the border and other modules inside J&K," SIA added.

During searches, incriminating material and electronic gadgets which include 20 mobile phones, 37 SIM cards, five laptops, three hard drives, one pen drive, one external hard disc, one Jio Wifi Router, six Stamps, 48 documents, six Registers, 15 photographs etc pertaining to the investigation were seized to carry out further analysis.

"The government has decided to take stringent measures against POS SIM card sellers who are found to be stealing identity documents of unsuspecting subscribers and creating SIM cards without the knowledge of original subscribers," the statement noted.

"Similarly POS SIM card sellers who are found creating SIM cards on the basis of forged documents in the name of persons who do not exist in real life will also be proceeded against by invoking the most stern provisions of law." Action would also be taken against POS SIM card sellers and subscribers who obtain SIM cards in excess of 6 cards which is the maximum number of SIM cards a person is allowed, the agency asserted. "POS SIM card sellers and individual subscribers who voluntarily come to the police station and surrender their excess SIM cards (more than 6) would escape criminal liability".

Telephone service providers have been strongly advised to maintain proper database to prevent dishonest POS SIM card sellers and subscribers to cheat the system by not disclosing their already issued SIM cards obtained from other service providers at the time of applying for additional new card.
Gangtok, May 7 : The Eastern Army Commander, Lieutenant General R.P. Kalita visited Sikkim and took stock of prevailing situation along the border.

The Army Commander visited forward areas in Sikkim where he was briefed by senior Commanders on ground about the prevailing situation along the border.

During his interaction with the troops, the Army Commander complimented the soldiers for their professionalism, dedication and commitment for maintaining round the clock vigil in inhospitable terrain and adverse climatic conditions.

Sikkim shares over 220 km borders with China and around 98 km with Nepal.

Earlier, Lieutenant General Kalita arrived at Sukna, Siliguri on May 5 on a three day visit to the Trishakti Corps.

He was briefed by Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar Aich, General Officer Commanding, Trishakti Corps on the prevailing situation and operational preparedness of the formations.
Guwahati, May 8 : Banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) on Saturday claimed that it has executed two alleged "spies of Assam police and Army" in their camp.

The ULFA-I in a statement said that it has "awarded death sentences to two moles" who according to the outfit were allegedly involved in "spying on behalf of Assam police and Army" against the prescribed outfit. Later, in a video message ULFA-I's self-styled chief Paresh Barua said that the "death sentence" was executed by killing Dhanjit Das and Sanjib Sarma.

The outfit also released the video of Das and Sarma where they allegedly "confessed about how they were sent to join the ULFA-I's hideouts by Assam Police and the Army to gather inside information of the extremist group and destroy their bases in different locations".

"Sarma and Das were working following the instructions and guidance of the law enforcement officials and they were provided training to join the outfit and spy on the group," the statement by ULFA-I said.

In the video, the duo were seen urging the youths in Assam not to work on behalf of the police and Army in lieu of money against the ULFA-I.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier said that the Assam police does not send anyone to the ULFA-I. "There is no question of sending any moles in foreign land and Assam police is mandated to look after its territory only." The Chief Minister, who also holds the home portfolio, after assuming the office on May 10, 2021, had urged Paresh Barua to come forward for peace talks and shun the 42-year-old insurgency.

He had earlier said that he had been given full responsibility (by Union Home Minister Amit Shah) to start the preliminary talks with the ULFA-I.

The ULFA-I, which during the past one year has twice extended the unilateral ceasefire and also refrained from calling bandh and boycott during last year's Independence Day, and this year's Republic Day celebrations, recently recruited some youth as its armed cadres.
Tehran, May 8 : The EU coordinator for the Iran nuclear talks Enrique Mora will visit Iran on Tuesday over the Vienna talks aimed to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, semi-official agency Nour News reported.

Nour News, affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, gives no details about Mora's upcoming visit, Xinhua news agency reported.

In July 2015, Iran signed with the world powers a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in which Tehran agrees to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of the international sanctions on it.

However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties to revive the deal.

Iran insists on securing guarantees that the US governments will not abandon the deal again and the sanctions being lifted in a verifiable manner.
Chandigarh, May 8 : In a midnight development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the arrest of BJP leader Tajinder Bagga and directed the Punjab government to not take any coercive action against him until the next hearing which is scheduled for May 10.

The BJP leader moved to the High Court while challenging the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him by a Mohali Court on Saturday.

The urgent hearing of the plea was held at the residence of Justice Anoop Chitkara in Chandigarh.

Earlier, the High Court on Saturday adjourned the hearing on Bagga's case, in which the police of three states were involved, till May 10.

The Punjab government, in its habeas plea, moved two applications -- one for making the Centre a party to the case and the second for direction to Delhi and Haryana Police to preserve the CCTV cameras.

Adjourning the matter, the Bench of Justice G.S. Gill sought a status report on or before Tuesday.

On Friday, the state filed habeas corpus petition against the Haryana government, alleging that 12 Punjab police officers involved in the arrest of Bagga have been detained by Haryana police in Kurukshetra.

Also Punjab sought the custody of Bagga, the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, who was held in connection with a case registered against him in Mohali last month.

In its plea, the Punjab government alleged that when Punjab Police was taking Bagga to SAS Nagar (Mohali) to produce him before the area magistrate, the Haryana Police stopped them midway and brought them to the Kurukshetra where his custody was given to Delhi Police.

Delhi Police, which reports to the Union Home Ministry, on Friday took Bagga's custody and later released him after legal process. It also lodged two cases against Punjab Police in connection with Bagga's arrest.

Punjab Police, while taking Bagga to Mohali from Delhi, was stopped midway by the Haryana Police after Delhi Police registered a kidnapping case on the complaint of father of the BJP leader.
Weve always prided ourselves on our ability to understand local markets and be true collaborators with our transit partners, and this partnership with SMART will be no exception" - Marc Borzykowski, CEO of Vector Media

Vector Media today announced the addition of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) system to their portfolio of out-of-home advertising assets, solidifying and further expanding upon their suite of transit assets across the country. The new light rail inventory in Sonoma-Marin County adds to Vectors existing presence in the San Francisco DMA where their iconic Double Decker buses are complemented by transit advertising partnerships in Contra Costa County in the East Bay area, and now the North Bay area, Californias famous wine region, and up to Santa Rosa, CA.

The addition of SMART to Vector Medias portfolio will allow the company to bring their clients a high-end outdoor advertising product frequented by the affluent, diverse, and active communities of Sonoma-Marin County and San Francisco. SMART connects the cities and towns of Sonoma-Marin County beginning at Sonoma Airport down to the San Francisco Bay at Larkspur, with 12 stops along 45 miles of track. The stations include:



Sonoma Airport

Santa Rosa North

Santa Rosa Downtown

Rohnert Park

Cotati

Petaluma

Novato San Marin

Novato Downtown

Novato Hamilton

Marin Civic Center

San Rafael Downtown

Larkspur

Advertising aboard the SMART train cars includes interior posters, concession train advertising, and all new experiential opportunities, while station posters, station dominations extend the audience reach beyond the trains to the platforms at all 12 stations. In the coming months all new signature train car vehicle wraps will bring brands greater opportunities to reach audiences in downtowns, and those traveling California U.S. Route 101.

In addition to SMART, Vector Media maintains ongoing relationships with three municipal transit networks in Contra Costa County  Western Contra Costa County Transit (WestCAT), County Connection, and Tri Delta Transit, which together services 1.16 million residents of the Bay Area.

SMART operates one of the most modern rail systems in the country, providing access to the Sonoma-Marin area and all that it offers Californians and visitors alike, said Marc Borzykowski, CEO of Vector Media. Weve always prided ourselves on our ability to understand local markets and be true collaborators with our transit partners, and this partnership with SMART will be no exception. We hope to provide a seamless transition for existing advertisers and introduce new ones to this exceptional opportunity and the innovations we hope to bring.

About Vector Media

Founded in 1998, Vector Media (http://www.vectormedia.com) is one of the nations largest private outdoor media companies, specializing in large and small format public and private media opportunities as well as the creation of interactive brand experiences. The company's current inventory is spread out over 55 US markets including each of the top 10 US DMAs and 28 of the top 50 US DMAs and includes over 30,000 advertising faces, comprised of municipal transit, transit shelters, billboards, wallscapes, airport shuttles, and the only coast-to-coast double-decker advertising network in North America. Vector's rapidly growing experiential division integrates the companys Out-of-Home assets and other capabilities through the creation of dynamic brand experiences.

Media Contact

Jason Geller

JMediaHouse

jason@jmediahouse.com

212-920-0398
A University of La Verne transfer student in the Abraham Campus Center. The University of La Verne wants to make sure that every qualified Marymount California student can continue to make uninterrupted progress toward earning their degree.

The University of La Verne and Marymount California University are partnering to help Marymount California students complete their degree programs at the University of La Verne.

On April 22, 2022, Marymount California, a private university in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, announced that it will permanently close effective August 31, 2022. Marymount California serves about 500 students, many of whom will need to identify new institutions at which to complete their degree programs.

Under an agreement approved this week by both universities, Marymount California undergraduate and MBA students will be able to smoothly transfer into the University of La Verne, and be guaranteed specific benefits related to admission, financial aid, and housing. Those include:



Guaranteed admission and expedited application process: Marymount California students in good academic standing will be guaranteed admission, subject to the policies in the University of La Verne Catalog. Students will submit an application and provide transcripts, and University of La Verne will waive the application fee, the personal statement, and letter of recommendation.

Matched Marymount California scholarship: University of La Verne will honor Marymount students current scholarship packages, ensuring they do not face a cost burden to transfer.

Guaranteed housing in University of La Verne residence halls: Any Marymount California student who applies to live in the residence halls will be guaranteed a placement through June 15, and will be offered housing on a space-available basis after.

Transfer credit and a path to graduate on time: - In addition to having more than 50 majors to choose from, the University of La Verne offers students the ability to create their own degree path and will offer 1:1 advising support.

The University of La Verne wants to make sure that every qualified Marymount California student can continue to make uninterrupted progress toward earning their degree, said Mary Aguayo, vice president for enrollment management at the University of La Verne. Were proud to partner with the leadership at Marymount California University to provide smooth pathways for students to transfer their credits, keep their financial aid, and have access to a vibrant university in which to live and study.

In addition to supporting current Marymount California students, the agreement also includes guaranteed admission and other benefits for regularly admitted incoming freshmen, MBA, and transfer students who had not yet had a chance to begin their studies at Marymount California.

Marymount has made it a priority to provide a streamlined path for our students to finish their degrees in a seamless way, Marymount California University President Brian Marcotte said. We are so grateful for the University of La Verne for stepping up to provide such a pathway for our studentsthey are an ideal alternative.

The University of La Verne is a private, nonprofit, comprehensive university located about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. The university offers more than 50 majors, and is ranked highly for social mobility and the quality of its online programs, including its online MBA.

To learn more about transferring to the University of La Verne or to contact an admission counselor, Marymount California students can visit univ.lv/marymountcalifornia.
A plane travelling to New York from London made a swift u-turn mid-flight after the co-pilot reportedly made a shocking announcement.

The Virgin Atlantic plane was just 40 minutes into the journey and flying over Ireland on Monday when the captain learned the first officer hadn't completed his pilot training ahead of boarding the flight.

The co-pilot revealed he hadn't sat his final flight assessment, yet he was somehow rostered on to work, it's been reported.

The pilot was forced to head back to Heathrow airport in London and ground the plane until a suitable replacement was found, with the delay leaving passengers frustrated.

The plane left London for New York but was forced to turn around just 40 minutes in and return to Heathrow airport. Source: FlightRadar24

Virgin Atlantic has apologised for Mondays blunder, blaming the incident on a roster error.

The caption was not qualified to fly with a co-pilot who had not completed Virgin Atlantic training protocols, the airline said.

Although the captain is "highly experienced" with "many thousands of hours of flight time during 17 years at Virgin Atlantic", he is not a designated trainer, an airline representative told The Post.

A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman told UK media that both crew members were fully licensed and qualified to operate the aircraft.

But the incomplete assessment is a company requirement to ensure that a pilot uses the carriers specific methodology.

Virgin Atlantic said an 'administrative error' meant the co-pilot was rostered on by mistake. Source: Getty

Extensive delays for frustrated passengers

Passengers were forced to wait on board the plane as it sat on the tarmac until a replacement co-pilot arrived.

The delay meant the flight arrived in New York two hours and forty minutes later than expected. Passengers were not compensated for the disruption because it was less than four hours, according to reports.

Passengers were reportedly furious and demanded answers after noticing the plane they were on suddenly turned around and headed back in the direction from which it came.

Julie and Marc Vincent, from the UK, said passengers were told the return to Heathrow airport was due to an "administration error".

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"Wed just cleared the west coast of Ireland when the captain announced, 'You may have noticed that we have conducted a 180-degree turn' ... and that they needed to get some paperwork signed off legally to be able to continue our journey, Mrs Vincent told the Daily Mail.

She said "panic did set in onboard" with people "pacing up and down," desperately trying to search for answers.

Flight attendants reportedly started serving meals to kill the time. But the food service was cut short when the replacement pilot arrived.

A source told The Sun "you could have cut the tension in the cockpit with a knife".

"The skipper had no choice but to go back to Heathrow and find a more experienced member of the crew. It was embarrassing for everyone and the passengers were furious," they said.

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.
Innovation and sustainability leaders from Canada, Ireland & the U.S. headline Junes Innovation kNowledge eXchange of 2022 forum. INX22 will inspire sustainable solutions to some of the worlds top challenges, held at the iconic U.N. and American Dream.

International and local innovation leaders from Canada, Ireland, and New Jersey will headline Day 1 of the Innovation kNowledge eXchange of 2022 (INX22)  a new forum focused on developing sustainable solutions to some of the worlds top challenges.

INX22 speakers confirmed to-date include one of Canadas top U.S. diplomats; a leading sustainability expert for Belfast, Northern Ireland; and innovation leaders based in the U.S. and New Jersey. The event is coming to the American Dream in East Rutherford and the United Nations in Manhattan on June 6 and 7.

Organized by Felician Universitys Lenke Family Center for Innovation, its Center for Academic Technology, and its Buildings & Grounds Department, plus the Royal Academy of Science International Trust, INX22 will bring together global and local business trailblazers; corporate social responsibility decision-makers; philanthropy professionals; and U.S. and international university staff, faculty and students.

Speakers at INX22 confirmed thus far include:



Khawar Nasim, acting consul general of Canada to the United States, in New York, who will speak about innovation in sustainability in the Canadian government sector. Nasim is a career diplomat who joined the Canadian Department of External Affairs in 1993. His career has included postings in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Minneapolis.

Clare Guinness, innovation district director for Innovation City Belfast (Belfast, Northern Ireland), will share how her city is leveraging its strengths in Fin Tech, Green Tech, and Health Tech innovation to attract high-quality investment and provide an environment where the latest research from regional universities can be rapidly translated into world-class businesses. Innovation City Belfast is a partnership combining six of the citys anchor institutions, harnessing significant knowledge, resources and influence to create a world-class hub for research and innovation in Belfast.

Kai Feder, chief of staff at the New Jersey State Office of Innovation, will address the Offices work to equip private entrepreneurs with the innovative skills needed to solve public problems; the Offices pandemic response work; and its efforts to make it easier to start, operate, and grow a business. Feder oversees the Office of Innovations day-to-day operations, advises the chief innovation officer on strategic direction, leads projects and policy initiatives, and manages intergovernmental and external affairs.

Kemi Olugemo, MD, director of communications for Women of Color in Pharma (WOCIP)  a non-profit addressing equity in the life sciences industry and serving as a catalyst to address global inequities in health, economic wealth, and education within communities of color  will discuss WOCIPs multi-pronged initiatives to address COVID-19 competency and confidence. She will also present about related health disparities in communities of color.

Lawrence Lenke, MD, and his wife, Beth Lenke, will introduce INX22 and discuss the importance of innovation in healthcare and throughout the intellectual spectrum. As benefactors of the Lenke Family Center of Innovation, Dr. Lenke is an internationally recognized expert in complex pediatric and adult spinal deformity surgery. He is Surgeon-in-Chief of the Och Spine Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian.

INX22 will also feature several panel discussions, including one focusing on food sustainability at restaurants and within the food supply. Panelists include Chef Antonio and Brenda De Ieso, owners of Italian farm-to-table restaurant Fiorentini  the first business in Rutherford, N.J., to be identified on the State of N.J.s Sustainable Business Registry. The panel also features Stacey Antine, MS, RDN, founder of Ridgewood, N.J.-based HealthBarn USA, a national leader in healthy lifestyle education for children and families; and Ron Mirante, founder of Bone In, LLC, headquartered in Hillsborough, N.J. Bone In is a food delivery service focused on small, local farmers using the most sustainable and regenerative farming practices, and currently serves 15 N.J. counties, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island.

An additional panel will showcase student leaders, presenting ideas and successes utilizing innovative technologies and products.

These outstanding speakers will set the tone for what promises to be an inspiring two-day INX22 event, said Joseph A. Lizza, executive director, Lenke Family Center for Innovation. As recognized leaders in their respective fields, these local and international innovation experts are ready to share their knowledge, experience, and insight with us. We are confident their messages will resonate with attendees and add weight to the important discussions we will have at the inaugural INX22 forum.

Inspiring Global Sustainable Solutions

On Day 1, at the American Dream complex, attendees will hear from and network with these and other business leaders who will share their journeys, enlighten participants, and show how they blaze new sustainability directions within their organizations.

The United Nations in New York City will host the student case study competition on Day 2, broadcast to a worldwide audience on UN WebTV. Student teams selected from an international pool of applicants will compete for a $10,000 team prize by developing and presenting a proposed solution supporting the U.N.s Sustainable Development Goal 3, focused on Good Health and Well-Being, which is one of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals established in 2015.

Colleges that are competing include two teams each from New Jerseys Felician University and Italys John Cabot University, and one team each from Italys University of Pisa and New Yorks St. Thomas Aquinas College.

Sponsorship Opportunities and Tickets Available

INX22 is pursing sponsor partnerships with businesses and other organizations focused on the support of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship and more. A variety of sponsorship packages are available, providing organizations with high visibility and a range of benefits, including marketing/branding opportunities prior to and during the event, award underwriting, hosting meals and breaks at the forum, and student pitch competition judging positions at the United Nations. Please visit at http://www.felician.edu/inx2022 for sponsorship opportunities.

Tickets are on sale now for Day 1 of INX22, also at http://www.felician.edu/inx2022. The $100 ticket price includes admission to the full day of events, all keynote presentations/panel discussions; networking opportunities; and breakfast, lunch, and breaks. Day 2 will be by invitation only and will include the student teams.

For more information on sponsorship packages and to purchase tickets, contact INX2022@felician.edu or visit http://www.felician.edu/inx2022.

###

About Innovation kNowledge eXchange of 2022 (INX22)

Felician University

One Felician Way, Rutherford, New Jersey 07070

Access INX22 media assets here.

Follow INX22 on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram

Media Contact:

Ken Hunter

Caryl Communications

Phone: 201-796-7788

Email: ken@caryl.com
Some of our customers have used this proven system and ongoing support to create coffee shops that are thriving nearly two decades later, - Greg Ubert, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Want to learn how to open a coffee shop? Then discover the book and proven system that have launched over 300 independent coffee shops in 30 states.

Starting today, your book purchase includes a series of free recorded updates from author Greg Ubert, founder and president of award-winning coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea.

He initially wrote Seven Steps to Success: A Common-sense Guide to Succeed to Specialty Coffee in 2002 to help struggling coffee shop customers master all aspects of coffee shop operations.

Some of our customers have used this proven system and ongoing support to create coffee shops that are thriving nearly two decades later, he said.

Of course, the specialty coffee industry has grown since I first published the 7 Steps book, he added. To keep up with the latest innovations in coffee shop operations, Ive recorded a series of updates that come free with every book purchase.

"After you buy the book, watch for an email for instructions on how to access the files.

Uberts book forms the foundation of the companys 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program.

He and his 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup consulting team help entrepreneurs with little or no coffee experience open flourishing coffee businesses serving their local communities.

From scouting a terrific location and writing a strong coffee shop business plan to laying out your shop efficiently, hiring and training staff and much more, were here to help you manage your shop for maximum success, he said.

As a one-stop shop for independent coffee shops, Crimson Cup also supplies award-winning coffee, the best syrups, powers and other coffee shop supplies in the business, and ongoing support to help coffee businesses thrive.

We set up new business owners to reach their goals, Ubert said. Whether it's to have a successful business, to have delighted customers, or to support your local community, our 7 Steps team can help you get there.

After a new coffee shop opens, the 7 Steps team supports the owners and managers through grand opening celebrations and beyond to ensure ongoing success.

Crimson Cup customer Tracy Heitmeyer opened 5 Bean Coffee in Reynoldsburg, Ohio in November 2008, at the very beginning of the Great Recession.

Without Crimson Cups help, I would never have been able to set up my shop as efficiently, she said. Frankly, I am not sure if I would have stayed in business.

She said Crimson Cup taught her to focus on efficient drink making, costing things out, staff training and customer service.

The staff training is priceless. My people know what they are doing and do it well, she said.

A focus on customer service is a big part of our success, she added. I cant say enough about how important it is to nurture a culture of cooperation and pride in the shop."

After nearly 14 years of success, Tracy now works only a single weekly shift. I enjoy the freedom from the daily grind, she said. My husband and I travel a bit, and I get to spend time with friends and family at my leisure.

I have a glorious life, she concluded. The shop has provided for me financially and keeps my heart happy!

Ubert said he continues to see strong opportunity for new coffee shop owners, despite economic uncertainty.

If theres one thing weve learned over 31 years in business, its that coffee shops can thrive through recession, pandemic and whatever else the economy throws at us, he said. There are always challenges, but our 7 Steps team is here to help you work around them.

7 Steps Sales Leader Scott Fullerton is the first contact for all new coffee shop owners. Reach him by emailing sfullerton@crimsoncup.com or by calling 1.888.800.9224.

If youve ever dreamed about opening a coffee house, Id love to help you get started, Fullerton said. Weve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs take the leap from dreaming about a coffee shop to opening their doors. Chances are, we can help you!

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.

Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup  driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities.

Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into how much it costs to open a coffee shop.

Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.


SLCC Class of 2022 graduates celebrate their graduation at the Maverick Center in Salt Lake City. My message to you is simple: you are enough; you are worthy; you are prepared; you belong here and anywhere else.

Today, Salt Lake Community College proudly celebrated the achievements of more than 3,400 graduates from the class of 2022 during its commencement ceremony at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.

SLCCs class of 2022 is comprised of 3,419 graduates, including 1,559 who are first-generation college students and 142 who are military veterans. The graduates ranged in age from 16 to 71, and most earned degrees from the schools general studies program followed by business, nursing, psychology, computer science and the pre-medical health sciences.

Many of SLCCs 2022 graduates began their college experience under difficult circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. All of us at the college are proud yet humbled by the grit and grace shown by each of our graduates, said SLCC President Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin. Members of the class of 2022 have met challenges with determination and perseverance, inspiring all of us.

Keynote speaker and SLCC alumnus Samuel Ortiz, Associate Director for Campus and Community Engagement at the University of Dayton, told students, My message to you is simple: you are enough; you are worthy; you are prepared; you belong here and anywhere else. He encouraged students to make this their mantra whenever they find themselves in a space where they feel, or are being told, that they do not belong. Be bold and courageous in stepping into any space and let no door be closed to you.

During the event, President Huftalin also addressed the graduates. She encouraged them to pay attention to the energy that comes from wholeheartedness, which happens when you are deeply connected and engaged in what you are doing. This is an unlimited source of energy which if tapped and nurtured, can propel and sustain you. She added, I hope throughout your life you will find a way to tap into the magnetic force of what you really love and let it silently guide you.

In addition to recognizing its graduates, during the ceremony SLCC honored several college champions from the community. The college bestowed Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degrees to Shawn Newell and Mark and Kathie Miller. Newell, an alumnus, has deep community connections, including serving in leadership roles with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Utah Board of Higher Education and other state-wide organizations. He is also a SLCC Trustee Emeritus, received the SLCC Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2017, and is past president of the SLCC Alumni Council.

The Millers are noted Utah philanthropists devoted to education and helped expand SLCCs Partnerships for Accessing College Education (PACE) program. The PACE program supports students from underserved communities to excel in high school and enroll in SLCC with full scholarship.

The college also paid tribute to two former students with its Distinguished Alumni Award. The award recognizes one alumnus and one alumna for significant contributions to their communities and professions. Tashelle Wright, director of the Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and Derek Dyer, founder of the Utah Arts Alliance, were both recognized during Fridays event. Since their time at SLCC, Wright has focused on public health and justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Dyers focus has been on strengthening Salt Lake Citys arts and culture offerings.

Also recognized was Representative Kelly B. Miles as the recipient of SLCCs 2022 Legislative Champion Award. The award celebrates Utah legislators who demonstrate a commitment to advancing higher education. During Representative Miles time chairing the legislative Higher Education Appropriations Committee, Utah colleges and universities received unprecedented increases in state funding for various programs and initiatives, including many that directly benefitted SLCCs students.

Several faculty members were also acknowledged during the ceremony. Hau Moy Kwan, Craig Ferrin and Michael Young received this years Teaching Excellence Awards in recognition of their commitment to providing outstanding education. The college also named Anne Canavan as its Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, an accolade recognizing quality work and a charge to develop that work into a public presentation over the course of an academic year.

Several students were also individually recognized with the colleges Graduates of Excellence Award, a prestigious distinction that recognizes hard work, commitment and selflessness. Honorees include Chamil Soufianou, Tonya Timothy, Leonardo Garcia, Brenda Johnson, Melissa Smith, Amora Floyd and Kaden Wall.

ABOUT SLCC

Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) is Utahs largest open-access college, proudly educating the states most diverse student body in eight areas of study at 10 locations and online. The majority of SLCC graduates transfer to four-year institutions, and thousands more are trained in direct-to-workforce programs. In 2023, the institution will celebrate 75 years of providing Utahns with education and training in high-demand fields that directly contribute to the states vibrant economy and high quality of life.


Canadian Channel Partners logo The CCP22 vendor-mix represents in-demand and emerging technologies such as Cloud, Unified Communications, CyberSecurity, Hardware, Broadband, Connectivity, Remote working & Customer Experience, and Remote Management Tools.

Canadian Channel Partners Conference (CCP), to take place in hybrid format on May 18th and 19th for IT Channel Partners, announced its Platinum and Gold partners today. This much-anticipated annual event will have the Canadian channel community engage with technology vendors from across the globe to share knowledge, deliberate collaboration, and accelerate growth and revenue. It aims to connect global technology providers with over 1500 Canadian MSPs, MSSPs, ISPs, VARs, Cloud Service Providers & IT Consultants. The virtual event will be hosted on an introductory meta environment utilizing a 3D Virtual Platform and can be attended on May 18th and 19th. The in-person event will be hosted only on Thursday, May 19th, at the Vaughn Paramount event space.

Whats in store for our attendees?

The business environment has undergone a major change in the past two years, specifically in the workplace. Companies are directing a significant amount of their IT budget towards supporting a fully remote or an acceptable hybrid workplace environment. The introduction of these new norms has the channel partners looking for innovative ways to thrive and scale their IT business while effectively managing the rapidly changing requirements of their business clients. That is why the theme for this 7th edition of CCP focuses on Growing your IT business in the next new normal.

The CCP provides a platform for the channel family can find inspiration and ideas to grow their business. It offers an opportunity to experience and compare best-of-breed products and solutions in one place.

CCP is hosted by Xeo Marketing & Strategic Consultancy Inc (Xeo), a Tech Marketing company predominantly working with technology B2Bs, MSPs, and Resellers. Driven by the mission of Let us grow together!, Xeo constantly seeks and manifests opportunities to add more power to the channel community. And the annual Canadian Channel Partners (CCP) Conference is one such initiative.

With the world gone hybrid, we want to showcase products and solutions that are relevant today. So we have chosen our partners and exhibitors accordingly from among the best that technology can offer today. The CCP22 vendor-mix represents in-demand and emerging technologies such as Cloud, Unified Communications, CyberSecurity, Hardware, Broadband, Connectivity, Remote working & Customer Experience, and Remote Management Tools. said Rueben Supramanyam, Channel Director at Canadian Channel Partners Conferences. There is great excitement among our channel community for the event. We are confident that MSPs and resellers attending the event will have a lot to look forward to.

Besides the impressive lineup of booths at the vendor pavilion, the event will feature presentations and keynote speeches from industry experts covering a broad spectrum of topics. In addition, CCP will host the post-event networking gala for the first time where they will recognize and celebrate Canadas top MSPs for 2022. The gala will provide an opportunity to channel partners and the technology vendors to connect on a one-on-one basis and mingle with their peers after the two-year-long pause. Channel partners who want to attend the gala can purchase tickets here.

Technology Hub Partner

CCP presents Gentek, the leading Canadian distributor of unified communications and connectivity products, as its Technology Hub Partner for the upcoming event.

With over 40 years in business, Gentek delivers the best tech and distribution expertise in the Canadian market. They bring together some of the most highly sought-after brands and connect them with over 3000 reseller partners with their Gentek Marketplace. Besides learning about Gentek's new management and vision, attendees of CCP2022 can expect to see some of these prominent brands showcasing their latest tech within the Gentek Technology Hub. Gentek's participating vendors represent Unified Communications, Broadband, and Enterprise Networking. Poly, Yealink, Fanvil, RabbitRun, Adtran, and Grandstream are some brands that the channel audience can expect to meet there.

Our Key Sponsors

Intel

Intel builds hardware-enabled security right into the silicon to help protect every layer of the compute stack (hardware, firmware, operating systems, applications, networks, and the cloud). This boosts protection and enables the ecosystem to better defend against evolving and modern threats. Learn how MSPs are activating this hardware-enhanced security, powerful remote manageability, and productivity-enhancing capabilities via the Intel vPro Platform.

UnitedCloud

UnitedCloud is Canada's leading provider of unified communications and collaboration solutions to Canadian businesses and the partners that serve them. Through an exceptional 100% channel-focused partner network, UnitedCloud offers a full suite of Agent and White Label Cloud Voice with a complete turnkey solution for leading IT companies, MSPs, VARs, ISPs, and Telecom Providers.

NinjaOne

NinjaOne is a leading provider of unified IT operations software that simplifies the way MSPs and IT professionals work. NinjaOne supports over 7,000 customers around the world, and is consistently ranked #1 for its world-class customer support. NinjaOne has been recognized as the best rated software in its category on G2 and Gartner Digital Markets for the past 3 years.

Sherweb

Sherweb is an all-in-one cloud marketplace. More than 6,500 partners and 80,000 companies worldwide grow their business using Sherwebs value-added services. Their full-fledged cloud management platform empowers IT professionals to leverage agile solutions paired with 5-star service by trusted experts they can count on.

Opengear

Opengear is the leader in Out-of-Band management solutions. With Opengear, resellers can help their customers reduce downtime and ensure business continuity while increasing their own revenue. Recognized for innovations that include the NetOps Console Server, a Network Automation + Smart Out-of-Band management solution in a single unit, using open architecture tools.

Exclusive Networks

Exclusive Networks is a global trusted cybersecurity specialist for digital infrastructure helping to drive the transition to a totally trusted digital future for all people and organizations. Their distinctive approach to distribution gives partners more opportunity and more customer relevance. The Exclusive Networks story is a global one with a services-first ideology at its core, harnessing innovation, and disruption to deliver partner value.

AMD

AMD is a leader in powerful multicore computing. With processors that power supercomputers and servers to professional systems, workstations, and laptops, AMD provides the processing performance to get the job done. Stop by the AMD booth and learn about key pillars such as Computing in the Cloud, and how AMDs products can help drive solutions in key verticals with unmatched outcomes. Plus, learn about AMDs exclusive partner program and the perks of joining.

Stay tuned as we share more updates on the next line of sponsors and partners, conference speakers and more.

For more details on the conference, please click here.

About the Canadian Channel Partners Conference:

The Canadian MSPs, VARs and Telecom Resellers often get overlooked at any US-focused conference. Xeo recognized the need for an event dedicated solely to the Canadians where global technology providers can connect and engage exclusively with Canadian channel partners. With that in mind, Xeo launched Canadian Channel Partners that connects the entire Canadian IT & Telecom Channel Partner ecosystem - MSPs, MSSPs, VARs, ISPs, Distributors, Technology Service Providers, SISO & Telcos.

About Xeo Marketing & Strategic Consultancy:

Recognized as the top technology marketing company in Canada, Xeo Marketing is a B2B strategic consultancy and marketing organization. Powered by experienced industry experts, Xeo Marketing works with businesses in the fast-paced, high-tech sector and tech & AI start-ups of all sizes. Xeo helps the B2B tech sector organizations capture the market share and grow their revenue by providing affordable growth strategies and marketing services through innovative ways to leverage modern marketing channels like social media and mobile.

For information about Xeo Marketing, please visit http://www.xeo.marketing.

Rueben Supramanyam

Channel Director, Canadian Channel Partners Conferences Inc.

conference@canadianchannelpartners.com
Christine Lysnewycz Holbert is the director of Lost Horse Press, an independent nonprofit poetry press based in Washington State, and the daughter of Ukrainian refugees who came to the U.S. after WWII. Part of Holberts mission in establishing her publishing house was to honor her ancestors and promote underrepresented literature by publishing Ukrainian poets in dual-language editions, she said. In 2017, the publisher established the Lost Horse Press Contemporary Ukrainian Poetry Series, which is edited by Grace Mahoney. There are now 10 books in the series.

In April, one of the poets published by the press, Lyuba Yakimchuk, author of Apricots of Donbas, was featured at the Grammy Awards, reading from her book to the accompaniment of John Legend. Serhiy Zhadan, whose A New Orthography was released by Lost Horse Press in 2020, is currently featured as part of the Museum of Modern Arts exhibition of Ukrainian artists. In late April, the press hosted an online reading with poets Boris Khersonsky, Lyudmyla Khersonsky, Iryna Starovoyt, Mykolya Vorobiov, Lyuba Yakimchuk, and translators, including Mahoney. PW spoke with Holbert about her work and the current interest in Ukrainian poetry.

Could you share a little about the background of the publishing house?

Lost Horse Press was established in 1998 while I was living near Spokane, Wash. Shortly after the press was established, I moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, on the shores of 93-mile-long Lake Pend Oreille, taking the press with me. We had a good run in Sandpoint, but the politics of Idaho were getting too right-wing radical for me, so I recently moved to Liberty Lake, Wash., to be closer to family, and the press is now back in Washington, where it first started. We have been distributed for close to 11 years by the University of Washington Press. Our mission statement: established in 1998, Lost Horse Pressa nonprofit independent presspublishes poetry titles by emerging as well as established poets, and makes available other fine contemporary literature through cultural, educational, and publishing programs and activities.

How has the war impacted your business?

It has had a direct and significant impact: I am receiving so many orders at the press, I can hardly keep up. The printer is having a heck of a time keeping the Ukrainian poetry titles in print because of the book paper shortage. But we are filling orders, and somehow, the printer is finding paper to print more books. Since we are a tiny nonprofit poetry press, we have never experienced this type of commotion around our books. Its wonderful, though, that more people are willing to try poetry, especially in translation. The Ukrainian books were not selling well at all before February 24, but they are now flying off the shelves. And Im seeing more orders for our backlist; I imagine people are going to the website to place an order for one of the Ukrainian books, but become interested in some of our other titles.

What distinguishes the poetry on your list?

The Lost Horse Press Contemporary Ukrainian Poetry Series represents the best writers in Ukraine. How was a tiny little press in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest even considered to publish the likes of Serhiy Zhadan, the most popular living writer in all Ukraine? Because before this war kicked off for real on February 24, Ukrainian literature wasnt on American readers minds at all, but the war changed all of that.

Our contemporary Ukrainian poetry series features dual-language editions of poetry from Ukraines most significant poets operating in the contemporary context. These critically acclaimed and award-winning books showcase the diversity of poets who write from a range of geographies, poetic perspectives, and literary movements. Of critical importance is the fact that many of the poems featured in this series meditate on the significance of Ukraines independence and the positionality of the poet in a literature-centered culture in times of war.

Are you doing any work to assist in the relief efforts?

I am personally doing what I can. I have helped the Ukrainian community in Spokane collect and sort and pack donations of clothing, food, and medical supplies to be shipped to Ukraine. And I am awaiting a refugee family that will stay in my home until a house or apartment can be found for them. I have family in Ukraine with whom I stay in close contact. They live in and near Lviv and have made the decision to stay to help with the war effort, taking care of refugees from the East before driving them to the Polish border. I am sending supplies to my family, as well as being ready to help them get out of Ukraine should it become too dangerous in the west of the country where they are located.
Diversity is not a new word in the corporate lexicon, but upcoming books hint at a shift in how seriously its being taken. Indeed, before the murder of George Floyd touched off a widespread racial reckoning, improving diversity in the workforce was a nice-to-have at best, adjacent but not primary to most companies core principles. Publishers are seeing a new drive to embed DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts in corporate DNA, and to provide blueprints for achieving these goals.

The Call is Coming from Inside the House

Some editors saw a shift in the books being pitched in the wake of the summer of 2020. Whereas previous works simply made a case for a diverse workforce and aimed to educate managers on why embracing differences was good for the bottom line, the authors of these books assume that their audiences are already on board.

Lots of proposals that I used to get were about why diversity is important and why it should be on the agenda,  says Lucy Carter, publisher at Kogan Page. Well, its already there, right on top of the agenda. People want to know what to do about it. Her acquisition The Key to Inclusion (July) is about how you make diversity a core part of your overall business strategy, just like developing a budget. Edited by Stephen Frost, who led inclusion programs for the London Olympics and taught inclusive leadership at Harvard Business School, the book also includes sector-specific guidance, offering advice for how to implement inclusive practices in industries such as tech, finance, and media.

While social movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo have shaped much of the discussion around DEI efforts, Kogans upcoming Positively Purple (Oct.), by disability activist Kate Nash, reminds business leaders that building an inclusive corporate culture also means ensuring the workplace is accessible for disabled employees. The book notes that about 10% of workers have a visible or invisible disability. Beyond overcoming physical barriers, Nash writes that much of disabled employees comfort at work boils down to company culture. Among her advice to managers, she recommends listening to employees with disabilities to learn how to best support them, and advocates for leadership to proactively raise awareness of how employees can request workplace accommodations.

Matt Holt, editor-in-chief of an eponymous imprint at BenBella, also senses a change in the way companies are approaching DEI initiatives. This time feels different, Holt says, because for many companies the call for change is coming from internal staff. Things are coming to a head. Corporations recognize that they need to do this because their workforces are demanding it. Holts acquisition Reconstructing Inclusion (BenBella/Holt, Oct.) by Amri B. Johnson, CEO and founder of the Inclusion Wins consultancy, argues that for many years, most corporate approaches to DEI settled for cosmetic change rather than systemic change. Johnson goes back to the drawing board in his book. He breaks down the concepts of diversity and inclusion into core principles, and shows companies how they can weave them into their organizational processes. This approach provides a framework that is both actionable and sustainable, Holt says.

People Power

While management is responsible for encoding DEI into a companys core values, individuals at all levels of the workforce need to play a role in creating a more inclusive environment. Several upcoming books speak directly to staff, providing a guide to collective action toward change and navigating the corporate gauntlet as a member of a disadvantaged demographic.

In Shared Sisterhood, which Harvard Business Review Press is releasing in October, coauthors Tina Opie, a consultant and Babson College management professor, and Beth Livingston, University of Iowa management and entrepreneurship professor, warn that while companies may be making strides toward gender equity in boardrooms and closing pay gaps, progress remains relatively elusive for women of color. Opie, who is Black, and Livingston, who is white, really live out what shared sisterhood means; theyre just so tight, says Melinda Merino, editorial director at Harvard Business Review, describing the energy between the two women that appealed to the publisher. The authors insist that women must act collectively so that all women can advance professionally, rather than just a few. Its a really radical idea that theyre teaching. Gender equity wont be fully realized without racial equity, Merino says.

The growing demand for these books reflects the fact that most companies accept they will have to fundamentally alter their structures to move closer to a meritocratic ideal. Drilling into workforce data reveals that one sector of the workforce consistently faces more obstacles than any other: Black women report substantially less interaction, substantive or informal, with senior leadership than any other group, according to Lean In, a nonprofit advocating for more equitable workplaces.

The importance of such interactions and how they shape success are the crux of a pair of books forthcoming from Berrett-Koehler written by Black women who have risen through the corporate trenches to leadership roles. In Intelligence Isnt Enough by Carice Anderson (Oct.), and Please Sit Over There by Francine Parham (Aug.; see our q&a with Parham), the authors draw upon their personal experiences to warn that a Black person cant rely on their formal education alone to advance in the workplace. Both of these books talk a lot about the unspoken rules that one needs to learn to navigate in order to advance, says Steve Piersanti, founder and senior editor at Berrett-Koehler. There arent that many role models in the organization, and Black women are not given the same road map as their white colleagues.

But how do you do it?

Reflecting the sense of urgency to produce results, many upcoming titles skip the high-minded mission statements in favor of practical game plans. PW lauded Deanna Singh, founder of the social enterprise organization Flying Elephant, for doing just that in its review of Actions Speak Louder (May), whose advice it called concrete and actionable. Singh first walks readers through a series of self-examination exercises to define their social identities and figure out ways they can leverage a position of privilege to benefit everyone in the workplace. She then homes in on strategies for organizational operations, like recruiting, hiring, and onboarding, that enable DEI to take root and mold the workplace into one that is less harmful for people who may carry generational trauma from historical injustices.

Setbacks are inevitable, so its best for companies to view their commitment to greater inclusivity as a journey rather than a finite program, asserts Ella Washington in the Harvard Business Review release The Necessary Journey (Nov.). Washington opted to demonstrate some of the pitfalls companies encounter along the way through 10 stories of success and failure at organizations including Slack, Kaiser Permanente, and PwC.

This seasons business titles guide those who want to make a difference through what may seem like uncharted waters. Stories are how people learn, says HBRs Merino. Washington makes an emotional connection in each chapter through a story of a company at a different point along their journey. Readers see leaders moving beyond saying, Okay, this is something we should do, to, This is something we need to do. 

Mina Kelemen, a writer in Houston, has covered business, travel, and other nonfiction books for PW since 2018.

Below, more on Business, Leadership and Personal Finance books:

Get in the Game: PW Talks with Francine Parham

In 'Please Sit Over There,' Francine Parham examines workplace power, exclusion, and success.

Working Well: Business, Leadership & Personal Finance Books 2022

New books help managers and employees confront stress and mental health challenges head on.

Building Wealth Your Way: Business, Leadership & Personal Finance Books 2022

Upcoming personal finance books reject one-size-fits-all financial prescriptions.
In Killers Amidst Killers: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under the Cloak of Americas Opiod Epidemic (Morrow, July), journalist Jensen investigates the cases of 30 women who were murdered in Ohio in the 2010s.

How did this book evolve?

It started off as a murder mystery. There were two women who were best friends. They both lived together, they both went missing, and their bodies were found outside of South Columbus, Ohio. And when I went to do that story, I learned of another girl who looked just like those two, who had gone missing a couple of years before. And then I started asking, Whats going on in this town?

What did you find?

I started seeing a trend, and as I got deeper into these womens lives, there was this vicious cycle that was going on, where they had been caught in the opioid epidemic, and had, for one reason or another, started taking pills. The pills got taken away. Usually, a boyfriend would introduce them to heroin. Then they would have to pay for the heroin somehow, and then they would have to engage in sex work, the most dangerous job in the world, and ended up being taken off the streets, but no one was writing about them.

What surprised you the most?

On top of these sex workers disappearing, you had a vice squad which had police officers who literally were picking up women on the street who were sex workers, and telling them either you can have sex with mewhich is rapeor you can go to jail. And they were raping these women, and then one of them fought back, and a cop, Andrew Mitchell, was charged by the local prosecutor with murdering her, though Mitchell claimed self-defense. Oftentimes, vice squads are one of the places in the police where things go awry, but this was beyond the pale.

You refer to the lack of information sharing among law-enforcement agencies playing a part in how these murders were mishandledcan you expand on that?

Theres no national unsolved murders database that could be used to investigate; the closest thing is the Murder Accountability Project, but there are no names of victims attached to the information there. Theres no missing persons databasethink about that. Theres a government-funded clearinghouse, NamUs, but law enforcement agencies arent forced to enter that information in there, just as with the Murder Accountability Project, which is also voluntary. So theres no effective centralizing of information. It used to be that you could rely on the press, but the press is so shorthanded now.
When Chinelo Okparanta finished writing her long-awaited second novel, Harry Sylvester Bird (Mariner, July), during the pandemic, she knew the story would challenge readers to reconsider their views on race. Speaking via Zoom from her sunny apartment just outside Washington, D.C., Okparanta, a 41-year-old associate professor of creative writing at Swarthmore College, says that getting people to talk about the racial themes explored in the novel was her intention. I wrote the story as satire, an exaggeration, to open up the conversation, she explains.

Readers may be surprised that Okparantas white protagonist doesnt identify as a white man at all. Instead he sees himself as a Black African, and while ignoring the reality of his skin tone and the belief system of his xenophobic and racist parents, he works to get in touch with his true inner self, to humorous effect. But after spending a semester studying abroad in Ghana, hes forced to confront his whiteness in ways he never expected.

Okparanta arrived in the U.S. when she was 10 after her Nigerian father was accepted to a graduate engineering program at Boston University. She enrolled in public school and quickly learned that she was a good writer; during her first year in Boston, she won a citywide contest with an essay about social justice. (She gave the prize money, a $100 savings bond, to her parents, who were struggling to make ends meet.)

In high school, Okparanta discovered she was also gifted at the sciences, and as an undergrad she considered becoming a doctor or pharmacist. Once she realized she couldnt stomach the sight of blood, however, she decided to become a teacher.

Writing was something that I thought Id do on the side, she says. She taught at a middle school in Brooklyn for a year before going to graduate school. From there, her path was winding. She went to Rutgers to earn an MA and then started a PhD program at the University of Iowa. She never finished the PhD and, after a sojourn teaching secondary school in Allentown, Pa., went back to Iowa, attending the Iowa Writers Workshop for her MFA.

Okparantas first book, a collection of short stories titled Happiness, Like Water, was published in 2013, a year after she finished her MFA. Shes since filled her resume with a collection of fellowships, faculty appointments, residencies, and awards, including visiting professorships at Columbia, Howard, and Middlebury.

In Harry Sylvester Bird, the narrator is a white teenage boy coming of age in the fictional suburban town of Edward, Pa. With the hot-button issue of cultural appropriation simmering in publishing circles for years and arguably brought to a boil by the 2019 novel American Dirt (which saw mixed-heritage author Jeanine Cummins inhabit the mind and perspective of a Mexican narrator), Okparanta knew that she had to get her character just right, lest she offend rather than provoke. But she believes that writing from the perspective of a white male is within her right. Having experienced enough microaggressions to know that sometimes even well-meaning white people do not realize how deep their words might cut, she wanted to try to get into the mind of one of those well-meaning white people.

I have suffered the wound, so I know the texture of the pain, she says, loosely quoting Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo. It is easy for Okparanta to write a laundry list of racial slurs shes endured, the first coming when she was a girl and her classmates in Boston called her a monkey and asked if she lived in trees in Nigeria.

Okparantas debut novel, the Nigeria-set Under the Udala Trees, was released to critical acclaim in 2015, with the New York Times naming it an Editors Choice and Booklist calling it a deeply affecting debut novel. When submitting Harry Sylvester Bird to her agent, Jacqueline Ko at the Wylie Agency, she nearly turned in a different book shed also been working on. Then she realized that books narrator was too similar to the one in Under the Udala Trees.

African writers can get pigeonholed, she says. I wanted to show my range as a writer.

Okparanta also had a strong sense that this story needed to be told now. The Trump years werent easy ones for her, as an African immigrant and Black woman in the United States, and she wanted to explore this hostile time in her fiction.

Ko agreed that there was a timeliness to Harry Sylvester Bird. We agreed that Harrys story was so compelling, she says, attributing the well-drawn characters in the novel to Okparantas gift for storytelling. She has such a masterful way of writing. Its so unapologetic. You almost dont know what to think when youre reading it, but then she guides you in her writing and the ride is this very amazing experience.

The seeds of Harry Sylvester Bird first came to Okparanta while she was teaching a class at Columbia about the power dynamics at play when writing about other cultures. After she and the students analyzed works including Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Arthur Goldens Memoirs of a Geisha, they concluded that writing about unfamiliar cultures can be done, but it needs to be undertaken with care and respect.

Its one reason why Okparanta made Harry a sympathetic and relatable character. Hes kind and openhearted. Hes in tune with the social injustices unfolding around him, even within his own household. And yet he doesnt always understand the complexity of his own worldview. He thinks hes more understanding than the average white person, but in many ways his thinking still relies on the faulty assumption that if one is open-minded and accepting of people of color, it is impossible to be racist or offensive.

Harry comes across as very well-meaning but very misguided, says Rakia Clark, Okparantas editor at Mariner. I think that readers will recognize him and the community that he comes from.

The story, told in four parts, begins when Harry is 14 and on vacation in Tanzania with his white, conservative parents. He cringes at his parents racially and culturally insensitive behavior, such as when his dad, after giving a driver a $2 tip, says, Its enough money to eat for a year. At one point, Harry spots a Black African man at a dinner event and feels he has a closer bond with the stranger than he does his own parents.

As the pandemic unfolds in the story, Harry moves to New York City and grows estranged from his parents. There, his college relationship with Maryam, a Nigerian immigrant, deepens. His best friend, Damian, is African American. Yet Harry does and says problematic things. When he and Maryam go on their first date, he asks her if shes committed to dismantling white supremacy. Maryams response: Youre serious?

In the final section of the novel, Harry and Maryam participate in a study abroad program together in Ghana. The couples relationship grows strained as Maryam longs for her family back in Nigeria, and the reader is given her perspective on Harry as he continues to make insensitive comments that nag at her, such as when he snaps a photo of a young African child and says it reminds him of the pictures in National Geographic. Beautiful children! So exotic-looking! he later says.

Later, when Maryam and Harry tour the Cape Coast Castle, a fort on the Ghanaian coast with a dungeon where enslaved Africans were held, they engage in a discussion about race with others on the tour that turns into an uncomfortable, cringe-worthy disagreement about whether white slaveholders had souls. Harry, who feels as though hes being blamed for slavery simply by virtue of his whiteness, thinks hes adding a worthy perspective when he snaps, Of course they have souls. I was shocked, he narrates, by my defensive stance.

The tense conversation ends with a psychologist in the group asking, What kind of childhood trauma caused white America and white western Europe to be the way they are? We all know that these social disorders are often a result of childhood traumasparental abandonment, for instance. And consequences of abandonment include the inability to feel guilt.

At that moment, Harry is overcome by guilt, and he runs out of the room in tears.

Okparanta recalls that exploring these types of inherited burdens of Harrys traumatic racist childhood and of the painful racial injustices of a larger nation wasnt easy. So much of it was hard to write, she adds. At times, I grew very emotional because of how real these characters were and how fraught the racial conditions in the U.S. were during the time I was writing the novel.

Still, Okparanta says she tried to find lightness, even in the heaviest of scenes: Given the satirical bent in the novel, there was also a lot to laugh about.

Brooke Lea Foster is a journalist whose second novel, On Gin Lane, is due from Gallery this month.
A wildlife walk on the Howland Island Wildlife Management Area in Conquest will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 14.

Hosted by the Genoa Historical Association, the walk will be led by Bruce Manuel, who is retired from the state Department of Environmental Conservation Bureau of Wildlife and a member of the association. The walk will include different habitats, the history of the area, wildlife management practices and identification of plant and animal species on a route of approximately 3/4 mile over level gravel road.

Participants will meet at 9 a.m. at the Rural Life Museum, 920 Route 34B, King Ferry, and carpool to the area.

RSVPs are requested by May 10. To RSVP, contact genoahistorical@gmail.com or (315) 364-8202 and include the number in the group and a contact number. Donations to the historical association will be accepted.

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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/06/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

: Extreme contestant Jonathan Goodwin has revealed he is paralyzed following a death-defying stunt he attempted on the show's set last year.Jonathan provided fans with an update on his condition earlier this week in an Instagram post."Six months ago I went to rehearse something and left this little hairy monkey waiting patiently for me...he didn't see his dad again until just a couple of weeks ago and when he finally did, dad had new cool wheels," Jonathan captioned a photo of himself sitting in a wheelchair and holding his dog on Instagram on May 3."A lot has changed in the last six months, but love is a constant and I'm very very loved. Looking forward to my next chapters and being a roll model."The daredevil also offered up more details about his terrifying October 2021 injury."Thanks for all the love and lovely messages. To answer some questions... I have a T11 spinal cord injury which means I'm paralyzed from the waist down. It's likely a permanent sitch. If any of you want to race though, I'm pretty sure I can beat you. #BringIt."Jonathan's fiancee, British actress Amanda Abbington , opened up about Jonathan's near-fatal accident during the May 2 episode of the "Out to Lunch with Jay Rayner" podcast."He's paralyzed now, he's in a wheelchair," Amanda said, according to E! News."Unless there's a kind of stem cell surgery or that thing that Elon Musk is designing with the little chip, he'll be like that forever."Amanda revealed that Jonathan "nearly died" twice, both during and immediately after the devastating accident."The crash mat wasn't moved and so he fell 30 feet and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades, shattered both legs, third-degree burns, broke his spine and severed his spinal cord and nearly died," Amanda said. "And then on the operating table, he nearly died again."But Jonathan has apparently been in good spirits ever since that terrible day, with Amanda calling him "liquid sunshine.""You would never believe for one moment that he's been through that," Amanda said on the podcast. "He's so positive and upbeat and so strong like his courage and his strength is something that I just aspire to be like."Jonathan was reportedly rushed to the hospital on October 14, 2021 to undergo surgery for the multiple injuries he sustained during an : Extreme rehearsal.At the time, production sources told TMZ that Jonathan's stunt required him to hang upside down 70 feet in the air while wearing a straitjacket.Jonathan's goal was to free himself from his restraints while two cars -- which were also suspended in the air -- swung back and forth on either side of him.But the act failed when the cars reportedly collided and caused an explosion, with Jonathan caught in the middle. Jonathan then fell to the ground and hit his head, which left him unconscious.According to TMZ, Jonathan eventually became responsive and was airlifted to the hospital.Shortly after his hospitalization, Jonathan posted a selfie on Instagram from his hospital bed."A couple of days ago my life took a complete left turn... and the out pouring of love from all the corners of the world; from people I didn't even think would know or remember me... has just been astonishing," Jonathan wrote.He also added in his post, "To death I say nananana boo boo... and to the rest of you... watch this space."Prior to filming : Extreme, which premiered in February, Jonathan competed on Season 15 of in 2020 and made it to the semifinal round. He was also a finalist on Britain's Got Talent in 2019.: Extreme is hosted by Terry Crews and features Nikki Bella , Travis Pastrana and Simon Cowell as judges.
Old Gloiry should be flying at Grocery Outlet on Tuesday
Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: 50 more civilians evacuated from Azovstal

Xinhua) 16:33, May 07, 2022

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- More civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol as Ukraine and Russia on Friday conducted another prisoner exchange. The following are the latest developments regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine:

Another 50 civilians, including 11 children, were evacuated from the blocked Azovstal plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol on Friday, the Russian military said.

All the evacuees have been handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for transfer to places of temporary accommodation, the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response said.

The humanitarian operation at the Azovstal plant will continue on Saturday, it added.

- - - -

Russia expects a balanced stance from Lebanon towards the Russian military operations in Ukraine, said Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov on Friday.

"We expect from Lebanon to understand the reasons behind the Russia-Ukraine crisis, why Russia started the operation in Ukraine and continues it, and the real goals of this military crisis," Rudakov said during his meeting with Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makari.

The meeting aimed at discussing bilateral ties between Russia and Lebanon especially in the media field.

- - - -

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed a Security Council statement in which the council "spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine."

"Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine. As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter," the UN chief said in a statement.

- - - -

Ukraine and Russia on Friday conducted another prisoner exchange since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

As a result of the swap, 41 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including 13 civilians, returned home following their release by Russian forces, Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram.

- - - -

While Western countries are calling for an early cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, "they are doing everything to prevent this" with their actions, a Russian diplomat said Friday.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine are increasing and the United States alone has sent 3.8 billion U.S. dollars worth of military products, Alexei Zaitsev, deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Five short days after its gerrymandered House and State Senate district maps were voided, New Yorks Democratic-controlled State Legislature was at it again Monday, with more partisan sausage-making  advancing a blatant fix for Gov. Kathy Hochuls unforced lieutenant governor problem.

The fix follows Hochuls urgent alarm to her partys legislators. Her selection last year of Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin blew up when he resigned after a federal indictment charged him with arranging to misuse state funds. But it was too late for him to legally quit the June 28 primary. That left Hochul in the worse-than-awkward political position of running with the indictee or one of her primary rivals preferred running mates in the number-two slot.

So Albany lawmakers scrambled to allow her to save face and on Monday passed a bill that permits the declination of a designation as a candidate or nomination when that person has been arrested or charged with one or more state or federal misdemeanors or felonies, or convicted of a crime after designation.

This custom-made measure arrives just two days before the State Board of Elections must certify designees for the June 28 primary ballot. Hochul is expected to sign the bill the minute it reaches her desk, rescuing herself from the political emergency she created. Primary opponent Rep. Tom Suozzi and possible Republican general election challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin found common ground in attacking the craven self-preservation move.

The Democrats other blatant partisan push is still to be fixed. While the House and State Senate maps have been sent back to a judge to supervise a rewrite, two new lawsuits have been filed seeking to revise the Assembly districts as well. Those went unchallenged by the GOP for several reasons including that Speaker Carl Heastie, with a 106-43 majority, seemed intent on keeping his Republican rivals whole along with giving the minority some staff goodies and perks.

The Albany craziness was upstaged later in the day with the election arm of the national Democratic Party representing five New Yorkers claiming there was no way proper new maps could be drawn up in time so the unconstitutional ones should be used.

These two stories of manipulation are linked. Single-party rule  in a state, nation or city  produces just this kind of overreach. If the states election-anxious Democrats dont get off this hyper-partisan road, their four-year-old hegemony in Albanys executive and legislative branches might sit worse with the voting public than it does right now.

 Newsday

Fiscal troubles at both Chautauqua County State University of New York campuses have been well documented over the years. Both locations at Fredonia and Jamestown Community College have grappled with deficits for too many years while watching enrollment decrease.

Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul included increased funding for the SUNY system as part of the recently passed budget. In all, the 2022-23 spending plan includes a $255 million increase in operating aid, and more than $660 million in additional capital for the system alone.

While that is positive news, SUNY understands that Albany is unlikely to be in a giving mood in future years. Dr. Frederick E. Kowal, Ph.D, president of the United University Professions, in hailing the increased aid noted the elephant in the room: In the coming years SUNY will need consistent support, including direct state aid to campuses, to achieve Governor Hochuls ambitious goals of strengthening the system.

Consistent support is something that normally goes missing when it comes to the history of higher education and our state capital.

 Jamestown Post-Journal

When the Supreme Court rules on New Yorks gun laws, presumably within the next couple of months, pray it doesnt leave the state defenseless to control a flood of weapons on the streets.

The court is set to rule on a challenge to the laws by two upstate New Yorkers, Robert Nash and Brandon Koch, who were denied unrestricted licenses to carry firearms after they failed to show proper cause, i.e., a special need for self-protection, as the law requires. They  and other gun-rights advocates  argue that such a requirement places an unconstitutionally high burden on legal gun-owners.

You dont have to say, when youre looking for a permit to speak on a street corner or whatever, that, you know, your speech is particularly important, noted Chief Justice John Roberts during oral argument. So why do you have to show  in this case, convince somebody  that youre entitled to exercise your Second Amendment right?

Yet Roberts and his fellow justices surely know that no amendment is a blank check. Reasonable restrictions can be perfectly constitutional, especially if the public faces grave dangers without them; the Constitution, its often said, is not a suicide pact.

And make no mistake: New York, which is in the midst of an alarming surge in gun crimes, needs at least some restrictions on who gets to own and carry guns. Last year, 488 people were murdered in the city alone, many killed by a gun. Thats a whopping 65% spike over 2018, when just 295 were slain. Over the year, 1,857 people were hit by gunfire, and the number of shooting victims this year through April 24, 441, is already up 8.6% over the same period last year.

The last thing New York needs is for every Tom, Dick and Harriet on the street to be carrying.

But forcing New York to let anyone at all carry a firearm anywhere they want, no questions asked, is a recipe for disaster.

 New York Post
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- For the first four months of 2022, GAC Group sold 732,471 new vehicles, representing a 7.14% year-on-year growth, the auto group announced on May 6.

The growth in the year-to-date sales mainly flowed from the increase achieved by GAC Toyota, GAC Motor, and GAC AION. Notably, the NEV-dedicated GAC AION scored a three-digit year-on-year surge of up to 112.58%.

However, two Sino-Japanese joint venturesGAC Honda and GAC Mitsubishirecorded a downward movement in Jan.-Apr. sales compared to the previous year.

Of the vehicles sold in the Jan.-Apr. period, 64,184 units and 132,415 units were new energy vehicles (NEVs) and energy-saving vehicles, representing a year-on-year hike of 103.99% and 74.16% respectively.

As for monthly sales, GAC Group saw its sales decline 33.56% over a year ago to 124,304 units in April. Despite the decrease in the overall sales, GAC AION still attained a two-digit year-on-year growth.

The group noted specially that its MPV sales in April rose 8.1% from the year-ago period to 15,015 units, 8,036 units of which were the Trumpchi M8s.

While releasing the April sales results, GAC Group also announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary GAC Capital intends to team up with Yuexiu Industrial Fund to launch a 1 billion yuan ($149.894 million) worth of industrial fund. The joint fund will focus on the investment in hydrogen energy, energy storage, new materials, and other fields related to NEV and ICV industrial chains. The announcement came only one month after the two parties penned an agreement to form a strategic partnership.
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A 4-year-old boy walking on the beach with his mother and their dog discovered the body of Yale University graphic designer Anton Sovetov on Duck Pond Road beach in the Long Island town of Southold, N.Y.

Amy Kaufman, of the Southold hamlet of Cutchogue, said Thursday she, her son, Oliver, and their dog, Sage, were about a mile from her home walking along the beach when, she said, My son said, Mom, is that a dead body?

Kaufman said they are regulars on the beach and we were climbing rocks and having fun on the private beach at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday when they came upon Sovetovs body. She called police and later was interviewed by a detective, she said.

She said Sovetov was dressed in a black T-shirt and black pants and was wearing his shoes. Kaufman said the officer seemed to think that there wasnt trauma to the body.

Police Chief Martin Flatley of the Southold Town Police Department said the department no longer is involved in the case. Our role in it was just the recovery of the body and getting it to the morgue, he said Thursday. The only investigation we were doing was to try to identify the body.

Officer Daniel Mackey responded at 10:56 a.m. and then called in Detective Roman Wilinski, according to the police report. The Suffolk County medical examiners office then responded and removed the body for further investigation, the report states.

Southold is at the far end of Long Islands north fork, due south of Clinton.

Flatley said he was in contact with Yale and New Haven police but that those departments are in charge of the investigation. The circumstances of the death itself would be on the Connecticut side since thats where he was reported missing from, Flatley said. He said the medical examiners office would be investigating the cause of death.

Sovetov, 44, was last seen on a video taken from New Havens Elm City Market Feb. 5. His last contact with colleagues at Yales graphic design office was the previous day.

Sovetov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and studied at the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, Netherlands, for four years before studying at the Yale School of Art, graduating in 2016. He had worked at the university since 2017.

Colleagues and university officials described Sovetov as a talented artist who was well liked by those who knew him. His Yale obituary described Sovetov as a versatile graphic designer in the Office of the University Printer whose creative work gave clarity, style, and prominence to Yales public health messaging amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Within months of graduation, he joined the university printers office as a Rollins Fellow, the obituary said. He distinguished himself for the breadth of his artistic skills  including drawing, calligraphy, typography and type design, and digital illustration  and was hired onto the regular staff after the fellowship.

The obituary called him a video game and science fiction enthusiast, or gamer. His projects included posters, banners, logos, icons, dinnerware and complete visual identities.

Sovetov shaped visual messaging for a wide variety of Yale offices, initiatives, celebrations, and programs, including the Fortunoff Archive of Holocaust Testimonies, the new residential colleges, the Yale Planetary Solutions Project, commencement, and the universitys response to COVID-19, the obituary said. His work on COVID included banners that covered university bulletin boards urging people to wear a mask and wash your hands, it said.

The obituary went on to quote University Printer John Gambell, who hired Sovetov and supervised him. Anton was at the heart of a shift in Yales graphic identity, from one almost solely based in type and photography to one based more in illustration.  He was one of the most talented designers I have worked with in my 40-year graphic design career, and an irreplaceable member of the universitys communications team.

Casey Pickett, director of the Planetary Solutions Project and Yale Carbon Charge, called Sovetovs work spare, evocative, striking, and effective, according to the obituary.

He helped me create a presentation that I have used well over 100 times presenting to audiences across Yale, the U.S., and the world, Pickett said. After nearly every presentation, someone asks me, Who is your designer? Can you put me in touch? Antons work is unlike anything I have seen before.

My heart breaks for the loss of Anton, said Nate Nickerson, vice president for communications, in the obituary. He was a graphic designer of singular vision: his work for Yale was at turns playful, arresting, somber, and joyous  he had the rare talent of giving emotional power to nearly everything he touched.

Sovetov is survived by his mother, who lives in Russia. He had been in the process of getting his Green Card to become a permanent U.S. resident, the obituary said. The Office of Public Affairs and Communications and Yale School of Art are planning a memorial gathering.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  Federal labor officials filed a sweeping complaint Friday accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against pro-union employees.

The National Labor Relations Boards Buffalo regional director outlined a host of labor law violations in a filing seeking reinstatement and backpay for the employees.

Theres been a wave of unionization drives at Starbucks stores nationwide, with the first union votes coming in December at three stores in Buffalo.

The coffee chain called the allegations false and vowed to fight them at an upcoming hearing.

Starbucks does not agree that the claims have merit, and the complaints issuance does not constitute a finding by the NLRB, spokesman Reggie Borges wrote in an email. It is the beginning of a litigation process that permits both sides to be heard and to present evidence.

Starbucks Workers United, the group behind the unionization effort, said the complaint confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks conduct in Western New York for the better part of a year.

Starbucks is finally being held accountable for the union-busting rampage they went on, Danny Rojas, a fired shift supervisor, said in a statement. Starbucks needs to understand that it is morally corrupt to retaliate against union leaders, and I am looking forward to the NLRB forcing Starbucks to make this moment right.

Last month, federal labor officials asked a judge to force Starbucks to reinstate three union activists at its Phoenix location, alleging the coffee giant engaged in unfair labor practices.

As of this week, workers at more than 250 U.S. stores have filed petitions with the labor board to hold union elections, labor organizers say. At least 50 of those stores have voted to unionize with Workers United, a branch of the Service Employees International Union.

Starbucks reported Tuesday that its sales climbed to record levels in its fiscal second quarter but noted it faced higher employment costs, which set to grow even higher in the coming months as the company introduces new pay raises and other benefits.

However, workers who have voted to unionize or stores that have petitioned to hold a union election wont be eligible for those additional wage hikes and benefits.

Starbucks Workers United has said it filed charges with the labor board against Starbucks on Tuesday. The group alleges the company is violating labor law by threatening to exclude unionized stores from receiving the new benefits.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Honda Motor announced today its monthly China sales reached 95,216 units in April 2022, declining 36.3% from a year ago due to the impact of the coronavirus resurgence and the supply constraints of auto parts.

The two-digit year-on-year drop also confronted Honda Motor's two joint ventures in China. To be specific, GAC Honda saw its April sales dip 33.4% to 42,936 units, while Dongfeng Honda's sales shrank 38.4% to 52,280 units.



For the first four months of 2022, Honda Motor sold 449,002 vehicles across China, representing a 16.8% year-on-year decrease. The year-to-date sales of the vehicles armed with the hybrid powertrain system Sport Hybrid reached 67,323 units.

As for the performance of two joint ventures, Dongfeng Honda logged a 25% year-on-year decline with 221,216 vehicles sold in the Jan.-Apr. period, while GAC Honda's year-to-date sales dwindled 6.9% to 227,786 units.

Last month, the Japanese automaker made significant headways in its electrification business in the world's largest auto market. On April 26, Dongfeng Honda put its first Honda-branded BEV model, the e:NS1, onto the market. Coming with four trim levels, the model is priced between 175,000 yuan ($26,230) and 218,000 yuan ($32,680) after subsidies.

As the twin of the e:NS1, the e:NP1 will become available for presale this month with GAC Honda as the manufacturer and seller.
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TORRINGTON  The citys school music programs are once again being recognized, being among the Best Communities for Music Education  for the 22nd year.

The NAMM Foundation, an arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, chose 738 school districts from 44 states for the designation, which is awarded to districts that show outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students, according to its members in a statement.

Thats certainly the case in Torrington, where students begin learning the fundamentals of music in kindergarten, and by the time they reach elementary school, are part of a body of performers that can continue through high school, if they choose.

Wayne Splettstoeszer, who has directed the music program at Torrington High School for 26 years, leads a team of educators throughout the school district. At THS, he works with choral director Connor Sullivan.

We have had an extra supportive administration, that really sees the value of music education for our students, Splettstoeszer said. We just had our district band concert for grades 4-12, and 382 kids performed, from Forbes, Southwest, Torrington Middle School and Torrington High School. We have 217 kids in the elementary school band. Thats a great accomplishment.

In the K-3 program, Nancy Ritter directs the music program at Torringford Elementary School and Tim Brandt leads the program at Vogel Wetmore. Ashlee Hyatt teaches music at Southwest; Michelle Castellano teaches music at Forbes; and Moll Brown directs the chorus at those elementary schools.

At Torrington Middle School, Tia Ward directes the orchestra, and Andrew Skinner the orchestra. The TMS band director is Daniel Hodgkins.

Our music programs are a major accomplishment, Splettstoeszer said. We have a sustained program with a lot of support not only from the schools, but from the community.

Splettstoeszer said the music teachers are a bonded group who work well together, making the programs they offer even more appealing for the students. On top of that, grant writer and community outreach coordinator Donna Labbe has successfully obtained additional funding for music lessons and instruments for the programs.

Shes done a tremendous amount of work for us, Splettstoeszer said.

He said they have also been able to use ESSER funding  federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act for schools.

The pandemic naturally interrupted music programs in every grade, but Splettstoeszer said the return to in-person classes, rehearsals and practicing at home have resumed, with many students happy to be back with their friends.

We have our big pops concert on May 26, with the chamber and concert choirs; we have the Memorial Day parade coming up, he said.

And the band will peform at for the THS graduation ceremonies in June.

The community, parents, and other groups in town, also understand the value of our programs, and want to be part of it, of music, he said.

According to NAMM, Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. In a series of landmark studies by scientists and researchers at Norhtwestern University, a link was found between students in community music programs and life-long academic success ... in another study, it was discovered that the benefits of early exposure to music education improve how the brain processes and assimilates sounds, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

School districts are asked to fill out an annual survey reviewing their music programs, which is how they are chosen as a Best Communities for Music Education recipient. The survey asks about staffing, funding, class participation, instruction time, facilities, community music-making programs and whether the programs are well-supported.

We basically have to explain how we do it, and its pretty complicated, Splettstoeszer said. We submit lesson plans. They want us to show how we integrate techology into our programs, for example. They want to know how we have continued to grow our programs.

Receiving the recognition is always an honor, Splettstoeszer said.

Of course, to be named year after year like this, its wonderful, he said. Weve received this 22 times, more than any other school district in Connecticut.
Members of the European Parliament cast votes during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, April 5, 2022.

The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution calling on the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen to stop persecuting and intimidating political opponents, trade unionists, human rights defenders and journalists ahead of local elections in June and national campaigns next year.

The government of Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia since 1985, is now five years into a no-holds-barred crackdown on its political opposition and civil society, jailing or driving into exile scores of opposition figures.

The resolution, which was adopted with 526 votes in favor and only five votes against (another 63 members abstained), condemns the Cambodian Supreme Courts dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the countrys largest opposition party, in November 2017.

The European Parliament repeated its call for charges against former CNRP leaders Kem Sokha, Sam Rainsy and Mu Sochua and other opposition officials to be dropped and urged authorities to release all prisoners of conscience, journalists, human rights defenders, environmental activists and union members.

The CNRP was banned for its supposed role in an alleged plot to overthrow the government. With the CNRP out of the picture, Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) went on to win all 125 seats in the countrys July 2018 general election.

Since then, the government has continued to target activists associated with the CNRP, arresting them on arbitrary charges and placing them in pretrial detention in overcrowded jails with harsh conditions.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan said he doesnt understand why the resolution was passed given discussions with the Cambodias EU representative on the progress the country has made in regard to human rights.

So far, individuals have breached the law, so [that] is the issue between the court and those individuals, he said. What the EU raised was a political matter that we already have explained. If they raise the same issue, we will explain it to them again because we are strengthening the law and the rule of law.

Men Vanna, who served as leader of the youth movement for the CNRP, told RFA that the resolution will give hope to Cambodians fighting for a more democratic country.

The government must change if they love democracy and the country, he said.

'Friday Wives' petition US Embassy

Also on Friday, a group of spouses whose husbands are in jail for political activities staged a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh to call on the government to push for their release before a special U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Washington on May 12-13.

Cambodia currently holds the rotating chair position of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

About 10 women from the group Friday Wives handed a petition to the embassy seeking U.S. support.

At least 60 CNRP activists have been imprisoned. Some of the former members of the banned political party have been convicted as others are being tried.

Please release our husbands. We are suffering, our families are splitting apart, one of the women, Prum Chantha, said. In Cambodia, people dont give credit to politicians, but rather prosecute them. This shows that Cambodia doesnt respect human rights and democracy.

Another protester, Ouk Chanthy, whose husband has been detained for two years, said she hopes that the U.S. will pressure the Cambodian government at the summit to release her husband in order to restore Cambodias reputation.

Hun Sen is heading to the U.S. as the ASEAN chair, she said. I urge him to drop all charges against political opponents and release them. Should Hun Sen represent ASEAN when Cambodia has imprisoned politicians who havent committed any crimes?

Phnom Penh security guards harassed the women, injuring at least two of them and destroying their banners.

Kata Orn, spokesman for the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, an organ for the government, said the guards responded to the women because they allegedly assaulted the guards.

He also said the government has nothing to do with the cases against the womens husbands.

Cambodia isnt worried about international pressure during the U.S.-ASEAN Summit, he said.

Translate by Samean Yun for RFAs Khmer Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
The envoy, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, would be making his second visit following a trip in March.

Myanmar's military junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (R) shakes hands with Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) special envoy to Myanmar, in Naypyidaw, March 21, 2022.

The special envoy to Myanmar for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) aims to visit the strife torn-country in coming weeks, he said Friday in a statement following humanitarian relief talks with the U.N. and regional agencies.

The visit, specific dates for which have not been announced, would be the second trip to Myanmar by the ASEAN envoy, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, following a trip in March.

"I look forward to my second visit to Myanmar in the next few weeks, the minister wrote on Facebook Friday, after hosting the Consultative Meeting on ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance to Myanmar.

The meeting addressed plans to deliver humanitarian aid and administer Covid-19 vaccines to Myanmar, Cambodia's foreign ministry said in statement.

The country of 54 million people, ASEAN's poorest per capita, has been engulfed in political turmoil as well as military conflict since the Feb. 1, 2021 military coup that overthrew the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi three moths after her party won re-election by a landslide.

Today we are taking another step forward in our collective endeavor to ensure that the people of Myanmar will have access to humanitarian assistance without discrimination," Sokhonn wrote.

"As the ASEAN Chairs Special Envoy, I remain optimistic that our persistent efforts will genuinely benefit the people of Myanmar," he added.

Cambodia is the current rotating chair of the 10-member ASEAN.

In a video conference on May 1, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged the Myanmar junta chief, Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, to allow the special envoy to visit and meet deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and take other steps to implement a five-point agreement the military leader reached between ASEAN's foreign ministers in April 2021.

Although the military regime in Naypyidaw agreed with ASEAN on humanitarian aid and the creation of the special envoy, little concrete progress has been made on more challenging parts of the five-point agreement, including an end to violence, talks among all parties in Myanmar, and mediation by the envoy.

The junta on May 3 poured cold water on calls from Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah last month for ASEAN talks with Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), a parallel, civilian administration formed of ousted lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi's political party, prominent civil servants, and ethnic minority leaders.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper quoted the juntas foreign ministry as saying it protests and rejects the Malaysian foreign ministers remarks, because they could abet terrorism and violence in the country, hampering the Myanmar Governments anti-terrorism efforts and infringe international agreements related to combatting terrorism.

The junta has branded opponents of military rule as terrorists. The military regime has jailed Aung San Suu Kyi among thousands of political prisoners and killed 1,800 people, mostly anti-coup protesters.

The 76-year-old Nobel laureate has been sentence to 11 years in jail on various charges, and faces other charges that could land her in prison for more than a century. Her supporters and human rights groups reject the charges as baseless and designed to end her political career.

Reported by RFA's Khmer Service. Written by Paul Eckert.
Former members of Hong Kong's once-free press corps are launching their own media outlets aimed at covering the city from overseas, from a pro-democracy point of view.



While the implementation of a draconian national security law since , 2020 has ushered in a crackdown on pro-democracy media organizations, activists and politicians in Hong Kong, many journalists have already joined the steady stream of people leaving their home to seek a less restricted life elsewhere.



The Chaser, a Chinese-language news site, was set up "to preserve press freedom, defend democracy and human rights, and serve Hong Kong people around the world," according to its Patreon page.



It cited the recent forcible closure of Jimmy Lai's Next Digital media empire, including the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, as well as the closure of Stand News and Citizen News, and the "rectification" of iCable news and government broadcaster RTHK to bring them closer to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s official line.



"Any independent media that remain are struggling for support, and are in danger of being banned at any time," The Chaser said. "Our news platform hopes to provide readers with the most authentic, in-depth reports without red lines and official censorship by recruiting independent and quality professional journalists, and strive to maintain the position of press freedom of the Hong Kong media."



The outlet aims to become the biggest source of news for Hongkongers in exile, while still serving those who remain in the city, it said.



Since its inception six weeks ago, The Chaser has filed daily news on Hong Kong, Taiwanese and international affairs, posted exclusive investigative reports and kept Hongkongers overseas connected with each other.



Another media platform -- Commons -- has been started by Hongkongers based in democratic Taiwan, although its editorial team were reluctant to go on the record due to security concerns for those they left behind in Hong Kong.



"The Hongkongers in Hong Kong, including some who are interested in migrating overseas, are very curious about the lives of Hongkongers overseas, and want to know everything about them," Commons' editor-in-chief told RFA, giving only the pseudonym A Muk.



File photo of 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong that were followed by a crackdown and the imposition of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, which has made it virtually impossible for journalists to work in the Chinese city. Credit: Liang Mingkang. Diaspora journalists

Commons is focusing on in-depth interviews, and all of its content is free to read online, unlike The Chaser, which requires a subscription through Patreon.



"The environment in Hong Kong is no longer conducive to journalism, so I wondered if there could be opportunities and a more suitable environment overseas, to set up a media outlet for Hongkongers overseas," he said.



Commons currently employs around 8-10 people, as well as stringers in Canada and the U.K., to keep track of the newly arrived Hong Kong communities there.



"Now that Stand News and Citizen News are gone, there is an even bigger gap, and an even greater need among Hongkongers," A Muk said. "We thought we should try to use our environment and platform to report news from overseas, to see if we can fill that gap, to meet the demand among Hongkongers for news."



New media platforms like Commons and The Chaser could also provide limited opportunities for Hong Kong's growing community of former journalists in diaspora.



When Stand News folded on Dec. 29, 2021 under the threat of investigation by national security police, reporter Lam Yin-bong was the one who turned off all of the lights in the office for the last time.



Lam said he had been hugely reluctant to leave the building.



"There was a sense that it was all over, and, even though we were expecting it, that night, we really didn't want to leave," Lam said. "We knew that from that day onwards, nothing would be the same."



"I still have nostalgia for those times, but I also know that nostalgia is pretty useless, and not worth clinging to," said Lam, whose 10-year career as a journalist ended overnight.



' Photojournalist Liang Mingkang moved to Manchester, England at the beginning of 2022 and put down his camera to put on a uniform and become a traffic inspector in the northern British city. Credit: Liang Mingkang. A way of life'

He described being deprived of his professional identity and way of life, something he had enjoyed for 10 years.



"It wasn't just a job, but a way of life, but then suddenly that way of life is gone completely. It's a horrible feeling," Lam said.



What Lam finds harder than losing his own job is a more generalized silence emanating from Hong Kong's once-crowded media landscape.



He was stunned to find that the boundaries with the rest of mainland China were also fading rapidly, citing the building of a new bridge with neighboring Shenzhen and a mainland Chinese-style makeshift hospital staffed with mainland Chinese staff under emergency regulations in March.



"This was a huge development. Suddenly there's this bridge between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and extraterritorial powers not regulated by Hong Kong laws," Lam said. "Why did nobody care about this story?"



"I thought maybe the world needs this information, and that maybe I could still do my bit ... to remind people what is going on in Hong Kong," he said.



Lam's "bit" took the form of his blog "ReNews," which describes itself as a "one-person news platform founded by an unemployed journalist."



He hopes at least to use it to chronicle the death of the Hong Kong he once knew.



"People often say that Hong Kong is dead, or dying," Lam said. "So people living here should know how it died, and what the process entailed."



"Even if you can't change it, at least you know," said Lam, who offers all of his content free of charge, although paid subscriptions are available.



Stand News reporter reporter Lam Yin-bong, who turned off all of the lights in the office for the last time when the outlet folded on Dec. 29, 2021 under the threat of investigation by national security police. Credit: Lam Yin-bong. Plummeting freedom ranking

Lam has taken the risky decision to remain in Hong Kong while he chronicles the process, with his Facebook page garnering more than 26,000 followers in the first few days.



"It's important to do everything myself, and for me to be responsible for everything, and don't have to worry about anyone else," Lam said. "Then, if something goes wrong, it's on me. I don't have to worry that I wrote a risky article and that my boss could go to jail for it."



Hong Kong recently plummeted from 80th to 148th in the 2022 Reporters Without Border (RSF) press freedom index, with the closures of Apple Daily and Stand News cited as one of the main factors.



More than 800 Hong Kong journalists lost their jobs at the two outlets, leaving most forced to look for work outside the industry, many of them far from Hong Kong.



"They were all coming out [jobhunting] all at once, and there weren't enough vacancies for them," former Stand deputy assignment editor Ronson Chan, who currently chairs the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA), told RFA.



Chan, who has recently started working for another new outlet, Channel C HK, founded by a former Apple Daily journalist, said he was one of the lucky few who had managed to find jobs in the industry.



"Some of them have started online clothing stores, selling clothes online; some are still getting some video or photography work, but not news-related, and some are working as copywriters [in marketing and advertising]," Chan said.



But those to emigrate find the language barrier and lack of familiarity with home turf major barriers when seeking similar work overseas.



Research by the HKJA has found former members of the press corps turning to taxi-driving, McDonalds, PR and restaurant work to make ends meet.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Officials are also on the lookout for t-shirts with foreign words and styles that that do not reflect socialism.

Women look at dresses on display during the 17th National Exhibition of Korean Dress at the Central Youth Hall in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019

North Korea is cracking down on citizens who sport so-called capitalist fashion and hairstyles to ensure that they conduct themselves according to the ideals of socialism, sources in the country told RFA.

Wearing certain items of clothing, such as tight-fitting pants or t-shirts with foreign words, or having hair longer than a certain length, has always been potentially problematic in North Korea. But now the government is redoubling its efforts to make sure that people dont flaunt styles associated with capitalistic countries.

At the end of last month, the Socialist Patriotic Youth League held an educational session nationwide, where they defined the act of imitating foreign fashion and hairstyles as capitalist flair, and examples of anti-socialist practices, a resident of the city of Hamhung in the eastern province of South Hamgyong told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The league, formerly known as the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League until last year, is modeled after the Soviet Komsomol, a group of teenagers and young adults who spread communist propaganda.

The youth leagues patrols are cracking down on young people who wear long hair down to their waists, and those who dye their hair brown, as well as people who wear clothes with large foreign letters and women who wear tight pants, the source said.

This time the crackdown mainly targets women in their 20s and 30s. If they are caught, they are made to wait on the side of the road until the patrols can finish their crackdown in that area. Only then will they be taken to the youth league office in the district, where they must write letters confessing their crimes. They must then contact someone at home to bring acceptable clothes for them, and then they are released, she said.

The country has been on a crusade against the infiltration of foreign  especially South Korean culture.

RFA previously reported that authorities ordered members of the countrys main youth organization to turn in the cellphones for inspection, so they could determine who was watching and distributing foreign media or spelling words in the South Korean way or using Southern slang.

Patrols in the city of Chongjin, in the province of North Hamgyong, targeted the marketplace where many young people are known to hang out, a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

If they are caught, the company they work for and the Socialist Patriotic Youth League will be notified. They are then subject to criticism and in the most severe cases, the violators name, home address and workplace will be revealed publicly on the Third Broadcast, she said, referring to government-controlled loudspeakers placed throughout most cities and towns to spread messages of propaganda.

Even though they have these kinds of crackdowns all the time, the young people do not stop trying to look and dress like people in foreign films and TV.

Illegal activities

The government is also working to suppress what it deems to be illegal capitalistic activities, an official in Chongjin told RFA.

Recent arrests here in Chongjin caught five property brokers who illegally facilitated state-owned housing transactions and collected fees for their services. Meanwhile, six fortune tellers and a fake medicine seller were also arrested. The guy selling fake traditional medicines claimed they could treat diseases, he said.

Everyone was sentenced five to seven years of hard labor and put in jail, said the official.

Chongjin authorities are also targeting the scalping of rail tickets, bribes given to train crews and rail police by merchants who dont have the proper government permission for travel, and payments to police to look the other way when they catch someone doing something illegal, he said.

In Ryanggang province, west of North Hamgyong, authorities there have been using the Third Broadcast to warn citizens against the evils of drugs, superstitions like fortune telling, and fake medicines, a resident there told RFA.

The people are complaining that the authorities are coming down hard on them again so soon after the April national holidays have ended, under the pretext of eradicating anti-socialist acts, she said, referring to holidays that commemorated the life of countrys founder Kim Il Sung on April 15 and the formation of the countrys military on the 25th.

Translated by Claire Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The Walkup Skydome was filled with graduates and their supporters Friday for Northern Arizon
The World Press Freedom Index again gives the country poor marks for its media environment.

Laos is an information black hole where the government exerts complete control over news outlets, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its 2022 World Press Freedom Index this week that ranks the Southeast Asian country near the bottom of its list in terms of allowing journalists to challenge authorities.

Laos placed 161st out of of 180 countries in the index, a slight improvement over 2021, when it was ranked 172nd. But the index still painted a dismal picture of press freedom in Laos, a finding that local reporters and citizens backed up in interviews with RFA this week.

The government essentially controls all press. Laos 24 newspapers, 32 television networks and 44 radio stations are required to follow the party line dictated by the Peoples Propaganda Commissariat, which is disseminated by the three dailies that the ruling party publishes, the index, released this week, said.

The Lao Popular Revolutionary Party (LPRP) keeps the press under close surveillance and makes the creation of independent media impossible. The circle of cronies at the heart of the system, in many cases descendants of the old aristocracy, keep a lock on information, the report said.

Laos guarantee of freedom of expression is undone by laws prohibiting media outlets from harming the national interest or traditional culture.

The penal code provides for imprisonment of journalists who criticize the government, a provision extended in 2014 to internet users. Internet service providers are required to report web users names, professions and data search histories to the authorities, the index said.

The small boost in the rankings was likely due to more reporting on drugs and corruption, a former reporter for Lao state media told RFAs Lao Service on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

In March this year, a drug lord, Sisouk Daoheuang, was sentenced to death for drug trafficking and smuggling. State media also report some more details like the number of corrupt officials who have been disciplined, dismissed and charged, the former reporter said.

But one current reporter who is an employee of the Information, Culture and Tourism Department of Savannakhet Province told RFAs Lao Service that journalists work is still restricted.

Despite improvement in ranking, we in the Lao media still dont have much press freedom. There are no independent news outlets. All the news agencies belong to government and are controlled by government, the reporter said.

Were all members of the state media and were not independent and there is no variety of news in Laos. So, our reporting is restricted especially when reporting about corruption of the Party members and government officials. We cant be critical to the Party and government at all. Even reporting on social media is restricted, said the source.

Reporters must run their stories by their department directors before they are published and they cannot cover any events without permission from at least the head of the department, the reporter said.

Another reporter in the capital Vientiane told RFA that no media outlet there is free or independent.

If were told to cover that event, well go and do it. Theyll tell us whether we can or cant go and we must follow government policy. We only report what is approved and permitted by the authorities, the Vientiane reporter said.

Sometimes, we know that what we are reporting is not true, but we cant do anything about it. For example, we know that those government officials in that ministry are corrupt and are embezzling state money, but we cant report that. We cant report any news that the government considers as dangerous to the national security, the political process or is too critical of the leaders, said the Vientiane reporter.

Another problem with freedom of the press is that too many people are afraid to speak the truth, a resident of the southern province of Savannakhet told RFA.

If we speak out well be thrown in jail. In this country, if someone tries to speak the truth, they will end up missing like Mouay, the resident said.

Houayheuang Xayabouly, better known by her nickname Mouay, was arrested Sept. 12, 2019, a week after she published videos critical about the governments inability to rescue people from flooding in the countrys southern Champassak and Salavan provinces. The delayed government response had left many Lao villagers stranded and cut off from help, she said in the video, which was viewed more than 150,000 times.

She criticized the government, and actually what she said was true, but now shes in jail for five years. People outside the country can speak out, but no one inside can. The people of Laos are afraid and worried, even when they express themselves on social media, said the resident.

A resident of Vientiane province told RFA that people can get in trouble for complaining about their lives.

The government will suppress you right away before you can do more harm. Its like theyll put out the fire before it spreads. Even if you escape to Thailand, the government will get you. Thats why many people here dont get involved in politics, the Vientiane province resident said.

An aid worker in Laos told RFA that social media has in some ways given people more of a voice, as it provides more access with less restrictions than traditional media like radio, television and newspapers.

More and more Laotians are hungry for information and they turn to social media for it. The trend will continue because Laotians can express themselves more on social media. They want to vent their frustration because the government cant do anything to solve the problems like the crumbling economy and financial crisis.

The number of social media users among Laos population of 7 million people increased to 51% this year, up from 49% last year and from 43% year before, data from statista.com shows.

Social media is a voice and a tool of people. When they see an official doing something wrong or judges making an unfair decision, they can post their comments online, a businessman in Laos told RFA.

Then either the police or the court can come out and give explanation to the public. Thats a good thing. We know that state media is not reliable. Only those who are 55 years old or older follow the state media. While younger folks follow Thai media, which is much more interesting.

Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Recent exits from gas field look bad for junta, which craves international recognition, says analyst.

Wat Arun (left) and the Grand Palace (right) are seen from the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, in Bangkok, April 29, 2020. One analyst said the Thai capital is lit up by Myanmars gas.

Russia will soon begin participating in Myanmars energy industry in place of international companies that quit, the Burmese junta said in response to the exit of three big Asian firms from a gas field in the coup-hit nation.

Since April 29, the Malaysian and Thai state-owned oil firms and a Japanese energy conglomerate have withdrawn from Myanmars Yetagun gas field, with all three citing commercial reasons for pulling out.

Japans ENEOS also mentioned Myanmars current situation, including the social issues as one of the reasons for quitting, referring to human rights excesses by the military where nearly 1,800 civilians have been killed since the February 2020 coup.

The companies quit not because of political instability but because of declining economic benefits from the Yetagun project, Myanmars military spokesman told RFA's Myanmar Service.

Our allies and friendly organizations are cooperating with us in the electricity and energy sectors. You will soon see Russias cooperation in the near future. We will expand our oil and gas operations as soon as possible, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said on Thursday.

One political analyst said it would not be surprising if Russia entered Myanmars oil and gas industry.

When democratic countries sever relationships or slap sanctions against a military junta, countries that do not value human standards or rules and regulations will step in for their own benefit. This has happened in many countries, analyst Sai Kyi Zin Soe told RFA..

There have been similar incidents in the history of Myanmar.

One economist, who requested anonymity, said it was unlikely that Myanmar could find a replacement so soon for the companies that have quit its energy sector.

Russia is a very powerful country in the oil world, the economist said.

[E]fforts could be made with them [the Russians] but a sudden replacement is not so easy. Its not going to work right away.

A logo of Petronas is seen at the Malaysian state-owned oil firms office in Kuala Lumpur, April 27, 2022. Credit: Reuters. Declining output

While it is true that ENEOS, Malaysias Petronas, and Thailands PTTEP withdrew from a depleting gas field, the political situation did not help, analysts told BenarNews.

Besides, said one Southeast Asia observer, the withdrawal of the firms representing two ASEAN nations, even from an unprofitable project, would have been a huge blow to the junta. It had bamboozled the regional bloc by reneging on a consensus among ASEAN members to put the country back on the democratic path.

The three firms packed up from the Yetagun project because gas output had plummeted, Readul Islam, a Singapore-based energy research analyst, told BenarNews.

The Yetagun project produced roughly 3 percent of Myanmars 2020 gas output, which already was a steep decline from the projects 6 percent of Myanmars 2019 output, said Islam, an analyst for Rystad Energy, an independent energy research company, about a field where experts say output had been declining since 2013.

[S]o, while the politics certainly dont help, the Yetagun exits appear to be purely economic decisions, Islam said.

BenarNews could not reach the chief executive of PTTEP for comment, nor did officials at Petronas immediately return phone calls or reply to emails.

Human and civil rights activists have been pressing corporations, especially oil and gas companies, to quit post-coup Myanmar.

Since the military took over, a slew of companies, not only oil firms, have left. They cited the coup or the subsequent abuses, and said they had also been hobbled by international sanctions imposed on the regime that makes it difficult to do business there.

Among the international firms that quit Myanmar are British American Tobacco, Chevron, Coca-Cola, Posco, Telenor, TotalEnergy, and Woodside Petroleum.

The ASEAN factor

The departures of Petronas and PTTEP from the Yetagun project should be viewed in this context, according to Southeast Asia analyst Zachary Abuza.

He agreed that Petronas and PTTEP may have left a dying field but, in his view  at least in the case of Malaysias Petronas  apart from the economics, others reasons motivated the decision.

My takeaway from this is that the Malaysians are frustrated and want to put pressure on the SAC, said Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, referring to the State Administration Council, the juntas official name.

It was different for Thailands PTTEP, which, in fact, announced they were taking over the stakes quit by Chevron and TotalEnergy in another Myanmar gas field, Yadana, Abuza acknowledged.

And yet, [i]t is a loss for the SAC. It doesnt look good when your key cash cow, the MOGE (the Ministry of Oil and Gas Enterprises) is losing key investors even if [the oil] fields are not profitable. The optics are bad.

What makes it worse for Myanmar, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc, is that state-owned firms from fellow member-states were the ones that quit, Abuza said.

These [Malaysian and Thai companies] are ASEAN partners. For the junta, it is probably not a huge surprise that Western oil firms have pulled back, but for ASEAN partners to do so, that has got to sting a bit more, Abuza said.

Symbolism matters for a regime that craves international recognition.

Meanwhile, activist group Justice for Myanmar, told BenarNews that the withdrawal from the Yetagun gas project was a result of the sustained pressure from the people of Myanmar and activists around the world.

According to the group, more pressure is needed to stop all oil payments to the junta so it cannot use the funds to buy the arms and ammunition it uses to gun down civilians in its brutal nationwide campaign against anyone who opposes the generals rule.

PTTEP now must go further and suspend payments to the Myanmar military junta from the Yadana and Zawtika projects, or withdraw, Yadanar Maung, spokesperson for Justice For Myanmar, told BenarNews by email.

These projects bankroll the Myanmar military junta, a terrorist organization, and PTTEPs continued involvement aids and abets the juntas  crimes. We call on the Thai government to change course and stop business with the junta.

Reported by RFA's Myanmar Service and Shailaja Neelakantan, Subel Rai Bhandari and Nontarat Phaicharoen of BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news outlet.
Scores of people gathered in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on May 7 to pay their last respects to the country's first post-Soviet leader, Stanislau Shushkevich. The crowd applauded for more than 10 minutes as the coffin was carried out of the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Name of Mary after a church service that was attended by diplomats and opposition politicians. The Belarusian government ignored the May 4 death of Shushkevich, an opponent of strongman leader Alyaksandar Lukashenka. Shushkevich was one of the three signatories to a document that put an end to the Soviet Union in December 1991.
French President Emmanuel Macron says it could take several years for Ukraine to formally join the European Union and proposed the creation of a new political organization for European countries that share common values.

Speaking in Strasbourg on May 9, Macron said the process of joining the EU under current entry rules meant it would take years.

"Even if we grant it candidate status tomorrow, we all know perfectly well that the process to allow it to join would take several years indeed, probably several decades," Macron said in a speech marking Europe Day.

Macron spoke after the European Commission said it aimed to deliver a first opinion in June on Ukraine's request to become a member.

While the 27 EU members have been fully united in backing Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion, there is division over how quickly the EU could move to accept Ukraine as a member.

A fast-track procedure would lead to lowering standards, Macron said, and he suggested creating a parallel entity that could appeal to countries that aspire to join the bloc.

He said this "European political community" would be open to democratic European countries adhering to its core values.

"Joining it would not necessarily prejudge future EU membership," he said, adding that it would not be "closed to those who left it," in an apparent reference to Great Britain. He also noted the hopes of countries such as Moldova and Georgia.

Macron also warned against humiliating Russia, saying this would not serve efforts for restoring peace.

"Tomorrow we'll have a peace to build, let's never forget that," he told reporters. The terms of a peace deal will be set by Ukraine and Russia, but that will not be done through...the exclusion of one another, nor even in their humiliation."

Macron arrived later in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who described Macron's suggestion of a political community a "very interesting suggestion for dealing with the big challenge we face."

Britain, which left the European Union, could have a place in this political community, Scholz said.

He added that the EU shouldnt stop pursuing the accession process for countries that have already begun, citing North Macedonia as an example, saying its leader had taken "very brave" decisions in recent years.

"We should find a way that this bravery isn't disappointed," Scholz said.

Macron said countries that had already embarked on the membership route and are close to joining should continue their path. But others not as far along, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and others in the Western Balkans, may wish to consider joining a wider club instead.

Later in the evening, Macron and Scholz showed their support for Ukraine in a visit to Berlin's symbolically important Brandenburg Gate, illuminated in Ukraine's national colors.

Executive Opinion

Earlier on May 9, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that she had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and was looking forward to receiving the answers to Ukraine's membership questionnaire.

"The EU Commission will aim to deliver its opinion in June," she added.

Later she told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the future of Europe was also "Ukraine's future."

Zelenskiy on April 18 handed a completed questionnaire for Ukraine achieving EU candidate status to the bloc's top official in his country and the document is now being examined.

Giving Ukraine formal candidate status would be decided by the bloc's members, who would act on the expert advice from the commission.

If approved as a candidate, Ukraine would have to go through a complex and potentially lengthy accession process that would imply meeting rigorous democratic and rule-of-law standards.

In the face of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, EU officials have said they will work to speed up the accession process as much as possible.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Health-care activist and blogger Iryna Danylovych was returning home from work at a boarding home in southeastern Crimea on April 29 when she went missing, purportedly detained by the peninsula's Russian authorities for allegedly passing information to a nongovernmental organization.

But her family and lawyer cannot be sure. They have been unable to determine Iryna's whereabouts despite filing a kidnapping complaint with the police and appealing to the Russian authorities who have controlled the seized Ukrainian peninsula since 2014.

More than a week after her disappearance, Iryna's family and legal representation have few clues to work with.

Her father, Boronyslav Danylovych, told the Crimea Realities desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that video footage from a local gas station has emerged, showing a woman who resembles his daughter standing at a bus stop when several people in civilian clothes jump out of a black vehicle and force her into the car.

Her lawyer, Aider Azamatov, determined that she was not at the local detention facility where she would be most likely to be held, in the Black Sea town of Sudak, and expanded his search throughout Crimea.

When it became clear that Iryna was not in any of the regional detention centers spanning the Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, Azamatov appealed to the territory's branch of the Russian Investigative Committee and the Black Sea Fleet's Military Prosecutor's Office. Azamatov has yet to get a response.

Despite subsequent reports by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center that she was in the Simferopol pretrial detention center, Azamatov was told by the facility on May 6 that she is not there.

The situation has left Boronyslav Danylovych hoping that his daughter -- who was to celebrate her 43rd birthday on May 6 -- is still alive.

"How can this be in a democratic country?" the elder Danylovych asked in an interview with Crimea.Realities. Let her be the worst serial criminal if you want to believe that," he said of the Russian authorities, "but you should tell me where she is."

The 75-year-old father of two said that, even during the upheaval of the 1990s, when he recalled organized crime groups holding sway after the fall of the Soviet Union, "they would have said something."

"It already seems that she is not alive," he said of his youngest daughter, "and we need to look in the morgues."

Iryna was born in the Vitsebsk region of the then-Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic and moved to Crimea along with her family in 1983.

"Here she went to school, entered the medical institute, and graduated with a degree in addiction medicine," her father said. "There was no money at that time, so she transferred to study at the Simferopol Medical College."

From there she studied obstetrics and moved to work in Belgorod, a region in western Russia where troops massed before the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

After returning to Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, shortly before the Russian invasion and seizure of the territory that year, Iryna found work as a nurse at a drug-treatment center in the eastern city of Feodosia, not far from her parents' home in Vladyslavovka, and eventually became the head of the Alliance of Doctors medical trade union.

"I know that she treated this work conscientiously. She respected the opinions of others, and that through her natural qualities she could protect people," her father said. "She was not afraid, she was not shy, and she entered the struggle openly.

Candid And Outspoken

Her reputation as one of the few medical workers who would speak candidly about the health care situation in the Crimean Peninsula grew during the coronavirus pandemic, and she was outspoken about medical workers' rights and issues with the territory's Health Ministry.

After the Alliance of Doctors in Feodosia demanded bonus payments promised to medical professionals by Russian President Vladimir Putin in early 2020 -- which doctors in Crimea said they had not received despite the funds being sent to the territory -- she and her colleagues came under administrative pressure.

Iryna, who worked for the narcotics service of the city's medical association, continued to appeal for the payments until the department was disbanded and she and fellow employees were dismissed in 2021.

She continued her advocacy for health workers as a blogger and on social media and contributed as a source to stories about the health-care system in Crimea by media outlets including Crimea.Realities. She was most recently working as coordinator of the initiative Crimean Medicine Without Cover.

Boronyslav Danylovych told the regional desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that he and his wife were preparing breakfast, waiting for their daughter to return from her shift, when their home was raided by riot police.

They showed me a court order [for the search] and said: 'Do you want us to read it to you, or can you do it yourself?'" he said. "I said: 'Read it.' And they read it and half I understood, half I did not understand. Then they said: 'Sign it.'"

The officers who conducted the raid, the elder Danylovych said, did not introduce themselves and confiscated numerous items, including a laptop and mobile phones, leaving him without communication.

They also failed to provide a copy of the search papers and inventory of the seized items, which he noted when he signed the documents under protest.

When Boronyslav Danylovych asked the officers where his daughter was, according Azamatov, they replied that she was being detained for 10 days for transferring what the lawyer described as "unclassified information to some nongovernmental organization."

With no phone or computer, he was unable to reach out for help until May 2, when his daughter's colleagues came looking for her when she did not show up for work.

With communication restored, he filed a missing persons report with local police and got in contact with Azamatov. Following the discovery of surveillance video that appeared to show Iryna's abduction, he filed a new complaint demanding that a criminal case be initiated and that the video footage be submitted as evidence.

Boronyslav Danylovych said he was not allowed to have a copy of the video, which he said on May 6 had still not been viewed by police, and RFE/RL was unable to verify the footage.

On May 4, the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the formal name of the territory recognized internationally as part of Ukraine, announced that it had launched a criminal case regarding the "violation of the inviolability of the home, and imprisonment of a citizen journalist who covered health problems in the temporarily occupied peninsula."

Calling Iryna Danylovych's detention illegal, the office said that "occupying security forces first unjustifiably searched the apartment of the activist in the Feodosia region of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and later took her away in an unknown direction, while her whereabouts and legal status are unknown."

Unable to celebrate Iryna's birthday with her in person, her friends made a show of support by leaving gifts and flowers outside the Simferopol pretrial detention center on May 6. But, with her whereabouts uncertain, the group could do little but express their concerns about her fate.

Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Michael Scollon based on reporting by Serhiy Mokrushyn of the Crimea.Realities desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, with additional reporting by Current Time.
Jeremy Corbyn, the former British opposition leader, says the UN and the West should have been tougher on Russian President Vladimir Putin early on, and expanding alliances like NATO isn't "the best way forward."

Known for opposing the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for being sharply critical of NATO, Corbyn told RFE/RL's Georgian Service in late April that the priority in war-torn Ukraine is to "just get a cease-fire" to stop the killing.

RFE/RL: How would you rate the United Kingdom's efforts and policy toward the war in Ukraine?

Jeremy Corbyn: I think there should have been a much earlier intervention in relation to Ukraine to try to prevent the war ever happening in the first place -- mind you, that goes to the whole of Europe and particularly of the United Nations. I think there's been a lamentable lack of action. And whilst I welcome the [UN] secretary-general's [Antonio Guterres] visit to Moscow and Kyiv -- and that has to be a good step -- frankly that should have happened six weeks [earlier]. The war is obviously disgraceful, and the Russian invasion is wrong at every level and conclusively.

RFE/RL: Could the war have been prevented, and if yes, in what way?

Corbyn: Obviously, it's hard to know what the cost would have been on that, but it seemed to me that there was a need to intervene much earlier on, diplomatically, as a way of putting pressure on Russia. It might not have worked, I don't know. But I just think there has to be anything [done] that can save life.

RFE/RL: Is the United Kingdom doing enough at this moment to help Ukraine?

Corbyn: We're giving a lot of aid, yes, and humanitarian aid is also important. I don't think the U.K. is doing enough for refugees at the present time. The numbers of refugees leaving Ukraine are enormous -- we're talking [more than] 10 percent of the entire population of Ukraine has left. And I was looking at some figures the other day: Poland has taken in a huge number and, in Warsaw, the school population has gone up by 40 percent in six weeks. And that's because they've taken in so many children. Well done, Poland, on taking them in, and well done on educating and supporting them.

Britain has taken in, I think, 20,000, which is a tiny number. And there are 200,000 people in Britain that offered to host refugees. And so the government in Britain is totally out of line with public opinion on this.

RFE/RL: If you were to pinpoint one reason why the war is happening, what would that be?

Corbyn: I think it is Russian, particularly President Putin's, aggression against Ukraine, and a belief that somehow or other a Russian military presence [in Ukraine] is a longer-term protection for Russia. I think the opposite is the case. I think that the invasion has cost the lives of thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of totally innocent people, has led to an economic effect all over the world, and will now lead to a food shortage for many of the poorest people in the Middle East and North Africa, who won't be able to get grain that would have been grown in Ukraine or sold from Russia. So the results are disastrous in every respect.

RFE/RL: Do you think that if European integration -- Ukraine's European and NATO aspirations -- had had more momentum in the past, would this have made it possible to avoid the war? Or is that one of the reasons why Russia...?

Corbyn: I suspect that those in Russia that advise President Putin became more and more alarmed at the integration of Europe with Ukraine and felt it was some kind of threat to Russia. I don't agree with that, but I think that's what they would have thought. And I go back to my point that this war is wrong, it's illegal, and it has to stop.

RFE/RL: We now see Finland and Sweden trying to apply for NATO membership. In the past you've been skeptical of NATO enlargement. Do you still remain skeptical?

Corbyn: Well, it's a matter for Sweden and Finland whether they decide to join or not. But joining military alliances is a very big step, and it will have a big effect on their defense expenditure. Because NATO requires 2 percent of GNI [gross national income] to be spent on defense. And that's a matter for them.

RFE/RL: Don't you think it's a sound enough investment to make sure Russia does not do to them what it did to Ukraine?

Corbyn: Obviously, you don't want Russia invading anywhere. You don't want anybody invading anywhere. And therefore the growth of military alliances, in the long term, is not necessarily the best way forward.

As the bodies of young conscripted soldiers come home, as they did after Afghanistan -- that can have a massive political effect in Russia.

Let's just look at the historical perspective. In 1991, the Soviet Union broke up and the Warsaw Pact disintegrated. There was a reduction in defense expenditure across Europe and by Russia as well, mainly for economic reasons in Russia at that time. There was some serious thought -- it wasn't just the Left -- from everybody, who at the time said, "Well, actually, this is the time to wind down military alliances." It didn't happen. And we ended up with NATO expanding into a global role, including its activities in Afghanistan and obviously its involvement in the Balkan war, and that has not always been a good thing.

And so it's up to countries whether they join or not, but my view is that I want to see a cease-fire in the case of Russia and Ukraine. That will, I am sure, lead to huge political changes in Russia, because the opposition to this war in Russia is pretty strong, even if people are a bit frightened to speak out. Although how strong, [is] very hard to know.

RFE/RL: You urged us to look at history. But in the history of Russia: it never deterred Russia from action if its neighbor was less well-armed than before. So what does this mean for your argument that if we wind down military alliances, Russia would be more inclined not to attack?

Corbyn: We could all build up more and more military stuff. It's almost unlimited the amount of military hardware either side can build up -- the war will then get worse. There are nuclear weapons available to Russia; there are nuclear weapons available to NATO. I never want us to descend into anything even threatening nuclear war happening. That means there has to be real pressure on Russia for a cease-fire, real pressure for some kind of longer-term [solution].

RFE/RL: How do you see that pressure happening? Russia doesn't want to return to diplomacy.

Corbyn: No, of course they don't. It comes as a combination of political pressure and what's happening on the ground. But in the meantime, we have [5.5] million people who are refugees, [and] many other refugees from other conflicts around the world. Is this a time when we're just going to plan one more war after another, or are we in a position to actually use the language of peace and try and bring about a cease-fire?

RFE/RL: On NATO expansion, we have covered Sweden and Finland. But Ukraine and Georgia have also been longtime aspirants to join NATO. Do you see them ever joining? Would you welcome them being part of NATO, considering what has happened?

Corbyn: From everything I'm hearing, it seems very unlikely that NATO would take either country into membership. That's everything I'm hearing. Because of the obvious dangers of an escalation with Russia. Although I do obviously support the decisions that have been made [inaudible] in the case of Georgia, for example, as with Ukraine, what I don't understand is why Russia, having accepted through the Minsk agreement the independence of Ukraine and indeed [being] prepared to discuss a degree of autonomy within Ukraine for parts of the Donbas -- that surely should have been the way forward, and Russia has chosen to go down the route of invasion and war. And that...just starts another war.

RFE/RL: You are famously a proponent of nuclear disarmament. Has this war in Ukraine changed the way you look at it at all, in that it might be good to have a nuclear deterrent when you are dealing with Russia?

Corbyn: A nuclear war will kill us all, you and me included.

RFE/RL: The key word here is deterrence -- that nobody resorts to war.

Corbyn: A nuclear war will kill us all, you and me included. That is what nuclear wars do. I support the global ban treaty (also known as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or TPNW), which was voted on by the majority of the [UN] Security Council. I support the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). And we have been through a process, up until about three years ago, where there was a general reduction in the numbers of nuclear warheads around the world by the U.S.A., France, Britain, Russia, China -- India and Pakistan have small numbers but nevertheless do possess them, [and] likewise, Israel and North Korea. Any talk that moves towards nuclear war just ends the planet.

RFE/RL: What do you make of the admiration of Ukrainian people for [U.K. Prime Minister] Boris Johnson and his leadership in this crisis? He's seen as a hero in my homeland as well.

Corbyn: Well, it's an interesting natural reaction, actually, that when a country is under threat, they rally around whoever their leaders are. In World War II, Winston Churchill, who became the prime minister during the war, he was not actually a particularly popular figure for many people in Britain [before the war]. They rallied around him because of the situation they were facing in the war. And I think people do rally around leaders in that case. Sadly, it happens on both sides.

RFE/RL: Let's take a hypothetical scenario of you and your [Labour] Party being in charge, then. What would your approach be? What would you do differently?

Corbyn: I would be putting as much pressure as possible at the very beginning on the United Nations and on Russia -- from the very beginning, during the time of that enormous buildup of troops on the borders of Ukraine. Whether that would have stopped the war, I don't know any more than you do. But I feel that the process would have [led to the] isolation of Russia.

But I would also have been much tougher on the Russian oligarchs and their money, huge amounts of money, which basically was stolen at the end of the Soviet Union by the oligarchs who just moved in -- [Roman] Abramovich, etc. -- and have corrupted the politics of Western Europe in many, many ways, including the huge amounts of money given to political parties in Western Europe. And I opposed Putin from the beginning on Chechnya and a number of other places, while at the same time British politicians -- [former U.K. Prime Minister] Tony Blair included -- were welcoming Putin into Britain and taking him to the opera. Some of us have been consistent.

RFE/RL: Do you think it's Russia's war or Putin's war? If you look at the polls in Russia skeptically, bearing in mind that people are afraid to speak out, so with the idea that you don't believe that there is this staggering 80 percent in support of the war and Putin. So let's halve that number, or take even one third -- so we are left with a nation where one third of its population approves of what is now happening in Ukraine. What does that say about that nation?

Corbyn: It says something about the way in which the propaganda has been driven into them that this is a war to protect Russia for the future. And that's essentially what Putin's message is. Now I don't trust opinion polls in Russia -- I don't trust a lot of opinion polls -- but your point earlier about war and wartime leaders -- in fact, it goes both ways. And there has to be a cease-fire and a de-escalation. I also think that the longer term in Russia -- well, as the bodies of young conscripted soldiers come home, as they did after Afghanistan -- that can have a massive political effect in Russia. Is there any reason to suppose that it will be different this time?

RFE/RL: If you want dead bodiesto change [policy], a cease-fire won't help with that...

Corbyn: Listen, I don't want anyone to die in this war. And that means you have to get a cease-fire.

RFE/RL: At what cost?

Corbyn: You have to get a cease-fire.

RFE/RL: No matter the cost?

Corbyn: Well, you get a cease-fire. Both sides agree a cease-fire. You then start negotiations at that point.

RFE/RL: Both sides agree, or one side is forced to agree?

Corbyn: This war is killing thousands and thousands of people.

RFE/RL: That's what wars do.

Corbyn: Yes! That's why I want to stop them!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Youre going to be a strong lady like me. These are the words that Amy Begay repeated to a young woman during a recent ceremony.

While she spoke, Begay pulled a baton over the young womans muscles to stretch and massage them for the hard work ahead. That day, the young woman would run to her limit and back, a customary trial during a Navajo womans kinaalda, or puberty ceremony.

Because of Begays career as a teacher, her skill as a weaver and her devotion to prayer, she had been chosen by her community to do the ceremonial molding of this young woman. It was her responsibility to show the young woman how to run, tell her what it meant to be a Navajo woman, and give her confidence for adulthood. She said it again. Youre going to be a strong lady. Like me.

One day, said Begay when she reflected on her role in this young womans ceremony. I know shes going to say I remember this.

Begay is one of the women interviewed in the new book Voices of Navajo Mothers and Daughters from Soulstice Publishing in Flagstaff. Written and compiled by Kathy Eckles Hooker, the book is a space where Navajo women from 21 families have told their stories in their own words alongside striking photography from David Young-Wolff.

The women featured in each chapter respond to a set of questions such as What kind of future do you wish for your daughter? or Did you have a kinaalda? or Tell me about a happy time. While all the questions are the same, the answers reveal a wide range of experiences across the interviewed women.

Hooker said she entered the project with preconceived notions about what it meant to be a Navajo woman, but came away changed. I learned so much, she said. For Hooker, the effort to compile interviews with Navajo mothers and daughters began with an Arizona Daily Sun article from 2009. The article featured a Navajo mother and daughter and a Hopi mother and daughter, and after reading, Hooker's curiosity piqued. She and her husband had lived in Dilkon, on the Navajo Reservation, for a few years in the 1970s.

I wondered how much had changed since we lived there, Hooker said. She started by reaching out to the Navajo teachers she knew through her time at Mount Elden Middle School, and continued to connect to women from there. With the exception of one woman, Hooker said everyone she met was eager to tell their stories for the book she had planned.

Which surprised me, Hooker said, because I was stranger for most of the family, coming into their house and asking some pretty personal questions. Thanks to the generosity and interest of her hosts, Hooker said the project exploded.

It had a mind of its own, she said.

But the interviews shared in Voices only tell half the story of these women. The other half comes out in the portraits taken by Young-Wolff.

What I see in David's photographs is this power and this pride in who [these women] are, Hooker said.

Young-Wolff is an old friend of Hooker with an esteemed, 45-year photography career. Hes photographed all manner of people, from movie stars to pro athletes, and traveled across continents with his camera in hand. But aside from the normal touristy things, Young-Wolff had no experience with the Navajo reservation or its people. After the first shoot for Voices, he thought, Oh my god. This is going to be incredible.

The photos featured in Voices are focused on the women interviewed, but they also offer a window into the often awe-inspiring environments where these women live. This can be seen plainly in some of the photos of Amy Begay and her mother Elsie Nez. In the soft background, Young-Wolff has placed the unmistakable butte that marks their home of Rock Point, Arizona. Paired with Hookers interviews, the effect of these place-setting photos is amplified throughout Voices. Young-Wolff likened the book to a multi-layered image in Photoshop.

You have all these layers and fragments of these different stories, he said. And you come out with a much bigger story than you could have with just one person.

That bigger story cant be told better than through the women in Voices, but there are some themes that can be gleaned. The focus on Navajo women is appropriate, Begay said, because Navajo women are the strong glue that holds families together.

She explained that Navajo people are traditionally matrilineal, centering women as the highest family authority and owners of property. In this traditional way, if a husband decides to leave his house, he will leave only with the shirt on his back, Begay said. This also makes Navajo women the bread-winners expected to find careers and provide for their families.

Then theres the keeping of family knowledge, Begay said. Traditionally Navajo women are expected to learn and pass on life skills like cooking or weaving. Through kinaaldas they bring others into womanhood.

These were the traditional values Begay was raised with and she said living up to them has required her to strengthen her mind through prayer. As a woman, I have to be strong, she said. I have to uphold my responsibility.

But not all the women in Voices share the type of connection to traditional ways. Each has a unique story of the way they have navigated these traditional expectations from generation to generation, leaning in and out of tradition fluidly. To Young-Wolff, there was one aspect that seemed to be true for all the women interviewed.

They learn from each other, he said. And they respect each other.

While just published this year, the interviews shared in Voices, were conducted between 2009 and 2012. The last 10 years have been spent looking for the right publisher, Hooker said. Initially she offered the book to university presses and received 33 rejections.

Because it represents Navajo women with their own words, Voices wasnt considered scholarly enough by many of the presses Hooker queried. Its not an anthropological study, she said. Its people with feelings, hopes, sorrows, joys.

But Hooker could not be more pleased that she eventually connected with Soulstice Publishing.

They have created a stunning work of art, she said, adding that "my goal was to honor these women and she feels that Voices has lived up to that goal.

Begay feels similarly. She intends to use Voices in the classroom, where she teaches Navajo language and history. I believe this book is very awesome, Begay said. She strongly believes that Navajo people should write their own history or get involved in a project where theres a professional writer who can assist in the process.

In this way, our future grandchildren will be able to read about where they're coming from, Begay said. This book may even entice one of those grandchildren to write about her own family history.

To celebrate the books release, Soulstice and the Museum of Northern Arizona are cohosting a panel called Celebrating the Voices of Navajo Women on May 21 at the museum starting at 2 p.m. Entry is free with paid museum admission. A panel comprising women from the book will discuss themes related to their lives as Navajo women and reflect on their experience of being interviewed and having their portraits taken. The book will be available for purchase, and Hooker and Young-Wolff will be on hand to sign copies.

"Voices of Navajo Mothers and Daughters" can be found at the publisher's website, www.soulsticepublishing.com, and wherever books are sold.

Sean Golightly can be reached at sgolightly@azdailysun.com

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Dear EarthTalk: What exactly is gravity energy storage and why are some environmentalists so bullish on it?

-- James McIntosh, New York, NY

Gravity energy storage, whereby engineers harness the energy in gravitational forces by connecting the momentum generated to the electric grid, is a relatively new technology that could serve to revolutionize energy storage given its low carbon footprint and engineering simplicity. Pilot programs to test the technology and bring it to scale are already underway in Switzerland, Scotland and the United States. Environmentalists are bullish about the technology as a way to bolster energy reserves beyond intermittent clean energy sources like solar and wind, and to have a better way to store energy than in costly and environmentally problematic lithium-ion batteries.

So far researchers have isolated two different techniques for harvesting gravity energy. One employs a tower to drop weights from above, harnessing the momentum generated by the gravitational force during the fall. Another uses mineshafts filled with water to float and drop weights. Both types of processes extract energy from electrical sensors attached to the weights generating momentum and pass it directly to the power grid. Typically, about 20% of the energy created during a concrete blocks fall is needed to power the weights back up to the top.

Unlike solar and wind power, gravity energy storage isnt dependent on the sun to shine or the wind to blow for the generation of electricity. Herein lies the great green promise of this new technology since energy can be generated steadily but without the inevitability of pollution from fossil fuels. Besides substituting for fossil fuels, gravity storage can also replace batteries as a way to supply electricity locally and/or back to the grid. This is good news for environmentalists who decry the uptick in lithium mining to supply precious metals for the lithium-ion battery makers. Likewise, the more energy we can derive from the constant renewable source of gravity energy means that much less fossil-fuel derived power we need.

While gravity energy may be green and cheap at scale, developers of the technology face great hurdles to making it publicly available. One major issue is policymakers fear of novelty: Its hard to rewire a system built around fossil fuels. New plants would have to be built. Paying for both the plants and the infrastructure surrounding them would involve replacing existing systems and structures.

But in the end, fossil fuels will ultimately cost us more. Indeed, our addiction to fossil fuels has already resulted in air pollution, rising atmospheric temperatures, contaminated landscapes and even damaged human health.

It may seem strange at first glance that gravity alone can generate so much energy. Yet these simple mechanical operations generate a vast promise for new advancements in energy production that dwarf previous advancements. This innovative discovery may prove to be a sea change regarding the way we generate and store energy moving forwardif only we can build it out to scale.

EarthTalk is produced by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at https://emagazine.com. To donate, visit https://earthtalk.org. Send questions to: question@earthtalk.org.

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La Puerta Is Now Open in Mission Hills!

The 14-year old downtown hangouts second location serves up the same tasty Sinaloa-inspired favorites made fresh daily, signature street tacos, and cantina cocktails.




Global TimesSouth Korea's state intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Service, said on Thursday that it has joined the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence as the first Asian member, according to Yonhap.

Cyber defense has been part of the military alliance's core task of collective defense. By cooperating with South Korea's spy agency, the US-led NATO is attempting to turn the Northeast Asian country into a chess piece to contain China and Russia in the realm of cyber defense. It has extended its cyber defense to the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and even the Indo-Pacific region, paving the way for the interference of Western forces in regional geopolitical affairs.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that South Korea joining NATO's cyber defense cooperation offers room for the country to join other US-led intelligence mechanisms. Last year, the National Defense Authorization bill for fiscal year 2022 from the US House of Representatives already required the US administration to consider expanding the Five Eyes alliance to include South Korea and three others if enacted.

"If the US is to contain China or Russia and wins in actual military conflict, it must gain an upper hand in intelligence-gathering. The rearrangement of the US-led cyber and intelligence groups aims to create a global network," said Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator.

South Korea under the incoming administration of Yoon Suk-yeol is believed to enhance ties with the US. The country will welcome US President Joe Biden later this month, his first trip to Asia since coming into office. South Korea is also considering attending the NATO summit slated for late June. Yoon has said he will "positively review" South Korea's joining of Quad if invited.

Seoul is betting its own security on the US-led groupings. However, Song noted that if Seoul deepens cooperation with NATO or even joins NATO, it would only make itself more insecure.

"South Korea's security can only be ensured when it builds mutual trust with neighboring countries, rather than becoming the political and military henchman of NATO," said Song.

It is also worth noting that what serves US interests does not necessarily serve its allies. Although the US wants to expand its military outreach globally, it is not easy for NATO to expand to the Indo-Pacific region.

"Most NATO member states are EU countries who have already been badly battered by the crisis on their own soil. They do not want to be dragged into any crisis in Asia, nor do they want to overdraft the limited resources. NATO expansion to Asia fits the interests of only a few NATO members, such as the UK," said Song, adding that the US may want to achieve the globalization of NATO, but face the realistic problem of catering to all.

NATO is a defensive organization in rhetoric only, while its actions can amount to the definition of an "aggressor." The US knows clearly what consequences Ukraine would face by inciting it to join NATO, but it still led Ukraine to embark on a path of no return.

While Ukraine's joining NATO could provoke Russia's sense of insecurity, what South Korea does might trigger more confrontation with its neighbors, including China, Russia and North Korea, which may cause turbulence in the region, warned Song.

NATO is trying to expand to China's periphery. By trying to create an Asian version of NATO, the US will seriously undermine economic cooperation and prosperity in Asia, and bring about new divisions to the regional geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. Washington's intention to turn an Asia-Pacific country into a frontier of geopolitical confrontation is not in the interests of regional countries including South Korea.
BISMARCK, N.D.  McKenzie County residents are lukewarm on federal efforts to rename a hamlet on the Montana border.

A federal task force is working to replace the names of more than 660 geographic features nationwide that American Indians find derogatory. One of the features is Squaw Gap. The Bismarck Tribune reported recently that the hamlet is little more than a community hall and an old schoolhouse.

The community is named for a rock formation that was said to resemble an Indian woman carrying a child, according to the book North Dakota Place Names by Douglas A. Wick.

McKenzie County Commission Vice Chair Kathy Skarda grew up in the Squaw Gap area. She said her friends and family thought the renaming effort was a joke. She said she doesn't think the name was ever meant to deride any ethnicity. People will have to live with the name change, she said, but the area will always be Squaw Gap to residents.

Possible replacement names include Spring Creek, One-O-One Creek, Phillip Draw, West Fork Badlands Draw and Phillip Spring. The task force will forward recommendations to the Board on U.S. Geographic Names in the coming months.

Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Tribal Chairman Mark Fox said he supports removing the term squaw from place names.

It really causes serious and strong emotions and resistance to that term," Fox said.

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People visit "L.A. Underwater" exhibition in Los Angeles

Xinhua) 16:59, May 07, 2022

A boy visits "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

People visit "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

People visit "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

People visit "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Blizzards that blasted western North Dakota last month had a severe impact on the cattle ranching community, according to a new North Dakota State University report.

A three-day blizzard in mid-April dropped 2-3 feet of snow over a wide area, and an Easter Sunday storm that followed added several inches more, along with heavy rain in many other areas. A late-month blizzard dumped another 1 to 1  feet of snow in the west and also brought freezing rain to the region.

The storms and associated power outages have been a hardship for ranchers in the midst of calving season.

A survey by NDSU Extension county agents didn't determine numerical livestock losses, but ranchers in most western counties reported major or extreme impacts.

"The most common storm-related challenges reported by livestock producers included livestock health; lack of bedding; inadequate and/or damaged buildings, structures or facilities; lack of windbreaks; and inadequate feed supplies," the report said. "The heavy impacts to livestock were due, in part, to the timing of the storms, as many ranchers calve in March and April and either had young calves or were actively calving."

Livestock health was by far the most-reported challenge by ranchers. The counties of Ward, Mountrail, Golden Valley, Billings and Stark had estimated losses of more than 10% of their 2021 cattle inventory. Most other western counties had estimated losses of up to 5% of their cattle inventory.

The percentages might be the best available estimate of actual losses, according to Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist.

"We will likely do a follow-up survey in coordination with the Department of Agriculture to better understand the impacts of the storm to livestock," she said. "I am not sure we will be able to get exact numerical and financial losses. It is very difficult for producers to share this information, even with someone they trust."

Losses also could mount, as calves could still become ill in coming weeks.

In addition to early-in-life risk, there may be long-term effects related to severe weather as well, said Dr. Gerald Stokka, Extension veterinarian-livestock stewardship. When calves are compromised at birth and good immunity is not established, there remains a higher risk of illness and death loss even through the weaning phase.

The North Dakota Stockmen's Association and its Foundation have started a rancher relief fund. The groups' initial $40,000 has been bolstered by an additional $34,000 in donations, according to Stockmen's Executive Vice President Julie Ellingson. For more information go to http://www.ndstockmen.org/foundation/hopeafterhaley/.

The federal Livestock Indemnity Program also might be a resource for ranchers. It compensates them for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality, paying 75% of the fair market value, with national payment rates set annually by the U.S. agriculture secretary.

Ranchers also need to look after themselves, according to Sean Brotherson, Extension family science specialist.

The emotional and physical needs of those who are undergoing stress from such conditions in agriculture are sometimes forgotten during efforts to manage farming impacts from external events, he said. Individual farmers, ranchers and laborers may not consider their own needs, or they may feel too occupied with other responsibilities to handle personal or family needs.

NDSU Extension has resources on its website to help people in the agriculture industry manage stress. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3vNcOzU.

Reach News Editor Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

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Former President Donald Trumps lawsuit against Twitter for revoking his account after the January 2021 Capitol riot was rejected Friday by a federal judge in San Francisco, who said Trump provided no evidence that the social media platform had colluded with congressional Democrats to violate his constitutional rights.

Twitter permanently suspended Trumps account two days after the Jan. 6 mob attack, citing posts to his 88.7 million followers that the company said posed a risk of further violence. Joined by five supporters whose accounts were also revoked, Trump argued that the action interfered with his freedom of speech and sought restoration of his account and damages.

But U.S. District Judge James Donato noted that the First Amendment applies only to the government, not private parties like Twitter, and said Trump and his fellow plaintiffs had failed to plausibly allege any government involvement in their suspensions.

Donato said the lawsuit cited a grab-bag of comments by Democrats in Congress who said Trump should be removed from Twitter. Future Vice President Kamala Harris, then a senator from California, was quoted as supporting a suspension, but conspicuously missing is any threatening remark directed to Twitter if it preserved the account, Donato said.

The comments of a handful of elected officials are a far cry from a rule of decision for which the State is responsible, Donato wrote. Legislators are perfectly free to express opinions without being deemed the official voice of the State. 

He also said Trump and his fellow plaintiffs had claimed, without evidence, that Democrats threatened to eliminate legal protections for Twitter and other platforms under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act unless they suspended the accounts. Section 230 shields social media from legal liability for the content of postings by their customers.

Trump filed the suit in Florida, where he lives, but Twitter moved successfully to transfer it to San Francisco, where it is headquartered. Similar suits against other platforms that suspended his account are pending before another Bay Area federal judge.

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Donato said the law of California, not Florida, applies to the case. He rejected claims in the suit based on Florida laws, including the so-called Stop Social Media Censorship Act. That law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would ban large social media platforms from excluding political candidates because of their views. It was scheduled to take effect last July but was blocked by another federal judge, who said it served no legitimate government interests and may violate freedom of speech.

John Coale, a lawyer for Trump, declined to comment on the substance of the ruling but said the former president would appeal.

This was totally expected, an Obama appointee in San Francisco, Coale said, referring to Donatos 2014 appointment by President Barack Obama. Weve said since July 7 (when the suit was filed) that it was going to go up through the appeals court to the Supreme Court, and thats where its going to be decided.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Over the past seven years, Oaklands Wood Street encampment has exploded in size. The encampment spans nearly 25 city blocks with about 300 people living under freeways in tents, RVs and makeshift shelters amid burned-out vehicles, mounds of trash and dirt.

The encampment is now so huge that some residents drive buses and motorcycles to get from one end to the other.

A U.N. report from 2018 called the conditions there cruel and inhumane. The expert behind the report compared it to the poorest places in the world, decried the lack of access to clean water and toilets, and said the rodent infestations, fire dangers and other hazards should be quickly addressed.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

City leaders say the encampment  which spans property owned by the city, railroads and various government agencies  is a crisis, but officials havent cleared it, arguing they dont have enough shelter beds for everyone.

But a solution might be on the horizon. Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration just awarded Oakland a $4.7 million grant to come up with a model at Wood Street  one that can be replicated in other cities. The money would fund a new community cabin site or tiny home village at Wood Street for about 50 people.

Newsom paid a surprise visit to the encampment in April to show the inhumane living conditions too many Californians face.

City and state leaders say a deadly fire that occurred in April at the site, killing one and displacing five, makes action there all the more urgent. Thats on top of nearly 90 fires at the site for the 12 months through March.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

The city wants to build the state-funded community cabin site in partnership with residents and a provider who would offer wraparound services at the site. But the money is insufficient to help all the camps residents. If its model is a success, Oakland could win more state funds to help more Wood Street residents. But if it fails to get people into real shelter and housing, it could be a cautionary tale for officials throughout California struggling with mushrooming encampments.

While the city did open a RV safe parking site for 40 vehicles at Wood Street last summer, its struggled to house more residents. Over the years, advocates have thwarted city attempts to close the encampment, demanding that the city offer residents adequate shelter or to leave them be. When the city has scheduled sweeps of the site, residents and homeless advocates have blocked workers from entering and removing belongings.

Caltrans has cleared the parts of the encampment on its property three times in the past year and says it will continue to do so if safety concerns, such as fires, continue. Caltrans spokesperson Rocquel Johnson said the agency plans to eventually completely close the parts of the encampment that are under freeway overpasses and work to relocate people to safer conditions.

The pandemic caused the city to halt most encampment closures, but now city staff say closures are on the table as long as shelter space is available. But Oakland only has 598-city-funded, year-round shelter beds and an estimated homeless population of 4,000 as of 2019 with nearly 80% of those unsheltered.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle A hand-painted sign can be seen at a homeless encampment on Wood Street in Oakland. Wood Street encampment resident Theo Cedar Jones points to a map of the area hes living near. Narcan spray and other sanitary products can be seen on a book shelf. Photos by Bronte Wittpenn and Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

The city doesnt have the resources to close something as large as Wood Street, said LaTonda Simmons, the citys former interim homelessness administrator. She said some weeks she only had 25 open shelter beds out of nearly 600 in the system. That speaks to the demand and the concentration of homelessness, she added.

Officials said they do not know when construction on a community cabin site would begin. The City Council has to approve the plans and construction is likely to take longer than other sites because a set of railroad tracks cuts through the property.

Meanwhile, Council Member Carroll Fife, who represents the district that includes the Wood Street encampment, has directed the city administration to study creating an emergency shelter for 1,000 people on a section of the former Oakland Army Base.

Fife said the site  which could offer pallet shelters, a community kitchen, bathrooms and wraparound services  could house many of Wood Streets residents.

We cant just let people to continue to die on the sidewalks while we try to figure out what permanent solutions can be, Fife said. We do need permanent supportive housing and where is it? Its been a struggle just to stand up emergency shelters.

Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle

Despite the problems, Wood Street residents say they look out for each other and have formed a self-sufficient community, building homes using wood panels and doors among the abandoned railroad tracks. Some people keep watch out for fires or other dangers. Residents say the camp is a place where they can live how they want after losing stable homes because of evictions or job losses.

Its unclear whether residents will be open to moving to a city-sanctioned site. Theo Cedar Jones, a resident at Wood Street for nearly two years who lives in a makeshift shelter, said he doesnt like the citys community cabin model and wouldnt use it.

Their model is wrong, he said. Theyre too densely packed together.

Jones and several other residents want the city and state to give them the land to build their own community, equipped with a kitchen and common area to play music. He currently plays for his neighbors outside his shelter, where a piano, guitar and drums are set up.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

The residents would have a social contract, love thy neighbor and do no harm, Jones said.

Jones and several residents presented their idea of a self-governed site to city staff and Fife at a meeting last summer.

Lara Tannenbaum, the citys human services manager, who was at the meeting, told The Chronicle last month that officials will meet with residents and any intervention would be done in partnership with them.

In the meantime, residents say they live in constant fear that they will be forced to leave with little notice. Caltrans removed five people living on its property between 16th and 20th streets after the deadly fire in April and is now installing concrete barriers and fencing to prevent people from returning to the area.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2021

They come in out of nowhere, said Ben Murawski, another Wood Street resident, lamenting how agency employees destroy our homes.

After Caltrans clears part of the encampment, residents move to another part  sometimes city property. The result is a shuffling with no long-term strategy on how to get people into more permanent, supportive housing.

Clutch, a 40-year-old Wood Street encampment resident who said he has no last name, was one of the five people moved last month. He and the others had lived in four old buses  one of which was destroyed during the move  and a van. Now, they live on city property along Wood Streets right-of-way.

We cant go far, Clutch said. Diesel is expensive. And where do we go? We got three buses. Where can we fit that? We are in a catch-22.

Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
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Shelley Hayden of Sonoma has a case of long COVID so serious that her brain is broken, she said. The 54-year-old marketing coach asked not to be interrupted in conversation so she wouldnt lose her train of thought.

Tyler Gustafson of Berkeley recovered from COVID-19 in 2020, then got hit last summer with what felt like a heart attack: deep, aching chest pain. His body tingled. His blood pressure soared. His left side grew numb, and his thinking slowed. Even his vision became distorted. Worst of all, the symptoms never let up, so the management consultant took medical leave. He was 30 years old.

Mysteriously, Gustafson has begun to recover. But Hayden still battles frequent crashes that leave her mentally and physically exhausted for days or weeks at a time.

Their terrifying, conflicting medical sagas  two among millions of COVID survivors with ongoing symptoms  reveal the still-murky nature of the syndrome that has mystified doctors and caused drug companies to freeze in their tracks, unsure where to direct their treatment investments.

Patients say they feel caught in the quicksand.

The approach to caring for people with long COVID is so bad, Hayden said. Ive been teaching my doctors!

Samantha Laurey/The Chronicle

Recognizing the need to wrestle the problem to the ground faster, President Biden announced on April 5 a National Research Action Plan on long COVID. Its a public and private collaboration that will build on Recover, a $1.15 billion initiative from the National Institutes of Health to coordinate long COVID research at sites across the country, including UCSF and Stanford.

In the two years since patients and doctors identified long COVID, researchers around the world have scanned, poked and peered at thousands of people, hoping to uncover anything that might lead to a cure for the persistent symptoms ranging from exhaustion and brain fog to racing heartbeats and loss of smell. They believe that roughly a third of unvaccinated COVID survivors suffer lingering symptoms, and about half that many patients who were vaccinated.

Scientists are gradually discovering more about the syndrome, said Dr. Steven Deeks, co-principal investigator with UCSFs research study LIINC, or Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus. LIINC alone has published 18 papers, including a small new one suggesting the COVID drug Paxlovid can ease persistent symptoms.

Researchers point to three likely causes of long COVID: bits of virus that remain hidden in the body, persistent inflammation caused by the coronavirus, and autoimmunity  when the bodys own immune system turns on itself.

These, in turn, wreak havoc in four main ways, Deeks told state lawmakers at a hearing in March. They cause neurological symptoms like confusion, debilitating fatigue, cardiovascular problems, and a unique condition called POTS  postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome  where the heart races when the sufferer stands up.

Many patients, like Hayden and Gustafson, have overlapping symptoms. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who has long COVID, says his nerves tingle 24-7, as if his fingers are forever stuck in a glass of Alka-Seltzer.

But even diagnosing long COVID is tricky. There are no X-rays to detect it and no blood tests to prove whats going on, Deeks told the lawmakers. Without that, treatment remains elusive.

I knock on the doors of all the drug companies saying, you guys have got to get involved, he said. They say, OK, fine, were committed. But how are we gonna basically prove to the FDA that our drug works?

Dr. Larry Tsai, who heads Genentechs respiratory and allergy product development, told The Chronicle that clinical trials to see if existing drugs can be repurposed for long COVID are likely to begin soon. But new drugs? Not yet, he said. Such trials await better scientific understanding of the underlying cause and clearer recognition of who would best respond to them.

Before Gustafson got mild COVID, he ran a few miles daily, hiked, surfed and played guitar. Its a story many long-haulers tell: They were exceptionally healthy until they werent. Then they felt decades older than their years.

My chest pain  24/7 for seven months straight  literally felt like I was having a heart attack every moment of the day, he said. My heart felt like it would explode out of my chest. Yet his tests were normal.

Except one: his cytokine levels, indicating high inflammation.

Gustafsons doctors at Stanford prescribed steroids and other anti-inflammatories. But it wasnt until March, after they tried low-dose Naltrexone, a drug used to block the effect of opioids, and colchicine, usually for gout, that he felt relief.

Now, with 65% improvement, hes back to work, though some days are still bad, he said. I feel like its all a waiting game for everyone.

Samantha Laurey/The Chronicle

Even agreeing on a definition of long COVID took more than a year, but the World Health Organization finally offered one in October. The syndrome occurs usually three months from the onset of COVID-19, with symptoms lasting at least two months that cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. Long COVID affects everyday functioning, can persist from the beginning of COVID infection, and fluctuates over time, the organization concluded after conferring with researchers and patients.

One of those patients was Lisa McCorkell of Oakland, who co-founded the Patient-Led Research Collaborative after getting long COVID. Its one of several advocacy groups that meet monthly with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I dont think wed be nearly as far with long COVID if the HIV/AIDS movement hadnt made inroads in working with federal agencies, she said. They knew that the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power.

McCorkell was nearly done with her masters in public policy in March 2020 when she was hit with classic COVID symptoms: shortness of breath, body aches, and even the swollen extremities called COVID toes. Later, she developed POTS, the racing heart when standing, and other symptoms that have felt more manageable since she was vaccinated. But, as with most people infected in the earliest days, tests were scarce and she was never diagnosed.

Thats coming back to bite us now, she said, because research studies require participants to have a COVID diagnosis, as does workers compensation. Making those things contingent on having some sort of test is one thing were fighting.

Among the long COVID treatment trials funded by the federal government include studies of how cannabis, magnetic resonance imaging, and even singing might help. So far, most are small.

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Its a really exciting area of research. However, we need to conduct well-designed and rigorous studies, said Dr. Lisa Geng, co-director of Stanfords long COVID clinic.

Which gets back to why patients feel so frustrated: Were still very much in the process of trying to understand the causes of long COVID, Geng said.

Like many sufferers, Hayden is impatient for results. People need help this minute  not six months from now or two years from now. Its heartbreaking and unfair.

Researchers with UCSFs LIINC study have collected a lot of data from Hayden, but it isnt a treatment.

Her case is pretty severe, said Dr. Michael Peluso, clinical lead and co-principal investigator of LIINC, where many participants, like Hayden, have post-exertional malaise.

It basically knocks her flat. She and others compare their experience to the equally mysterious myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome.

When she crashes every few weeks, she says, I feel like Im crawling. Its hard to stand up. Hard to walk across the room. And you dont feel rested after sleep because her joints hurt during the night, she said. And theres brain fog. Shell start a word  say, couch  and it cuts off as cou.

Absent any treatment from doctors, Hayden and other long COVID sufferers turn to each other for remedies.

Samantha Laurey/The Chronicle

We all get way better information from peers than doctors right now, said Hayden, who is a member of a large health maintenance organization.

She takes allergy pills day and night, hoping they will reduce inflammation and help with the whole autoimmune thing. She takes fish oil and supplements CoQ10 and NADH.

Beyond that, she is astonished that people have abandoned masks.

Dont you understand? she asked, directing her message to the public. You could be disabled for life.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
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BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP)  The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a new era Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win.

With almost all votes counted from Thursday's local U.K. election, Sinn Fein secured 27 of the Assemblys 90 seats. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has dominated Northern Irelands legislature for two decades, captured 24 seats. The victory means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast  a first for an Irish nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921.

The centrist Alliance Party, which doesnt identify as either nationalist or unionist, also saw a huge surge in support and was set to become the other big winner in the vote, claiming 17 seats.

The victory is a major milestone for Sinn Fein, which has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs and bullets to try to take Northern Ireland out of U.K. rule during decades of violence involving Irish republican militants, Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries and the U.K. army and police.

Today ushers in a new era, Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill said shortly before the final results were announced. Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds, my commitment is to make politics work."

O'Neill stressed that it was imperative for Northern Ireland's divided politicians to come together next week to form an Executive  the devolved government of Northern Ireland. If none can be formed within six months, the administration will collapse, triggering a new election and more uncertainty.

There is space in this state for everyone, all of us together, ONeill said. There is an urgency to restore an Executive and start putting money back in peoples pockets, to start to fix the health service. The people cant wait.

While the Sinn Fein win signals a historic shift that shows diminishing support for unionist parties, its far from clear what happens next because of Northern Ireland's complicated power-sharing politics and ongoing tussles over post-Brexit arrangements.

Under a mandatory power-sharing system created by the 1998 peace agreement that ended decades of Catholic-Protestant conflict, the jobs of first minister and deputy first minister are split between the biggest unionist party and the largest nationalist one. Both posts must be filled for a government to function, but the Democratic Unionist Party has suggested it might not serve under a Sinn Fein first minister.

The DUP has also said it will refuse to join a new government unless there are major changes to post-Brexit border arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Those post-Brexit rules, which took effect after Britain left the European Union, have imposed customs and border checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. The arrangement was designed to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, a key pillar of the peace process.

But the rules angered many unionists, who maintain that the new checks have created a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. that undermines their British identity. In February, the DUPs Paul Givan resigned as first minister in protest against the arrangements, triggering a a fresh political crisis in Northern Ireland.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said he will announce next week whether he will return to the government.

We will consider what we need to do now to get the action that is required from the government. I will be making my decision clear on all of that early next week, he told the BBC.

The U.K.'s Secretary for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said he will meet with all party leaders in the coming days and urge them to get back to the business of government quickly.

Voters have delivered a clear message that they want a fully functioning devolved government in Northern Ireland, they want the issues around the Protocol addressed, and that they want politics to work better, Lewis said.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: We call on Northern Irelands political leaders to take the necessary steps to re-establish a power-sharing executive, which is one of the core institutions established by the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement."

We look forward to continuing our work with democratic partners in Northern Ireland, and with the Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, to support peace, prosperity, and stability across the region, Price said in a statement.

Saturday's results bring Sinn Fein's ultimate goal of a united Ireland a step closer, although the party kept unification out of the spotlight this year during a campaign dominated by the skyrocketing cost of living.

ONeill has said there would be no constitutional change on Irish unification until voters decide on it. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald indicated Friday that planning for any unity referendum could come within the next five years.

Polling expert John Curtice, a professor of political science at the University of Strathclyde, said Northern Ireland's power shift is a legacy of Brexit.

The unionist vote has fragmented because of the divisions within the community over whether or not the Northern Ireland Protocol is something that can be amended satisfactorily or whether it needs to be scrapped, he wrote on the BBC website.

Persuading the DUP to join a new government and pressing the EU to agree to major changes in post-Brexit arrangements will pose a headache for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Curtice added. Johnson's own Conservative party lost at least 450 seats in Thursday's local election.

Britains Conservative government says the Brexit customs arrangements cannot work without unionist support in Northern Ireland. Johnson has threatened to unilaterally suspend the Brexit rules if the EU refuses to change them.

___

Hui reported from London.

___

Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit.
I walked through the front doors of the hotel, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Instead of the regular lobby I was expecting, I was standing on an open terrace. There were walls behind me, but in front of me was the most beautiful ocean vista I had ever seen.

I had already been on Hawaiis Big Island for a week at that point. Id lounged on the black sand of Punaluu Beach (before hiking up to see the active volcano nearby), seen dolphins splashing around Kahaluu Bay while I ate breakfast, been snorkeling around a coral reef filled with tropical fish. In short, Id seen some truly breathtaking things. So the fact that I could call this one the most beautiful, well, its saying something.

But really, I shouldnt have been surprised. I had just arrived at Hapuna Beach, which currently holds the title of America's Best Beach, according to the person who is probably most qualified to judge these things.

Julie Tremaine

Dr. Beach, also known as Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, is director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University and has been studying beach erosion around the world for decades. But I also find myself helping to locate the best sandy beach for a solar-powered car race, he says on his website, as well as dropping dye packets out of a helicopter so TV producers can film a killer rip current in action, deciphering 200 years of channel changes from old maps to find Revolutionary War artifacts, and helping billionaires select island properties to purchase or decide where best to build their mansion near the shore.

In short, he spends his life at beaches as an actual job, and he knows a thing or two about them. But I didnt know or care about any of that as I checked into my hotel room. I went upstairs, dropped my bags as quickly as I could, changed into my bathing suit and raced downstairs to catch the last hour of sunlight.

(And I definitely stopped to get a mai tai from the pool bar on the way.)

Julie Tremaine

As soon as I stepped foot onto the sand, I knew I was somewhere unusual. It was so fine, so soft, so  and this is not a word I associate with sand  silky. Instead of parking myself on a lounge chair, I dropped my beach bag onto the cushion and just walked back and forth in the sun-baked sand, taking in the warm ocean breezes, the salty spray and, obviously, the rum drink in my hand.

Its like an oasis, Leatherman told the Associated Press when he released this current list, his 30th annual. On Hapuna Beach, he said, the sand looks super white there because of the black lava beside it. I think the contrast makes you think, Oh my gosh, Ive never seen sand so white in my life.

Julie Tremaine

The lava also has another function. Theres an outcropping of lava rocks that juts out into the middle of the beach. While youre entering the beach from the hotel attached to it, it feels like youre stepping onto a private, resort-only beach  when in reality, its public, open to everyone, and only costs a nominal fee ($5 per person and $10 per car for non-residents) to access.

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I watched that sunset and grudgingly went back inside to change for dinner and the next day did an experiment when I headed back down to the beach. On one side, schmancy. The hotel  which, dont misunderstand me, is expensive  sets out lounge chairs and umbrellas and has servers on the beach. The other side is a mismatched array of blankets, chairs, umbrellas, beach toys and boogie boards that people have brought in as visitors to Hapuna Beach State Park.

I stepped back and forth across the rocks. On one side: perfect beach. On the other: perfect beach.

Dr. Beach uses 50 metrics to decide which beaches make his top 10 every year, including air/water temperature, average number of sunny days, size and quantity of breaking waves, rip currents and the slope of the beach under the water. Me, I was just appreciating what I could experience: the baking sun, the pristine (I mean totally empty of any debris) sand, the gentle waves, the water so piercingly blue that it made my heart ache with its sheer beauty.

Ive already cashed in a bunch of points so that I can go back to that hotel again  but I love that, barring however much it costs you to get to the Big Island, you can have that experience for just a few dollars. Just pack a beach bag, put on some reef-safe sunscreen, and go.

Hapuna Beach is on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island. The beach is open 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. daily.

Editors note: This story was updated on May 8 at 11 a.m. to clarify details related to the state park's parking and per-person admission fees.
Sphraner/Getty Images

A visitor in Maui sued a resort after it recommended he visit Makena State Park, one of Hawaiis signature beaches several miles away, KHON2 reported. The outlet says a wave hit him from behind and forced his head to hit the ocean sand, permanently paralyzing him. He argued that the hotel failed to warn him of the dangers of the shoreline and was therefore liable for his injuries.

KHON2 says the incident took place in August 2012, when he asked one of the hotel employees about a good beach for him and his family to visit. The employee gave them directions to Makena Beach State Park, or Big Beach, which is known for its beautiful white sands  and sometimes hazardous conditions for surfers and bodyboarders. As a result, theres a permanent Dangerous Shorebreak sign warning beachgoers about serious injuries, the outlet says. Court documents also report that the same day he visited the beach, lifeguards were making warning announcements on the PA system and there were multiple other signs with red flags in the area.
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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP)  More than a year after she witnessed a gunman kill three fellow students and injure five others in her Parkland classroom, Eden Hebron came home from lunch to find a strange white car parked in her driveway.

Since the shooting, surprise visitors were rare. Eden had struggled to cope, and her family tried to protect her. Now, nearly 20 months after the Valentines Day massacre where 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a therapist had arrived to send Eden to a mental health facility on the other side of the country.

The intervention was her familys latest and most drastic attempt to help their daughter. Eden, then 16, screamed and tried to reason with her parents. Her life was in Parkland  her school, her friends. She learned shed be leaving in a couple of hours; shed have little contact with anyone outside the California facility.

I was freaking out. I was more scared than anything else, she said. I was like, Whats going to happen?

Edens troubles after Feb. 14, 2018, and her long journey in recovery are not unique  students who survived the deadliest high school shooting in the U.S. have grappled with trauma for years. Even for the students who became vocal activists for changes in gun legislation, mental health issues have surfaced  delivering blows not only for them in their coming-of-age years but also for their families. Experts say thats expected for survivors of mass shootings, especially those who are children or young adults.

In Edens case, her parents hoped the move to California would save her life. While her classmates  many in therapy themselves, some struggling but making it through their last years at Stoneman Douglas  went on to take exams, attend dances and find their way to graduation, Eden headed some 2,600 miles away.

_______

The days before Edens intervention were filled with angst. She wasnt eating, she slept too much, and shed turned to drinking. Eden's parents feared she might harm herself. They hid all the belts in the house and checked on her hourly every night.

We really had no way to help our daughter, Nicole Cook said. She was unraveled.

Police intended to commit Eden to a psychiatric hospital because of the risk she presented to herself. But Cook held them off, promising shed get Eden treatment. Within seven days, Cook had chosen the California center.

There, Eden's phone, makeup and clothes were taken away. The center was really a big house, with a pool and its own cook. Five or six other teens were typically there. To Eden, it seemed like the Four Seasons of treatment centers, but she felt desperate and alone.

I didnt have my family. I didnt have contact with anybody, she said. I had no idea what was going on, how long Id be there. And I was just excruciatingly wanting to get out.

At home, Edens family worried. The facility was their last resort  theyd sought ways to help Eden heal, but nothing had worked.

Her mother wanted to develop resources for families of survivors, once holding a meeting at their home to make plans. But she was discouraged, in part by lack of funding  she said money was going to agencies that were already registered.

There was just nothing nimble about it. They couldnt pay for therapy, they couldnt pay for anything that people really needed, Cook said. They didnt know what to do with a community in trauma.

Eden said back at school, she'd found stigma for those visiting the resource center or a new wellness facility  even after the apparent suicides of two students. Still, Eden continued to get straight As; she went to Homecoming and parties. But she was getting argumentative, suspicious and paranoid.

She turned to alcohol and bad relationships. She closed off but presented herself as a normal teenager. Her therapist even told her she didnt need further sessions, Eden said.

That was me trying to control myself, trying to manipulate myself, trying to take care of things that I didnt have the power to take care of, Eden said.

______

In California, Eden was angry. She begged her parents to let her leave.

But as much as I wanted to get out, my parents wanted me to get better, she said.

They flew in weekly to visit. In early 2020, Cook, an epidemiologist, started to worry about COVID-19. Anticipating a lockdown that would prevent visits, the family moved to California. Eden had transitioned into a group home, and her parents would be able to see her more.

On Wednesdays, the family would drive to Malibu, eat along the beach, practice yoga or run. They saw Eden expressing herself more and enjoying her time with them.

When Eden turned 18 in February 2021, she left the group home and moved in with her parents. But the pandemic worried them, and they feared a relapse for their daughter.

We were afraid of getting sick, Cook said. I felt she was going to make bad decisions.

So the family moved back to Florida, but not Parkland. They chose instead the suburb of Hollywood, about 30 miles away. Eden continued seeing her therapist remotely, and finished school online. She made plans for college  a future her parents could only dream of just a couple years earlier.

The intervention, Eden realized, saved her life.

______

Today, Eden, 19, is studying in New Jersey. She wants a degree in computer science or neuroscience.

It feels free, in a way, she said.

Navigating college life on her own, Edens aware of little things she needs to do to stay on track: She meditates, she writes, she sees a therapist.

Some peers have kept up their advocacy for gun control and mental health resources. Its hard for any to ignore the shooting or the drumbeat of headlines  jury selection for the death penalty trial of the gunman is underway, with lengthy proceedings expected to follow.

Eden wishes she could do more for all the teens whove witnessed shootings across the U.S. She knows not everyone has the resources she did. She feels powerless.

Some people are struggling, she said. People are really having a hard time. As much as I want to go and help people and save people, I need to focus on me because I know how it can get for me.
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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  All four leading Republicans in Pennsylvania's governor's race have vowed to ban abortion if given the chance.

In Georgia, one top Republican candidate for governor wants to outlaw all abortions. The sitting Republican governor is backed by the anti-abortion lobby, but refuses to clarify his position. And in Michigan, all but one of the five leading Republicans running for governor oppose abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

The fight for Congress often dominates midterm elections, but the revelation this week that the Supreme Court may soon overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade decision has thrust candidates for governor  and their positions on abortion  into the forefront of the 2022 campaign. Some states, including Pennsylvania and Georgia, have primary elections this month, but the ultimate fight won't be decided until the November general election.

In a handful of battleground states with Republican-controlled state legislatures, every GOP candidate for governor supports severe abortion restrictions, if not a complete ban with no exceptions. That's prompting urgent warnings from Democrats that women's access to abortion in some states may rest almost entirely on which party wins the governor's race this fall.

This is an issue that is now front and center in this governors race," said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, his state's presumed Democratic nominee for governor. The battle will be in the states.

Thirteen deep-red states have so-called trigger laws that would ban abortion almost immediately if Roe is overturned, but the future of abortion access is less certain across several other more moderate states with Republican-controlled legislatures: Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin, among them.

In almost every case, GOP legislatures have already approved restrictive abortion laws, including so-called heartbeat bills that would outlaw abortions before most women know they're pregnant. Some legislation is tied up in the courts, while others have yet to move through Republican legislatures. But if Roe falls, such laws  or more restrictive bans  could only be stopped by a veto from a Democratic governor or Democrat-backed court challenge, if at all.

Some states, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas, have decades-old abortion bans predating Roe that would presumably take effect almost immediately after a formal Supreme Court reversal of the case. But even in those states, Democratic governors would have an opportunity to fight the change in their state courts.

Thats what Michigans Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is doing as she prepares for a challenging reelection this fall.

Anticipating that Roe would be overturned or weakened, Whitmer asked the Michigan Supreme Court last month to declare a state constitutional right to abortion and to strike down a near-total abortion ban that would go back into effect if Roe is overruled. The law, which dates to the 1800s, has an exception when the womans life is at risk, but not for cases of rape and incest.

Im using every tool at my disposal. Im going to fight like hell to protect this right for women in the state of Michigan, Whitmer said this week. Regardless of what happens with SCOTUS, we have an opportunity in Michigan.

The situation is different in Pennsylvania and Georgia, where there is no outright ban on the books, but Republican candidates for governor have indicated they would support a full ban if given the chance. Most refused to clarify their positions in recent days when asked directly by The Associated Press.

Pennsylvania law currently allows abortions during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. But all four leading Republican candidates for governor have told the Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania, in questionnaire responses, that they support legal protection for all pre-born children from abortion  in other words, banning an abortion of any diagnosed pregnancy, according to Mike McMonagle, the organizations president.

Two of the Pennsylvania Republicans, Bill McSwain and Lou Barletta, said they support exceptions for rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. The other two, Doug Mastriano and Dave White, said they support no exceptions.

Only White agreed to discuss his position in an AP interview this week. The others declined interview requests and didn't answer specific written questions.

White said he would sign legislation banning all abortions with no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother if given the chance. He noted that he's ninth of 14 children from a Catholic family in which his parents taught him the blessing of every child that comes into this world."

In a televised debate last week, Mastriano said he supports banning abortion from conception, with no exceptions. He called abortion the No. 1 issue and pointed to the heartbeat bill that he has sponsored, which effectively bans abortion at six weeks.

Anticipating that Mastriano may emerge from the GOP's May 17 primary election, Shapiro has began running attack ads against the Republican state senator this week highlighting his plans to "outlaw abortion."

They are wildly out of touch with where Pennsylvanians are, Shaprio said in an interview of his would-be Republican challengers. This issue boils down to whether or not were going to build a Pennsylvania where freedom is respected.

Polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned.

In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe v. Wade decision as is; just 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, AP-NORC polling finds a majority of the public favors abortion being legal in most or all cases.

In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams will face the winner of the state's May 24 GOP primary, which pits incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp against the Donald Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue.

Kemp has declined to clarify his position on abortion in recent days. His office ignored direct questions asking whether he would support a complete abortion ban. An anti-abortion group that has endorsed Kemp rallied Friday to celebrate a possible Roe reversal. Speakers vowed to defend Georgia's ban on abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected. Tied up in courts now, it could take effect with a Supreme Court ruling.

Perdue wants Kemp to call for a special legislative session to approve an abortion ban if the Supreme Court officially overturns Roe, a ruling expected in late June or early July.

Georgia voters deserve to know where their governor stands on this issue, Perdue said on Thursday. "You are either going to fight for the sanctity of life or youre not.

On the Democratic side, Abrams touted herself as a defender of abortion rights in a speech this week to Emilys List, a political action committee that donates to Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights.

The abomination of that leaked opinion is coming to find every one of us, and weve got to be ready to fight back, Abrams said, according to a recording provided by her campaign. This is about our dignity and our freedom. This is about our health and our welfare. This is about our future and our lives, and we have the right to be angry.

The issue could help Abrams  and Democrats in other states  win more votes among college educated white voters, who have been the most frequent swing voters in recent years.

Like a growing number of Democratic candidates elsewhere, Abrams also warned that a Supreme Court that overturns Roe v. Wade could threaten other precedents, including Griswold v. Connecticut, a 1965 decision that struck down restrictions on contraception, and Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 decision that outlawed racial segregation in schools.

This is a question of whether equality in America depends on geography and zip code and DNA, Abrams said.

___

Peoples reported from New York. Amy reported from Atlanta. AP writers David Eggert and Mike Householder in Lansing, Michigan, contributed.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)  A civil rights lawyer who once fought to desegregate the University of Alabama is now receiving an honorary degree from the school.

Attorney Fred Gray of Tuskegee will be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree during the law school's graduation ceremony on Sunday afternoon, the university said in a statement.
CULLMAN, Ala. (AP)  For about a month now, U.S. Marine veteran Sean Schofield has been sending dispatches back to Cullman from a place few would volunteer to go. Since late March, hes been one of more than 6,000 foreign volunteers from the U.S., Australia, the UK and other western countries whove left their civilian lives behind and traveled to Ukraine, aiding military personnel and civilian supporters in mounting a sovereign defense against Russian invasion.

In that time, Schofield has sent word back home that hes already seen active combat, taken part in missions to escort civilians through combat areas, and been a firsthand participant in Ukraines ad hoc response to Russias massive military machine. Hes already traveled the country almost end-to-end, most recently setting up (at Ukraines request) on the outskirts of Kiev. There, hes been an instructor within a training unit that schools the Ukrainian armed forces  many of whom are recent enlistees with no prior experience  in an intensive two-week military crash course before theyre sent to the front lines.

Schofields presence in Ukraine was facilitated by the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces established earlier this year by the Ukrainian government under president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Its by no means a mercenary task: The Ukrainian government furnishes foreign volunteers like Schofield a place to stay and food to eat  but everything else, including the cost of the flight to make it there, is the volunteers responsibility.

The Ukrainian embassy basically explained it as, Were not gonna pay you, but if you want to come at your expense then do it: Well feed you and give you a place to sleep, says Ken Brown, a Cullman resident and active local VFW member whos been airing a series of interviews with his fellow service member, since Schofield touched down in Ukraine, on local TV and Facebook.

He made it there, but hes undertaken this out of his own pocket, says Brown. It cost him $1,800 to get there, itll be another $1,800 to get back, plus $2,000 worth of gear, and a $1,000 weapons permit that goes to the Ukrainian government. The original plan was for him to be over there until the end of June  if all goes well. Of course, the International Special Forces group is in Kiev, and if the capital were again threatened, its possible that he would be involved in a response to that  and that would obviously affect his schedule.

Schofield has lived in Cullman with his wife and two children for most of the time hes been in civilian clothes, moving to Alabama from his home state of Massachusetts not long after honorably leaving the Corps in 2005 in the wake of a post-Sept. 11 tour in Iraq and Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Schofield already knew what it was like to re-enlist for a cause he believed in: He joined the Marines at age 18 right out of high school, and had completed his service, which included a deployment to Okinawa, Japan as an aerial gunner observer, by 2000. But as it did with many soldiers, the Sept. 11 attacks inspired him back into uniform once again.

Leaving the comfort of home behind to volunteer in a foreign conflict isnt a decision Schofield made lightly. In a recent video chat with Brown, Schofield said early reports of indiscriminate killing, coupled with the aggression of invading a sovereign neighbor in peacetime, stirred a volunteer instinct hes harbored since before re-enlisting in the Marines in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

The bad guys dont even try to find the good guys in uniforms and fight with them, he explained. They shoot everybodyIt went back to a lot of the original reasons I wanted to become a Marine in the first place. Marines are always the good guys; every place they goand I wore that uniform with so much pride.

Not everyone whos traveled to Ukraine to aid the fight is a soldier: Brown estimates that more than half of the 6,000 international volunteers in the country are there to provide medical and social assistance. The trained military volunteer force that Schofields a part of, he estimates, numbers somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 people.

He just felt that he was equipped to go over there and be one of the people who could make a difference, says Brown. Seans a trained martial arts instructor in the Marine Corps, and also a marksmanship instructor, and hes seen combat from his time in service. Its a pretty remarkable thing for someone living in Cullman to look at whats going on over there and think, They need me. I can help.

Schofield is a member of the local VFW, which is administering donations to fund the remainder of his Ukrainian tour  including his return trip home. Checks to support Schofields volunteer mission can be made in any amount, with Sean Schofield in the subject line, to Cullman Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2214, and dropped off or mailed to the VFW (112 Veterans Drive SW, Cullman, AL, 35055).
Well, were at it again. It seems that in the case of state Sen. Ray Holmberg, many are rushing to judgment without knowing the circumstances of his sin.

According to former students, Holmberg was an excellent Grand Forks teacher. In addition to teaching, he served the state of North Dakota in the Senate for 44 years.

He was no ordinary senator. He took the challenge seriously and made every effort to put together a biennial budget that was fair to all parts of the state.

He had considerable influence on legislation, but it would be an error to call his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee as powerful because no one in North Dakota state government is allowed to be powerful. It takes tedious consensus building big time.

In North Dakota, consensus building is hard. Sometimes, even impossible. Success depends on bringing together dozens of private and public entities, requires extra hours and days of effort. This meant appeasement and compromise, skills that many legislators lack but Holmberg had.

So after an illustrious civic life, Holmberg is going to be burned at the stake. As a political scientist, I am concerned over the poisoning of the public well. More concerned at that than the politics involved.

Embarrassing sins are always dredged up, usually out of context. This kind of treatment discourages a willingness of citizens to be a part of the process. In Bismarck and Washington, legislators are quitting because of the poisonous environment.

This happened to U.S. Sen. Al Franken (2009-2018) in Minnesota. A Harvard graduate who served in the U.S. Senate, he had been a writer for "Saturday Night Live" and did stand-up comedy. In that role and at that time, he did or said something that was not appropriate.

The flap forced him to leave the Senate after nine years of stellar performance. Apparently, it is dangerous to go into politics after being a successful comedian. A lot of humor is offending. Some of his accusers have wished him back.

Because we are human, I can guess that just about everyone in the Legislature or Congress has some embarrassing incident in his/her past. I have a couple. But that is also true about the electorate. Politicians are real people with real weaknesses, just like the rest of us, but we don't give them any space.

We are in an era when government is evil and everyone in government is a crook or reprobate of some kind. Donald Trumps rhetoric hasnt helped.

Not only has he polarized society, but he commits assault daily, threatening everyone who stands up to him. Over the long run, a democracy cannot sustain this anti-government drift. The mood he created has been absorbed by innumerable followers who are ready to overthrow the government, as the Jan. 6 debacle proved.

On some occasions, we must rise beyond party and the partisan fray. Our history is cluttered with examples of political crucifixions. It will continue but it must be kept at a civil level. Polls show that political bitterness between the parties has escalated in the last decade. Some believe we are headed for a civil war.

Before Holmberg resigned and the scandal broke, just about every Republican in North Dakota praised his 44 years of effort on behalf of North Dakota and Grand Forks. Only time will tell whether they will consider his illustrious track record when rendering judgement.

I have a difficult time believing that we should sweep this 44-year Senate career unless it is some major chronic fault. It is common coin to believe that the punishment should fit the crime. Let us see the crime before we mete out punishment.

Lloyd Omdahl is a political scientist and former North Dakota Democratic lieutenant governor.

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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP)  A Pennsylvania armored car company has settled its lawsuit that accused the San Bernardino County sheriff of illegally seizing over $1 million in cash it was transporting from medical marijuana businesses.

The settlement for no financial compensation announced Friday allows Empyreal Logistics to resume services after two transports of money were stopped and cash was seized in November and December, The Sun of San Bernardino reported.

Deputies said in a search warrant that there was probable cause a felony had been committed when the vehicle was stopped Nov. 16 and $700,000 was seized.

Although California is one of 37 states that allow medical use of marijuana and one of 18 that legalized its recreational use, the drug remains illegal under federal law.

Because big banks and credit card companies have shunned the industry, it largely operates on a cash basis. As a result, some businesses have turned to armored cars to transport large quantities of cash.

In a statement, the sheriff's department said it recognized Empyreal acted in good faith.

Both sides also acknowledge that Empyreal is part of the solution to help with financial transparency and that San Bernardino Deputies are not highway robbers as previously reported in the media, the statement said.

The company previously reached an agreement in which participating federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, agreed to return the money.

Empyreal CEO Deirdra OGorman said the company sued in federal court because its state-licensed cannabis customers and financial institution clients operate legally.

Now that the funds have been returned and after meeting with the sheriff, we are confident that we can continue serving state-legal businesses without future disruptions, O'Gorman said in a statement.

Under federal civil forfeiture laws, if law enforcement had been entitled to seize the money as proceeds of a crime, San Bernardino County would have been able to keep 80% of the cash and the federal government would get the rest.
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Diplomats and rights groups expressed concern Saturday after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency and police used force against peaceful protests demanding his ouster over the nations worst economic crisis.

Rajapaksa issued a decree Friday declaring a public emergency. It empowers him to authorize detentions, property seizure and search of any premises. He can also change or suspend any law in the interests of public security and for the maintenance of essential supplies.

Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy. It has been rocked by months of street protests blaming Rajapaksa and his close family members, who have dominated politics for years, for economic and debt mismanagement that has created massive shortages of basic supplies, electricity and medicines.

The government has suspended repayment of its foreign loans and its usable foreign currency reserves have plummeted below $50 million. The country has $7 billion in foreign loan repayments due this year out of the total foreign debt of $51 billion.

Police used tear gas and a water cannon twice Friday at protesters near the Parliament building who were criticizing lawmakers for not ousting the president and the government, headed by his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Protesters are angry that lawmakers elected a government-backed deputy speaker of Parliament by a large majority in what was seen as a key victory for the governing coalition.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung tweeted Saturday that she is concerned by the state of emergency, adding that the voices of peaceful citizens need to be heard.

And the very real challenges Sri Lankans are facing require long term solutions to set the country back on a path toward prosperity and opportunity for all. The SOE (state of emergency) wont help do that, Chung added.

Canadian Ambassador David McKinnon said Sri Lankans have a right to peaceful protest under democracy and that it is hard to understand why it is necessary, then, to declare a state of emergency.

The declaration of emergency came on the same day that shops, offices, banks and schools closed across the country for a shutdown in protest against the president and his family. Trade unions have warned of continued strikes from May 11 if they do not resign by then. An occupation of the entrance to the presidents office continued for a 29th day Saturday.

The government said Saturday the emergency was declared to create political stability so that reforms can be implemented to help resolve the economic crisis.

It also said the emergency status would help create necessary conditions for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and other agencies and countries for financial assistance and debt restructuring.

The emotive protests organized in the capital and many parts of the country have become a threat to public safety, a government statement said, adding that continued protests will only aggravate the economic difficulties.

Amnesty International said protests have been peaceful and the authorities have unlawfully restricted the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP)  A former commissioner of revenue for a Virginia county has pleaded guilty to attempted witness tampering, and his son pleaded guilty to a related charge of heroin distribution, prosecutors said.

Larry Vernon Snow, 73, pleaded guilty on Friday to a charge related to efforts to harass and dissuade a confidential informant from cooperating in a federal investigation of both himself and his son, and to prevent the confidential informant from aiding law enforcement in other investigations, said a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
HUDSON, Fla. (AP)  She knows her childhood abductor was a monster. Thats a given.

He snatched her from an Orlando mall, raped and likely would have killed her if she had not escaped.

But, for years, Gina Garcia wondered if he was an infamous monster.

Garcia wondered if she had been abducted by Ottis Toole, the serial killer whose victims include 6-year-old Adam Walsh. Adams death made national headlines and inspired the television movie Adam and the Americas Most Wanted television series hosted by his father, John Walsh.

I suspected it was him, said Garcia, 49, who now lives in Hudson. But I wasnt certain.

Then Garcia filmed her biopic, Untold: This Is My Story.

John Walsh heard about the movie and the details of Garcias kidnapping.

In September, he told the New York Post that he, too, believes that Toole abducted Garcia.

That gave me the closure Ive needed for 40 years, Garcia said. I would never have gotten it had I not made the movie.

The film is now streaming on Amazon, iTunes, DirectTV and other services.

Untold: This Is My Story follows Garcia as an adult dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder as the memories of her abduction come back to her and the support group that helps her through it.

I really wanted to show trauma from a firsthand approach, she said.

Garcia knows she was lucky to have survived.

Adam Walsh was abducted from a mall in Hollywood on July 27, 1981. His head was found two weeks later in Vero Beach.

On Oct. 12, 1981, 8-year-old Garcia was at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, three hours north of where Adam Walsh was abducted. After watching a movie, her mother went to Sears while Garcia and her sister visited the malls bookstore.

My sister was in the science fiction section, and I was in the section with planetary stuff because I had to do a class project on Saturn, Garcia said. A man bumped into me, apologized and started a conversation.

The stranger identified himself as mall security and said his car had books that could help with her research.

I followed him to his car, and he shoved me inside, Garcia said. He drove behind the mall, and he sexually assaulted me with a knife to my throat.

As he drove away with her, a car ran a stop sign, forcing him to screech to a stop, Garcia said. That allowed me to jump out of the car and run, half naked, back to the mall.

Orlando news archives say police later found the car that matched the description given by Garcia, who was not identified in the articles. Police staked out the car but never located a suspect. No leads materialized.

Two years later, while in prison for unrelated murders, Toole confessed to killing Adam Walsh and claimed he had another 100 victims.

After Ginas innocence was stolen, she experienced decades of self-destructive behavior, her movies website says.

She had blocked out most of what happened to her in the mall parking lot.

I knew Id been abducted, Garcia said. But I didnt remember anything that happened in the car.

Then came a series of break-ins at her Orlando pedicab business in 2006.

That repeated trauma triggered something, Garcia said.

Everything came back to her when she went with a friend to see a movie at Fashion Square Mall.

I ran to the back of the mall and told my friend, I was raped here,  Garcia said.

A U.S. Navy veteran, she began to go to counseling for PTSD at a VA hospital.

Then, in December 2008, her mother was assaulted, triggering another strong reaction.

After helping her mother physically recover, Garcia felt she needed to know more about her own abduction, so she obtained the police report and realized the similarities with the Adam Walsh case. That brought back more memories of the attack.

I remembered his face, Garcia said of her abductor. I remembered certain parts of his body.

She is certain it was Toole.

Its very similar. There are so many parallels, John Walsh told the New York Post in September. Her case is so much like (Adams).

In January 2009, a friend convinced Garcia to tell her story. She wrote a 110-page script for a screenplay in less than 30 days.

And then, feeling she needed to get away, she attended the International Academy of Film and Television-Cebu in her mothers native Philippines. Garcia returned to Florida and forged a career in the film industry.

While at a film festival in 2011, Garcia met Wonder Woman and Monster director Patty Jenkins.

Garcia told Jenkins about her biopic script and asked if shed direct it.

She told me, No, I want you to make it,  Garcia said. But she was always available with sage advice when I needed it.

Untold, starring Jason Landon and Terri Ivens, was released in 2014 and made the rounds at film festivals.

Still, even though she wrote, directed and produced the movie, Garcia was unhappy with the narrative.

It became everyone elses version of my story, and it didnt feel right, Garcia said. I let too many people tell me what the story should be.

The biggest issue, she said, was that her character was portrayed as a victim and not as someone who overcame PTSD.

So Garcia shelved the movie until 2020, when she rewatched it with her brother, and he convinced her to edit the movie to reflect the story she wanted to tell.

It was released again in September as Untold: This Is My Story and premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

I wanted the film to show people that no matter how bad it is, no matter what your trauma is, you can get to the other side, she said. I got to the other side.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  The former director of a federal grant program for the Abenaki Self Help Association Inc. has been sentenced to eight months in prison for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars in federal funds from the tribal group, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Louise Larivee, 63, of Swanton, also was ordered on Friday to pay $96,700 in restitution, the U.S. attorney's office said. She had pleaded guilty to a charge of federal program embezzlement on the third day of her jury trial in November, federal prosecutors said.
Legislators shouldnt be in a hurry to change how the state taxes the oil industry. Instead, they should monitor how oil prices perform for the rest of the year.

The North Dakota Petroleum Council wants North Dakota to ditch its price-based triggers that could prompt a tax rate increase under the present high oil prices.

The present trigger is the result of a legislative compromise at the end of the 2015 legislative session. The legislation abolished some price-based incentives for the industry while lowering the oil tax rate from 11.5% to 10%. It also raised the total oil tax to 11% if oil prices reach $90 a barrel for three consecutive months.

If the current price trend continues, the trigger will be pulled next month, according to Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus.

Its understandable the oil industry wants the most favorable tax rate possible; any business feels that way. North Dakotans have witnessed the up and down cycles of oil prices. It impacts state government and taxpayers just as it does the industry.

The pandemic reduced profits of oil companies in 2020, and then the top 25 oil and gas companies posted record profits in 2021. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent gas prices soaring at the pump. Most motorists arent feeling sorry for the industry when they are filling their tanks.

Petroleum Council President Ron Ness argues that the state and industry would be better off with a flat tax rate. He believes predictability where possible will help drive investment in North Dakota.

The 2015 legislation was an attempt to give the oil industry a break by reducing the tax rate. The state took less, the industry got more. Legislators decided that when the industry was flush the state should see some benefits, so the trigger was approved. Once triggered, the higher rate lasts only while oil prices remain at $90 a barrel or higher.

The state wants to be helpful to the industry, but it also has a responsibility to taxpayers. The compromise was an attempt to do both. The industry wouldnt have been happy if the rate had remained at 11.5%.

It gets tiresome that when the oil industry wants something from the state, it suggests operators will go elsewhere if the demand isn't met. Most North Dakotans realize by now that if the industry can get a better deal somewhere else it might leave. That doesnt mean the state needs to bow to every demand.

The state needs to see the results if the trigger is pulled. How long does the higher rate remain in place before prices drop? Whats the impact on the state and the oil industry? Does the state gain much, and how much does the industry lose?

While the state is appreciative of the oil industry, it has to do whats best for the public. There are times when the state and industry wont agree -- that doesnt mean they cant co-exist.

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MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)  A former New Hampshire police officer convicted of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a Manchester woman three years ago has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.

Tyler Berry, a former Londonderry police officer, pleaded guilty to driving his pickup truck under the influence of alcohol while off duty in April 2019. State police say he crossed the center line and hit a vehicle on Route 101 in Amherst, killing 21-year-old Sierra Croteau.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP)  Nine freight train cars derailed in northeastern Indiana, leaving behind a powder-like mess of soybean meal after two of the cars spilled their loads, officials said.

The cars derailed about noon Friday on a Norfolk Southern line in Allen County just southwest of Fort Wayne, said Fire Chief Don Patnoude of the Southwest Allen County Fire District.
HARTFORD  With his Republican rival securely in place, Gov. Ned Lamont on Saturday earned his place at the top of the Democratic ticket, while the party squabbled over filling several down-ballot races.

A placid start to the second day of the Democratic Party State Convention at Hartfords XFinity Theatre saw Lamont, 68, glide toward the partys endorsement along with his fellow incumbents Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Attorney General William Tong, none of whom face opposition for the Democratic nomination.

Lamont now faces a rematch against Republican Bob Stefanowski, who received the GOP nomination on Friday night over nominal opposition at the partys convention at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Lamont defeated Stefanowski by a little more than 3 percentage points in 2018.

I think weve got a good record to run on, Lamont told reporters after receiving the nomination. Look where we were four years ago, now look at where we are today. Were talking about tax cuts, we're talking about speeding up transportation, three years of a surplus. Im happy to talk about the last four years for the next four years.

In addition to renominating the three incumbents for constitutional offices, party delegates selected state Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, to run as the replacement for retiring three-term State Comptroller Kevin Lembo.

Scanlon received the endorsement by acclamation, after the only other candidate who expressed interest in the seat, Joseph Taraya, did not receive a nomination that would have forced a floor vote.

Later in the afternoon, open seats for the offices of treasurer and secretary of the state were sent to be decided at a primary election Aug. 9, after multiple candidates for each office received enough delegates to make it onto the ballot.

Throughout the first two days of the convention, speakers have focused on hammering Republicans over voting and abortion rights  a fresh issue for Democrats following the release last week of a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

Bysiewicz, Lamonts running mate, kick-started the campaign by accusing Stefanowski of silently siding with anti-abortion Republicans on the issue.

Youre not pro-choice unless you say you will defend our Roe v. Wade law that is enshrined in our state law, Bysiewicz said. To date, I havent heard him say hed veto any piece of legislation that comes to his desk if he were governor.

At the Republican Party convention on Friday night, Connecticut GOP Chairman Ben Proto attempted to blunt that line of attack, saying that Democrats were attempting to capitalize on a national issue that has little relevance in a state where abortion rights are written into state law.

Its been codified for over 30 years, Proto said. Its not going anywhere. We just recently implemented legislation to protect health care providers and patients, particularly patients who come here from other states, against criminal prosecution and civil proceedings. So I am not sure it has that much of a bearing in Connecticut.

While the Republicans began the second day of their convention with a competitive five-way battle over the U.S. Senate race, the Democratic convention saved the only two contestes races for the afternoon, when the crowded amphitheater turned into a flurry of glad-handing candidates, marching supporters and delegate counting

Those open races  for treasurer and secretary of the state  took on additional poignancy after the nominations of Lamont, Bysiewicz, Tong, Scanlon and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal ensured that the statewide Democratic ticket in November would be majority-male and majority-white.

As a result, several party leaders openly called for the addition of more minority and female candidates to the Democratic ticket through the two open seats.

Erick Russell, a former vice chairman of the state party from New Haven, prevailed in the treasurers race after leading the first round of voting with support from 47 percent of the delegates, as opposed to nearly 27 percent for Karen Dubois Walton of New Haven and 26 percent for Dita Bhargava of Greenwich.

The work of the state treasurer is about a lot more than maximizing returns and managing debt, its about supporting everyday hard-working people, its about building stronger, safer and more sustainable communities, its about creating a more financially-equitable Connecticut, said Russell.

Both Dubois Walton and Bhargava agreed to cede the party's endorsement to Russell to avoid additional balloting for a candidate to receive a majority of the delegates, while promising to contest the nomination during the primary.

Speaking to her supporters, Bhargava directly addressed the lack of gender diversity on the ticket, calling on the voters to get behind women, empower our women.

The secretary of the states race, meanwhile, continued into the early evening after no one in the field of five candidates appeared close to the 50 percent threshold needed to secure the partys endorsement.

Those candidates included three state representatives  Rep. Hilda Santiago, of Meriden, Rep. Stephanie Thomas, of Norwalk, and Rep. Josh Elliott, of Hamden  along with New Haven City Health Director Maritza Bond and state Sen. Matt Lesser, of Middletown.

Thomas prevailed after leading in all three rounds of voting, winning the final round as her supporters marched through the convention hall chanting we want a woman. Lesser, the other candidate to make it to the final round, was trailing heavily and withdrew to take his fight to a primary.

Thomas, who said she had not expected to need a speech at the end of the convention, addressed the remaining delegates saying We need really strong policy and we need authentic engagement with voters.

Lesser, Santiago and Bond all received the minimum number of delegates in at least one round of voting to advance to the primary, and all three said they would continue their fight there. Elliott, who failed to qualify for the ballot, withdrew from the race during the second round of voting.

Candidates who are unable to make the ballot at the convention are also able to collect signatures afterward to petition their way onto the ballot. No Democratic candidates for statewide office have publicly announced plans to do so.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  A bill to help Maine farmers respond to extreme weather conditions through a new grant program has become law.

The bill signed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday followed persistent drought conditions in 2020, stunting the potato crop and hurting other growers across the state.
HOBBS, N.M. (AP)  A woman who reportedly stole a police vehicle after the man she was with engaged in a shootout with Hobbs police in February has been arrested, police announced Friday.

Police looking for 28-year-old Janessa Perez went to a Hobbs home Friday afternoon and saw her peeking out the back door. Officers surrounded the house and she surrendered.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP)  When Piedmont Columbus Regional recently raised a flag at 1:08 p.m. to highlight the importance of organ donation, the timing was intentional. It represented the impact one donor can have on up to eight people.

One of the people attending the ceremony was Pat McDougall, an IT project manager at Piedmont. McDougall understands that impact more than most.

In 2018, McDougall felt perfectly healthy. She went to the gym multiple times a week and attended a spin class. But in April she fell and broke her arm. In the ER, she was told she would need surgery.

Doctors were concerned with her blood work before her surgery, however, worried about the impact of anesthesia. The surgery was delayed, and that weekend McDougall became extremely sick. Over the next six weeks she underwent testing, and her body began swelling badly as her condition worsened.

After six weeks of testing, McDougalls doctor informed her that she was in Stage 5 kidney failure. An autoimmune disease she had in her feet 15 years ago had returned and destroyed both of her kidneys within a handful of months.

I DIDNT KNOW HOW LONG I WOULD LIVE

For the next six months, McDougall continued working full-time at Piedmont despite being very ill. During that time, she was in-and-out of the hospital, having numerous life-saving surgeries.

McDougall was put on emergency dialysis after doctors failed to find her blood pressure.

Her first grandchild, Hunter, was born August 5, 2018, but because of an infection, McDougall couldnt hold him. She could be in the room with Hunter, but she couldnt touch him and had to wear a mask.

I didnt know how long I would live, McDougall said. I didnt know if I would get to see him have his first birthday or his second birthday.

McDougall continued with dialysis for about five hours, three days a week. She had nine life-threatening events and spent 105 days in the hospital over the course of 10 months.

A doctor in Atlanta told her she needed a transplant. Initially, the idea of getting a kidney transplant scared her, McDougall said, and she couldnt even say the word out loud.

Her son, Shane McDougall, a self-described realist, gave her the tough love she needed to get her to apply for a kidney transplant.

There are 109,000 people waiting for an organ transplant nationally, according to LifeLink of Georgia, and more than 4,700 of those are Georgians.

People who have high blood pressure or other problems wont be approved because they wont be able to keep the new kidney working, she said. Typically, the process to get approved takes about one-to-three months. Because of setbacks, it took McDougall 11 months to get approved.

Every day, Im like, God, Ive got to have a kidney, she said.

YOU CANT GO TO WALMART AND BUY A KIDNEY

In early 2020, a committee met to decide whether McDougall would be approved for a kidney transplant.

They either say yes, and she would cry.

Or they would say no, and she would cry.

The phone rang midway through the morning while McDougall was trying to keep busy at work.

Youre approved, the transplant coordinator said. But there are these conditions.

McDougall could get a kidney transplant, but the kidney had to be from a living donor, which is statistically more likely to succeed. The transplant also had to be performed within the year.

You cant go to Walmart and buy (a kidney), McDougall said. And no one is standing on the corner saying, Hey, let me give you my kidney.

Shane, who works at Piedmont as well, walked into her office right after she put the phone down.

She told him the news, and he teared up and told her to be happy. People take each day theyre given for granted, Shane said, and they dont realize until theyre battling something like kidney failure or another illness how fast loved ones can be taken away.

So, when youre given another day or another chance at another day, he said. Its always a blessing and an opportunity to look at it from a different light.

BY THE WAY, MY NAME IS LIBBY

McDougall put her faith in God that she would be able to find a living donor.

I knew that I needed to put my story on social media, she said.

Four days after getting approved, she wrote her story for a Facebook post. Some people knew what she had been going through, but many of her coworkers and others in her community had no idea. McDougall had been quiet about her health because she didnt want people to think she was sick and treat her differently.

So, she knew once the post went live, everyone would know about this vulnerable part of her life. In the post, she wrote about her medical background, how she was feeling, her faith and her need for a life-saving transplant. At the bottom of the post, she put the number to call for anyone willing to donate a kidney.

She posted the message on March 4, 2020, right as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning.

Within one week, McDougall had 12,000 hits and more than 100 comments.

Less than a week after posting her story on Facebook, someone sent McDougall a private message.

Hey, today I saw your story, the message read. And I cant get you off my mind. Ive called the number, and I hope were a match.

For a moment, McDougall didnt even have a name for this stranger who was willing to help. But a minute later another message came.

By the way, my name is Libby.

IM COMMITTED TO THIS

Libby Green is a retired firefighter, paramedic and rescue operations specialist.

She came across McDougalls post three times while scrolling through Facebook. Although the women didnt know each other, they had mutual friends. The first couple of times the post came up, Green prayed the stranger would find the help she needed.

She popped up again, Green said. I said, Okay. I get it. I need to contact this woman.

From that moment, Green allowed her faith to lead her. She was going to get the lab work done, and if it wasnt meant to be, then they wouldnt be a match. A couple of days after the initial blood work, she got a call that it looked really good and they were optimistic Libby would be a match.

After the initial blood work, Green received a big box with kits for more testing to ensure she was healthy enough to donate her kidney.

COVID-19 had begun spreading across the country, and Libby was asked to isolate because she needed to stay healthy for McDougall.

Finally, Green got the call that she was not only a match for McDougall, but the two women matched like sisters. Green was informed first, to give her another chance to change her mind.

I dont really need to think about it, Green told the coordinator. Im committed to this.

They wore matching shirts to the hospital, and Shane hugged his mother before it was time for her to go in.

The two women had successful surgeries on June 19, 2020. McDougalls new kidney began working for her immediately.

And it was funny because this crazy thing gets up and walks down to my room, Green said.

McDougall and her family began thanking Green for donating a kidney to her and havent stopped. Although McDougall considers her a hero, Green doesnt feel like one.

Her whole reason for donating was to help someone in need, she said. After her years as a first responder, shes not used to the praise. Helping people is in her nature, Green said.

Ive done it for years, she said. And thats why I got into that line of work  to help people.
The University of Maine System held in-person commencement exercises on Saturday, marking a return to normalcy despite an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

For the past two years, the University of Maine System has held either virtual or hybrid graduations. Last year, for example, students at the flagship University of Maine walked across the stage, but with no audience.
AP

FOLSOM, Calif. (AP)  Corrections officials said Saturday they are investigating the killing of an inmate attacked by four felons at a high-security facility in Folsom, marking the third slaying this week in a California state prison.

Camilo Banoslopez, 22, was killed Friday at Sacramento State Prison after the attack in a recreation yard.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabama will ban the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender minors starting on Sunday, barring a ruling by a federal judge on a request to block the law from taking effect.

The U.S. Department of Justice and parents with transgender children have asked the judge to prevent the state from enforcing the statute while a lawsuit against it goes forward. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke, noting the lawsuit was filed in mid-April, said he and his staff will do nothing else but work on a decision though it might not come until after the laws effective date.

I cant say if its going to be out tomorrow or the next day or the next day, Burke said Friday. His comment came at the end of a two-day hearing on the injunction request.

The Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act will make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for doctors and others to provide the medications to transgender people under age 19. The U.S. Department of Justice and four families with transgender children filed a lawsuit challenging the law as discriminatory, an unconstitutional violation of equal protection and free speech rights and an intrusion into family medical decisions.

Dr. Morrisa Ladinsky, a pediatrician who runs a gender clinic that treats children with gender dysphoria, said after the court hearing that it seems likely that the law will go into effect Sunday. But she still hoped that it would be for only a short amount of time.

It would be only natural for any family with a transgender child to feel anxious, to feel scared and to feel in a place of limbo, she said when asked how her patients were feeling. So, we will hope that the wheels of justice act as they should, and we can allay those anxieties sooner rather than later."

Jeff Doss, an attorney representing parents and others challenging the ban, said the law will harm the very children the state is claiming to protect by depriving them of the medical treatments that are backed by medical associations. Twenty-three medical and mental health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also urged the judge to enjoin the law.

It supplants parental judgment and replaces it with the states ... that no child should receive these medications, Doss told Burke in closing arguments.

Attorneys for Alabama argued the ban should be allowed to go forward.

The state has wide discretion to regulate areas of medical uncertainty, Edmund LaCour, the solicitor general for Alabama, told the judge in closing arguments. European countries, he argued, take a more reserved approach on the use of the medications with children.

During the hearing Burke put several questions to the attorneys, including asking who wrote the legislation and if parents could face prosecution for driving their children to another state to receive the medications. State attorneys said it was written by legislators, news outlets reported. LaCour replied that he did not think parents would trigger the statute by taking their children elsewhere.

A parent, testifying in a closed courtroom for privacy reasons, described the benefits her child has received, Doss said.

She is seeing positive, transformative amazing benefits from these treatments the state has dubbed risky, Doss said.

The states witnesses included a psychologist who testified that children may look to the label of transgender to explain feelings of being different or unhappiness, but those feelings often dissipate at puberty. Under cross-examination by Melody Eagan, James Cantor acknowledged he treats adults in his practice, not children.

Sydney Wright, 23, testified that she regrets lingering effects and possible infertility from getting testosterone prescribed at age 19 by a doctor in Georgia. Wright said at the time she desperately wanted the treatments to transition to being a man, but, at the end of every single day I was a woman," she said.

Lawyers noted on cross-examination that Wright, at age 19, would not have been affected by the law.
January has the New Year, Feburary often has the Chinese New Year to look

forward to, and March usually is the busiest at workplace. Bill had not paid

much attention to April until 2022. The clouds often took half of the sky and

hid the sun behind, leaving the other half bright and sapphire blue. The bare

branches of the gingko trees had been gussied up in a few weeks to full jade

green summer attire. Rains were again too much to ask and a few showers were

cheered across the Bay. The air was cool, the breeze mild, and it was very

pleasant outdoors.

In spring break, father and son enjoyed a train ride to San Francisco and a

nice walk on the Embarcadero. The place was clean and much less crowded than

pre-Covid. They stopped at the ferry building and after each relished a grilled

pepperoni sandwich visited the "Book Passage" store. A thick volume titled

'Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About' was on the stand and Bill

was attracted to it like a trout to a fly. But he finally decided not to buy

because he was already seen as wierd and the book might help alienate him more

from civilization.

His main problem, as his wife used to point out, that set him apart from normal

people, was his dark imagination and negative outlook on life. As an example, he

had stopped going to the popular hotpot restaurant at the north end of Castro

street in downtown Mountain View since it changed owners early in the pandemic.

The food was still good and even better according to some Yelp reviews. He

rejected it because the place was renamed "Happy Lamb" from "Little Sheep."

The new name was grisly, he protested: "It's anthropomorphic to call lambs happy

and thereby suggesting dining there akin to cannibalism." "Besides," he argued

"everyone knows that the lamb represents Christ." It was OK to sacrifice the

animal to God but quite unlucky for you and I to feast on it. 'Little Sheep,' on

the other hand, had no such sinful connotation and therefore was safe, he concluded.

His brand of sensitivity colors almost everything: why would the ad for the local

casino, the M8trix, follow the Amazon Mother's Day vignette on CBS News? Could

the order mean to propose a gambling spree for moms this year?

His company re-opened its headquarters starting May and he went to the

celebration lunch just to see a few old colleagues. There were L the 64-year-old

trail runner who just finished the 100-mile "Pistol Ultra" race and more

recently became a grandfather, Andrew from Hongkong who was born Catholic but

converted to Protestantism in America and who baked bread as a hobby, Scott the

Minnesotan who moved up to Bill's old Sunset neighborhood in San Francisco,

Triet from Vietnam who studied and lived according to the I-Ching, and a couple

more colleagues. They had worked together for more than five years. It felt good

spending one and a half hours chatting about Covid (few wore masks), kids,

school, housing, retirement, etc., over beef tacos, guacamole, and bacon-wrapped

jalapeno poppers while a band played Mexican music. Gams are essential, for

whales or humans.

But in Bill's gloomy view, two years of work-from-home have corrupted the people

and damaged their Puritan work ethic. No one planned to grind away in the office

day in and day out like before and most were thinking about coming onsite twice

a week. That was going to be the new normal.
BALTIMORE (AP)  A federal judge has sentenced a Maryland man to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography, according to a prosecutor.

U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron said in a news release that Johnny William Kyte, 62, of Elkton, was sentenced on Friday.
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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Walking up the 18 steps to the door of the former McDonogh 19 Elementary School in New Orleans, Leona Tate knew she had come full circle.

More than 60 years ago she was a little girl with pigtails, accompanied by U.S. Marshals to protect her from the angry mob of White protesters as she, Gail Etienne and Tessie Prevost helped integrate New Orleans public schools.

Now Tates foundation has completed renovations on the former school, giving the site a new purpose as the Tate, Etienne, and Prevost Interpretive Center. The mixed-use space will include affordable housing for seniors, community gathering areas and an exhibit dedicated to the three women known as the McDonogh Three.

We are here today to celebrate a full circle, Etienne said Wednesday before she, Tate and Prevost cut a ceremonial ribbon. In 1960, three little Black girls marched up the steps there ... the only thing we were told was that we had an opportunity that we needed to take advantage of and that this would be an opportunity for other little Black girls and boys in the city.

The center's first floor will house interactive exhibits. Upstairs, visitors will be able to sit on a bench outside the principals office where the girls waited for hours the first day before going to class. Another museum Tate is involved in, the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum, has been moved to the center as well.

Modified tours will begin in late May, said Tremaine Knighten-Riley, program director of the Leona Tate Foundation for Change.

The Lower 9th Ward elementary school was closed in 2004 and heavily damaged in Hurricane Katrina. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 and a few years later Tate purchased the property. Since then the Leona Tate Foundation for Change has worked to develop the center, along with Alembic Community Development and 16 sponsors including the National Parks Service and city of New Orleans.

In February the school was added to the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail, a patchwork of historically significant places in the civil rights movement.

Dorothy Prevost, 90, recounted sending her terrified daughter, Tessie, to school that day in 1960. She watched her daughter walk up the steps on television amid jeers and racist chants. But in the background, she said, she heard cheers of encouragement from community members.

Those cheers, she said, brought tears of joy.

Also in attendance at the ribbon cutting were about a dozen former McDonough 19 teachers, as well as city officials.

Former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, said the site of the school was hallowed ground and referenced the slaveholding past of the schools namesake, John McDonogh, and the resilience of the 9th Ward.

The name on this building represents a personage who would never want to see this day come ... the name represented the repression and oppression and segregation that we cannot be afraid to talk about today, Morial said in his keynote address. We cannot overcome it by burying the challenges of history.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  An Oklahoma man pleaded guilty on Friday to a felony charge related to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, according to federal authorities.

Jerry Ryals, 27, from Fort Gibson, pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C. to a charge of civil disorder, said the U.S. Attorneys Office. for the District of Columbia.
PHOENIX (AP)  Phoenix police have asked the public for help in locating a man sought in the strangulation death of a woman who was found not breathing on a city bus, Phoenix police said.

Police identified Joshua Bagley, 26, as a suspect in the death Friday of Diane Craig, 41, who died at a hospital after being found on a bus at about 8 a.m. with signs of strangulation.
CHICAGO (AP)  An appeals court on Friday revived a lawsuit accusing the city of Chicago of overcharging fees and fines for resident vehicle stickers and parking violations.

The suit now goes back to Cook County Court. A county judge previously dismissed the case, which argued that the city routinely exceeded a $250 limit set by state law.

The current mayor has admitted that the city is addicted to ticketing revenue, and that they use tickets to bolster their budget, attorney Jacie Zolna told the Chicago Tribune. The problem is that its at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens.

A city spokeswoman said its attorneys are reviewing the appellate court's decision.

Kyle Garchar, one of the plaintiffs in the case, told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was thrilled by the decision. Garchar said after receiving several city sticker tickets in 2017 and 2018, he was unable to keep driving for ride-hailing companies and earn money to pay the city.

It was honestly a constant, crippling burden that would weigh on me, Garchar said Friday. Its hard to put into the words the feeling of not being able to get out of paying this stupid ticket.

Zolnar hopes the decision will lead to a class-action lawsuit that could mean refunds for millions of people.
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ST. LOUIS (AP)  Inamullah Niazai sits on the front porch step of his red-brick St. Louis home and smiles at the bustle of activity around him  his mother and father chatting in the front yard, his two young daughters munching chocolate ice cream bars.

Anything is possible here, Niazai, 23, said. We are so lucky that my family can be here, together.

An aggressive effort in St. Louis is trying to lure Afghan refugees like Niazai. About 600 have arrived so far and another 750 are expected later this year.

Civic leaders are hopeful that over the next few years, thousands more will decide to relocate to the Midwestern city, helping to offset seven decades of population loss and rejuvenate urban neighborhoods  just as the arrival of Bosnian refugees did three decades ago.

Its been nearly nine months since the Afghan capital of Kabul was ceded to the Taliban. Since last summer, more than 76,000 Afghan refugees have relocated to the U.S. While California and Texas have taken in most of the displaced Afghans, many will eventually go elsewhere.

In the 1990s, St. Louis became America's most popular landing spot for Bosnians displaced by war in the former Yugoslavia. Among the estimated 300,000 who fled to the U.S., some 40,000 now call St. Louis and the region home.

They revitalized an area of the city's south side that is now often referred to as Little Bosnia. The area features Bosnian-owned markets, coffee shops, auto repair shops and other businesses. They have their own online newspaper, their own chamber of commerce.

The Bosnians also provided a badly needed population boost in a city thats been losing people at an alarming rate, dropping from a peak of over 850,000 in 1950 to just under 300,000 today.

St. Louis' Afghan Resettlement Initiative is backed by over $1 million in donations and more than 800 volunteers, and it has support from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis, the International Institute of St. Louis and other nonprofit groups. Advocates say theyve received no opposition to their efforts.

Jerry Schlichter, an attorney who is the organizer and a major funder, said the initiative helps find housing and jobs, connects new arrivals to training such as classes on computer coding, and provides grants for business startups.

The St. Louis effort also provided money to establish an online Afghan newspaper, a chamber of commerce and a community center.

Theres a mutual need. We have been stagnant, Schlichter said. With this one-time opportunity with Afghan refugees ending up somewhere in this country, we should take advantage of it.

Arrey Obenson, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis, said he's confident that the new refugees will revitalize neighborhoods, just as the Bosnians did.

The reality of the circumstance we face is that if we look at St. Louis city and the rate the population is declining, we have to find a way to bring people into the community to turn that around, Obenson said.

St. Louis isnt the only city with a declining population trying to attract Afghan refugees.

Detroit also reached its population apex in 1950, when 1.85 million people lived there. Today, the population has dropped by two-thirds, to about 640,000.

Detroit corporate and community leaders in April launched the Detroit Refugee Network, with hopes of raising more than $1 million to provide services such as housing, education, transportation and language training. About 250 Afghan refugees have settled in Detroit, with another 400 or so elsewhere in southeastern Michigan.

Like St. Louis, history in Detroit has proven the value immigrants can bring, said Steve Tobocman, executive director of Global Detroit.

Tobocman and Alan Mallach, a senior fellow with the Center for Community Progress, studied two Detroit neighborhoods filled with immigrants from Bangladesh, Yemen, Mexico, and Central and South America. Those two neighborhoods have grown by nearly 50% in the past two decades or so.

The result is less crime, well over 100 new businesses and reductions in home vacancies and tax foreclosures, the study found. Residents surveyed were more satisfied and optimistic than Detroit residents as a whole.

Depopulation is what really cycles these neighborhoods into some pretty dire circumstances, Tobocman said. The vacancy, the lack of retail opportunity, the lack of jobs. Just stabilizing the population or in a couple of cases regrowing the population can reverse that course.

A major hurdle for Afghan refugees is housing. Across the country, thousands still live in hotels.

But by early May, only two Afghan families were still in St. Louis hotels because the initiative has a program guaranteeing payment to landlords, Schlichter and Obenson said.

Niazai, his wife and their two young daughters fled Kabul last year. They were sent first to Washington, D.C., then to temporary housing in Texas. They chose to end up in St. Louis because other relatives were already here.

The initiative helped find them a place to rent  a brick home on a quiet street a few miles south of the Gateway Arch that now is home to 11 family members. Volunteers provided furniture, food and what Niazai called welcome money. Someone even gave him a car.

Niazai said he feels at home in St. Louis.

We will stay, he said. My future is good here.
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP)  Unidentified aircraft struck oil-rich areas in eastern Syria held by government and Iran-aligned groups on Saturday, an opposition war monitor said.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were no casualties or material losses in the attack, the second within a week in the province of Deir-Ez-Zor.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  Wisconsin officials have issued wildfire warnings across the state for Saturday.

The state Department of Natural Resources has listed 52 counties in the very high risk category for fires, mostly in the northern part of the state. Eight counties are listed as high risk" and all other counties are at moderate risk.

Authorities say high winds, dry conditions and low humidity will make it easier for fire to spread. Officials are asking people to avoid all outdoor burning, including campfires, and to use caution when operating off-road vehicles.

More than 250 wildfires have been reported in Wisconsin this year, covering about 440 acres. Debris burning is the leading cause of wildfires, officials said.
Nariman El-Mofty/AP

SANAA, Yemen (AP)  Clashes at a militia facility in southern Yemen following the arrest of a group of suspected al-Qaida militants has killed at least a dozen people, including two force commanders, officials said.

The officials said the fighting took place late Friday at the headquarters of the so-called Security Belt force in Dhale province. The Security Belt is a militia trained and funded by the United Arab Emirates and loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council. The force is active in Yemens southern provinces.
By Eli Wolfe

San Jose Spotlight

San Jose officials are restricting water use for new developments, but conservationists want to see the city take more aggressive steps.

San Jose councilmembers voted Tuesday to amend the city's water efficient landscape ordinance--a 1993 rule which is periodically updated. City officials said there's an urgent need for new developments to only install drought-tolerant landscapes, citing the extreme dry conditions affecting the Bay Area and the state.

The amended ordinance applies to any new residential or business project with a landscape area, and it bars the use of high-water use plants, such as Kentucky bluegrass. It also prohibits turf--with a few exceptions--and the use of water sprinkler systems.

Conservationists applaud San Jose for adopting stricter landscaping requirements, but say the city will need more stringent measures in the near future to save water, given the severity of the state's drought.

"I can only see it getting worse, not better," Bryan Mekechuk, Monte Sereno vice mayor and a member of Water Rates Advocates for Transparency, Equity and Sustainability, told San Jose Spotlight.

San Jose officials declared a water shortage last October, following months of arid conditions across the Bay Area and much of California. Water wholesaler Valley Water approved a rate hike of up to 9.1 percent last May, and San Jose Municipal Water System increased the average rate for consumers in North San Jose and Alviso by 8 percent, and for residents in Evergreen and Edenvale by 12.7 percent. Some advocates are fighting San Jose Water Company's attempt to increase rates for hundreds of thousands of customers.

Jeffrey Provenzano, deputy director of the water resources division in San Jose's Environmental Services Department, said the city is encouraging people to convert their lawns to landscapes for native plants. In a presentation for the City Council, Provenzano highlighted the difference in maintaining a grass lawn versus a landscape of very low water-use plants: 37,975 gallons a year compared to 3,798.

Some conservationists believe the city may require people to rip up their lawns if the drought worsens, following the lead of Nevada, which mandated the removal of some ornamental lawns. Provenzano said that is unlikely to happen in San Jose, but noted it's difficult to predict what actions will be necessary in the future.

"If we do not receive a decent amount of rain next winter, there could be even more water restrictions to the point where watering grass isn't a viable option," he told San Jose Spotlight.

Conserving water

Dennis Murphy, water and sustainable life director at Sustainable Silicon Valley, said San Jose struggles with residential water usage compared to neighboring San Francisco because more people have yards that need watering. He said the city's measures are good, but need to be accompanied by people changing their water habits. He added the city needs to increase communication about water conservation.

"The biggest challenge is outreach," Murphy told San Jose Spotlight. "Ultimately, how do they sell this from an awareness standpoint?"

Other environmentalists said San Jose may want to look to other California cities for inspiration on how to save water. Gladwyn d'Souza, conservation committee chair for the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, said Los Angeles implemented water microgrids, which help the city more effectively capture rain and stormwater. He also cited the Salesforce tower in San Francisco which reuses all water on site.

"As one of the largest cities in the state, San Jose really needs to begin to address these issues in the age of climate change, drought and wildfires," d'Souza told San Jose Spotlight.

Newsha Ajami, chief development officer for research for earth and environmental sciences at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, said residents can lessen individual water use by swapping out inefficient home appliances. She emphasized the public is not sufficiently aware of how dire conditions are becoming.

"This year you have to think about if you can keep your lawns green or not, but next year might be, 'can I shower or drink water or cook?'" Ajami told San Jose Spotlight. "Thank God we're not in any of these situations right now, we're sort of managing, but the reality is the less water we use, the more water that's left in the system in case next year is another dry year."

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.
Drew Angerer /Getty Images

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says the state bar intends to sue him and his "top deputy" over his lawsuit to try and throw out the 2020 election results. Paxton tweeted a statement the morning of Friday, May 6 that he was made aware of the Texas State Bar's intentions to sue over the 2020 election with the Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit that was thrown out in December 2020.

He said in the statement that the state bar's "bias" shows with this "new line crossed."
Shortly before Thanksgiving 1919, as Antone Lepara was waiting to be hanged for murder, his soon-to-be widow received an unusual request.

The letter asked Mrs. Lepara if she would be willing to sell her husbands testicles after his death. The writer, a wealthy businessman, was willing to pay $10,000  almost $150,000 in todays money.

It was a good arrangement all-around for the businessman. Hed have a new, virile pair of testes from a man no longer in need of them, and one of Americas foremost experts on gland surgery worked right on the prison premises: San Quentin Chief Surgeon Leo Stanley.

In the year since starting gland transplants, Dr. Stanley had already made a name for himself. He was experimenting with putting animal testicles into men, but human-to-human transplants were preferred. Working at San Quentin gave him access to the organs of recently dead young men at a rate few other doctors could boast.

Mrs. Lepara had two daughters to support, and $10,000 would have made their lives much easier in the wake of their breadwinners death. But, without much agonizing, she turned the anonymous businessman down.

"It would seem too much like blood money," she said.

The change of plans didnt bother Stanley; instead, he decided the glands would go to a senile older inmate. It was a common enough procedure for the doctor.

In the next 20 years, he would perform over 10,000 testicular implants within the walls of San Quentin State Prison.

---

Later in life, when Leo Stanley was known as the foremost prison doctor in the country, he shared his rags-to-riches story with gusto. He was born in 1886 in Polk County, Oregon to a country doctor. They moved to California when Leo was nine and he graduated from Paso Robles High before starting at Stanford in 1903.

A year later, Stanley was flat broke. He dropped out and got a job as a peanut butcher  slang for newsboy  on the Southern Pacific railway.

I believe that one year as a peanut butcher was better than a whole at Stanford, he said in an oral history with the Marin County Free Library in the 1970s. I learned to know people. I learned to merchandise, to sell."

Selling was a strong suit of Stanleys, and he sold nothing more vigorously than himself. He eventually returned to Stanford and finished his schooling, becoming a doctor. But then he fell in love and needed a steady job to support his new wife. He offered up his services at San Quentin, which hired him in 1913 to be their chief surgeon. At the time, he had no surgical experience.

Upon arriving, Stanley remarked later, he was upset by the lack of racial segregation among the inmates.

"Whites, Negroes, and Indians commingled here indiscriminately, he complained.

Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library

A lifelong eugenicist  a belief he continued to hold well past Nazi horrors being revealed  Stanley set about making changes immediately.

Before he hit on gland implants, his favorite fix was sterilization. In 1909, California passed the first of several eugenics-driven laws that allowed for the forced sterilization of inmates and mental hospital patients considered unfit for society. Stanley once said he believed at least 20% of inmates were feeble minded and lamented he could not sterilize more inmates than he was legally allowed.

In his 1940 prison memoir Men at Their Worst, Stanley recounted the story of a man named Nelson, imprisoned for forging a $5 check. He was a typical prison malingerer," Stanley wrote, who was a "perfect specimen for any proponent of euthanasia, or painless elimination of the socially unfit."

Those he could not forcibly sterilize, he attempted to talk into the procedure. In 1935, he put up a poster in the prison yard extolling the virtues of the surgery: "This simple operation prevents the man from producing children, but it does not interfere with his normal pleasures. In fact, it is claimed that sexual vigor is increased.

Many who volunteered thought it would improve their health  Stanley claimed vasectomies would prevent some sexually transmitted diseases, which they do not  and perhaps supercharge their libido. In two decades, Stanley sterilized 600 prisoners, far more other California prisons.

He also tried his hand at plastic surgery, convinced that unattractive men were more likely to commit crimes because they couldnt find honest work. Hed pin back large ears, remake broken noses. Upon his retirement, a Chronicle story praised his ability to turn plug-uglies into facial men of distinction. Some of his work was so dramatic the San Quentin warden made it policy to take a new mugshot of prisoners upon their release.

Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library

But Stanleys main obsession was with the budding field of endocrinology.

"Disease, in my opinion, causes crime, he once said. He believed murderers probably had overdeveloped thyroids and forgers had underdeveloped pituitary glands. He was known to remove the thyroids of men who behaved badly in prison, claiming it turned them docile.

But the cure-all was gland replacement. Since the late 1800s, doctors in the United States and Europe had been grafting testicles into men (and sometimes women) in the hopes of increasing vitality, reversing aging and, of course, making impotent men virile. They also experimented with using vasectomies to bolster sexual performance. The procedure was trendy among European elites: William Butler Yeats and Sigmund Freud (not hard to psychoanalyze that one) both had rejuvenation operations.

---

If you are squeamish, you may now want to skip ahead. Stanley had two preferred methods of testicle grafting. The first was taking testicles from executed inmates or, lacking that, goats, boars, rams or deer and putting them into the scrotum of the recipient. He believed the body absorbed the testosterone, immediately boosting the donor's own waning hormones.

But this, Stanley admitted, didnt always work and had more complications. Instead, he started trying a less-invasive procedure. First, he would take the donor testicles and mash them up into a paste. Then, hed inject the mixture into the recipients abdomen.

It was a procedure Stanley firmly believed in. He thought it cured, among other things, acne, asthma and depression.

"One melancholiac [sic] who would not talk or show any activity whatever, was observed to have an erection a few days after implantation, he boasted.

In addition, he argued pedophilia was caused by old age, the effects of which could practically be reversed with gland replacement.

"This form of insanity can overtake the finest of old men, in the best of families Perhaps the outworn glands look for solace in strange directions, he wrote in Men at Their Worst. "... Their condition has nothing to do with the sort of men they have been."

Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library

Three of Stanleys first four gland "donors"  all executed prisoners  were non-white. The recipients almost certainly were. As for his anti-miscegenation views, Stanley believed reproduction and general vitality werent connected, so mixing glands wouldnt result in mixed race children.

It is not known how often, if ever, he asked death row inmates for permission to use their glands. At least one episode resulted in a lawsuit.

In 1928, Clarence Kelly was hanged for killing three people. His body was cut down and autopsied by Stanley, who then removed Kellys testicles to graft into an elderly prisoner.

When Kellys uncle came to claim the body, he was shocked to see it had been cut into. Kellys mother sued Stanley for mutilation of a corpse, claiming she hadnt consented to an autopsy. Stanley escaped conviction.

---

After the outbreak of World War II, Stanley left San Quentin to serve as a navy doctor. When he returned, the world was very different. San Quentin was under control of the California Department of Corrections, and nationwide, in light of Nazi war crimes, Stanley's favorite methods were very much on the way out.

"The attitude of the present Department of Corrections is entirely adverse to sterilization," Stanley bemoaned in a letter to a fellow eugenicist.

He stayed at San Quentin for a few more years, retiring in 1951 to his private practice in Marin. In his almost 40 years as a San Quentin doctor, he had given 10,000 inmates, fellow doctors and the occasional civilian a gland rejuvenation procedure. He saw prisoners not as a psychologically fraught population  willing to submit themselves to human experiments in exchange for better treatment or because of their self-destructive tendencies  but as an endless wellspring of test rabbits.

In a 2009 academic paper published in the Pacific Historical Review, historian Ethan Blue summed up Stanleys career thusly:

"Stanley sought surgical solutions to criminal behavior, Blue writes. His long tenure meant that he had tremendous influence at San Quentin and on its residents' lives, perhaps more important to its inmates' lives than any warden."

At some point, Stanley himself underwent a "rejuvenation" treatment  although nothing as drastic as a full gland graft. Instead, he got a vasectomy, hoping it would prolong his life.

He died at the age of 90, childless.
In this weeks news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants passengers to keep wearing masks on planes and in airports as coronavirus cases are rising again; Spirit Airlines tells JetBlue its not interested in that companys acquisition proposal but will stick with its Frontier merger instead; Qantas unveils plans for the worlds longest nonstops; United confirms its return to SFO-Melbourne service and adds more routes to Europe; international route news from Aer Lingus, Delta, Level and Norse Atlantic; more air service is coming to Santa Rosa and Sacramento; Spirit and Delta add transcontinental routes; Frontier moves into Chicago Midway and Avelo adds a new base of operations in Florida; COVID-19 restrictions are eased in Greece, Switzerland, Italy, Fiji, Thailand and Malaysia; Delta will add new premium passenger lounges but tightens entry rules for its Sky Clubs; American Express opens a temporary Centurion Lounge at LAX; and Southwest gets 16 more gates at Denver International.

Although mask-wearing on planes and in airports became optional last month due to a federal judges ruling, the CDC this week urged travelers age 2 or older to keep wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator on aircraft and in airports. As COVID case numbers are once again rising in the U.S., the agency said its recommendation is based on currently available data, including an understanding of domestic and global epidemiology, circulating variants and their impact on disease severity and vaccine effectiveness, current trends in COVID-19 Community Levels within the United States, and projections of COVID-19 trends in the coming months. It also encouraged airlines and airport operators to support mask wearing by all people, including employees. As CDC Director Rochelle Walensky put it, it is important for all of us to protect not only ourselves, but also to be considerate of others at increased risk for severe COVID-19 and those who are not yet able to be vaccinated. A recent poll conducted by the Associated Press and the University of Chicago after the mask mandate was removed by judicial fiat found that 56% of Americans support a mask requirement for planes, trains and other public transportation, while 24% oppose it and 20% had no opinion.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

The battle between Frontier Airlines and JetBlue to merge with Spirit Airlines shifted in favor of Frontier this week after Spirit said JetBlues offer was not good enough  and that came after JetBlue tried to sweeten its proposal. Following discussions with outside financial advisers and lawyers, Spirit said, it determined that JetBlues unsolicited offer to acquire all Spirit stock is not reasonably capable of being consummated. Frontiers offer, the company said, represents the best opportunity to maximize value, so Spirit is recommending that its shareholders approve the Frontier merger agreement, which was announced on Feb. 7.

In a letter to JetBlue, Spirits top executives said a JetBlue-Spirit combination was unlikely to pass muster with antitrust regulators at the Justice Department. The stumbling block? JetBlues Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, which is currently being challenged in court by DOJ and several state attorneys general on the grounds that it harms competition. Under terms of that alliance, JetBlue and American are coordinating their schedules at Boston and the New York City-area airports and code-sharing on each others flights. We struggle to understand how JetBlue can believe DOJ, or a court, will be persuaded that JetBlue should be allowed to form an anticompetitive alliance that aligns its interests with a legacy carrier and then undertake an acquisition that will eliminate the largest ULCC (ultra-low-cost carrier), the Spirit executives said.

JetBlues revised proposal included a remedy package to address regulatory concerns, calling for the divestiture of all Spirit assets in New York and Boston so that JetBlue does not increase its presence in the airports covered by the NEA, as well as gates and assets at some other airports like Fort Lauderdale. JetBlue also offered to pay $1.80 per Spirit share if the acquisition was blocked by antitrust regulators. But Spirit said any offer from JetBlue must include the abandonment of its NEA with American. Without that, the odds of failing to win government approval would be too risky for Spirit shareholders, the letter said.

James D. Morgan/Getty Images for Sydney Airport

After staying dormant for a couple of years when Australia was shut down to international visitors, Qantas this week revealed plans for a big comeback on the global aviation stage, including a revival of its delayed Project Sunrise. Thats a plan Qantas has been working on for years that would greatly expand the reach of its nonstop international routes from Sydney to places like London and New York, making them contenders for the worlds longest commercial flights. To that end, Qantas said it will order a dozen A350-1000s from Airbus, expected to start flying out of Sydney by the end of 2025. It will also renew its domestic and regional fleet by ordering dozens of A321XLRs and A220s from Airbus, gradually retiring its Boeing 737s and 717s.

Qantas said its A350-1000s will have the range for direct flights between Australia and any city in the world, and will focus on passenger comfort for such long-haul operations. While most international carriers A350-1000s have more than 300 seats, Qantas said its new planes will have only 238 in four classes  first, business, premium economy and economy  with more than 40% of the cabin dedicated to premium seating. First class suites will come with a separate bed, recliner lounge chair and personal wardrobe, the airline said, while premium economy and economy seats will have a pitch (i.e., distance between rows) of 40 and 33 inches respectively. The aircraft will also feature a wellbeing zone designed for movement, stretching and hydration. Qantas said the new A350-1000s will be the final fix for the tyranny of distance that has traditionally challenged travel to Australia. Meanwhile, on May 23, Qantas plans to resume nonstop 787 flights to London from Perth in Western Australia, with nonstop Perth-Rome flights coming in June.

United Airlines, which introduced nonstop San Francisco-Melbourne service in late 2019 only to drop it due to the COVID pandemic, confirmed this week that it will restart the route next month with three flights a week. United already flies to Sydney from both SFO and Los Angeles. The Australian government recently reopened its borders to international travelers after a two-year shutdown. And United recently entered into a partnership agreement with Virgin Australia for easy connections to other destinations beyond Sydney and Melbourne. Virgin Australia ended its previous partnership with Delta in order to take on United, but Delta this week signed a letter of intent to form a similar commercial agreement with the Australian carrier Rex (Regional Express), to take effect later this year. Rex serves more than 60 destinations in Australia.

Major carriers are continuing to ramp up their international schedules as the peak season approaches. United just resumed flights between its Newark hub and Naples, the only nonstop service between the U.S. and that southern Italy city. The seasonal daily service with a 767-300ER will continue through October. Elsewhere in Italy, United launched new daily flights from Chicago OHare to Milan this week to supplement its Newark-Milan service. On May 7, United adds a second daily departure to its Denver-London schedule, and on May 13, United is due to kick off a new route between Newark and Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Atlantic islands that are part of Portugal.

NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In other international route developments, Aer Lingus  which already flies between SFO and Dublin  has set May 12 for the restoration of daily Los Angeles-Dublin service, followed by five weekly Seattle-Dublin flights beginning July 7. On May 14, Delta is due to start flying between its Salt Lake City hub and London Heathrow. And Level, the low-cost affiliate of British Airways International Airlines Group, this week revived service between Boston and Barcelona with three flights a week  the only nonstop service between those two cities. Norse Atlantic, the new Scandinavian low-cost carrier seen as a successor to Norwegian, has started selling tickets on its first U.S. routes, all of them to Oslo and all starting with two or three flights a week. They include New York JFK starting June 14, Fort Lauderdale starting June 18, Orlando launching July 5 and Los Angeles International (not Ontario as the airline originally suggested) beginning Aug. 9. Fares on the LAX route will reportedly start as low as $205 one way.

Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images

In California route news, Reno-based Aha, the new incarnation of ExpressJet Airlines, announced plans to start flying between Reno and Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa starting July 14. The carrier will fly the route twice a week with 50-seat ERJ-145s and introductory fares starting at $49 available for purchase through May 31. The Sacramento Bee is reporting that southern Californias San Bernardino Airport has applied for an FAA grant to support new nonstop flights between San Bernardino and Sacramento operated by the new low-cost carrier Breeze Airways. Breeze is due to begin daily flights between San Bernardino and San Francisco International in August. And Spirit Airlines this week kicked off new transcontinental service between Los Angeles International and Newark Liberty Airport with one daily round-trip. Thats hardly a dent in a market that already had 16 daily flights operated by United, JetBlue and Alaska.

Speaking of Breeze Airways, that company has just announced plans to start flying out of Provo, Utah  just south of Salt Lake City  later this year. Its initial schedule includes daily flights between San Francisco and Provo starting at $39 each way, along with daily flights to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and one-stop service to San Bernardino and Westchester County, New York.

John Moore/Getty Images

In other domestic news, Delta will add a transcontinental route out of Seattle in December when it begins a daily flight to Fort Lauderdale  its longest flight out of SEA at 2,717 miles. And Frontier Airlines last week stuck a big new pin in its route map with the introduction of service from Chicagos close-in Midway Airport. The low-cost carrier already has a few routes out of OHare, but it said Midway will now become its primary airport in Chicago. Frontiers initial schedule out of Midway includes daily flights to Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Ontario (California), Phoenix, Tampa and Trenton, with service starting later this month to Philadelphia and in October to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. And low-cost newcomer Avelo Airlines, which has a West Coast base at Hollywood Burbank Airport and one in the northeast at Tweed New Haven Airport, said it is adding a third base at Orlando International next month, where it will start flying to Charleston, South Carolina; Washington D.C.; and Wilmington, North Carolina. Avelo said it should be serving 10 destinations from Orlando by the end of this year.

COVID-related restrictions on international travel continue to fall away. This week, both Greece and Switzerland dropped their previous entry regulations. Visitors to both countries are now allowed to enter without showing proof of vaccination or previous infection, and without taking a pre-departure COVID test. And Italy this week stopped requiring visitors to show a COVID Green Pass when entering hotels, restaurants, museums and other public indoor spaces. But Italy still requires foreign visitors to show a vaccination certificate or proof of previous infection, or a negative test result for the unvaccinated. Italy has also dropped its requirement that visitors fill out a passenger locator form.

Across the Pacific, Fiji this week dropped its requirement that visitors must get a negative COVID test result before leaving home. But they still must be fully vaccinated, book a post-arrival test at entrytestfiji.com to be taken 48 to72 hours after arrival, and obtain travel insurance with COVID coverage. In April, Thailand and its requirement that visitors take a COVID PCR test no more than 72 hours before boarding their flight from home, and this month, the country ended its required post-arrival testing and one-night quarantine for vaccinated visitors, although they must still have insurance. And Malaysia this week declared that vaccinated inbound travelers no longer need pre-departure or post-arrival COVID tests; the countrys insurance requirement has also been dropped.

San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst N/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

Delta announced this week that it plans to introduce a new type of airport lounge for premium customers, improve its existing Sky Clubs and add new ones  and tighten entry rules for those Sky Clubs. Taking a cue from Uniteds Polaris Lounges and Americans Flagship First lounges, Delta said it will open new Delta One Clubs for its front-cabin premium flyers, starting with a 36,000-square-foot facility in New York JFKs Terminal 4 in 2023 and a 10,000-square-foot club at Los Angeles International, connected to its new Terminal 3 Sky Club, in 2024. The airline didnt provide details on what those clubs will offer other than a dedicated level of service that elevates the lounge experience for Delta One customers.

As for its Sky Club network, Delta said it will debut a new one in Chicago OHares Terminal 5 this fall, with expanded clubs coming at the Nashville, Boston and Atlanta airports this summer. The carrier recently opened a new Sky Club in LAXs Terminal 3 with seating for 500 members and plans to cut the ribbon on an even larger one next month at its rebuilt Terminal C in New York LaGuardia.

Meanwhile, June 1 is the effective date for new Sky Club entry rules as overcrowding becomes an issue with burgeoning passenger numbers: Members can only enter a club within three hours of their scheduled departure and arriving passengers wont be able to access the clubs unless they have a connection or are flying in the Delta One cabin. The three-hour rule does not apply to connecting customers, who can enter a club at any time.

American Express Centurion Lounge at Los Angeles International has been shut down for more than two years, but the company has now opened a temporary lounge location at LAX pending its return. Its smaller than the shuttered Centurion Lounge, and its located on the Bradley International Terminals sixth floor near the Star Alliance Lounge. The larger LAX location is the only U.S. Centurion Lounge that hasnt yet reopened, and the delay is reportedly due to repairs to the HVAC system so that jet fumes cant leak into the facility. In other lounge news, American Airlines recently reopened its Flagship Lounge in Chicago OHare, the last location to reopen. Others are in New York JFK, Miami, Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth.

AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group//Denver Post via Getty Images

At Denver International, Southwest Airlines is poised for more expansion following the opening this week of a 16-gate addition to the airports Concourse C. All the new gates are being leased by Southwest. The 530,000-square-foot extension of the concourse also provides 20 more passenger waiting areas, an outdoor patio, charging stations, more restrooms and pet relief areas. Eight new retail and dining concessions will open in the extension next year. Southwest is expected to start operating flights from the new gates in late May or early June. The eastern extension of Concourse C is part of a larger 39-gate expansion at DEN; the first phase, adding more gates to the west end of Uniteds Concourse B, is already in place. A fall 2022 opening is expected for the Concourse A-West and B-East expansions, airport officials said.
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, May 6, 2022

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SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX

700 PM CDT Fri May 6 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of west central DeWitt

and northeastern Karnes Counties through 745 PM CDT...

At 659 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Gillett, or 11 miles east of Kosciusko, moving northeast at 10 mph.

HAZARD...Penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.

Locations impacted include...

Gillett, Cotton Patch, New Davy and Ecleto.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 2892 9776 2909 9788 2918 9769 2911 9761

2912 9759 2899 9757

TIME...MOT...LOC 2359Z 246DEG 10KT 2905 9776

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN

MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 7, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX

738 AM CDT Sat May 7 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO

7 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values from 110 to 112 degrees expected.

* WHERE...Inland Coastal Bend to the Brush Country of South

Texas.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT

THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 106 expected.

* WHERE...Goliad, Victoria, Inland Refugio and Inland Calhoun

Counties.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 7, 2022

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HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX

350 AM CDT Sat May 7 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT

THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Unusually early heat with near record high temperatures

and heat index values to around 105 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of southeast Texas.

* WHEN...From noon to 7 PM CDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...In addition to being considerably hotter

than normal for early May, the threat will be amplified by the

lack of acclimation to this level of heat.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHERE...Houston, Trinity, Madison, Walker, San Jacinto and

Polk Counties.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 7, 2022

_____

FLOOD WARNING

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

Flood Warning

National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX

729 AM CDT Sat May 7 2022

...The National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston TX has issued a

Flood Warning for the following rivers in Texas...

Bedias Creek near Madisonville affecting Walker and Madison

Counties.

For the Bedias Creek...including Madisonville...Minor flooding is

forecast.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Flooding is occurring or is imminent. Most flood related deaths

occur in automobiles. Do not attempt to cross water covered bridges,

dips, or low water crossings. Never try to cross a flowing stream,

even a small one, on foot. To escape rising water find another route

over higher ground.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the

dangers of flooding.

Additional information is available at www.weather.gov.

The next statement will be issued this evening at 800 PM CDT.

...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT TILL THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.

* WHERE...Bedias Creek near Madisonville.

* WHEN...Through this evening.

* IMPACTS...At 19.0 feet, Minor lowland flooding begins as water

escapes the main channel in the vicinity of the gage.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 6:45 AM CDT Saturday the stage was 19.2 feet.

- Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours

ending at 6:45 AM CDT Saturday was 19.2 feet.

- Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage

late this afternoon and continue falling to 4.4 feet Thursday

morning.

- Flood stage is 19.0 feet.

- Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of

19.3 feet on 02/23/1994.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

Fld Observed Forecasts (7 am CDT)

Location Stg Stg Day/Time Sun Mon Tue

Bedias Creek

Madisonvill 19.0 19.2 Sat 6 am CDT 16.3 11.7 8.1

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  Federal labor officials filed a sweeping complaint Friday accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against pro-union employees.

The National Labor Relations Boards Buffalo regional director outlined a host of labor law violations in a filing seeking reinstatement and backpay for the employees.

Theres been a wave of unionization drives at Starbucks stores nationwide, with the first union votes coming in December at three stores in Buffalo.

The coffee chain called the allegations false and vowed to fight them at an upcoming hearing.

Starbucks does not agree that the claims have merit, and the complaints issuance does not constitute a finding by the NLRB, spokesman Reggie Borges wrote in an email. It is the beginning of a litigation process that permits both sides to be heard and to present evidence.

Starbucks Workers United, the group behind the unionization effort, said the complaint confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks conduct in Western New York for the better part of a year.

Starbucks is finally being held accountable for the union-busting rampage they went on, Danny Rojas, a fired shift supervisor, said in a statement. Starbucks needs to understand that it is morally corrupt to retaliate against union leaders, and I am looking forward to the NLRB forcing Starbucks to make this moment right.

Last month, federal labor officials asked a judge to force Starbucks to reinstate three union activists at its Phoenix location, alleging the coffee giant engaged in unfair labor practices.

As of this week, workers at more than 250 U.S. stores have filed petitions with the labor board to hold union elections, labor organizers say. At least 50 of those stores have voted to unionize with Workers United, a branch of the Service Employees International Union.

Starbucks reported Tuesday that its sales climbed to record levels in its fiscal second quarter but noted it faced higher employment costs, which set to grow even higher in the coming months as the company introduces new pay raises and other benefits.

However, workers who have voted to unionize or stores that have petitioned to hold a union election wont be eligible for those additional wage hikes and benefits.

Starbucks Workers United has said it filed charges with the labor board against Starbucks on Tuesday. The group alleges the company is violating labor law by threatening to exclude unionized stores from receiving the new benefits.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 7, 2022

_____

CHILD ABDUCTION EMERGENCY

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE TEXAS

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

THIS IS A CHILD ABDUCTION ALERT ISSUED BY THE TEXAS AMBER ALERT

NETWORK.

THE SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SEARCHING FOR DIAMONTE ROBERT SISK,

BLACK, MALE, 6 YEARS OLD, 4 FEET 6 INCHES TALL, 65 POUNDS, BROWN

HAIR, AND BROWN EYES AND ISRAEL RYAN SISK, BLACK, MALE, 5 YEARS OLD,

4 FEET TALL, 45 POINTS, BROWN HAIR, AND BROWN EYES.

POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR PATRICIA MILLSAP, 47 YEAR OLD, WHITE, FEMALE,

2 FEET 11 INCHES TALL, 50 LBS, BROWN HAIR, BLUE EYES, IN CONNECTION

WITH THEIR ABDUCTION.

THE SUSPECT IS DRIVING A WHITE MINIVAN WITH UNKNOWN ALABAMA LICENSE

PLATE NUMBER.

THE SUSPECT WAS LAST HEARD FROM IN MIDWAY, TEXAS.

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS BELIEVE THIS CHILD TO BE IN GRAVE OR

IMMEDIATE DANGER.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ABDUCTION, CALL THE

SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 2 1 0 6 1 9 1 2 0 0.

NEWS MEDIA POINT OF CONTACT IS SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 2 1 0 6 1

9 1 2 0 0.

NETWORK

4 FEET TALL, 45 POUNDS, BROWN HAIR, AND BROWN EYES.

The following message is transmitted at the request of the Texas

Department of Public Safety.

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS BELIEVE THESE CHILDREN TO BE IN GRAVE

OR IMMEDIATE DANGER.

The following message is transmitted at the request of the TEXAS

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 7, 2022

_____

HIGH WIND WARNING

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX

245 AM CDT Sat May 7 2022

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/

THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING...

...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY

EVENING...

* WHAT...For the High Wind Warning, west winds 40 to 50 mph with

gusts up to 65 mph expected. For the High Wind Watch, west winds

35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible.

* WHERE...Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.

* WHEN...For the High Wind Warning, from 1 PM CDT /noon MDT/

this afternoon to 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ this evening. For the

High Wind Watch, from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening.

* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.

Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be

difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around

trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of

your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if

you must drive.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO

8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Temperatures up to 107 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of southwest and western Texas.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 8 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT

THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Temperatures up to 105 expected.

* WHERE...Dawson County.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 7, 2022

_____

CHILD ABDUCTION EMERGENCY

The following message is transmitted at the request of the Texas

Department Of Public Safety.

THIS IS A CHILD ABDUCTION ALERT ISSUED BY THE TEXAS AMBER ALERT

NETWORK

THE SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SEARCHING FOR DIAMONTE ROBERT SISK,

BLACK, MALE, 6 YEARS OLD, 4 FEET 6 INCHES TALL, 65 POUNDS, BROWN

HAIR, AND BROWN EYES AND ISRAEL RYAN SISK, BLACK, MALE, 5 YEARS OLD,

4 FEET TALL, 45 POINTS, BROWN HAIR, AND BROWN EYES.

POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR PATRICIA MILLSAP, 47 YEAR OLD, WHITE, FEMALE,

2 FEET 11 INCHES TALL, 50 LBS, BROWN HAIR, BLUE EYES, IN CONNECTION

WITH THEIR ABDUCTION.

THE SUSPECT IS DRIVING A WHITE MINIVAN WITH UNKNOWN ALABAMA LICENSE

PLATE NUMBER.

THE SUSPECT WAS LAST HEARD FROM IN MIDWAY, TEXAS.

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS BELIEVE THIS CHILD TO BE IN GRAVE OR

IMMEDIATE DANGER.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ABDUCTION, CALL THE

SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 2 1 0 6 1 9 1 2 0 0.

NEWS MEDIA POINT OF CONTACT IS SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 2 1 0 6 1

9 1 2 0 0.

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE TEXAS

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

...AMBER ALERT...

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT

OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

THIS IS A CHILD ABDUCTION ALERT ISSUED BY THE TEXAS AMBER ALERT NETWORK

BLACK MALE, 6 YEARS OLD, 4 FEET 6 INCHES TALL, 65 POUNDS, BROWN

HAIR AND BROWN EYES, AND ISRAEL RYAN SISK, BLACK MALE, 5 YEARS

OLD, 4 FEET TALL, 45 POINTS, BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES.

POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR PATRICIA MILLSAP, 47 YEAR OLD, WHITE FEMALE,

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS BELIEVE THESE CHILDREN TO BE IN GRAVE

OR IMMEDIATE DANGER.

THE SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SEARCHING FOR DIAMONTE ROBERT

SISK, BLACK, MALE, 6 YEARS OLD, 4 FEET 6 INCHES TALL, 65 POUNDS,

BROWN HAIR, AND BROWN EYES AND ISRAEL RYAN SISK, BLACK, MALE, 5

YEARS OLD, 4 FEET TALL, 45 POINTS, BROWN HAIR, AND BROWN EYES.

POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR PATRICIA MILLSAP, 47 YEAR OLD, WHITE,

FEMALE, 2 FEET 11 INCHES TALL, 50 LBS, BROWN HAIR, BLUE EYES, IN

CONNECTION WITH THEIR ABDUCTION.

THE SUSPECT IS DRIVING A WHITE MINIVAN WITH UNKNOWN ALABAMA

LICENSE PLATE NUMBER.

NEWS MEDIA POINT OF CONTACT IS SCHERTZ POLICE DEPARTMENT AT

2 1 0 6 1 9 1 2 0 0.

Department of Public Safety.

4 FEET TALL, 45 POUNDS, BROWN HAIR, AND BROWN EYES.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
T.J. Maxx is moving a mile up Niagara Falls Boulevard in Amherst  and bringing a few friends along with it.

The popular department store will move from its current site at the corner of Sheridan Drive, near BJ's Wholesale Club, to the former Burlington Plaza, near Trader Joe's, now undergoing a $7.6 million overhaul, according to the plaza's developer and plans filed with the town Building Department.

The adjoining HomeGoods store also will move with T.J. Maxx to the new location, along with two other stores under the same corporate umbrella: Homesense and Sierra.

They are the first locations in Western New York for Homesense, a home decor store, and Sierra, which sells outdoor goods.

"The TJX Companies, one of the nations foremost retailers, will be doubling down on their commitment to Amherst and bringing their expansive line of apparel and home fashions to the revitalized center," Eric Recoon, Benderson Development Co.'s vice president of development and leasing, said in an email.

The move completes a game of musical retailers along the busy Niagara Falls Boulevard corridor where Benderson owns numerous properties.

The Burlington Plaza's namesake tenant had anchored that shopping center, 1501-1551 Niagara Falls Blvd. just south of Romney Drive, since the 1990s.

Then known as Burlington Coat Factory, it moved in 2019 into the former Toys "R" Us store at Niagara Falls Boulevard and Sheridan Drive. Now T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods will close the circle by moving from the plaza that hosts the new Burlington store to its former location.

The town wants to avoid simply "shifting the chess pieces" at shopping centers, as A.J. Baynes, president and CEO of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, put it.

The first two years under Covid-19 were challenging for business, Baynes said, but Amherst's retail economy had shown strength before the pandemic.

"Now as we continue to pull ourselves out of it, out of a pandemic and into the endemic, hopefully that trend will continue," he said.

Several tenants will remain in the new-look Burlington Plaza, including Northwest Bank, Five Guys, Moe's, Orange Theory and Outback Steakhouse.

But Benderson has demolished 90,400 square feet of the large building in the rear of the 14-acre site and is constructing 102,100 square feet of new retail space, according to planning documents.

It's part of the gradual shift south of the developer's thriving The Boulevard shopping center, formerly Boulevard Consumer Square, which features Lowe's, Target, Best Buy and L.L. Bean, along with a recently opened Marshalls, also part of the TJX family.

Benderson refers to the former Burlington Plaza area as The Boulevard's South District.

"We continue to hear from shoppers about their excitement over the latest additions to the merchandise mix at The Boulevard," Recoon said.

Most recently, Amherst officials announced Benderson intends to bring the region's first Costco warehouse club to the neighboring Amherst Commerce Park, once an annex campus for the University at Buffalo.

How can Amherst squeeze Costco into crowded Niagara Falls Boulevard corridor? Given the high traffic volume that drivers already face on Niagara Falls Boulevard, Maple, North Bailey Avenue and Ridge Lea Road, shoppers and neighbors are wondering how Costco, and other future retail tenants, will fit there.

T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, Homesense and Sierra are part of TJX, based in Massachusetts, which reported sales of $48.6 billion in 2021.

The stores have a passionate customer base. For example, when T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods reopened their Sheridan Drive location in June 2020, after being closed for three months in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of fans lined up for the doors to open.

"The brands that they're bringing together, they're trying to create a sense of community with the shopper who's going to go there and go to three, four or five places when they park their vehicle," Baynes said of Benderson.

T.J. Maxx and the other TJX chains sell off-price apparel and home decor items.

What's the difference between HomeGoods and Homesense?

As Cosmopolitan magazine put it, Homesense, which began in Canada, "is basically HomeGoods on steroids. Think: Larger selections, new sections, more of everything."

Homesense has seven locations in New York, with its store in the Rochester suburb of Pittsford the closest to Buffalo.

Sierra, formerly Sierra Trading Post, has just two stores in the state, including one in Rochester. The company sells clothing, footwear and gear for a range of outdoor and fitness activities.

Recoon said construction on the new retail building is well underway and the stores are targeting a fall opening, in time for the holiday shopping season.

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On December 1, 2003  the day before her reality show The Simple Life premiered on US television  Paris Hilton was taken aside by her mother, Kathy.

She said to me: Tomorrow, when this airs on television, your life is going to change forever, Hilton recalls. I want you to remember to remain the same down-to-earth person you are, never let this go to your head and never change.

And thats something I have held in my heart ever since. Ive seen a lot of people come and go, and I have seen a lot of people let it go to their head. I have never been one of those people, I have always remained the same person.

Paris Hilton spoke to the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age from the set of a new ad campaign for Uber Eats.

The 41-year-old influencer, a great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, spoke to The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age on the set of a new ad campaign for Uber Eats which, like many brands, sees value in leveraging her audience: 18.7 million on Instagram, 16.9 million on Twitter and 6 million on TikTok.
What is the price of love? For my cousins Brooke Jones and John Waskiw, that price ended up being about $25,000. That was the cost the couple were forced to fork out to relocate Kucing and her son Amal from Malaysia to their new home in Canberra.

I should point out that Kucing and Amal are street cats. (Kucing means cat in Malaysian, while Amal is Arabic for hope.)

Tens of thousands of Australians have a similar story of attempting to bring their pets home: massive bills, long wait times, great uncertainty and much heartache. Pet owners going through the experience band together in their own online communities, such as Facebooks Pets Flying To Australia, and speak their own jargon, of PEQs and RANTTs. The anguish and uncertainty comes through the screen, but so does the joy upon being reunited.

Malaysian street cats Kucing, left, and Amal.

Amal was the only cat in Kucings litter to survive when John found the short-haired tabby street cats near his work. When the time came to leave Malaysia for a new life in Canberra, the couple found they couldnt leave the inquisitive cats behind.
A Buffalo man was shot Thursday night and was driven to Erie County Medical Center in a civilian vehicle, police said.

The 37-year-old victim arrived at the hospital just before 11:30 p.m.

The shooting may have occurred in the area of North Central Avenue and Broadway, according to detectives who are investigating the case.

ECMC listed the victim in stable condition on Friday afternoon. Police did not release his name.

He is at least the 76th person to be shot in Buffalo so far this year, according to police data.

Investigators asked anyone with information about the shooting to call or text the confidential tip line at 716-847-2255.

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.
Man taken to hospital in serious condition following shooting in Melbourne's west

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Prominent members of the Morrison government and Opposition have talked up their partys ability to negotiate with other parties and independents if there is a hung parliament.

NSW Senator Andrew Bragg, regarded as a rising star in the Liberal Party, and shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus, told the Chinese Australian Forum they were aiming for majority government but were confident they could work with any parliament elected by voters on May 21.

It marked a significant shift in tone given both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese have repeatedly ruled out making deals to form a minority government.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said there was a lot of bipartisanship in parliamentary work. Credit:James Brickwood

Fridays event was at the King Dynasty restaurant in Chatswood, but attendees came from across Sydney and included all age groups and political viewpoints. The panel also included Greens leader Adam Bandt for the first time, while the independent candidate for North Sydney, Kylea Tink, was slated to attend but was a late apology because she contracted COVID-19.
For 120 years, most Australian women have had the right to vote but their voice has never been so powerful as it is right now  and political parties are starting to sit up and take notice. The federal election is only two weeks away and the result may well come down to how women vote in marginal electorates.

The female vote has shifted significantly in the past 30 years. The Australian Election Study, carried out by the Australian National University, has charted the shift of women towards the left of the political spectrum since the 1990s. They have been moving away from the Coalition in particular  but they have not all swung in behind Labor.

Kylea Tink, Zali Steggall and Sophie Scamps are all running as independents. Credit:Michael Quelch

As Jacqueline Maley writes in The Sun-Herald today, women are more likely than men to vote for minor parties and independents. This is why their vote  and their preferences  really count in this election, in which independent candidates pose a threat to the major parties in many key seats.

It is clear the major parties see the value of the womens vote. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has told David Crowe in a report in todays paper that women, in particular their contribution to the economy, will be a key focus for his party in the final two weeks of the campaign.
While waving his shield metaphor over cost-of-living pressures, Scott Morrison road-tested another method of defence against the media that doubled as an attack.

You get to ask the questions, not say what the answer is, the Prime Minister responded to a press pack peppering him about his fate should Australia put a pack of so-called teal independents in the balance of power.

Scott Morrison said he could answer questions how he liked. Credit:James Brickwood

Morrison side-stepped actually providing an answer to the press in Perth on Friday morning, while simultaneously shaping up against his opponent, who stood in the relative safety of his inner-western Sydney seat of Grayndler, thousands of kilometres away.

The sledge against Anthony Albanese  who this week stumbled again in the face of the medias persistent memory tests, and its perceived savagery from quarters of the community  was to remind Australians they had a choice to make about who was in control.
Ministers must give written reasons for approving taxpayer-funded grants, according to the states two top public servants in a new report sparked after several damaging pork-barrelling scandals.

All grants must also be publicly available on a central website, including any record of a minister deviating from the advice of public servants, the review of grants administration in NSW says.

Dominic Perrottet, left, and Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:Louise Kennerley, Nick Moir

Premier Dominic Perrottet ordered a review of his governments processes for awarding taxpayer-funded grants after former premier Gladys Berejiklians appearance at a corruption inquiry reignited controversy over pork-barrelling in marginal seats.

Taxpayers expect the distribution of public funds will be fair  I share that expectation, he said.
Bikini designer-turned-rich lister Erin Deering is set to farewell her North Bondi neighbours Hugh Jackman and billionaire Sam Prince following her decision to sell her apartment for $8 million to $8.5 million.

Erin Deerings apartment is one of six in the Rebel Penfold-Russell development.

Erin Deering has returned to live in her hometown of Melbourne. Credit:Instagram

The four-bedder in the luxury Coast development of film producer Rebel Penfold-Russell was purchased new by Deering and former AFL footballer Craig Ellis in 2013 for $5.15 million, a year after the then-couple founded their cult swimwear label Triangl.

But following their split almost five years ago, Deering sold Ellis her half in the label for about $35 million, scoring her a place on the 2019 Young Rich List. A year later the apartment was lodged in her name alone.
London: This wasnt quite the bloodbath the polls had promised. Boris Johnson, it seems, is not as much on the nose as first thought. Not outside London anyway.

Britains local elections have over the years become a barometer for how the government is travelling. But the truth is that theyre as much about rubbish collection as shenanigans at Westminster. Things were forecast to be much worse for the Conservatives.

But things arent rosy either.

Local elections a learning moment for UK PM Boris Johnson. Credit:Getty

Johnson admitted it had been a tough night after almost 400 Conservative seats were lost. The totemic councils of Wandsworth and Westminster fell to Labour, while the Liberal Democrats made Blue Wall inroads  constituencies in southern England which have traditionally voted Conservative  that will worry Tory MPs.
GENEVA (ILO News):--- A meeting of tourism specialists has laid out policy recommendations that could help the tourism sector play a major role in the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The technical meeting, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), stressed the importance of policies and measures that focus on tourism recovery that is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient. Priorities should include support for a just transition towards formality in the tourism sector, the promotion of decent jobs and sustainable enterprises, measures to ensure adequate protection for all workers, and improving the sectors preparedness for future crises.



Their conclusions also underscored the importance of implementing the ILOs Guidelines on decent work and socially responsible tourism and supporting cooperation with relevant multilateral organizations  including the OECD, UNDP, UNEP, UNWTO, and WHO  and regional organizations, to promote coherent policies.

The ILO technical meeting on COVID-19 and sustainable recovery in the tourism sector, brought together representatives from 86 governments, 12 employers, 22 workers, as well as 10 representatives from international governmental and non-governmental organizations, to discuss a sustainable and resilient recovery and a just transition to a sustainable future of work in tourism.

The tourism sector is a major driver of economic growth, enterprise development, and job creation, particularly for women, youth, migrant workers, and local communities. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, it accounted for one in 10 jobs worldwide and about 10 per cent of global GDP. The sector employs a high share of women and youth. In 2019, women accounted for more than 50 per cent of workers in the sector, and the majority of all workers in tourism were aged under 35.

Tourism was one of the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences were felt particularly strongly in the informal parts of the sector, where decent work deficits are also most pronounced. Informal or casual employment frequently involves women, young people, indigenous and tribal peoples, migrant workers and local communities, who are consequently disproportionally affected.

The impact of the pandemic on enterprises, especially MSMEs [Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises], is unprecedented, said the Employers Group Vice-Chairperson, Ignacio Eduardo Capurro. Ensuring business continuity and devising policies to foster sustainable enterprise development is of the utmost importance for the recovery of the sector. Moreover, promoting skills development and the transition to the formal economy is essential to enhance productivity in the context of the future of work of the sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated decent work deficits in the tourism sector, many of which had existed before its outbreak, said Kerstin Howald, Workers group Vice-Chairperson. Social dialogue, based on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, is key to improving working conditions, wages, occupational health and safety, social protection, gender equality, and technical vocational education and training, and for the just transition to an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future of work, as decent work is the precondition to overcome the labour shortages in tourism.

Policies that promote an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism enterprises, invest in the development of a skilled tourism workforce, and facilitate the transition from the informal to the formal economy are key to a human-centered, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient recovery, said Josephine Andriamamonjiarison, Chairperson of the meeting.

The conclusions and recommendations adopted at the meeting are intended to assist governments, employers, and workers to harness the fullest potential of the tourism sector to support a human-centered inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery and a just transition to a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future of work in tourism.
Fun Online Nature Game for the Dutch Caribbean

On April 22nd, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) hosted its Big Live Nature Quiz for adults on Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten. A total of 150+ individuals participated in the online, live, and interactive quiz. After many exciting and thrilling nature question rounds, a team on Curacao won. Second place went to a team on Aruba and third place to a team on Saba.

The online Big Live Nature Quiz is created to educate citizens about nature in a fun interactive way, to instill pride about the islands nature, encourage eco-friendly practices, support the parks conservation projects, and to connect people throughout the Dutch Caribbean.

Yearly Free Quiz for Adults and Kids

This a yearly event for both adults and kids since 2020. For 2022, the kids edition is currently planned for the beginning of November. Stay tuned for your next chance to learn more about the nature of the Dutch Caribbean.

Live and Interactive Quiz

Teams could participate in two ways. Teams were invited to play from home (online) with friends and family or join at one of the broadcast locations (bars).

The Quiz was online and live. Therefore, all teams from the Dutch Caribbean islands could participate at the same time as well as interact with each other and the host of the program.

Broadcast locations included Aruba: Chaos Cafe, Bonaire: Hillside, Saba: Long Haul, St. Eustatius: Ocean View Terrace, St. Maarten: Dinghy Dock Sailors Bar. A big thank you to STINAPA Bonaire, CARMABI on Curacao, Aruba National Park Foundation, Saba Conservation Foundation, STENAPA on St Eustatius, Nature Foundation Sint Maarten and WeConnect for their support and creating this event.

Theme: Endangered animals and plants

The quiz had a total of 20 multiple choice trivia questions. The quiz was in English but questions also had Dutch, Papiamentu, and Papiamento subtitles. Questions included species such as sea turtles, sharks and iguanas.

Winners

First place went to Vreemde Vogels on Curacao. They will receive a sailing trip around their beautiful island. Second place went to Luckys Group Therapy on Aruba and third place to What a Team on Saba. Island winners of Bonaire are the Barracudas. For St Maarten: Chicken Dinner (Emily Koch) and St. Eustatius: The Shallows. They received smaller prizes. Congratulations to all!

It was a lot of fun and I learned much about nature. So nice that all Dutch Caribbean islands could participate live. I am looking forward to the next quiz!. BLNQ Participant from Hillside Bonaire

Dont Miss the next Big Live Nature Quiz

Check out DCNAs Facebook (Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance), Instagram (DCNAnature) or BigLiveNatureQuiz.org for more information and photos of the events. If you have any questions, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +599-717-5010.

The Big Live Nature Quiz is generously funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and DCNAs activities are supported by the Dutch Postcode Lottery.
Sisters of Charity Hospital nurses pitched a plan in 2019 to create a holistic caring cart designed to wheel into a unit to help take down the emotional temperature when someone on staff felt overwhelmed.

The pandemic struck as the idea flowed slowly through the approval process  until it was decided that instead of a cart, Sisters staff could use a whole new relaxation room to get away for some self-care.

On a daily basis, everything is a struggle, said Jennifer Simon, nurse supervisor on the 3 South Unit. Staffing. Patient care. We're just working together as a team as best we can.

The hospital spiritual care team helped create the new Zen Den, which is tucked into a quiet space off the third-floor inpatient units. Its open around the clock and features soft light, a recliner and massage chair. Aromatherapy and soft music help set the mood.

A framed sign with the words you got this! hangs on the wall above a tabletop covered with an open gratitude journal and bucketful of inspirational books, magazines and pamphlets.

Its a very peaceful place, Simon said. You can like close your eyes and relax.

The 200-square-foot space opened last month, as nurses and other front-line hospital staff continue to process a pandemic that laid bare the fault lines in their profession. At Sisters, at least, it has become a symbol of greater change they would like to see going forward.

WNY holistic nursing advocate takes mind-body-spirit approach Laurie Laugeman has seen plenty of changes in the workplace during a 34-year nursing career in places that include private residences, nursing homes, Buffalo Hospice and, for the last four years, the medical telemetry and neurological unit at Sisters of Charity Hospital. One of the most welcome is a growing willingness among her colleagues to embrace a mind-body-spirit approach

There needs to be a place for people to sort out and vent about some of the post-traumatic stress that they're dealing with, said Laurie Laugeman, who secured the $3,000 grant from the American Holistic Nurses Association that helped pay for the new surroundings. This is designed as a place where you can release some of that.

The 38-year nursing veteran, association leader in the region, also has worked to bring mindfulness meditation, stretching and other stress-busters onto her 3 South unit.

There has been precious little time for that during most of the pandemic. Instead, Simon and Laugeman talked about staff grateful to squeeze in a 15-minute break and half-hour lunch during 12-hour shifts in a unit focused largely on cardiovascular care.

The Zen Den, they said, will provide an occasional getaway after the toughest of moments.

Self-based care is where we hopefully focus on caring for ourselves, caring for our colleagues, Laugeman said. If we do those two things, we can better care for our patients and families.

That task has hit a crisis point for staff, which cannot help but impact patients and health care institutions.

Last weekend, three leading nurses and a mental health counselor took to the stage at the annual Association of Health Care Journalists conference in Austin, Texas, to unabashedly declare it is time to remove the figurative capes from front-line health care workers.

The hero label, while well-meaning, stripped away too much of the responsibility for pandemic response from other Americans and pressed it far too firmly onto those who undergird the health care system, the panelists stressed.

Far too many of these trained professionals continue to struggle as a result, according to the Covid-19 Impact Assessment Survey  The Second Year, released in March by the American Nurses Foundation.

Nine in 10 of the almost 12,000 nurses surveyed in January said their workplace slogs through staffing shortages  a perennial challenge worsened by the pandemic.

Two-thirds said they experienced increased bullying at work during the last year  by patients and colleagues  while one-third reported increased incidents of physical violence in their workplaces.

Nearly half those younger than 35 said they have sought mental health support since March 2020, while two-thirds who started their careers during the last five years say they already are burned out.

More than half in these age groups say they do not believe their organization cares about their well-being  which helps explain why similar percentages seek to leave the profession or are at least considering it.

We don't need a banner, Amanda Choflet, assistant professor of nursing at San Diego State University, told journalists. We need material resources. We need staffing. We need institutional and structural change.

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Brussels, 7 May 2022 (SPS) - The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, reaffirmed the EU's "full support" for the UN-led process to find "a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the conflict in Western Sahara", occupied by Morocco.



In a response to the letter sent to him on 23 March 2022 by 19 MEPs on the issue of Western Sahara, Mr Borrell reiterated that "the European Union continues to fully support the efforts of the United Nations to find a peaceful settlement to this conflict, according to the parameters most recently expressed in the UN Security Council, including resolution 2602 (2021)".



To this end, he recalled "having publicly and repeatedly encouraged the resumption of discussions (between the Polisario Front and Morocco) under the leadership of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Staffan De Mistura, who enjoys the full support of the European Union in the search for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.



"At this time of heightened global tensions, I believe it is crucial to redouble our efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to this protracted conflict," he said.



"The European Union will continue to encourage the parties to engage in the UN-led political process in a serious and respectful manner," he added.



In conclusion, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell Fontelles, expressed his "unequivocal commitment to cooperate with the UN to find a peaceful solution to the Western Sahara issue.



062/T
BATH  The center of New York's political universe shifted to this Southern Tier village Friday as a court appointed elections expert weighed proposals from politicos and ordinary citizens alike for new  and fair  districts in this year's congressional and State Senate elections.

And if Jonathan Cervas, the "special master" from Pittsburgh assigned the task by a State Supreme Court justice hearing the case in Steuben County, was unfamiliar with the politics and diversity of New York State, he received quite the education Friday. Representatives from political parties and good government groups argued for their proposals, but so did members of practically every minority from the teeming neighborhoods of New York City.

Court of Appeals strikes down Democrats' district lines; June primary may be delayed New York's highest court today declared unconstitutional the congressional and State Senate maps drawn earlier this year by the State Legislature, voiding their use for the scheduled June 28 primary election, and ordered a new date  possibly as late as August.

Cervas heard from Chinese, from Filipinos, from Haitians and Dominicans. Representatives of the Black, Jewish and Latino communities chimed in, too, all seeking to preserve their "communities of interest" and, in the process, their voting power. It may have been summarized by John Henry, an Albany attorney representing the approximately 50,000 Orthodox Jewish residents of Kiryas Joel in Orange County. Henry explained that the growing community shares common interests, speaks Yiddish and should occupy a common district as a community of interest.

"In order to prevent abridgement of their rights, the Village of Kiryas Joel needs to be in the same district." he said.

About two dozen others submitted testimony to Cervas in a proceeding supervised by Justice Patrick F. McAllister, who ruled in April that the Democratic-controlled State Legislature violated the State Constitution by gerrymandering congressional and Senate districts (the Assembly was not included) after an Independent Redistricting Commission created by a 2014 amendment hopelessly deadlocked.

Federal judge refuses to block August congressional primary A federal judge in New York on Wednesday refused to stand in the way of a proposal to move New York's congressional primaries to Aug. 23, rejecting the Democrats' plea that the primaries should be held as originally planned on June 28 along district lines that the state courts have ruled to be unconstitutional.

McAllister's decision was ratified by the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals, resulting in Cervas receiving the assignment to draw districts that meet a number of constitutional requirements, including protecting communities of interest.

Witnesses from Madison and Tompkins counties (and nobody from Western New York) were the only upstaters to testify. And while all kinds of Republican versus Democrat arguments ping-ponged back and forth, Cervas mostly listened to a parade of witnesses from New York City. Asian-Americans emphasized their status as the city's fastest growing minority. Lloyd Feng of the Coalition of Asian-American Children and Families said his ethnic group now constitutes 18% of New York City, with much larger numbers in Manhattan's Chinatown and other neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens.

He asked Cervas to disregard "unity" maps submitted by several good government groups and consider the needs of minority communities. Sandra Choi made the same argument about Asian-Americans.

"It is imperative our communities be kept together," she said.

Even a member of Congress made the 5 1/2 hour drive from New York, arguing that his Hispanic community in the South Bronx has been assigned its own district for decades and the tradition should continue. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-Bronx, called the lines in his district the "gold standard" of apportionment and "the precise opposite of gerrymandering."

But participants in the original lawsuit also submitted arguments Friday as they, too, attempt to persuade Cervas of the merits of their cases. Sean Dutton, representing Republicans who won their original lawsuit, said their map proposal adheres to all constitutional requirements while respecting the rights of minority communities. He called the district lines "compact," "contiguous" and "comparing favorably to the 2012 map."

He noted the GOP plan preserves the Southern Tier district now essentially represented by Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning. And Craig Bucki, attorney for Assembly Democrats, said their map also keeps the Southern Tier intact.

"That's especially important, going back to the days of Congressmen Stan Lundine and Amo Houghton," he said, referring to former congressmen from Jamestown and Corning, respectively.

Bucki made one of the only references to Western New York when he addressed Senate districts, maintaining that the previous map rejected by the courts that joins Amherst and part of Buffalo should be preserved.

"The Town of Amherst on the Senate map should be kept with the City of Buffalo because of (similar) transportation and a burgeoning minority community," said Bucki, a Buffalo attorney.

He also said the new Democratic maps no longer project a 24th Congressional District in which incumbent Rep. Chris Jacobs, R-Orchard Park, would have to represent voters from Niagara County to Watertown and Jefferson County.

Last week, McAllister appointed Cervas to serve as the special master to fashion the new congressional districts. A postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie-Mellon University and a research associate at the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, Cervas previously worked on redistricting in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia and Utah.

Cervas is scheduled to propose a new congressional map for the state by May 16. Comments on that map are due May 20, and a final nonpartisan district map will be issued by May 24.

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MIDDLETOWN The Connecticut Department of Public Health and city Health Department are encouraging residents to test their homes for radon gas, the leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.

Local health officials have joined the EPA and DPH to encourage city residents to check their homes for radon by offering a limited number of free test kits, according to a press release.

DPH has provided free test kits to 36 local health department/district partners for distribution in their communities.

Health officials estimate that radon is responsible for more than 21,100 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, the news release explained.

Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas which comes from the breakdown of uranium in the soil. When emitted into open air, radon is rendered virtually harmless. However, when it becomes trapped into an enclosed structure such as a house, radon can accumulate to dangerous levels over an extended period of time, according to health officials.

Prolonged exposure to high levels of radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the country. One out of every 15 homes in the United States has an elevated level of radon, the statement said.

Your neighbors house may not have a radon problem, but you might. The only sure way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test for it, health officials wrote.

The radon test kits and are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be picked up at the Middletown Health Department in the lower level of the Municipal Building during normal business hours or mailed upon request by calling 860-638-4962. For information, visit middletownct.gov.
STAMFORD  In response to a violent fight at a downtown middle school that resulted in one student suffering injuries to his head and knee, officials are asking parents to help them keep phones out of schools.

And theyre installing cameras to allow administrators to better monitor the schools public spaces  in addition to hiring staff to better reach students in need.

According to police, a student at the middle school was attacked by five other students in a bathroom on April 26. During the altercation, the student was thrown to the ground, kicked and suffered a possible concussion, police said.

The five students, all juveniles, were arrested and charged with second-degree assault and breach of peace. The school was placed on lockdown, which remained in effect while police conducted their investigation, said David Tate, principal of Cloonan Middle School, during a an online town hall meeting this past week.

Joe Kennedy, a former police sergeant and the school districts safety, compliance and employee relations manager, said during the discussion that most of the violent incidents in schools nowadays are internet driven.

He mentioned the TikTok Challenges that occurred earlier in the school year, including one involving students at Cloonan using their hands to imitate firing a gun directed at a camera.

Kids are gravitating to the social media and its overwhelming from a teaching standpoint, he said.

Tate said that about 10 to 15 percent of the total school population, which is about 630 students, have been involved in fighting incidents this year. Thats about 63 to 95 students.

He also told parents to be on top of how their children are using their phones.

You should be monitoring that cell phone as closely as you can, Tate said. Because many of these things start in chats that are occurring over the weekend or at night after school and then get followed up when theyre in school.

If we could get them all to leave their phones at home  it would help significantly, he told parents.

The beginning of the school year, when students returned to buildings full-time for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, was marked with multiple fights at the citys high schools.

According to police, about 20 students were arrested over the first six weeks or so of the school year.

Tate said the student attack at Cloonan was not a random incident, in an effort to alleviate concerns from the school community.

You dont need to worry about your child going to the bathroom and suddenly being jumped, he said. However, they could walk in to other students fighting, which in itself is traumatic enough and we dont want happening.

He also said the school has implemented some changes this school year in anticipation of the challenges of having students back inside school buildings after two years of having their education disrupted.

One change is a 24-camera system that will be up and running in the coming days, he said.

Were trying to monitor what students are doing as theyre moving about the building, he said.

The district also funded positions called restorative student support facilitators at all middle schools this school year precisely to deal with students social and emotional well being, he said. Part of that work is establishing deeper relationships with students.

If every student comes into the building and has at least one adult with whom they have a trusting relationship, thats someone they can go to in a time of need or in a concern, Tate said. Then they are more likely to do so and avoid negative situations like resorting to fighting with another student.

Maya Donald, the mother of a kindergarten student at Hart Elementary School  only a few yards away from Cloonan  said she saw multiple police cars when she took her child to school the day of the fight.

Arresting a seventh grader is super traumatic, she said.

Tate said that while students were arrested, a lot of work has taken place behind the scenes.

What you do not see is the work we are doing with those students after the fact, he said, later adding, We do not simply have students arrested and then walk away and thats the end of it.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com
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Vice President Kamala Harris urged graduates of Tennessee State University on Saturday to apply their leadership skills to help tackle the multitude of challenges posed by an unsettled world.

In her undergraduate commencement speech at the historically Black university in Nashville, Harris said the Class of 2022 stands on the brink of a new frontier, pointing to the prospects of more breakthroughs in technology and medical research.

But with war raging in Ukraine, the risks from climate change and basic freedoms under threat in the United States, graduates are stepping off into an uncertain future, she said.

The vice president also stressed her connection to the Tennessee State graduates as a fellow graduate of another historically Black university. She recalled seeing Howard University, her alma mater, the first time she flew on the vice presidential helicopter. While reminiscing about her time as a student, she said it reinforced the realization that I could be anything, do anything, even if it had never been done before  like you.

Harris  the first female U.S. vice president, and the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent in the role  received a rousing welcome from the commencement crowd.

While the graduates are entering a world "full of possibility, the vice president also pointed to a series of challenges threatening fundamental principles across the globe and in the United States.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens international rules and norms," Harris said. In the U.S., she pointed to the need to protect voting rights and women's rights.

You graduate into an unsettled world both abroad and here at home," Harris said. In the United States, we are once again forced to defend fundamental principles that we hoped were long settled, she said. "Principles like the freedom to vote, the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies. Even what constitutes the truth, especially in an era when anyone can post anything online and claim it is a fact.

Harris pointed to roiling issues like climate change that have accelerated and other problems that have long persisted -- disparities in wealth, access to health care and in the criminal justice system.

And graduates, I look at this unsettled world and yes, I then see the challenges," she said. "But Im here to tell you, I also see the opportunities. The opportunities for your leadership.

In stressing their potential, she told the graduates that they survived a global pandemic and have the advantage of growing up in the digital age.

There is no limit to your capacity for greatness and there is no obstacle you cannot overcome," she said. "And there is no barrier you cannot break.
STRATFORD  Teachers will rally outside Town Hall Monday and are asking residents to join them in urging officials to increase school spending in next years budget or face serious consequences in the form of layoffs, program cuts, or worse.

In a May 4 letter to teachers obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, Superintendent Uyi Osunde said the significant reduction measures (which were hoping is not probable) but could include a consideration of a school closure.

In March, Mayor Laura Hoydick outlined a budget proposal for 2022-23 that included a 2.5 percent increase for the Board of Education, short of the 4.57 percent it asked for in its budget proposal. In total, the school board had sought a $125.7 million budget, but Hoydick proposed allocating just under $123.2 million.

Osunde did not respond to a message seeking comment Saturday.

In an email, Board of Education Chair Andrea Corcoran did not comment directly on the possibility of a school closing, but said the mayors budget proposal is gravely concerning.

Every staff member in each of our buildings is an important piece of our educational puzzle; losing even one of them  let alone many  could have real impacts on our students success, Corcoran said.

Mike Fiorello, president of the Stratford Education Association, the union which represents the towns public school teachers, posted a call to action on the SEA Facebook page noting possible scenarios of staff cuts and a school closing asking others to join him on the lawn outside Town Hall at 5 p.m. Monday, in advance of the Town Councils monthly meeting.

Reached by phone Saturday, Fiorello said the superintendents inclusion of a possible school closing in the letter to educators came as a surprise.

We all knew that if the Town Council approves what the mayor proposed as a budget, thered be layoffs of teachers, administrators, and non-certified staff, he said. I was surprised by the possibility of a school closure.

Fiorello said he doesnt know how much of a possibility a school closure would be. Prior school administrations  Osunde was hired in Stratford last year  have discussed closing one of the towns elementary schools, with the Franklin, Lordship, Nichols, and Wilcoxson among those discussed in the past.

In the May 4 letter to teachers, the superintendent said the mayors budget proposal raises significant concerns, and that school officials would begin having informal conversations with teachers and other staff who could be impacted.

Stressing that the districts cost reduction scenarios are still in proposal state, Osunde wrote that it is important to note that despite the scenarios we have constructed and in order to reduce and have a reasonable chance at running an effective academic program for Stratford students in the next academic year, we still recognize that we are approximately $1 million away from the 2.5% town appropriation.

This hard truth now requires us to look at significant reduction measures (which were hoping is not probable) but could include a consideration of a school closure, the superintendents letter said.

Fiorello also expressed concern about an amendment to the state budget recently approved by lawmakers that would exempt the town from the minimum budget requirement mandating towns not decrease local spending on schools year over year.

The union is worried that will use additional state funds the town anticipates receiving due to its recent designation as a low-performing Alliance District as a means to reduce local spending on schools.

Its concerning because the proposal (from the mayor) is for a 2.5 percent increase over last year, Fiorello said. If this goes into effect, it could be zero or less than zero.

We were placed on the Alliance District list because of performance indicators, he said. Spending less is not going to make things better. We need to invest in students and schools in order to make things better for the school system.

Hoydick did not respond to a message seeking comment Saturday.

The Town Councils Ordinance Committee is expected to consider the mayors budget proposal Monday, with the full council scheduled to take up the budget at a meeting Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
After considering several worthy possible recipients, the young members of Generation Impact voted last month to give a $10,000 grant to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Stamford.

They made the decision April 12 at the Arch Street Teen Center in Greenwich as part of their Big Give event. This was the groups fourth grant, and it will fund support groups at the crisis center that will facilitated by a professional counselor. The groups will be for youth ages 6 to 17 who have been exposed to domestic violence with a goal of helping them with self-esteem, coping strategies and social skills.

Generation Impact Fairfield County is a program for high school girls to learn about the needs in the community and work together to make an impact. They also met at the Teen Center in February to choose four finalists from a pool of 32 applicants.

Each member of Generation Impact donated $100 to make the $10,000 grant possible.

Using funds from donations from members and friends, the group also awarded grants of $2,500 each to the other three finalists: Filling in the Blanks in Norwalk, which fights childhood hunger; Shepherds Inc., a Bridgeport-based educational nonprofit; and the Stamford Museum & Nature Center.

Each of the nonprofits made a final presentation about the impact of their work on youth in the community.

By getting to this final stage in Generation Impacts grant process, all four organizations are worthy of winning our $10,000. There are no wrong decisions, said Mia Juneja, co-president of Generation Impact and a senior at Greenwich Academy.

We are so grateful to receive this grant from Generation Impact, said Suzanne Adam, DVCCs executive director. This funding will provide much-needed support for children who have experienced the trauma of domestic violence. The youth support groups play a critical role in the healing process. This grant will help change lives today and build healthier communities for future generations.

Previous grant winners include Bridgeport Hospital, the Open Door Shelter in Norwalk and Building One Community in Stamford. For more information on Generation Impact, visit www.generationimpact.org.

Riverside

The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes has set a goal to collect $12,600 in donations to help feed 36,000 refugees who fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion and are living in neighboring Poland.

The parish is also seeking more than 200 volunteers to help with a meal packathon from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 14 in the church hall. Children can take part if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Volunteers will help package 36,000 meals for the Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

The work will include unpacking vans filled with the supplies, constructing boxes and then filling those boxes with food items for the refugees. For maximum efficiency, the packing will be done in an assembly line style at several tables that will be set up inside the hall.

According to the church, the financial donations can go a long way. Just 35 cents can pay for one meal, or $3.50 for 10 meals and $35 for 100 meals. That means donations of $350 can cover the cost of 1,000 meals and $3,5000 provides 10,000 meals for refugees.

To make a donation to the parishs efforts, visit www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a49acab2aa0f85-ukraine. Volunteers can also sign up there to take part in the packathon.

The church is located at 4 Riverside Avenue in Riverside, just off the Post Road.

Greenwich

The deadline in a contest for young artists in Greenwich to design a new logo for the town Department of Human Services has been extended to May 20.

The goal of the contest is to create an easily recognizable logo that can be used to raise the visibility of the department and its services as well as highlight the support that the department provides through community partnerships, organizers said.

The winning artist will receive a $250 Amazon gift card or cards. If two artists submit the winning entry jointly, the prize can be split. The contest is open to students living in town ages 5 to 19.

The winning logo may be used in any media, including online, in print, on merchandise and in other ways. An individual or a team can create a logo, but everyone is limited to no more than two entries.

All entries will be evaluated on relevance, originality and aesthetic quality.

Commissioner of Human Services Demetria Nelson said she is looking for a logo that will differentiate the department within the community.

Its current logo was designed about six months ago and was always meant to be a temporary logo, Nelson said. The department intended to replace it with one created by a young resident, she said.

GDHS provides a variety of direct services and collaborates with area partners to meet the needs of our residents, Nelson said. By displaying the new logo online, in print, and the like, I want the community to be able to easily associate these initiatives with GDHS and the town.

To get an entry form, visit www.greenwichct.gov/1679/Department-of-Human-Services-Logo-Design. Each submission requires a separate form.

All entries will become the property of the Department of Human Services.

Backcountry

The Round Hill Community Church will hold a special Concert for Ukraine at 7 p.m. May 13.

The concerts goal is to celebrate the music, culture and indomitable spirit of Ukraine and to stand together with Ukrainians who are fighting for the right to live freely on their own land, to choose their own destiny and to uphold the democratic ideals that the civilized world holds dear, organizers said.

It will include international music covering several genres, with performances from Ukrainian artists Stefan Szkafarowsky of the Metropolitan Opera, Irena Portenko on piano, countertenor Jeffrey Palmer, violinist Inessa Tymochko Dekajlo, and the Duet Malvy performing on the national instrument of Ukraine, the bandura. Additional artists will include soprano Risa Renae Harman, tenor Dustin Lucas, bass Scott Tomlinson, and musicians of the Greenwich Chamber Players.

All of the performers have donated their time and talent to the event. The proceeds will go to the World Central Kitchen and Razom for Ukraine, which send humanitarian aid to Ukraine and to refugees who have fled.

Speaking on behalf of the Round Hill Community Church family, the soloists here at Round Hill are grateful to be able to share in this concert supporting the Ukrainian people, Harman said. When the world goes askew and events seem unfathomable, music is the gift that brings us together and reminds us that we are part of the global community. This concert is dedicated to the brave people of Ukraine with prayers for peace.

Portekno, director of the Music in the Alps music festival, said, I will be playing for all those who were displaced; who lost their loved ones; for those who are wounded yet wish they could go back to the battlefield; for the volunteers who risk everything to help; for my classmates and friends who left the comfort of their homes to defend their land and families; for my musicians and colleagues whose professional lives have stopped, if only for a short while.

And, I play for my own family to stay alive. he said.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at www.roundhillcommunitychurch.org. The church is located at 395 Round Hill Road.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
Amid fears of a wave of foreclosures, Connecticut has set up a fund to provide homeowners up to $30,000 to help cover mortgage payments and other costs of owning a home.

The new MyHomeCT program draws from $123 million in funding steered to the state Department of Housing under the American Rescue Plan authorized by Congress. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority will process applications and disbursements.

Last year, CHFA ran multiple pilot versions of the MyHomeCT program, which drew about 550 applications, according to the authoritys annual report. Just over 340 homeowners were approved for a combined $4.7 million, each averaging nearly $14,000, in the 2021 pilot program.

The $123 million could be stretched to as many as 4,100 homeowners who get approved for the full $30,000 over 12 months.

Under MyHomeCT, homeowners can apply for up to $30,000 to get caught up on their mortgages or make future payments, with the state reimbursing debtors directly rather than funneling the money to applicants. The money can also be used for municipal real estate taxes, homeowners and flood insurance, water and sewer liens and condo association fees.

To qualify, homeowners must demonstrate they are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility is restricted to those making 150 percent or less of the median household income for their area. For a family of four in Stamford, that would equate to just over $225,000, according to a CHFA calculator online. For families in Hartford, New Haven or Stonington, the threshold would be about $155,000.

Lenders initiated nearly 1,300 foreclosure actions in the state during the first three months of this year, as tracked by the Connecticut Fair Housing Council. The state ranked 12th nationally for its rate of foreclosures, which Attom Data Solutions calculated at one foreclosure action for every 5,397 properties  less than half the rate of New Jersey, which leads the nation.

According to Attom, as of March, Connecticut had the fifth-longest time span of any state for lenders to complete foreclosures, at about four-and-a-half years on average. As an outcome of the Great Recession more than a decade ago, the Connecticut General Assembly mandated that lenders enter third-party mediation with borrowers before commencing foreclosure seizures.

As of last week, about 150 foreclosure properties were scheduled for auctions this month, according to the Connecticut Judiciary Branch. New Haven and Hartford each had the most with a dozen homes nearing auction, while Waterbury had nine and Stamford had six.

Properties that have been subjected to foreclosure run the gamut, from a modest Winchester home that last sold in 2009 for $118,000, to a six-bedroom Greenwich home that was listed for $6 million this year and is now under contract to be sold before getting to auction, according to an agent representing the owner.

Renters have been hit harder than homeowners during the pandemic. In February, the state Department of Housing stopped taking new applications for its UniteCT rental assistance program after more than 38,000 households shared $400 million under the program.

The Connecticut Fair Housing Center tracked more than 8,500 rental eviction notices statewide last year.

Eligibility criteria for the homeowner assistance program can be found online or by calling 877-894-4111.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
China-aided borehole project boosts water access in eastern Rwanda

Xinhua) 17:03, May 07, 2022

Chinese staff members check the water quality of a borehole in Gatsibo district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 11, 2022. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

KIGALI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought.

In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source.

Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people.

Residents in several districts in the province said in separate interviews with Xinhua that potable water needs are no longer a problem in their localities.

Residents in the above-mentioned Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, now have access to a solar-powered borehole, which provides clean and safe water.

At GS Rwinkwavu school, also one of the beneficiaries, administrators said the newly installed borehole will help them achieve their education goals.

"This project came at the right time to address a serious water problem. Besides being free, the water flows easily unlike the hand borehole. It has helped students as well as teachers and neighbors. We are excited about it," said Magnifique Habimana, the head teacher of GS Rwinkwavu.

He recalled that bathing, washing clothes and general hygiene maintenance were challenging at school before the solar-driven borehole was drilled.

"It was a very big inconvenience to the school in terms of sanitation and running costs," said Habimana. "Our only option was to hire people to fetch water for cooking and drinking. But this was not sustainable, it was a costly option."

The school's sanitation and hygiene standards have now improved with the new water source, which has a designed capacity of serving 600 people, said Habimana. "We thank the Chinese government for maintaining cooperation with Rwanda which enabled the implementation of this water project. With this water, we can do farming activities for all seasons because we have water to irrigate the crops."

Prosper Manikuze, the standards and quality control specialist in Rwanda's Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), who has closely followed the project, said the contractors have delivered quality work.

"I appreciate the quality of this project because the contractors took an initiative to install standard borehole handles and heads. The mixing of cement ratio was also good for concrete works. It was built with strong materials," he said.

Manikuze said GS Rwinkwavu previously had no water as a manual borehole in place was not functional, but even though it was working it would not satisfy the high water demand. "With the solar-powered borehole facility at the school, there will be no students missing school anymore to go and fetch water which we hope will boost education standards," he said.

Clarisse Uwera, a resident of Murambi in Gatsibo district, also in East Province, said getting water for drinking, cooking and washing clothes at her home has been eased. "Before it was a challenge. The newly installed water source benefits many people, about 300 people in this village. I'm very thankful to have access to this borehole. There is no need to worry anymore about water."

Jean Damascene Harelimana, the vice mayor of Kayonza district in charge of social affairs, said the newly installed boreholes will positively impact the health and wellbeing of many people.

"We are all happy about the water project. We are also happy about the cooperation of Rwanda and China which leads to an extension of services to people," he said.

Lack of access to clean water increases the risk of outbreaks of waterborne disease, including acute watery diarrhea and diseases such as cholera.

Diarrheal disease, often caused by bacteria ingested through contaminated food or water, is the second leading cause of death in children under five, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Chen Jinke, the manager of the Chinese borehole drilling project, said the boreholes are well protected and the impact is good.

The wells are installed with chlorination systems to keep the water clean and ready to drink, and solar wells are built in places with a high concentration of people such as markets and schools, according to Chen.

"The boreholes using solar energy are good since Rwanda has good sunshine intensity which can meet the conditions of using solar wells. Compared with the manual system, the solar borehole can ensure reliable water supply to the surrounding villages," he explained.

Reisdents fetch water from a borehole in Gatsibo district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 11, 2022. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

Photo taken on April 28, 2022 shows a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

Students fetch water from a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 28, 2022. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

Photo taken on April 28, 2022 shows a solar panel of a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Kelly Sullivan is grateful, but she wants answers.

The granddaughter of Albert Sullivan, one of the five Sullivans for whom the Buffalo Naval Park vessel is named, called for transparency and accountability in explaining why the Fletcher-class destroyer partially sank in the Buffalo River.

"I think there's a call for an investigation," said Sullivan, a third-grade teacher in Waterloo, Iowa. "It's been taking on water since the '90s. People don't understand that this is a long time coming."

Sullivan, who said she considers many at the naval park as friends, chose her words carefully in an hourlong conversation from Iowa. She didn't want her gratitude for the recovery operation to be lost among her questions.

"The Sullivan family really appreciates and honors all those who helped in this process," she said. "It was absolutely overwhelming to see so many groups come together  the U.S. Coast Guard, all of these different companies that came from all over the United States to help to get the ship up, to the businesses providing food to the workers. The whole idea of the City of Good Neighbors is extremely true  they definitely showed it in the past few weeks."

After the Sullivans began to list up to 30 degrees starboard from hull breaches on April 13, Sullivan received a deluge of messages. While that's a sign so many people care about the former World War II vessel, the messages haven't all been encouraging.

"I have had people from all over the world, all over the United States calling and texting me about this," Sullivan said. " 'Why did this happen? How did this happen?' Because the Navy people say, 'Well if this is the Navy, someone would have to be accountable for this. That's how they do it in the Navy.' "

Paul J. Marzello Sr., president and CEO of the naval park, noted that the ship's age, weather and deferred maintenance all played a role in what happened.

"Ultimately, she is our responsibility ... her care is an important part of our mission," Marzello added.

While it's not quite that simple  the City of Buffalo technically owns the ship as the recipient of the 1977 U.S. Navy donation  the nonprofit Buffalo Naval Park and its 16-member board of directors are responsible for preserving the military artifacts.

As the Naval Park and BIDCO Marine Group embark on the maintenance and restoration phase  and the rosy prospects of federal money from appeals by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Rep. Brian Higgins  Sullivan is not yet in a celebratory mood.

"It's good that we're getting national recognition for funding to help save the ship, but there's still a sense of wanting to protect  I feel like Mama Bear is coming out," Sullivan said.

Family name

The integrity of the Sullivan family name is paramount to Kelly Sullivan, and she's not just talking about the legacy of the five brothers who died or her great-grandmother Alleta, who christened the USS The Sullivans after learning of her sons' deaths. When Kelly mentions the "Sullivan family," she's talking about scores of people, young and old, across the world.

She's talking about the USS The Sullivans DDG-68, an active-duty ship she sponsors that just completed back-to-back deployments. She's talking about the surviving members of the decommissioned 537 in Buffalo. She's talking about the Tin Can Sailors, who volunteer annually on "Field Days" to keep the Sullivans afloat; the Sullivans Elementary School in Kanagawa, Japan; the Florida-based USS The Sullivans Foundation; and the donors to her Save the Sullivans campaign last year that raised $1 million in about nine months.

"Our job, our goal is that people understand the five Sullivans represent all veterans that served our country," Sullivan said. "Because my family didn't sacrifice more than other families  yes, they lost five men all at once  but there's sacrifice that goes on all the time."

Sullivan admitted her distance from the situation  about 800 miles  has factored into her concerns. She's permitted two personal days from teaching annually; both of this year's have already been used in Buffalo for fundraising endeavors. The Buffalo Naval Park used Zoom to stage a videoconference with Sullivan and her third-grade students when the ship's list improved significantly following patched holes and pumped-out water.

It's unusual that the fate of a decommissioned Buffalo battleship is followed so intensely from Waterloo, Iowa. But even Sullivan's third-graders at Lincoln Elementary are glued to the news coming out of Buffalo.

"They want to watch all the videos," the teacher said. "But to be honest, it's hard for me to watch, I get really sad when I watch the videos, so it's not been something I can watch much."

Money questions

Sullivan has questions about the naval park's finances, too, in how past money was used and how existing and future funds will be allocated. Marzello, the head of the naval park, cited a dearth of resources as a chief issue for why the Sullivans partially sank.

"In the past, proper hull maintenance was deferred for lack of adequate funding," Marzello said in his statement.

Acting in conjunction with the naval park to raise funds to save the ship last year, Sullivan was heartened by the $1 million raised, with large donations from West Herr Automotive and developer Douglas Jemal. But the successful fundraising led her to be peppered with recent questions after the partial sinking. "Why did the ship sink when I just gave this amount of money?" Sullivan said she has been asked frequently.

Marzello said previously that about $300,000 of the $1 million has already been paid to BIDCO Marine Group for work completed by divers last summer and fall  prior to the significant breach three weeks ago, for which the cost of damages has yet to be determined.

BIDCO had to stop its restoration work on the hull in October due to temperatures in the Buffalo River; the two-part epoxy approach requires water temperature around 50 degrees or higher. When discussed in 2018, the epoxy approach was chosen because it was the cheaper and safer alternative to dry docking, Marzello said.

In the six months when BIDCO could not work and the fundraiser money could not be spent on repairs, the ship's condition  and a hull frequently compared to Swiss cheese  further deteriorated.

Sullivan also pointed to the exit of John Branning, the naval park's superintendent of ships for 16 years who reportedly patched more than 20 holes each year to keep the Sullivans upright. A disabled Navy veteran, Branning said Friday that last September he "volunteered to retire to allow the park to find a replacement" and to free up money to do so.

USS The Sullivans is substantially righted and could reopen Memorial Day weekend The current list of the ship varies between .1 and 3 degrees, which is a significant difference from three weeks ago when it was about 20 degrees.

A dearth of experienced applicants, said Branning, who helped in the search, meant the title of "superintendent of ships" soon vanished. That more than 50 holes were found in the hull in the emergency rescue  compared with roughly 20 each year prior  could have illustrated a recent lack of attention, Branning suggested.

"I didn't want the ship to sink on my watch, and it looked like it was moving in that direction," said Branning. He thought when he was on staff, the three or four workers dedicated to maintaining three ships in water was not adequate, given the age, expected lifespan and condition of the ships.

Sullivan said she urges the naval park to be financially transparent in how it spends the remainder of the fundraising money and its donations. As a nonprofit, the naval park's financial reports are available, although specific allocations are less clear.

"You don't know that the ship isn't going to fold," Sullivan said. "If they scrap the ship, then what happens to the million dollars?"

Future worries

Sullivan said there's a difference between requesting an investigation and pointing fingers herself. She values her relationships with the naval park  several members planned to attend the Sullivans Foundation reunion in Iowa in August, she said.

"That's why this has been even harder," Sullivan said. "They are like family to me. I don't know how to address all the concerns that I have, and I don't want to hurt people's feelings, because it's not a personal thing against anyone.

"These ships weren't built to be put in the water for 80 years. I'm concerned about what's happening next, concerned about the process, how it all plays out. It's a very unusual situation to happen  we don't have a lot of ships that do this and sink. Other museum ships, get advice from other ships on how to move forward, the Sullivan family would like to be a part of that."

Still, the future worries her, and not just for USS The Sullivans, but also for the USS Little Rock and USS Croaker submarine in Buffalo. The Buffalo Naval Park, which hopes to reopen to the public by Memorial Day, relies on these three in-water vessels, the visual stars of the waterfront.

"I want to be hopeful that everything is going to be great and she's gonna come back strong  and in typical Sullivans fashion, she will," Sullivan said.

Ben Tsujimoto can be reached at btsujimoto@buffnews.com, at (716) 849-6927 or on Twitter at @Tsuj10.

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One of the memorial houses in western Bihor County, taking the visitor on a trip down memory land, is that of the great man of culture, Iosif Vulcan, located in the center of Oradea, a museum dedicated to the one who, in Pest, in 1865, initiated the first series of the Familia Culture Magazine and is considered the "literary godfather" of Mihai Eminescu.

The house has a history that deserves to be known, says writer Florin Ardelean, being a building declared a historical monument. The building that now houses the Iosif Vulcan Memorial Museum has retained its original, single-storey, L-shaped configuration, and with a small inner courtyard.

"David Busch and Isabella Berger, of Jewish descent, built the house in a neoclassical style, laying its foundation in 1879. The Oradea of the time opened up beautifully to Art Nouveau architecture, after witnessing the emancipation of a great part of the city's Jewish population, as early as 1870. We can say that we are now inaugurating the Golden Age of the city on the Crisul Repede, a cosmopolitan city in a rapid progress of urban, institutional and spiritual development, in the atmosphere of tolerance enjoyed by the different ethnic groups that populated it. In this optimistic environment, dominated by hopes for a common and prosperous future, in fact as legitimate as possible, the Busch-Berger family sells the house on Strada Binecuvantarii, from that time, to the couple Iosif and Aurelia Vulcan," says Florin Ardelean.

The editor of the Familia magazine had just decided to move the editorial office of his magazine to Oradea-Mare, which happened on Easter Sunday, in 1880. The house was bought for 20,000 crowns in 1896, serving as the headquarters of the publication between 1897-1906. Representative names of Romanian writers from those times published in its pages: Vasile Alecsandri, George Cosbuc, Alexandru Vlahuta, Barbu Stefanescu-Delavrancea.

As a more mundane detail, Iosif Vulcan did not pay the amount due for the purchase of the building, but his wife, Aurelia, whose income was possible thanks to the relationship she supposedly had with a bibliophile and collector of antiques, Boloni Sand, by taking care of his old age.

The most important event hosted by the house took place in 1904, when Iosif Vulcan celebrated the 40th anniversary of his magazine. A grand ball, attended by the notables of the city, from the mayor to Hungarian cultural figures, but especially the magazine's contributors and a large number of admirers, including poet Octavian Goga, all paid tribute to a renowned personality of the spiritual life.

"The editor of Familia magazine was a member of the Romanian Academy, leader of ASTRA (Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and Romanian People's Culture) and of the Romanian Theater Fund Society, author of novels, plays and acclaimed translator of Hungarian and French literature. His masterpiece remains, however, the Familia magazine, whose appearance spanned for 42 years, between 1865 and 1906, remains unique in the history of the Romanian cultural press," underlines the professor of journalism, writer Florin Ardelean.

After the death of Iosif Vulcan, on September 8, 1907, Aurelia, his wife, continued to live in the house bought in 1896, until April 1918, when she sold it for 150 thousand crowns to Schreiber Jacob.

But the new owner did not live here much, because at the end of 1919 he sold the house, for the sum of 250 thousand crowns, to a minor, Margit Moskovitz. She lived here until the fateful year 1944, when, being a Jew, she was deported to the camp in Oradea (April), and then, at the end of May, taken by train to Auschwitz, where she was gassed and cremated, having the fate of the almost 28 thousand Jews from Oradea who died in the Holocaust.

After the war, from 1949 to 1959, the Vulcan house was inhabited by the family of doctor Wilhelm Barsonyi, and then, until 1964, it used to be the home of another doctor from Oradea, Octavian Martin. For a short period of time, the house served as the headquarters of the Philological and Historical Society, so that in the autumn of 1964 it opened here, in a first attempt exhibition, still poor, a memorial museum dedicated to Iosif Vulcan.

The year 1965 represents an important milestone in the history of the building. It is about the inauguration of the Iosif Vulcan Memorial Museum, with a permanent exhibition about the life, professional training and activity of the great Romanian writer and patriot, along with three rooms with the furniture that belonged to the Vulcan family.

"The halls of the exhibition present unpublished documents related to the family of Iosif Vulcan, being known that he was a descendant from that of the Romanian Greek-Catholic bishop Samuil Vulcan, who laid, in the time of the Hapsburg Empire, the foundation stone of the Romanian Gymnasium in Beius (1828) and who proved to be a fierce supporter of the Romanian language. Some rooms are reenactments of the living ambience from the era when they lived, including the original furniture that belonged to the family of Iosif Vulcan. A special place in the basic exhibition of the museum institution is occupied by the collegium of the Familia magazine no. 6 from February 25 - March 9, 1866, where he signs under the name of Mihai Eminescu the one who until then was called Eminovici, with the poem 'De-as avea...' / If I had...," said art critic Aurel Chiriac.

After the death of her husband, Aurelia sold most of the furniture to Liviu Lazar, the son of Aurel Lazar, the one in whose house was drafted, on October 12, 1918, the Declaration of self-determination of the Romanians in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Museum of Tara Crisurilor (Land of the Cris Rivers) has rebuilt this furniture and brought it from Cluj to Oradea, thus restoring the interiors of the Vulcan house and finalizing the arrangement of the rooms that now make up the museum circuit. This furniture is specific to a family of intellectuals from the end of the 19th century, with a good material condition, containing Renaissance and Rococo style tables, armchairs, the work desk of the writer Iosif Vulcan, family photos, paintings, vases, a secretaire, terracotta stoves, mirrors and carpets of epoch, a pendulum, other Jugendstil and Biedermeier pieces.

The former director of the Peasants' Museum Aurel Chiriac reveals that the museum still owns a warehouse where it is prepared for a future exhibition pieces of furniture recently purchased from the descendants of Iosif Vulcan.

From 1965 until now, the building that houses the museum has been rehabilitated on several occasions, offering the visiting public a more faithful image of the house where they lived, more than 120 years ago, Iosif and Aurelia Vulcan.
There were no applications for asylum from Ukrainian citizen recorded in our country in the last 24 hours, with the occupancy rate in the accommodation centres of the General Inspectorate for Immigration being 61.5pct, informs a press release of the Ministry of Interior on Saturday.

"No Ukrainian citizen has applied for asylum in our country in the last 24 hours. Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, 4,345 Ukrainian citizens have applied for asylum in Romania. They enjoy all the rights provided by the national law. Also, starting with March 22, 2022, and until now, 17,465 residence permits have been issued for the beneficiaries of temporary protection, 889 of which have been granted in the last 24 hours. Right now, the occupancy rate in the accommodation centres of the General Inspectorate for Immigration is 61.5pct," reads the same press release.

Regarding the traffic through the border crossing points, 21,046 means of transport and 80,741 people entered our country in the last 24 hours, of whom 8,072 were Ukrainian citizens. AGERPRES
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Saturday sent a message on the occasion of the Day of the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), stating that, 32 years after its establishment, SPP successfully manages all the missions entrusted to it, benefiting from the trust of the Romanian institutions, as well as those of the NATO or EU member states.

"The day of the Protection and Guard Service is a good opportunity to express our appreciation and respect for the professionalism of the specialists of this essential structure of the national security system. Celebrating its 32nd anniversary today, the SPP Romania successfully manages all the missions entrusted to it, benefiting from the trust of the Romanian institutions, as well as those of the NATO or EU member states," the PM says.

Nicolae Ciuca underscored that the process of modernization and permanent adjustment to the challenges it has to manage, corroborated with the dedication of the professionals from the Protection and Guard Service, ensures the perspective of further strengthening this elite structure of the Romanian state. AGERPRES
A review process leading to a plan to reconnect predominantly Black neighborhoods on the East Side and restore Humboldt Parkway by covering a portion of the Kensington Expressway will be done faster than usual, Rep. Brian Higgins said Friday.

The Federal Highway Administration has agreed to fast-track the federally required environmental review Gov. Kathy Hochul initiated in January, the congressman said. That sets a goal to complete the study quicker than the three and even four years it typically takes to produce a plan for major transportation projects.

One idea offered by Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes is to put a deck over the portion of the highway between Best and East Ferry streets, with a scrubbing system to filter the air.

Hochul last month announced $1 billion in federal and state funds would be used for the project.

East Side scores $164 million in state funding: 'Tables have completely turned' The extraordinary flow of state dollars to the East Side is exciting and long overdue, said Monica Pellegrino Faix, executive director of the Central Terminal Restoration Corp.

The state has set aside $30 million to pay for the state Department of Transportation-led study, with a public meeting expected as soon as next month.

Community leaders and politicians gathered Friday to bask in the glow of the announcement, including Peoples-Stokes, Higgins, State Sen. Tim Kennedy and Mayor Byron Brown.

"As the elected officials, we expect them to bring home the bacon, right? They brought home the bacon, the grits, the eggs  and all the rest of it," said Stephanie Geter, president of Restore Our Community Coalition.

The organization began trying to convince lawmakers a dozen years ago to address the lingering hurt caused by the expressway.

Geter said she was still trying to get her head around what the $1 billion investment will mean in disinvested East Side neighborhoods.

"When you think of this investment in a community that everyone walked away from, this is a big deal," Geter said. "It's not just the money, but what it will start to trigger in the hearts and minds of the people who live here."

Geter said she hopes the project will rekindle central business districts and boost housing.

"This is seen rightly by many as a way to correct past injustices for communities of color that primarily reside in the neighborhoods the highway has severed," Peoples-Stokes said. "We are eliminating barriers that will be a significant step toward reunifying neighborhoods in our city and healing decades-old wounds."

Peoples-Stokes, who has championed this project for years, said the investment will offer "transformational opportunities."

"Have you ever seen a billion dollars invested in an area where Black people live?" she said.

Kennedy, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, offered a bold prediction.

"I'm very proud that the community was heard finally, and they are going to see decades of advocacy realized in a project not only in their lifetime but in this decade," Kennedy said. "We're going to see shovels in the ground in the next couple of years, and I can't wait to see that day happen."

Higgins, who helped deliver federal infrastructure dollars for the Kensington project, noted that other U.S. cities are also planning to use the funds to right historic wrongs.

"This idea of building an expressway that obliterated neighborhoods is a national problem, but it's no more acute than it is here in Buffalo," Higgins said.

He said Frederick Law Olmsted built a park system with six parks along with seven parkways "because those parks, unless they were accessible to all, didn't have the highest and best benefit to a community. So this community was denied, as Olmsted used to say, the healing power of parks  the abundance of sunshine, the abundance of fresh air."

The announcement to restore Humboldt Parkway during Olmsted's 200th anniversary "was by far the most incredible birthday present ever," said Stephanie Crockatt, executive director of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.

The mayor said that for the community to fully benefit, housing and employment opportunities need to occur.

"We want to make sure the people who live around the Kensington Expressway benefit from the damage that was done when the expressway was installed," Brown said. "That is what this is all about  undoing a more than 60-year inequity that damaged a community, that damaged a people, and restoring the community that was damaged."

The press event was held in front of the north facade of the Buffalo Museum of Science, where repair work to restore the once grand stairs, just like the once grand parkway, is expected to begin in the near future.

Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News.

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HAVANA (AP)  A powerful explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak killed at least 22 people, including a child, and injured dozens Friday when it blew away outer walls from a luxury hotel in the heart of Cubas capital.

No tourists were staying at Havana's 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations, Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma.

It's not a bomb or an attack. It is a tragic accident, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who visited the site, said in a tweet.

Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, told reporters that at least 74 people had been injured. Among them were 14 children, according to a tweet from Diaz-Canel's office.

Diaz-Canel said families in buildings near the hotel affected by the explosion had been transferred to safer locations.

Cuban state TV reported the explosion was caused by a truck that had been supplying natural gas to the hotel, but did not provide details on how the gas ignited. A white tanker truck was seen being removed from the site as rescue workers hosed it down with water.

The blast sent smoke billowing into the air around the hotel with people on the street staring in awe, one saying Oh my God, and cars honking their horns as they sped away from the scene, video showed. It happened as Cuba is struggling to revive its key tourism sector that was devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cuba's national health minister, Jose Angel Portal, told The Associated Press the number of injured could rise as the search continues for people who may be trapped in the rubble of the 19th century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood of the city.

We are still looking for a large group of people who may be under the rubble, Lt. Col. Noel Silva of the Fire Department said.

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated. Garcia said five of the students suffered minor injuries.

Police cordoned off the area as firefighters and rescue workers toiled inside the wreckage of the emblematic hotel about 110 yards (100 meters) from Cubas Capitol building.

The hotel was first renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban government's revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban military's tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not immediately respond to an email seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

The Hotel Saratoga has been used frequently by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there during a 2013 visit to Cuba.

Photographer Michel Figueroa said he was walking past the hotel when the explosion threw me to the ground, and my head still hurts.... Everything was very fast.

Worried relatives of people who had been working at the hotel showed up at a hospital in the afternoon to look for them. Among them was Beatriz Cespedes Cobas, who was tearfully searching for her sister.

She had to work today. She is a housekeeper, she said. I work two blocks away. I felt the noise, and at first, I didnt even associate" the explosion with the hotel.

Yazira de la Caridad said the explosion shook her home a block from the hotel: The whole building moved. I thought it was an earthquake.

Besides the pandemic's impact on Cuba's tourism sector, the country was already struggling with the sanctions imposed by the former U.S. President Donald Trump that have been kept in place the Biden administration. The sanctions limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the U.S. to their families in Cuba.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine crimped a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

The explosion happened as Cuba's government hosted the final day of a tourism convention in the iconic beach town of Varadero aimed at drawing investors.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is scheduled to arrive in Havana for a visit late Saturday and Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the visit would still take place.

Mayiee Perez said she rushed to the hotel after receiving a call from her husband, Daniel Serra, who works at a foreign exchange shop inside the hotel.

She said he told her: I am fine, I am fine. They got us out. But she was unable to reach him after that.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
PHOENIX (AP)  Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Friday limiting the ability of his successor to tap into the emergency powers that he used for more than two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The measure, which won't take effect until Ducey leaves office, is one of several bills moving in the Legislature to prevent future state and local leaders from using some of the public health tools that enraged conservatives who thought Ducey went too far in restricting the rights of individuals and business owners.

Public health experts, on the other hand, complained that Ducey was far too timid in controlling the spread of the virus, ended restrictions abruptly and allowed disease cases and hospitalizations to skyrocket multiple times.

Ducey has described his management of the pandemic as a nuanced approach that angered people on both sides but limited the number of job losses.

The bill signed Friday put limits on the governors authority to declare a public health emergency, which opens broad powers to spend money and impose emergency restrictions on people and businesses. After 120 days, the governor would have to get approval from the Legislature to continue the emergency declaration, and lawmakers would have to approve its extension every 30 days.

Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, a Scottsdale Republican who introduced the bill, has said Duceys emergency powers have been misused and abused.

Ducey last year signed a budget bill that included similar provisions, but they were later thrown out when the Arizona Supreme Court ruled lawmakers cant stuff the budget with policies unrelated to the states spending plan.

Duceys emergency declaration has been in place for nearly two years, though his restrictive orders have expired. Now, the emergency declaration allows him to prohibit local governments from closing businesses or enacting their own mask or vaccine mandates.

Another measure nearing a final vote in the Legislature would prohibit government agencies, including courts and schools, from requiring people to wear masks in their facilities. The only exceptions are institutions, such as Maricopa County's hospital, that have longstanding infection control measures unrelated to COVID-19.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will deliver the main address at Brown University commencement exercises later this month when the Ivy League college honors not only members of this year's graduating class, but also the Class of 2020, the school announced Friday.

The California Democrat is one of nine people scheduled to receive an honorary degree during the three-day commencement weekend May 27 to 29.

Pelosi will deliver a commencement oration on May 29.

A Brown tradition since 1769, the annual presentation of honorary degrees offers our community the chance to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds, President Christina Paxson said in a statement. Having made tremendous impacts in government, public health, the arts, global affairs, science and technology, and more, this years distinguished recipients offer a superb example to our newest graduates.

In addition to Pelosi, Brown will confer honorary degrees on Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; recording artist and former U.S. Marine, Shaggy; former Rhode Island Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott; economist and Nobel Laureate Guido Imbens; Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson; Brown benefactors Alice and Thomas Tisch; and technology scholar Zeynep Tufekc.

The university is holding a dedicated ceremony for 2020 graduates on May 28 because they missed their in-person commencement because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shaggy, who was born Orville Richard Burrell, will deliver the keynote speech.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
HAVANA (AP)  Relatives of the missing in Cubas capital desperately searched Saturday for victims of an explosion at one of Havana's most luxurious hotels that killed at least 27 people. They checked the morgue, hospitals and if unsuccessful, they returned to the partially collapsed Hotel Saratoga, where rescuers used dogs to hunt for survivors.

A natural gas leak was the apparent cause of Fridays blast at the 96-room hotel. The 19th-century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood did not have any guests at the time because it was undergoing renovations ahead of a planned Tuesday reopening after being closed for two years during the pandemic.

On Saturday evening, Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, raised the death toll to 27 with 81 people injured. The dead included four children and a pregnant woman. Spain's President Pedro Sanchez said via Twitter that a Spanish tourist was among the dead and that another Spaniard was seriously injured.

Cuban authorities confirmed the tourists death and said her partner was injured. They were not staying at the hotel. Tourism Minister Dalila Gonzalez said a Cuban-American tourist was also injured.

Representatives of Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA, which owns the hotel, said during a news conference Saturday that 51 workers had been inside the hotel at the time, as well as two people working on renovations. Of those, 11 were killed, 13 remained missing and six were hospitalized.

Gonzalez said the cause of the blast was still under investigation, but a large crane hoisted a charred gas tanker from the hotel's rubble early Saturday.

Search and rescue teams worked through the night and into Saturday, using ladders to descend through the rubble and twisted metal into the hotels basement as heavy machinery gingerly moved away piles of the buildings facade to allow access. Above, chunks of drywall dangled from wires, desks sat seemingly undisturbed inches from the void where the front of the building cleaved away.

At least one survivor was found early Saturday in the shattered ruins, and rescuers using search dogs clambered over huge chunks of concrete looking for more. Relatives of missing people remained at the site while others gathered at hospitals where the injured were being treated.

A desperate Yatmara Cobas stood outside the perimeter waiting for word of her daughter, 27-year-old housekeeper Shaidis Cobas.

My daughter is in the Saratoga; shes been there since 8 a.m. (Friday), and at this time I dont know anything about her, Cobas said. Shes not at the morgue, shes not in the hospital. The mother said she had gone everywhere seeking answers from authorities, but coming up empty.

Im tired of the lies, she said.

Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata said Saturday evening that 19 families have reported loved ones missing and that rescue efforts would continue.

Lt. Col. Enrique Pena briefed Comandante Ramiro Valdes, who fought alongside Fidel Castro, on the search efforts at the site. Pena said the presence of people had been detected on the first floor and in the basement and four teams of search dogs and handlers were working. He did not know if the victims were alive or dead.

I dont want to move from here, Cristina Avellar told The Associated Press near the hotel.

Avellar was waiting for news of Odalys Barrera, a 57-year-old cashier who has worked at the hotel for five years. She is the godmother of Barreras daughters and considers her like a sister.

Neighbors were still in shock a day after the explosion.

I thought it was a bomb, said Guillermo Madan, a 73-year-old retiree, who lives just meters from the building, but was not injured. The three-decade resident of the neighborhood was cooking and watching television when he heard the blast. My room moved from here to there. My neighbors window broke, the plates, everything.

Katerine Marrero, 31, was shopping at the time. I left the store, I felt the explosion, she said. Everyone started to run.

The explosion is another blow to the countrys crucial tourism industry.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic kept tourists away from Cuba, the country was struggling with tightened sanctions imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and kept in place the Biden administration. Those limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the U.S. to their families in Cuba.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine deflated a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated.

The emblematic hotel had a stunning view of Cuba's center, including the domed Capitol building about 110 yards (100 meters) away. The Capitol suffered broken glass and damaged masonry from the explosion.

The hotel was renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban governments revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban militarys tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not respond to an email from the AP seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

In the past, the Hotel Saratoga has been used by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there in 2013.

Garcia Zapata said structures adjacent to the hotel were being evaluated, including two badly damaged apartment buildings. Diaz-Canel said families in affected buildings had been transferred to safer locations.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador arrived in Havana for a visit late Saturday. He was scheduled to meet with Diaz Canel Sunday morning and return to Mexico Sunday night.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
FRIDAY, May 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Supply chain issues around the world are fueling a shortage of baby formula -- and the problem is only getting worse.

About 40 percent of the top-selling baby formula products were out of stock during the week ending April 24 in the United States, CBS News reported. That is an increase from just 11 percent in November and still a large bump from 31 percent on April 3.

In some states, shortages were more severe, including Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota, which had shortages of 50 percent or more; Missouri at 52 percent; Texas at 53 percent; and Tennessee at 54 percent. Between 40 and 50 percent of baby formula products were out of stock in 26 states.

Three-quarters of babies in the United States receive some formula products within their first six months of life, so this affects many families. At issue is trouble getting key ingredients, problems with packaging, labor shortages, and a formula recall early this year.

Among the causes was a widespread recall in February of Abbott Nutrition powdered baby formula products amid reports of illnesses in babies. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to use any of the recalled products manufactured at the Abbott Nutrition Michigan facility because of unclean conditions.

Stores have been limiting sales of the products in response to the shortages. A Walgreens spokesperson said the chain limits customers to three infant and toddler formula products during each transaction, the same number cited by CVS Health. Target is limiting customers to four products, CBS News reported.

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
Updated at noon Saturday with more information.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY  An 89-year-old woman died Friday afternoon after crossing over the center lane and crashing head-on into another car.

Police said Sylvia Twigger was driving a Nissan Rogue eastbound on Reavis Barracks Road and was in the turn lane to northbound Lemay Ferry Road when she crossed over the center lane into oncoming traffic.

Her car collided with a westbound Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a 58-year-old man, police said. The crash happened around 4 p.m.

Twigger was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police said it is possible she suffered a medical event that caused the accident.

The man was treated at a hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Twigger lived in the 9700 block of Jackie Lane in Green Park, a municipality in south St. Louis County.

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BENTON, Ill.  A math professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale was convicted Wednesday in federal court in connection to concealing funding from China and employment with a university there.

Mingqing Xiao, 60, was convicted of three counts of making a false or fraudulent statement to the Internal Revenue Service on his tax returns and one count of failure to file a report of a foreign bank account.

The court dismissed two additional charges against Xiao of wire fraud and he was also found not guilty of a false statement charge.

The indictment accused the Makanda, Illinois, resident of fraudulently obtaining $151,099 in National Science Foundation grant money by failing to disclose an existing grant from and a grant application to the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province. He also didn't disclose that he was on the payroll of Shenzhen University, prosecutors said.

There are foreign entities that exploit American universities and grant agencies, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft wrote in a statement after the verdict. To guard against this abuse, the National Science Foundation (NSF) requires grant applicants to disclose any conflicting activities, including foreign activities, as a condition of receiving federal funding. Further, all U.S. citizens are obligated to disclose any foreign bank accounts they may have.

Xiao could be sentenced to prison and charged hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 11.
Those who already own homes in Western New York must be counting every square foot of their blessings, because there has never been a worse time to house hunt. In a red-hot sellers market, most area listings are gone within two weeks  purchased by new owners for asking price or higher.

The situation is mirrored nationwide; housing availability is at near-record lows throughout the U.S. The obvious solution? We need more housing stock. Ideally, it should be located where infrastructure exists to serve it; avoiding unsustainable sprawl and excessive strain on utility grids that were never meant to accommodate dense residential development.

Even more important, Buffalo cant attract and retain a talented young workforce  which prefers urban living  if home ownership is out of reach.

For those reasons and others, its important to see more housing infill within city limits. While some neighborhoods offer relatively few gaps to be filled, others offer not only available homes but also land to be built upon.

Could Buffalos next hot residential addresses be located east of Main Street? Given the resources now flowing toward such East Side anchors as the Broadway Market, Northland Corridor and MLK Park, this area of Buffalo could be gaining the momentum necessary to overcome decades of neglect.

Anyone who has driven through some East Side neighborhoods has seen large tracts of vacant land and boarded-up houses. One word for this is blight. Another is possibility.

The question becomes: How to get available property into the hands of those ready to help build communities? One possibility is the Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corp., a land bank founded in 2012, which purchases foreclosed and abandoned homes, as well as vacant lots, and sells them to individual owners, after undertaking rehabilitation/new construction or after making sure new owners can undertake rehab or new construction. Available properties have been emerging slowly, but steadily.

Another program, still in the pilot stage, is the city of Buffalos Demolition and Immediate Infill Housing, which recently took down a dilapidated structure in Hamlin Park to be replaced by a new house from Habitat for Humanity. The new program, which identifies community housing partners to replace blighted structures with affordable homes, has already started on a second project in Central Park.

Would-be homeowners have few options available to them in this difficult market and an expansion of those options is unlikely to happen quickly. A continued push for infill will not solve immediate housing needs, but it is absolutely necessary for Buffalos future viability.

  

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.
This is the second time in less than two weeks that county police have tried to stop a car that later was involved in a fatal crash.
WEBSTER GROVES  Webster University will open a new college of science and health in June with hopes of doubling its enrollment in health science programs over the next five years.

Its a sharp turn from the universitys former focus on the arts.

Now is the time for another technological revolution, said Julian Schuster, president of the university. Cybersecurity, health, science  not only creating serving professions but doing that for the sake of the community  for the continuing, compelling unmet need.

Webster is among several schools in the region that have expanded nursing and health sciences programs to meet a soaring need in the medical workforce. With an aging population and a crippling pandemic, health and science graduates are in high demand.

For more than two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed both the importance of nurses and the strain on the health care workforce. Hospitals and long-term care centers have been so short-staffed in recent times that theyve had to delay or cancel procedures.

A national labor shortage existed in health care even before the pandemic. But COVID-19 has put the system under such unusual stress that its difficult to say for sure how many new nurses the nation needs, academic experts say.

The pandemic scrambled forecasts by increasing demand for nurses in key roles, such as intensive care units and emergency rooms, while simultaneously driving away nurses who were burned out, seeking higher pay, unable to find child care or unwilling to get vaccinated, according to Peter Buerhaus of the Center for Interdisciplinary Health Workforce Studies at Montana State University.

Were kind of in a volatile period right now, Buerhaus said. Its possible that some nurses who quit during the pandemic will return, he said, or that demand for services will settle back to pre-pandemic levels.

But local nursing schools have not seen a decline in applications nor enrollment during the pandemic.

COVID-19 has made young people more aware of nursing as a career path, said Danny Willis, dean of St. Louis Universitys nursing school.

Nursing is on the forefront of peoples consciousness in a way that it perhaps wasnt before, Willis said. I think that, if anything, COVID has raised the visibility of the work.

More people are also aware of how difficult nursing is, he said, adding, Nursing is not for the weak.

A shortage of instructors

Solving the supply problem is not as easy as steering more students into health care majors. Nationwide, nursing programs rejected more than 90,000 qualified applications in 2021 because they didnt have space for any more students, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Nursing programs also require hands-on training, including supervised placements in hospitals, clinics and other health care settings.

Expanding a nursing program is not an easy task, said Donna Meyer, CEO of the California-based Organization for Associate Degree Nursing.

In her former job as dean of health sciences at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Meyer said, she expanded the nursing program from 93 to 300 students by 2015. But it required a big investment. We built a brand-new building; we got resources to hire learning specialists, have a simulation lab, hire more faculty, she recalled.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale managed to add a nursing program in fall of 2020 that will eventually enroll up to 300 students.

Another challenge with expanding nursing schools is a shortage of instructors. About 8% of faculty jobs across 935 nursing programs nationwide were vacant in the 2021-2022 academic year, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a Washington-based lobbying group.

Nursing program accreditors typically require faculty to have at least a masters degree, but such highly educated nurses can earn much more in clinical settings than they can teaching.

Pamela Franklin has been a nurse for 32 years and is working toward a masters degree at Webster University to become a full-time educator. Through a partnership with the Missouri Hospital Association, students like Franklin are able to teach at St. Louis Community College and other nursing schools while they complete their degrees.

Obviously theres a nursing shortage, but without enough instructors, were not going to be able to graduate new RNs, Franklin said.

Health care companies nationwide are increasingly pairing with colleges to address the workforce shortage through tuition incentives, paid internships and other initiatives. Federal pandemic relief funds also have been targeted at getting more students into the medical field.

New facilities, expanding programs

In a recent class at Webster University, nursing anesthesia doctoral students learned how to use ultrasound to assess trauma patients. The simulated patient appeared on an interactive touchscreen where assistant professor Nicholas Curdt manipulated the image to peel back layers of skin and muscle to investigate injured organs.

Websters new college of science and health will hold classes in high-tech Browning Hall, which opened in 2017, for graduate programs like nursing anesthesia and undergraduate programs including nursing and exercise science.

By 2027, university leaders aim to enroll 1,750 in the health science fields, or more than a third of the universitys 5,000 students in St. Louis.

St. Louis Community College has grown to 557 nursing students this semester from 463 students in 2020. Programs in respiratory therapy, surgical tech and ultrasound have seen double-digit increases in enrollment rates.

I think what were seeing here is the pandemic has shined a light on the opportunities that are available in health care, said William Hubble, the colleges district dean of academic affairs-health science. People are looking for ways to move into the profession, and community college is a very affordable way to do that.

The average age of nursing students at the college is 28 or 29, Hubble said.

The majority are people that are already working in other industries and are looking for an opportunity to progress, Hubble said. St. Louis Community College is a major provider of employees to our area hospitals.

The college opened a new nursing and health sciences building at its Forest Park campus in 2019, in part to attract more students to medical professions. Similar buildings are scheduled to open on the Florissant Valley campus in 2024 and in Wildwood a few years later.

Were doing what we can to increase capacity, he said. We need people in the health care professions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Day after day: Why COVID left a record number of nurses quitting at one St. Louis hospital The medical ICU on the 8th floor of the Central West End hospital was the first COVID ward at the busiest hospital in the state.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens list of impossible tasks keeps getting longer.

Despite lofty promises he's made, from the campaign trail through his first year in office, he has limited power to safeguard voting rights or expand the fight against climate change on his own.

And now its become clear that Biden has no good options for preserving abortion access as the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

It's a disorienting and discouraging state of affairs for Democrats, who control both Congress and the White House for the first time in more than a decade.

But the reality is the party holds only the narrowest of majorities in the Senate, and there simply arent enough votes to guarantee abortion rights, especially with the filibuster in place.

Biden's pledge to codify Roe v. Wade into law seems destined for the same rocky shoals where other parts of his agenda, like tax credits for clean energy or legislation that would preempt state voting restrictions, have already run aground.

Perhaps the most succinct explanation came from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., earlier this week.

Were stuck, she said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has scheduled a vote on abortion for next Wednesday, but it's almost certain to fail. Republicans are united in opposition, and a handful of Democrats may not support it either.

The impasse is forcing the White House to reopen its backup playbook  scrounging for ways to make a difference through executive action or regulatory steps while criticizing Republicans for the lack of broader action.

The White House is under enormous pressure to be more forceful and vocal," said Lawrence Gostin, who runs the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law.

But Gostin, who is advising administration officials on next steps, said, Biden needs to stick with winnable battles" by focusing on low hanging fruit.

One of those ideas involves making abortion medication more accessible by mail. The Food and Drug Administration has already eliminated the requirement to pick up the pills in person, and Gostin said the practice will need an aggressive defense as it faces conservative attacks.

The Justice Department has already gone to court over abortion access, suing Texas last year in an effort to stop a law that would ban most abortions.

Another concept, Gostin said, would be allowing Medicaid to pay for travel if a woman can't get an abortion in her own state. Such a plan might run afoul of the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortions, so it would require careful wording.

For example, the policy could say Medicaid would pay for travel for authorized medical treatment if its not legal where the patient lives  making no mention of abortion.

None of these proposals are foolproof, and they will likely face Republican challenges in the courts or through legislation.

Its like whack-a-mole," Gostin said. "Anytime a woman tries to overcome state restrictions, they make them tighter.

These kinds of administrative steps are similar to what Biden has done when other initiatives have stalled on Capitol Hill.

On voting, for example, he signed an executive order intended to make it easier to register, and the Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to protect ballot access.

In addition, Biden included some climate policies in the infrastructure legislation that passed last year, and regulators are strengthening rules on vehicle emissions.

"The president is incredibly proud of what hes already accomplished in 15 months of his presidency," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.

Asked about Biden's struggles on Capitol Hill, Psaki pointed to his long experience as a senator.

He knows and understands it sometimes takes more time than he would like to get your agenda forward, she said.

However, abortion stirs even greater passions than other issues across the political spectrum, and frustration about inaction is bubbling up.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who wants his state to become a refuge for people seeking abortions, said this week that Democrats are falling short.

Where the hell is my party?" he said. Abortion opponents are winning, Newsom added. We need to stand up. Wheres the counteroffensive?

Cecilia Munoz, a senior adviser at New America, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington, said in an interview earlier this year "theres an assumption that the president has a magic wand that he doesnt always have.

She saw that firsthand as director of President Barack Obamas Domestic Policy Council, when the White House increasingly relied on executive actions to make progress toward its goals despite Republican opposition.

I think the advocacy community has gotten used to the idea that there are shortcuts," she said. "But there are no good shortcuts.

Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the expected end of Roe v. Wade will require activists to use different tactics.

The American people are used to relying on the courts to protect their fundamental freedoms," she said. "And now we really have to get folks used to shifting their attention to legislators, members of Congress, legislative bodies. And thats going to be a little bit of a culture shock and a little bit of a shift in the way we think.

Democrats seem likely to lose control of Congress in the November elections, especially with Biden's sagging approval ratings. However, some hope that the Supreme Court decision will fire up their voters.

What youre looking for in politics is an opportunity, said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster. Theres an opportunity that wasnt there before this came out.

Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian, compared Biden's situation to President Harry Truman, who was floundering as he ran for reelection in 1948. He turned his campaign into an indictment of a do-nothing Congress, which was controlled by Republicans at the time, and he managed to pull off a narrow victory.

The goal, Beschloss said, is to take a bad hand and play it perfectly.

Biden is trying a similar tack ahead of the midterms, escalating his criticism of other Republican proposals.

He repeatedly points to a blueprint from the National Republican Senatorial Committee that would increase taxes on people at the lower end of the income scale and force federal programs like Social Security to be reauthorized every five years.

"Ive offered a different plan  a plan rooted in American values of fairness and decency," Biden said Wednesday.

And he warns that Republicans won't stop at abortion and could target other rights that were earned through the Supreme Court, such as access to birth control or same sex marriage.

This MAGA crowd"  a reference to Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan  "is really the most extreme political organization thats existed in recent American history, Biden said.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A Missouri House committee has advanced a new plan for dividing up the state's eight congressional districts. The plan endorsed Wednesday is expected to continue Republicans' 6-2 edge in the state's congressional delegation. Committee chairman Rep. Dan Shaul said it could be debated by the full House next Monday  allowing time for the Senate to also consider it before the May 13 deadline to pass bills. The House and Senate have been at a standoff over congressional redistricting even though Republicans control both chambers. Missouri is the only state that has not at least passed a redistricting plan, though uncertainties also remain in several states.
Regarding "Disinformation board to tackle Russia, migrant smugglers" (April 28): An unintentionally funny news story recently occurred regarding the Biden administrations creation of the Disinformation Governance Board in the Department of Homeland Security. The board was immediately relabeled as the Orwellian Ministry of Truth by many observers. Jokes about the board write themselves. Adding to the mirth is the person named to head the board, Nina Jankowicz, a Democratic political operative and accomplished propagandist in her own right. Her gambits include discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop as a Trump campaign product.
Well, at least everyone in this state of dysfunction is consistent. Case in point: the solution to Gov. Kathy Hochuls reelection campaign lieutenant governor problem.

So, the solution is to pass a law that allows anyone indicted in a state election to be removed from the ballot? And this is common sense?

Lets think this thru a bit. Are we saying that, in this case, a New York citizen is guilty before proven so and must be removed? An indictment alone is enough?

Just for fun, lets wager on how many times this will happen in New York going forward now that, and I quote The News editorial of May 4, pass a common-sense law that allows an indicted candidate to be removed

That kind of law just weaponized state politics to an unimaginable degree. I can see it now. Lets indict so and so. Find something. Anything. Just think of the win we can manufacture.

The News editorial board opinion is unfathomable.

Vincent Morabito

Williamsville
In Rep. Ann Wagner's recent Twitter statement about the Supreme Court, she said, "While I pray that this leaked decision reaffirming the sanctity of life from the Supreme Court is true, I am calling on Chief Justice John Roberts to fully and swiftly investigate this egregious breach of judicial ethics." I believe Wagner has again shown the hollowness of her support for women and the shallowness of her understanding of the notion of freedom.

If we ignore the distraction of her supposed concern for norms or ethics that was conspicuously absent until January of last year, we see Wagner praying that the draft opinion does indeed come to pass. Aside from the deep unpopularity of that result, what does this say about her? I believe it says that she hopes women are relegated to be second-class citizens. She apparently hopes for women to not be able to make their own medical decisions, and I believe she hopes for an erosion of a women's right to privacy, and thereby eroding everyone's right to privacy. It also says she prays that she will be able to substitute her religion for other people's freedom.
Is St. Louis native and well-liked actor Jon Hamm responsible for the nationwide resurgence in the popularity of midcentury modern architecture and decor? He portrayed Don Draper in the show Mad Men, which aired from mid-2007 to early 2015, and won acclaim for its accurate representation of the furniture, decor and dress of the period, which lasted from the late 1930s through the mid-1960s.

The program exposed a new generation of homeowners to the clean lines, muted tones and combination of natural and manmade materials, and the integration of indoor and outdoor motifs characteristic of the midcentury modern style.

It will never be known for certain, and the part John Hamm had in the ongoing midcentury modern revival might be tenuous, but the trend has emerged in decor not only for homeowners, but also among hotels.

What follows are just a few of hundreds of hotels where the aesthetic has been recently adopted or revitalized.

For price comparisons, we included the starting price of a room on June 13 (date chosen randomly) and searched in late April.

Watergate Hotel

Washington, D.C.

When you see, or hear, the word Watergate, chances are you think of the unlawful break-in committed in the Washington, D.C., building of the same name. The crime eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administrations continual attempts to cover up its involvement in the June 17, 1972, unlawful entry into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office Building.

But others see the hotel and the complex of offices and condominiums that comprise Watergate as an outstanding example of midcentury modern architecture. Considered avant-garde when it was built in 1961, the architecture features gracious curves, marble floors and neutral tones on a very large scale covering 10 acres.

Still, the building was not always viewed with praise. When the preliminary design was unveiled in 1961, ardent devotees of the gray, neo-classical architecture already dominating the nations capital compared it to a strip dancer performing at your mothers funeral, a glittering Potomac Titanic, and a sausage-like building (in a) wiggly complex.

The Watergate Hotel saw many renovations and was sold several times between the 1980s and 2007. However, none of the upgrades embraced its original design until an extensive renovation and grand reopening in 2016, which was nine years after the 336-room hotel had closed.

New owners embraced the glamour of the Nixon era with a $125 million makeover that emphasizes its midcentury roots beginning with a dramatic curved copper lobby and lush, midcentury modern furniture.

Capping off the period vibe, Janie Bryant, costume designer for Mad Men, created 60s-style uniforms for the staff.

If history is more of an allure than the architecture, the hotel runs tours of the room where the break-in occurred. Guests can overnight in the space and listen for the doorknob to jiggle for $1,200 per night.

All the hotels key cards are adorned with the slogan no need to break in, the room stationery is headed with stolen from the Watergate, and if youre put on hold youll hear the voice of Nixon.

More info  From $335 a night based on the night of June 13; thewatergatehotel.com

Valley Ho

Scottsdale, Arizona

Constructed and opened as a modernist icon in 1956, the minimalist architecture of the Valley Ho immediately became a Hollywood hideaway, hosting the likes of Bing Crosby, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Zsa Zsa Gabor. In December 1957, Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood celebrated their wedding reception at the hotel.

Edward L. Varney, one of the most prominent local architects of the time, used a curving porte-cochere entry with abstract Southwestern designs in cast concrete to give guests a sense of arrival. In the lobby, Varney used masonry, cast and poured concrete, natural stone and wide expanses of glass to allow the space to flow seamlessly to a restaurant, lounge, nightclub and on to the two guest room wings. The result was a close connection between the buildings and the outdoor environment.

Valley Hos status as a midcentury modern building had all but disappeared after being purchased by the Ramada hotel organization in 1973. The sleek lines and details firmly rooted in midcentury architecture were redecorated as the 1950s design had come to be viewed as outdated. Original masonry brick walls disappeared under drywall, the open lobby with its curving balcony and sleek lines that flowed into the large hotel pool was partitioned into small rooms, and concrete columns in the lobby were stripped of the original mirrors once considered stylish.

No longer in vogue, but centrally located, the hotel remained prominent for years, but the property began to show a lack of maintenance. By 2001 it was closed and put up for sale. When no one was interested, demolition was considered. Then, local admirers of the hotels exemplary architecture and its local history rallied to save it, and it was placed on the Scottsdale Historic Register.

In 2002 a three-year, $80 million renovation was undertaken to restore the property to its original luster. Today it has been described by author and architect Alan Hess as one of the best-preserved midcentury hotels in the country.

In fact, it might be said today the Valley Ho is better than when first built. A seven-story tower with guest rooms and condominiums was added above the lobby, having been discovered in the plans for the original building in 1956 but never built.

An employee of the hotel and the front office manager is Magda Critchlow, who grew up in University City. I am a huge midcentury fan, she says. We have 90-minute historical tours of the hotel, and I could run through them once a month. I find it interesting to learn about the history and to know how many celebrities stayed here in the past. We have kept the key original parts of the hotel while modernizing the overall look.

Something else Critchlow enjoys about the area where the hotel is located is Frashers restaurant. They carry Imos Pizza (which I miss!), toasted ravioli and St. Louis-style ribs!

More info: Rooms start at $248 on June 13; hotelvalleyho.com

Surfjack

Waikiki, Hawaii

For a 1960s surf-inspired version of the midcentury modern movement in Hawaii, the best example is the boutique Surfjack Hotel. Searching for a way to stand out in hotel-saturated Waikiki where competition for tourists involves the latest and greatest luxury amenities, the Surfjack opted for furnishings and artwork with a clear midcentury inspiration.

The building was constructed in 1961 as a budget hotel with midcentury architectural lines, but this new hotel version opened in 2016. Midcentury-inspired handcrafted coffee tables, locally grown koa-wood furniture with a clear midcentury inspiration and displays of vintage postcards present a distinctive 1960s charm.

Even the bottom of the oval hotel pool features a blue and white mosaic in whimsical typography reminiscent of 1950s postcards with a message that reads: Wish you were here!

Just above the pool deck there are nightly screenings of the 1960s classic films Blue Hawaii, The Endless Summer and Ride the Wild Surf.

Los Angeles-based interior designers Studio Collective decorated the guest rooms with a laid-back beach house feel. Wooden art panels and framed vintage postcards line the walls, pendant lights dangle from the ceilings, while archival prints from Hawaii-based aloha wear company Tori Richards (founded on the island in 1956) dress the bedroom headboards.

Roberta Oaks, known for her 60s inspired aloha shirts, designed the staff uniforms.

More info: Rooms start at $298 on June 13; surfjack.com

The Verb Hotel

Boston

Youll know youve arrived at the Verb just outside Bostons Fenway Park when you see the 1947 Flxible red bus parked outside. The hotel website says the bus demonstrates the boutique hotels commitment to vintage design before you even step inside.

The building, originally a 1950s motel called the Fenway Motor Hotel, today features 94 rooms that are each outfitted with a record player and a starter collection of vinyl records to complete a guests journey into the past while enjoying the midcentury furniture in each room.

Large, rectangular windows, each displaying myriad hues of violets, oranges, blues and yellows, color the room.

More info: Rooms start at $342 on June 13; theverbhotel.com

Durham Hotel

Durham, North Carolina

This hotel is an interesting example of midcentury modern architecture that was never designed, or built, to be a hotel.

Opened in 1968, the structure originally housed the headquarters of the Home Savings and Loan Association. The 1980s savings and loan crisis knocked out that bank, and a 2008 merger forced out its successor.

When investors started buying downtown buildings in Durham, they snapped up the Durham without really knowing what theyd do with it, but they recognized the classic lines of the office building as important enough to preserve.

By 2015 they had decided on a 53-room hotel and hired Commune, a Los Angeles firm familiar with modernizing 1960s-era homes while leaving their charm intact.

Outside, the words The Durham run down the side of the building in characteristic midcentury modern individual block letters, each perfectly spaced apart but enveloped inside its own rectangular cube. Each cube is in turn attached to a rounded corner of the building, which hides an inside stairwell. Nearby the facade features alternating distinctive gold and white columns from sidewalk level to the rooftop restaurant.

The huge retail bank floor on the main level became the restaurants dining room illuminated by original two-story floor-to-ceiling windows. A classic midcentury modern curvilinear mezzanine with a view of the dining room that once housed offices of the bank executives has been creatively changed into private event space.

Guest rooms are unquestionably midcentury modern featuring low-slung beds, small couches, boxy red nightstands, white and gray walls, and deep blue carpeting.

More info: Rooms start at $235 on June 13; thedurham.com

Hotel Indy

Indianapolis, Indiana

This 90-room boutique hotel originally opened in 1969 as home to an insurance company and law firm. It just reopened in 2021 after a three-year renovation and transformation into a Marriott Tribute Portfolio property. It features a particularly interesting combination of midcentury modern furnishings and colors inside, but they are wrapped by an exterior of what is known as Brutalist architecture.

Brutalist buildings are characterized by the opposite of the curved lines characteristic of midcentury modern. Instead, it is an architectural style that showcases the raw building materials and straight-line structural elements over decorative design.

The Brutalist-style architecture of Hotel Indy softens inside thanks to an imaginative use of midcentury modern decor. The curved lines missing outside are everywhere inside, as are gold accents and muted midcentury modern tones of mint, mustard and coral in the numerous public seating areas.

The hotel website proclaims the whole vibe of the place is reminiscent of its early era with decor, design and color that makes it feel like youre on the set of an early James Bond movie.

The midcentury style continues in each guest room, where rounded corners, soft features and stylish furniture feature a definite midcentury modern vibe.

That is at least until guests look up to the ceiling. There, a rectangular pattern of thick concrete squares reveals that the Brutalist architecture remains exposed in each guest room.

More info: Rooms start at $220 on June 13; hotelindy.com

Blue Swallow Motel

Tucumcari, New Mexico

It might be debated that the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, does not belong among the hotels included in this article as an example of the midcentury modern era. In fact, Wikipedia lists the motels architecture as Southwest Vernacular. But it is not the outside that ties the building to the iconic period of American design. It is what is inside each room.

Walk into any of the 12 units in this L-shaped motor court alongside Historic Route 66 and what awaits discovery for midcentury modern aficionados is as exciting as finding an original midcentury piece of worn furniture in a high-end antique store.

Each room retains the original midcentury modern furniture in use since the motel court opened in 1939. Today it is one of the longest continuously operated motels along Route 66, and the original furniture has remained in place for 83 years.

Blond wood television cabinets retain their old bulbous tubes that displayed only black and white pictures. Blond midcentury nightstands and angular vintage lamps also remain.

Sold numerous times to owner-operators willing to preserve this unique bit of history that is an integral part of the 2,448-mile linear village, the furniture is truly original midcentury modern, and not new versions of the style.

For those intrepid travelers who follow the road each year to relive the glory of the old highway, a stay at the Blue Swallow is imperative. Plus, the original 1940s era sign promises rooms are not only air-conditioned but include a television.

More info: Rooms start at $105 on June 13; blueswallowmotel.com
Since February the United States has pledged or spent nearly $50 billion for aid to Ukraine. The situation was unique in that the Ukrainians needed weapons and equipment immediately, or within 90 days or less. The U.S. has exhausted stockpiles of the most popular weapons Ukrainians want, like Javelin and Stinger missiles, as well as some high-tech equipment in general. To overcome this problem the Americans issued an RFI (Request For Information) for all firms producing weapons and military equipment. Each RFI must describe the proposed item in a hundred words or less and whether the item can be delivered within 30, 90, 180 days or longer. The RFIs had to be submitted by May 6th, 15 days after this acquisition effort was announced. RFIs will be accepted if they match another type of RFI, the REF (Rapid Equipping Force) effort. The combined RFI-REF has been around since 2002 as a mechanism for quickly getting what the troops needed as soon as possible. REF proved a lot more successful and popular than expected. The Internet made REF and RFI possible, for the troops grew up with cell phones and the Internet and know how to quickly connect with each other, sort out what they all had experienced, and determine what was needed to operate more effectively. In 2015, when most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan was over, there was budget pressure to eliminate both of these programs. The troops and their commanders agreed that would be a big mistake. REF and RFI remained and continued to develop new equipment and techniques based not just on actual combat situations, but ones most American troops had not confronted yet.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, the military, especially the army, was quick to take advice from the troops actually doing the fighting. That was recognized even before Iraq and contributed to the acceptance of RFI, which recognized that the American army did not always have the best weapons and equipment available and that the troops and low-level commanders had a better idea of what was needed than the senior generals and politicians. RFI was intended to do something about that and do it quickly.

Since 2002 the army approved the purchase of over 500 items immediately, which is what RFI was all about. In 2011 the army began deciding which of these RFI items to make standard equipment (about a quarter of them) and which to discard. The discards were often obsolete and improved replacements were being sought. The marines went through the same process and found that most of their RFI items were worth keeping. This is due to the marines having a tradition of doing more with less, since they have much less money to spend per person than the army.

Not everyone was a fan of RFI. Traditional (government and contractor) weapons and equipment developers did not like RFI. Procurement bureaucrats like to take their time, even when there's a war going on. This is mainly to cover everyone's ass and try to placate all the big shots and constituencies demanding certain features. In wartime, this process is sped up somewhat but it is always slower than it has to be.

And then there is the fact that the troops are willing to accept a partial solution. Engineers often point out that they can deliver much more quickly if they are allowed to use the old "70 percent solution" rule. This bit of engineering wisdom is based on the fact that some capabilities of a weapon or other item are not essential but take an inordinate amount of effort and expense to create. Thus a "good enough" item can be produced very quickly if you are willing to sacrifice 30 percent of the capabilities you thought you needed (but probably don't). Despite official opposition, the 70 percent solution has become all the rage since 2003 because the troops have found that this is frequently good enough and a real lifesaver in combat situations they are facing daily. Ukrainian troops adopted this frequently after the initial Russian attack in 2014 and even more frequently since February 2022. With RFI/REF this often meant adopting civilian gear (radios, hunting accessories, electronics, clothing, tents) that was not militarized (made much more expensive and not arriving for a long time.)

The age of change began with the troops who, thanks to the Internet and a flood of new civilian technology, got into the habit of just buying new stuff with their own money and using it in combat. If the army had developed a lot of this gear, it would have had more features, probably been more rugged, and taken a lot longer to arrive, if it ever did at all. But for the troops, the off-the-shelf gear filled important needs, even if it was a 70 percent solution.

Troops have been finding and buying non-standard gear for decades but it had been growing more frequent since the 1990s. The army became tolerant of it, largely because this unofficial civilian gear (sleeping bags, boots, rifle cleaning kits, etc.) often was better and even officers used the stuff. As the number of these items increased tremendously after 2003, and more officers came back from commanding combat units with personal experience of this sort of thing, a growing number of senior commanders began demanding that the army procurement bureaucracy get rid of the traditional 10-15 years it takes to find, develop, and approve new technology for the troops. The troops have long understood this but now four-star generals agreed and often did so from personal experience. The generals did create the REF in 2001, which was successful as long as it paid constant attention to what the troops were thinking and doing.

In hindsight, you could see RFI coming. There were three existing trends pushing it. First, there was a lot more new technology coming on the market that troops could use. Some of it came from the companies that created equipment for the hiking and camping market (boots, rucksacks, all manner of outdoor clothing). Other items came from hunting and police suppliers (new gun sights and other accessories). There was a flood of new electronic gear, like lighter and more reliable GPS receivers and computer gear, plus new kinds of flashlights and, eventually, smartphones.

The second trend was that the troops were all on the Internet and, like never before, were in touch with each other via military related message boards, listservs, Facebook pages, and chat rooms. Troops have always been coming up with new ideas about how to use civilian gear for military purposes. But before the Internet, each soldier's discovery spread slowly. Now, information about new discoveries gets spread army-wide, and worldwide, within hours. Among other benefits, this was a morale boost as well.

Finally, there was SOCOM (Special Operations Command), which had long possessed its own REF/ RFI-like powers and budget to go with it. SOCOM could buy neat new weapons, as well as equipment. SOCOM could also afford to buy expensive stuff (the first night vision gear and satellite phones). The useful new tech was often very expensive. By 2001, thousands of soldiers were speculating, via the Internet, how much more effective they could be if they had SOCOM's freedom to quickly get new stuff that allowed them to do their job better.

When American troops went into Afghanistan in October, 2001, it was several hundred SOCOM Special Forces operators that did most of the work. Once the media got to the Special Forces guys, stories started coming out about the non-standard gear they were using. American infantrymen being sent to Afghanistan saw those stories, as did people in the Pentagon. Connections started to get made. Among other things, someone in the Pentagon realized that the army would not look too good if too many journalists interviewed too many troops who had bought civilian equipment with their own money, while the Special Forces were getting it paid for by the government. This was especially embarrassing if the new equipment from a civilian supplier was obviously superior to the stuff the government was handing out. With this kind of incentive, the Rapid Fielding Initiative was quickly set up and became a big success.

Some generals consider the official procurement bureaucracy beyond help. It is encumbered with generations of laws and rules, which are supposed to curb fraud, enhance efficiency, or whatever and have mainly contributed to the many delays that make everything take far longer than it should. You can't mess with the laws, at least not too often and especially not in peacetime, without getting brought up short by Congress, defense industry lobbyists, and the courts. For the politicians, the defense budget is a principal tool for getting re-elected. That procurement money means jobs for American voters and the politicians representing those voters know it. Congress will not relinquish too much control over this pot of gold.

Over a decade of war has changed a lot of things in the U.S. military but none more troublesome, to the military bureaucracy, than the new attitude of "we want it now." Senior commanders took on the military procurement bureaucracy in order to get new technology to the troops sooner. It's not a new fight but having so many generals involved in trying to speed things up, now that is new. And often the generals were asking for some very expensive stuff. But these officers had done their homework and it was hard to say no to officers who are under fire every day. In peacetime, development programs go on far longer and cost much more than they do in wartime. These projects seek to achieve as much as possible with a new weapon or item of equipment. But the troops know that a no-frills (less than 100 percent approach) gets the job done a lot faster and cheaper. This 70 percent solution became a legitimate tool on the battlefield. The procurement bureaucracy wanted to go back to the bad old (but safer) days of taking your time and covering your ass. This not only applies to hardware but also to shortcomings in leadership and training. Fortunately, there were a lot of senior commanders who had personal experience with how well REF and RFI worked and both, so far, have survived. In part this was because after Iraq and Afghanistan there was more awareness of the difficulties ground combat troops face and the importance of providing more support (equipment, training and so on) to the small number of troops (four percent of Department of Defense personnel) who suffer 90 percent of the casualties and without which there can be no battlefield success. Everyone else in the military basically provides support for the four percent.

Military analysts and historians know that without effective infantry you cannot win a war. In addition, better trained, equipped and led infantry suffer fewer casualties and get the job done a lot faster. Yet even in the West, the infantry tends to be at the end of the line when it comes to resources. That attitude has changed and now the Department of Defense devotes more resources to providing the key combat forces (the infantry) with better gear. After 2014 only about two percent of modernization spending went to the infantry. That is changing with the continued success of REF/RFI.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rubicon Organics Inc. (TSXV: ROMJ) (OTCQX: ROMJF) (Rubicon Organics or the Company), a licensed producer focused on cultivating and selling organic certified, premium cannabis products, is pleased to announce that it will be reporting its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022 (Q1 2022) on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

The Company will be hosting a conference call to discuss Q1 2022 results on Tuesday May 24, 2022. Conference call details are as follows:

Time: 7:00 AM PT / 10:00 AM ET Conference ID: 39266654 Local dial-in: +1 (416) 764-8658 Toll Free N. America: +1 (888) 886-7786 Webcast: https://app.webinar.net/7OWrkR0VpxN

ABOUT RUBICON ORGANICS INC.

Rubicon Organics Inc. is the global brand leader in premium organic cannabis products. The Company is vertically integrated through its wholly owned subsidiary Rubicon Holdings Corp, a licensed producer. Rubicon Organics is focused on achieving industry leading profitability through a focus on differentiated product innovation and brand portfolio management, including its flagship super-premium brand Simply Bare Organic, its premium flower and hash brand 1964 Supply Co, its premium concentrate brand LAB THEORY, and its mainstream brand Homestead Cannabis Supply. The Company ensures the quality of its supply chain by cultivating, processing, branding and selling organic certified, sustainably produced, super-premium cannabis products from its state-of-the-art glass roofed facility located in Delta, BC, Canada.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Margaret BrodieChief Financial OfficerPhone: +1 (437) 929-1964Email: [email protected]

The TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, and statements such as the Companys intention of achieving industry leading profitability are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as will or variations of such words or statements that certain actions, events or results will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. The forward-looking information in this press release is based upon certain assumptions that management considers reasonable in the circumstances, including that its capital needs will be as currently projected. Risks and uncertainties associated with forward looking information in this press release include, among others, information or statements concerning the Companys expectations of financial resources available to fund operations; Rubicon Organics' limited operating history and lack of historical profits; obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals; that regulatory requirements will be maintained; general business and economic conditions; the Companys ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; the Companys ability to obtain financing at reasonable terms through the sale of equity and/or debt commitments; the Companys ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Companys competitors; that our current relationships with our suppliers, service providers and other third parties will be maintained; and the impact of the current global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although Rubicon Organics has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. Rubicon Organics assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

Source: Rubicon Organics
EDITORS NOTE: May 7, 2022: This release is being reissued to include an expansion of the recall to a new product that was distributed to retail locations. Additionally, the recall has been expanded from 30,285 pounds to 585,030 pounds. There are five new production codes (23618, 24357, 24512, 24583, and 24957) and 66 different use by dates (ranging from 5-10-22 through 4-29-23). This release has been updated to include the new product, the expanded weight, additional labels, and additional distribution information. WASHINGTON, April 29, 2022  Wayne Farms, LLC., a Decatur, Ala. establishment, is recalling approximately 585,030 pounds of a ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken breast fillet product that may be undercooked, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The RTE chicken breast fillet products were produced between February 9 and April 30, 2022. The following products are subject to recall [view labels]: 9-lb. cases containing 8 packages of 6-oz ALL NATURAL FIRE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST with use by dates ranging from 5/10/22 to 4/29/23. 9-lb. cases containing 12 packages of 4-oz ALL NATURAL FIRE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST with use by dates ranging from 5/10/22 to 4/29/23. 6-lb. cases containing 24 individual packages of 4-oz ALL NATURAL FIRE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST FILLET with use by date 3/5/23. 16-oz. zippered plastic packages containing CHEFS CRAFT CHICKEN BREAST FILLET and establishment number P-20214 printed next to the 3/23/2023 best by date. The products subject to recall bear establishment number EST. 20214 on the case and packaging. These items were shipped to distributors nationwide and further distributed to restaurants and retail locations. The retail locations are in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The problem was discovered when the firm received a customer complaint that the RTE chicken product appeared to be undercooked. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers or restaurants freezers or refrigerators. Consumers are urged not to eat these products. Restaurants are urged not to serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution lists will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls. Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Frank Singleton, Wayne Farms, LLC spokesman, at 678-316-4237 or [email protected] . Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to [email protected] . For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2022) - Lion Copper and Gold Corp.(TSXV: LEO) (OTCQB: LCGMF)("Lion CG", or the "Company") announces that its annual general meeting of shareholders (the "AGM") will be held May 18, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. (PST). This year the Company will provide shareholders with the option to attend the AGM virtually by video conference. Shareholders attending virtually will not have the ability to vote in person and must submit their form of proxy in order to have their shares counted and voted at the meeting. Shareholders wishing to attend the meeting virtually should contact the Company's Corporate Communications representative at [email protected] or 778-898-0057 to obtain a conference link.

About Lion CG

Lion Copper and Gold Corp. is a Canadian-based company advancing its flagship MacArthur Copper Project in Mason Valley, Nevada, in addition to advancing its exploration projects including the Chaco Bear and Ashton properties in highly prospective regions in British Columbia, Canada, and the Blue Copper Prospect in Montana, USA.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Stephen Goodman

President

For more information please contact:

Karen Robertson

Corporate Communications

778-898-0057

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.lioncg.com

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123134
The annual ceremony recognized top academic graduates, outstanding seniors, retiring faculty, Professor of the Year Matthew Gaetano, and entrepreneur Bill Atherton

HILLSDALE, Mich., May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College celebrated its 170th Commencement on Saturday, May 7. The College has held this ceremony annually since 1860. Jordan B. Peterson, author, clinical psychologist, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, delivered the keynote address, and the College conferred honorary degrees and recognized top academic graduates.

Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, thanked the faculty, administration, parents, and friends of the College for making the ceremony possible. He encouraged the graduating class to live out the things they learned while at Hillsdale.

"You are awesome people, and you will be greatly missed here. Except you are not leaving, after all, are you? You're going to live the life that you have prepared yourself to live, and you are going to live in contact with this College, with is a partnership which includes, until death us do part, and beyond."

Dr. Arnn then introduced Dr. Peterson, who addressed the senior class and encouraged them to live in a way that helps them to find purpose in their lives.

"If you are going to act ethically ... you act in a way that works for you now, that works for you tomorrow, that works for you next week, and next month, and next year, and in five years, and in 10 years, and for you and your family, and your friends, and your broader community, and all of that simultaneously. That is a place to find purpose in your life  to manage that balancing act simultaneously."

Three hundred twenty-nine undergraduates from the Class of 2022 received their degrees. Twenty graduate students received their degrees.

Dr. Arnn recognized five faculty members who have retired this year: Barbara Bushey of the Art Department; Ken Hayes of the Physics Department; Jim Stephens of the Philosophy Department, Michael Sweeney of the Accounting Department, who retired in December 2021; Dan York of the Biology Department. Dr. Arnn also recognized the 2022 Professor of the Year  Matthew Gaetano of the History Department  as well as this year's top academic graduates and outstanding seniors.

Photos of the event can be viewed here. A transcript of Dr. Peterson's address is available upon request.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent, nonsectarian, Christian liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 6.3 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.

CONTACT: Emily Stack Davis517-803-3745[email protected]

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SOURCE Hillsdale College
Grand opening highlights free weekly food pantry in collaboration with God's Pantry for El Monte community

EL MONTE, Calif., May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan today are celebrating the grand opening of their Community Resource Center in El Monte at 3570 Santa Anita Avenue with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A host of other free services are available to members and the general public at the Center, including fitness classes such as Zumba and yoga, mental health and stigma workshops, healthy cooking sessions and health education classes, as well as resources that address social determinants of health such as housing, food security, income security, and more. Its weekly food pantry, where anyone from the community can pick up free groceries on a first come, first served basis, is open every Wednesday between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The 12,000-square-foot Center provides L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise members with personalized services, including help with care management, free Wi-Fi and private rooms to support virtual medical visits, member services, and benefit navigation.

"We are committed to offering local health and social services that can positively impact the health and well-being of our members and the community," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. "That includes addressing food insecurity, which has been exacerbated during the pandemic in many communities, making hunger a persistent problem with health repercussions. We're helping to address that issue directly by offering a free weekly food pantry at this Center."

The new location is the latest addition in the $146 million commitment the two health plans made to open 14 jointly operated Community Resource Centers. The goal is to help improve the lives of members and the communities where they live all across Los Angeles County.

"At L.A. Care, we understand that health care should be more than just an ID card in your wallet. That's why we're thrilled to have our one-stop community hub serve the diverse communities of the San Gabriel Valley to keep them active, healthy and informed," said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. "This Center's offerings are designed to empower people with free classes and practical, on-the-spot resources that aim to improve total quality of life."

While the Center has been available to local residents since September 2021, the grand opening celebration took place today due to previous COVID-19 restrictions. Local leaders and representatives, who attended the grand opening included Sandra Armenta representing California State Senator Susan Rubio, Cameron Griffin representing California State Assembly member Blanca Rubio's office, and Anthony Cespedes representing Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis' office. The festivities included a ribbon-cutting, tours of the Center and performances by a mariachi band and Chinese lion dancers, honoring the music and dance traditions of various El Monte residents.

The L.A. Care/Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Center in El Monte is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about the Community Resource Centers, please visit activehealthyinformed.org or click here for specific information about the El Monte location.

About Blue Shield of California Promise Health PlanBlue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal and Cal MediConnect. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 400,000 members. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit www.news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

About L.A. Care Health PlanL.A. Care Health Plan serves more than 2.3 million members in Los Angeles County, making it the largest publicly operated health plan in the country. L.A. Care offers four health coverage plans including Medi-Cal, L.A. Care Covered, L.A. Care Cal MediConnect and the PASC-SEIU Homecare Workers Plan, all dedicated to being accountable and responsive to members. As a public entity, L.A. Care's mission is to provide access to quality health care for L.A. County's vulnerable and low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. L.A. Care prioritizes quality, access and inclusion, elevating health care for all of L.A. County. For more information, visit lacare.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Media Contacts:Blue Shield Promise Health PlanOlga Gallardo - (323) 537-6364[email protected]L.A. Care Health PlanHector Andrade - (213) 703-5743[email protected]

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SOURCE Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
Innovative cybersecurity and threat intelligence company recognized for rapid growth, innovative solutions and leading the market

LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Resecurity, a Los Angeles -based cybersecurity and intelligence company, has received platinum recognition in the cybersecurity company and organization category from the TITAN Business Awards. The TITAN Business Awards acknowledge the achievements of both entrepreneurs and organizations worldwide, providing recognition for fast-growing, innovative organizations worldwide.

Resecurity was recognized as a leading cybersecurity organization based on the strength of its nomination, company growth, global expansion, and investments in R&D. The award comes at a time of exponential growth of the global cybersecurity industry, with the market valued at USD 181.12 billion in 2021 and predicted to reach $307.70 billion in 2026 (a CAGR of 11.2%).[1] Rising spending on cybersecurity solutions attributed to the increasing threat of cyberattacks and government regulations is projected to propel the cybersecurity market's revenues during the forecast period.

"Today, organizations face the challenge of increasing cyber threats while also rebuilding after the global pandemic, making cybersecurity and threat intelligence essential. The Resecurity team has worked diligently the past year to meet the ever-changing needs and threatscape of modern enterprises. This recognition from TITAN Business Awards is a testament to our team's hard work and the value our solutions bring to our clients and partners," said Gene Yoo, CEO of Resecurity, Inc.

Resecurity's cyber threat intelligence solutions provide proactive alerts and comprehensive visibility of digital risks targeting an organization's ecosystem. The innovative platform allows administrators to reduce potential blind spots and security gaps by quickly seeing in-depth analysis and specific artifacts obtained through the dark web, botnets activity, network intelligence and high-quality threat intelligence data.

Since 2017, the company has grown revenue by 1,446%, garnering credit as one of the fastest-growing companies from Inc. Magazine and the Financial Times. In the past year alone, the company has expanded globally, announced a dedicated cyber research center, exhibited, and presented at key industry conferences and scaled its cybersecurity services and solutions.

Visit https://resecurity.com/ to learn more about Resecurity's cyber intelligence solutions and upcoming events.

About ResecurityResecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence. Known for providing best-of-breed data-driven intelligence solutions, Resecurity's services and platforms focus on early-warning identification of data breaches and comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks. Founded in 2016, it has been globally recognized as one of the world's most innovative cybersecurity companies with the sole mission of enabling organizations to combat cyber threats regardless of how sophisticated they are. Most recently, Resecurity was named as one of the Top 10 fastest-growing private cybersecurity companies in Los Angeles, California by Inc. Magazine. An official member of AFCEA, NDIA, SIA and Infragard. To learn more about Resecurity, visit https://resecurity.com.

[1] Accessed on 2/22/2022: https://www.bccresearch.com/market-research/information-technology/cyber-security-north-american-markets.html

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LA-based cybersecurity and risk management platform recognized for sustaining triple-digit growth since 2018 by leading B2B review platform

LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Resecurity, a Los Angeles-based cybersecurity and intelligence company, has been named one of Clutch's Top 100 B2B Service Providers for Sustained Growth. The Clutch Top 100 aggregates revenue from the top companies on the platform to rank the highest-growing B2B providers based on their growth over the years.

Resecurity was one of two cybersecurity companies to make the exclusive list, reporting an impressive 233.77% absolute revenue growth. Resecurity has fueled this growth with strategic investments into R&D, expanding its international and channel sales presence and scaling its industry partnerships. In addition to their recognition from Clutch, Resecurity has been named one of the fastest-growing companies by Inc. Magazine and the Financial Times (FT).

"With organizations facing hundreds of threats each day, there has never been a greater need for cybersecurity and threat intelligence. We are proud to be recognized for sustaining our rapid growth alongside fellow innovators. It validates our business development strategy and R&D investments into SaaS-delivered solutions and the critical role cybersecurity will continue to play in today's global market," said Gene Yoo, CEO of Resecurity, Inc.

Resecurity's SaaS solution combines XDR/endpoint protection, cyber threat intelligence and digital risk management, enabling customers ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to governments to protect their ecosystem. The innovative platform allows administrators to reduce potential blind spots and security gaps by quickly seeing in-depth analysis and specific artifacts obtained through the dark web, botnets activity, network intelligence and high-quality threat intelligence data.

"The Clutch 100 growth lists are meant to highlight the top service providers based on their growth during a challenging period," said Clutch Customer Success Manager Aaron Morales. "The leaders are recognized because of their ability to work through adversity, willingness to participate, and commitment to their clients."

Clutch is a leading ratings and reviews platform for IT, marketing, and business service providers, serving over half a million buyers and sellers of services using the Clutch platform each month. The top 100 sustained-growth companies' rank is based on their absolute revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. The service providers on this list are headquartered in the United States, Canada, Ukraine, the UK, Singapore, and other countries across the globe.

Visit https://resecurity.com/ to learn more about Resecurity's cyber intelligence solutions and upcoming events.

About ResecurityResecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence. Known for providing best-of-breed data-driven intelligence solutions, Resecurity's services and platforms focus on early-warning identification of data breaches and comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks. Founded in 2016, it has been globally recognized as one of the world's most innovative cybersecurity companies with the sole mission of enabling organizations to combat cyber threats regardless of how sophisticated they are. Most recently, Resecurity was named as one of the Top 10 fastest-growing private cybersecurity companies in Los Angeles, California by Inc. Magazine and The Financial Times. An official member of AFCEA, NDIA, SIA and Infragard. To learn more about Resecurity, visit https://resecurity.com.

About ClutchClutch is the leading ratings and reviews platform for IT, marketing, and business service providers. Each month, over half a million buyers and sellers of services use the Clutch platform, and the user base is growing over 50% a year. Clutch has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. and has been listed as a top 50 startup by LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Resecurity
Both Duncan Bailey, left, and Gene Karl Lahrkamp were wanted on charges related to gang murder and attempted murder. The two men were killed in a mysterious plane crash last week. (Duncan Bailey/Facebook, BOLO Top 25/CFSEU BC - image credit)

One of the two fugitives killed in a mysterious plane crash in Ontario is a former Calgary gangster with a long criminal history, including crimes of "extensive violence," according to the Parole Board of Canada.

On Saturday, four men, including two pilots, died after a four-seat Piper PA 28-140 crashed in a forested area near Sioux Lookout, Ont.

Two of the men were wanted on gang murder charges, including Duncan Bailey, 37, who, court records show, has a long history of drug trafficking and organized crime-related offences in both Alberta and B.C.

He once served a 10-year sentence for kidnapping and aggravated assault convictions in Calgary.

At the time of his death, Bailey was awaiting trial for the attempted murder of Mir Hussain, who was shot in 2020 as he left a Vancouver pub while carrying a baby in a car seat.

The second man wanted on warrants was Gene Karl Lahrkamp, a suspected international hitman and former Canadian military member who was accused of executing a former high-level B.C. gangster in Thailand.

Until his death on Saturday, there was a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Lahrkamp, who was the No. 2 most wanted man in Canada.

CBC

Gang connections and rivals

It's not yet clear how or why Bailey and Lahrkamp ended up on the small, private plane together.

But the two did have connections with organized crime groups in B.C. that are affiliated with each other.

According to court documents, Bailey had ties to the Independent Soldiers, which is connected to the B.C. and Red Deer-based Red Scorpion gang.

Lahrkamp was charged with murdering Jimi Sandhu, who was once charged with killing a high-level member of the Red Scorpions.

Facebook

Sandhu, who was killed in February, was connected to the United Nations (UN) gang, which is a staunch rival of the Red Scorpions.

The UN and Red Scorpions have been involved in a violent struggle for control of the B.C. Lower Mainland's illegal drug trade.

B.C.'s anti-gang unit is investigating the connections between the two men, which could help explain why they were on the same airplane.

Story continues

$400K seized from Okotoks home

Hussain survived the 2020 attack but was fatally shot seven months later. No arrests have been made in that homicide.

In 2021, Bailey was accused of receiving nearly $400,000  seized from a home in Okotoks  in payment for the attempt on Hussain's life. That money is now the subject of forfeiture proceedings in B.C.

Shane MacKichan

Bailey was out on bail pending his conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder trial.

Last week, police issued warrants for Bailey's arrest, accusing him of breaching his release conditions on April 23 and 26.

Four days later, Bailey's body was found in the wreckage of the crash alongside Lahrkamp and the two pilots, whose connections to the B.C. gangsters are unknown.

Bailey sent to prison for kidnapping

Bailey has been in and out of jail his entire adult life, Parole Board of Canada documents show.

The parole board decision, issued in November 2016, revoked Bailey's release because, despite the stayed charges, his risk to the community was found to be too high.

"You have a criminal history that has shown extensive violence, including violence using weapons," wrote board member G. Gunn in his decision.

Those documents stem from a 10-year prison sentence (seven years and 10 months with credit for time served) handed to Bailey after a Calgary judge found him guilty of kidnapping and aggravated assault in 2010, a year after Bailey's conviction for drug trafficking.

In 2014, Bailey hit his statutory release date, meaning he had served two-thirds of his sentence and was given freedoms in the community under conditions to help with reintegration.

Bailey to board: 'I made a bad choice'

For a time, Bailey was doing well; he was abiding by curfew and had jobs cleaning and painting.

But two years later, Bailey was charged after police found a Glock handgun in the back seat of his vehicle.

Bailey was charged but the case was eventually dropped because of "search and seizure issues" with the investigation, according to the parole board document.

Hoping to get back out on release, Bailey told the board he'd "made a bad choice" and called himself "an idiot" but refused to explain the circumstances of the gun.

The board was concerned, not only with the weapon found in Bailey's car but with money he was spending.

Spending money from past crimes

One of the special conditions attached to Bailey's release involved providing financial disclosure to his parole supervisor.

The board expressed concerns over the legitimacy of Bailey's bank statements, finding that earnings from his employment as a cleaner and painter were deposited into a bank account but never touched.

"It was determined that you were regularly using funds that were, in fact, proceeds of crime from some of your current index offences."

Bailey, said the board, was of the view that it was fine to use the proceeds of crime.

He justified it, telling them, "I'm already serving a sentence for it."

But the board wasn't buying it.

"The manipulative behaviours are cause for concern and indicative of an increase in your risk to reoffend," wrote Gunn.

'Operation High Noon'

Before he was sent to prison for the kidnapping, Bailey was involved in what Calgary police described in 2009 as the largest cocaine seizure in Alberta's history.

In January 2008, the investigation, dubbed "Operation High Noon," began looking into a drug trafficking network between British Columbia and Alberta, which involved transporting large volumes of cocaine between the two provinces, said police.

Ultimately, police laid charges in 2008 and 2009 against 14 people after investigators seized 80 kilograms of cocaine worth about $8 million on the street plus more than $300,000 in cash.

Court records show Bailey pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and was handed a three-year prison term plus a 10-year firearms prohibition.
KITTERY, Maine  A key element of a $1.7 billion modernization effort at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was utilized for the first time with the docking of the USS Cheyenne, Navy officials said Friday.

The Los Angeles-class submarine was the first submarine to enter Dry Dock 1 without buoyancy assistance last month, officials said.

The so-called super flood basin is akin to a navigational lock that upgrades the shallowest of the shipyard's dry docks, allowing submarines to enter independent of tides and without buoyancy.

It performed exactly as it was designed to do.

Capt. Michael Oberdorf, shipyard commander, called it "a major milestone for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard" by helping to ensure the shipyard has the right capabilities to support the submarine fleet.

"It took a great deal of planning and construction work to get us where we are today," Oberdorf said Friday in a statement.

The Navy confirmed the first usage of the overhauled dry dock system a day after a ribbon cutting.

The seven-year project will eventually allow two submarines to utilize the Dry Dock 1 simultaneously. It also will accommodate Virginia-class attack submarines, in addition to the Los Angeles class.

The 222-year-old Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is the nation's oldest continuously operated public shipyard. It repairs, overhauls and maintains nuclear-powered submarines.
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WASHINGTON  The Biden administration is warning the United States could see 100 million coronavirus infections and a potentially significant wave of deaths this fall and winter, driven by new omicron subvariants that have shown a remarkable ability to escape immunity.

The projection, made Friday by a senior administration official during a background briefing as the nation approaches a COVID-19 death toll of 1 million, is part of a broader push to boost the nations readiness and persuade lawmakers to appropriate billions of dollars to purchase a new tranche of vaccines, tests and therapeutics.

In forecasting 100 million potential infections during a cold-weather wave later this year and early next, the official did not present new data or make a formal projection. Instead, he described the fall and winter wave as a scenario based on a range of outside models of the pandemic. Those projections assume that omicron and its subvariants will continue to dominate community spread, and there will not be a dramatically different strain of the virus, the official said, acknowledging the pandemics course could be altered by many factors.

Several experts agreed that a major wave this fall and winter is possible given waning immunity from vaccines and infections, loosened restrictions and the rise of variants better able to escape immune protections all make another major wave possible.

Many have warned that the return to more relaxed behaviors, from going maskless to participating in crowded indoor social gatherings, would lead to more infections. The seven-day national average of new infections more than doubled from 29,312 on March 30 to nearly 71,000 Friday, a little more than five weeks later.

What theyre saying seems reasonable  its on the pessimistic side of what we projected in the covid-19 scenario modeling run, said Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. Its always hard to predict the future when it comes to covid, but I think were at a point now where its even harder than normal. Because theres so much sensitivity, in terms of these long-term trends, to things we dont understand exactly about the virus and about [human] behavior, Lessler said.

Another modeler, epidemiologist Ali Mokdad of the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said in an email Friday that a winter surge is likely. His organization, which has made long-term forecasts despite the many uncertainties, just produced a new forecast that shows a modest bump in cases through the end of May and then a decline until the arrival of winter.

The administration official said the latest forecasts are being shared with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as the White House seeks to restart stalled negotiations over appropriating more funding for the coronavirus response. While the White House had sought $22.5 billion, key Senate lawmakers clinched a bipartisan deal for $10 billion in coronavirus aid last month. But a dispute over the administrations decision to relax pandemic restrictions at the U.S. border upended swift passage of the deal, which has now languished for weeks.

White House officials have said theyre concerned that a significant portion of the nations supply of antivirals and tests will be exhausted as a result of an anticipated increase in cases in the South this summer. Without those tools, they say the country would be unprepared for a fall and winter surge, and deaths and hospitalizations could dramatically increase.

If Congress remains stalled, the official said, the administration would likely pull money that was set aside for more tests and therapeutics to purchase more vaccines  decisions that will leave the country more vulnerable than it should be.

The projected summer wave in the South, which would mirror similar upticks in 2020 and 2021, is particularly concerning because of the regions lower vaccination and booster rates. While deaths in the Northeast have held steady amid a sharp increase in cases in that region over the last several weeks, the South remains more vulnerable because fewer people have gotten the shots, the official said.

That forecast is echoed by outside experts. For some reason, we see a seasonality in these peaks. Were seeing a very high rate of cases in the South during the summer months, possibly because so many people are inside because its so hot there, said Mercedes Carnethon, epidemiologist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Part of the administrations challenge in responding to the pandemic is that the virus keeps mutating in ways that have sometimes surprised scientists. Omicron, most notably, emerged in southern Africa with stunning speed in November with a package of mutations and came from a different part of the viruss family tree than the delta variant it replaced. The origin of omicron remains unknown.

Omicron has since spun off many subvariants that are even more transmissible than the original strain. The BA.2 omicron subvariant continues to account for a majority of new infections in the United States, but the BA.2.12.1 subvariant is rapidly gaining ground and may soon become the most common strain. Meanwhile, two other highly transmissible variants, BA.4 and BA.5, have fueled a recent surge in infections in South Africa.

Predicting new variants that are going to spill out  thats total guesswork, said Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at Columbia University. Predicting that theyre going to be successful, thats guesswork as well.

Another big unknown that might affect the size and severity of another wave is whether there will be more effective vaccines available by fall. Both Pfizer and Moderna are working on new booster shots that combine different versions of the coronavirus to protect against variants, but it remains unclear whether they will be more effective than existing vaccines. Administration officials said they hope they will be able to distribute such boosters in the fall, particularly to the elderly and those most at risk of severe infection and death.

Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at Emory University, said the longer the time period between COVID-19 waves, the greater the number of people who will be vulnerable to infection because of waning immunity.

That just puts vulnerable people back at risk, Dean said. It seems likely there will continue to be these ups and downs.
MEXICO CITY  Pilots and airlines have expressed concerns over an increase in potentially dangerous incidents in Mexico Citys airspace since it was redesigned to accommodate a second airport, including alerts that planes could crash unless action was taken.

They suggest air traffic controllers have been insufficiently trained to operate the newly configured airspace.

In the past year, there were at least 17 incidents of ground proximity warning system alerts for planes approaching Mexico Citys Benito Juarez International Airport, according to a letter the International Air Transport Association, which represents some 290 airlines, wrote this week to the head of Mexican Airspace Navigation Services, the government agency responsible for managing the airspace.

As you know, these alarms, without the quick action of the flight crew, can lead to a scenario of controlled flight into terrain, CFIT, considered by the industry to be one of the highest risk indicators in operational safety, and with the highest accident rate, as well as fatalities, the letter said. The Mexican agency referred a request for comment to the transportation ministry Friday.

The following day, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations issued a safety bulletin drawing attention to such incidents, as well as planes landing with very low fuel after being forced to circle unexpectedly and diversions to other airports because of excessive delays. It also cited significant ground proximity warning systems alerts, including a near collision.

The incidents follow the opening of the new Felipe Angeles International Airport north of Mexicos capital in March. The converted military air base was one of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors signature projects.

It would appear that with the opening of this newly converted airport, (air traffic control) has apparently received little training and support as to how to operate this new configuration in the airspace, the bulletin said.

Mexicos Communications and Transportion Department, which oversees air safety agencies, acknowledged in a statement that there had been one instance of a Ground Proximity Warning System, or GPWS, alert on a plane on June 15, 2021.

But it said that was the only incident that was reported to authorities.

Both the pilots federation and the International Air Transport Association noted that a factor in the incidents appeared to be air traffic controllers not using standard phraseology in their communications with flight crews. The association requested a meeting with Mexican aviation authorities as soon as possible.

Lopez Obrador cancelled the previous administrations partially constructed airport, which was supposed to replace Benito Juarez, because it was too lavish.

There were concerns at that time that Lopez Obradors plan to operate two airports simultaneously could create problems over the capital. The International Air Transport Associations letter said the incidents had been reported since the implementation of the first phase of the redesign of the Mexico Valley airspace.

The pilots federation bulletin said, Crews have received clearances that do not adhere to terrain avoidance restrictions on routes used to approach the Benito Juarez airport. IFALPA declined to comment beyond their safety bulletin and referred questions to their Mexican affiliate.

On Wednesday, Transportation and Infrastructure Undersecretary Rogelio Jimenez Pons told local media the government has decided to reduce the number of flights allowed to land at the old airport by 20 percent. He made no mention of the safety bulletin or the reported incidents.

The reduction is to start in July, and could force about 10 daily flights to the new airport. The government had already said any new flights scheduled into Mexico City will have to use Felipe Angeles, but the new reduction applies to some existing routes.

Jimenez Pons said the old airport had to reduce traffic because it is overloaded and needs updates. He said airlines can choose to go the Felipe Angeles terminal or to an even more distant, largely unused airport in city of Toluca over a mountain pass to the west.

The Mexican pilots association, a member of the international federation, said Thursday that it had requested a meeting with Mexican aeronautical authorities to discuss the situation and share the experiences of its pilots.

It called on Mexican Airspace Navigation Services to address Mexican and foreign pilots reports, seeking in the first place the safety of air operations and the efficiency of our airspace.

One year ago, U.S. regulators downgraded Mexicos aviation safety rating, a move that prevents Mexican airlines from expanding flights to the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration had found that Mexicos ability to oversee its airlines falls short of standards set by a United Nations group called the International Civil Aviation Organization. Those standards cover a broad range of issues including the regulators technical expertise, inspection procedures and record-keeping.

The International Air Transport Association letter alluded to that situation, noting that these incidents without a doubt do not help in the process in which Mexico finds itself immersed, trying to recover its Category 1 (aviation safety rating) that was withdrawn by the FAA last year.

Mexicos National Air Transport Chamber called on the countrys aviation authorities to address with the highest priority the reports that have been made to them for months and make known the diagnosis and the measures to mitigate the corresponding risks.

__

AP writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.
HAVANA  A powerful explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak killed at least 22 people, including a child, and injured dozens Friday when it blew away outer walls from a luxury hotel in the heart of Cubas capital.

No tourists were staying at Havana's 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations, Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma.

It's not a bomb or an attack. It is a tragic accident, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who visited the site, said in a tweet.

Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, told reporters that at least 74 people had been injured. Among them were 14 children, according to a tweet from Diaz-Canel's office.

Diaz-Canel said families in buildings near the hotel affected by the explosion had been transferred to safer locations.

Cuban state TV reported the explosion was caused by a truck that had been supplying natural gas to the hotel, but did not provide details on how the gas ignited. A white tanker truck was seen being removed from the site as rescue workers hosed it down with water.

Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia said the hotel was scheduled to reopen Tuesday.

The blast sent smoke billowing into the air around the hotel with people on the street staring in awe, one saying Oh my God, and cars honking their horns as they sped away from the scene, video showed. It happened as Cuba is struggling to revive its key tourism sector that was devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cuba's national health minister, Jose Angel Portal, told The Associated Press the number of injured could rise as the search continues for people who may be trapped in the rubble of the 19th century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood of the city.

We are still looking for a large group of people who may be under the rubble, Lt. Col. Noel Silva of the Fire Department said.

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated. Garcia Zapata said five of the students suffered minor injuries.

Police cordoned off the area as firefighters and rescue workers toiled inside the wreckage of the emblematic hotel about 110 yards (100 meters) from Cubas Capitol building.

The hotel was first renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban government's revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban military's tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not immediately respond to an email seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

The Hotel Saratoga has been used frequently by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there during a 2013 visit to Cuba.

Photographer Michel Figueroa said he was walking past the hotel when the explosion threw me to the ground, and my head still hurts.... Everything was very fast.

Worried relatives of people who had been working at the hotel showed up at a hospital in the afternoon to look for them. Among them was Beatriz Cespedes Cobas, who was tearfully searching for her sister.

She had to work today. She is a housekeeper, she said. I work two blocks away. I felt the noise, and at first, I didnt even associate" the explosion with the hotel.

Yazira de la Caridad said the explosion shook her home a block from the hotel: The whole building moved. I thought it was an earthquake.

Besides the pandemic's impact on Cuba's tourism sector, the country was already struggling with the sanctions imposed by the former U.S. President Donald Trump that have been kept in place the Biden administration. The sanctions limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the U.S. to their families in Cuba.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine crimped a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

The explosion happened as Cuba's government hosted the final day of a tourism convention in the iconic beach town of Varadero aimed at drawing investors.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is scheduled to arrive in Havana for a visit late Saturday and Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the visit would still take place.

Garcia Zapata said structures adjacent to the hotel were being evaluated, including two badly damaged apartment buildings. The neighboring Marti Theater, the Yoruba Association and the Capitol had broken glass and damaged masonry.

Mayiee Perez said she rushed to the hotel after receiving a call from her husband, Daniel Serra, who works at a foreign exchange shop inside the hotel.

She said he told her: I am fine, I am fine. They got us out. But she was unable to reach him after that.
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  Another 102 current and former residents of military housing in Hawaii have filed claims seeking compensation for maladies and hardships they say were caused by the Navys petroleum-contaminated drinking water, their attorneys said Friday.

The 102 individuals filed claims Friday with the Navys Office of the Judge Advocate, a prerequisite for filing any future lawsuits under the Federal Tort Claims Act in federal court, according to a news release by Just Well Law of Austin, Texas, and Hosoda Law Group of Honolulu, the firms representing them.

Fifteen individuals, represented by the same firms, filed such claims in February.

The filings launch a six-month administrative process during which the Navy and law firms will negotiate on compensation for the claims.

Thousands of residents of military housing communities on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam were temporarily displaced to area hotels for several months in the wake of petroleum contamination in the Navys water distribution system discovered in late November.

Some residents, as well as pets, were sickened by the foul-smelling tap water, often accompanied by an oily sheen. The Navy traced the contamination to jet fuel that had leached into one of three wells used for its water system.

The source of the fuel is believed to be the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Facility, a vast underground storage facility built during World War II. Two fuel spills occurred last year leading up to the well contamination, one in May and another in November.

On March 7, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the facility to be emptied and permanently closed, a process expected to take at least a year.

In a letter to the Office of the Judge Advocate on Friday, the attorneys wrote that the Navy was negligent in its failure to act after the May 6 leak released thousands of gallons of jet fuel into the Red Hill well.

Instead, the Navy allowed families to continue to bathe and drink water until the contamination became so severe  after another spill in November  that it burned their throats and bodies, the attorneys wrote.

The Navys lack of transparency has continued to the present, they wrote.

The Navy refuses to release the test results taken from our clients drinking water in November and December 2021  prior to flushing, the attorneys wrote. Although we know the levels of hydrocarbons were high, the Navy chooses to leave these families in the dark as to the extent of their toxic exposure.

The Navys chief of information, Rear Adm. Charlie Brown, said in an emailed statement Friday that the Navy will not discuss any potential future legal actions.

In their letter, the attorneys highlighted the cases of several families filing claims.

Amanda and Michael Zawieruszynski, who have three children, began feeling the effects of contamination in November.

The family experienced symptoms like severe headaches, gastrointestinal problems, sore throat, rash, and more, the letter said. Amandas symptoms progressively worsened. Within four months, she has now developed nerve damage in her brain, requiring excruciating injections every four weeks.

Ryan and Tiffany Overbaugh and their two children moved into a home on Ford Island just days before the Nov. 20 fuel spill from the storage tanks, the attorneys wrote.

The family has been crippled with a myriad of health problems arising from consuming tap water they had assumed was safe, the attorneys wrote.

The Navy never notified Tiffany that the water on Ford Island was affected, they wrote. She and her family continued to drink the water until Navy officers came to her home in January to flush the system. It was only then that Tiffany realized that officers would not be flushing her home if their water had not been affected.

An environmental testing firm contracted by the attorneys tested air quality in 20 affected homes between Feb. 21 and April 15.

The testing has shown that the contaminants have aerosolized and are still present in the air of these homes, the attorneys wrote in the letter.

The May 3 report by Apex Environmental Safety and Health found elevated levels of more than two dozen volatile organic compounds in the samples taken.

Among them were tetrahydrofuran, which when breathed in can irritate the nose, throat and lungs and cause coughing and shortness of breath. High levels of exposure can damage the bodys organs.

Many of our clients are now suffering from long-term effects, including seizure disorders, thyroid abnormalities, liver damage, kidney damage, baby loss, cognitive challenges, loss of movement, and cancer, the attorneys wrote.
CANBERRA, Australia  Australia's foreign minister has met her Solomon Islands counterpart for the first time since the South Pacific nation signed a security pact with China, which has raised concerns about Beijing's encroachment on Australia's doorstep.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Saturday she met the Solomon Islands' Development Planning and Aid Coordination Minister Jeremiah Manele in the Australian east coast city of Brisbane as he transited through the airport on Friday night.

"Australia has been consistent and clear in stating our respect for Solomon Islands' sovereign decision-making, however we have reiterated our deep concerns about the security agreement with China, including the lack of transparency," Payne's office said in a statement.

Payne's office said the two agreed that Australia remained the Solomon Islands' security partner of choice and that the Solomon Islands would not host a foreign military base less than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) off Australia's northeast coast.

Manele could not be contacted for comment on Saturday.

The United States has said it will take unspecified action against the Solomon Islands should the agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests. The Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told Parliament this week that opponents of the security pact with China had threatened his country "with invasion."

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan told Australian Broadcasting Corp. the two ministers had a "very productive conversation." Australia said a Chinese base in the Solomon Islands was not in the interests of the region, Tehan said.

"What we want to do is to be making sure that we're presenting a very strong case as to why it is incredibly important that we don't see militarization of the Pacific islands," Tehan said.

Tehan said Payne and Manele also discussed how Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative government needed to keep working on the bilateral relationship.

Morrison's coalition is seeking a rare fourth three-year term in elections on May 25.

Morrison welcomed the meeting as a reinforcement of Australia's leadership role in the region.

"It also reassured, once again, that the Solomon Islands are not considering or would not support the establishment of a naval presence," Morrison told reporters while campaigning in the west coast city of Perth.

The China-Solomon Islands security pact announced last month has become a major focus of the election campaign.

After details of a draft pact were released, Australia's minister for international development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, flew to the Solomon Islands' capital, Honiara, on April 12 to unsuccessfully ask the government to abandon it.

The center-left opposition Labor Party said at the time that Payne, a more senior minister than Seselja, should have been sent instead.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese welcomed Payne's meeting with Manele, saying, "It's about time."

Albanese has also criticized Morrison for not phoning his Solomon Islands counterpart since the pact was signed. Morrison has said he was following the advice of intelligence officials.

The Labor Party has condemned the pact as Australia's worst foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II. Albanese has promised closer engagement between Australia and its South Pacific island neighbors if Labor wins government.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has suggested that Beijing timed the pact's announcement during an election campaign to undermine her conservative Liberal Party's prospects for reelection.

Seselja arrived in Honiara on the same day that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Manele about Washington's plan to reopen an embassy in Honiara.

While not mentioning the United States or Australia by name, Sogavare said in Parliament that his country was "insulted" by the "lack of trust by the concerned parties."

Sogavare has maintained that there would be no Chinese base in his country and China has denied seeking a military foothold in the islands.

A draft of the pact, which was leaked online, said Chinese warships could stop in the Solomon Islands for logistical replenishment and China could send police and armed forces there "to assist in maintaining social order." The Solomon Islands and China have not released the final version of the agreement.
TOKYO  During his latest trip abroad, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida achieved solid results in obtaining from Southeast Asian countries humanitarian support for Ukraine, despite differences in the degree of enthusiasm between those countries and Japan, while also confirming bilateral security cooperation with them, as well as with European countries.

Kishida returned to Japan on Friday from visits to the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, and the European states of Vatican City, Italy and Britain.

At a press conference in London late Thursday night, just before flying back to Japan, Kishida emphasized, With the international community at a major historical crossroads, I visited six countries in Southeast Asia and Europe for the purpose of protecting peace, and achieved solid results.

Kishida had chosen these countries for his latest trip abroad, chiefly to achieve unity with them in dealing with Russia and China, both of which aim to unilaterally change the status quo by force, the former in Europe and the latter in the Indo-Pacific region.

During the summit and other talks, leaders of the Southeast Asian countries took conspicuously neutral attitudes toward Russia, such as by refraining from criticizing Russia by name.

Even so, during a summit with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Kishida confirmed a concerted effort to bring Russias use of force in Ukraine to an immediate stop. The two countries also agreed to start a study that will enable Japan to provide Indonesia with patrol vessels.

Also, during his talks with Kishida, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, whose country has historically strong ties with Russia, clearly stated that Vietnam was extending humanitarian assistance of 500,000 dollars (about 65 million yen) to Ukraine. The two countries also agreed that Japans Self-Defense Forces will extend within this year their assistance to the Vietnamese military in building up its cybersecurity capability.

During a summit between Kishida and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the two countries signed an agreement enabling the mutual transfer of defense equipment and technology.

Thus, Japan has deepened its defense cooperation with the three Southeast Asian countries.

A senior Foreign Ministry official explained, Japan aims to keep China from taking advantage of the turmoil in Ukraine to attempt to increase its influence in Southeast Asia.

During his visits to European countries, Kishida renewed his call for their involvement in the Indo-Pacific region at a time when European attention has shifted to the threat posed by Russia.

During Kishidas talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the two agreed that they would not accept any unilateral change to the status quo by force, anywhere in the world.

Later this month, U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Japan. Kishida intends to get what he calls a realism diplomacy for a new era into full swing, in light of his achievements during his visits to these countries.
TOKYO  Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce a plan to turn a residential area in the U.S. militarys Camp Foster, also known as Camp Zukeran, in central Okinawa Prefecture into a public space. The announcement would be made at a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty on May 15.

The bases Lower Plaza residential area, straddling Okinawa City and the village of Kitanakagusuku, could be turned into a public park before the areas planned return to Japan under an agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments, which has been under discussion for a while.

Ahead of the Okinawa gubernatorial election slated for September, the Japanese government and ruling parties want the park plan to serve as an example of its efforts to reduce the burdens on Okinawans regarding the hosting of U.S. military bases.

Ceremonies to mark the anniversary will be held in Okinawa and Tokyo.

Kishida, who plans to attend the Okinawa event, is expected to give an address in which he will reveal efforts to reduce the burdens on Okinawans, and announce a Japan-U.S. agreement on joint use of the land before the handover.

In 2013, the two governments reached an agreement for the about 23-hectare Lower Plaza residential area to be returned to Japan in fiscal 2024, at the earliest.

The areas 102 homes for U.S. military personnel are set to be relocated to other locations in the camp. However, construction of the new accommodations has been delayed so the initial schedule is not expected to be met.

The demolition of old buildings in the Lower Plaza area is expected to be completed by February 2023. The Japanese and U.S. governments are coordinating efforts to share the space before the official handover date.

Japans Defense Ministry wants to turn the area into a public park as locals and U.S. personnel and their families would benefit.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is hoping to retake the prefecture in Septembers gubernatorial contest.

The government wants to demonstrate its efforts to reduce the burdens on Okinawans at the 50th-anniversary ceremony in an effort to build momentum ahead of the gubernatorial poll, as base issues are expected to be a major point of contention in election campaigns.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  North Korea fired what is suspected to be a short-range ballistic missile off its eastern coast, according to a message sent to reporters from South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff on Saturday.

The Joint Chiefs said the suspected submarine-launched ballistic missile was fired at 2:07 p.m. from the coastal city of Sinpo. Military officials estimated the short-range ballistic missile flew about 373 miles at a peak altitude of 37 miles.

The Japanese Prime Ministers Office and Ministry of Defense in separate tweets said they suspected the projectile was a ballistic missile.

The launch would be North Koreas 14th round of missile tests so far this year. It last fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday afternoon, prompting the Joint Chiefs to issue a statement strongly urging North Korea to stop its ballistic missile launches immediately.

North Korea last test-fired an SLBM in what the state-run Korean Central News Agency claimed was a new type of missile from a submarine on Oct. 19, 2021. The South Korean military assessed that the SLBM flew 279 miles at a maximum altitude of 37 miles. Experts have previously scrutinized North Koreas claims that it successfully launched a missile from a submarine, rather than a submersible test barge.

Wednesdays launch comes amid speculation that North Korea could be conducting a nuclear test as early as this month. State Department principal deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter on Friday confirmed to reporters that the U.S. believed the communist regime was preparing its seventh nuclear test in its underground facility in Punggye-ri, located in the northeast mountains.

Porter said the U.S.s assessment was also consistent with North Koreas recent public statements and that Washington was closely coordinating with its allies.

KCNA reported on April 30 that Kim Jong Un would continue developing the countrys nuclear capability and that it may preemptively and thoroughly contain aggression from hostile forces.

North Korea last conducted a nuclear test from Punggye-ri on Sept. 3, 2017. The regime claimed it succussfuly conducted a hydrogen bomb test, which was measured as a 6.3 magnitude earthquake by the U.S. Geological Survey.

In September, one month prior to North Koreas last SLBM test, South Korea became one of seven countries to successfully develop its own SLBM. Seoul conducted another SLBM test from a submarine in April, when it launched two ballistic missiles from the Yellow Sea.

North Koreas launch comes three days before President-elect Yoon Suk Yeols inauguration. Yoon, a member of the conservative People Power Party, vowed to address North Koreas threats before everything else  and to increase the countrys defense capabilities.

Provocations from North Korea, particularly missile tests, have been typical following a South Korean presidents inauguration, according to Yang Uk, an associate research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. In the month after South Korean President Moon Jae-in came into office, North Korea test-fired around five missiles, Yang told Stars and Stripes by phone on Saturday.

North Korea wants to make this tension higher, Yang said. For the threat to be more realistic, they must have a seventh nuclear test.

The White House on Wednesday announced it would send a U.S. delegation to Yoons inauguration on May 10. President Joe Biden is also expected to visit Seoul in late May, according to Porter.
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  A U.S. soldier was found guilty Friday of involuntary manslaughter in a high-speed crash last year that killed a fellow soldier.

Pvt. Trevon K. Coley, 23, was sentenced to an eight-year prison term for convictions on the manslaughter count, aggravated assault and additional charges. He had faced a maximum sentence of 22 years.

The March 5, 2021 crash killed Sgt. Monesha L. Burton and seriously injured Pfc. Quiera M. Jackson.

Coley was driving 107 mph, more than three times the 31 mph limit, seconds before he collided with Burtons Ford Fusion at an intersection near Daenner Kaserne and Kleber Kaserne, according to an accident reconstruction expert who testified Wednesday.

When the cars made contact, Coleys Dodge Charger was still going 68 mph, the expert said.

Coley was driving without a valid license at the time of the crash and he conspired with his girlfriend to make authorities believe she was driving, according to testimony. He pleaded guilty to those crimes Monday at the start of his court-martial at Kleber Kaserne.

In addition to prison time, Coley was sentenced after conviction by an eight-person jury panel to a bad conduct discharge, demotion to E-1 and forfeiture of all pay and allowances.

Burton, of Hammond, La., was a veterinary food inspection specialist at the Veterinary Branch Kaiserslautern, Public Health Activity-Rheinland Pfalz.

In an Army video produced in 2020, during which she discussed her career, Burton described herself as coming from a long line of soldiers and said she wanted to make the Army her career.

Jackson, who suffered multiple skull and rib fractures and disk herniations in the collision, was described by the defense as one of Coleys best friends. As of April, she still hadnt been discharged from medical care, the prosecution said.

Coley chose not to testify during the trial, which was held at a court not far from the crash site. But he did speak during sentencing, saying amid tears that he regretted what he had done.

Prosecutors argued that Coley knew he was driving at a dangerous speed because an investigation showed he slowed down as he drove up a hill that restricted the view of a previous intersection.

Why else would you brake? Army prosecutor Capt. Olivia Haigler told the court Thursday. Because he knows hes driving too fast for the circumstances hes in.

The defense argued that the prosecutions data came from a one-sided investigation that produced diagrams and computer reenactments of Coleys driving but didnt do the same for Burton, who they insisted was to blame for the crash.

(Coley) drove into that car because she got in the way, defense lawyer Michael Jack Coco said during his closing arguments, in which he also questioned the validity of Burtons autopsy, which showed that she wasnt intoxicated.

Prior to the crash, Coley, his then-girlfriend Pvt. Chyna Andrews and another friend had all been driving separate cars as they raced back to their barracks from a restaurant in downtown Kaiserslautern, Andrews testified. Coley sped ahead, she said.

Andrews reached the crash site last, and when she got out of her car, Coley approached her and the friend and asked one of them to say they were driving his vehicle.

I said, I got you, Andrews said during court testimony.

Andrews still faces up to 30 days in confinement on a charge of conspiring to obstruct justice, a penalty that was greatly reduced after she agreed to testify against Coley, his defense said.

Video footage played during the trial showed that after the couples agreement, Coley left the crash site and walked onto Kleber Kaserne through a pedestrian gate. His barracks room was on the base, and he stayed for several minutes.

Despite that, the jury acquitted him on a charge of leaving the scene of the crash, one of the six offenses prosecutors leveled against him.

Coley originally faced a murder charge but was instead convicted under the lesser included charge of involuntary manslaughter.
In a striking proposal for Downtowns booming Wilson Street, a developer is proposing a 14-story housing project with first-floor restaurants and a large outdoor plaza offering broad panoramas to Lake Monona.

Quad Capital Partners, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, intends to demolish the State of Wisconsin Investment Boards two-story building at 121 E. Wilson St. for a project reaching to the Capitol height limit with about 337 apartments, 17,000 square feet of commercial space and multiple levels of underground parking.

The project would feature a 34-foot-wide, two-story-high, open-air promenade cutting through the U-shaped building that would connect East Wilson Street to the plaza overlooking the lake.

The proposal comes amid a surge of redevelopment on the Wilson Street corridor on both sides of Monona Terrace.

This location is well-suited to creating a high-quality building that aligns with the citys plans, said Dan Kennelly, vice president at QCP. We believe in investing in Downtown Madison, and this site provides a unique opportunity to create a timeless building that serves the community and helps meet Madisons housing needs.

SWIB is moving from its offices to the massive Madison Yards redevelopment under construction at the southwest corner of University Avenue and North Segoe Road on the West Side. QCP bought SWIBs property at 121 E. Wilson St. for $12.6 million in September, seven months after the agency announced it would be moving. SWIB expects to relocate in early 2023.

A new destination

Given its location, the new structure, designed by Madison-based Potter Lawson, would have a significant impact on the citys Lake Monona skyline.

We set out to design a building that is consistent with the citys plans, sensitive to the neighborhood and takes advantage of this locations unique opportunity to provide lake views, Kennelly said.

The U-shaped design allows maximum lake views, while the ends of the U make the building appear less massive from East Wilson Street, Kennelly said. The two sections are separated by a two-story-tall promenade, or open area, cut through the center of the building.

We envision one side of the commercial space being used for a large chef-driven restaurant and the other side potentially becoming a food hall featuring local food merchants, Kennelly said. The promenade and terrace will create 10,400 square feet of outdoor space for outdoor dining, informal seating areas and enjoying views overlooking the lake.

He said he hoped the building would create a new destination for Madison residents.

Its hard to believe that 25 years ago, Potter Lawson was preparing to celebrate the grand opening of Monona Terrace, a project that proudly reshaped the skyline of Madison, said Rebecca Prochaska, principal at the design firm. Its an honor today to be, once again, reimagining the iconic architectural skyline in a town weve called home for 109 years.

A living mix

The building would include a mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units, Kennelly said. The range of unit types, sizes and rents would serve different segments of the housing market, but the mix would not include designated low-cost units, he said.

The project is not displacing any existing housing, so it will be an addition to the citys housing supply and the project will create significant new tax base to support the citys housing programs, he said.

The building would also include sustainability features, such as electric vehicle charging stations, green roofs, potential on-site solar and high-efficiency systems throughout. It would offer about 300 parking stalls in a three- or four-level underground parking garage.

Downtown Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District, said he is generally very supportive of the proposal and loves the public promenade concept through the project. The promenade also has the potential to link the Downtown to Law Park on the lakeshore in the future, he said.

More possibilities

QCP is open to providing the city an easement through the promenade that would allow a future pedestrian bridge connection over railroad tracks and John Nolen Drive to Law Park, Verveer said. The easement would be similar to one secured through a fire lane at McGrath Property Groups 14-story apartment building at 151 E. Wilson, which opened in 2018, he said. The city could potentially build a bridge to the park from one or both properties.

But he added, I just wish some of the units could be more affordable. Also, some in the next-door Marina condominiums have voiced concern about traffic and losing lake views, he said.

At an initial meeting, the First Settlement Neighborhood saw much to like in the early concepts, said Juli Wagner, chair of the First Settlement District of Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. Those include breaking up the mass of the building into two sections facing East Wilson Street and the promenade and plaza allowing views to the lake, she said.

But questions remain about traffic flow, parking, lighting and aesthetics, she said.

The location

The property, currently called Lake Terrace, is nestled between the 10-story state Administration Building, 101 E. Wilson St., and the metallic, 12-story Marina condominiums, 137 E. Wilson St. The citys Downtown Plan recommends a variety of uses and a maximum height up to the Capitol view height limit, which is no higher than the base of the state Capitol dome.

Lake Terrace, built into the bluff along John Nolen Drive beginning in 1942 with additions in 1957 and 1972, contains 73,363 square feet of space, including 65,000 square feet of office space, with two floors above ground and three floors built into the hillside, including two lower-level floors that face John Nolen Drive and Lake Monona and two levels of underground parking with 100 spaces on the 1.1-acre site. The property was assessed at $7.67 million for 2021 but jumped to $12.6 million for 2022 after the sale.

The QPC proposal is a tremendous opportunity to help catapult the revisioning and reimagination of Downtown Madison, said Jason Ilstrup, president of Downtown Madison Inc. This development will add needed housing to the Madison market all while creating amazing amenities for our community.

Verveer said he intends to schedule a neighborhood meeting in June.

QCP, which does not anticipate seeking city financial assistance for the project, expects to complete architecture and engineering work and to secure city land use approvals this year, to start construction in 2023 and open the building in early 2025.

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BUCHAREST, Romania  Jill Biden on Saturday heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russia's war and found safe haven across the border in Romania, and the American first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to refugees.

At a Romanian public school hosting refugee students, Biden saw firsthand the relief efforts to assist some of the 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Most of those Ukrainians have moved on to other countries, but many  mainly women and children  have remained as the fighting rages.

'We stand with you," Biden told mothers of some of the students after visiting classrooms where kids ages 5 to 15 attend school.

Earlier, Biden received a briefing at the U.S. Embassy on the relief effort. Her visit to Eastern Europe comes as President Joe Biden is pressing Congress to pass an additional $33 billion in security and economic assistance for Ukraine.

Jill Biden called the show of solidarity "amazing" but also "just the beginning." She said it was inspiring for Romanians "to welcome all these refugees into their homes and offer them food and clothing and shelter and give them their hearts."

But she also cautioned that much more needs to be done by the U.S. and allies to assist Ukraine.

"We're all hopeful, right," she told reporters. "We make up every morning and think 'this has to end' but it still keeps going on and on."

About 7,000 Ukrainians cross the border and arrive in Romania daily, said Pablo Zapata, the Romanian representative for the U.N. refugee agency.

U.N. and other agencies and the Romanian government are providing refugees with a range of services, including food, shelter, education, health and mental health care, and counseling, among other services.

Biden asked specifically about the provision of mental health services and whether summer school was available to help refugee students catch up on their education.

The first lady is on the second day of a four-day trip to Romania and Slovakia that is designed to showcase U.S. support for Ukrainian refugees. Slovakia also shares a border with Ukraine. Biden was scheduled to spend Sunday, Mother's Day, there meeting with refugees and visiting a border village.

Biden met with Romanian first lady Carmen Iohannis over lunch at her private residence. Iohannis, who also accompanied Biden during the school visit, kept her job as an English teacher when her husband took office just like Biden kept hers teaching at a northern Virginia community college.

At her tour of the public school, Biden had an exchange with one young Ukrainian girl told her through a translator, "I want to return to my father." Biden later told reporters the girl's words were "heartbreaking."

At moments, Biden appeared anguished as she listened to the stories from mothers who told her of their own difficult decisions to flee their homeland.

Svitlana Gollyak told Biden that her young daughter had difficulty adapting in the early days of the war but now seems to be turning the corner after arriving in Romania from Kharkiv, Ukraine.

"I think mothers will do anything for their children," Biden told Gollyak and the other mothers, adding that they were "amazingly strong and resilient."
RIGA, Latvia  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined his conditions Friday for entering peace talks with Russia, demanding a restoration of pre-invasion borders, the return of more than 5 million refugees, membership in the European Union and accountability from Russian military leaders before Kyiv would consider laying down its arms.

Zelenskyys slate of requirements, which he listed during an online forum organized by Chatham House, are in direct conflict with the military objectives Russian leaders have articulated as they bear down on the Donbas region and southern Ukraine  inflicting additional casualties Friday in apparent violation of a cease-fire.

They also come as Ukraine and its Western allies await possible pronouncements or dramatic shifts on the battlefield by the Kremlin before Monday, when Russia observes Victory Day, commemorating the surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of the European front in World War II.

New curfews have been announced in Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian enclave that abuts regions experiencing heavy fighting, while the mayor of Kyiv, Ukraines capital, warned residents to be ready for increased missile attacks on the holiday. Britians Defense Ministry, meanwhile, warned Friday that Russia would probably try to complete its takeover of the port city of Mariupol  where a small cadre of forces and civilians remain holed up in the Azovstal steel plant  before the Victory Day celebrations.

Russias Foreign Ministry dismissed speculation it might try to deploy a nuclear weapon, noting its doctrine on that point was not applicable to implementing the tasks set during the special military operation in Ukraine. But there were signs that Russia was taking a series of softer power steps to assert its dominance in Ukrainian areas in which it has claimed control.

Municipal workers were photographed replacing road signs around Mariupol in Ukrainian script with signs in Russian script, days after reports and images being shared online indicated that Russian authorities have forced residents of Kherson, an area just north of Crimea, to shift their currency from the Ukrainian hryvnia to the Russian ruble.

Russia has long justified its incursions into Ukraine by saying it is protecting the rights of Russian speakers in eastern regions.

President Joe Biden is expected to mark Monday by signing the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, a bill that aims to speed up the process by which the United States can send weapons to Ukraine. That bill-signing will happen a day after Biden is scheduled to meet virtually with Zelensky and the leaders of the Group of 7 nations to discuss the situation on the ground.

Ukraine has seen an enormous influx in pledges of weapons assistance since beating back the Russian advance in the north of the country.

The United States has already sent the vast, vast majority of the 90 howitzers it committed to provide Ukraine, as well as approximately 60% of the 144,000 artillery rounds it had pledged to supply those weapons systems, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. On Friday, Germany pledged to send an additional seven howitzer systems to help Kyiv, while U.S. officials announced they would send nearly $140 million more in aerial drones, laser-guided rockets, binoculars and other support items.

But the pipeline is not unlimited. On Friday, Biden announced that the United States would be sending another package of additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment for Ukraine, but said the government had nearly exhausted congressionally approved funding that could be used to send more help. Earlier on Friday, Kirby said that the administration had approximately $250 million in drawdown authority left.

Biden has requested an additional $33 billion in Ukraine aid, nearly two-thirds of which would be dedicated to security spending. Kirby has said that package should carry Ukraine through another five months of fighting. Congress has not yet approved the funding, and there are concerns about how quickly defense contractors would be able to meet the governments demands to replenish U.S. stockpiles to ship Ukraine what it needs.

This is pretty unprecedented, the amount of munitions that are being used right now, the Pentagons acquisition chief, Bill LaPlante, told reporters Friday. He said the United States and Europe will be reexamining our assumptions about future levels of weapons production needed during peacetime to avoid being caught flat-footed, where all of a sudden we find our production lines need to be boosted up.

International leaders appear to be bracing for an extended period of conflict, warning on Friday that the global threats posed by Russias invasion of Ukraine could metastasize in the weeks and months ahead. European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told the Associated Press that he is very much worried Russia could try to invade Moldova, which borders Ukraine to the west. Russia already has a military presence in Transnistria, a narrow breakaway region that runs along much of Moldovas border with Ukraine.

Amnesty International released a comprehensive report Friday noting compelling evidence of war crimes in the Ukrainian village of Bucha, including apparent extrajudicial executions ... reckless shootings, and torture. Amnestys senior crisis response adviser, Donatella Rovera, noted that the findings were very much part of a pattern wherever Russian forces were in control of a town or a village.

The United Nations warned that nearly 25 million tons of grain intended for export was stuck in Ukraine as a result of the fighting there, which has crippled infrastructure and resulted in a blockade of port cities like Mariupol.

Ukraine, normally one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, also has accused Russia of stealing their grain en masse from farmers. Either way, the shortfalls in the global exports are expected to cause price shocks, according to U.N. officials, and could exacerbate resource conflicts elsewhere in the world.

Demirjian and Bella reported from Washington, D.C., and Francis reported from London. The Washington Posts Mariana Alfaro, Dan Lamothe, Claire Parker and Adam Taylor in Washington, D.C.; Mary Ilyushina in Riga, Latvia; and David L. Stern from Mukachevo, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
JINBA, West Bank  Everything here is makeshift, a result of decades of uncertainty. Homes are made from tin and plastic sheets, water is trucked in and power is obtained from batteries or a few solar panels.

The lives of thousands of Palestinians in a cluster of Bedouin communities in the southern West Bank have been on hold for more than four decades, ever since the land they cultivated and lived on was declared a military firing and training zone by Israel.

Since that decision in early 1981, residents of the Masafer Yatta region have weathered demolitions, property seizures, restrictions, disruptions of food and water supplies as well as the lingering threat of expulsion.

That threat grew significantly this week after Israels Supreme Court upheld a long-standing expulsion order against eight of the 12 Palestinian hamlets forming Masafer Yatta  potentially leaving at least 1,000 people homeless.

On Friday, some residents said they are determined to stay on the land.

The verdict came after a more than two-decade-long legal struggle by Palestinians to remain in their homes. Israel has argued that the residents only use the area for seasonal agriculture and that they had been offered a compromise that would have given them occasional access to the land.

The Palestinians say that if implemented, the ruling opens the way for the eviction of all the 12 communities that have a population of 4,000 people, mostly Bedouins who rely on animal herding and a traditional form of desert agriculture.

The residents of Jinba, one of the hamlets, said Friday that they have opposed any compromise because they have lived in the area long before Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war.

Issa Abu Eram was born in a cave in the rugged mountainous terrain 48 years ago and has endured a tough life because building is banned here.

In the winter, he and his family members live in a cave. In the summer, they stay in caravans near the cave. His goats are a source of income, and on Friday, he had laid out dozens of balls of hardened goat milk yogurt on the roof of a shack to dry.

He said his children grew up with the threat of expulsion hanging over them. They are attending a makeshift school in Jinba, with the oldest son now in 12th grade.

He did not live in any other place except Jinba. How are you going to convince him ... to live somewhere else? he said.

The Palestinian leadership on Friday condemned the Israeli Supreme Court ruling, which was handed down on Wednesday  when most of Israel was shut down for the country's Independence Day.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, said the removal order amounts to forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, in violation of international law and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Also on Friday, Israel's interior minister said Israel is set to advance plans for the construction of 4,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank. If approved, it would be the biggest advancement of settlement plans since the Biden administration took office.

The White House is opposed to settlement growth because it further erodes the possibility of an eventual two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The West Bank has been under Israeli military rule for nearly 55 years. Masafer Yatta is in the 60% of the territory where the Palestinian Authority is prohibited from operating. The Palestinians want the West Bank to form the main part of their future state.

Jewish settlers have established outposts in the area that are not officially authorized by Israel but are protected by the military. Last fall, dozens of settlers attacked a village in the area, and a 4-year-old boy was hospitalized after being struck in the head with a stone.

For now, the families say they have only one choice left: to stay and stick to their land.

I dont have an alternative and they cannot remove me, said farmer Khalid al-Jabarin, standing outside a goat shed. The entire government of Israel cant remove me. We will not leave ... we will not get out of here because we are the inhabitants of the land.

Referring to West Bank settlers who came from other countries, he said: "Why would they bring a replacement from South Africa to live in the high mountains, in our land, and replace us, and remove us, why? 

___

Associated Press writer Fares Akram in Hamilton, Canada, contributed to this report.
TUCSON, Az. (Tribune News Service)The public will get another chance to comment on proposed Air Force changes to flight rules over 10 military airspaces across Arizona and New Mexico, including lower supersonic flights and longer nighttime flying hours.

The Air Force has extended until June 3 a public-comment period on scoping for a draft environmental impact statement on the proposed changes, after announcing in January the intent to publish a draft statement and initially accepting comments through a scoping period ended March 4.

Comments may be submitted online via the project web page, ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com, where full details also are available; or via mail to Arizona Regional Airspace EIS, c/o Cardno, 501 Butler Farm Road, Suite H, Hampton, VA 23666.

The Air Force said the comment period was extended in response to public and stakeholder input, including comments gathered at six in-person meetings held in affected communities in February.

The Air Force says the changes to the special-use airspaces called Military Operations Areas, or MOAs, are needed to optimize training conducted by units at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the Morris Air National Guard Base at Tucson International Airport and Luke Air Force base near Phoenix.

The proposed changes would affect the adjacent Sells, Ruby and Fuzzy MOAs, stretching southwest of Tucson from Interstate 19 to near Ajo; the Tombstone MOA, over the southeast corner of Arizona and southwest corner of New Mexico; the adjacent Bagdad and Gladden MOAs northwest of Phoenix; and the Outlaw, Jackal, Morenci and Reserve MOAs, which together stretch across a huge swath of east-central Arizona into New Mexico.

Besides allowing supersonic training flights at lower levels in five of the MOAs, the proposed changes include extending flying hours until midnight in several areas; lowering some flight floors; adding about 750 square miles to the Tombstone MOA and allowing the release of decoy metallic chaff there; and allowing flares to be launched at lower altitudes in some areas.

The Air Force is due to issue a draft environmental impact statement in fall 2023, and after further public comment and review, issue a final statement by summer 2024.

(c)2022 The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.)

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(Tribune News Service)  U.S. troops could see their access to abortion severely curtailed if the Supreme Court overturns its landmark ruling on reproductive rights, potentially hurting military recruitment and the retention of women.

As employees of the federal government, doctors on military bases are already banned from performing abortions so female troops  and the female spouses of troops  must seek out the procedure on their own. That would become much more difficult if the Supreme Court overturns the precedent set in its Roe v. Wade ruling almost five decades ago, as a leaked draft ruling indicates its likely to do.

At least 26 states probably would place restrictions on abortion laws, including Texas, Florida and other southern states that have many of the nations military bases, according to Sean Timmons, a managing partner at Tulley Rinckey who specializes in military law.

The potential impact on recruitment and retention would come as the military is already struggling to find qualified troops. Women make up almost 20% of the 1.3 million-member active-duty force.

It places an undue burden on women serving in the military because they are going to have to go through extraordinary lengths to seek fair access to reproductive health care, which they wouldnt be facing if they hadnt joined the military, for example, and then been stationed in a state that has very restrictive access, said Rachel VanLandingham, an associate professor at

Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles who specializes in national security law.

But Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, disputed the idea that new limits on abortions could affect womens willingness to serve.

I have seen nothing from the Department of Defense that has led me to believe that access to abortion is a factor in recruiting and retention one way or another, Inhofe said in a statement.

Defense Department spokesman John Kirby declined to directly address the abortion issue when questioned this week. But he said the health and well-being of our men and women are paramount concerns of department leadership, and we are serious about making sure they have the information, the tools that they need to make the most informed decisions for their own personal health and well-being.

Of course we cannot be an effective military without the brave women who serve inside the military, and who serve in the civilian ranks, he told reporters.

Military medical facilities arent allowed to perform abortions  and the cost of the procedure in private facilities isnt covered by the militarys Tricare health insurance  because of the Hyde Amendment of 1976, which prohibits the use of federal dollars for abortions unless the life of the mother is at risk.

Women can ask to be discharged from the military if they are pregnant, according to Timmons.

To get an abortion out of state, women in the military would have to ask for approved leave from their commanders, and probably have to disclose the reason. It could well lead to additional hostile work environment, harassment, obnoxious behavior from colleagues if they know why the absence is necessitated, Timmons said.

Asking for leave also can put women at a disadvantage on performance evaluations  especially if they are based overseas in places where abortion is banned  because theyd be asking for special treatment to take the leave, said VanLandingham, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.

It adds to the burden the women already shoulder by being in the minority in the military within a still very much male culture, she said.

The vast majority  95%  of all women serving in the military are of reproductive age, according to Defense Department estimates. The Pentagon provides health care to more than 1.5 million women of reproductive age, including servicewomen on active duty, in the guard and reserves, as well their dependents, according a statement by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., and Sen.

Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who have championed womens health care in the military.

Studies have also shown that women in the military have a 50% higher rate of unplanned pregnancy than the general population, according to the lawmakers.

Despite incremental increases in the population of military women over the past 15 years, female service members are 28% more likely to separate from service than their male active-duty counterparts, according to a Government Accountability Office report in 2020. Family planning, sexual assault, and dependent care were some of the issues listed as influencing womens decisions to leave the military, according to the GAO.

Because Congress isnt likely to scuttle the Hyde Amendment any time soon, VanLandingham, the law professor, urged the

Pentagon and the Biden administration to change internal policies and attitudes to let troops know that we will take care of you, we will help seek access to reproductive health care, and to overcome these additional burdens. 2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

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When given the choice to put his religious identity on his metal dog tag, World War II soldier Albert Belmont did what many Jewish soldiers did at the time. His family members say he put a P for Protestant, out of fear of what Nazi German soldiers could do to him if he were captured.

For more than seven decades, Belmont was buried under a Latin cross, what soldiers were generally buried under unless they had H on their dog tag for Hebrew. In April, however, his daughter and granddaughters traveled to France to see the cross above his body replaced with a Star of David to reflect his Jewish identity.

Belmonts changed headstone is part of a larger project called Operation Benjamin, working to correct the headstones of hundreds of Jewish soldiers who died in World Wars I and II. Barbara Belmont, who lives in Alexandria, Va., and her two daughters joined six other families on a trip to Europe to participate in ceremonies for the changing of their relatives headstones.

In a way, it gave this very old lady closure, said Belmont, 80. I feel like I attended my fathers funeral. It was the most wonderful feeling.

For most of her life, Belmont knew nothing about her biological father. He had died when she was 3, and her mother never wanted to speak of him, because his death was too painful.

Albert Belmont had voluntarily enlisted as a private in the Army when he was 32, in 1944. He arrived in Europe on Nov. 1, 1944, and he was fatally shot within a month, on Nov. 30.

Barbara Belmont said she visited her fathers grave at Lorraine American Cemetery 30 years ago when she was traveling for work, and she remembers not seeing many Stars of David among the gravesites. She was busy raising her two girls, so she never thought to do anything about the Latin cross above his grave.

During their recent Operation Benjamin trip, some of the other families said they shared Belmonts experience: No one in their families would talk about the soldiers who had died.

Whenever the song When Johnny Comes Marching Home was played in grade school, I would start crying, Belmont said. I dont think I understood why this would happen.

Belmonts daughter Erin McCahill said she watched as her mother took a big breath and remarked how it was probably the last time she would see her fathers grave. She said she and her mother feel that his burial under a cross wasnt wrong, necessarily, but that burying him under a Star of David was closer to what was right.

For her, its less about how he was under a cross for 70 years, said McCahill, who lives in Bethesda, Md. Its about reflecting what was closer to him.

Operation Benjamin was created after Jacob Schacter, an Orthodox rabbi and professor at Yeshiva University, was leading a tour of a cemetery in Normandy, France, in 2013. While there, Schacter looked around and thought the number of Stars of David seemed low.

Shalom Lamm, the chief executive of Operation Benjamin, said it estimates that about 2.6% of U.S. casualties in World War II were Jewish, and thus that there should have been about 250 headstones with Stars of David at the Normandy cemetery, not 149.

He said they picked a random soldier who had been buried at Normandy who had a Jewish-sounding last name: Benjamin Garadetsky. They dug into his familys history and found out he was a Ukrainian immigrant who grew up in the Bronx and led a Jewish life. After two years of work with the American Battle Monuments Commission, the U.S. government agency that oversees foreign cemeteries for soldiers who died in the two World Wars, Garadetskys headstone was changed to a Star of David in 2018.

Ali Bettencourt, spokeswoman for the commission, said that it has a unique relationship with Operation Benjamin, because headstones are not changed often.

Bettencourt said that when the military was creating the World War cemeteries, the Latin cross wasnt necessarily chosen for religious reasons. It was intended, she said, to be a symbol that someone died here for a reason. Soldiers who had been killed were buried under a Latin cross by default, but at the time, the Jewish community asked the military to bury Jewish soldiers under a Star of David. However, there were cases such as Albert Belmonts in which soldiers wanted to obscure their identity for safety purposes, or sometimes there was an administrative error, Bettencourt said.

We really truly want to get the story right, she said.

Now, Lamm said, Operation Benjamin has a relationship with the commission in which they know what pieces of evidence they need to confirm someones Jewish identity - birth, census and bar mitzvah records, among others - and it takes about 30 days to get approval. He said the group estimates there are about 400 to 550 veterans who are incorrectly buried under a Latin cross. Thus far there have been 19 headstone changes, and corrections for 27 more are in the works.

Some people ask why the bodies to arent moved to Israel, but because the soldiers are part of a national monument, their bodies cant be moved, Lamm said.

Barbara Belmonts mother, Ruth Bohm Belmont, met Albert Belmont in the mid-1930s when she worked for him in his photography studio in Youngstown, Ohio. After they married, they moved to Kansas City, Mo., where they had Barbaras older sister in 1937 and Barbara in 1941.

Ruth Bohm Belmont was a Reform Jew who would go to synagogue on high holidays, but the family wasnt very observant. Barbara Belmont considers herself Jewish and believes in a god of some kind but doesnt belong to any institution. She said she was surprised when a rabbi from St. Louis contacted her through a request from Operation Benjamin. The group finds the closest relatives and often asks a rabbi to reach out to them.

Belmonts mother remarried when she was 6, to a World War II veteran, and she never talked about her first husband with her daughter. When Belmont was a senior in high school, her grandmother sat her down to tell her more about her father. She told her he was a generous man, that if he had a dime in his pocket, he would give it to anyone. He gave thousands to the Red Cross, she said. They were going to talk more about him, but she died shortly after that initial conversation.

Belmonts uncle gave her a clipping from a newspaper in Syracuse, N.Y., where his family was from, that published an obituary with the title Pvt Albert Belmont, Jewish Fund Donor, Is Killed in Action. The obituary focused on his contributions to Jewish organizations, refugee efforts and local charities.

The recent ceremony in France for her father lasted only about 15 minutes, she said.

Masonry workers had dug around the cross at his gravesite. During the ceremony, the workers took the cross and laid it down next to the Star of David. Then they picked up the Star of David and put it where the cross had been. Belmont spoke about her father, and her daughters each read a prayer. They said the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer recited at funerals.

I havent felt like Ive had closure until now, that this has been on a continuum, Belmont said. I probably know a sufficient amount of information where I understand who this man was. That makes me happy.
Facing a Republican Legislature and a reelection bid, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed only a few bills this past session without broad support from his party, but they include one that could hinder his pledge to reduce prison populations.

Of the 267 measures he signed into law since the 2021-22 session began, five received five or fewer recorded Democratic votes between both chambers, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. Bills that passed by a voice vote in both chambers are not included in the tally because lawmakers votes are not recorded.

Evers vetoed some of the most controversial Republican bills, including measures to revamp elections administration and give parents a greater role in their childrens education. But none of the bills he signed with minimal Democratic support in 2022 were responsible for extensive floor debates or packed committee rooms.

Just three of the measures he signed in 2022  pertaining to eligibility for early release from prison and probation, a low-income education plans reach and chiropractic education  received five or fewer recorded Democratic votes in favor.

There were only two such measures in 2021, one requiring the Department of Public Instruction to create a school expenditure portal and one regarding proceeds from a massive opiate litigation settlement, which Evers said included an unconstitutional provision.

The most crucial measure Evers signed into law without broad Democratic support was the 2021-23 biennial budget. Seven Democrats voted in favor of the budget, which Evers openly weighed vetoing for not spending enough on K-12 education.

Early release

While Evers campaigned in 2018 on cutting the prison population in half, he signed a measure in April prohibiting people convicted of violent felonies and misdemeanors from early discharge from probation and early release programs in prison.

The measure, 2021 Wisconsin Act 227, passed as Republicans zero in on crime in Wisconsin  especially the November incident in which a man drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in Waukesha just days after he was released on $1,000 bail in connection with a violent crime. Six people died and dozens more were injured in the parade incident, which Republicans blamed on lax Democratic jail policies.

This bill is one tool that Wisconsin can put in its public safety toolbox to ensure that the tragedy in Waukesha will never be repeated in our state, bill author Rep. Chuck Wichgers, R-Muskego, said in a statement for a January hearing.

Asked why Evers signed the bill, spokesperson Britt Cudaback said the new act ensures the programs remain largely targeted toward nonviolent offenders.

While the new restriction is only enforceable for people convicted after the bills enactment, Wisconsin Department of Corrections spokesperson John Beard said just under 20% of the prison population, or about 1,361 people, eligible for early release programs in November 2021 wouldnt have been eligible had the new law been in effect.

It should be noted that eligibility does not necessarily mean a person will be automatically released early from their sentence, he added.

The same is true for about 20% of people on probation who are eligible for early discharge, Beard said.

The average cost for a person incarcerated in a DOC institution during fiscal year 2021 was about $44,000.

Just three Assembly Democrats voted for the measure, which the state Public Defenders Office said would place additional burdens on an already overcrowded prison system.

The early release program is a useful opportunity to achieve relief when you demonstrate success in a number of different programs that can be offered while youre incarcerated, Adam Plotkin, legislative liaison at the Public Defenders Office, said in an interview. So limiting access takes away some of that opportunity.

Because the Senate took a voice vote on the bill, AB 842, Senate lawmakers votes werent tabulated.

But Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, blasted the measure at a March committee hearing, saying convicted offenders need more rehabilitative programming, not more time in prison without being eligible for early release.

What would Jesus do? Not this bill, she said.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, spokesperson Adam Gibbs declined to comment for this story.

Low-income education plan

In one of the tamer partisan battles over education this past session, Republicans proposed expanding an online education program beyond the low-income children in a predetermined six-district region during the 2022-23 school year if theres capacity for other low-income students in other districts.

Originally, the program extended to the Green Bay Area Public School District, Lac du Flambeau No. 1 School District, Milwaukee Public Schools, North Crawford School District, Racine Unified School District, and Siren School District.

Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, who voted against the measure, 2021 Wisconsin Act 215, said the state should instead have invested directly in schools with higher rates of students in poverty and increased state reimbursement for special education.

In a statement, Cudaback noted the bill had no registered opponents.

Chiropractic education

Evers signed a measure in April allowing the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin  whose stance on COVID-19 led to Democratic critiques  and other eligible in-state or national organizations to sponsor chiropractors mandatory continuing education training.

Until Evers signed the measure, 2021 Wisconsin Act 253, the Wisconsin Chiropractors Association was the only state-based organization able to sponsor the training. Republicans said the proposal, which expands the number of organizations that can be a program sponsor, would level the playing field and increase competition.

The governor signed this bill in order to create equity among chiropractic entities in the state in being able to provide continuing education programs, Cudaback said. Additionally, increasing the number of continuing education program sponsors may make continuing education programs more accessible and affordable for chiropractors, chiropractic technicians and chiropractic radiological technicians.

Largely, the Democratic opposition to the measure came around the time the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin hosted Vax-Con, an event featuring anti-vaccine proponents. The events featured speaker, Judy Mikovits of the conspiracy theory-laden video Plandemic, included a number of false and unsupported claims in her presentation, including that vaccines drive pandemics and contribute to the development of chronic disease, The Associated Press reported.

John Murray, executive director of the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association, told the AP that the event was an example of a small group of chiropractors diminishing the professions credibility.

At a hearing in April 2021, organization then-president Wade Anunson said in a statement, We are not an anti-vaccine organization, adding that the organization was against government mandates. But he did concede that its reputation led a state senator to withdraw as a co-sponsor.

That senator was Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, D-Mason, who said she initially thought the two Wisconsin chiropractic associations should be treated equally.

Unfortunately I had to re-examine that belief when I learned that they not only sponsored and promoted a conference featuring anti-vaccine activists, but also arranged for continuing education credits for attendees, she said in a statement.

School expenditure portal

The Department of Public Instruction must create an online portal displaying financial data from school districts, county children with disabilities education boards and independent charter schools beginning in 2023 under a measure Evers signed in November.

Republicans proposed the measure, 2021 Wisconsin Act 89, as a way for taxpayers to see how their money is spent. While no organizations lobbied against the measure, Democrats lambasted it for not applying to schools participating in voucher programs.

Several Democratic senators offered an amendment to extend the bill to schools receiving at least 80% of their annual revenue from students participating in voucher programs, but Republicans rejected the amendment, leading Democrats to reject the bill.

Cudaback noted the measure was publicly supported by the Department of Public Instruction, school boards, and school administrators, among others.

Opioid settlement

Despite considering part of the measure unconstitutional, Evers signed a bill in June 2021 requiring the state and Wisconsin counties to forge a settlement agreement stemming from litigation dozens of Wisconsin entities filed against opioid manufactures, distributors and retailers.

Evers said the 2021 Wisconsin Act 57 provision requiring the Legislatures budget committee to sign off on any settlement was unconstitutional because it violated the state constitutions separation of powers doctrine. He said that provision also needlessly delays settlements reaching Wisconsin communities.

Despite these serious concerns, I am not willing to risk our ability to maximize the amount of settlement dollars available to Wisconsin by vetoing this bill in its entirety, he said.

The law requires 70% of any settlements to go to local governments, with the other 30% going to the state. But all of the money must be spent on curbing opioid abuse.

Biennial budget

Though a total of seven Democrats voted in favor, the biennial budget remains the most critical measure Evers signed in the 2021-2022 session without broad support from his party.

Evers openly weighed vetoing the budget, which would have sent the measure back to the Legislature, for failing to spend enough on K-12 education, but ultimately signed the document in July. Strategists said at the time that, by signing the budget, Evers was positioning himself for re-election by providing a sizable surplus, reaching bipartisan agreement and moving the needle on priorities such as broadband expansion and education funding.

Evers had proposed a $91.2 billion budget, but hundreds of his policy items were immediately stripped by Republicans, who control the states powerful budget committee. He ended up signing the $87.3 billion 2021-23 biennial budget last summer.

While Republicans said the budget makes responsible investments and gives back to Wisconsin residents through tax cuts, Democratic lawmakers blasted the document as one rife with missed opportunities that fails to spend enough on education, broadband and more.

The GOP proposal passed both chambers, with three Democratic members of the Senate and four in the Assembly joining Republicans in favor of the budget.

While Evers used his partial veto power to make dozens of changes to the states 2019-21 budget, including increased education spending, he left the states current budget largely intact  including more than $2 billion in income tax cuts Republicans added thanks to an unprecedented surplus.

Evers has described the income tax cuts as fulfilling a campaign promise of cutting taxes for middle class families by 10%, a move criticized by Republicans as an effort to take credit for their work.

Editor's note: This story corrects where Rep. Janet Bewley, D-Mason, lives.

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Nationals Tauranga candidate Sam Uffindell officially launched his campaign in Mount Maunganui today, outlining how hell work hard to address the issues Tauranga faces.

The launch event, held at Mount Maunganui College, was preceeded by a walk-about down Mount Mainstreet, where Sam was joined by party leader Christopher Luxon as the two greeted shoppers along the sidewalk.

Sam was joined again by Christopher on stage as well as hundreds of supporters as he shared how he will be a strong local voice for Tauranga.

Im aspirational for Tauranga and want it to remain one of the best places to live, work and raise a family. Ill work tirelessly to address the barriers standing in the way of that aspiration.

People in Tauranga are sick of sitting in traffic caused by poor roading infrastructure and are finding it harder to get ahead due to the cost-of-living crisis."

Sam outlined his vision for Tauranga under a Christopher Luxon-led National team which would prioritise investment in infrastructure, address the cost-of-living crisis, restore local democracy and attract talent to our city.

After an international career fighting financial crime, my wife Julia and I decided to return home so our kids could grow up in the Bay of Plenty and call themselves Kiwis. But for us to make sure that Tauranga stays the best place to raise a family, we need to make sure its safe and offers the best opportunities for everyone, Mr Uffindell says.

National leader Christopher Luxon told the audience Uffindell and National would work incredibly hard for every vote during this campaign.

Its so great that in Sam weve got someone who is aspirational for the future of Tauranga, but understands the challenges youve got right now, like empty shops, clogged roads, gang activity on the rise and a cost-of-living crisis making it harder to get ahead, says Luxon.

National is committed to the issues that matter to Kiwis up and down the country, and our campaign in Tauranga will focus on those same issues. Just like how Sam is aspirational for Tauranga, National is aspirational for New Zealand. We want everyone to be able to get where they need to be faster and safer, and for Kiwis to have more in their back-pocket at the end of each week.

With Sams experience fighting financial crime and getting things done, he will be an important part of our National team and well be fighting hard to have him join our Caucus after June 18.

Earlier, 10.50am Watch live as Tauranga National Party candidate Sam Uffindell launches his campaign with National Party leader Christopher Luxon at Mount Maunganui this morning.

Sam and Christopher were out and about earlier walking along on Mount Mainstreet chatting wth people outside the cafes before heading to Mount Maunganui College for the launch.

At the campaign launch Sam will set out his key issues for Tauranga which includes, amongst others, infrastructure, roading, cost of living, community safety and housing.

Earlier, the pair enjoyed a stroll along Mount Mainstreet.

"This is a fantastic part of the world," says Sam. "The feedback we're getting from everyone is that they want us to address our roading infrastructure. They want us to address the cost of living. They don't necessarily feel that safe so we need to address crime and gangs, and we need to rejuvenate our CBD."

National Party leader Christopher Luxon is clearly enjoying being in Tauranga on a sunny autumn Saturday.

"It doesn't get any better than this," says Christopher. "Of any place you want to be in New Zealand today, I reckon this is the place to be. Beautiful sun as always, amazing people and we're just out and about getting a sense of what are the issues on the ground here in Tauranga, and how can Sam represent the community so well."
The Ministry of Health is reporting 6,745 new community cases of Covid-19, 339 hospitalisations and 12 deaths. There were 93 new cases identified at the border.

There are 15 people around New Zealand in ICU. In Bay of Plenty hospitals there are 21 people with Covid-19 and three in Lakes hospitals.

The Ministry of Health have not released the numbers of new community cases in each District Health Board region today.

The Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

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.

Todays seven-day rolling average of community case numbers is 7,512  last Saturday it was 7,415.

As people to look to catch up with their whanau over this weekend, its a timely reminder for people to continue to follow public health advice to stay at home and stay away from school or work if youre feeling unwell. Another way to protect you and your whanau is to get vaccinated if you havent already done so.

Vaccination remains our best defence against Covid-19 and getting boosted is an important way people can protect themselves, their whanau and their friends from the virus.

Please if you are due for a vaccination, whether it be a second shot or booster, make an appointment today nor walk into a clinic.

Covid-19 deaths

"Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of 12 people with Covid-19," says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. "The deaths being reported today include people who have died over the past two 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 857 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 16.

Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; three people were from Auckland; two from Waikato; one from MidCentral; two from the Greater Wellington region; three from Canterbury and one from Southern.

One person was in their 40s; one in their 60s; two in their 70s; four in their 80s and four were aged over 90. Of these people, seven were women and five were men.

"This is a very sad time for whanau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this time. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment."

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand

Vaccines administered to date: 4,026,805 first doses; 3,978,356 second doses; 31,912 third primary doses; 2,636,622 booster doses: 261,826 paediatric first doses and 118,113 paediatric second doses

Vaccines administered yesterday: 31 first doses; 54 second doses; 29 third primary doses; 1,187 booster doses; 56 paediatric first doses and 444 paediatric second doses

People vaccinated

All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,055,795 first dose (96.4%); 4,006,722 second dose (95.2%), 2,631,781 boosted (70.9% of those eligible)

Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,083 first dose (91.2%); 504,151 second dose (88.3%), 235,286 boosted (54.3% of those eligible)

Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,917 first dose (98.3%); 277,047 second dose (96.6%), 140,236 boosted (56.7% of those eligible)

5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 258,979 first dose (54.4%); 115,303 second dose (24.2%)

5 to 11-year-olds - Maori: 40,832 first dose (35.3%); 13,186 second dose (11.4%)

5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,512 first dose (47.6%); 6,629 second dose (13.4%)

Note that the number for People vaccinated differs slightly from Vaccines administered as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas.

Vaccination rates for all DHBs

Northland DHB: first dose (90.1%); second dose (88.1%); boosted (67.5%)

Auckland DHB: first dose (99.1%); second dose (98.2%); 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 (66.4%)

Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (65.7%)

Lakes DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (91.3%); boosted (66%)

MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (71.9%)

Tairawhiti DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (90.9%); boosted (65.6%)

Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (71.2%)

Hawkes Bay DHB: first dose (97.3%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (69.5%)

Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (67.8%)

Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95%); boosted (72.7%)

Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.4%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (79.3%)

Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (74.7%)

Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (73.2%)

West Coast DHB: first dose (92.7%); second dose (91.3%); boosted (71.3%)

Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (74.2%)

South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.7%); second dose (93.7%); boosted (74.2%)

Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.5%); boosted (73%)

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 or 16 and 17 year olds who have become eligible 6 months after having their second dose.

Hospitalisations

Cases in hospital: total number 339: Northland: 8; Waitemata: 40; Counties Manukau: 38; Auckland: 63; Waikato: 34; Bay of Plenty: 21; Lakes: 3; Tairawhiti: 0; *Hawkes Bay: 15; Taranaki: 5; Whanganui: 1; MidCentral: 13; Wairarapa: 0; Hutt Valley: 3; Capital and Coast: 10; Nelson Marlborough: 7; Canterbury: 56; South Canterbury: 4; West Coast: 1; Southern: 17

**Average age of current hospitalisations: 58

*Cases in ICU or HDU: 15

Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (37 cases / 17%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (6 cases / 3%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (69 cases / 32%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (102 cases / 47%); unknown (2 cases / 1%)

* Please note the hospitalisation number listed for Hawkes Bay DHB is yesterdays number. At this stage todays number hasnt been updated. This affects the total number of hospitalisations and also means the total number of people in ICU doesnt include any possible ICU/HDU cases in this DHB. We will update these numbers as soon as possible.

** 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.

Cases

Seven day rolling average of community cases: 7,512

Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 7,415

Number of new community cases: 6,745

Number of new community cases (PCR): 231

Number of new community cases (RAT): 6,514

Number of new cases identified at the border: 93

Number of active community cases (total): 52,567 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 980,573

Tests
Hymns for Christian Life is billed as "their most personal album to date" and sees the duo explore contemporary themes like work, family, community and social action.

Much of the inspiration for the album came from their break in Nashville two years ago

They decided to take a time out from touring and welcomed their first child, Eliza Joy, to the world.

It was also a time of connecting with their community.

Keith remembers the conversations he had with friends around the dinner table and on the front porch, ranging over big questions like what it means to succeed in work but not make it a god, and how to handle doubt.

He shares: "This unique pause in our schedule allowed us to engage with our church family, band members, neighbours and local musicians about how the gospel story touches every part of life."

Their time in Nashville also influences the album musically, with elements of bluegrass and country music woven into their trademark Irish sound.

Keith adds: "Irish music essentially gave birth to folk music. Having lived in ireland and now in Nashville, we can harness the best from both musical styles in our songwriting for the church."
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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 burnt remains of a structure caught in the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fire lay in Rociada on Sunday (May 1).
Sam Burrows is the second Press Service International New Zealand young writer in two successive years to receive an award at the Australasian Religious Press Association in Canberra at ARPA's 40th anniversary. Moreover in each case it was the only young writer entered by an ARPA member publication, and that sounds like 100% success rate!

Last year in Melbourne Sophia Sinclair from Christchurch won a bronze at ARPA's awards night and this year Sam Burrows of Auckland in the category: Best Column or Blog likewise won a Bronze. Entered and sighted by Julie Belding's "Lift Magazine" the judges said of Sam Burrows article "I want a new New Zealand":

".... he gives insight into the (NZ) culture and faith. His is an approach not commonly found in Christian publications but one that will find appeal both in the faith and those on its fringes. It's a quirky, stimulating and very readable message ..."

The 40th anniversary ARPA conference commenced on Friday 5 September with spirited presentations by Australian culture guru Mark Sayers from Melbourne's Red Church where he spoke of "images" as today's modern media's communication tool. He noted that the 'big ideas' had become smaller where social media link-ups by such platforms as Tinder, set up unlikely agendas of more limited and self centred focuses.

This was followed by Melinda Tankard-Reist who spoke of her own personal story and presented a frightening picture of the sexualised images of little and teenage girls demonstrating the successful activist program of getting such advertisements removed from the public space.

This was a very powerful presentation and through it illustrated how her team is working at grass roots rather than top down and this strategy has borne much fruit with success at that level.

Saturday events

The Annual General Meeting of ARPA saw much discussion on developing a strategy towards both engaging a more youthful involvement along with an overall revamp of the structures of the ARPA institution  which as strange as it might seem, is an institution made up of institutions (Religious Press organisations), not people. The only 'people involved' (as it were) are the Associate Members who cannot vote. Youngin' David Goodwin of Melbourne Salvation Army was elected to Communications utilising new platforms.

This was followed by three workshops between morning tea and afternoon tea with lunch in between.

The three workshops were very powerful presentations.

Lawyer Mark Fowler gave a legal update on such issues as religious vilification, freedom of speech, ACNC charity regulations and the issues surrounding the Andrew Bolt case.

The recently formed Australian Charity Not-For-Profit Commission (ACNC) was given airing from the workshop's floor and one delegate who had recently attended a seminar led by the ACNC commissioner explained that the concern was that in time, it would become the wolf at the door as a similar body set up in Britain had become.

Paul Osborne Senior Political Writer at Australian Associated Press workshop was titled "A Crisis  being in the media". This workshop focused on the damage the child sexual issue was doing and the nature of honesty in a crisis.

The third of the workshops was Tony Revell of Mailcare a major sponsor of the ARPA conference addressed the issue of Technologies to Enhance Production, Marketing & Fulfillment of Religious Publications. Through ARPA Mailcare had secured a Uniting Church contract and word was getting out.

The big four

The final Saturday plenary session was a press conference with four the big guns from the National Press Gallery. The topic was "Communication in a brave new world". Paul Osborne (AAP), Chris Uhlmann (ABC), Paul Bongiorno (Channel 10) and Dennis Shanahan (The Australian).

Paul Osborne chaired the group with each of the big four addressing the gathering and the program was then opened to questions.

Dennis Shanahan explained that The Australian's market place has seen a third of the readership on-line, a third hard-copy and a third inter-changing. In the USA now major on-line news services are buying up hard-copy newspapers as they are finding a growing audience with hard-copy.

Chris Uhlmann spoke of the quality of professional media people and the untrustworthiness of news coming out of on-line and social media outlets giving example after example of political stories.

Paul Bongiorno spoke of the value add that the Religious Press brings to the market place and that it is imperative that the Christian World View is not hidden or apologised for, rather it be heralded and extolling virtues of life, love and likewise poverty, homelessness ... He impressed upon the audience to have a clearly defined mission statement and sticking to it.

The Gutenberg

The 2014 Gutenberg, the major ARPA award was won by "Aurora" the Newcastle Maitland Catholic Diocese publication. Key note speaker for the occasion was Mr Mark Scott the chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission was addressed the nature of the changing platforms in media presentation and how many in the Religious Media have caught on.

The Sunday morning after worship involved a tour of the National Press Gallery at Parliament House and a final lunch hosted by John Cleary with guest speaker Jane Jeffes of ABC Religion. All in all, another very enjoyable ARPA conference.

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
Apache OpenOffice is the result of over twenty years' software engineering. Designed from the start as a single piece of software, it has a consistency other products cannot match. A completely open development process means that anyone can report bugs, request new features, or enhance the software. The result: Apache OpenOffice does everything you want your office software to do, the way you want it to.

Easy to use

Apache OpenOffice is easy to learn, and if you're already using another office software package, you'll take to OpenOffice straight away. Our world-wide native-language community means that OpenOffice is probably available and supported in your own language. And if you already have files from another office package - OpenOffice will probably read them with no difficulty.

and it's free

Best of all, Apache OpenOffice can be downloaded and used entirely free of any license fees. Like all Apache Software Foundation software, Apache OpenOffice is free to use. Apache OpenOffice is released under the Apache 2.0 License. This means you may use it for any purpose - domestic, commercial, educational, public administration. You may install it on as many computers as you like. You may make copies and give them away to family, friends, students, employees - anyone you like.

Features

Compatible with other major office suites, Apache OpenOffice is free to download, use, and distribute. Download it now, and get:

Writer a word processor you can use for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book.

a word processor you can use for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book. Calc a powerful spreadsheet with all the tools you need to calculate, analyze, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics.

a powerful spreadsheet with all the tools you need to calculate, analyze, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics. Impress the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations.

the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations. Draw lets you produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations.

lets you produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations. Base lets you manipulate databases seamlessly. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, all from within Apache OpenOffice.

lets you manipulate databases seamlessly. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, all from within Apache OpenOffice. Math lets you create mathematical equations with a graphic user interface or by directly typing your formulas into the equation editor.

Apache OpenOffice is synonymous with quality:

The roots of Apache OpenOffice go back twenty years, creating a mature and powerful product

Many millions of users

Independent reviewers around the world have recommended the product

With a fully open development process, Apache OpenOffice has nothing to hide - the product stands or falls on its reputation

Apache OpenOffice is easy to use:

The software looks and feels familiar and is instantly usable by anyone who has used a competitive product

It's easy to change to Apache OpenOffice - the software reads most file types of major competitors

Few language barriers - if it's not yet available in your language, the chances are it will be soon

Apache OpenOffice is supported by a global community of friendly volunteers, happy to provide assistance to newcomers and advanced users alike

Apache OpenOffice is free software:

You may download Apache OpenOffice completely free of any license fees

Install it on as many PCs as you like

Use it for any purpose - private, educational, government and public administration, commercial...

Pass on copies free of charge to family, friends, students, employees, etc.

Apache OpenOffice is standards compliant:

The first software package in the world to use OASIS OpenDocument Format (ISO/IEC 26300) as its native file format.

What's New

Apache OpenOffice 4.1.12 is a Maintenance release, incorporating other bug fixes and little enhancements. All users of Apache OpenOffice 4.1.11 or earlier are advised to upgrade. You can download Apache OpenOffice 4.1.12 here. Windows 10 and 11 users can now also get Apache OpenOffice for selected languages in the "Microsoft Store" App.

Please review these Release Notes to learn what is new in this version, as well as important remarks concerning known issues and their workarounds.

Only use the original website "https://www.openoffice.org/download/" to download. The installed software can be verified with the About box (see menu "Help - About OpenOffice") by comparing the numbers with the reference data on the download webpage (see the text in the light green box). For Apache OpenOffice 4.1.12 it has to be "AOO4112m1 | Build ID 9809 | Rev. 60e0a1c111".

Dedication

The Project wants to dedicate this Release of Apache OpenOffice to the memory of Jorg Schmidt, who recently passed away. Jorg was a firm advocate of OpenOffice, as well as contributing to the German language documentation. He was active on the development mailing list as well as the German language lists. His strong advocation as well will be greatly missed. Jorg joined the project in 2013 as committer, but was also quite active before.

Improvements/Enhancements

Other Improvements/Enhancements

Zoom in Page Preview - negative values were treated as max factor

File selection box too small in Navigator

Several corrections in translations

Visual improvements in Sidebar

Bug Fixes

Highlighted Improvements/Enhancements

Search for strings in date formats fails

Rendering for extrusion depth of custom shapes was wrong

Previous Notes:

Apache OpenOffice 4.1.11 is a Security release incorporating other bug fixes and little exhancements. All users of Apache OpenOffice 4.1.10 or earlier are strongly advised to upgrade. You can download Apache OpenOffice 4.1.11 here. Windows 11 users can now also get Apache OpenOffice for selected languages in the Microsoft Store.

Please review these Release Notes to learn what is new in this version, as well as important remarks concerning known issues and their workarounds.

Apache OpenOffice is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.

Improvements/Enhancements

Bug Fixes

Updated dictionaries

Security

CVE 2021-30245 - Code execution in Apache OpenOffice via non-http(s) schemes in Hyperlinks

Bug Fixes

Highlighted Improvements/Enhancements

Applications forward non-http(s) hyperlinks to the OS without a warning

Inconsistent results when incorporating MP3 files in a presentation

For a complete overview of all resolved issues, please see the list in Bugzilla.

Language Support

New and Updated Translations

There are no new or updated languages.

New Dictionaries

No new dictionaries for this release

Updated Dictionaries
Bottom line: Nvidia took the wraps off its Hopper architecture at GTC 2022, announcing the H100 server accelerator but only showing off renders of it. Now we finally have some in-hand photos of the SXM variant of the card, which features a mind-boggling 700W TDP.

It's been a bit over a month since Nvidia unveiled their H100 server accelerator based on the Hopper architecture, and so far, we've only seen renders of it. That changes today, as ServeTheHome has just shared pictures of the card in its SXM5 form factor.

The GH100 compute GPU is fabricated on TSMC's N4 process node and has an 814 mm2 die size. The SXM variant features 16896 FP32 CUDA cores, 528 Tensor cores, and 80GB of HBM3 memory connected using a 5120-bit bus. As can be seen in the images, there are six 16GB stacks of memory around the GPU, but one of these is disabled.

Nvidia also quoted a staggering 700W TDP, 75% higher than its predecessor, so it's no surprise that the card comes with an extremely-impressive VRM solution. It features 29 inductors, each equipped with two power stages and an additional three inductors with one power stage. Cooling all of these tightly packed components will probably be a challenge.

Another noticeable change is the connector layout for SXM5. There's now a short and a long mezzanine connector, whereas previous generations featured two identically sized longer ones.

Nvidia will start shipping H100-equipped systems in Q3 of this year. It's worth mentioning that the PCIe version of the H100 is currently listed in Japan for 4,745,950 yen ($36,300) after taxes and shipping, although it has fewer CUDA cores, downgraded HBM2e memory, and half the TDP of the SXM variant.
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. We strongly recommend the Friday Drive show yesterday by TREVOR WALKER. His [ Robert Ouimet Tribute Mixtape ] is amazing: https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/120/56183.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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!! THE "soundtrack of Emily's mysterious predicament part 4" WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FINAL INSTALLMENT TO THE SERIES; THE END OF THE STORY. BECAUSE OF POPULAR DEMAND TO CONTINUE THE STORY, WE CONTINUED THE SERIES AND STORY. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- link to original show for listening to this 'on demand': https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/131/35885.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catriona is very impressed with Fatima. Just a few years ago Fatima was living in a Somali refugee camp in Kenya. Now she's taking business administration at Harvard with a Full Scholarship and the best damn assistant manager Catriona has ever hired for her shop! Catriona so much appreciated Fatima on the weekend because she didn't have to go there at all. It was family time. Something Catriona hadn't enjoyed with her family enough of in the past years. Everything was suddenly thrown off when Catriona's daughter came running into the kitchen at 8.30 am on Saturday morning with the phone yelling, " Mom! It's Fatima at the store. There's some kind of emergency..." Catriona stopped preparing her seafood omelet. She had a terrible feeling about it. A frantic sounding Fatima described how she opened the shop and immediately turned the motion sensor alarm off as usual... As she walked into the store she could hear somebody crying... She slowly walked into the change room section where she could see, underneath the locked door of a changing room, some woman lying in a ball crying away... She ran out of the store and locked it... and called. Catriona quickly calmed her assistant manager, "I'm going to call agent Brisk at the F.B.I. I'm heading right over. I'm sure you remember talking with Agent Brisk at the shop the other day. If she gets there before me let her into the store. Nobody else goes in otherwise until her or I show up." It took Catriona a good fifteen minutes to get to the South Bay Center from her house in Quincy. Already there were Boston police cars with flashing lights in the parking lots! Catriona quickly ran to the door of the shop only to arrive at the very same time as F.B.I special agent Nancy Brisk had. There were also officers from the mall security who had called the police. Four police women were there already with radios blaring away. Fatima was standing her ground not letting any of them in. Catriona let agent Brisk and a couple of the uniforms slowly enter the darkened store and quietly enter that change room section. Brisk took a master key and quietly unlocked the changing room with the crying. Upon hearing the noise Emily stopped crying and looked up at the door opening. Brisk quickly confirmed, " Emily? Is that you Emily? It's Nancy" In a spontaneous burst of energy and excitement Emily jumped up into Nancy's arms. She was shivering like a soaked cat in an arctic deep freeze while continuously going on about how extremely happy she was to see Nancy. Emily couldn't stop shivering. She was somewhat dazed. Nancy was terribly worried about Emily's condition. Nancy managed to get rid of the local peace officers and the security guards. Together with Catriona and Fatima, Nancy found a spot in the bathing suit section to sit and talk with her slowly calming sister. After giving Emily several blankets and large beach towels, Catriona started with simple facts: "Four days ago, you came into this shop to buy clothes for a vacation." Emily was suddenly remembering details. She recalled Fatima helping her find a nice sundress. Fatima said how she had showed her where the change rooms were and a teenaged salesperson there set her up to try on the very same white dress Emily had been wearing all along. Catriona continued, "You just vanished. You went into the very same change room that we found you in this morning. Yet that was Tuesday evening. Then you completely vanished." Emily was petrified with the concept saying anything about what had happened to her. She didn't want anybody to interview her. She didn't want to go to a police station. She just desperately wanted to go home. Catriona and Fatima were quite happy just to forget about the whole thing. Word of such events could not be good for business at all. They even gave Emily the dress  free of charge. As Nancy and Emily walked through part of the mall to Nancy's car they held each other tightly. Nancy accepted that Emily was going to eventually tell more details of her ordeal. She was just so terribly happy she was alright and still alive. For four days the possibility of Emily being dead was very real. On the way to the car Nancy explained of that day Emily had disappeared, that she came and picked up her purse and clothes. She had gotten Tom to drive her car back to her condominium. While they walked by one store that had a sidewalk reduction sale Emily suddenly noticed the very same type of radio she had on that island. Nancy bought it for her. When she finally got home she decided to put that radio on a ledge in her kitchen similar to the ledge she had found on in the island house. Long after the possible explanations of alternate universes from Tom had become boring, Emily found herself waking up in the middle of the night sometimes and sitting in her kitchen listening to that radio Nancy had bought for her. During those nights she would think about how beautiful and peaceful that island was. That radio seemed to mysteriously have that same radio station. Emily had never realized how much this new radio looked exactly like the one she had found on that island. It was playing up-tempo disco with all sorts of bells and whistles. It reminded her of Charmaine and her warmth and curiosity. She wondered about Charmaine. It would be several months later when, while doing spring cleaning, Emily would discover those very same initials Charmaine had carved for her on the back of the radio.
Wearable tech has many purposes in the present. These are not simple accessories that bring you updates and notifications from your favorite apps but also get many health features. One of its connected health features is period tracking and contraception. It is an excellent way to keep track of one's cycle and help people know safe dates and when it is coming.

However, it is not entirely accurate as it is only based on the data and calendar method these apps bring.

Period Tracking and Contraception: Smartwatches and Apps to Help

Apple Watch

Apple Watch has many features on its list, and one of them is heartbeat detection, which brings an ECG (electrocardiogram) function to monitor the heart more accurately than its BPM (beats per minute). It also helps bring fall detection for accidents and alert authorities.

However, that is not all it can bring, as the wearable tech can connect to apps available in the market.

Apple has a built-in feature within the Health App called "Cycle Tracking," It brings a period tracker and contraception function for its users.

The built-in feature will help determine one's calendar and use the input to create a calendar that lets users know more about their body and give them updates about it. Data about sexual activity, period flow, and one's regularity are available for its data to help users determine more about their monthly cycle.

Read Also: Fitbit Luxe 2 Rumored Details: Release Date Estimated on Mid-2023

Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Watch also offers a period tracker support for its wearable tech offers, and many users also utilize the South Korean smartwatch for all their period needs.

Samsung's Health App also brings a built-in feature for period tracking, and it is under the "Women's Health" tab, which users may use for their needs, bringing a calendar and reminder function for all. Users can input daily logs to explain what they feel at the moment, and it would add to the data that Samsung will give them during each cycle.

Users can also input symptoms of a period's many implications to a person.

Fitbit

It is widely known that Google's Fitbit is already applying for an FDA approval regarding the AFib monitor for the heart. While that is on the way, wearable tech also focuses on what it offers now.

Fitbit brings a built-in application called "Menstrual Health" for all that need it, and it also aims to extend its technology and features for a person's preference.

Data and information will come from its user, and their answers will help the smartwatch provide them with the necessary details they need regarding their menstrual cycle. Predicted period dates, ovulation, fertile windows, and cycle history are some of the available information for one's needs.

According to The Verge, these apps may help users, but it is not entirely helpful as it is a system that generalizes the body. It is important to note that each person's menstrual cycle is unique to them, and it may have different implications or situations from others.

Related Article: Apple Watch Series 7 Arrives at the Refurbished Store | Save up to $70!

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The new Google Web3 group has been formed by the search engine giant's cloud team. They decided to do this to take advantage of the rising crypto industry.

(Photo : Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

In this photo illustration, an image of the Google logo is reflected on the eye of a young man on August 09, 2017 in London, England. Founded in 1995 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Google now makes hundreds of products used by billions of people across the globe, from YouTube and Android to Smartbox and Google Search.

But, Google clarified that they are not trying to enter the cryptocurrency market. Instead, they want to offer tools that can help businesses make their own Web3 software models.

"While the world is still early in its embrace of Web3, it is a market that is already demonstrating tremendous potential with many customers asking us to increase our support for Web3 and Crypto-related technologies," said Google Cloud Vice President Amit Zavery via CNBC.

New Google Web3 Team Arrives!

Zavery clarified that the new Web3 team was not formed to bring Google into the rising crypto market. Instead, this new group's main goal is to provide new technologies that can help companies further benefit from the new Web3 innovations.

(Photo : Photo credit should read TORSTEN SILZ/DDP/AFP via Getty Images)

A woman works on her computer as on the wall behind is seen the logo of web search engine Google at Frankfurt's international book fair, on 23 October 2005, the fair's last day. South Korea is the guest of honour at the 57th annual Frankfurt Book Fair and has brought out 62 authors to Germany to introduce them to the western public.

Also Read: Google Updates Travel Section Tool For Travelers | How to Use This Search Function

When it comes to actual services, the new Google Web3 plans to offer back-end services that can help developers design their decentralized blockchain-based systems.

The new group is also expected to allow Google to compete against Microsoft, Amazon, and Alibaba more efficiently. As of writing, the group is still being finalized, with James Tromans, a former Citigroup executive, leading the new Web3 group.

Google's new Web3 group plans to recruit Web3 experts who can work on blockchain data systems, computing environment-based tools, and other innovations that can enhance companies' Web3 software models.

What is Web3?

The New York Times explained that Web3 is expected to replace the traditional internet service. It is an online system that relies on decentralized blockchains.

However, this technology is still currently unavailable since its development and implementation are quite complicated. Packy MrCormick, a popular Web3 investor, explained that this internet version is "orchestrated with tokens."

If you want to see more details about Web3, you can visit this link.

Meanwhile, Google's passwordless sign-in option will soon arrive.

On the other hand, a new Google user info policy was recently unveiled.

For more news updates about Google and its other plans with its new Web3 group, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Google Acquires Raxium, a MicroLED Company that Aims to Utilize for its AR Projects

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Australia's climate change Google searches are increasing as more and more Australians want to know more about the environment's current condition.

(Photo : Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

A file photo shows the sun shining on the outback landscape June 7, 2005 near Marree, Australia. An Australian Federal Government report has found that Australian coastal cities and tourist destinations.

Unlike in 2019, Google Search's data revealed that many Australians are now looking for answers regarding climate change. Here are some of the questions they search for:

"What is climate change the meaning?"

"Is climate change getting better?"

"How does climate change affect bushfires?"

This just shows that Aussies are now more active when it comes to learning more about the worsening climate change.

Australia Climate Change Google Searches Increase

According to ABC Net AU's latest report, the climate change Google searches of Australia's residents increased by around 5,000%. This is a drastic improvement compared to the recent federal election.

(Photo : Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

A file photo shows the sun shining on the outback landscape June 7, 2005 near Marree, Australia. An Australian Federal Government report has found that Australian coastal cities and tourist destinations.

Also Read: Biden Administration set to Surpass 25K-Megawatt 2025 Clean Energy Goal

Australia has been suffering from bush fires and other natural calamities that affect its livelihood for the past few years. Now, it seems Aussies are becoming more concerned about climate change.

Experts suggested that the new Google Search data is proof that Australian voters now want to see climate change actions this federal election.

Rebecca Huntley, a social researcher, explained that climate change is now among the main issues that attract Australians' attention.

"What we are seeing is people registering the unprecedented impacts of climate on the world today," she added.

If you want to see further details about the latest climate change Google searches increase in Australia, you can visit this link.

Climate Change as Australia's Greatest Threat

DW previously reported that the greatest threat in Australia is climate change. Former defense officials said that climate change is affecting their country on a higher level compared to wars.

Because of this, they are now asking political leaders to focus more on climate change efforts, such as committing resources to reduce the effects of global warming.

They added that climate change should be considered a security priority. As of writing, Australia is still trying to achieve its net-zero emissions commitment.

Government officials said that this should be achieved around 2050. But, reaching this drastic carbon emission decrease still needs more effort.

Recently, many people participated in Earth Day 2022.

On the other hand, SpaceX Starbase expansion in Texas is now concerning environmentalists.

For more news updates about climate change and other environmental topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Plastic Can't Always Be Recycled. Can Technology Find a Better Way?

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SpaceX Starlink satellite network is now concerning the Chinese military. The defense department of the Asian country shared this detail on Thursday, May 5.



(Photo : Photo by Red Huber/Getty Images)

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from launch complex 39A on May 6, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was carrying another batch of Starlink internet satellites to be deployed to a growing low obit constellation providing Internet access coverage to 32 countries.

Officials claimed that the massive cube sat constellation could allow the United States to dominate cyberspace. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) published a report explaining why Starlink is alarming.

"The program's unchecked expansion and the company's ambition to use it for military purposes should put the international community on high alert," said PLA.

SpaceX Starlink Poses Risks?

According to The South China Morning Post's latest report, the U.S. government can use SpaceX's Starlink satellite network to dominate outer space.

(Photo : Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon spacecraft attached takes off from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on May 30, 2020 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley lifted off today on an inaugural flight.

Also Read: SpaceX Starship Environmental Review: FAA is Taking Another Month, Delays Process

Chinese officials stated that militarizing Starlink was already seen in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where Elon Musk used his internet service to support Ukraine.

They added that enhancing communication is not the only thing that Starlink is capable of. The Chinese military claimed that SpaceX's internet satellites could also be used to interact with UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), as well as collect facial recognition data.

Aside from this, the People's Liberation Army also believes that once the artificial mega constellation of SpaceX is complete, the U.S. government can use it to gain situational awareness across the globe.

China Launches Starlink's Competitor

Since the Chinese military is really concerned regarding the alleged U.S. militarization of SpaceX Starlink, the Asian country decided to launch GalaxySpace.

This new artificial satellite constellation is expected to compete against the U.S.-based Starlink internet service. Recently, China already submitted its filings to the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

In the documents, the Chinese government confirmed that they plan to build two LEO satellite constellations. Once they are finished, there will be a total of 12,992 internet sats.

If you want to see further details about the new GalaxySpace satellite constellations, you can click this link.

Meanwhile, SpaceX Starlink received the new portability feature.

On the other hand, SpaceX Starbase Texas expansion is claimed to be affecting endangered shorebirds in South Texas.

For more news updates about SpaceX's Starlink and other new satellite constellations, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: SpaceX Starlink Space Debris Alarm Inmarsat; Shall We Worry About the Artificial Mega-Constellations?

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla is soon bringing an update for the Full-Self Driving Beta with version 10.12, and it brings a handful of unique features that will change the current FSD's Neural Network. The new FSD Beta version offers new maneuvers with the electric vehicle, especially in heavy traffic situations, with Elon Musk assuring that it would happen soon.

Tesla FSD Beta v10.12: New Updates Coming Next Week

Whole Mars Catalog said that he is making tabs on the many features that the Tesla FSD beta update upholds for all of its users and stakeholders now. The blog account noted that almost all of the features that come to the FSD beta are "zero takeover," which means that it focuses primarily on bringing the autonomous driving system to the company.

Here, Elon Musk replied and said that the next update for the FSD is coming in the next week, and it would be by Wednesday, May 11, or by Thursday, May 12. However, the CEO did not confirm any dates for this, as it is only an approximation made by the CEO.

Tesla's FSD v10.12 sees a challenge in debugging the system to release to the public and focus on a bug-free system.

Read Also: Tesla's In-Car WiFi Hotspot Feature Starts Testing with AT&T, Comcast, and MORE!

Next release (10.12) is another step towards all NNs using surround video & reconciling output to a unified vector space for control code.



Improves complex intersections in heavy traffic.



Many upgrades to core code, so taking longer to debug issues. Probably Wed/Thurs release.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2022

Elon Musk Brings Specs of the FSD Beta 10.12

In the same tweet, Musk revealed the specs of update v10.12, the latest version of the FSD Beta, to the public.

One of them is the enforcement of its new features that the company aims to bring to all of the Neural Networks. It focuses on surround video and offers output for its "unified vector space for control code."

The FSD Beta 10.12 also comes with a more complex integration to navigate its electric vehicles during heavy traffic situations, particularly at intersections.

Tesla's FSD Offers

Towards the end of April, Elon Musk revealed that there would be new offers from the Tesla FSD, and it would come for all beta subscribers of the famous system. However, the tech CEO clarified that there would be tiers of getting the feature for all, as it would not be as wide of a release as one thinks of for these new offers by the car company.

There is a new feature coming from the company, and it is with the robotaxis that will not feature any steering wheel for any side of the car, giving a fully autonomous system for all. Of course, it would adopt all of the FSD features and receive the latest updates for the clean energy vehicle that will bring a driverless system.

The company also updated its battery lineup as new car models bring new power cells that move away from the usual Lithium-Ion setup, meant for greater use of the EV.

Elon Musk and Tesla are building a massive venture for the clean energy company, and it all focuses on the many offers of the company, from the car's hardware down to its software and systems. The FSD is building something out of the beta, and despite the many features it brings already, the public now awaits its full release for the part.

Related Article: Tesla Giga Berlin Expansion To Happen After New Land Purchase; Here's What Automaker Plans To Build

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Humanity might soon be taking its first footsteps on the Red Planet!

In an interview with CNBC's Shepard Smith, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell revealed that astronauts will be landing on Mars' surface before the end of the 2020s.

"We should put people on the surface of Mars, within a decade," she added "I think it will be in this decade, yes. People on the moon, sooner,"

"I think we need to get a large delivery to the surface of Mars, and then people will start thinking harder about it, "And then, I think within five or six years, people will see that that will be a real place to go," the President and COO said.

Her interview with CNBC will be part of "Inspiring America: The 2022 Inspiration List," which will be aired this weekend across NBCUniversal News Group television networks including their streaming platforms as well.

SpaceX's Starship

SpaceX has made it clear from the very start that they want to make this ambitious vision a reality. In fact, the rocket company is currently developing a huge, reusable rocket-spaceship combo which is called Starship.

Starship is expected to deliver people to travel to the Moon, land on Mars, and explore other places in the universe.

It is worth noting that this spaceship has already been sent to several moon missions. In 2018, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa used the vehicle to casually travel the moon on a round trip, with a target launch set at 2023.

Most notably, NASA chose Starship to send its first crewed lunar lander for their Artemis program, which aims to put astronauts down within the moon's south pole in 2025.

The space agency envisions Artemis as a spaceship that can travel from Moon to Mars and they look forward to launching a crewed Red Planet mission in 2040 or in the coming years.

SpaceX is already working on a possibly big milestone for Starship's development, which is the vehicle's very first orbital test flight. The space company is planning to launch the ship from its South Texas facility called Starbase, in the coming years.

Read also: NASA SpaceX to Launch Falcon 9 Rocket's 12th Flight Tomorrow: Find Out How to Watch!

The Possible Setback

However, the launch cannot commence any sooner until the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration finishes the environmental activities assessment at Starbase.

Unfortunately for Starbase, a recent report released this week found that the company's expansion might be uncertain after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that the business enhancement activity could risk the state of endangered animals in the area.

SpaceX must check the effects of their expansion and limit their construction activities in the area, as suggested by The Fish and Wildlife Services if they want to get the official green light from the FAA.

Jared Magnolis, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity said that, "This is a company with a very deep pocket. The least they could do is address these harms in a meaningful way.

The review was originally planned to be finished by the end of 2021, however, the FAA pushed back the completion several times and the most recent push back is on May 31.

Related Article: SpaceX Starlink Provides Internet for 150,000 Daily Users in Ukraine

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Stratolaunch brings its largest aircraft up to date for its fifth test flight, and the "Roc" completed as much as five hours over the Mojave Desert to prove that it is a capable vehicle for mass transportation. The Roc is an enormous plane, and its cabin alone is twice the size of regular ones, with two bodies of an airplane sharing the same wings and engines.

Stratolaunch Successfully Flies for Five Hours with 'Roc' Aircraft

(Photo : Stratolaunch via PR News Wire)

Imagine two birds hovering in the air and not flapping their wings, and are wing-to-wing on each other as if they are carrying the load of the other for both of their sakes. That is what a Stratolaunch Roc looks like, and the company boasts of an aircraft that features hypersonic capabilities for a more streamlined flying experience.

Note that the company uses "hypersonic" instead of "super" as it is one powerful aircraft whose designs take on the name.

Stratolaunch announced that its Roc aircraft is capable of more things in the coming years, and its development already took them to where they are now. The Roc completed a total of five hours for its flight over the Mojave Desert, and the company celebrates this milestone as it is also the fifth flight of the aircraft.

Read Also: China's Navy Vessel Points Laser at Australia's Military Jets! Here's Why This Can Endanger Aircraft

When will Stratolaunch's Roc Become Operational?

Stratolaunch's Roc is giving the promising public results on its test flights, and it will lead to one thing: the company's end goal is to provide mass transportation for all. However, the company did not emphasize much on its operational status for the Roc, and when it will be available for public access.

Aircraft Technology

NASA is one to develop many aircraft technologies to bring the experience to the public, and it is with the many fields of science to help it take on a better platform. That platform is breaking the speed of sound and going supersonic during flights.

One of the best examples here is Lockheed Martin and NASA's X-59, a low-boom supersonic aircraft that is still under testing and development, with a previous promise of a 2021 flight.

However, it is not only Lockheed Martin that brings this technology to the world; it is also with Sir Richard Branson's company, Virgin Galactic. NASA and Virgin also came together to get a supersonic aircraft that can travel from New York City to Shanghai, China, in under 40 minutes, a significant decrease in travel time.

Now, supersonic flights are a thing of the past, and Stratolaunch is bringing a hypersonic aircraft that can mass transport people from one place to another with its massive plane. It does not stack two cabins at one or have a double-decker plane. It brings a side-by-side experience for the passengers in one flight, one of the main focuses of its development.

Related Article: Flying Whales Creates An Airship That Can Pickup and Drop Up to 66-Ton Cargo Mid-Air Without Landing

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Elon Musk Twitter takeover now has its first major legal challenge, after the multi-billionaire was sued by a Florida pension fund.

According to Engadget, the fund is arguing that Musk's Twitter deal cannot legally close until 2025 due to the former's stake in the company. Aside from that, the lawsuit also alleges that the social media giant's board of directors have "breached their fiduciary duties" after they said yes to the deal.

But it's not just the Tesla CEO and Twitter being sued. Both current CEO Parag Agrawal and former CEO/founder Jack Dorsey are also implicated in the lawsuit, which was filed by the Orlando Police Pension Fund with the Delaware Chancery court.

In a Reuters report, the pension fund argued that Elon Musk's Twitter deal - specifically how fast it went through the board - is prohibited by Delaware law. This is due to how the polarizing billionaire having prior agreements with other big shareholders of Twitter, which includes Dorsey and Musk's financial adviser Morgan Stanley.

As per the pension fund's lawyers, the problematic nature of the deal lies with Musk's pact with both Morgan Stanley and Dorsey. Together, the three entities own a total of 20.8 percent of Twitter's stocks. This, the lawyers argue, is what helped the deal advanced rather too quickly.

The combination of Musk, Dorsey, and Morgan Stanley's resources make them an "interested shareholder" as per the law known as Section 203. The law states that shareholders who own over 15 percent of a company cannot push through with a merger without getting the approval of the remaining two-thirds of the company's shareholders.

Without the said approval, the deal cannot be finalized for three more years. Section 203 is part of Delaware corporate law, which you can read about in this link from Hardvard Law.

For now, the ball is in Elon's, Jack's, and Morgan Stanley's park.

Read also: Elon Musk Denies He Bought Twitter Because of Former President Donald Trump

What's Going To Happen Now?

As previously mentioned, this is the first major legal battle that Elon Musk's Twitter deal faces. It is not known what happens next, but the lawsuit will likely force the Tesla CEO to rethink his recent decision involving making several details of the deal public.

For now, the Twitter takeover remains in limbo. But that doesn't stop Musk from baring his grand plans for the platform. One of his most recent proclamations says that he plans to take the social media company public again in as little as three years, after his initial choice to take it private.

The decision, as per Fortune, is typical of people who wants to make massive, sweeping changes to a company in order to make it more profitable in the future. And Twitter, despite being the social media giant that it is, has actually been losing a lot of money in recent times.

Twitter's revenue drop basically opened the way for competitors (specifically TikTok) to post sky-high revenue numbers. But Musk still believes in the platform's potential, which is perhaps one of the reasons why he wanted to take it private.

This is a developing story.

Related: Elon Musk Wants Government Entities and Enterprises to Pay for Twitter

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Written by RJ Pierce

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Trump's lawsuit against Twitter has been dismissed by San Francisco federal district, Judge James Donato. He claimed that the social media platform did not violate the First Amendment rights of the former American leader.

(Photo : Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump pauses during a news briefing on the latest development of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House March 18, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump announced on Twitter that the U.S.

Ex-U.S. President Donald Trump's official Twitter account has been permanently suspended after the social media giant discovered some of his tweets violating the platform's community guidelines.

After that, Trump decided to sue the online platform since he claimed that Twitter was preventing his freedom of speech. However, it seems like the federal court doesn't agree with him.

Trump's Lawsuit Against Twitter Now Dismissed!

According to Engadget's latest report, federal district Judge James Donato said that Twitter did not violate Trump's freedom of speech.

(Photo : Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

In this photo illustration a notification from Twitter appears on tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump that the social media platform says violated its policy on May 29, 2020 in San Anselmo, California. Twitter has started to flag some of President Trump's tweets that violate the company's terms.

Also Read: Twitter Employees in Singapore Concerned About Stock Options, Compensations Amid Elon Musk Takeover

He clarified that this is because Twitter is a private company.

"The First Amendment applies only to governmental abridgments of speech and not to alleged abridgments by private companies," said Donato.

Because of this, the judge decided to reject the former POTUS' notion that the platform banned him because his opponents pressured it.

On the other hand, Donato further explained that Donald Trump has no legal standing to challenge Section 2030 of the CDA. If you want to see more details about the dismissed Twitter lawsuit filed by the ex-U.S. president, you can visit this link.

Trump's Twitter Violation

On Jan. 8, Twitter's official blog post explained why it suspended Trump's official Twitter account (@realDonaldTrump).

The social media company explained that some tweets Trump violated its Riles and Regulations, claiming that his posts could encourage criminal activities.

Here are some of Donald Trump's reported tweets:

"The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape, or form!!!"

"To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th."

Recently, Elon Musk said that he wants to make Twitter public again.

On the other hand, Twitter banned MyPillow CEO, again.

For more news updates about Twitter and other social media giants, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk Denies Report That His Decision to Purchase Twitter Has Anything To Do With Donald Trump

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
RTHK: France's Macron inaugurated for second term

French President Emmanuel Macron was on Saturday inaugurated for a second term after his election victory over the far right, facing immense challenges in foreign and domestic policy following a first term which had often polarised the nation.

In a ceremony at the Elysee Palace, Macron was confirmed by Constitutional Council chief Laurent Fabius as the winner of April presidential election and then signed the formal re-investiture document.

Attended by a few hundred people including his wife Brigitte and his only surviving predecessors Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, the ceremony was relatively modest but marked the first time a French leader is serving a second term in 20 years.

Macron faces a daunting agenda of implementing the reforms he vowed when he came to power as France's youngest-ever president in 2017, as well as dealing with the Russian assault against Ukraine.

He is also indicating a more inclusive and understanding style of ruling after his first term saw critics complain the former investment banker had abrasive and arrogant methods.

"I vow to build a planet that is more livable, a France that is more alive and a stronger France," he said in a speech at the Elysee Palace, vowing a "new method" to govern.

In a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, 21 cannon shots are to be fired from the Invalides military memorial complex to celebrate the inauguration.

With no drive down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees or long red carpet, the ceremony resembled the re-inaugurations of Francois Mitterrand in 1988 and Jacques Chirac in 2002, the last French president to win a second term.

Macron's second term will only start officially when the first one expires at midnight on May 13. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-05-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Beidou helps spring ploughing achieve unmanned rice transplanting in Heilongjiang

People's Daily Online) 17:13, May 07, 2022

(Photo/Sun Haiqi, Kan Shuai)

Recently, farmers in northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province have been busy transplanting rice seedlings. At a rice planting base run by a subsidiary of the Heilongjiang Agriculture Company Limited, a Beidou-guided unmanned rice transplanter was working in the field.

It is a high-speed rice transplanter. Installed with the Beidou navigation system, the machine works quickly and efficiently, being able to transplant rice seedlings on 70 mu (4.67 hectares) of farmland each day. It will take only 8 days for the machine to transplant rice seedlings on more than 500 mu of rice fields that I own, said Chang Qing, a local farmer. Chang explained that the machine is easy to operate and boasts a high positioning accuracy.

At present, the subsidiary of the Heilongjiang Agriculture Company Limited has installed Beidou system for more than 460 rice transplanters in the locality, laying a solid foundation for transplanting the rice seedlings on a total of 589,500 mu of farmland during the spring ploughing season so that the crops can achieve high yields during the harvest season.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Columbus resident Susan Rowley described her heart attack and transplant experience to an audience of over 250 attendees at the American Heart Association's (AHA) Go Red for Women event on May 5.

"I felt this amazing electricity go through my body, and I thought that was weird, and then I got sick," Rowley said.

Rowley, now 65, was 61 when she had her heart attack. At the time, she assumed the feeling would go away, and it did, for about a year.

The pain returned, bringing with it flu-like symptoms and a backache, common signs of a heart attack, but also not an uncommon feeling for many people. Rowley said she did not know that it was a heart attack.

"When they told me, I was in shock. From there, I got a defibrillator and it got worse," Rowley said.

After several months dealing with the pain, Rowley received a heart transplant. Now, a year after the transplant, she's doing much better, walking every day and more carefully monitoring her nutrition. She thanked her family and her donor for all they've done.

"God gave me a second chance, and I'm blessed," Rowley said.

The road to recovery was tough, she added. Being a smoker for years, Rowley said her lungs had a difficult time recovering right off the bat. They didn't hurt, necessarily, but the muscles had become weak.

"My lungs, for me, there was no pain, it was just all about breathing. I couldn't breathe, they had to put a CPAP on me just so I could breathe," Rowley said.

Rowley has since given up smoking and alcohol, thanks to her family, the AHA and its resources. She said she hoped her story helps someone out there see the signs before it's too late. That's where the AHA's efforts step in.

Go Red for Women is a silent auction, speaker event and awareness campaign focused on women's heart health. This year, they raised $50,000 for heart disease care, prevention and awareness efforts in Nebraska.

This marks 17 years the event has taken place in general, and at least the 10th here in Columbus.

Chris Shives, executive director of the AHA in Nebraska, said the event is important because, while Nebraska has made strides in awareness and education regarding heart health, any more information the AHA can provide is important.

"The event is big about creating awareness but it's also big about funding research and programs the American Heart Association uses to hopefully help reduce the risk," Shives said.

Guest speakers from the AHA and Columbus Community Hospital spoke about the statistics surrounding women's heart health, how to keep your heart healthy and what the AHA is doing to help reduce the number of heart health-related deaths among women.

Sue Hrnicek, director of surgical services at Columbus Community Hospital toasted the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, best friends and mentors who could not be with the group because of heart disease.

"For all of them and all of you, today is our day to take a stand and say no to heart disease," Hrnicek said.

Rowley said she hopes her story helps others take care and take notice so they don't have to experience what she did.

"If I can save one person's life or 10, when somebody sees the video, maybe they'll remember what I went through and think 'that was a red flag'," Rowley said.

For more information about the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women, visit heart.org.

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Whether its helping a mom or caring for her baby, nurse Joana Gonzalez tries to be attentive and gets to know them more than just whats on their charts.

Growing up Gonzalez lived in Nevada for 13 years, Columbus for one year and then moved to Guatemala where she graduated high school. When deciding to continue her schooling she looked at the Columbus area.

Gonzalez attended nursing school at Midland University where she met her late husband, who was originally from Columbus. After finishing school in Fremont, they received job opportunities in Columbus and moved back.

For the last six years, she has worked in the Maternal Child Health unit at Columbus Community Hospital. In this unit, she works on labor and delivery, postpartum care and some work with infants who need extra care.

When Gonzalez was attending school, she wanted to work with little kids but when she got to the pediatrics rotation of her training, it was not for her. But when she did her OB rotation, she said she knew this was the place she wanted to be.

You help these parents navigate through the process. Sometimes they are new parents, theyre nervous  part of our job is to make them feel comfortable, Gonzalez said. Its about making the process more comfortable for them.

There are a lot of questions that they have, she added. Gonzalez said she tried to be attentive  it is important for them to know you are there for them and not just doing a job.

COVID-19 did not impact the Maternal Child Health unit as it did other units. Moms were able to get in more bonding time with their infants and nurses were still able to provide education for new parents.

The Columbus Telegram sat down with Gonzalez and spoke to her about her experience in nursing.

Q. Tell us about your immediate family

A. My late husband, David Gonzalez, and I have two children: Arianna, 7, and Noah, 2. My parents, Esperanza and Victor Salazar, and my sister, Daisy Salazar, are a big support in navigating life as a single parent.

Q. When, why did you decide to become a nurse?

A. It wasn't until I did some interpreting for a mission trip back in Guatemala. Doctor and nurses came to the town to do general exams. I discovered that the enjoyment for helping people is something unique.

Q. What do you like best about nursing and find most rewarding about it?

A. Being a labor and delivery nurse is indescribably special. You get the chance to help someone bring another life into the world. Helping parents navigate the process of becoming parents and the knowledge and confidence they need to care for their child at home.

Q. Funniest, saddest, most unusual experience in nursing?

A. The funniest experience I had was when taking over a patient who was in labor and had no epidural. I remember taking report from my prior nurse. The doctors were rounding at that time. My patient starts screaming all of a sudden as I was in the room. I lifted up her gown and I could see the baby's head starting to crown. I remember walking out of the room and just screaming, "Help, help can someone help me please." Then one of our doctors comes out of patient room trying to figure out where it was coming from and starts running towards us. My coworkers to this day still give me a hard time for that.

Q. If you hadnt become a nurse, what profession might you have entered? And why?

A. I would become an IT person. I like doing things with computers and learning about technology.

Q. Why are you glad you chose nursing?

A. It's a profession that never stops giving; you get to meet people from diverse backgrounds.

Q. Future plans?

A. I have started taking some courses for my master's degree. I also am working in my inpatient obstetric certification.

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Betrayed

Written by: R.P. McCabe

Available In: eBook|Paperback

Author Website: http://www.novelistrpmccabe.com/

In a time of global political upheaval comes the crime thriller novel, Betrayed. The primary complication in this action packed novel of retribution and suspense is a real Ponzi scheme that was uncovered in 2007 as the Bernard Madoff Ponzi crime was breaking on the national scene. With refreshingly honest and raw insight, R.P. McCabe explores a broad spectrum of social ills resulting from the contemporary tragedy of Ponzi crime and the subsequent collapse suffered by hundreds of thousands of American families. Yet, in the face of the impending certainty of grave retribution that is imminent, Mr. McCabe manages to entertain and inform his readers. This thriller is a hallmark story of our times filled with suspense and action that creeps up on you just as the psychosis that is consuming Wally Stroud threatens to replace the man he thought himself to be. Victims of Ponzi crime around the world will relate to the tragedy suffered when Wally and Poppy Stroud are betrayed in this story of heartbreaking loss and retribution.
Blue House into the arms of the people after 74 years... On the first day of opening, what is the site?
When Yara Ramos was determining what she could make for Treasures Boutiques mural, the local artist said she wanted to create an image that reflected the stores essence.

Ramos said she thought nothing would be better than an elegant butterfly.

She started to work last week, and the street and tattoo-inspired mural has been on display at Treasures Boutique, 2511 13th St.

The artwork was created as a way for Treasures owner Mary Nyffeler to celebrate the stores 20th anniversary.

As previously reported by The Columbus Telegram, the business is commemorating its two decades in Columbus throughout May by having 20% savings in different areas of the store.

Nyffeler said shes known Ramos for a few years now. Only recently, Nyffeler had the idea to create a mural at her business, she added.

I thought what better time for our 20th anniversary to commemorate the event with a new mural, Nyffeler said.

Ramos  who has her own business, Havana Stone - said she appreciated Nyffeler for letting her create a mural at the boutique.

I wanted to match the style of the store, said Ramos, a Havana, Cuba, native artist. That was the main thing.  I talked to (Mary) and we wanted to give it that sort of tattoo style.

Folks who shop at the store can have their photo taken in front of the mural as part of a photo op, Nyffeler said. When they stand in front of the artwork, it looks like they have the butterflys wings and antennae.

Ramos credited Nyffeler with coming up with that idea.

I think it works really well, Ramos said. Its fun to include it in the mural.

Ramos has been an artist for several years. After graduating from college in Havana, she worked in different areas of the art field. Eventually, she moved to Columbus in 2013 as she had family in the area. A couple of years later she started Havana Stone  named after her hometown  as a way to provide graphic design services.

Her work runs across the gamut as shes worked on logos, branding, brochures and manuals. The artist said shes done everything in visual communication.

Ramos later started creating murals. Her work can be seen outside of Treasures, too -- shes done some for Market 23 and Artzy Haven. Shes also offered such services at peoples homes.

Ramos isnt done with creating murals in the area, saying theres more coming.

She added shes having fun with the experience.

I really enjoy doing murals, Ramos said. It has been not only fun but every project is different because I try to accommodate the clients needs. Its not about me. ... So thats why my murals can go from black and white, tattoo-like to colorful, playful-style like the one at Artzy Haven or Market 23.

For more information about Havana Stone, contact Ramos at yara@havanastone.com.

Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net.

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Nebraska officials are reportedly waiting for a final ruling to be released from the U.S. Supreme Court before potentially proceeding with another attempt to ban abortions in the state.

A leaked draft of a ruling from the Supreme Court suggests the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade. The draft, which was leaked May 2 by Politico, comes from the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which challenges Mississippis ban on abortion after 15 weeks.

A final ruling in the case is expected in June or July.

Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft as authentic on May 3.

The World-Herald reported this week that if the Supreme Courts opinion remains unchanged from the leaked draft, Gov. Pete Ricketts would call for a special session in hopes of passing a law that would ban abortion in Nebraska.

Several officials noted the urgency behind waiting for the final ruling.

State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said Ricketts addressed the matter during a town hall held in Columbus earlier this week, which Moser had also attended.

They're waiting for the official word from the Supreme Court as to what the ruling is and then at that point, they'll look at whether they want to call a special session, Moser said. He's been talking to the speaker, Mike Hilgers, about the situation, how to move forward.

Nebraska Right to Life Executive Director Sandy Danek expressed similar comments.

We don't have an official decision from the court and the leak, very discouraged about that, Danek said. No matter where you're at on this issue, this unprecedented breach of the court's confidentiality is very disturbing. So it makes it somewhat bittersweet.

Nebraska state law allows abortions up to 20 weeks after conception, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

This past legislative session, which ended last month, a trigger bill that would have prohibited abortions in the event of Roe v. Wade being overturned failed to pass. The bill  LB933, which was co-introduced by Moser  would have made it a crime for health care professionals to perform an abortion but would allow it if the mothers life was in danger.

Nebraska needs to have a law establishing would abortion be legal or not, and if it is at what level so that's why the governor then will call a special session and we will look to take that same bill back to the pro-life senators, Danek said. It would probably be a bill very comparable to what we tried to pass last month, and we'll have to try again.

Danek noted that theres a projected 50-50 split in the number of states that would either outlaw abortion or keep it legal at some level. Nebraska, she added, is projected to outlaw it.

Ultimately this is about protecting women and their children, Danek said. I have been commonly saying that a woman should not have to feel pitted against her own child when in an unplanned pregnancy and that we should be offering her support for whatever her challenges are so that she can make a life-affirming decision.

Columbus Womens Healthcare declined a request to be interviewed.

Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a provided statement that the organizations doors remain open and will every day for abortion care for as long as legally possible.

This leaked opinion is horrifying. We all knew the day could come that safe and legal abortion would be decimated in our country, and now we are facing that reality. It is true that individual Americans may have different moral views on abortion, and this is exactly why the strong majority of people in our country believe that this decision must be left up to individuals themselves, Stoesz said.

"We will not accept this decision without a fightwe are ready and will mobilize, organize, and stand up in every corner of our land. Our voices will be heard. And Planned Parenthood will never, ever abandon our patients. Planned Parenthood is here for good.

Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net.

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Almost a decade had passed when Lake Charles Republican Rep. Brett Geymann recently approached the podium in the Louisiana House to add dense financialese on page 12 in the preamble of the state operating budget. The House agreed.

Were putting the band back together, Geymann said a few days later.

Hes talking about the Fiscal Hawks, a loosely configured bipartisan group of representatives that Geymann helped lead during their brief life starting about 15 years ago. They challenged the razzle-dazzle financing then-Gov. Bobby Jindal was using.

The fiscal hawks  whose numbers included then Reps. John Bel Edwards, now governor, and John Schroder, now state treasurer  pursued technical process changes in the way the states finances were distributed and challenged some of the lavish tax breaks granted under the economic development umbrella.

Hawking Louisiana budget reform State lawmakers will conclude the 2013 annual legislative session this Thursday (June 6). By all accounts, this year's session has been one of

Their chief goal was to stop the use of one-time dollars from property sales, legal settlements and existing funds from paying annual expenses that appear in the budget every year. The Fiscal Hawks argued that using money not available next year to pay recurring expenses led to midyear budget cuts and started each new fiscal year in the hole, which happened in most of Jindals eight years as governor.

Though briefly successful influencing fiscal policy and irritating the administration, the hawks fell apart as the 2015 campaign season neared and some of its GOP members, including Geymann, embraced the fight over the Common Core academic standards  that years cause du jour.

When the 2015 election smoke cleared, Geymann was out, having been term-limited after 12 years in the House, and Edwards was governor. Edwards balanced the budget by cutting spending and raising the state sales tax a penny.

Most of the old krewe had moved on. Then-Reps. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, and Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge; Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe, and Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, became senators.

Lanny Keller: Do legislators have anything to show for the session? Well, a couple of billion dollars. Before he was elected to the City Council, JP Morrell was a state senator from New Orleans. He was a strong chairman of one of the Legislature

These days instead of having to find a billion dollars every year and talking about which university to close, Louisiana has around $2 billion extra and the talk is about how to spend the surplus.

The situation Geymann confronted, when elected in 2021 to return to the House, reminds him of the way things looked a couple of years after arriving the first time in 2004.

After the 2005 Katrina and Rita hurricanes, a state that many thought was down for the count unexpectedly rebounded with billions of dollars from the federal government and insurance companies that went into frenzied rebuilding and the purchase of replacement appliances, vehicles and such. Flush with cash, lawmakers expanded old services, added new ones, and cut taxes, systemically setting up years of revenue shortfalls when the economy soured.

For me, post Rita-Katrina was a lasting experience, Geymann said in an interview last week. Its Groundhog Day. Were doing the same thing now that we did then: paying down deferred maintenance, raising teacher pay.

Geymann praises Edwards and legislators for directing much, not all, of the extra money into one-time investments on infrastructure projects and paying down debts. But the Revenue Estimating Conference, which decides how much money the state can use, is forecasting the economy  hence the states revenue collections  will flatten in coming years.

Were spending a lot of money, Geymann said. Well have to buckle up again.

$38.6 billion budget clears House; includes $1,500 teacher pay hikes The Louisiana House approved pay raises for schoolteachers and college faculty Thursday but not for local police and firefighters, as it passe

Geymanns amendment to House Bill 1, the states operating budget, is written in an English that can only be described as technical. It basically blocks using extra money expected to be recognized by the REC on Monday to add another $500 to proposed pay raises for educators or any other expenses that will become part of the annual operating budget and have to be paid in the future. Geymann said the additional funds needed to increase teacher pay raises from $1,500 to $2,000 can and should be found in the recurring revenue stream.

Geymann has three other bills and a constitutional amendment working its way through the system that would control how surplus dollars are spent. Other legislators are pursuing similar bills that restrict how money is categorized and used. For instance, state Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, wants to start weaning the state off the proceeds of the increased state sales tax, which is scheduled to end in 2025 and nearly $450 million used to pay ongoing bills drops off.

We need to be careful on recurring expenses; thats what expands the budget, Geymann said.
The sticker on the side of former Golden Girl Lisa Currys huge storage container says it all: S----y Magazines.

In it are countless copies of magazines in which Curry is plastered all over covers. For such apparently despised items, those s----y magazines are in incredibly good condition in the opening scene of last weeks moving Australian Story feature on Curry, during which she talks about the highs and lows of her much-documented life.

Lisa Curry appeared on Australian Story last week. Credit:

She refers to one cover, before tossing it on an ever-growing pile: Why I left Grant ... as if you people would know ... you just make it up as usual.

Interestingly, her ex-husband, Iron Man legend Grant Kenny, did not make an appearance on the episode, and it is unclear why given he did not return calls about it last week. Friends say he has no desire to delve into personal issues for public consumption and left the world of celebrity long ago.
BC: I had 30 years of neutrality. It was drummed into me at the ABC and I couldnt have run a program like Insiders with any credibility for 18 years, without that neutrality. But now I can express myself quite freely, and no longer have to adhere to that discipline. Fitz: Well, seeing as you can be totally candid now, was your favourite part of Insiders when David Marr would mercilessly skewer Gerard Henderson? Barrie Cassidy hosted Insiders for almost two decades. Credit:SMH BC: (Laughs heartily) I enjoyed that enormously, and was probably guilty sometimes of inciting it. But the marvellous thing about them would be that they would play it up on camera and a lot of it was very sincerely articulated. But in the green room afterwards, even if they went on with the debate, it was in the right spirit and they would often share a cab back to the airport. And I think politics in Australia could do with a bit of that spirit right now. Fitz: In 2017, you said, the Liberal Party is in a world of pain right now, and its not Pynes fault, and its not Turnbulls either. Its the fault of an ideologically obsessed, uncompromising and destructive conservative right wing ... Tony Abbott is running amok. How would you characterise the Libs right now?

BC: I would say that there is something quite fundamental going on within the Liberal Party, just as I identified in 2017. Their gradual movement to the right has now picked up pace, both through its membership and through its policy embraces. The moderates have been marginalised since Turnbull left, and thats what led to the rise of the independents. They have quite cleverly chosen sophisticated, intelligent women to take on moderates because in their view, the moderates have failed themselves and failed their party by falling silent on issues like climate change and other social issues. You know, when Tina McQueen, federal vice president of the Liberal Party, said at the beginning of the campaign that two of their own moderate members were quite expendable, that with a couple of lefties gone we can get back to our core philosophy, that in itself demonstrates just how far to the lunar right they have gone. Prime Minister Scott Morrison keeps smiling in the face of evidence he is not much liked. Credit:James Brickwood Fitz: Can you tell me something about Scott Morrisons Prime Ministership you do admire? BC: I absolutely admire his tenacity, and if the Libs make any recovery at all through the campaign, it will be because of that. He must be getting feedback that hes not liked  and there is evidence of that everywhere. And yet, in the face of that, every day he comes out with an apparently sunny disposition. The question is whether he will be able to keep up the rhetoric with that same conviction over the next two weeks. Fitz: If Albanese makes it to the Lodge, what sort of a PM do you think he will make?

BC: I dont often say that there should be a focus on personality because we tend to overdo that in election campaigns, but I think there should be one this time. First because Scott Morrisons character is a real issue and, second, because Albanese is largely untested, and I just wonder whether a Labor Government will be different than a Labor Opposition, because what I see in opposition is a party that is so skittish on so many issues. I think thats disappointing. I would hope if he makes it, he and his government will be bolder. Fitz: Are you surprised by Albos gaffes? Is he nowhere near as slick as you thought hed be? How much damage is it doing to him? BC: I was surprised by the first because I would assume virtually every politician would instinctively know that. Had to be a brain fade. But having said that a gaffe doesnt wipe out three years of far more significant issues determining the election result. Fitz: On the matter of the character of Scott Morrison being an election issue, it has been said of that hes a horrible, horrible, person, a complete psycho with a reputation for telling lies, a hypocrite and a liar ... and thats just his fellow Liberals and Nats. Do you think he is all of the above?

BC: I dont know him well enough to make those sorts of judgments. Its interesting that a lot of those people who have made those judgments know him well, and thats a problem for him. I think I tend to judge him more on what I hear him say publicly. And around integrity issues, I was absolutely gobsmacked that he would say as he did the other day, that he doesnt want politicians to have to live with the fear of being investigated by the public service. That is really putting it on the line. And it demonstrates how strongly he has been against a proper integrity commission all along. Why should politicians fear the scrutiny of public servants when theyre distributing taxpayers money? Fitz: What do you say to the accusation against the Independents funded by Climate 200 that theyre a party by another name? BC: I think its ridiculous. They are independents by name and by nature. There is a degree of coordination but they are all separately independent. Theyll make their own judgments when they get to the power. What I do take issue with is a suggestion that Independents holding the balance of power with some somehow create chaos in the power. I dont believe that for a second. I think the two parties deserve this. Now, I think weve reached a time in our history, where neither of the major parties really deserve majority government. And if theyre going to be influenced by a group of sophisticated, professional, well-credentialed women who will hold some influence in the centre, then it might put some spine in their back on [doing the things that need to be done like tackling] climate change. Election night, March 1983: Barrie Cassidy interviews Bob Hawke for the ABC in the tally room. He would soon be working for prime minister Hawke as press secretary. Credit:Fairfax Media Fitz: Among your many roles was being Bob Hawke chief media man. It is said that no man is a hero to his valet, and though you were far more than that, having seen him up close for so many years, when he was strong, when he was vulnerable, when his guard was down, when he was in his socks on a Sunday morning, did you feel like this bloke really is one out of the box?

Loading BC: Yes. And I saw him in a lot less than his socks. What I admired about him was that he wasnt a day-to-day manager of politics. He was into policy and he set out his own agenda and aggressively argued for it. And the things that most wound him up were racism and bigotry. And I think that instilled a fundamental mindset into me. Scott Morrisons problem is that he manages issues on a day-to-day basis and lives politics in the moment. He was asked at one point what he wanted his legacy to be and he said he wasnt into legacies. And that said to me, that he wasnt into big ideas. And what Australia needs right now, is big ideas. Joke of the Week Putin dies and goes to hell, but after a while, he is given a day off for good behaviour. So he goes to Moscow, enters a bar, orders a drink, and asks the bartender: Is Crimea ours? Yes, it is.

And the Donbas? Also ours. And Kyiv? We got that too. Satisfied, Putin finishes his drink, and asks: Thanks, how much do I owe you?

Five Euros. Quotes of the Week You see, I know I can count on Penny and Richard, Katy and Jim and so many others to make the arguments for Labor. But whos he got? Alan Tudge and Peter Dutton. The unspeakable and the unthinkable. And then of course, Barnaby Joyce, the inexplicable. - Anthony Albanese. If any one of these anti-Liberal groupies wins, were not going to form the next government. Thats the truth of the matter and thats the reality. If anybody is elected in a seat we now hold at the expense of a sitting Liberal ... then that will play a major role in destroying the Liberal government. - John Howard. Dont say he didnt warn you! Just imagine if my predecessor came to this dinner this year. Now that would really have been a real coup. - President Joe Biden to an audience of 2600, at the annual Washington Correspondents Dinner.

We had a horrible plague  and two years of COVID. - Biden, on a roll. This bloke is all tinsel, no tree. Nothing is real about this bloke. Except his ability to let you down. - Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on the Prime Minister. I would argue that weve had a minority government for a long time, and that the current Liberal government is a minority government to the Nationals, and has been held to ransom by the National Party. And its policies have been driven to the right by the National Party. - Dr Monique Ryan, Independent for Kooyong, in her debate with the Federal Treasurer and Kooyong incumbent, Josh Frydenberg. You are a member of the British royal family. We are never tired, and we all love hospitals. - According to Tina Browns latest book on the royals, the Queens grandmother, Queen Mary, once said this to a relative. The unintended consequences of an ill-thought-through integrity commission, I think are very dangerous. I understand the interest there is in this, I understand why people want it. But I also know that if you get it wrong it could cause a lot of damage ... I am trying to prevent a massive mistake. - Scott Morrison on the dangers of setting up a federal ICAC. You cant make this stuff up!

I dont wish Mr White suffering. I do wish that Mr White be met with justice for the 33 years, four months and 22 days and counting since he took my brothers life. - Becca Johnson, sister of Dr Scott Johnson, in her victim impact statement to the court, as Dr Johnsons killer, Scott White, was sentenced for his death. You know this flood is in all of our bodies. You need to understand the ongoing magnitude of this epic disaster. Its not over. Every fibre of government these days wants to click back into business as usual as quickly as possible. There is no business as usual. This is still a crisis, and we need to recognise that and everything that we do needs to be informed by that basic fact. - Lawyer Mark Swivel to the inquiry leaders at the first public hearing in Lismore about the 2022 Northern Rivers floods. The inquiry is examining the preparedness of NSW to deal with major flooding events, while considering gaps in the emergency response that left inundated residents in the states north to be rescued by private boats. I had to lose about 16 pounds [7.25 kilograms]. I havent eaten carbs and sugar in about three weeks. - Kim Kardashian about what she went through so she could wear Marilyn Monroes famous Happy birthday, Mr President dress to this years Met Gala in New York. The economy has proven to be resilient and inflation has picked up more quickly, and to a higher level, than was expected. There is also evidence that wages growth is picking up. Given this, and the very low level of interest rates, it is appropriate to start the process of normalising monetary conditions. - RBA Governor Phil Lowe RBA Governor Phil Lowe after lifting the official interest rate to 0.35 per cent, the first rise since November 2010. He confirmed there will be more rate rises ahead. To those buffoons who have repeatedly described this commission as a kangaroo court, I would say three things. First, it is deeply offensive to the hardworking staff of the commission. It undermines the institution. Second, there are vast differences between the functions of the commission and a court. Those differences are readily accessible, and there has been much written about those vast differences. To describe us as a kangaroo court is not just misleading, but untrue. To make uninformed comments that this commission is a kangaroo court has the real capacity to undermine the commissions work, and just as importantly, public confidence in public administration. - Stephen Rushton, SC, one of three Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioners, to an NSW parliamentary inquiry, taking an extraordinary swipe at the agencys critics  including Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
For Anne Ryan, Mothers Day will be a nightmare just like every other day.

It has been three months since the ordinary Thursday afternoon when she found her 16-year-old daughter Brooke dead in her bedroom, lying face down and already stiff with a spray can of deodorant and a tea towel underneath her.

Anne Ryan lost her daughter Brooke, 16, in February and is speaking up to warn other parents about inhalant abuse. Credit:Andrew Gosling

The Broken Hill teenager, a talented athlete and bright student, had apparently been sniffing aerosols - also known as chroming, huffing, or inhalant abuse - a dangerous trend that public health experts warn is on the rise among young children and teenagers.

I wake up, I think of her, I go to sleep and think of her, and you wish, you wish [you could bring her back], but you just cant, Ryan said. Every day is a nightmare.
Australia loves a curriculum culture war. Debates rage over whether students learn too much about sustainability, for example, and not enough about timetables. Its no wonder; a school curriculum is an expression of what a community believes its children should know, and there will never be a consensus.

But when other countries raise their eyebrows at Australias approach to curricula, its not about the debates.

They say, thats not a curriculum, said Ben Jensen, head of Learning First, an education consultancy that does policy work for governments across the country. They think it is more of a vision statement, a high-level description of what kids should learn, he said.

Teacher Matt Garrett with his year 4 students at Northholm Grammar School Credit:Nick Moir

Beyond the curriculum and syllabus document, which outlines what kids should know at a particular point in their schooling, theres little support.
The insurer for the city of Cozad has agreed to pay $115,000 to settle a Lexington man's lawsuit over a police sergeant using a Taser on him as he sat in a swing in his sister's backyard.

On Friday, Cozad City Attorney Scott Trusdale told the Journal Star the city didn't admit liability and the settlement included no determination that the city had done anything wrong.

Trusdale also declined to comment on a new federal lawsuit filed earlier this week involving the actions of the same Cozad officer, John Peden, earlier this spring.

According to a change-in-status form filed with the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, Peden resigned from the department April 22, "before initiation or completion of an internal affairs investigation into allegations that, if founded, could result in revocation."

The investigation is still ongoing and is believed to involve the allegations in the newly filed lawsuit.

In the earlier case, Hilario Velasquez and his sister, Sarah Garrett, sued over what happened at a graduation party May 28, 2020, at Garrett's house in Cozad. Velasquez had been in the backyard when Peden came up, demanding to know where his brother was, telling Garrett's young daughter to "get the hell out of here," their attorney, Maren Chaloupka, said in the complaint filed later that year.

She said Peden and at least one other officer came in the yard through a gate without permission.

A 50-second video clip showed what happened next.

When Peden told Velasquez he had to leave, Velasquez said they weren't looking for him, and he didn't have anything to do with it.

"Just get up and leave," Peden told Velasquez, Peden pointing a Taser at him.

"No, my son's in there," Velasquez said, motioning to the house, a second before Peden shocked him, then kept verbally pressing. "Get up."

Velasquez, visibly affected by the shock, said he couldn't.

"What the f---, man. What is wrong with you?" he asked the officer as he stood up and was put in handcuffs.

Chaloupka called it an assault.

The officers placed Velasquez and Garrett both in custody in front of their young children, accusing them of harboring a fugitive. They ended up ticketing Garrett and letting her go, but took Velasquez to jail.

Neither ultimately was charged.

In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court of Nebraska in North Platte, Chaloupka accused Peden of excessive force and the city of Cozad of failing to properly train its law enforcement staff in the proper, improper and abusive use of weapons such as Tasers.

The city's response alleged the officers had lawfully entered the yard "based on probable cause, in order to conduct the lawful police business of apprehending a fugitive."

Attorney Terrance Wait argued the city and Peden were immune from suit and that any injury to Velasquez and Garrett was the result of risks or dangers to which they voluntarily exposed themselves to by refusing to abide by lawful commands.

The case was settled before a judge heard the city's motion to dismiss.

In the new case filed in federal court in Lincoln on Monday, Chaloupka said the entire Cozad Police Department approached Chief Mark Montgomery in August 2020 saying they had no confidence in Peden and that "they were afraid that his decision-making was going to get them in trouble."

Peden was demoted from sergeant to officer but remained with the department.

In March 2021, months after he was sued for tasing Velasquez, Chaloupka said Peden used his Taser against an unarmed suicidal person.

Then, in early April, shortly after mediation led to the settlement of Velasquez's lawsuit, Peden arrested Veronica Sandoval, who had been the victim of a domestic assault, Chaloupka said in the new lawsuit.

The Dawson County Attorney didn't file charges against her.

And the next day, Peden went to Sandoval's house where a babysitter was watching her infant and went inside twice without a warrant looking for an iPhone.

Shen said when the babysitter expressed her confusion, Peden yelled "sit the f* down."

Chaloupka said Peden felt empowered to enter Sandoval's home without a warrant because the chief had created an informal policy and custom at the Cozad Police Department whereby he and other officers could violate citizens constitutional rights "without serious and meaningful consequence."

The suit seeks punitive damages.

Trusdale said the city hasn't yet been served with the lawsuit and declined to comment on pending litigation.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger

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This statistic, known as excess mortality, is important as it tells us Australians are dying from the virus rather than from another cause while they are infected. While more than three-quarters of COVID-19 deaths in Australia have been people aged 70 and over, they include eight children aged under nine, five 10-to-19 year olds, and 30 people in their 20s. A lone passenger on a Melbourne tram. Credit:Jason South Epidemiologist Mike Toole, an associate of Melbournes Burnet Institute, said he was astonished that the increase in deaths wasnt being addressed during the federal election campaign. We were told earlier in the year dont look at the case numbers, look at hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths, Toole said. Ive been looking at them and theyre going up.

Toole estimated that the virus would be in the top five leading causes of death for 2022. He noted that there has been 272 COVID-19 deaths in the past week. I learned that a Boeing 737-800, which is the most common domestic plane used in Australia, carries 184 passengers and crew, he said. So, were reporting more than a 737 crashing every week. Victoria recorded 502 COVID-19 cases in hospital on Friday, the first time the number has exceeded 500 since February 11. The state, meanwhile, surpassed 3000 COVID deaths this week, almost half of which occurred this year.

It is still the state with the highest number of deaths, despite NSW recording the most so far in 2022. The reason Australia is recording so many deaths is not due to a high death rate, but instead increased transmission and cases. Since mid-April, we have been either first or second in the world for new COVID-19 cases per person, trading places back and forth with New Zealand. This doesnt include countries with fewer than 200,000 people and doesnt account for US under-reporting due to the country not mandating the reporting of positive rapid antigen tests.

Meanwhile, hospitalisations doubled across Australia between March 12 and April 24  mostly in NSW and Queensland  and have continued to rise. But while cases, and therefore deaths, are soaring, the fatality rate has been decreasing. In 2020, we had 900 deaths from 28,000 cases  one in every 31 cases  while in 2021 we had 1330 deaths from 360,000 cases, or one in 271. This year, weve had more than 5000 deaths, but weve had 5.4 million cases. Thats one in 1080 cases. The difference is that were now highly vaccinated and the Omicron variant is milder than its predecessor, Delta. Loading

Toole said he was troubled that we were heading into winter  when COVID rates could rise  with our heads in the sand. He said both political parties were avoiding the subject: Labor because it doesnt want people to think its planning more lockdowns and the Coalition because it wants us to focus on its earlier success in handling the pandemic. Professor Nancy Baxter, head of the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne, said both parties federally were running campaigns as if COVID-19 didnt exist. [Its the] the biggest medical emergency or challenge that weve ever faced, and continue to face, and yet you hear nothing, she said. Theres no actual meaningful discussion or debate around management of the pandemic. In Victoria, Baxter said Premier Daniel Andrews, who faces an election in November, also no longer wants to be attacked over strict restrictions in the state.

While COVID cases and deaths are surging, the fatality rate has been decreasing. Credit:Jason South She said low childhood vaccination and third-shot booster rates, along with the relaxation of mask and isolation restrictions while still in the peak of the Omicron wave, were leading to increased transmission. Its the [more than] 1000 people who have died in April who have lost out, she said. Theres more people sick, more people dying and more people with long COVID. Baxter worries that if cases increase again with a new variant, Australians wont be willing to wear masks or stay home again. Loading

Weve been told this is over, and its done, and we shouldnt have to worry about that any more, she said. Karen Dawson, who is recovering from a March mastectomy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, said it was hard to watch people let their guard down while she and others with compromised health had to remain cautious. The more vulnerable people have been forgotten, she said. There [are] people you talk to who dont take it seriously, who say its just a cold. Its irresponsible. Although she finds peoples complacency frustrating, Dawson, who was hospitalised twice and lost 20 kilos during chemotherapy, said she preferred to focus on what she could do to stay safe. Her husband, Paul, suffers from a rare chronic illness. The couple, who live in Kilmore, north of Melbourne, dont see friends or family who have had COVID for a few weeks after their infections.
London: A Belarusian court sentenced Sofia Sapega, the girlfriend of a dissident detained after their commercial flight was forced to land in Belarus last year, to six years in prison for inciting social hatred, the Vyasna rights group said.

The 24-year-old Russian citizen was with her boyfriend Raman Pratasevich, a dissident blogger critical of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, on a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius in May 2021 when it was diverted to Minsk by Belarusian authorities.

Detained student Sofia Sapega appeared in a video from detention in Belarus.

Belarus said at the time it had ordered the plane to land after an anonymous tip-off that there was a bomb onboard. The bomb threat turned out to be false, and Pratasevich and Sapega were immediately detained.

Their flights diversion prompted international outrage and led the European Union and United States to impose more sanctions on Belarus.
Belfast: Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the IRA, hailed its first election win in Northern Irelands history as a defining moment for the British-controlled region and called for a debate on the creation of a united Ireland.

Sinn Fein secured 29 per cent of first-preference votes for the regional parliament, way ahead of pro-British Democratic Unionist Partys 21.3 per cent, official results showed. While the final seat count has not been declared, analysts said no one could catch Sinn Fein.

Today represents a very significant moment of change. Its a defining moment in our politics and for our people, the head of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, Michelle ONeill, said after securing re-election.

Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill speaks after election win. Credit:

She said there should now be an honest debate around the partys goal of unifying the territory with the Republic of Ireland.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Devney Johnson* was 29 when she made the agonising decision to have an abortion. The mother of two had not wanted to get pregnant a third time, so when her birth control failed, she knew in her heart she couldnt go through with it. Crowds gathered outside the Supreme Court on Monday night after a draft was leaked suggesting Roe v Wade would be repealed. Credit:AP Having another child would have resulted in more financial pressure and run the risk that her kids would not get the kind of life she wanted for them, she says. After six hours of considering her options, she called her local abortion clinic to schedule an appointment. Me and my husband both knew that we were not willing to let our family just barely survive, Johnson tells The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald from her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We really wanted our family to thrive and we knew that if we had a third baby we couldnt do that. It was really tough, but once I accepted that this was exactly the decision I needed to make for myself and my family, I could start to heal. Its been three years since Johnson had the procedure, but she still remembers it as though it was yesterday: from the pro-life protesters yelling at her as she entered the clinic, to the volunteers escorting her from her car and shielding her with umbrellas until she was inside. But she also gratefully recalls the autonomy she had over her pregnancy - a fundamental right that is now being curtailed in the latest battle over womens reproductive rights in America.

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I was really lucky because I got to choose - and now so many others dont, she says, her voice quivering with emotion. That is atrocious. As the US Supreme Court decides the fate of Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision legalising abortion in the US, Oklahoma has found itself at forefront of the nations abortion wars. When Texas became the first US state to implement an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy last September - the strictest actively enforced prohibition in the country - thousands of Texans turned to neighbouring states for treatment. Protesters gather for an abortion rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Credit:Farrah Tomazin Oklahoma took on much of the load. Data released by Planned Parenthood in February showed that in the first four months since the Texas restrictions were introduced, Oklahoma clinics saw a nearly 2500 per cent increase in patients from the Lone Star state. Now Oklahoma is facing its own healthcare crisis. On Tuesday, Oklahoma Republican governor Kevin Stitt signed new laws copying the Texas model. Known as the Heartbeat Act, the law bans abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo, which experts say is roughly six weeks into a term - and before many women actually know they are pregnant.

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The law is accompanied by a bounty-hunting scheme encouraging members of the public to sue those involved in abortions and rewarding them with at least $US10,000 if their lawsuit is successful. A separate law, which will take effect in August, would make performing an abortion a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison, or a maximum fine of $US100,000 ($132,000), or both. Loading Oklahoma is also one of several US states that have so-called trigger laws that would outlaw abortion entirely, except to save the life of a pregnant woman, as soon as the Supreme Court overrules in whole or in part the existing precedent established in Roe v Wade. Tamya Cox-Toure, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Oklahoma, says that pro-choice groups had been anticipating abortion access becoming more limited, not just because of the looming Supreme Court decision but due to the Texas-like copycat bills that numerous Republican-led states have been pushing. I guess weve been living in a post-Roe world for a long time, says Cox-Toure, whose advocacy group, Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice, last week tried unsuccessfully to block the latest changes in court.

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Women have had the right to abortion for the last 50 years, but access has always been difficult. Now its going to get worse, and just like in Texas, the impact of this ban will fall hardest on people struggling to make ends meet, people of colour and those living in rural areas. Its like World War II There are only four abortion clinics in Oklahoma- two Planned Parenthood centres, the Tulsa Womens Clinic, and Trust Women - all of which are located in the metropolitan districts of Tulsa or Oklahoma City. In March, staff at Trust Women began cutting back on abortions in anticipation that the law could change at any time and they would be forced to cancel appointments. Nonetheless, the phones kept ringing, with the group receiving a daily average of 134 calls last month alone. Its a similar story about 10 kilometres north, in the plain grey building that makes up the Oklahoma City branch of Planned Parenthood. Now theyre no longer booking abortions, the receptionist tells me, as she checks the scheduling system to see if there are any appointments available in Kansas or Arkansas, which border Oklahoma to the north and east. They dont have anything at the moment, maam, she says. Maybe you could call back next week and see if anything has opened up?

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All the clinics have also been relying heavily on donations from groups such as the Roe Fund, a volunteer-run not-for-profit that provide centres with a lump sum every month to help women who need financial support for abortion services. But pro-choice advocates say that the latest ban will merely exacerbate the squeeze, as more women have to travel further and wait longer for much-needed services. Others may seek an abortion outside the health care system, or carry pregnancies against their will. Even before any of these laws we already had run out of funds before the month ended because so many people were needing support, says Gabriele Cano, one of six volunteers at the Roe Fund. A pro-choice student holds up a sign in Oklahoma. Credit:Farrah Tomazin But now weve gotten referrals and requests for people wanting travel to Illinois, or to Colorado or to New Mexico, just because theyre a few days over six weeks. Theres also the process itself, which is far from easy under Oklahoma law. Once a woman decides to have an abortion, she must receive a state-sanctioned pamphlet detailing potential side effects and other information that critics claim is skewed to make patients rethink their choice. She must also wait 72 hours before she can get an appointment, and once she finally gets one, clinics are required to give her a list of 32 questions asking about everything from her ethnicity to whether shes being coerced. Abortions are also generally paid upfront, ranging between $US600 to $US800 for a standard procedure.

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A Harrisburg man has been arrested in the stabbing of an employee at a convenience store in Carlisle on Thursday, Carlisle Police said.

Police charged James Allen Brown Jr., 54, with robbery, inflict bodily injury; aggravated assault, attempts to cause or causes bodily injury with deadly weapon; aggravated assault-attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference; possession of an instrument of crime with intent; and simple assault.

He was unable to post $50,000 in bail and remains in Cumberland County Prison, court documents showed Friday. Brown is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Jonathan Birbek at 8:30 a.m. on May 25.

Carlisle Police on Thursday said the employee who was stabbed at the Speedway convenience store and gas station on East High Street had been treated and released from the hospital.

Police said the motive behind the stabbing appears to have been robbery.

Court documents say a James Allen Brown Jr. of Harrisburg also faced robbery-related charges in York County from 2017. Bail in that case was set at $1 million.

The York Dispatch reported that James Allen Brown Jr., then of York, was arrested in September 2017 in connection with armed robberies of convenience stores and banks in York and Adams counties, and a standoff in August 2017.

The Hanover Evening Sun reported on July 12, 2019, that James Allen Brown Jr. was found guilty after a jury trial to four counts of robbery. He was found not guilty of arson and his other charges were withdrawn, according to online court documents. He was sentenced three to six years in prison and had to pay costs, fines and fees, documents state.

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HARRISBURG  Mehmet Ozs rivals in Pennsylvanias Republican primary for U.S. Senate are escalating their attacks on the heart surgeons connections to his parents native country of Turkey, raising it as a possible national security issue.

Oz, best known as TV's Dr. Oz, has rejected any suggestions he is a threat to national security and accused an opponent, ex-hedge fund CEO David McCormick, of making bigoted attacks. If elected, Oz would be the nation's first Muslim senator, although Oz has not campaigned on that milestone.

The criticism of Oz and his ties to Turkey has mushroomed in the weeks after Oz won the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who remains popular with conservative voters. With the state's May 17 primary in sight, Trump held a rally with Oz in western Pennsylvania on Friday evening, coming off a win in Ohio's Republican Senate primary for Trump's candidate, JD Vance.

Oz, who was born in the United States, holds Turkish citizenship, served in Turkeys military and voted in its 2018 election, but says he would renounce his dual citizenship in Turkey if he is elected.

Trumps former secretary of state and CIA director, Mike Pompeo, who endorsed McCormick in the race, told reporters Friday that Oz owes an explanation about the scope and the depth of his relationship with the Turkish government.

Americans should know if Oz is fit for duty," Pompeo said.

As CIA director, Pompeo served side-by-side in the Trump administration with Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser who drew Justice Department scrutiny because of lucrative consulting work he and his firm did that benefited the Turkish government.

Oz has financial ties to Turkey, as well.

In his financial disclosure report to the Senate, Oz disclosed property that he owns in Turkey, assets from his late father's estate that are tied up in legal proceedings there and an endorsement agreement with Turkish Airlines, which is partly owned by the Turkish government.

In recent debates, McCormick  a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of the Gulf War  has accused Oz of unnecessarily holding dual citizenship in Turkey and tried to contrast Oz's service in the Turkish military with McCormick's in the U.S. Army.

Another rival, Carla Sands, Trumps former ambassador to Denmark who inherited a commercial real estate fortune, has suggested Oz has dual loyalties, calling him Turkey First, as a play on Trumps America First governing philosophy.

Fending off McCormick's attacks in March, Oz suggested that his religion is being targeted, accusing McCormick of making bigoted attacks that are reminiscent of slurs made in the past about Catholics and Jews.

Oz has maintained that he served in Turkey's military as a young man to keep his dual citizenship. He keeps it to this day, he said, so he has legal power in Turkey to make health care decisions for his mother, who has Alzheimer's disease.

Oz voted in Turkey's 2018 election when he was at the consulate in New York for meetings about his humanitarian work on behalf of Syrian refugees in Turkey, his campaign said.

He voted against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his campaign said, noting that it is not unusual for Americans with dual citizenship to vote in elections in other countries.

Voting in an election is far different from being actively engaged in the political work of the Turkish government, which Dr. Oz has never been involved with," Oz's campaign said.

Senate historians have been unable to find a U.S. senator who maintained dual citizenship.

Trump, in an hourlong speech at Friday nights rally, attacked McCormick for the first time by name, saying he'd been with a company that managed money for communist China.

McCormick is, Trump said, the candidate of special interests and globalists and the Washington establishment spending millions of dollars to defeat Oz and ripping off the United States with bad trade deals and open borders.

Trump did not specifically mention attacks on Oz's ties to Turkey, but boosted Oz to the crowd as a "warrior" and a longtime friend who has the best chance of winning the seat in the fall general election.

David Laufman, the former chief of the counterintelligence section at the Department of Justices national security division, said he thinks of a national security concern as individuals and organizations that present terrorist threats, cybersecurity threats or economic security threats, or are involved in influence operations directed at the U.S. on behalf of foreign powers.

I think we need to be careful about categorizing any American as a national security risk simply because of their ties to a foreign country, Laufman said in an interview.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the nonprofit does not comment on specific campaigns.

But in general, he said, the organization has seen attacks on one aspect of a candidate  such as their place of birth  as a stand-in for a more obviously racist attack, such as on their race or religion.

Flynn  Trumps former national security adviser  was ousted in the first month of the Trump administration after the White House said he lied about his Russian contacts during the transition period.

He later admitted in a criminal case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller that his filings to the Justice Department when he registered as a foreign agent for his Turkish work included false statements and omissions.

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A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion signaling that the high court could overturn Roe v. Wade has shaken up the 2022 midterm elections, mobilizing Democrats and Republicans alike.

Democrats are using the leaked document as an opportunity to fundraise millions of dollars and rally their bases in opposition to the move. On the Republican side, grassroots activists are similarly energized ahead of what they see as a historic opportunity to overturn a law they have long opposed.

The issue has the opportunity to shake up several Senate races in particular, as Republicans look to flip the upper chamber after Democrats clinched the narrowest of majorities following two special Senate elections in Georgia in 2021.

Though it is not clear exactly how the abortion issue will play out in individual Senate races, its clear it has the potential to roil some of the most closely watched contests in November.

Here are five Senate races to watch amid the growing fallout from the leaked Supreme Court draft.

Alaska

One Republican senator that could see the Supreme Courts decision affect their race is Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Murkowski, who is known as a moderate in the Senate, has been vocal about her opposition to overturning Roe v. Wade, putting her at odds with many in her party.

She went as far to say if the court overturns the landmark case it would rock my confidence in the court. The senator supported the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, two of the conservative justices purportedly backing the Roe opinion.

Murkowski, who has described herself as in favor of abortion rights, is facing primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka, an ex-Alaska administration commissioner endorsed by former President Trump.

Tshibaka has previously described herself as pro-life, drawing a stark distinction between the two candidates before the upcoming primary.

Complicating matters is the political nature of Alaska, a state known for its fierce independence. Murkowski is likely depending on many of the more moderate voters who will be angered if the abortion law is overturned.

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Alaska is one of the few states in the country that has the protection of abortion rights enshrined in its state constitution.

Arizona

In a swing state where current Sen. Mark Kelly (D) only won his special election for office by 2 percentage points, abortion could be an issue that has a significant impact on election results.

Kelly has labeled himself as pro-abortion rights and decried the leaked SCOTUS decision.

He is facing opposition from anti-abortion groups in the state, including Susan B. Anthony List, which spent $1 million for two 30-second ads that aimed to convince voters Kelly is an extremist on the issue.

Among the top contenders in the Republican primary are Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Arizona businessman and veteran Jim Lamon and venture capitalist Blake Masters.

Brnovich and Lamon both described themselves as pro-life on their Senate campaign websites. Masters has been critical of abortion in the past.

In Arizona, Republicans control both state legislatures and the governors office while having two Democratic senators who are pro-abortion rights.

Gov. Doug Ducey (R) recently signed a law that bans abortions in the state at 15 weeks. The bill has no exemptions for rape or incest.

Nevada

The Nevada Senate race, where incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) will be fighting to retain her spot, is being closely watched by Republicans as one of their best bets to flip a Senate seat.

The Nevada Democrat has previously made her stance on abortion clear, saying she has supported making sure access is available for those services.

In light of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion, Cortez Masto said in a statement she believed if it became the final ruling, it would be a dangerous attack on women across the country.

Nevada already allows people to seek an abortion up to 24 weeks after the start of pregnancy, meaning that the topic itself could be an issue Republicans may try to steer away from given the states established laws on it.

One Senate Republican candidate nodded to that fact in a statement he released following the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion, making it clear that he was anti-abortion while acknowledging it was settled law in the state.

If the leaked draft reflects the Supreme Courts ultimate decision, it would constitute an historic victory for the sanctity of life and the principles of self-determination. The Supreme Court has never had the expertise nor the authority to unilaterally legislate on abortion, Republican candidate Adam Laxalt said in a statement on Tuesday.

The people of Nevada have already voted to make abortion rights legal in our state, and so no matter the Courts ultimate decision on Roe, it is currently settled law in our state, he added.

New Hampshire

In the wake of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D), whose Senate race is also being closely watched, called the draft ruling devastating and urged for Congress to codify the Roe v. Wade decision into law.

And I will continue to fight for the full inclusion of women in our society, and that starts with them being able to make their own health care decisions and decide if and when to have a family, she said in a tweet earlier this week.

Last year, a budget provision signed by New Hampshires governor banned abortion following 24 weeks of gestation, according to The Associated Press. Democrats had little luck trying to put protections in place this week in light of the draft ruling.

It is not clear if that provision would be further changed should the draft ruling become the high courts final decision on the matter. Several Republican candidates said they agreed with Alitos opinion to hand those decisions back to the states, pointing to their own state as an example.

Its a disgrace that a Supreme Court decision of this magnitude was leaked to the media in an attempt to shift the national political conversation, Don Bolduc (R), a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and Republican Senate candidate, said in a statement.

We must understand that this opinion does not outlaw abortion. It returns the decision to the individual states to make the decision they think is best for their citizens, he added.

Chuck Morse, New Hampshire state Senate president and another Republican candidate, suggested in his own statement that the ruling would not make a difference in New Hampshire.

Im proud of my pro-life record in the New Hampshire State Senate. Last year we settled the law in New Hampshire that permits abortions in the first six months while banning late term and partial birth abortions in the last 12 weeks of a pregnancy  a policy that the vast majority of Granite Staters support. This potential decision will have no impact on New Hampshire, he said.

We will wait to see what the Supreme Court ultimately decides, but I strongly believe that the states should have the right to govern policy in their respective states as this draft opinion would ensure.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanias Senate seat is considered a toss up seat for Republican-held seats ahead of the November midterms, according to The Cook Political Reports latest Senate race ratings.

Democratic Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Rep. Conor Lamb, both seen as front-runners within their party for the Senate seat, have both said they support access to abortion services.

Lamb, a Catholic, has signaled he is opposed personally to abortion, though he has voiced that he supports the choice of women to get them.

Meanwhile, one of the most high-profile Republican Senate candidates in the race, Trump-endorsed Mehmet Oz, has been on the defensive for his stance on abortion.

During a 2019 interview with The Breakfast Club, Oz was asked about his thoughts on anti-abortion legislation being passed in Alabama.

Im really worried about it, he responded at the time. I tell ya, Ive taken care of a lot of women whove had issues around childbirth. The problem with the law as it stands now  I think theyll really only pass to generate a Supreme Court challenge, but most women dont know theyre pregnant.

Just putting my doctor hat on, its big-time concern cause I went to medical school in Philadelphia, and I saw women whod had coat-hanger events, I mean really traumatic events that happened when they were younger before Roe versus Wade, and many of them were harmed for life, he said, after one of the co-hosts noted that the anti-abortion moves would only discourage safe abortions.

Oz said at the time that at a personal level he did not want someone in his family to get an abortion, but added I dont want to interfere with everyone elses stuff.

Following the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion, Oz said on Tuesday that the 1973 landmark decision had been wrongly decided, adding, Abortion laws should be left up to the American people and their elected representatives.

During a Republican Senate primary debate held earlier this week, former hedge fund executive David McCormick (R) and Army veteran Kathy Barnette (R) criticized Ozs previous remarks on the matter.

Youve got a track record thats completely opposite of the idea, McCormick told the heart surgeon during the debate, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, and its another example of you being completely phony.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
All defendants have agreed to settlements in a defamation lawsuit brought by a witness of the Unite the Right car attack, likely bringing the case to a close.

Filed on behalf of area activist and former U.S. Foreign Service officer Brennan Gilmore, the Gilmore v. Jones lawsuit had been inching its way to trial for several years. However, in the wake of Alex Jones settling in March, the rest of the remaining defendants followed suit, with the last defendant settling Tuesday.

Gilmore sued a variety of high profile far right figures, including Jones, who is the main host and operator of Infowars, as well as Infowars and several others, in March 2018, claiming defamation.

After Gilmore witnessed and filmed the Aug. 12, 2017, rally car attack that killed counter-protester Heather Heyer, the defendants started spreading conspiracies about Gilmore, which led to death threats against him and his family, according to the suit.

In addition to Jones and Infowars, the complaint named as defendants Free Speech Systems LLC, Jim Hoft, Lee Stranahan, Lee Ann Fleisner, Scott Creighton, Derrick Wilburn, Michele Hickford, Words-N-Ideas and former U.S. Rep. Allen B. West, R-Fla.

West was dismissed from the case not long after it was filed in 2018, but one by one all the defendants have agreed to settlements in the intervening years, often agreeing to pay a lump sum to Gilmore or to the Legal Aid Justice Center, in the case of Hickford, Wilburn and Words-N-Ideas.

Jones, Infowars and Free Speech Systems LLC, admitted to defaming Gilmore in a March settlement. Per the order, the defendants had no evidence that Gilmore was involved in a set up or in any other way with the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and the terrorist attack that killed Heather Heyer.

The trio of defendants agreed to pay Gilmore $50,000 in damages and were dismissed from the lawsuit.

In late April, Hoft, founder of the far-right Gateway Pundit blog, also agreed to settle the lawsuit and pay Gilmore $50,000. Unlike Jones settlement, the court order stating the stipulations of Hofts settlement did not include any language indicating the defendant admitted to defaming Gilmore.

Also in April, Creighton and Fleisner agreed to settlements. In virtually identical but separate court documents, the two defendants agreed that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia will retain jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the parties settlement agreement and to enforce and resolve any disputes related thereto, if necessary.

The settlement documents do not specify whether Creighton or Fleisner agreed to pay Gilmore but does clarify that they are dismissed from the lawsuit with prejudice and without costs, disbursements, or attorneys fees to any party.

Stranahan was the last defendant to settle and a stipulation and order was filed Tuesday detailing some of the details.

According to the court order, Stranahan admitted that he had no evidence that Gilmore was involved in a set up or in any other way with the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and the terrorist attack that killed Heather Heyer.

Additionally, per the order Stranahan regrets the publication and its defamatory characterization of Gilmore and agrees to pay damages to Gilmore totaling $4,000.

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Israeli Security and rescue personnel work at the scene following an incident in Elad, in central Israel, on May 5, 2022. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

3 People Killed in Suspected Terrorist Attack in Israel

JERUSALEMIsraeli security forces launched a massive manhunt on Friday for two terrorists suspected of killing three people in an attack in a central Israeli city, police said.

The attack on Thursday night, Israels Independence Day, is the latest in a recent upsurge of Israeli-Palestinian violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict.

We will get our hands on the terrorists and their supportive environment, and they will pay the price, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said after the attack in the city of Elad, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Tel Aviv.

Witnesses and emergency responders said the attackers used axes. Four other people were seriously injured, medics said.

Police identified the assailants as two Palestinians from the Jenin area of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and said they likely fled the scene in a car. Police set up roadblocks, deployed a helicopter, and requested the publics help in finding the suspects.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz extended a closure on the West Bank and Gaza, imposed ahead of the national holiday to prevent Palestinians from entering Israel, until Sunday.

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement on Thursday condemned the horrific attack targeting innocent men and women.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the attack and said the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians will only lead to more deterioration, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Since March, Palestinians and members of Israels Arab minority have killed 18 people, including three police officers and a security guard, in attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have mostly targeted civilians.

Israel has responded with arrest raids in Palestinian towns and villages which have often sparked clashes and brought the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year to at least 40.

The casualties include armed members of militant groups, lone assailants and bystanders.

Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian terrorist group that controls Gaza, praised the Elad stabbing but did not claim responsibility. It said the attack was a response to Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Over the past month, Palestinians and Israeli police have repeatedly clashed at the compound, one of the most sensitive sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinians and Jordan, the custodian of the site that is the third-holiest in Islam, accuse Israel of not doing enough to enforce a long-standing ban on non-Muslim prayer there, which Israel denies. The compound is Judaisms holiest site and the vestige of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in a 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians seek these territories for a future state.
Horses take part in race 4 on 148th Thurby, the Thursday before Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 5, 2022. (Amira Karaoud/Reuters)

Absent Baffert, Kentucky Derby Aims to Shine Through the Clouds

The 148th Kentucky Derby might be remembered as much for the talent on the track as the trainer absent from the sidelines as Saturdays first leg of the Triple Crown goes off without one of racings most recognizable figures.

Bob Baffert, whose horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times, was suspended after last years winner, Medina Spirit, tested positive for a banned substance and was stripped of the title.

Baffert has denied any wrongdoing but his horses will not feature in any of the races in the famed American triumvirate this year.

Two Baffert-trained colts will be at the starting gate, however, after Messier and Taiba were both transferred to his former assistant Tim Yakteen.

Spectator cheer during the 3rd race on the day of the 148th Thurby, the Thursday before Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 5, 2022. (Amira Karaoud/Reuters)

Messier, whose morning-line odds stood at 81 on Friday, has a solid shot with three-time Derby winner John Velazquez aboard.

The less-experienced Taiba is another favorite. The colt rolled into Churchill Downs with just two prior starts but will benefit from the steady hand of 56-year-old Hall of Famer and twice winner Mike Smith in the saddle.

With mint juleps in hand, the crowd at the Run for the Roses may be left sprinting from storm clouds, with organizers expecting a mudders delight with rain through Saturday morning.

That would appear to suit Zandon, who triumphed last month with jockey Flavien Prat at the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes in Keeneland last month in sloppy conditions.

The duo will look to repeat the performance on Saturday after drawing the number 10 post in Mondays ceremony. Prat previously triumphed at the Derby in 2019 and the Preakness Stakes last year.

Were ready, trainer Chad Brown said.

A big threat may come from Epicenter, who is stationed at the number three post and overcame Zandon at the Risen Star-G2 in February. With twice Belmont winner and 2013 Derby champ Joel Rosario aboard, Epicenter was 72 in morning-line odds.

A spectator shows off her Derby hat on the day of the 148th Thurby, the Thursday before Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 5, 2022. (Amira Karaoud/Reuters)

By Amy Tennery
Professional writer and branch manager Mira Sarac (L) and her family attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Home of the Arts cultural precinct in Gold Coast, Australia, on May 7, 2022. (NTD)

GOLD COAST, AustraliaShen Yun Performing Arts started the second day of its performing tour in the city of Gold Coast, famous for its beautiful long sandy beach, with a sold-out performance as audience members cheerfully walked to the Home of the Arts cultural precinct with tickets in hand.

Mira Sarac, a professional writer and branch manager of Successful ResumesAustralias most experienced network of professional resume writers, attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts with her family on May 7 and described what they saw as a magical experience.

Mrs. Sarac could not hide her excitement as this was the first for her two daughters to see a performance, saying she would walk away feeling grateful while looking forward to finding out how her children felt about the show.

Mrs. Sarac was exceptionally impressed with the backdrop of Shen Yun, praising it for being innovative and integrating well with the mystical and historical elements of the performances.

One unique feature of Shen Yun is its interactive projection backdrop, which allows performers to magically emerge or disappear during the performances, providing a greater depth to the stories.

Additionally, the synchronisation of Shen Yun performance is another aspect that amazed Mrs. Sarac.

The timing of the dancers and the music is just unprecedented.  Mira Sarac

The timing of the dancers and the music is just unprecedented, she said, adding that the dances and costumes flowed seamlessly.

Among the performances she saw on the afternoon of May 7, Mrs. Sarac felt emotional with the story depicting the persecution of Falun Dafa, a mediation practice that is deeply rooted in the traditional values of the Chinese culture.

Mrs. Sarac had heard of Falun Dafa and the persecution before, and the dance piece touched her heart with its message.

It is very unfortunate that we live in these times where people have to be in such a way, she said.

Throughout the two-hour journey, Mrs. Sarac felt that Shen Yun carried the essence of Chinas profound culture and history.

The theme of Shen Yun this year is China before Communism, in which the performing company is trying to give the global audience a glimpse of what China was like before its culture was almost destroyed by the Communist regime.

Seeing Shen Yun performers telling fascinating stories with their beautiful body movements gave Mrs. Sarac a breath of fresh air after going through the pandemic.

Absolutely magical, she said. Its such a pleasure to be able to come here today after two years of lockdowns.

Reporting by NTD and Alfred Bui.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Giovanni Bellini and his star students welcome the innovative artist from the North

On Feb. 7, 1506, Albrecht Durer wrote to tell his friend Wilibald Pickheimer that Giovanni Bellini, then Venices leading artist, had not only praised Durers paintings but, amazingly, announced his intention to buy one.

Durer traveled to Venice twice. And on the second visit, he was determined to demonstrate his abilities and those of other artists of the Northern European Renaissance to Venetians. Bellinis endorsement was enough to convince all but the most biased.

The bias that Durer sought to counter, and that the great Bellini rejected, has been all too enduring, leading some to see Durers relationship to the Venetian art world as that of a student to a teacher. That was true of his first visit, from 1494 to 1495, when he completed his training as a painter there after an apprenticeship in his native Nuremberg and advanced studies in northeastern France and the Netherlands.

But when he returned as an internationally famous artist 10 years later, the teaching and learning were much more reciprocal. Durer and the Northern European school he represented had become a key influence on the style of the Venetian High Renaissance.

Durers friend Bellini laid important foundations for this to happen. Bellinis work respected the artistic advances of the early Venetian Renaissance and took them to greater heights. His innovations set the stage for even more dramatic innovation by his two greatest students and the leading lights of Venices next generation of artists: Giorgione and Titian.

Venices Artistic Innovators

Bellini honored his citys artistic tradition while encouraging innovation in his students. Giorgione perfected Bellinis naturalistic depiction of the human form, and Titian added a sense of drama into the style first developed by Giorgione.

The ability to learn from Durer, among others, and an art market open to a degree of innovation would have been unprofitable for Bellini during his career; as times changed, his greatest students were able to surpass their teacher.

The fact that it was Bellinis students who made such advances is often cited by those who exaggerate Bellinis deference to his citys earlier artistic conventions. The truth is that while Bellini was a fairly moderate stylistic innovator in his own work, he had the highest regard for artists such as Giorgione and Titian, who were able to produce more dramatically innovative and unique works of true beauty.

Such an attitude toward innovation also certified Durer as an artist of the first rank and assured that his work would influence the younger generation.

Durer undoubtedly met Giorgione and Titian, whose transitions into independent masters overlapped with the Germans 150507 visit to Venice and his friendship with Bellini.

At this time, Titian and Giorgione would assuredly have discussed an artist as famous as Durer with each other and with their former master. Unfortunately, Durers extensive and usually informative correspondence makes no reference to his influence on these newly independent painters, his interest being in artists who had already attained prominence, like Bellini.

Durers Impact

But Durer did influence these artists, as can be seen by comparing Durers work and theirs. His influence over Titian can be seen by looking at Durers Portrait of Maximilian I and Titians Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap. While the styles are too different for them to be mistaken as two works by a single painter, the similarities alone would suggest that they were familiar with each others work. Both worked from similar color palettes that are remarkably deep and realistic. Both depicted human features with almost photographic accuracy.

Portrait of Emperor Maximilian I, 1519, by Albrecht Durer. Oil on panel; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien, Germany. (Public Domain)

Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap, 1510, by Titian. Oil on canvas; 32.4 inches by 28 inches. Frick Collection. (Public Domain)

Historical context within the Renaissance reveals just how significant such similarities are. Until then, deep, realistic color had been a Northern European specialty while Italian artists, particularly those in Florence, focused on perfecting depiction of the human shape.

For example, the early- to mid-15th-century Flemish painter Jan van Eycks Arnolfini Portrait combines deep and realistic color with underdeveloped facial features, while the mid- to late-15th-century Florentine Sandro Botticellis Portrait of a Man With a Medal of Cosimo the Elder has almost photographic facial details but colors that are more painterly.

Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife, 1434, by Jan van Eyck. Oil on panel; 32.4 inches by 23.6 inches. National Gallery, London. (Public Domain)

Portrait of a Man With a Medal of Cosimo the Elder, 1474, by Sandro Botticelli. Tempera on panel, 22.4 inches by 17.3 inches. Uffizi Museum, Florence, Italy. (Public Domain)

Durers work surpassed both of those predecessors. He combined a more brilliant use of color than van Eyck with a greater perfection of naturalistic form than Botticelli to create more realistic paintings than any previous artists. Yet not even that exhausts the importance of an artist whose achievements were held in high regard by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. Durers work later influenced the Baroque style, and his technical writings on perspective (creating the impression of distance in painting) were among the finest of his age.

Such high accomplishments puts Durer in the first rank of Renaissance masters and, at the time of his second visit, became an important influence on the greatest geniuses of 16th-century Venice.
First Lt. Mark Bashaw at his command relinquishment ceremony at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland on July 9, 2021. (Graham Snodgrass/Army Public Health Center)

Army Officer Convicted of Disobeying COVID-19 Rules, Judge Declines Punishment

An officer in the Army was found guilty in military court this week of disobeying COVID-19 rules, but the judge in the case imposed no punishment.

First Lt. Mark Bashaw, an entomologist who was commander at the Army Public Health Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, was convicted for not working remotely as ordered, and instead showing up to his office without providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test, Aberdeen spokesperson Amurr Reese told the Army Times.

Troops who had not received a COVID-19 vaccine were required at the facility to submit the results of a COVID-19 test to work in person.

Bashaw was also convicted of not wearing a mask indoors.

The trial concluded on April 29, according to online court records.

Bashaws attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Contact information for Bashaw could not be located.

Following the conviction, Judge Robert Cohen, who was overseeing the case, declined to hand down a punishment, according to Reese.

After a careful consideration of the evidence, a military judge exercised lawful authority not to adjudge punishment for 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, the spokesperson said in a statement.

Receiving no punishment at a court-martial is not without precedent, she added.

The conviction was described as a misdemeanor.

A court-martial conviction carries lifelong collateral consequences of a federal conviction, beyond punishment imposed by the court, Reese told Military.com. Some examples may include social consequences and difficulty in obtaining future employment, as criminal convictions are generally public information and frequently reported in federal and state criminal and licensing databases.

Bashaws future with the force remains unclear, as does his vaccination status.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August 2021 ordered all troops to get a COVID-19 vaccine, unless they were approved for a medical or religious exemption.

Few exemptions have been granted, and hundreds of troops have been separated as a result of refusing a vaccine.

As of May 5, the Army had kicked out 505 soldiers for refusing Austins order.

Additionally, six leaders have been relieved, including two battalion commanders.

The Army has thus far granted 30 permanent exemptions and approximately 3,600 temporary ones.
A statue of the goddess of Justice balancing the scales at Rennes' courthouse in Brittany, France, on May 19, 2015. (Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images)

Buffalo Teacher Resigned, New York Union Keeps Taking Dues From Her Check; Now Shes Filed a Lawsuit

A second-grade public school teacher in Buffalo who resigned from her union last year after she claimed it did not help her gain a work-from-home exemption is taking the union to court to prevent it from taking membership dues out of her check.

Jennifer Kumpf filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York last week against the Buffalo Teachers Federation, New York State United Teachers and the Buffalo City School District. According to the complaint, she claims her 1st and 14th Amendment rights are being violated because the BTF and NYSUT continue to seize and to accept dues without her permission.

The lawsuit cites the Janus v. AFSCME decision the U.S. Supreme Court handed down four years ago that said public-sector workers could not be compelled to pay dues to a labor organization of which theyre not a member.

In 2018, a couple of months before the Supreme Court decision, Kumpf signed a form at the unions request to authorize dues deductions.

The lawsuit states that Kumpf experienced a significant health issue last year and that she found it hard to keep teaching in a classroom setting. The teacher then asked her union representative for help with a work-from-home waiver, but Kumpf claims the rep refused the request.

Shortly after that, in late October, she resigned from the union. A week later, she received a letter from BTF President Philip Rumore that confirmed Kumpfs resignation as a member. However, Rumore said that while Kumpf could drop her membership at any time, the agreement she signed a few years back meant she faced a contractual obligation through Aug. 1, 2022, to pay union dues.

Kumpf seeks a refund on the dues shes paid since resigning, a ruling declaring the union has no right to continue collecting dues once employees resign, and an injunction to bar the labor group from taking dues out in the future.

The Fairness Center, a nonprofit public interest law firm serving clients in New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, represents Kumpf in the case.

Buffalo teachers union officials are ignoring the law so they can keep their hands on a second-grade teachers paycheck, Fairness Center President Nathan McGrath told The Center Square. The 1st Amendment protects our clients right to not pay the union. This lawsuit is about enforcing her constitutional rights.

Efforts to reach BTF were unsuccessful.
A screenshot from YouTube, taken on May 6, 2022, shows a press conference where the California Attorney General Rob Bonta (C) joined local officials from Long Beach, Calif., to support legalized abortion nationwide in Long Beach, Calif., on May 6, 2022. (Screenshot via YouTube)

California AG Bonta Joins Long Beach Officials in Support of Roe v. Wade

LONG BEACH, Calif.The California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined local officials from Long Beach, Calif., to support the current abortion policy established by Roe v. Wadethe 1973 decision that overrode the states and legalized abortion throughout the countryfollowing the leak of a draft opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court majority that signaled a potential overturn of the landmark precedent.

At a press conference on May 6, Bonta expressed his support for the federalized abortion policy and said the reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision would set the country back for 50 years.

Hell no to going backward. Hell no to reversing 50 years of settled law. Hell no to stripping women of their right to reproductive freedom, Bonta said.

Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), host of the event and a longtime advocate for abortion in California, urged community members to voice their support for legal abortion nationwide and said she expects the state of California to become a sanctuary state for pregnant women seeking an abortion.

A screenshot from YouTube, taken on May 6, 2022, shows a press conference where Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) (C) joined local officials from Long Beach, Calif., to support legalized abortion nationwide in Long Beach, Calif., on May 6, 2022. (Screenshot via YouTube)

[D]enying access to abortion care means denying reproductive freedom and does not align with our nations values, Gonzalez said in a May 3 statement.

Gonzalezs Senate Bill 245The Abortion Accessibility Actaims to expand access to abortion services by eliminating out-of-pocket costs such as copayment or deductible and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in March.

Robert Garcia, the mayor of Long Beach, said access to abortion services is critical, and the city has been collaborating with other nonprofit organizations to promote such access.

We stand with anyone seeking an abortion, Garcia said. And we wont stop this fight until we win.

The organizations present at the conference in support of the federal legalization of abortion included the California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Women of Long Beach, Black Woman for Wellness, League of Women Voters, LGBTQ Center of Long Beach, and Planned Parenthood.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference 2022 (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2022. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

California Judge Dismisses Trumps Twitter Ban Lawsuit

A U.S. District Court Judge on Friday dismissed former President Donald Trumps lawsuit against Twitter, rejecting his argument that the platform violated his First Amendment free speech rights when they censored his tweets and permanently banned his account.

However, Judge James Donato of the San Francisco federal district court will allow Trumps lawyers to file an amended complaint by May 27 consistent with his written ruling Friday, but it must seek the courts permission to add new claims or defendants, Fox reported.

Trump, who was de-platformed on Jan. 8, 2021, two days after the U.S. Capitol breach, first brought lawsuits challenging the bans on July 7, 2021.

At the time Trump and his team said the lawsuits, which were also filed against Google and Facebook, were about protecting the First Amendment right to free speech. They argued that his rights were denied when the three big tech companies banned him.

The 45th U.S. president said social medias alleged control over political discourse was destroying the country.

The Twitter application is seen on a digital device in San Diego, California, on April 25, 2022. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo)

Trumps lawyers also sought to challenge Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as unconstitutional. They also argued that Twitter used deceptive and misleading practices that are in violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

But according to Reuters, Donato said in his written ruling that the First Amendment doesnt apply to private companies, adding that Trump is not starting from a position of strength.

At the time Trump was deplatformed he was a heavy user of Twitter, posting to his 88 million followers several times per day.

Citing the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Twitter permanently closed Trumps account saying some of his tweets violated the platforms glorification of violence policy.

The company alleged that a speech Trump gave near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, in which he alleged the election had been stolen and called on supporters to protest peacefully, contributed to the violence and breach of the Capitol Building that followed.

On that day, several thousand gathered to protest the formalization of then-president-elect Joe Biden, during a joint session of Congress to certify electoral votes. The certification was delayed several hours when hundreds from amongst the throng of protesters entered the building, forcing a lockdown while lawmakers were evacuated.

As of April, prosecutors have charged nearly 800 people in nearly all 50 states with crimes related to the breach.

Twitter, considered by many to be the worlds digital town square, purported that some of Trumps tweets could encourage people to replicate the events of Jan. 6, according to Reuters.

Trump first filed his lawsuit in Florida before it was transferred to California.
Donna Evans has faced many challenges throughout her 21-year teaching career, the most difficult of which was the number of classes and students she had to teach.

She has had a lot. Last fall, Evans had 254 students across her 12 art classes at Jack Jouett Middle School. Thats far in excess of the state code that changed in 2018 to limit middle school teachers to no more than 150 students or 25 class periods per week, except for music and physical education teachers who can have up to 200 students.

Any teacher whose workload exceeds those limits must have an appropriate contractual arrangement and compensation, the law states.

Evans had the classes and the students but no such arrangement with Albemarle County Public Schools. Neither did more than 70 other teachers in the district.

In fact, county school officials were unaware of the four-year-old change in state law until last fall.

I shrugged it off because I thought [the county] had planned my schedule in order to save money, Evans told school board members last month. I felt I did not have any control over the scheduling and was never asked if I agreed to more students. Now I feel taken advantage of and truly not valued.

The county is now paying more than $500,000 in back pay and additional compensation to 73 teachers who were in the same boat as Evans, division spokesman Phil Giaramita said.

The average payment per teacher is expected to be slightly more than $8,000, with some receiving nearly $52,000 before taxes.

When Evans found out about the state code, she teamed up with two other teachers and the Albemarle Education Association to file a grievance with the school system in September. They sought the additional compensation plus back pay and a permanent change in how classes are structured.

The grievance was settled last month.

Teachers involved had between 187 and 297 students at the start of this school year and said being overloaded was overwhelming and that they felt like they were being set up to fail.

Mary McIntyre, a Jouett teacher and AEA vice president who worked on the grievance, said the association asked around to other teachers in order to determine the scale of the problem.

We kept hearing about it more and more, she said. We heard from people who quit because it.

From their conversations, middle school teachers who taught elective courses such as art or career and technical education were most affected.

Being overloaded hurts children, McIntyre said. I didnt realize it was on us to read the law and count our students.

Settlement TermsAs part of the settlement, the division agreed to a five-tiered formula to pay teachers who have more than 150 students. The division will implement a new middle school schedule next and review state standards with school principals as part of the annual staffing process, according to a copy provided to The Daily Progress.

Teachers who have 215 to 230 students  the agreements highest tier  for both semesters would receive an additional 17% of their salary and $7,000 for the year.

We wanted a cap, McIntyre said. The school division didnt agree to a cap but said it wont happen again.

McIntyre and the other teachers said one of their goals in the grievance process was to make sure the payments made sense mathematically depending on the numbers of students taught.

The other thing was that we wanted to make sure this didnt happen again. We wanted to make sure the schedule was changed, said Sara Goldsmith, a Spanish teacher at Jouett who was part of the grievance.

The additional money also would be reported to the Virginia Retirement System, according to the settlement. That important provision means that Evans will receive thousands more annually once she retires.

McIntyre said she wanted someone in the division to acknowledge that the overages shouldnt have happened.

Nothing about the process was equitable for teachers, McIntyre said. If the AEA had not been involved, it wouldve ended with the initial offer and not counted toward retirement.

Giaramita said the money for the additional compensation is coming out of the divisions fund balance, which is expected to total $11.6 million by the end of the current fiscal year.

Teachers involved also said the school system hired additional staff during the school year to reduce their workloads.

Another teacher was hired and my numbers of students and classes went down but only because I and two other teachers insisted, Evans said at the meeting.

Albemarle County is not the only school system with overloaded teachers. Last year, teachers in Southampton County sued their school system over the issue. Evette Wilson, a Virginia Education Association director who works with Southamptom teachers, said the judge sided with the school division but that the association is working to refile.

The division has started to address the issue, she said.

Everybody is now aware that they should get paid, she said.

Making this right

Sara Goldsmith started the school year as Jouetts only Spanish teacher with 187 students on her roster  about half of whom were taking the course for high school credit.

I have to teach these kids and help them earn their high school credit, but then also teach another 100 students, Goldsmith said.

Over a two-day cycle at Jouett, students have eight blocks of classes, and elective blocks are cut in half. That means an elective teacher could have six different classes in a day whereas a math teacher would only have three.

Core classes such as math and English are held every day for 80 minutes, where a student would spend every other day in a 40-minute Spanish class.

After changes made this school year, Goldsmiths workload dropped to 168 students, including her homeroom class.

Goldsmith, who is in her third year at Jouett, said because of her student counts, shes adjusted what she grades and the high numbers make it difficult to meet the countys expectations.

Were expected to have a relationship with every family, she said. Thats what the county would like to see, that were having these relationships and communication with every family and that were giving meaningful feedback to every student. The administrative part of my job is a whole persons job.

She said she has about 42 minutes of protected planning time during the school day.

Under the schedule changes for next year, Goldsmith said the electives will be full block courses, meaning that shell see the same group of students every day for a quarter.

Im still going to have the same number of students in a given year, but not at any given moment, she said.

The core classes such as math, English and science, will meet every other day for the entire year.

That will increase the number of students they teach, but itll be more fair, she said.

Before filing the grievance, Goldsmith said she was worried about speaking up. Now she feels more empowered to do so. She hopes the settlement will lead to positive change.

Hopefully, this will last, she said.

Evans said having six art classes a day was an enormous task.

For six classes a day, I had to provide all the consumables involved in teaching art, which includes paint, brushes, clay, paper, pencil, scissors and any other materials related to a project, she said.

Evans said she regrets that her working conditions have been so difficult.

Those years cannot be given back to me and the students I taught, she said. I would have preferred not to have gone through the stress of this grievance. I am grateful after a very demoralizing and long year, back and forth with [human resources], Albemarle County is now working on making this right.

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The audience at Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company's curtain call at Auditorio Nacional, in Mexico City, on May 5, 2018. (Ramon Reyna Herrmann/The Epoch Times)

Chinese Embassy Pressures Local Officials to Block Shen Yun Performances in Mexico

A New York-based performing arts company thats on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture on the world stage has continued to find itself the target of Beijings extensive interference campaign.

Beginning with its inception in 2006, Shen Yun Performing Arts has been confronted by ploys arranged by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that range from applying diplomatic pressure on host theaters and governments to running state media-backed ad campaigns designed to thwart or sabotage Shen Yuns annual world tour.

This time, with Shen Yuns performance seeking to depict China before communism, the CCPs sabotage activities have followed the company to Mexico, where two weeks of performances in five cities were scheduled to kick off on May 10.

Chinese Embassy officials have contacted Mexican officials through letters, emails, phone calls, or social media messages in at least three cities, according to documents and details shared with The Epoch Times.

An Email Request

After initially making contact on Instagram with the mayors office of the central Mexican city of Santiago de Queretaro, the Chinese Embassy in Mexico sent a round of emails and letters in an attempt to pile on the pressure.

Falun Dafa Association Mexico  will organize a tour of Shen Yun in the Teatro Metropolitano in Queretaro on May 10th and 11th of this year, an event the Chinese Party firmly opposes, Zhao Heng, an embassy attache, wrote in a May 4 email to the agenda coordinator for the Queretaro government, Alma Izaguirre, a copy of which was obtained by The Epoch Times.

Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice originating in China in the 1990s, composed of meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It was immensely popular at the time, until the Chinese regime, perceiving the practices vast following as a threat, moved to systematically root out the faith by launching a sweeping persecution against its adherents. Millions of adherents have been detained by the regime in facilities where theyre subjected to slave labor, torture, brainwashing, and forced organ harvesting.

The persecution of the spiritual group, lasting more than two decades, has been depicted in segments of Shen Yuns productions over the years.

Two Chinese police officers arrest a Falun Gong practitioner in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Jan. 10, 2000. (Chien-Min Chung/AP Photo)

In the email, Zhao asked if the Chinese Embassy could send a note to the city government, through email or other means, to explain what Falun Dafa and the Shen Yun tour are.

We request the Local Government of Queretaro to take the necessary measures to prohibit the Shen Yun events to avoid the Mexican people being deceived and taken advantage of, Zhao said. It would be a great pleasure and honor to be connected on WhatsApp with competent persons so it can be communicated well.

After receiving the letter, city officials contacted the local presenters of Shen Yun to hear their side of the story.

Leveraging ChinaMexico Relations

The email turned out to be the start of a multi-day effort on the part of the Chinese Embassy to influence Mexican officials and theater owners.

The next day, the Chinese Embassy followed up with a six-page letter to the city, in Chinese and Spanish, titled note to Queretaro, seeking a ban on Shen Yun performing in the city.

Shen Yun was slated for two performances at Queretaros Teatro Metropolitano on May 10 and May 11, marking the fourth time the company would have performed at the venue after a pandemic year pause. The company this year was invited by the citys mayor, who had attended the 2019 show.

The two performances were on track for sellout crowds, according to the local organizers.

People in Queretaro love Shen Yun, Carlos Guzman, a member of the Falun Dafa Association in Mexico, the local Shen Yun presenter, told The Epoch Times.

A large percentage of people who bought tickets to Shen Yuns 2020 show, which was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic, kept their tickets instead of seeking refunds, with the expectation of seeing the performance when the company returned, he said.

Attaching a schedule of the performances, the embassy said that the Chinese side is gravely concerned that the event is taking place, according to a copy of the May 5 letter obtained by The Epoch Times.

Some segments of the show attack the Chinese government, claims the letter, which bears the red seal of the embassy. The Chinese Embassy reminded Queretaro officials of the 50 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and China, asserting that allowing the Shen Yun performances would undermine such a friendship.

The Chinese Embassy in Mexico earnestly requests the Queretaro government to take necessary steps to ban Shen Yun from being hosted in the city and remind Queretaro officials of all levels, council members, scholars, and reporters to keep their distance, the letter reads.

Standing Its Ground

While the Chinese Embassy didnt specify which particular segments drew its ire, Guzman believes it has something to do with Falun Gongs values.

Falun Dafa promotes three important pillars: truth, compassion, and tolerance, but it seems that the Chinese consulate and the Chinese Embassy are on the other side, he said. While Falun Dafa promotes truth, they promote lies.

The Chinese regimes pressure is occurring as its practice of forced organ harvesting, one of the CCPs worst abuses against Falun Gong adherents, is attracting growing scrutiny in Europe.

The European Parliament on May 5 adopted a resolution to mark serious concern about reports of persistent, systematic, inhumane and state-sanctioned organ harvesting from prisoners in China, and more specifically from Falun Gong practitioners.

Josep Borrell, the European Unions top diplomat, said in prepared remarks on May 4 that the EU condemns in the strongest possible terms the criminal, inhumane and unethical practice of forced organ harvesting.

The Chinese officials interference didnt stop in Queretaro, as the Shen Yun presenters soon found out. After hearing about the Queretaro episode, Maru Ruano, a spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association in Mexico who is overseeing Shen Yuns Mexico City tour, quickly made a call to the Auditorio Nacional, the venue where Shen Yun is slated to perform beginning on May 13. The theater told her the embassy had called them two weeks ago to have the show canceled.

The theater refused outright, telling the embassy they were going to continue with the shows as they had been scheduled from the beginning, according to Ruano.

They said the auditorium always has the doors open for this type of show, Ruano told The Epoch Times.

The audience during the Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring companys performance at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, on April 6, 2019. (Ramon Reyna Herrmann/The Epoch Times)

Audiences at the auditorium voted Shen Yun as one of the best live performances presented in Mexico in 2018 and 2019.

When I asked them why they hadnt told me, they told me I had nothing to worry about because this is resolved. The auditorium has a firm position to continue with the show as we have in previous years, Ruano said.

The mayor of San Luis Potosi also received an email from the Chinese Embassy asking the city not to promote scheduled performances on May 17 and May 18, according to the local presenter.

The secret to Shen Yuns success in spite of Beijings persistent pressure lies in the message it brings to people, according to Guzman.

Shen Yun presents what China would be like if communism didnt exist and presents a show where they show you  all the culture that was literally annihilated by the Chinese Communist Party, he said.

Ruano believes the Chinese sabotage activities wont succeed in Mexico.

We are a free country, and we have freedom of expression, she said.
An Oklahoma city couple excited for a spontaneous elopement to Las Vegas had their wedding plans dashed by flight delays. But after a serendipitous meeting with a minister at the airport, the couple said their vows at 37,000 feet, with the cooperation of the pilot, flight crew, and dozens of well-wishing passengers.

Pam and Jeremy Salda started dating in August 2020. After dating for almost two years, in April 2022, the couple discussed about how fun it would be to elope. Just five days later, they booked a flight to Las Vegas for April 24 and arrived at the airport in full wedding attire with a Vegas wedding chapel appointment for 9 p.m. that evening.

Pam Salda walks down the aisle. (Courtesy of Kaitlyn Manzer)

A representative from Southwest Airlines said in a statement to The Epoch Times that the couple kept their plans secret from family and friends.

But their itinerary took them through DFW Airport, where their final leg to Vegas was eventually canceled after several delays, they explained.

Amid the ongoing delay, Pam and Jeremy met Chris, who was also booked on their canceled flight, at the gate area of DFW Airport. Chris told the couple he was an ordained minister, and after overhearing Pam and Jeremys ruined plans, he offered to marry them in Vegas himself.

Pam and Jeremy say their wedding vows. (Courtesy of Kaitlyn Manzer)

The trio quickly booked the last three tickets on Southwest Airlines flight 2690 to Las Vegas from Dallas Love Field Airport and shared an Uber across the city. While boarding, the pilot of their flight, Captain Gil, asked Pam about her wedding dress.

She explained their story to him, and joked that maybe they should just get married on this Southwest flight, instead, said the Southwest Airline representative. To her surprise, the captain said, Lets do it!'

(Courtesy of Kaitlyn Manzer)

(Courtesy of Kaitlyn Manzer)

Our flight crew hung toilet paper streamers, made Chris a sash out of snack bags, and cued up the wedding march, they continued. Customers onboard turned on their call buttons to light the aircraft as Pam walked down the aisle; Julie, one of our flight attendants, was happy to stand in as the impromptu maid of honor.

One passenger even donated a leftover powdered donut as a makeshift wedding cake, and another donated an old notebook that was filled with well-wishes by fellow passengers and cabin crew as a guestbook.

The newlyweds with the flight crew. (Courtesy of Chris Mitcham)

There was even a professional photographer onboard, who volunteered to take the couples wedding photos. Minister Chris, who also works in broadcasting, captured the proceedings on a 4K video.

As she starts walking down the aisle, everybodys phones come out, video starts going. Theyre flipping on their flash and back lights to light it up. The whole plane lights up! Shes walking down in this white dress like an angel, Jeremy later told Fox 13 News.

Pam added: My voice just started to crack because it was so touching.

She was also touched to receive the sweet, kind, congratulatory notes, from her co-passengers.

(Courtesy of Pam and Jeremy Salda)

For those engaged couples who are worried about the weather on their big day, Pam said: Just dont worry about it. If its going to happen, its going to happen, and you cant change it. The times going to come, and youre going to be married whether its rain or shine. So make the most of what you get because its going to be memorable in some way.

A Southwest representative told The Epoch Times that the crew onboard flight 2690 were thrilled to play host to Pam and Jeremys special day.

Our employees are famous for their heart and hospitality, and we know our crew, our customers, and the couple will remember this flight for a long time to come, they said. We offer our congratulations to the newlyweds, and well-wishes for their new life together.

Watch the special wedding video:

(Courtesy of Chris Mitcham)

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
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses for the official group photo at the Supreme Court on Nov. 30, 2018. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Clarence Thomas Delivers a Message to Roe v. Wade Leaker

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas defended judicial independence on May 6, saying that government institutions must not allow themselves to be strong-armed into delivering outcomes that people demand, according to media outlets.

Thomas made the remarks at a May 6 judicial conference in Atlanta, where he was asked by a moderator to discuss the biggest threats to judicial independence, according to Law360.

In his response, Thomas criticized what he described as an erosion of respect for the high court and made an apparent reference to protests that erupted after the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion suggesting that the court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, with major implications for access to abortion.

We are becoming addicted to wanting particular outcomes, not living with the outcomes we dont like, he said, according to Reuters. We cant be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want. The events from earlier this week are a symptom of that.

A flurry of protests and counterprotests broke out outside the Supreme Court after Politico obtained and published the draft opinion that would uphold a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The protests have been loud, but mostly peaceful, although there have been reports that pro-abortion activists have attacked pro-life pastors.

In a bid to prevent violence, police have now surrounded the Supreme Court with a set of 9-foot-high metal barricades, with an officer telling an Epoch Times reporter that the move was made just in case.

Speaking at the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, a gathering of attorneys and judges, Thomas referred several times to the unfortunate events of the past week, citing a declining respect for institutions and the rule of law.

It bodes ill for a free society, he said, according to The Washington Post.

It cant be that institutions give you only the outcome you want, or can be bullied into submission.

Thomas also expressed concern about a different attitude of the young toward respect for institutions and the law, suggesting that this is on the decline relative to past generations, as cited by the media outlet.

The Supreme Court has confirmed the authenticity of the draft opinion, but has called it preliminary.

A ruling in the case is expected in June.
Barry Morphew leaves a Fremont County court building in Canon City, Colo., with his daughters Macy (L) and Mallory (R) on April 19, 2022. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)

Daughters of Missing Colorado Woman Stand by Their Father

DENVERThe two adult daughters of a Colorado man who had been charged in the presumed death of their missing mother said in an interview that aired Friday that they are standing behind him and do not believe he had anything to do with her disappearance.

Barry Morphew pleaded for help finding Suzanne Morphew after she disappeared and was reported missing on Mothers Day in 2020 but he was arrested and charged with murder in her death and other crimes last year. He pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to go to trial last month, but prosecutors dropped the charges.

We just know our dad better than anyone else and we know he was not involved in our moms disappearance, Mallory Morphew told ABCs Good Morning America in the interview, as her sister Macy nodded in an agreement. Barry Morphew sat between them, holding their hands.

I just love my girls and I love my wife. I just want her to be found, Barry Morphew said of his wife.

Barry Morphew in Salida, Colo., in a file photo. (Chaffee County Sheriffs Office via AP)

It was the first time that Suzanne Morphews daughters have spoken with the media about the allegations their father faced. Their comments come just before the second anniversary of their mothers disappearance from the couples home near the mountain community of Maysville.

The prosecutors dropped the criminal charges against Barry Morphew after a judge prohibited them from presenting most of their key witnesses at the trial as punishment for repeatedly failing to follow rules for turning over evidence in Barry Morphews favor.

The evidence included DNA from an unknown male linked to sexual assault cases in other states, which was found in Suzanne Morphews SUV, raising the possibility of another suspect being involved.

In the court filing asking to drop the charges, District Attorney Linda Stanley cited that disadvantage and the ongoing search for Suzanne Morphews body as reasons for dropping the case. Prosecutors have the option of filing charges against Barry Morphew later.

Stanley last month also announced that authorities believe they know where Suzanne Morphews body isan area then covered by deep snow near the couples former home in the southern Colorado mountains. Weather has complicated the search but prosecutors and law enforcement believe they are close to finding the body, she said in the April 19 court filing.

Macy Morphew said in Fridays interview that she hoped Stanley does everything possible to find her mother.

What theyve done is not fair and were never going to stop looking for our mom, she said.

In a statement to ABC, Stanleys office said that prosecutors and law enforcement have been diligently searching for Suzanne Morphew since she was reported missing and continue doing so.
Debate Escalates Over Childrens Drag Queen Dance Party in Massachussetts

Controversy over a drag queen-hosted teen dance initiated by the City of Newburyport in Massachusetts has escalated with state officials and the countrys oldest fraternal organization jumping into in debate.

At the center of the controversy is a male drag queen who goes by the name of Miz Diamond Wigfall. Wigfall, who performs at restaurants and clubs around the north shore area of Massachusetts, runs an Instagram page on which he posted close-up photos of his nude buttocks and racy videos of his performances including one video in which he performs a sexual dance to a sexually explicit song.

Another controversial video that just surfaced on Friday shows Wigfall promoting the use of marijuana and how to convert it into a cannabis concentrate called sugar.

The video is titled Diamonds Dope Reviews. In it, Wigfall is dressed in full drag and gets high during the video. At one point he smokes a bong during the video. Wigall also frequently grabs and fondles his artificial breasts and makes sexual remarks about them. After calling the sugar special, he flashes a picture of a little boy saying youre my best friend. At one point, he flashes a picture of exotic dancers with their buttocks exposed and makes a sexually explicit comment about Jesus.

The latest video was discovered by Massachusetts Senate candidate Kari MacRae, a Republican from Bourne. MacRae, who was fired from her teaching job in Hanover for social media posts ridiculing gender equality, has been criticized in local media for involving herself in the matter because Newburyport is out of her jurisdiction.

MacRae, who has a daughter who identifies as bisexual, told The Epoch Times that she got involved because she was contacted by Newburyport parents including the mother of a gay teen from the community.

She was very concerned the town was promoting Wigfall as a role model for local teens, said Macrae, and couldnt find any other official willing to help with her concerns.

Massachusetts Democratic Senators Diana DiZoglio and Julian Cyr released a joint statement along with the organization MassEquality condemning, they state, the anti-LGBTQ+ actions taken by Kari MacRae.

Its sad to see the disgraceful homophobic and transphobic politics practioned by national right-wingers rear its ugly head here in Massachusetts, the two Democrats wrote.

Neither senator represents Newburyport. DiZoglio is from Methuen, and Cyr is from Truro.

Macrae has also been criticized for putting pressure on the Newburyport Masonic Lodge to rescind the use of its facility for the dance, which is titled Over the Rainbow. It did, but then it reversed its decision on Thursday, explaining that it had initially caved to influences by the grounds grand lodge in Boston.

The decision to withdraw permission was issued by a high-ranking official at the Grand Lodge in Boston, without local input from St. Johns Lodge, St. Marks Lodge, or the Masonic Temple Association, the group wrote in a statement released through the mayors office.

The Newburyport lodge said that after holding an emergency meeting, it unanimously voted to reinstate permission to hold the dance at its masonic center. The group also announced it was waiving all fees for use of the building, covering the cost of tickets to attend, and would also be providing volunteers for the event.

We want the students to know they are loved and supported, and we are looking forward to joining the Greater Newburyport Community on May 13 to help foster a positive, inclusive environment for our youth, stated the Masonic association. The Masonic Lodge represents freemasons, an organization that was first started in Europe in the Middle Ages.

The organizations decision was celebrated by several city officials and by the North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ Youth, which is co-sponsoring the event with the Massachusetts city.

But a large group of parents remains outraged by the event and started a change.org petition against it under the name Newburyport Commonsense. The petition garnered more than 150 signatures on its first day.

Drag queens are adult sexual performers and they do not belong at events for kids, I dont care what drag queen it is, Mary Ellen Steigler, director of Communications for Massachusetts Family Institute, told The Epoch Times. Steigler, who is also the Founder of the online group Massachusetts Informed Parents, added that her group would be as much opposed to having a stripper host a teen dance party or anyone involved in sexual work, homosexual or heterosexual.

Laura Kench, another parent opposed to the dance, pointed out Newburyport Youth Services (NYS) changed the description of the teen dance after parents began posting complaints about the dance on social media.

NYS originally invited teens to drag themselves to the drag show. It now says Wigfall is just deejaying the event.

One member of the group Women in Action HUDDLE of Greater Newburyport, which has supported Planned Parenthood events in the community, posted on Facebook that the group of parents have warped views, are racist and bigoted, and called them a hate group disguising themselves as concerned parents.

Drag queen-hosted events for children are on the rise around the United States, with events like a drag queen story hour being offered at many public libraries. Such events have also made their way into public schools.

Days before the Newburyport drag queen story broke, a Pennsylvania teacher was suspended for hosting an afterschool drag queen show at the high school for the student-run Gay Sexuality Alliance Club.

The schools administration issued an apology to parents, saying they were appalled at what took place and in no way condone this type of activity in our schools.

A month earlier, a video posted on social media of a French high school teacher in Wisconsin performing an unannounced drag queen dance during a school assembly, sparked outrage among parents.

Last year, a Milwaukee judge, who was the former president and CEO of Cream City Foundation, which finances drag queen story hours in Milwaukee, was arrested on multiple charges of child pornography.

In a Psychology Today article titled Drag Queen Storytime for Children, Joe Kort, a sex therapist and author of the book LGBTQ Clients in Therapy, emphasized that not exposing gay children to drag queens is what is harmful.

Ironically, when people think about children, rarely is their focus on how homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia can hurt them, and yet exposure to these institutional harms are far worse than anything a child might be exposed to in an LGBT Pride parade, observing gay and lesbian relationships, or being read a story by a drag queen, Kort said.

The national group OBJECT ran an article with a starkly different position on childrens exposure to drag queens. In the article titled Paedophilia in Drag, the group said it believes that drag queen events are being used as the latest strategy in a growing movement to sexualize children.

One motive for this is that focusing on children discourages the public from thinking of cross-dressing as a sexual fetish (even though for adult men, it usually is), the group said. For adult men, drag is about dressing up in womens clothes and performing extreme femininity. It is generally not about dressing up in the sort of outfit an ordinary woman would wear; it is about dressing in overtly sexualized clothes.
The Moral Right to Conscientious, Philosophical and Personal Belief

Many parents are not philosophically opposed to the concept of vaccination and do not object to every vaccine. However, they are philosophically opposed to government health officials having the power to intimidate, threaten, and coerce them into violating their deeply held conscientious beliefs in the event they conclude that either vaccination in general or, more commonly, a particular vaccine is not appropriate for their children.

The principle of informed consent to medical treatment, which has become a central ethical principle in the practice of modern medicine and is applied to medical interventions which involve the risk of injury or death. Implicit in the concept of informed consent is the right to refuse consent or, in the case of vaccination laws, the right to exercise conscientious, personal belief or philosophical exemption to mandatory use of one or more vaccines.

Informed Consent: An Ethical Principle

The right to informed consent as an overarching ethical principle in the practice of medicine for which vaccination should be no exception. We maintain this is a responsible and ethically justifiable position to take in light of the fact that vaccination is a medical intervention performed on a healthy person that has the inherent ability to result in the injury or death of that healthy person.

The Paternalistic Medical Model Under Challenge

The reason that informed consent has been increasingly adopted, since World War II, as the guiding ethical principle governing the patient-physician relationship, is as deeply rooted in the comparatively new discipline of political science as it is in more ancient philosophies. At the heart of medicines struggle to come to grips with a human beings right to informed consent to medical intervention, is a challenge to one tenet of the Hippocratic philosophy in the practice of medicine, that is, that the physician and the physician alone should determine which medical intervention will benefit the patient.

This traditional paternalistic medical model is increasingly being rejected by todays more educated health care consumers and, along with this challenge, is also an historic challenge to the supremacy of the allopathic medical model as the only means of maintaining health and preventing disease. The movement toward a more diversified, multi-dimensional model health care system is a phenomenon occurring not only in the United States but in many technologically advanced countries.

These are contentious and sometimes frightening days, both for consumers and health care providers fighting for the right to have better information and more health care choices, as well as for medical doctors and the institutions they dominate, who understandably do not like the intrusion or disruption of the status quo. While social change is never easy for the challenger or the challenged, in an enlightened society, change can often present a remarkable opportunity for growth and renewal for everyone if perspective is maintained and neither side engages in a take-no-prisoners mentality.

Together with a general rejection of the historically paternalistic character of the patient-physician relationship in favor of one based on truth-telling and a more equal decision-making partnership, the post-World War II concept of the right to informed consent has centered on an acknowledgment of the inviolability of the individuals human right to autonomy and self-determination. This ethical concept, born out of unparalleled tragedy, has emerged as the single most important force in shaping modern bioethics.

From Aristotle to Kant: Defining Moral Virtue

In the centuries prior to World War II, religious scriptures as well as some of the greatest philosophers in history have acknowledged that the very meaning of life itself in great part hinges on the ability of the individual to choose his own fate. Aristotle, that masterful defender of empirical knowledge and creator of virtue ethics, insisted that wisdom and moral virtue comes from within each individual, from cultivating the feelings that cause us to act in compassionate, truthful, and noble ways. Aristotles respect for mans unique ability to reason and choose to be virtuous convinced Thomas Aquinas, who in turn convinced a threatened Catholic Church that religion did not have to be afraid of acknowledging mans ability to discover truth through reason and sense experience, as well as through spiritual revelation.

After the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther, when individual responsibility began to be considered more important than obedience to religious doctrine, the 16th and 17th centuries saw dramatic scientific discoveries such as those by Galileo and Isaac Newton that spawned a new breed of philosopher like Thomas Hobbes, who developed a scientific system of ethics emphasizing organized society, the state and political structures.

Toward the end of the 18th century, the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant maintained that the ultimate moral principle, which is known as the categorical imperative, is the golden rule in its logical form, that is,

Act as if the principle on which your action is based were to become by your will a universal law of nature.

Kant insisted that no human being should ever treat another human being as a means to an end no matter how good or desirable that end may appear to be.

Utilitarianism: A Political Doctrine Turned Into a Pseudo-Ethic

But Kant was challenged by British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, a contemporary of Dr. Edward Jenner. Bentham developed an ethical and political doctrine known as utilitarianism. Utilitarianism, which is a consequentialist theory, judges the rightness or wrongness of an action by its consequences and holds that an action that is moral or ethical results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. With its emphasis on numbers of people, Bentham created utilitarianism primarily as a guide to state legislative policy and, according to Arras and Steinbock, modern cost-benefit analyses are the direct descendants of classical utilitarianism.

Utilitarianism, which was a philosophical influence on Marxism, was implemented in its most extreme and tragic form by those in control of the German state during World War II. In a remarkable series of articles by physician bioethicists and lawyers published in a November 1996 issue of JAMA, there is a compelling description of how physicians in service to the state employed the utilitarian rationale that a fewer number of individuals can be sacrificed for the happiness of a greater number of individuals (39,40). In scientific experiments designed to find ways to cleanse the German state of all infection of it by individuals the state had decided harmed the public good, including physically and mentally handicapped children and adults as well as those suffering from serious diseases, physicians and public health officials played a leading role.

The Nuremberg Code: The Rights of Individuals Must Come First

Out of the Doctors Trial in Nuremberg came the Nuremberg Code, of which Yale law professor, physician and ethicist Jay Katz has said if not explicitly then at least implicitly, commanded that the principle of the advancement of science bow to a higher principle: protection of individual inviolability. The rights of individuals to thoroughgoing self-determination and autonomy must come first. Scientific advances may be impeded, perhaps even become impossible at times, but this is a price worth paying.

In another article, Dr. Katz said that the judges of the Nuremberg tribunal, overwhelmed by what they had learned, envisioned a world in which free women and men, after careful explanation, could make their own good or bad decisions, but not decisions unknowingly imposed on them by the authority of the state, science, or medicine.

Bioethicist Arthur Caplan concurred when he said, The Nuremberg Code explicitly rejects the moral argument that the creation of benefits for many justifies the sacrifice of the few. Every experiment, no matter how important or valuable, requires the express voluntary consent of the individual. The right of individuals to control their bodies trumps the interest of others in obtaining knowledge or benefits from them.

The First Principle of the Nuremberg Code is

The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision.

The Nuremberg Code, which speaks most specifically to the use of human beings in medical research but also has been viewed by bioethicists and U.S. courts as the basis for the right to informed consent to medical procedures carrying a risk of injury or death, was followed by the passage in 1964 of the Helsinki Declarations by the World Medical Association. Like the Nuremberg Code, the Helsinki Declarations emphasized the human right to voluntary, informed consent to participation in medical research that may or may not benefit the individual patient, science or humanity.

Judeo-Christian Ethical Tradition Protects Freedom of Conscience

But even if the Nuremberg Code and Helsinki Declarations had never been promulgated and pointed us toward the morality of accepting the human right to informed consent to medical interventions that can kill or injure us, there is the strong Judeo-Christian ethical tradition that protects the sacred right of the individual to exercise freedom of conscience even if it conflicts with a secular law of the state.

This freedom is considered so inviolable in Catholic canon, that the definition of moral conscience is discussed in detail in the catechism of the Catholic Church, which holds that Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescription of the divine law. In even stronger terms, the Catholic Church warns that a human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, which is the basis for Jewish law and the guide for each believer in Jewish law to discover the will of God, Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son to demonstrate his faith. Although Abraham is willing, God does not force Abraham to sacrifice his son. In fact, God makes it clear that human sacrifice to demonstrate allegiance is not appropriate . Why should physicians in a modern state have the power to ask more of a parent than God asked of Abraham?

Bioethics: Humans Are Not Objects or Means to an End

Bioethicists George Annas and Michael Grodin said Whenever war, politics or ideology treat humans as objects, we all lose our humanity. Or, as Elie Weisel said, When you take an idea or a concept and turn it into an abstraction, that opens the way to take human beings and turn them, also, into abstractions.

In any war, whether it be a war using humans armed with guns in an attempt to defeat other humans, or a war using humans injected with vaccines in an attempt to eliminate microorganisms, it is easy for those in charge to view the instruments of that war  human beings  as objects and a means to an end. But the great moral tradition of Judeo-Christian western thought does not support this dangerous concept.

David Walsh, an ethicist and political scientist, who spoke at the May 1996 Institute of Medicine Risk Communication Workshop, made it clear that the only time the state has the moral authority to override a human beings inviolable right to autonomy and force him to risk his life for the state, is when the very survival of the community is at stake. When, during a workshop break, several participants asked him to define what that means in terms of communicable disease, Dr. Walsh replied when the number of deaths caused by a disease in a community outweigh the number of births. It is interesting to note that no plague in history, not even the Black Plague and certainly not any vaccine preventable disease we have today, nor the AIDS epidemic, meets that standard.

Philosopher Hans Jonas, in one of the most brilliant and moving essays I have ever read on the subject of bioethics, reminds us that a state may have the right to ask an individual to volunteer to die for what the state has defined as the common good but rarely, if ever, does a state have the moral authority to command it. Like Dr. Walsh, Jonas warned of the extraordinary emergency circumstances that should be in effect before the state can ethically override individual autonomy. He concluded:

Let us not forget that progress is an optional goal, not an unconditional commitment, and that its tempo in particular, compulsive as it may be, has nothing sacred about it. Let us also remember that a slower progress in the conquest of disease would not threaten society, grievous as it is to those who have to deplore that their particular disease be not yet conquered, but that society would indeed by threatened by the erosion of those moral values whose loss, possibly caused by too ruthless a pursuit of scientific progress, would make its most dazzling triumphs not worth having (50).

Even Bertrand Russell, a confirmed agnostic and sometime devotee of the utilitarian ethic, warned that

our conduct, whatever our ethic may be, will only serve social purposes in so far as self-interest and the interests of society are in harmony.

He added,

It is the business of wise institutions to create such harmony as far as possible.

Mandatory Vaccination Laws Force Violation of Moral Conscience

I would suggest that it is not in the best interest of the citizens of this free society or of public health officials in positions of authority in the federal or state government to use the heel of the boot of the state to crush all dissent to mandatory vaccination laws and force individuals to violate their deeply held conscientious beliefs. It is not in the best interest of those of you, who deeply believe in the rightness of using vaccines to eliminate microorganisms, to be mistrusted and feared by the people being forced to use the vaccines you create and promote for universal use.

It is very hard for people to trust government officials who track and hunt children down to ensure compliance with mandatory vaccination laws that are now equating chicken pox with smallpox and hepatitis B with polio. It is terrible when Americans live in fear of state officials who show up on parents doorsteps with subpoenas charging them with child abuse for failing to vaccinate; who threaten parents for refusing to vaccinate their surviving children with the same vaccine that injured or killed another one of their children; who strip, handcuff and imprison a teenager for failing to show proof he got a second MMR shot; who deny children the right to go to school; who deny poor pregnant mothers the right to get food or welfare unless all their children are vaccinated with all government recommended vaccines.

How can the people believe or want to do what public health officials say when they live in fear of them?

We as parents, who know and love our children better than anyone else, we, by U.S. law and a larger moral imperative, are the guardians of our children until they are old enough to make life and death decisions for themselves. We are responsible for their welfare and we are the ones who bear the grief and the burden when they are injured or die from any cause. We are their voice and by all that is right in this great country and in the moral universe, we should be allowed to make a rational, informed, voluntary decision about which diseases and which vaccines we are willing to risk their lives for  without fearing retribution from physicians employed by the state.

Argue with us. Educate us. Persuade us. But dont track us down and force us to violate our moral conscience.

This article, originally written many years ago and recently updated by NVIC, came to our attention as we were doing some research on informed consent. I was so taken with the way the issues were presented, that I received permission from NVIC to republish it here.

To see the full reference list, please go here.

This story was republished from the Who is Robert Malone Blog.
Rooms are exposed at the five-star Hotel Saratoga where emergency crew work after a deadly explosion in Old Havana, Cuba, on May 6, 2022. (Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

Explosion at Luxury Havana Hotel Kills 22, Injures Dozens

HAVANAA powerful explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak killed at least 22 people, including a child, and injured dozens Friday when it blew away outer walls from a luxury hotel in the heart of Cubas capital.

No tourists were staying at Havanas 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations, Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma.

Its not a bomb or an attack. It is a tragic accident, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who visited the site, said in a tweet.

Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, told reporters that at least 74 people had been injured. Among them were 14 children, according to a tweet from Diaz-Canels office.

Diaz-Canel said families in buildings near the hotel affected by the explosion had been transferred to safer locations.

Cuban state TV reported the explosion was caused by a truck that had been supplying natural gas to the hotel, but did not provide details on how the gas ignited. A white tanker truck was seen being removed from the site as rescue workers hosed it down with water.

The blast sent smoke billowing into the air around the hotel with people on the street staring in awe, one saying Oh my God, and cars honking their horns as they sped away from the scene, video showed.

Cubas national health minister, Jose Angel Portal, told The Associated Press the number of injured could rise as the search continues for people who may be trapped in the rubble of the 19th century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood of the city.

We are still looking for a large group of people who may be under the rubble, Lt. Col. Noel Silva of the Fire Department said.

Rooms are exposed at the five-star Hotel Saratoga after a deadly explosion in Old Havana, Cuba, on May 6, 2022. (Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated. Garcia said five of the students suffered minor injuries.

Police cordoned off the area as firefighters and rescue workers toiled inside the wreckage of the emblematic hotel about 110 yards (100 meters) from Cubas Capitol building.

The hotel was first renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban regimes revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban militarys tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not immediately respond to an email seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

The Hotel Saratoga has been used frequently by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there during a 2013 visit to Cuba.

Photographer Michel Figueroa said he was walking past the hotel when the explosion threw me to the ground, and my head still hurts  Everything was very fast.

Worried relatives of people who had been working at the hotel showed up at a hospital in the afternoon to look for them. Among them was Beatriz Cespedes Cobas, who was tearfully searching for her sister.

She had to work today. She is a housekeeper, she said. I work two blocks away. I felt the noise, and at first, I didnt even associate the explosion with the hotel.

Yazira de la Caridad said the explosion shook her home a block from the hotel: The whole building moved. I thought it was an earthquake.

Besides the pandemics impact on Cubas tourism sector, the country was already struggling with the sanctions imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump that have been kept in place the Biden administration. The sanctions limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the United States to their families in Cuba.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine crimped a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

The explosion happened as the Cuban regime hosted the final day of a tourism convention in the iconic beach town of Varadero aimed at drawing investors.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is scheduled to arrive in Havana for a visit late Saturday and Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the visit would still take place.

Mayiee Perez said she rushed to the hotel after receiving a call from her husband, Daniel Serra, who works at a foreign exchange shop inside the hotel.

She said he told her: I am fine, I am fine. They got us out. But she was unable to reach him after that.

By Andrew Rodriguez
A woman walks past debris and damaged vehicles, following a suspected gas explosion in Madrid, Spain, on May 6, 2022, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (Victor Manuel Arellano/Screenshot via Reuters)

Explosion in Madrid Building Kills 2 People, Injures 18

MADRIDTwo people died and at least 18 were injured in a strong explosion that rocked a four-storey building being renovated in central Madrid on Friday, Spanish authorities said.

Two men working on the building died in the explosion, Madrids Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said on Friday evening. Of the 18 people hurt, most of the injuries were not serious, officials said.

Earlier, he said four people had been taken to hospital, one in serious condition, adding the cause of the blast was not yet clear.

Some kind of works were being done in the building in the upmarket Salamanca neighborhood where the explosion occurred, he said.

Firefighters are inside checking the buildings structure and to determine whether more people could be inside, he told Telemadrid TV channel.

Emergency service spokeswoman Gema Martin said that a school across the road from the building was not damaged and that there was no need to evacuate the children.
Federal Basic Income in America Is Not an Option

Commentary

I have studied universal basic income (UBI) for years. In fact, at one time I was considering a research project about the benefits of UBI. I thought basic income was worthwhile with important core tenants (healthcare for children, poverty alleviation, etc.), but over time I realized I was wrong. Basic income in America is a colossal waste of money and it has become too discombobulated to make any sense; basic income is now a pet project of Americas far left.

There are many things wrong with basic income, but perhaps the most important is the fact that in America there are already a few programs in action which resemble basic income to some degree.

For instance, look at the Earned Income Tax Credit. In 1975 Congress created the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which is a refundable tax credit for those with lower incomes. In 2019 the program paid out $63 billion to 25 million taxpayers.

Apart from EITC, at the federal level, there are the following programs: Child Tax Credit; SNAP (food benefits); SSI / Supplemental Security Income Program; Housing Assistance; Pell Grants; Student Financial Assistance; Welfare or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In addition, at the state and city level there are about 25 different types of basic income assistance.

One of the best known examples in America is found in Alaska at the Alaska Permanent Fund. The fund was created decades ago to share oil royalties with residents of Alaska. According to the funds annual report, as of 2019, the fund was worth approximately $64 billion that has been funded by oil revenues and has paid out an average of approximately $1,600 annually per resident. Many believe the Alaska Permanent Fund to be the only example of a basic income in practice ($1,600 annually).

Most basic income programs call for a permanent income, instead of once a year dividendlike the Alaska Permanent Fund. Lets look at the math. If you give 30,000 people $1,000 a month that is $30 million a month, which is $360 million over 12 months. If you move the number up to 100 million people receiving $1,000 a month that equals $100 billion, which is $1.2 trillion a year.

Lets look at a smaller example: 7 million people receiving an income of $20,000 a year. Thats $140 billion, annually. What about $760 billion? That is $20,000 for 38 million people, which would cover the population of Canada (37.8 million people as of 2020). For roughly $760 billion you could give the entire population of Canada $20,000 a year.

In 2018 the Congressional Research services published a report on UBI. The report included two separate guidelines, based on books written about UBI programs. The two programs jointly promoted monthly payments to non-incarcerated U.S. citizens, over the age of 21 with a U.S. bank account and persons between ages 1864 years less money from Social Security programs. The estimated costs ranged from $1.8$2.8 trillion per year. Spending over $1 trillion a year to give 100 million people $1,000 a month is simply not worth it. After all the amount would be over $1 trillion for cash payments, and not a single piece of physical infrastructure would be included.

If you give an individual free money monthly, where does that money go? Does the UBI program mandate certain retailers for purchases, or does this become an EBT type program with more freedoms for the consumer? Is UBI money allowed to the landlord, the mortgage company or the healthcare insurance company? Furthermore, how do you ensure that the landlord, the mortgage company or the healthcare insurer acts fair and balanced towards the UBI recipient?

Second, who gets the free income? Certainly, it should be mothers with families. Why on earth would you give UBI to single men? However, if thats the case then youre discriminating. So who gets the income relief? What do you do if that individual is a hard drug user or a repeat felon convicted of recent violent crimes? While second chances are part of American culture, how can you be sure the money goes into the right hands?

If you are wondering who will pay the bills, it will surely be the American taxpayer. Any all-encompassing federal order would likely attract various lawsuits from cities and states. If the burden does fall to cities and states then will people not flock there to receive a free income, thus overwhelming the resources? Last, is this a program designed to help get out of poverty, or is this merely a temporary program designed to buy political influence? Any basic income program in America will most likely become highly politicized.

I understand cities and states providing resources to taxpayers and stakeholders but I do not believe that monthly income to citizens, whether from the federal government, states or cities, is a worthwhile use of financial resources.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A health worker has a swab sample taken, that will be tested for COVID-19 coronavirus, at a sample collection site in Beijing, China, on April 27, 2022. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Four Megacities Start Regular, Mandatory Testing, Zero-COVID Policy May Come to an End: Analysis

News analysis

Four cities in China have reportedly proposed to regularly conduct compulsory massive nucleic acid testing after Shanghai announced that it achieved basic zero-clearance at the social level. The move is regarded by some analysts as a way of coexisting with the virus, and indicates that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) might be ending its zero-COVID policy amid economic impacts.

The four cities each have populations of over 10 million people such as Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, and Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, as well as megacities of over 20 million people such as Beijing and Shanghai (the largest city in China).

It is actually a disguised coexistence with the virus or a middle way of it, said Da Kang, China current affairs commentator, referring to the megacities normalization of nucleic acid testing.

The deteriorating economy during the anti-pandemic containments may be the main incentive for the Chinese authorities to change their lockdown policy, said Da Kang, adding, It is a hefty setback for the CCPs dynamic zero-COVID approach, that Shanghai paid heavily for.

Chinas economic center Shanghai, hit by the countrys worst epidemic outbreak, suffers a weeks-long stringent lockdown and is seeing rare declines in industrial output and retail sales.

On April 29, CCP leader Xi Jinping held a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to discuss the current economic situation in China. The meeting concluded that the economy should be stabilized while fighting against the epidemic, the cities core functions should be safeguarded while maintaining social stability, and transportation and logistics must be ensured, according to official media reports.

Da Kang commented during his self-media program that epidemic prevention and control used to be an overwhelming political task, but the CCP has found it cant have a narrow focus.

Basically, it can be said that the zero-clearance game is over, and the era of severe zero-COVID is over, Da Kang said.

A health worker takes a swab sample from a woman, to be tested for the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a swab collection site in Beijing, China, on May 3, 2022. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Four Cities Turn to Regular Mass Testing

Shanghai announced on April 30 that it had achieved zero-clearance at the social level although more than 10,000 new infections were reported the day before. Officials claimed that all of these infections were found within the isolation zone, that is to say, zero-clearance at the social level refers to no cases found outside the quarantine area.

The veracity of this official data is questionable due to the CCPs practice of fabricating figures when the real figures dont make them look good.

According to the official media CCTV on May 2, there are still more than 14,000 contained areas in Shanghai, of which 2.76 million people are required to stay at home, 5.51 million people in the control areas are not allowed to leave residential compounds, and more than 15 million people are located in the prevention areas with limited activities.

After claiming it reached zero cases, Shanghai authorities first proposed the normalization of nucleic acid testing on April 27, when city authorities announced over 500 sampling sites were set up citywide. Li Qiang, the CCP secretary of the municipality stressing that normalizing sampling sites would be treated as a critical infrastructure to be constructed at an accelerated pace.

In a bid to further promote such infrastructure, authorities of Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Beijing grant free nucleic acid testing to local residents. Officials in Shanghai said testing will be free from May 1 to June 30.

Starting April 28, Hangzhou city requires citizens to complete a sampling for nucleic acid testing every 48 hours, otherwise, they wont be permitted to travel normally, Chinas official media Xinhua reported.

The city has set up more than 10,000 sampling sites for this purpose.

Wuhan municipal authorities stipulate a round of screening every three days. Starting May 3, residents must provide proof of negative testing or sample certificates every 72 hours. If not, their health code will be turned to the gray code, which incurs travel limitations.

Beijing embarks on stabilizing nucleic acid test starting May 5, but with add-ons to over 20 categories of workers, key groups of people designated as applying different normalized requirements, according to Beijings leading group for epidemic prevention.

For example, staff who work for the capital citys Communist Party and government agencies, enterprises, and institutions, and other social units are required to undergo testing once a week, but transient workers have additional curbs according their category.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Chongqing attracts young people looking for slow travel experiences

People's Daily Online) 17:27, May 07, 2022

During the recently-concluded Labor Day holiday, southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality provided a memorable travel experience for many tourists, who opted to take slow-paced, nostalgia-themed trips in the city.

Passengers pose for a picture with train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)

At about 10 a.m. every day during the holiday, train 5612, a public welfare slow train, departed from Chongqing Railway Station for Neijiang city in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, which is 285 kilometers away.

The whole journey takes more than seven hours, as the train runs at a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour. Luo Jiangjun, the trains crew leader, explained that in addition to providing passenger service, the train also opened a space for tourists to snap pictures and enjoy life at a relaxed pace..

Photo shows the interior of train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)

According to Luo, train 5612, which belongs to China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd., is the only passenger train that still runs along the Chengdu-Chongqing line. The railway bureau launched train 5612 with the aim of creating an atmosphere of nostalgia for passengers and to enrich their travel experience, said Luo.

During the holiday, Meixin Wine Town, a scenic area in Chongqing, charged each tourist a small fee of 18.99 yuan ($2.85) for a two-day-long cable car-riding experience inside the scenic area, in a bid to help tourists experience the joy of slow-paced travel.

Photo shows a sign which reads A trip of memories seen on the window of train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)

Tourists take cable cars in a scenic area in southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality during the Labor Day holiday. (Chinanews.com/Yang Xiaoyong)

Photo shows a sign which reads A slow train of public welfare on train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Current CenturyLink customers in Albemarle County may see some improvement in their phone service after years of issues.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission will allow control of CenturyLink/Lumen telephone services in the state to be transferred to a private equity firm.

In a final order issued late last month, the commissioners approved the transfer, subject to an agreement that includes increased oversight and commitments to rehabbing the copper cables in at least four counties, including Albemarle and Buckingham County.

Last year, Lumen Technologies, the parent company of CenturyLink, announced it was selling its incumbent local exchange carrier operations  its physical mostly-copper telephone and DSL network  and residential fiber broadband in Virginia and 19 other states to affiliates of Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm, as Connect Holding.

According to documents, Connect Holding will operate under the name Brightspeed.

Many CenturyLink customers in Albemarle and across the state have had longstanding issues with the companys phone and internet service, and with getting service issues in a timely and consistent manner.

Across Central Virginia, many people have no other options except CenturyLink for phone and/or internet services.

Some rural area residents are seeing new companies place fiber cables for phone and internet services, but many are still reliant on older, copper wires for their services. Many companies say its not economically feasible for them to build out fiber to fewer customers in less dense rural areas.

The SCC ultimately needed to approve the transfer of the telephone services under state code. As part of the sale, Lumen Technologies will transfer control of its Virginia local exchange carriers United Telephone and Central Telephone, which both do business as CenturyLink, to Connect Holding.

The SCC held hearings in February as part of its deliberations over whether to allow the transfer. At that hearing, commissioners heard from CenturyLink customers and elected officials about poor service.

Albemarle Board of Supervisors Chair Donna Price said the company must be held accountable.

They must meet their obligation to actually provide the services for which they are being paid, and that customers be compensated when that service is not being provided, acts of God excluded, she said.

As part of the case, testimony was submitted from commission staff including Sheree L. King, an associate deputy director in the Division of Public Utility Regulation, who expressed concerns over the existing copper network.

Before the hearings, Lumen and Connect Holding, along with other parties in their case, and SCC staff filed a joint stipulation to help resolve the issues raised by King and other SCC staff. The motion filed includes a settlement term sheet outlining what the companies will do.

After the hearing, Ann Berkebile, a senior hearing examiner with the SCC, recommended the commission approve the proposed transfer, subject to the terms of the joint stipulation.

The settlement terms say that the company will continue to work to identify copper cables with a higher-than-normal occurrence of trouble, and that data will be used to choose which cables to rehabilitate or replace, thereby resulting in fewer future customer outages.

The company is focusing on 78 copper cables and 3,600 working lines across four counties, according to the service quality settlement term sheet that is part of the joint stipulation. A majority of those  52 cables and 2,486 working lines  are in Albemarle, according to the stipulation.

After the transfer, when receiving complaints of telephone outages or service affecting issues, United Telephone and Central Telephone must restore no less than 80% of phone service within 48 hours and no less than 95% within 96 hours (per calendar month on a statewide basis), the agreement says. However, complaints reported during severe storms would be excluded from those metrics.

Reports of compliance must be made until the companies demonstrate compliance with the metrics for three consecutive months. If the commitments are not met, additional action by the Commission may be taken.

The company must also report measurable and verifiable commitments regarding the plans for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of the copper network, to SCC staff after the sale. Annually for five years, it will need to report projects completed, projects started and a forecast of upcoming projects.

The transfer of the company is expected to occur by July, according to the order.

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This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with her boyfriend. (Moab Police Department via AP)

Gabby Petitos Mother Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Brian Laundries Estate

Seeks $30,000 in damages

The mother of Gabby Petito has filed a new lawsuit against the curator of the estate of Brian Laundrie, who was Petitos boyfriend prior to her death.

Nichole Schmidt filed the lawsuit in Florida seeking wrongful death damages of $30,000 and demands a trial by jury and judgment for compensatory damages.

The lawsuit, obtained by Fox News, alleges that Laundrie intentionally killed Petito. It also says that as a direct result of Laundries actions, Schmidt and her husband Joseph Petito have incurred funeral and burial expenses, and they have suffered a loss of care and comfort, and suffered a loss of probable future companionship, society and comfort.

Laudries family attorney Steven Bertolino told TMZ the lawsuit was expected, and most likely will not be defended.

The Petitos will have gained nothing more than a piece of paper that tells them what everyone already knowswhich is that Brian was responsible for Gabbys death as indicated by the FBI, he said.

The FBI announced in a statement in January that Laundrie admitted in a notebook to killing Petito. Laundrie was the prime suspect in Petitos death prior to his own body being found at Floridas Carlton Reserve in October 2021. A medical examiner ruled that he died from a gunshot wound to the head.

In this screenshot from a police camera video, Brian Laundrie talks to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle Gabby Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park, Utah, on Aug. 12, 2021. (The Moab Police Department via AP)

Petitos body was found on Sept. 19, 2021, in a remote area near Wyomings Grand Teton National Park. A coroner later said that strangulation was her cause of death, which occurred about three weeks before her body was found. The 22-year-olds parents had reported her missing on Sept. 11, 2021, while she and Laundrie were on a cross-country trip together.

Barry Spivey, the curator of Laundries estate, told Fox News Digital that one of his responsibilities as a limited curator is to accept service of a summons on that lawsuit, but that he is not obliged to respond to the suit.

They needed somebody to accept service of process, but once thats done, Im done with it, he told the outlet of the complaint.

The latest lawsuit comes after Petitos parents in a separate lawsuit alleged that Laundries parents knew their son killed Petito before Laundries body was found.

Laundries parentsChristopher and Roberta Laundriehave denied any knowledge related to Petitos death including knowledge of where her remains were. They also denied the allegations that they helped their son flee when he was named a person of interest in Petitios death.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks at a press conference in Los Angeles on Dec. 8, 2021, and Dave Chappelle at an event in Hollywood, California, on April 28, 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images; Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Netflix)

Gascons Failure to Prosecute Chappelles Attacker Erodes Public Trust: Recall Spokesman

LOS ANGELESThe committee seeking to recall Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said May 6 that his failure to pursue felony charges against the man who attacked comedian Dave Chappelle on stage at the Hollywood Bowl May 3 continues to erode some peoples trust in the DA who was first elected in 2020.

Were continuing to see increased engagement as these stories come out every day, Recall Gascon spokesperson Tim Lineberger told The Epoch Times. This stuff has happened left and right, and all of it motivates people to get involved.

Organizers filed a petition to recall Jan. 27 and now the group has until July 6 to collect 566,857 verifiable signatures from registered Los Angeles County voters to get the issue of recalling Gascon on the November 2022 ballot.

On May 5, the group announced theyve raised over $6 million and have more than 400,000 signatures.

Lineberger said charging Isaiah Lee, 23, with a felony may have been difficult to prosecute, but the fact that he felt brazen enough to charge the stage at all, is indicative of the mood among some in Los Angeles these days.

The attack itself was a pretty scary situation, Lineberger said. When you see something like that happen it speaks to the level of impunity that criminals feel that they have and what they can do in Los Angeles.

Gascons office determined shortly after the incident that there wasnt sufficient evidence to charge Lee with a felony.

After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors determined that while criminal conduct occurred, the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct, according to a statement from Gascons office.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, who is running for mayor, said in a video statement that his office is going to vigorously prosecute this case. Feuer said his office would be charging Lee with four misdemeanor counts including battery and possession of a weapon with an intent to assault.

The incident occurred just over a month after actor Will Smith walked on stage during the Academy Awards and slapped host Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife.

Lee was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and remains in jail on a $30,000 bail. If found guilty on all charges, he could face up to 18 months in county jail and up to $4,000 in fines, according to the City Attorneys Office.
Former President George W. Bush meets virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 5, 2022. (George W. Bush Presidential Center/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

George W. Bush Meets Virtually With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Former U.S. President George W. Bush announced May 5 that he met virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, praising the courage of the countrys people and pledging Americas continued support for the embattled European nation.

I was honored to spend a few minutes talking with President Zelenskyythe Winston Churchill of our timethis morning. I thanked the President for his leadership, his example, and his commitment to liberty, and I saluted the courage of the Ukrainian people, Bush said in a statement released through the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

President Zelenskyy assured me that they will not waver in their fight against Putins barbarism and thuggery. Americans are inspired by their fortitude and resilience. We will continue to stand with Ukrainians as they stand up for their freedom, he added.

Zelenskyy, who outlined their virtual discussion in a release, invited Bush to visit Ukraine and thanked the United States and the American people for supporting his countrymen, while also noting the sympathy his people felt for Americans after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

I saw how people in the United States treat us on social networks, they take to the streets, support Ukraine with flags, said Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy went on to note the common values shared by Ukrainians and Americans, who he described as sincere, open-minded people.

Meanwhile, Bush pledged continued American support in Ukraines fight and told Zelenskyy that his country and its peoples firm stand against the invading Russian forces that want to kill innocent people had inspired Americans.

Your courage is very important for further success. If you continue to do what you do, you will always have our support if you continue to fight as you do now, Bush said, according to the Ukrainian governments release.

This comes as the United States moves to strengthen its support for Ukraine, with U.S. President Joe Biden asking Congress on April 28 to approve a $33 billion aid package, and as U.S. officials visit the country, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

However, the aid package faces hurdles as some Democrats seek to attach an unrelated $10 billion COVID package to the bill.

The aid package, which Pelosi hopes will be voted on next week, includes $20.4 billion in military assistance along with $8.5 billion in economic assistance. The package also includes $3 billion in humanitarian assistance to address food shortages around the globe.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine just over two months ago, we have sent more than $3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine alone, usnot counting our Allies. And that money is a direct investment in defending freedom and democracy itself, Biden said in a May 3 speech at Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations in Alabama, where they build the around 5,500 Javelin missiles that have been sent to bolster Ukraines defenses.

The United States has also trained around 23,000 Ukrainian service members in weapons and combat at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center in the Lviv region of western Ukraine right up until the Russian invasion in February, according to the Department of Defense.
Jane Taylor Toal, president of Citizens for Liberty based out of Montgomery County, speaking at the Make Pennsylvania Godly Again rally in Harrisburg, May 2, 2022. (Steve Wen/The Epoch Times)

Godly Values in Government Needed to Avoid Socialist Path, Pennsylvania Rally Says

HARRISBURG, Pa.A prayer rally was held on the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol on May 2 out of concern that America was heading towards socialism.

State lawmakers and political candidates were among speakers at the Make Pennsylvania Godly Again rally organized by the group Citizens for Liberty.

We need to implement God back into our government, Jane Taylor Toal, the president of the group based out of Montgomery County, told The Epoch Times.

As Pennsylvanias May 17 primary elections draw near, Toal and supporters said they were concerned about the states future direction.

We need to have godly people in legislation because they cannot lead us if they arent godly. They will lead us into socialism and communism, which we, unfortunately, are falling into slowly but surely now, she said.

Toal said more and more people currently feel that their God-given birthright to the Second Amendment is being taken away. Their First Amendment has been silenced, and now the Fourth and Tenth Amendments are being gotten rid of.

They just totally leave God out of the equation, she said. Thats what we were founded upon. And we cannot govern people without God leading us first.

Dr. Rick Saccone, a former state lawmaker and two-time congressional candidate from the Pittsburgh area, was the events keynote speaker.

Our country is going down the path of socialism. Theres no doubt about it. More government control, Saccone said.

Saccone is running for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania this year.

Dr. Rick Saccone speaks at the Make Pennsylvania Godly Again, rally in Harrisburg on May 2, 2022. (Steve Wen/The Epoch Times)

Saccone spent time in North Korea as an observer on an American-sponsored nuclear power project to freeze North Koreas homegrown plutonium production. He said he knows what its like to live in a country ruled by communists.

I lived in North Korea for a year. I saw what it was like to live in a real communist country. Its not something you want, said Saccone.

I know most people would not want to live under [it], and yet we are slowly working our way toward that. We have to turn the tide and turn back toward freedom, he said.

Saccone pointed out that the Pennsylvania State Constitution was written invoking the guidance of God.

This is the very first line. We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this constitution, he said.

We trust our national motto is engraved in that front step right down there, the very first step. So, our national motto is that we trust in God. So, we have to live out the full meaning of our national motto.

Another speaker, David Maloney, Pennsylvania state representative for the 130th Legislative District, told The Epoch Times about concerns over what is going on in society.

I get a lot of contacts from people asking what is going on? Why are we like this? Why is everything seeming so upside down? Maloney said.

David Maloney, a Pennsylvania state representative, speaking at the Make Pennsylvania Godly Again, rally in Harrisburg, May. 2, 2022. (Steve Wen/The Epoch Times)

Maloney mentioned that whenever this happens, he will remind people to remember the warnings of the founding fathers.

They gave us the convictions they had about how they founded our country. And much of it, if not most of it, was on Christian values, he said.

And their whole pretence was that unless you had principled moral people, you wouldnt have a government to work for the people, he said.

Pastor Reverend Dan Schaefer led prayer at the rally.

We have a country that, for all these years, has had many, many patriotic people serving, and a lot of them were Christians, Schaefer said.

A lot is said about tolerance, and we seem to tolerate a lot of things but a lot of times Christianity is not tolerated. Whenever Christians speak up, were called haters, bigots, or something like that. And thats really not true.

Schaefer mentioned that the Pennsylvania Family Institute provides voters with a good voter guide which includes information showing where candidates stand on issues.

Epoch Times reporter Serena Shi contributed to this report.
Actor Johnny Depp waves as he leaves the courtroom for a recess at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., May 5, 2022. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Photo via AP)

He Said, She Said: Accounts From Depp and Heard Rarely Match

FAIRFAX, Va.Theres not much room for middle ground in the testimony thus far from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Depps libel suit against his ex-wife.

One of them is lying.

Heard has not yet finished telling the jury her side of things. Her testimony will continue May 16 once the trialwhich has already stretched on for four weeksresumes after a one-week break. Then she will face what one can safely assume will be an aggressive cross-examination in a case where both sides have employed scorched-earth tactics going back years to when the suit was first filed.

Actress Amber Heard testifies in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., May 5, 2022. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Photo via AP)

Depp is suing Heard in Virginia for libel over an op-ed she wrote in December 2018 in The Washington Post describing 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 its a clear reference to the highly publicized allegations Heard made when she filed for divorce in 2016 and obtained a temporary restraining order against him.

Depp says he never physically abused Heard, while Heard says she was assaulted on more than a dozen occasions.

Below are synopses of a few incidents and their divergent accounts.

The First Time

Heard says the first time Depp ever struck her was in 2013, when she made the mistake of laughing at one of his tattoos. Heard said there was an older tattoo she couldnt make out, and Depp told her it said Wino.

In fact, it used to say Winona Forever, a tattoo that Depp got when he was dating actor Winona Ryder. He had it altered to Wino Forever when they broke up.

Heard said she laughed, and Depp responded by slapping her. Thinking the slap must be a joke, she laughed. Depp responded by slapping her twice more, with the third slap knocking Heard off balance.

It was so stupid, so insignificant, Heard told the jury. I thought it must be a joke.

Depp, while he was on the stand, flatly denied it occurred.

It didnt happen, he said. Why would I take such great offense to someone making fun of a tattoo on my body? That allegation never made any sense to me.

The Finger and the Bourbon Bottle

Both sides say the worst violence occurred in March 2015 in Australia, when Depp was shooting the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Heard said Depp sexually assaulted her with a liquor bottlefor the first time Thursday she identified a bottle of Makers Mark bourbon as the offending instrument after she said she saw a photo of the distinctively square bottleas part of an alcohol-fueled rage. Heard came to Australia after shooting her own film and Depp immediately accused her of sleeping with her co-stars, she said.

Depp, for his part, says he was the victim of the violence. He testified that Heard was irate over efforts by Depps lawyers to have her sign a post-nuptial agreement, as well as the fact that Depp wasnt adhering to pledges of sobriety to Heards satisfaction.

He said he escaped the argument by pouring himself a drink, at which point Heard threw a vodka bottle at him. Depp said he responded by pouring another drink, and this time Heard threw another vodka bottle at him that smashed against his hand while it rested on a counter and severed the tip of his middle finger.

Photos of the aftermath show Depp wrote vulgar messages to his wife in blood on the walls of the house. Jurors have also seen contemporaneous text messages Depp sent to others in which he said he cut off his own finger. Depp said he made up that story to protect Heard and avoid police involvement.

Alcohol and Drugs

While not a specific incident, Depp and Heard painted very different portraits of Depps drug and alcohol use.

Heard said drugs and alcoholalong with paranoid jealousyis what turned him from the man she loved into the monster who made her fear for her life. She said he hid his drug and alcohol use from her and from his family but his behavior made it clear he was high or drunk, often to the point of incoherence.

Johnny on speed is very different from Johnny on opiates. Johnny on opiates is very different from Adderall and cocaine Johnny, which is very different from Quaaludes Johnny, but I had to get good at paying attention to the different versions of him, Heard said.

Indeed, Heard says Depps denials of physical abuse lack credibility in part because he would blackout and forget what hed done.

Depp, for his part, admitted that hed become addicted at one point to oxycodone and underwent a detox process in 2014. But he said the allegations of uncontrolled drug and alcohol use are grossly embellished.

Ive always had a pretty big tolerance for alcohol, he testified. Ive never had a physical addiction to alcohol.

By Matthew Barakat
John Lee, former No. 2 official in Hong Kong, and the only candidate for the city's top job, announces his manifesto during the 2022 chief executive electoral campaign in Hong Kong, on April 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Hong Kongs Prospective Chief Executive Seeks Only Cash Donations for Election Campaign Amid US Sanctions

John Lees campaign revealed that he could only raise funds in cash to guard against U.S. sanctions

John Lee Ka-chiu, the only candidate for Hong Kongs next chief executive, revealed that he could only raise funds in cash due to U.S. sanctions, according to local media reports. Businesspeople interested in supporting Lees campaign were reportedly reluctant to donate using their real names for fear of becoming targets of further U.S. sanctions.

The 2022 Hong Kong Chief Executive election is scheduled for this Sunday, May 8. Incumbent Carrie Lam, who was elected in 2017, will finish her term on June 30. She announced that she would not seek a second term, making Lee the only candidate for the citys highest office.

Lee was among the dozen Beijing and Hong Kong officials, including Carrie Lam, sanctioned by Washington in 2020 for their roles in curtailing the citys autonomy and freedoms under the national security law.

The sweeping legislation enables Beijing to stamp out dissent in Hong Kong. More than 150 people have been arrested since the law was implemented, leading to more than 60 charges that are mostly against democratic politicians, activists, journalists, and students.

The sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department in August 2020 hit Lee and a dozen others with a host of economic restrictions, including freezing U.S. assets and any financial transactions that go through the United States.

Despite running unopposed, Lee began promoting his campaign on YouTube and Facebook. But YouTube, operated by Google, blocked the Beijing-backed candidates channel on April 20 in compliance with the U.S. sanctions on Lee.

Lees campaign office chief, Tam Yiu-chung, recently told local media that there would be many other channels to deal with the issue of accepting donations, adding that [the alternative channels] would be legal, compliant, feasible, and conducted in accordance with the election regulations.

According to the election guideline for Hong Kongs chief executive (pdf), when receiving an election donation of more than 1,000 HKD (about $130), the candidate must issue a receipt to the donor that specifies their name and address (line 16.27).

However, a group of businesspeople who expressed support for Lee chose to make donations indirectly through pro-Beijing organizations instead of making them to Lee, Hong Kong Economic Journal reported on April 23.

The article said they avoided using their real names due to fear of being jointly sanctioned by U.S authorities, adding that many of them have assets and businesses in the United States.

Former Cop Elevated to Top Political Role

John Lee, 64, former deputy commissioner of police, was elevated to chief secretary last June in a move that critics said signaled a further tightening of Beijings squeeze on the island.

In June, Beijing appointed Lee to the citys second-highest post of chief secretary, becoming the first security official to take the role. He resigned from this post earlier this month after announcing his candidacy for chief executive of Hong Kong. As the only candidate approved by Beijing to run in the May 8 election, he is assured of assuming the role.

If Lee is successful, it would be the first time a security specialist has taken the leadership position since Hong Kongs handover to China from Britain in 1997. Previous chief executives have had extensive economic and social policymaking expertise.

Lee was an outspoken supporter of the national security law imposed on the city, which outlaws subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces in the citys affairs and has been used to suppress dissent.

As a former No. 2 official in the city, Lee revealed his 44-page manifesto on April 29, vowing to strengthen governance, increase public housing supply, boost the citys competitiveness, and build an inclusive society focused on upward mobility, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

Lee said he would focus policymaking on ensuring that Hong Kong remains competitive globally and bolster its role as a gateway and bridge between our country and the world.

However, Lees policy outline did not mention anything about defending press freedom or needing political reform, which are the topics that most concern Hong Kong residents.

He recently said that political reforms are not the priority for the upcoming government, SCMP reported on May 1. At an earlier time, Lee told a local press that press freedom has always existed in Hong Kong, and there is no need to defend it.

Benson Wong, a Government and International Studies professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told The Epoch Times that Lees policy agenda was irrelevant and completely avoided the many catastrophic crises currently facing Hong kong, including the massive wave of emigration.

Lee did not dare to touch on sensitive issues such as political reforms or police brutality, nor did he dare to mention the damage to the rule of law in Hong Kong after Beijing implemented the security law, Wong said.

Chairman of Hong Kongs Democratic Party, Lo Kin-hei, told the local press that Lees policy outline is repeating the same old tune and unlikely to produce practical results, according to the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times.

Lo said that Lees priority should be building mutual trust with the people and listening to peoples voices rather than focusing on introducing an anti-subversion bill to the legislature and expanding the regulatory capacity of government agencies.
Illegal Aliens in Massachussets Close to Getting Drivers Licenses

A bill that would put drivers licenses in the wallets of illegal immigrants has been approved by the Massachusetts Senate.

The 32 to 8 vote that propelled the bill is enough to override a veto by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who has rejected several similar measures in the past. Baker has expressed worry that fake documents will be used to obtain drivers licenses in Massachusetts.

Echoing that concern, Republicans who voted against the legislation on Tuesday called it an unfair reward for people living in the country illegally.

Republican Sen. Bruce Tarr said he was against the measure because there are no real means of verifying the true identity of the illegal aliens applying for a license.

If the documents presented for identification purposes are not in English, then they have to have a certified translation, but the bill doesnt mention who does the translation, Tarr said at the Senate hearing on Thursday

The approval of drivers licenses for illegal aliens is historic even for a liberal state like Massachusetts.

For 15 years, immigration advocates unsuccessfully pushed Massachusetts to issue drivers licenses to illegal aliens. Last year, the illegal immigrants themselves have held large, bold protests demanding drivers licenses.

At a protest outside of the state capital in Boston, Yamila Ruiz, a native and legal resident of Argentina, spoke about the trauma she experienced when she was 12 watching her father being arrested for driving without a valid U.S. license.

We had to live through the agonizing fear he was going to be deported and that we would never see him again, said Ruiz.

There are an estimated 200,000 illegal aliens living in Massachusetts.

To be eligible for a drivers license under the bill, which is called the Family Mobility Act, illegal immigrants would have to furnish at least two documents to verify their identity. They would also have to pass a road test.

If the House bill is voted or signed into law, Massachusetts would join 16 other states that give drivers licenses to illegal aliens.

Those states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Marland, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

The most popular sentiment in favor of drivers licenses for illegal aliens is that it would increase motor vehicle safety because they would at least have their driving skills put to a test.

Advocates also stressed that a license gives law enforcement the ability to track driving infractions and other violations committed by illegal aliens.

IIllegal immigrants driving without a license have been blamed for a myriad of motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents, including deadly ones.

In 2014, an Arizona police officer was killed when an unlicensed illegal alien driving drunk in the wrong lane hit his car head on. His mother spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016 about the tragedy.

Raul Silva Corona not only had previous drunk driving convictions, but he also had a criminal record in Colorado. Coronas blood alcohol level at the time he crashed into Sgt. Brandon Mendozas truck was three times the legal limit.

In February, 19 mayors, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, signed a letter endorsing licenses for illegal aliens.

All Boston and Massachusetts adults deserve access to drivers licenses regardless of immigration status, the statement said, I support the Family Mobility Act because it will make all of us safer.

Shortly after, the Democratic-supported bill was approved by the Massachusetts House by a 120 to 36 vote.

While almost a done deal, the Senate is sending the bill back to the House for some minor amendments.
A man walks past the logo of ING Group NV at a branch office in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Jan. 9, 2014. (Toussaint Kluiters/Reuters)

ING Misses Q1 Profit Estimates as Russia Provisions Hit Earnings

AMSTERDAMING Groep NV, the largest Dutch bank, reported on Friday a worse-than-expected quarterly net income of 429 million euros ($452 million), including a surge in provisions for bad loans due to its exposure in Russia and Ukraine.

Analysts had forecast first-quarter net income at 679 million euros, according to Refinitiv data, while ING reported a net income of 1.01 billion euros in the year-ago period.

Net additions to loan loss provisions were 987 million euros, the company said. The geopolitical situation, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, had a significant impact on the risk costs in this quarter, with 834 million euros of risk costs associated with our Russia-related exposure.

In March, ING had disclosed that it had around 700 million euros in loans affected by sanctions on Russian entities and individuals.

In addition, the company had said it had 5.3 billion euros in loans to Russian borrowers, representing about 0.9 percent of its total group loan book.

In an update on Friday, the company said it had earmarked 2.5 billion euros in capital in all to cover for expected and unexpected losses on our Russia-related exposure.

This consists of the aforementioned 0.8 billion euros of loan loss provisions and 1.7 billion of (capital put aside) on 13.3 billion euros of total credit risk weighted assets on Russia-related exposure.

Outside the Russian impact, the companys results were lackluster, with income down 2.2 percent at 4.6 billion euros, mostly due to less money from the European Central Banks long-term lending program, where ING borrows at a negative rate.

The companys loan book grew slightly, as retail lending grew 5.6 billion euros, mostly for mortgages in Germany, Australia, and Spain, while wholesale lending declined 5.2 billion euros.

Fees and commissions increased 9.3 percent to 933 million euros.

($1 = 0.9498 euros)

By Toby Sterling
The yacht "Scheherazade" at the port of Marina di Carrara, Italy, on March 22, 2022. (Sky Italia via AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Italy Seizes Mega-Yacht With Reported Russia Links

The Italian finance minister has adopted a decree that will impede a mega-yacht from sailing away from a Tuscan port, after an investigation indicated that the luxury vessel Scheherazade has links to prominent elements of the Russian government.

The finance ministry also said in a statement Friday evening that the probe, carried out by Italys financial police corps, found significant economic business links of the beneficial owner of the Scheherazade as well to other subjects included in a list issued in 2014 as part of European Union measures prompted by Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

There have been fears that the 459-foot-long yacht, which has been in dry dock in the port of Marina di Carrara, was preparing to sail out of Italian waters soon.

Based on the Italian investigation, Minister Daniele Franco adopted a freezing decree for the yacht, which flies the flag of the Cayman Islands and which had long been under the attention of the authorities, the statement said.

A few weeks after Russias war against Ukraine began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a speech to Italian lawmakers, urged Italy to continue freezing the assets of Russian oligarchs and officials.

The Italian ministry statement didnt identify the boats owner nor specify who are the prominent elements of the Russian government, but said the actual owner of the Scheherazade should be included in the 2014 EU sanctions list.
A file image of a woman with a pushchair walking with children at a park in Tokyo. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan Reports More Suspected Cases of Unexplained Acute Hepatitis in Children

At least seven possible cases of acute hepatitisinflammation of the liverin children have been identified in Japan, the Health Ministry said Friday, but the cause of the cases is yet unknown.

The first case was reported on April 25, followed by the second on April 28. Four more possible cases were reported on May 6, the ministry said in a statement (pdf). The patients are all under the age of 16.

One of them tested positive for COVID-19, and another Adenovirus Type 1, the ministry said according to The Japan Times, without mentioning whether these were two separate people or one person who caught both viruses.

It stated that the seven recorded cases comprised children admitted to hospitals between October, 1. 2021 and May, 6. 2022, with some having already been discharged. None of the patients received a liver transplant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) told news outlets on May 3 that there were at least 228 probable cases of hepatitis worldwide in at least 20 countries, including Denmark, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France.

WHO stated on April 23 that the cases involved children aged one month to 16 years old, many of whom developed gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting preceding presentation with severe hepatitis and jaundice (yellowing skin and eyes).

The common viruses that cause acute viral hepatitis (hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E) have not been detected in any of these cases. International travel or links to other countries based on the currently available information have not been identified as factors, it said.

In Indonesia, a mysterious form of hepatitis has been linked to the deaths of three children ages two, eight, and 11, The Jakarta Post reported on May 3. The Health Ministry said the children developed diarrhea and jaundice, adding that the case was still under investigation.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that it was investigating more than 10 cases of a mysterious form of hepatitis in children, saying that five have died so far.

Dr. Jay Butler, the CDCs deputy director of infectious diseases, said during a briefing said the agency is investigating 109 cases of acute hepatitis in 24 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. The cause of the outbreak is not yet clear, he stressed, adding that about half of the children had adenovirus infections.

The UK Health Security Agency reported that (pdf) the countrys case count had risen to 163, dating back to early January, adding that 11 children have received liver transplants so far. UK officials ruled out the COVID-19 vaccine as a potential cause.

There are fewer than five older case-patients recorded as having had a COVID-19 vaccination prior to hepatitis onset, the report said, adding that most of the impacted children are too young to receive the shot. There is no evidence of a link between COVID-19 vaccination and the acute hepatic syndrome.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.
Photo showing Capitol Police being escorted down the Capitol steps through the crowd to safety on January 6 by members of the Oath Keepers. (Courtesy of Roberto Minuta)

Judge Delays Oath Keepers Seditious-Conspiracy Trials

Defense sought more time to review evidence, investigate "suspicious actors" at U.S. Capitol

The trials of nine members of the Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy and obstructing a government proceeding on Jan. 6, 2021, were moved back to Sept. 26 and Nov. 29 under a ruling issued by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington on May 6.

During a May 6 status conference, Mehta agreed to a defense request to delay the trials by more than two months. The trials had been set for July 12 and Sept. 26.

Attorneys said a major motivation behind the request was to give them more time to sift through terabytes of video and other digital evidence made available by prosecutors. They also want more time to research a list of 80 suspicious actors and material witnesses observed on recently released videos from Jan. 6.

According to a May 5 court filing (pdf) by attorney Brad Geyer, a well-coordinated group of suspicious actors committed the same crimes the Oath Keepers are charged with and might have run an operation to entrap the Oath Keepers by luring them into the Capitol.

Some of these eyewitnesses, based on objective video reviews only now made possible, seem to actively engage in crimes to which the Oath Keepers have been falsely accused, most occurring prior to any presence of the Oath Keepers and all of such without the knowledge or participation of the Oath Keepers, reads a defense motion to delay the trials. The video record that the defense team is unearthing is gradually confirming this theory.

Members of the Oath Keepers move up the east steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, flanked by unidentified suspicious actors. (Attorney Brad Geyer/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The nine Oath Keepers defendants are charged with seditious conspiracy to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6 and prevent the certification of Electoral College votes by a joint session of Congress. They are also charged with obstruction of a government proceeding and various other offenses that prosecutors contend were aimed at preventing the transition of power to President Joe Biden from President Donald Trump.

Under Mehtas order, the Sept. 26 trial will include Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson, Kelly Meggs, and Jessica Watkins. The Nov. 29 trial will include Joseph Hackett, Roberto Minuta, David Moerschel, and Edward Vallejo. The trials could each last six weeks or longer.

Defense attorneys wrote that a trial delay is necessary due to massive publicity surrounding the work of the U.S. House select committee investigating January 6. The committee has held hearings and taken testimony since July 2021. It has not issued a report. Attorneys said publicity surrounding the committees work could make it impossible for the Oath Keepers to receive a fair trial.

Although defense motions in recent weeks cited surveys showing a deep bias against Jan. 6 defendants among people in the potential jury pool, all requests for a change of venue so far have been denied.

Mehta said he cant delay the trials indefinitely based on the issuance of a congressional report on the Jan. 6 unrest. He said if he agreed to the trial delay, he would not entertain another delay request even if 435 members of Congress start reading from the report on the courthouse steps.

Attorney Brad Geyer seeks information on unidentified suspicious actors at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Brad Geyer/Graphic via The Epoch Times)

Defense attorneys reported concerns that evidence from Rhodess smartphone released to the defense was missing critical files. Prosecutors turned over data from the messenger app Signal that included 6,692 chat sessions. A defense expert using a fuller raw download of phone data found 7,188 chat sessions.

Thats a difference of almost 500 chat conversations on Mr. Rhodess phone, said Phillip Linder, one of Rhodess attorneys.

Linder also complained of difficulty getting video-chat meetings with Rhodes, who is being held at the Alexandria City Jail in Virginia. A packet of legal papers addressed to Rhodes at the jail was rejected by the facility and returned to Linders office in Texas, he said.

Threaten Life in Prison?

Three members of the Oath Keepers have taken deals with federal prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the most serious charges against them: seditious conspiracy and obstruction of a government proceeding. Those offenses each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Some case observers questioned why Oath Keepers Joshua James, Brian Ulrich, and William Todd Wilson would agree to plead guilty to the most serious charges when typical plea agreements drop the heaviest charges in exchange for an admission of guilt on lesser charges.

A Department of Justice letter sent to defense attorneys on May 2 might offer some insight into that question. Prosecutors Kathryn Rakoczy and Justin Sher wrote that if Oath Keepers defendants are convicted at trial, they could face life in prison under sentencing guidelines related to terrorism. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Epoch Times.

Federal judges rely on sentencing guidelines when determining the most appropriate penalties for criminal convictions. There is no guideline specifically for the seditious-conspiracy charge. The Department of Justice believes the most analogous sentencing guideline is for the charge of treason, the letter said.

The maximum penalty for a conviction for treason is death, according to Title 18 2381 of U.S. Code.

The letter said if a defendants conduct is tantamount to waging war against the United States, the sentencing guideline recommends life in prison. Other seditious conduct would carry recommended sentence from 17.5 to nearly 22 years in prison.

Under such a scenario, an Oath Keepers defendant convicted at trial on a charge with a 20-year maximum prison term could be locked up for life.

The letter informed attorneys of the May 6 deadline to begin negotiating plea agreements. No other defendants asked for a plea offer from prosecutors.

William Miller, public information officer for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia, declined to comment on the letter when contacted by The Epoch Times.
A woman carries her baby in a reception tent after arriving at an evacuation point for people fleeing the Azovstal plant, Mariupol, Melitopol and the surrounding towns under Russian control, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on May 3, 2022. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

RussiaUkraine (May 7): Ukraine Says All Women and Children Now Evacuated From Mariupol Steel Mill

The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, May 7. Click here for updates from May 6.

Ukraine Says All Women and Children Now Evacuated From Mariupol Steel Mill

All women, children, and elderly civilians have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, Ukraines deputy prime minister said on Saturday, despite what military officers said was an ongoing Russian assault at the plant.

This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation is over, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

The Soviet-era steel mill was the last holdout in Mariupol for Ukrainian forces.

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Russia Holds Dress Rehearsal for Victory Day Parade

Russia held a dress rehearsal on Saturday for the military parade to commemorate Victory Day on May 9, when the country marks the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.

This years Victory Day, which falls on Monday, wont just honor a conflict that ended 77 years ago. Many Russians will be thinking about the thousands of troops in neighboring Ukraine. Signs of support for the military have grown across the country since Feb. 24, with the letter Z appearing on billboards and signs in the streets and subways, and on television and social media.

On Saturday, an RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile rolled through Red Square as part of the rehearsal in Moscow, with warplanes and helicopters flying overhead, troops marching in formation, and self-propelled artillery vehicles rumbling past.

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Putin Believes Doubling Down Will Improve Ukraine War Outcome, CIA Director Says

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin believes doubling down on the military conflict in Ukraine will improve his outcome in the war.

Hes in a frame of mind in which he doesnt believe he can afford to lose, said Burns, who was speaking at a Financial Times event in Washington. I think hes convinced right now that doubling down still will enable him to make progress.

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Croatian Citizen Fighting for Ukraine Detained by Russians

A Croatian citizen who fought alongside Ukrainian troops in Mariupol has been detained by the Russian army, Croatian state media reported Saturday.

Croatias Foreign Ministry also confirmed that it has knowledge of a detained Croatian citizen, and is working with the Ukrainian authorities to resolve the situation. It offered no further information due to the sensitivity of the situation.

The state HRT television reported that the Croatian man tried to flee Mariupol with other Ukrainian fighters but was caught by the Russians. No other details were immediately available.

The N1 regional television said the arrest was first reported by Russian media.

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Russia Continues to Storm Azovstal, Says Ukraine

Ukraines military command said on Saturday that Russia was continuing its assault on the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.

With the support of artillery and tank fire, (the enemy) is continuing storming actions, it wrote in a regular evening Facebook briefing.

Ukraine says many civilians remain trapped at the plant alongside Ukrainian troops. Earlier on Saturday, Russias Interfax news agency cited Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraines Donetsk region as saying that 50 more people had been evacuated from the besieged steelworks.

By 1600 GMT, Reuters journalists had not seen any sign of their arrival at a reception center in separatist-controlled territory near Mariupol.

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Six Missiles Hit Ukraines Coastal City Odesa

Six missiles hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Saturday, the spokeswoman for Ukraines southern military command told the countrys public broadcaster.

Spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk said four rockets hit a furniture factory in a residential area, while the other two struck an already damaged runway strip. She added that information on casualties was being clarified.

Odesa regional administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk earlier said four missiles had hit Odesa region on Saturday, without causing any casualties.

Reuters was not able to immediately confirm details of the report.

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Jill Biden Meets Ukrainian Refugee Mothers and Teachers in Romania

Sitting in a classroom in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, U.S. first lady Jill Biden met a group of Ukrainian refugee mothers and educators on Saturday, praising the women for their strength and resilience.

Biden, who teaches English and writing at a community college in Virginia, is on a tour of Romania and Slovakia meeting U.S. servicemen deployed in the countries, and refugees.

Nearly 910,000 Ukrainians have fled to Romania since Russia launched its invasion, with charities, local authorities, and government agencies working alongside thousands of volunteers to provide food, shelter, and transportation.

While many have already journeyed further, about 80,000 remain in Romania, primarily women with young children.

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Missiles Hit Ukraines Coastal City Odesa: Regional Administration

Several missiles hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Saturday, the regional administrations spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said in televised remarks.

Bratchuk said the strikes hit the city after targets in the surrounding Odesa region had been hit by four missiles earlier in the day.

He did not give further detail about the new strikes, saying that the facts were still being established.

Reuters was not able to immediately confirm details of the report.

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Pro-Russian Forces Say 50 More People Evacuated From Besieged Ukraine Plant

Pro-Russian forces said 50 more people were evacuated on Saturday from the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, where scores of civilians have been trapped for weeks alongside Ukrainian fighters holed up in the Soviet-era plant.

The territorial defence headquarters of the self-declared Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) said on Telegram that a total of 176 civilians had now been evacuated from the steelworks.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

About 50 civilians had been moved on Friday from the sprawling, bombed-out plant to a reception center in nearby Bezimenne, in the separatist DPR, whose forces are fighting alongside Russian troops to expand their control of large parts of eastern Ukraine. Dozens of civilians were also evacuated last weekend.

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Senior Russian Lawmaker Says US Directly Involved in Ukraine Fighting

Russias most senior lawmaker on Saturday accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine, which he said amounted to direct U.S. involvement in military action against Russia.

Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country, Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

Washington and European members of the transatlantic NATO alliance have supplied Kyiv with heavy weapons to help it resist a Russian offensive that has resulted in the occupation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine but failed to take Kyiv.

However, the United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly said they will not take part in fighting themselves, in order to avoid becoming parties to the conflict.

U.S. officials have said the United States has provided intelligence to Ukraine to help counter the Russian assault, but have denied that this intelligence includes precise targeting data.

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Fiji Court Rules Russian Yacht to Stay in South Pacific Nation for Now

A Fiji court has ruled that the $300 million yacht allegedly owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov and seized by the United States must remain in Fiji for now.

The Fiji Court of Appeal has ruled that the luxury yacht Amadea can not be moved out of the South Pacific island nation until an appeal against the seizure is heard, defense lawyer Feizal Haniff, who is acting for the Amadeas registered owner Millemarin Investment Ltd, confirmed in an email.

The U.S. embassy in Suva did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest court ruling.

A Fiji court had ruled that the United States could seize the Russian-owned superyacht, weeks after it arrived and it was seized by the local police and FBI agents on Thursday.

Authorities in various countries have seized luxury vessels and villas owned by Russian billionaires in response to sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a special military operation.

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Biden: US Sending Another $150 Million in Assistance

President Joe Biden on Friday authorized the shipment of another $150 million in military assistance to Ukraine for artillery rounds and radar systems in its fight against Russias invading forces.

Biden said the latest spending means his administration has nearly exhausted what Congress authorized for Ukraine in March and called on lawmakers to swiftly approve a more than $33 billion spending package that will last through the end of September.

We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorized directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine, Biden said in a statement. U.S. support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping Ukraine win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putins war aims in Ukraine.

A U.S. official said the latest tranche of assistance includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars, jamming equipment, field equipment, and spare parts.

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50 People Evacuated From Mariupol Steel Mill

Fifty civilians were evacuated Friday from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

In a statement, the Russian Interdepartmental Humanitarian Response Center says the 50 civilians include 11 children.

Ukraines deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, also said 50 civilians left the plant without giving a breakdown of how many were children.

Both Vereshchuk and the Russian body said the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal will continue Saturday.

Ukrainian fighters holed up at the sprawling complex are making their last stand to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategic port city.

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The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) joins a Republican congressional delegation at the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on April 25, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Marjorie Taylor Greene Wont Be Barred From Holding Office, Georgia Official Rules

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is qualified to be a candidate for U.S. Congress and will remain on the ballot for the upcoming election, Georgias top election official said on May 6.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, entered his decision hours after state Judge Charles Beaudrot said challengers to Greenes candidacy failed to prove Greene violated the Constitution.

In this case, challengers assert that Representative Greenes political statements and actions disqualify her from office, Raffensperger said. That is rightfully a question for the voters of Georgias 14th Congressional District. Therefore, Administrative Law Judge Charles R. Beaudrots Initial Decision, Findings of Fact, and Conclusion of Law are hereby AFFIRMED.

The case was filed by a group led by left-wing activists, which argued that Greene helped facilitate the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Specifically, the evidence shows that she either helped to plan the attack on January 6, or alternatively helped to plan the pre-attack demonstration and/or march on the Capitol with knowledge that it was substantially likely to lead to the attack, and otherwise voluntarily aided the insurrection, Free Speech For People, the group, said in filing the case.

But Beaudrot said the group offered no persuasive evidence backing their claims, adding that there is also no evidence that Greenea member of Congress in the Capitol already when it was breachedparticipated in the breach.

Challengers make a valiant effort to support inferences that Rep. Greene was an insurrectionist, but the evidence is lacking, and the court is not persuaded, the ruling stated.

In his 2-page decision, Raffensperger said Greene is qualified to be a candidate for office.

The decision came just weeks before voters head to the polls to cast votes in the primaries, with the general election scheduled for November.

Greene won office for the first time in 2020 with 75 percent of the vote.

In a message to voters after Beaudrots ruling, Greene said that Democrats have seen how hard I fight for America First values with Republicans in the minority, so they are absolutely terrified to see me with the power of the majority.

Thats why a [George] Soros-style dark money group launched an unprecedented attack on free speech, on our elections, and on you, the voter, she added.

Free Speech For People decried the rejection of its challenge, claiming it gives a pass to political violence as a tool for disrupting and overturning free and fair elections. The group said it would appeal.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert (L) and Sacramento Police Department Chief Katherine Lester at the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office in California on May 3, 2022. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee/TNS)

Martin Brothers Face Arraignment on Murder Counts in Downtown Sacramento Mass Shooting

By Sam Stanton

From The Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif.The two brothers charged with multiple murders in the April 3 mass shooting in downtown Sacramento appeared in court Thursday afternoon in a case that could lead to a death penalty prosecution against them.

Smiley Martin, 27, and Dandrae Martin, 26, both face three murder counts stemming from the gang shootout that erupted at 2 a.m. at 10th and K streets a month ago and left a total of six people dead and 12 wounded.

(Left) Dandrae Martin in a file photo. (Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry via AP); (Right) Smiley Allen Martin on Feb. 6, 2022. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP)

A third suspect, Mtula Payton, 27, also has been charged with three counts of murder, as well as unemployment insurance fraud, but remains a fugitive.

Smiley Martin appeared first, emerging into the first-floor courtroom inside the Sacramento County Main Jail in a holding cell while cuffed at his waist and ankles. His brother followed him minutes later.

Court Commissioner Ken Brody read the charges to each man, and set the next hearing in the case for June 28.

The three men are each charged in Sacramento Superior Court in the deaths of Yamile Martinez, 21; Johntaya Alexander, 21; and Melinda Davis, 57, who authorities believe were innocent bystanders.

Authorities say the Martins and Payton were part of two rival gang groups that squared off at 10th and K streets as the area bars were closing and opened fire on each other, spraying at least 114 rounds throughout the streets where as many as 80 people were gathered.

Smiley Martin is believed to have fired 28 rounds from a fully automatic Glock handgun equipped with a 30-round magazine and a laser sight, authorities say.

Three men were killed during the shootoutSergio Harris, 38; DaVazia Turner, 29; and Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32but no charges were filed in their deaths because authorities believe they participated in the gun battle.

All six men have gang ties and were convicted felons who were prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, officials have said.

Police work the scene on the corner of 10th and J street after a shooting that occurred in the early morning hours in Sacramento, Calif., on April 3, 2022. (David Odisho/Getty Images)

Dandrae Martin was the first suspect arrested after the shooting and initially was held on weapons violations. His brother was wounded in the shootout and was jailed on weapons charges after recovering.

The murder charges were filed last week by District Attorney Anne Marie Schuberts office after a month of investigation that included reviews of video surveillance from 12 downtown cameras and witness interviews.

The charges include special circumstance allegations that multiple murders were committed, which could lead to a death penalty prosecution if the D.A.s office decides to pursue such a trial.

2022 The Sacramento Bee. Visit at sacbee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A person places his ballot in a tabulating machine in East Lansing, Mich., in a file photograph. (Jeff Kowalsky/Reuters)

Michigan Police Seize Voting Machine During Investigation Into Possible Election Breaches

Police officers in Michigan took custody of a voting machine as the state expands its investigation into what its described as possible unauthorized access to election equipment.

Michigan State Police and officials with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office seized an Irving Township voting tabulator on April 29, township supervisor Jamie Knight told The Epoch Times in an email.

The seizure was done pursuant to a search warrant, she said.

The Township intends to fully cooperate with law enforcement, and the Township attorneys have been in contact with the Michigan State Police regarding this matter. The Township has no further comment at this time, Knight added.

An investigation was launched earlier this year at the request of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who said her office received reports that an unnamed third party was allowed to access vote tabulator components and technology in Roscommon County.

Michigan law is clear about the security threats that emerge when anyone gains unauthorized access to our election machines or technology, and I will have no tolerance for those who seek to illegally tamper with our voting equipment, Benson, a Democrat, said at the time.

Michigan State Police Lieutenant Derrick Carroll confirmed that the probe has expanded beyond Roscommon County, which declined to comment.

As we found out more information weve expanded our area to see if any other places were compromised, Carroll told Reuters. We have gone to other regions.

Carroll told The Epoch Times in an email that the probe has expanded but declined to share any details.

Nessels office declined to comment.

Carroll previously told news outlets that the probe will continue until we have exhausted all leads, adding that the possible unauthorized access did not, in any way, affect the 2020 election.
Mike Hagerty attended HBO MAX "Somebody Somewhere" Finale Episode Screening at NeueHouse Los Angeles in Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2022. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for HBO Max)

Mike Hagerty, Who Played Mr. Treeger on Friends, Dead at 67

Mike Hagerty, a character actor who appeared as Mr. Treeger on the hit sitcom Friends and several HBO comedies, died on May 5 at the age of 67, his family confirmed.

With great sadness, the family of Michael G. Hagerty announced his death yesterday in Los Angeles, actress Bridget Everett, who co-starred alongside Hagerty on Somebody Somewhere, announced in a May 6 statement on Instagram.

A beloved character actor, his love of his hometown of Chicago and his family were the cornerstones of his life, she added. He will be sorely missed.

A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Dit bericht op Instagram bekijken Een bericht gedeeld door Bridget Everett (@bridgeteverett)

In a statement, HBO described Hagerty as a warm, kind person, and a joy to work with, adding that everyone at the U.S. cable network is saddened to hear about his sudden passing.

A member of the HBO family for many years, his most recent role as Bridget Everetts father in Somebody Somewhere showed his special talent for bringing heart to a performance, HBO said on Twitter.

Everett said in a separate statement she loved Hagerty the instant she met him. He played Everetts father on the HBO series.

(L-R) Carolyn Strauss, Paul Thureen, Hannah Bos, Murray Hill, Jeff Hiller, Bridget Everett, Mike Hagerty, and Mary Catherine Garrison attend HBO MAX Somebody Somewhere Finale Episode Screening at NeueHouse Los Angeles in Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2022. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for HBO Max)

Mike was adored by the entire cast and crew of Somebody Somewhere,' Everett said. He was so special. Warm, funny, never met a stranger.

Born in Chicago, Hagerty amassed a long list of TV roles, mainly in comedies, but also in dramas like ER and Deadwood. He also appeared in a number of movies, including Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Inspector Gadget.

The star, who is known for his mustache and thick Chicago accent, also appeared in a Season 2 episode of Married  with Children, one of the longest-lasting live-action sitcoms in television history that is focused on the Bundys, a suburban Chicago family.

Hagerty is survived by his wife Mary Kathryn and sister Mary Ann Hagerty.

From NTD News
Elon Musk arrives at the In America: An Anthology of Fashion themed Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, on May 2, 2022. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Musk, Twitter Sued by Florida Pension Fund Seeking to Delay $44 Billion Takeover

A Florida pension fund has sued Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Twitter Inc. in a bid to halt the self-avowed free speech absolutist from finalizing his $44 billion takeover bid of the social media platform.

In the proposed class-action lawsuit, brought by the Orlando Police Pension Fund and filed in Delaware Chancery Court, the plaintiffs claim that Musk cannot legally finalize his takeover until at least 2025 unless holders of two-thirds of shares not owned by him sign off on the deal.

The complaint claims that Delaware law prohibits a quick takeover because Musk has agreements with other big Twitter shareholders to support the buyout, including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and Musks financial adviser Morgan Stanley. Dorsey owns 2.4 percent of Twitter shares while Morgan Stanley owns around 8.8 percent.

When Musk took a 9 percent stake in Twitter, he became an interested stockholder and his takeover bid requires the delay, the lawsuit claims.

Besides Musk, the lawsuit also names the Twitter board as defendants.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Twitter for comment.

Inclusive Arena for Free Speech

Musk, who is the worlds wealthiest individual, according to Forbes, has sought to buy Twitter in a deal estimated to be worth around $44 billion.

Besides pledging to provide around $21 billion in cash, Musk has outlined other sources of funding for the takeover, including $13 billion in bank loans secured by Twitter and $12.5 billion backed by a portion of his stake in Tesla.

Musk has also received equity commitment letters from 19 investors, who have committed to pay $7.14 billion in cash or Twitter common stock (valued at $54.20 per share), according to a May 5 securities filing.

The group of investors includes a Saudi prince and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who has agreed to invest $1 billion. The biggest contribution is to come from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire and one of Twitters largest stockholders, who has pledged $1.9 billion.

Twitter has accepted Musks proposal of $54.20 per share in cash, putting its value at around $44 billion.

Musk has said his aim in seeking to buy Twitter is to take the company private and transform it into an inclusive arena for free speech.

The takeover attempt is not about making money, Musk has insisted, but to affect a number of changes to the platform and reduce the civilizational risk to freedom and democracy from what Musk has described as Twitters excessive and opaque restrictions on expression.

Some of the changes Musk has teased include cracking down on spam bots, making the algorithm open source to bolster transparency, and generally shifting the content moderation policies towards erring on the side of more free speech.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre (R) walks past Jean Charest as he takes his place onstage during a debate at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference, in Ottawa on May 5, 2022. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

From National Unity to Freedom: Tory Leadership Candidates Share Visions During First Debate

Restoring democracy, national unity, freedom, respectthose were some of the main themes brought forward by the Conservative Party leadership contenders during the first debate of the race on May 5 in Ottawa.

Six candidates have been approved to run by the party, and all but Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown participated in the unofficial debate organized by the Canada Strong & Free networking conference.

Roman Baber

Independent Ontario MPP Roman Baber, who was booted out of the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus for standing up against pandemic lockdowns, was born in the Soviet Union and linked his personal experience with that system to his appreciation of Canadian democracy.

I know what democracy is all about and I know how precious our democracy is, and the fact that the conservative movement failed to stand up for democracy is something that is going to remain with us for a generation, he said in reference to Conservative parties in Canada using lockdowns or not pushing back against them.

Baber, who described himself as not a typical politician due to speaking his mind, said democracy is being eroded and hes committed to restoring it.

On assessing why the party didnt win during the last election, he said Canadians didnt know where it stood.

We should not be running to the right during leadership and running to the left during the general [election]. We should not be afraid of the media or the left-wing Twitter mob, he said.

Leslyn Lewis

MP Leslyn Lewis, who finished third behind Erin OToole and Peter MacKay in the last leadership contest, will be the only social conservative on the ballot. She said a return to our conservative principles is the way to stop losing in general elections.

Families are the cornerstone of our society, and parents should have a right to raise their children in accordance with their values, she said, adding she would introduce a parental rights bill to stop government encroachment on parental rights.

Lewis also made a pitch for national unity, saying its at an all-time low, and spoke against cancel culture and wokism, which are tearing apart the fabric of our nation.

I am running to be a bridge-builder, to unite the party, and to unite this country.

Lewis also raised the issue of protecting sovereignty in the face of the influence of international organizations like the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum.

Scott Aitchison

MP Scott Aitchison framed much of his remarks around the concept of respect, mentioning the word multiple times.

What we cannot do as a party is continue with the divisive polarizing rhetoric that Justin Trudeau has been using for seven years. Its disgusting. Its ripping our country apart. Its why Im running because we need to show some respect to each other, he said in relation to mandatory vaccination being used as a wedge issue.

Aitchison said his leadership style to unite the party would be based on a respect for all views and all people within the party.

Theres lots of different perspectives. And we have to work together as a team. And until we can work together as a team, Canadians are not going to trust us. We have to work together.

As for taking on the Trudeau government, Aitchison mentioned as an example Conservative MP and transport critic Melissa Lantsman, who pressures the government on the issue of vaccine mandates for travel.

She does it with respect, shes effective, and she eviscerates the Liberals every day, he said.

Jean Charest

Former Quebec Premier Jean Charest focused on national unity during his opening remarks, backed by a long career as a defender of federalism.

If Im in this race, youll know that if theres a common theme throughout my whole life, it has been the idea of Canada, and I have fought at every moment to preserve the unity of this country, whether its the referendum in Quebec, or when I was premier of Quebec, Charest said.

I look at the country today and I see a country thats way below its potential and badly divided. Whether its separatism in Quebec or Western alienation, we cannot take our country for granted and the answer is the Conservative Party of Canada.

Charests first official campaign stop was in Calgary, and this was calculated, he said.

On the very first day that I announced that I was running, I went to Calgary, and it was a gesture and a message that I want to be a prime minister for all of Canada, including Alberta, that I support Albertans, that we know that they feel left out, and they feel theyre not acknowledged, and theyre not recognized for their extraordinary contribution to the country.

Pierre Poilievre

Since the day he declared he was running for prime minister on Feb. 5, three days after former leader Erin OToole was ousted and way ahead of other contenders, MP Pierre Poilievre has been campaigning around the country to full capacity crowds.

Poilievres main theme revolves around the idea of freedom and giving Canadians more control over their lives.

Canadians believe theyve lost control of their lives, big bossy government has taken their money and told them what to do, leaving the country desperate and divided, he said in his opening remarks.

Im running for prime minister to give you back control of your life by making Canada the freest nation on Earth.

Noting that the Conservative Party is locked out of many major cities, Poilievre said having won an Ottawa riding seven times in a row is an asset, and he attributes it to being able to bypass the liberal media to get his message out by using social media.

The candidates will face off again in a few days, this time for official debates. The first one will take place in Edmonton on May 11 and the second in Laval on May 25.

Candidates have until early June to sign up new members. The vote will take place late in the summer and the results will be announced on Sept. 10.
Non-Starter to Authorize COVID-19 Vaccine for Infants: Dr. Peter McCullough

Moderna has requested the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant an emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 6 months. However, according to Dr. Peter McCullough, such authorization shouldnt be granted because theres almost no clinical benefit for children that young.

Pfizer is also working on data for a three-dose regimen after the FDA postponed its decision in February on whether to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for this age group.

I think for children that age, its a non-starter, McCullough told NTDs Capitol Report program on April 30.

McCullough said a recent study from New York State showed the efficacy of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine in young children was so low that it looks like they dont work.

The study (pdf) analyzed the Pfizer vaccines effectiveness in over 1.2 million fully vaccinated children in New York state from Dec. 13, 2021, to Jan. 30, 2022. Among those vaccinated children, over 852,000 were aged 1217, and over 365,000 were aged 511.

In the papers by [Vajeera] Dorabawila and colleagues from New York state, over a couple hundred thousand children aged 5 to 11, [had] virtually no clinical benefit, no vaccine efficacy. All the vaccine efficacy was less than 25 percent, said McCullough, a renowned cardiologist and epidemiologist.

The study found that the vaccine effectiveness against infection declined from 66 percent to 51 percent for 12 to 17-year-olds and from 68 percent to 12 percent for 5 to 11-year-olds in about one and a half months.

The Pfizer vaccine is the only one currently being administered to children in this age group.

The FDA has said that vaccines should be at least 50 percent effective in preventing infection or decreasing disease severity to receive emergency authorization. The World Health Organization says vaccines are required to be 50 percent effective or better to receive clearance.

According to Modernas data, the vaccine was just 43.7 percent effective in the youngest group and 37.5 percent effective in the other children during the Omicron wave. Both were below the 50 percent bar. Some doctors and experts questioned that the trial result was not strong enough to warrant a EUA.

Thats not acceptable by the FDAs own standards, Dr. Steven Hatfill, a virologist who advised the Trump administration, told The Epoch Times last month.

The FDA said it would thoroughly review Modernas request after additional data was provided.

We have received a request from Moderna for a EUA for its COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 6 years of age. As the company has acknowledged, they still need to submit additional data to complete its request. FDA cannot reach a decision on any vaccine without a completed EUA request, which allows us to do a thorough review, which includes, among other things, a comprehensive review of all of the adverse events and replication of the key analyses, an FDA spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email last week.

Some experts said it doesnt make sense for young children to receive COVID-19 vaccines, as they are at low risk for severe disease and death from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, and the possible severe side effects are a big concern.

Parents should think twice about vaccinating their child, Dr. Robert Malone previously told The Epoch Times, adding that serious adverse events can occur, and most are irreversible.

Malone is a key contributor to mRNA vaccines, and his website includes a list of peer-reviewed studies related to COVID-19 vaccine adverse events in children, the main one being myocarditis.

In March, Floridas top health official issued guidance, saying healthy children may not benefit from receiving current COVID-19 vaccines.

Based on currently available data, the risks of administering COVID-19 vaccination among healthy children may outweigh the benefits, Florida Surgeon General Dr. said in a statement. That is why these decisions should be made on an individual basis and never mandated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been saying that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and severe side effects are rare. The agency also says that all children aged 5 and older should get Pfizers vaccine, and all children between the ages of 12 and 17 should get a booster.

However, recent studies have found that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine doesnt do well in preventing infection against the Omicron variant for children 5 to 15 years old.

McCullough pointed out that it would be unnecessary to get young children vaccinated because most of them have already contracted the virus.

Weve heard reports recently from the CDC that roughly 75 percent of children have already had COVID. So for them, its too late for any hope of a vaccine. The vaccine cant help once somebodys already had COVID, McCullough said, adding that if a vaccine doesnt have at least 50 percent coverage, it would be considered nonviable.

On April 26, an early release of CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said that about 75 percent of children and adolescents had already developed antibodies against the disease.

CDC recommends people who were infected to still receive the vaccine, saying it would provide added protection against COVID-19.

McCullough said COVID-19 has become progressively milder through its progression of mutations and the Omicron variant caused much fewer hospitalizations or deaths.

A number of studies have found that the clinical severity of infection is much lower for Omicron than for the Delta variant. In March, a peer-reviewed study published in Lancet is the largest one to date, which analyzed data from 1.51 million COVID-infected people in England between November 2021 and January 2022. Among them, over 1.06 million were infected by Omicron.

The study found that the overall risk of hospitalization within the 14 days after a positive test was 1.64 percent with Delta and 0.9 percent with Omicron. The mortality risk in the 28 days after a positive test was 0.27 percent after Delta, falling to 0.11 percent after Omicron.

I can tell you, we have studies now, large studies on Omicron, where theres close to zero hospitalizations or deaths, said McCullough. Its essentially a common cold.

The Epoch Times has contacted FDA, Moderna, and Pfizer for comments.

Zachary Stieber and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.

Harry Lee Follow Harry Lee is a New York-based reporter for The Epoch Times. Contact Harry at harry.lee@epochtimes.com
People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on May 7, 2022, after North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile according to South Korea's military. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea Fires Likely Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile, South Korea Says

SEOUL/TOKYONorth Korea fired a ballistic missile from a submarine on Saturday, South Korea said, an escalation just before the inauguration of a South Korean president who has vowed to take a hard line against the North and the visit of the U.S. president.

South Korean military said North Korea fired what is believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) into the sea off its east coast around 05:07 GMT on Saturday from near Sinpo, where North Korea keeps submarines as well as equipment for test-firing SLBMs.

Japan also said the projectile was a short-range ballistic missile. Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said North Koreas recent development in nuclear missile-related technology and repeated launches of ballistic missiles threatened the region and the international community.

This is absolutely unacceptable, he told reporters, adding that Japan will continue to strengthen defense capabilities drastically to protect its citizens from such security threats, in close cooperation with the United States, South Korea, and other allies.

The launch comes three days before Tuesdays inauguration of Yoon Suk-yeol as South Koreas president, and ahead of his May 21 summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Seoul.

South Koreas National Intelligence Service chief Park Jie-won said North Korea may conduct a nuclear test between the inauguration and the Biden visit, Yonhap news agency reported.

Kishi said it is possible for North Korea to complete nuclear test preparations as early as this month, and take further provocative acts.

This was also in line with a U.S. assessment that Pyongyang was preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site and could be ready to conduct a test there as early as this month.

This is aiming at the [Souths] new administration beginning next week, and applying preemptive pressure to take control of the situation before the U.S.-South Korea summit, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

It also creates tension to strengthen the regimes internal coherence in the face of circumstances such as prevention of COVID-19 spreading.

Yoon to Seek Deterrence

Intelligence chief Park told Yonhap that Tunnel No. 3 at the Punggye-ri site is designed to test smaller nuclear devices, without elaborating.

Analysts and South Korean and U.S. officials have said the North appears to be restoring Tunnel No. 3 at the east coast site, which was used for underground nuclear blasts before it was closed in 2018 amid denuclearization talks with Washington and Seoul.

Japan and South Korea estimated Saturdays missile had flown as high as 50-60 km (30-40 miles) and as far as 600 km (370 miles).

The Yoon administration will muster its capabilities as soon as possible for fundamental measures against North Korean provocations and practical deterrence against nuclear missile threats, Yoons nominee for national security adviser, Kim Sung-han, said in a statement.

On Wednesday, North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast, South Korea and Japan said, after Pyongyang vowed to develop its nuclear forces at the fastest possible speed.

Instead of accepting invitations to dialogue, the Kim regime appears to be preparing a tactical nuclear warhead test. The timing will depend most on when the underground tunnels and modified device technology are ready, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

A seventh nuclear test would be the first since September 2017 and raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula, increasing dangers of miscalculation and miscommunication between the Kim regime and the incoming Yoon administration.

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to speed up development of his countrys nuclear arsenal. He presided over a military parade that displayed intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as what appeared to be SLBMs being carried on trucks and launch vehicles.

In October, North Korea test-fired a new, smaller ballistic missile from a submarine, a move that analysts said could be aimed at more quickly fielding an operational missile submarine.

Yoon, in an interview with Voice of America released on Saturday, said that a meeting with Kim Jong Un is not off the table but would need to have concrete results.

Theres no reason to avoid meeting Kim, Yoon said. However, if we are not be able to show any results, or results are just for show and does not have actual outcomes in denuclearization  its not going to help the relationship between the two Koreas progress.

By Joyce Lee and Kantaro Komiya
A former Albany attorney pleaded guilty Friday, May 6 to wire fraud and identity theft in connection with bilking her clients.

The prosecution accused Megan Moeller, aka Megan Perry of charging her clients for legal services not rendered, then going to great lengths to hide her dereliction of duty.

Moeller, 42, of Corvallis pleaded guilty in connection to a scheme to defraud clients and use their payments for personal expenses, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Oregon.

Moellers legal practice involved family law, divorce, child custody and visitation and adoption matters, according to the news release. Court documents allege that since at least 2014, Moeller knowingly and purposely accepted clients' payments for legal services, then failed to perform them.

For example, in June 2016, the news release says, Moeller accepted payment from a client in a child visitation and support case. However, Moeller is said to have lied about drafting and serving a legal demand on the client's former spouse regarding parenting time. The document was never received by the former spouse, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

But at first blush, it appeared the spouse had, the news release says.

On March 23, 2017, Moeller allegedly gave her client a fake affidavit of service of process and a fraudulent certified mail receipt on which Moeller forged the signature of her clients former spouse. Moeller is also said to have forged the signatures of a process server and a notary.

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.

Moeller submitted a Form B resignation  the functional equivalence to a disbarment  to the Oregon State Bar on March 1, 2018. The resignation was accepted April 5, 2018.

Late last month, on April 29, Moeller was charged with wire fraud and identify theft, according to the news release.

Moeller is scheduled be sentenced Aug. 4 before U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jones. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, $250,000 fine and three years' supervised release. Identity theft is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years' supervised release.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Claire Fay.

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The Hon. Member of Parliament Scott Buchholz (R) with his wife attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast in Australia on May 6, 2022. (NTD)

GOLD COAST, AustraliaFederal Member of Parliament Scott Buchholz said he was one very happy Australian on Friday night, after experiencing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast.

The assistant minister for road safety and freight transport said he felt privileged watching New York-based Shen Yun, which is presenting China before communism as it continues its tour Down Under.

Id be entertained by you for all the hours that you sweat, for all of the commitment that you make, he said. If its for one thing, and its to make people smile, you have a very happy Australian here.

Mr. Buchholz, who attended the performance with his wife, was particularly impressed by Shen Yuns powerful storytelling, and said that it reminded him of Australias ancient storytellers, who also tell their stories through dance.

We are a nation of storytellers. But tonight, we witnessed a story from another culture. Its one that we identify with  with a meaning in the dance.

The color, the beauty, the spectacular vision  [its] nothing short of breathtaking, he said of the sold-out performance.

Also in the audience were former dancer Simone Kite and her husband, who were deeply touched by the stories from China brought alive on stage.

Its mesmerizing, Mrs. Kite said. Youre just are in awe of all the props and costumes.

Its just really creative  I would never come up with that unless Ive seen it myself, she said.

Former dancer Simone Kite and her husband attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast in Australia on May 6, 2022. (NTD)

Mrs. Kite said a story-dance that impressed her was a piece titled Insanity During the End of Days, which told of the tragedy of a father unwittingly aiding in the murder of his beloved daughter, who becomes a victim of organ harvesting crimes. This unthinkable state-sanctioned system of profiteering, based on true events in China, has claimed the lives of many innocent victims persecuted by the government, including those of the Falun Gong faith group.

Falun Gongwhich is an ancient Chinese self-improvement discipline that teaches adherents to live by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearanceremains a target for eradication by Chinas communist regime today. In its rule over China, the regime also continues to withhold the peoples freedom of belief and speech, as it fears losing control over their lives.

This is despite Chinas 5,000-year history of deeply rooted spiritual culture, where Buddhist, Taoist, and other philosophies were believed to be a gift from the divine to bring peace and harmony on Earth. Under communist rule, Chinas traditional beliefs have been systematically uprooted through numerous political campaigns, such as the great cultural revolution.

My husband said to me, its really sad that theyve lost their culture, Mrs. Kite said. But the couple was glad to see Shen Yun bringing light to this story.

The Old With the New

Mr. Buchholz was also impressed by Shen Yuns innovative use of digital projections, which sees dancers avatars jump from the stage onto the big screen to fly around in the heavens.

The way that they integrated ancient tradition through technology into the dancewhere theyve taken the heavens and blended it to the Earthis noteworthy, he said. The storytelling is very powerful.

What I saw on stage tonight was a culture communicating with an audience. And it was beautiful, Mr. Buchholz added.

Id encourage all those in Australia to take the opportunity to come and see a magnificent performance. Theres a little bit of something for everyone.

Mrs. Kite also encouraged those who havent yet seen Shen Yun to go.

Come watch, she said. Its amazing. Theyre beautiful  absolutely beautiful.

Reporting by NTD and Melanie Sun.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
"In God We Trust" hangs in the meeting area of the Orange County Board of Education in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Oct. 7, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Orange County Education Board Celebrates 30 Years of Charter Schools

Orange County is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the states Charter School Act and continuing its commitment to support school choice as state and federal lawmakers push to put more restrictions on charter schools.

The Orange County Board of Education this week unanimously approved a resolution (pdf) to recognize the states 1992 Charter School Act, which gave charter schools the flexibility to set their own curriculum and guidelines while still receiving federal funds.

However, charter schools have faced increasing regulations in recent years as Gov. Gavin Newsom passed a 2019 law that requires charter curriculum to be approved by the state and requires charter schools to obtain approval from a local public school in order to be prioritized for federal fundingrules also recently proposed by the Biden administration.

But Ken Williams, Jr., the boards vice president, reiterated Orange Countys support of charter schools.

We have stood very firm and strongly backing charter schools here because [charters] do something very different, and we appreciate what [they] contribute to public education, Williams said.

Board President Mari Barke echoed Williams sentiment, saying, Its so important to offer choice so that children arent trapped by their zip codes. [Charter schools] change the trajectory of childrens lives.

A school in Tustin, Calif., on March 10, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

About 23,000 students11 percent of all students in the countycurrently attend the 35 charter schools in Orange County, according to 202122 enrollment data from the states Department of Education.

Because charter schools have more structural flexibility, each one looks a bit different.

Some closely resemble traditional public schools, while others are largely self-paced independent study, and some are a hybrid of both.

Dr. Collin Felch, assistant superintendent for Charter Vista Public Schools, said charters allow parents the ability to send their kids to a tuition-free school that suits their unique needs.

Charter schools also serve a population that often isnt heard from, Felch said. In California, often half of the population in charter schools is low-income minorities, and thats even higher in [Orange County].

Nearly 64 percent of the countys charter school students are low-income, 28 percent are English learners, and 11 percent have disabilities, according to 202122 state Department of Education data.

Other charter schools across the state will be celebrating Charter Schools Week from May 814.
Police: No Charges in Shooting at Rapper DaBabys House

STATESVILLE, N.C.No charges will be filed in a shooting at the North Carolina home of rapper DaBaby, police said Thursday.

Troutman police said on social media that the investigation into the April 13 shooting has been completed, news outlets reported. According to the post, investigators consulted with the Iredell County District Attorneys Office in determining no charges will be filed.

DaBaby and at least one other person were at the home when the shooting happened on the evening of April 13, Troutman Police Chief Josh Watson told The Associated Press. But Watson wouldnt say who was shot or who did the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation at the time. He said the injuries of the unidentified wounded person were not life-threatening.

The shooting was the latest in a series of incidents involving DaBaby, whose real name is Jonathan Kirk. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon after a fatal shooting at a Walmart in Huntersville, North Carolina, just south of Troutman. He was not charged in the shooting.

Last year, the Grammy-nominated rapper was arrested after he took a loaded gun into an upscale store on Rodeo Drive.
Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang poses after winning the Best Supporting Actor award for his movie "Overhead 3" during the Hong Kong Film Awards in Hong Kong on April 19, 2015. (Kin Cheung/AP Photo)

Popular Film and TV Actor Kenneth Tsang Found Dead in Hong Kong Hotel While Under Quarantine

Popular film and TV actor Kenneth Tsang was found dead on April 27, while quarantined in a Hong Kong hotel. Upon receiving word of Tsangs passing, author Chip Tsao released a statement commemorating the artist and criticizing Hong Kongs strict COVID quarantine as stupid and inhumane.

Two days prior to Tsangs death, the 87-year-old returned to Hong Kong after vacationing in Singapore and Malaysia. Per the governments COVID-19 policies, Tsang was required to quarantine for seven days at the Kowloon Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. After arriving, Tsang notified family members that he was experiencing heartburn and asked them to deliver his medications for hypertension. Because the family was not allowed to visit Tsang, the medications could only be handed to the hotels front desk.

Tsangs former wife, model and columnist Barbara Tang, told the media the couples daughter, Tsang Mo-suet had called her father on the morning of April 27. When he didnt answer, she asked the hotel staff to check on him. Tsang failed to answer the door. Mo-suet was told the hotel was not allowed to open her fathers door without permission from the Department of Health (DOH). After obtaining permission, the hotel staff entered Tsangs room at noon and later confirmed his death.

Tsangs death under Hong Kongs strict quarantine policy aroused public concerns that the elderly should be handled with more consideration to prevent similar occurrences.

Hong Kongs COVID quarantine applies to all travelers entering or returning to China, without exception, and regardless of their individual needs. Regulations issued by the DoH state that if a person quarantined in a hotel leaves their room, they could be fined $25,000 and imprisoned for six months.

To clarify the DoH policy, Director of Infectious Diseases Cheung Chuk-Kwan said hotels should consider whether a quarantine request is reasonable, and they need not ask the governments permission in every situation.

From the UK, author Chip Tsao shared his grief about Tsangs death in a Facebook post. He included an old photo of himself with Tsang and remembered him as a man of character and vision.

Tsao also criticized Hong Kongs mandatory quarantine policy saying it was stupid and inhumane. If his wife had been with him, he might have been okay, at least he would have had someone with him. He said, In the United States, people like Clint Eastwood can still be a director and leading man at their age and make great films that express their personal wisdom.

Tsao concluded by saying, Hong Kong has one less person with character, opinions, and experience. Its the time of the great dispersal, is it Gods will? Tsao was referring to how people began leaving Hong Kong in droves after the passage of Chinas National Security Law. Despite peoples love of Hong Kong and desire to stay, they say they have no choice but to flee.

Kenneth Tsang was born on October 5, 1934. At 16, he earned acting roles as a teen idol in two Hong Kong movies before graduating from high school. He left Hong Kong to begin college in Abilene Texas, then transferred to U. C. Berkley where he graduated with a degree in architecture. He returned to Hong Kong during the early 1960s and worked as an architect until his career was no longer enough. At the time, Tsangs younger sister, Jeanette Lin Tsui had become a successful Hong Kong film star and encouraged him to try acting again.

Tsangs new career in show business began in the 1960s with Hong Kong-produced detective and martial arts movies. He continued acting for over 50 years, earning 237 credits. Fame struck Tsang in 1983 for his role as Wong Yak Shi in The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

His rising popularity propelled him into notable Hollywood movies usually portraying a mafia boss, police officer, or military official. Tsang was in John Woos The Killer in 1989. The Replacement Killers in 1998 along with Chow Yun-fat and Mira Sorvino. Anna and the King in 1999. Rush Hour 2 in 2001 along with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day, and Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005.

Tsangs prolific movie and TV career extends far beyond these few films. He was the recipient of multiple cinematic awards, including the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2015, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 during the 9th Asian Film Festival in Chicago.
Pro-abortion protesters with signs stand in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in the rain on May 6, 2022 (Jackson Elliott/The Epoch Times)

Rain Dampens Turnout at Fridays Supreme Court Abortion Protest

WASHINGTONAlthough hundreds of pro-abortion protesters have demonstrated before the Supreme Court every night since Tuesday, less than 50 showed up on the afternoon of May 6 for a 4 p.m. protest.

The protests started after the leak of a Supreme Court opinion draft that suggests the court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The likely cause of the smaller protest was the on-and-off cold rain that continued throughout the day. The protesters acknowledged the rain in their chants.

Rain or shine, the choice is mine, they shouted.

One pro-life protester showed up, but he left after less than a minute.

The weather still seemed to tell on the long line of women before the Supreme Courts barricades. Chants were far shorter than usual, and people werent as eager to surge to the groups microphone to lead them.

This is [expletive] important, said Sophia Geiger, an organizer for Extinction Rebellion, a climate change activism group. We are not [expletive] backing down.

We know that Roe is the [expletive] floor. We deserve so much better, she said.

Although Geiger led chants, the protest had much less energy to follow than on previous days.

One protester, 81-year-old Greta Gapp, said that she had protested for abortion in the 1960s in Michigan. She was one of the few protesters born before the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade.

This is second time around for me, she said. The feelings the same.

Gapp said that many of the methods of protest in the 1960s were like todays protests.

But in 1960, pro-abortion protests were hopeful because women were getting rights, she said. Today, protesters seem angrier because women are losing the right to abortion.

We have to do this again, she said of the protest. Its just really irritating.

Gapp said that she didnt know what life surrounding abortion was like before Roe v. Wade.

I dont know if I can say exactly, she said. I was busy with family and everything.

Most of the protesters had signs. Many used plays on words or witticisms. Many also relied on obscenity to make their points.

One protester, Sonya, held a sign to celebrate a new birth.

Hello little one, Its a Boy! the sign read. But red ink written over Boy turned the sign into Hello little one, its abortion.

Sonya, said that despite the obscenity and darkness of the signs, they were appropriate.

Theyre dark and theyre funny and theyre dirty, because what theyre doing over there is also dirty and also dark, she said, referencing the Supreme Court.

The leaked Supreme Court decision on abortion made the signs owner, who refused to be named, feel like the city of Washington was oppressive, she said.

It just feels more oppressive and less like what Ive always imagined it to be, she said. Not like a beautiful testament to our country.

Although weather limited Fridays protest, it likely wont be the end. Protesters plan to demonstrate outside the homes of the six conservative Supreme Court justices next week.

President Joe Bidens press secretary, Jen Psaki, said that protests outside the houses of doxed judges werent too extreme.

We obviously want peoples privacy to be respected. We want people to protest peacefully if they want to protest. That is certainly what the presidents view would be, she said.

Picketing or parading with the intent of influencing a judges ability to discharge his duty is a crime under U.S. law.
This Harvard-trained psychologist breaks down the ephemeral methods Google is using to manipulate us via ways we cant counteract. Its the ideal form of sinister manipulation  heres what to watch for to ensure theyre not pulling the wool over your eyes.

The first step to breaking free from Googles dictatorship is recognizing that the manipulation is occurring; the next involves consciously opting out of it as much as possible by protecting your privacy online

Googles autocomplete feature on its search engine can turn a 50/50 split among undecided voters into nearly a 90/10 split  all without people realizing theyre being manipulated

Research by Epstein and colleagues has found that biased search results can change peoples opinions and voting preferences, shifting opinions in undecided voters by 20% to 80% in certain demographic groups

The methods Google uses are ephemeral and leave no paper trail behind, making it very difficult to track and prove that theyre using humans as pawns, manipulating us via ways that we cant counteract

Google has the power to manipulate what you see online, targeting you with certain advertisements and burying search results theyd rather you not see. But can they go so far as to control the outcome of political elections? Absolutely, according to Robert Epstein, Ph.D., a senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology (AIBRT).

Epstein, a Harvard-trained psychologist who founded the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, likens Google to a dictator with unprecedented power because it relies on techniques of manipulation that have never existed before in human history. The free services they provide really arent free, he warns. You pay for the with your freedom.1

Google Uses Ephemeral Manipulation Tools

In the video above, Epstein speaks with Jan Jekielek, senior editor of The Epoch Times, about Googles ability to control public policy, swing elections and brainwash our children. Google has the power to censor content, to track our every move, to tear societies apart, to alter the human mind, and even to reengineer humanity, Epstein writes in his report, Googles Triple Threat,2 which he details in his interview with Jekielek.

The methods Google uses are ephemeral and leave no paper trail, making it very difficult to track and prove that theyre using humans as pawns, manipulating us via ways that we cant counteract. Ephemeral experiences occur briefly, then disappear, and include things like a list of suggested videos on YouTube, search suggestions and topics in a newsfeed.

They affect us, they disappear, theyre stored nowhere and theyre gone, Epstein says. Its the ideal form of manipulation. People have no idea theyre being manipulated, number one, and number two, authorities cant go back in time to see what people were being shown, in other words, how they were being manipulated.3

Epstein and his team, however, have found ways to track Googles invisible, almost subliminal, tools, including the search engine manipulation effect (SEME). According to Epstein:4

SEME is one of the most powerful forms of influence ever discovered in the behavioral sciences  It leaves people thinking they have made up their own minds, which is very much an illusion. It also leaves no paper trail for authorities to trace. Worse still, the very few people who can detect bias in search results shift even farther in the direction of the bias, so merely being able to see the bias doesnt protect you from it.

Research by Epstein and colleagues has found that biased search results can change peoples opinions and voting preferences, shifting opinions in undecided voters by 20% to 80% in certain demographic groups.5 Internal emails leaked from Google talk about ephemeral experience, and the company makes a point to engineer ephemeral experiences intended to alter the way people think.

SEME, however, is just one of about a dozen subliminal tools that Epsteins team has discovered. Others include the search suggestion effect, the opinion matching effect and the YouTube manipulation effect.6

Google Shifted Millions of Votes in 2020?

As Epstein and his team began to preserve politically related ephemeral experiences, extreme political bias was uncovered on Google and YouTube, which is owned by Googles parent company Alphabet.

In the days leading up to the 2020 Presidential election and 2021 Senate runoff elections in Georgia, for instance, they preserved 1.5 million ephemeral experiences and more than 3 million web pages, which were sufficient to shift at least 6 million votes in the presidential election without peoples knowledge.7

This isnt an isolated incident. In 2016, Googles search algorithm generated biased search results that influenced undecided voters, giving 2.6 million to 10.2 million votes to Hillary Clinton.

Epstein makes a point to state that he leans left politically, but despite Googles bias working to support the candidates he supported, he cant applaud it, because rigorous research I have been conducting since 2013 has shown me how dangerous these companies are  Google-and-the-Gang, I call them.8

Even displaying a Go Vote reminder on Google on election day in 2018, Epstein found, gave one political party an extra 800,000 to 4.6 million votes compared to what the other party got. Whats more, Epstein says those numbers are quite conservative.9 In other words, Epstein explained, Googles Go Vote prompt was not a public service; it was a vote manipulation. This type of vote manipulation is an example of what I call the Differential Demographics Effect.10

Epstein also had a monitoring system in place in 2018, which preserved more than 47,000 election-related searches on Google, Bing and Yahoo, along with nearly 400,000 web pages that the search results linked to. The political bias that was uncovered in the results may have shifted 78.2 million votes to one political party.11

Even the autocomplete feature that occurs when you start to type in Googles search engine is a powerful manipulation tool. A growing body of evidence suggests that Google is manipulating peoples thinking and behavior from the very first character people type into the search box, Epstein writes.12 Just from this feature alone, Epsteins research found Google can turn a 50/50 split among undecided voters into nearly a 90/10 split  all without people realizing theyre being manipulated.

Further, because Googles persuasive technologies are so powerful, and many elections worldwide are very close, Epsteins data suggest Google has likely been determining the outcomes of up to 25% of national elections worldwide since at least 2015.13

Google Is a Surveillance Agency

Its important to understand that Google is a surveillance agency with significant yet hidden surveillance powers, and this is one of their primary threats to society. As noted by Epstein:14

The search engine  Google Wallet, Google Docs, Google Drive, YouTube, these are surveillance platforms. In other words, from their perspective, the value these tools have is they give them more information about you. Surveillance is what they do.

While surveillance is Googles primary business, their revenue  which exceeds $130 billion a year  comes almost exclusively from advertising. All that personal information youve provided them through their various products is sold to advertisers looking for a specific target audience. Meanwhile, they also have an unprecedented censorship ability. By restricting or blocking access to websites, they decide what you can and cannot see.

The most crushing problem with this kind of internet censorship is that you dont know what you dont know. If a certain type of information is removed from search, and you dont know it should exist somewhere, you will never know and you wont go looking for it. This is how hundreds of millions of people have been deprived of learning the power of natural healing from me and many other clinicians who have been censored by Google.

For example, Google has been investing in DNA repositories for quite a long time, and adding DNA information to our profiles. According to Epstein, Google has taken over the national DNA repository, but articles about that  which he has cited in his own writings  have all vanished. As it stands, Epstein is worried for the future if no one steps in to stop Googles power:15

As the father of five children, I am especially concerned about what humanitys future will look like if Big Tech is allowed to continue unobstructed on its path toward world domination. In the 1950s, British economist Kenneth Boulding wrote, A world of unseen dictatorship is conceivable, still using the forms of democratic government.

I am writing this essay because I believe that such a world already exists, and that unless we act quickly and decisively, the power that the technology company executives have garnered will become so firmly entrenched that we will never be able to unseat them from their invisible thrones.

Epsteins Six Top Privacy Tips

The first step to breaking free from Googles dictatorship is recognizing that the manipulation is occurring. The next involves consciously opting out of it as much as possible. Its especially important that children are protected, as they are among the most vulnerable to the onslaught of manipulation, which will have serious consequences to future generations. Epstein noted:16

Were trying to figure out how the manipulation works. But most importantly, were trying to quantify it  Because I think that whats really happening is that there is a cumulative effect of, not just political bias, but a value literally a cumulative effect of being exposed to certain kinds of values, over and over and over again, on one tech platform, or after another.

And I think that the people who are most vulnerable to being impacted by that kind of process are children.

Epstein has compiled six steps that can help protect your privacy online, noting that he hasnt received a targeted ad on his computer or mobile phone since 2014 as a result. To take back some of your online privacy, for yourself as well as your children, he recommends:17
Sen. Rubio Introduces Bill to Fast-Track Arms Sales to Taiwan

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has introduced a proposal to fast-track the transfer of weapons and boost ties between the U.S. and Taiwanese militaries to equip the independent democratic nation against any possible attack by Beijings Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

The Taiwan Peace Through Strength Act of 2022 (pdf) requires the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct an annual review of U.S. war plans to defend Taiwan and bans U.S. defense contractors from doing business in China.

It also prioritizes arms sales by U.S. defense contractors to Taiwan ahead of other countries, regardless of which nation put their order in first and seeks to replace outdated language in the Taiwan Relations Act about arms of a defensive characteristic to enable sales for products that would deter conflict with the Chinese regime.

The act also aims to strengthen high-level military planning and set up a comprehensive joint training program that would lead to achieving interoperability between the two countrys militaries.

Although the Chinese regime is caught up with internal concerns, namely locking down millions as it pursues its COVID Zero policy amid outbreaks, Rubio said an invasion of Taiwan could happen within this decade and the country needed Americas support.

Putins invasion of Ukraine is not the first time an authoritarian regime invaded its neighbor and, unfortunately, it wont be the last, Rubio said in a May 3 release.

My bill will make Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) think twice before launching a foolish invasion, he added.

We must do all we can to deter an attack on Taiwan, or we risk losing the Indo-Pacific region to the Chinese Communist Party.

Soldiers stand onboard a Taiwan Navy minelayer in Keelung, Taiwan, on Jan. 7, 2022. (I-Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The CCP views Taiwan as a renegade province of the mainland. However, Taiwan has its own democratically elected government, constitution, and military.

The PLAs incursions into Taiwanese territory have increased in a two-year campaign of harassment and intimidation by the CCP as it seeks to coerce Taiwanese leadership away from ties with the West and to give up its democratic government.

On March 14, Taiwan scrambled assets from its air force to warn away 13 Chinese military aircraft that flew into its air defense identification zone. In January, a large-scale incursion took place, when 39 Chinese aircraft crossed into Taiwans ADIZ.

Rubio in March described the CCP as the greatest threat to America and has sought to protect American taxpayer dollars, intellectual property, research and development, and innovation efforts against theft by China.

For decades, the members of the Chinese Communist Party hid their true ambitions: their true ambition to remake the global order, to become the worlds most powerful nation, Rubio told Washington-based think tank Heritage Foundation on March 29. They dont hide it anymore.

The Republican senator has sought to put measures in place to protect the research, innovation, ingenuity, and intellectual property of Americanspaid for by taxpayersagainst theft by China.

The Taiwan Peace Through Strength Act would also authorize $2 billion per year in arms sales for Taiwan.
Shooting at Dutch Home for the Disabled Kills 2, Wounds 2

THE HAGUE, NetherlandsPolice in the Netherlands said Friday that two people have been killed and two seriously wounded in a shooting at a countryside home for people with disabilities on a farm near the city of Rotterdam.

Rotterdam police tweeted that the suspect has been arrested and the firearm has been seized, following the shootings at Molensingel, on the outskirts of Alblasserdam.

The witnesses are being taken care of, help is being arranged for them, police said.

Dutch media said a woman and a teenage girl were killed, and those wounded were a teenage boy and a young woman. The alleged shooter, a 38-year-old man, was known to police for minor disturbances but had no criminal record. The motive for the shooting remains unclear.

First responders and a number of helicopters were out at the scene. People were urged to stay away from the area.

The farm is a haven for young people and adults, mostly with disabilities or mental illness. Its also shelter for teenagers and adults who are trying to get their lives back on track, according to its website.
University students take part in a demonstration demanding the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the country's crippling economic crisis, near the parliament building in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 6, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

Sri Lanka Declares State of Emergency Amid Escalating Protests

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared an island-wide state of emergency for the second time since April amid sustained protests demanding his resignation.

The state of emergency was imposed in the interests of public security, the protection of public order, and the maintenance of supplies and essential services, the presidents media division said in a May 6 statement.

The move follows student-led demonstrations outside the parliament building demanding Rajapaksa and his administration resign. The protest began on May 5 after a government-backed deputy speaker was elected in parliament.

According to local reports, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters that were attempting to break through the blockade. Hundreds of protesters remained camped outside the building, hindering members of parliament as they exited the building.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) demanded that Rajapaksa explain the grounds for declaring a state of emergency and urged that it be revoked, saying that the declaration wasnt a solution to the protest.

Under state of emergency regulations, the president is empowered to authorize detentions without a warrant and amend any legislation, except the provisions of the Constitution.

We reiterate that the state of emergency must not be used to stifle peaceful protests and dissent or make arbitrary arrests and detentions, BASL said in a statement carried by ColomboPage.

We appeal to all parties in both government and the opposition to recognize the grave crisis that is facing the country and its people and the urgent need to resolve the political impasse in the country, the statement reads.

A demonstrator wearing a mask of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes part in a demonstration over the countrys crippling economic crisis, near the parliament building in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 6, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

This is the second time that Rajapaksa has declared a state of emergency. He declared an emergency on April 1 following a violent protest outside his private residence, which he ultimately revoked five days later.

Protests erupted in Sri Lanka as the public has blamed the government for mishandling the countrys worst economic crisis in decades. The Private Bus Owners Association suspended operations on May 6 to join the strike amid diesel shortages.

Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando said on April 6 that Rajapaksa will not resign from his position under any circumstances because he was elected on a mandate given by 6.9 million people.

The country is on the verge of bankruptcy, with its foreign exchange reserves plummeting by 70 percent over the past two years, leaving it struggling to pay for essential imports. The government stated on April 12 that it was suspending foreign debt repayments.

The World Bank has agreed to provide Sri Lanka with $600 million in financial aid to help cover the cost of essential imports.
Students cross the street on their way to school in Mississauga, Ontario, on April 1, 2021. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Ontario Teacher Files Defamation Lawsuit Against School Board for Calling Her Transphobic

A retired teacher is filing a defamation lawsuit against Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) and its board chair for calling her transphobic and ordering her to stay home from school after she raised questions about the age-appropriateness of sexual content in childrens books in an elementary school library earlier this year.

Carolyn Burjoski, who worked as a WRDSB teacher for 20 years, announced her legal action in a video on May 4, saying that the incident exposed a serious problem that school boards are using language and human rights legislations as weapons to silence anyone who questions their policies.

In my view, the message to all teachers is clear: If you speak up, you will be punished,' she said.

I am deeply concerned by the punitive way that the board and its chair acted in this matter. Therefore, I have filed a defamation claim with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against the WRDSB, and its Board Chair Scott Piatkowski to hold them accountable for their words and actions.

During a Jan. 17 Board of Trustees meeting, Burjoski read excerpts from a book titled Rick, by Alex Gina, in which the main character Rick questions his sexuality because hes not thinking about naked girls, and later declares an asexual identity after joining the schools rainbow club. Burjoski expressed concern that such stories could send the wrong message to children who have not developed sexual feelings at that age.

It concerns me that it leaves young boys wondering if there is something wrong with them if they arent thinking about naked girls all the time. What message does this send to girls in Grade 3 or 4? she said at the time. They are children. Let them grow up in their own time and stop pressuring them to be sexual so soon.

Piatkowski interrupted Burjoskis talk at that point, warning her against making comments that he said would violate Ontarios Human Rights Code. He later ejected her from the virtual meeting, despite challenges from some board members against his decision.

While the WRDSB usually publishes video recordings of its meetings on YouTube, it didnt post the recording of the Jan. 17 meeting. In a statement issued on Jan. 20, the board reiterated Piatkowskis claims that there are concerns about potential violations of the Human Rights Code.

Burjoski said the WRDSB removed the video of the board meeting from its website so people could not hear for themselves what I actually said.

The day after the meeting, Burjoski said she was told by human resources that she was assigned to home and prohibited from speaking to her students and colleagues, while pending a formal disciplinary investigation.

But she said the real impact came after Piatkowski gave interviews to multiple media immediately after the board meeting to describe her comments as transphobic.

Over the next few days, I became the centre of a national media frenzy, fuelled by statements made by the board chair on radio, TV, and social media. He attributed to me remarks that I did not make, characterized them as hateful, and accused me of violating the Human Rights Code, Burjoski said in her latest video.

The enormous stress on me and my family from these events has been overwhelming. On Jan. 22, I suffered a breakdown from extreme anxiety and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. I am still in recovery from this trauma.

Just days before Burjoskis retirement, the investigators summoned her for questioning, during which she said she was required to sign a gag order. The investigation was halted after Burjoskis doctor placed her on medical leave.

To fund her litigation, Burjoski has launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe with a goal of $100,000. The fundraiser had reached over $12,500 as of May 6.

On her GoFundMe webpage, she also spelled out her concerns about the WRDSBs lack of transparency in its culling of school libraries and teachers personal collections of books it deems harmful.

Although the culling was already underway, the Board could not answer the reporters request for the criteria being used, nor could the Board explain how the team was chosen. Teachers were not informed about the fate of our own collections, she wrote.

I read some of these new books in our elementary school library and was shocked by the content. I felt that I needed to speak up to safeguard children in our schools.
Xavier Becerra says the federal government will be there to support mental health services  starting with the new national 988 hotline for suicide prevention  if states also step up.

Becerra, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, made his comment Thursday after he and Gov. Kate Brown spoke with six young workers for YouthLine, a peer-to-peer service that is part of the Lines for Life nonprofit based in Portland.

On his brief stop in Oregon, Becerra also took part in a roundtable discussion with three of Oregon's U.S. representatives, state legislators and mental health advocates, and met privately with Planned Parenthood advocates. He also visited the Sylvania campus of Portland Community College, where he met future health care workers and took part in another roundtable.

The HHS budget for 2023 now before Congress proposes $700 million for implementation of the 988 hotline, which is scheduled to start July 16  the amount is up from the $109 million in the current budget  and a total of $7.5 billion for competitive grants to states to transform their mental health services.

The larger amount is part of a 10-year, $51.7 billion commitment that President Joe Biden laid out for mental health in his first State of the Union address on March 1.

"We want to invest with those states that want to do the work. Gov. Brown has made it very clear that Oregon is going to step up and do that," Becerra told reporters after he and Brown met with the YouthLine workers.

"We want to make sure that if someone does try to call, they actually get a person  not a busy signal or be put on hold. When we launch 988 on July 16, It's going to be important that we have a whole bunch of folks who are ready to go. We need every state to step up."

Asked what he learned from the young workers, Becerra said:

"Probably that we've got peers who are doing a great job helping these youths, who are probably the shyest and least likely to come forward quickly. That has got to give you some sense of promise that this will be done well, so long as we invest and provide them with the resources they need."

Brown said it was not her first visit to Lines for Life, which specializes in crisis intervention and treatment for addiction.

"But to hear from the young people doing the work is extraordinary," she said. "It makes me hopeful for the future and committed to fight for President Biden's $50 billion investment in behavioral health services across this country."

Brown signed a $470 million commitment by the 2021 Legislature with a mix of state and federal dollars to boost capacity for mental health, reorganize services, and expand and diversify the workforce.

According to a 2020 national survey, the share of adults who reported a mental health issue rose from 18.3% in 2016  the rate had been stable for years  to 21% in 2020. The increase was attributed to a surge by young adults ages 18 to 25.

In a 2019 survey of high school students preceding the coronavirus pandemic, one of every three students reported persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness  and one in five reported seriously considering suicide.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Prospects for money

Among the guests were U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici and Kurt Schrader, all of whom served with Becerra, a 24-year veteran of the House before he succeeded Kamala Harris as California attorney general in 2017. Harris, elected to the U.S. Senate, became vice president with Biden's election in 2020, and Becerra was Biden's pick to lead one of the larger federal agencies in 2021.

Schrader sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which deals with health care legislation in the House. He said he believes Biden can prevail on mental health funding despite thin Democratic majorities and sharp partisan divisions in the current Congress.

"We argue about a lot of things, but this is not one of them," he said.

"Nothing is an easy sell. We have spent a lot of money over the past four or five years just trying to keep America alive. But the tale of COVID is pretty obvious. These young people here see it daily. We need to make that investment to make sure our kids grow up in a little better world and feel comfortable and are taken care of."

Bonamici leads one of the subcommittees on the Education and Labor Committee. She said a frequent topic is school nutrition.

"We know that students cannot learn when they are hungry. We also know students can't learn if they are suffering with mental health challenges," she said. "Our students deserve it, and we will work to make sure we get that funding. I applaud the president for his bold budget proposal that we know we need."

Blumenauer did not take part in the press gathering, but he echoed those sentiments during the panel discussion. Like Becerra, Blumenauer is a longtime member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the tax-writing panel in that chamber.

'We can do better'

Becerra's visit was the fourth to Oregon by a Cabinet-level official in recent weeks  the others were Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Housing Secretary Marcia Fudge and U.S. Trade representative Katherine Tai  and Biden himself stopped in Portland on April 21.

During the roundtable discussion, advocates urged Becerra to support more federal money. Becerra said Biden's commitment in his State of the Union address was easily the largest by any president in recent times toward true parity of mental health with treatments for physical illnesses and injuries.

"We know we have a president who puts his money where his mouth is," he said. "The president is putting forth a budget that actually lets us do that."

Among those he heard from were Roberto Aguilar, a counselor at Milwaukie High School, who spoke for the Oregon School Counselor Association  he was Oregon counselor of the year in 2017  and Karley Strouse, a bilingual psychologist in the Salem-Keizer School District, who spoke for the Oregon School Psychologists Association.

Both said schools lack the trained specialists to deal with mental health issues that predate the onset of the pandemic. Aguilar said if Oregon were to adhere to a stand of one counselor for every 250 students, schools overall would have to hire 744 more of them.

Becerra said there is a reason why the proposed $7.5 billion in his agency's budget is for competitive grants for states to explore new approaches to mental health.

"I can't just fund new people," he said. "But I can fund an idea that shows we can do better."

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Ancient wisdom has guided medical researchers to study this biochemical marvel

The oceans, forests, and jungles of our planet are the sources of our oldest medicines. Long before a trip to the drugstore could yield a bottle of tidy pills, medicines grew in the deepest, most fertile places on earth.

And many of them grow there still, at least in the natural places that remain.

Fungi are vital to all life on earth. They exist inside our bodies, our food, and the soil beneath our feet.

Fungi have been used for millennia by cultures across the globe for their powerful healing abilities and as spiritual aids. Many modern medicines come from fungi, including penicillin, to fight bacterial infections. Other examples of medicines derived from fungi are cyclosporine from Tolypocladium inflatum, which enables organ transplants, and lovastatin from Aspergillus terreus, which is used to lower cholesterol.

One of the oldest and perhaps more mysterious is a species of fungus called agarikon, or Fomitopsis officinalis. Its reportedly the oldest living mushroom known to us and can live up to 100 years. Agarikon is a polypore wood conk that grows on trees and is found almost exclusively in the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest and on a few of the sky islands in Austria and Slovenia.

Agarikon grows like a fruit hanging from the places where branches connect to the trunks of trees. It is hoof-shaped when young, developing into a cylindrical shape, and grows to very large sizes resembling a giant beehive as it matures.

Agarikon History

The earliest mention of agarikon is from A.D. 65 by Greek physician Diascorities, who described it as elixirium ad longam vitam which means the elixir of long life. The ancient Greeks used agarikon to treat respiratory illnesses, night sweats, and consumption (tuberculosis).

In North America, the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest also revered agarikon for its spiritual and medicinal properties. In the local languages, it was referred to as bread of ghosts or tree biscuits.

Agarikon was used by shamans (the healer and spiritual figure in these communities), who carved it into masks and figures for ceremonies. When a shaman died, agarikon, in various carved forms, was placed at the head of the grave to act as guardians, protecting the shaman in the afterlife.

When used for medicinal purposes, the mushroom was ground into a powder and used for various ailments. Some oral traditions from certain tribes recount that agarikon was used to heal tribes from European diseases like smallpox.

Medicinal Benefits

Agarikon has very potent antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties.

A 2013 study concluded that chlorinated coumarins in agarikon were highly active against multi-drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis.

When working with the Bioshield program (part of the U.S. defense department), renowned mycologist and scientist Paul Stamets discovered that mycelial extracts from agarikon had potent properties against poxviruses, flu viruses, and herpes.

Working with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, Stamets and the team there isolated two novel anti-smallpox molecules. Stamets notes that these molecules are even more potent than cidofovir, an antiviral pharmaceutical.

Studies have also shown that agarikon is highly effective against herpes, influenza A and B, smallpox, cowpox, swine and bird flu, and other viruses such as the orthopoxvirus.

The coumarin found in agarikon is thought to be what helps to treat conditions involving the lungs, such as asthma, cough, and pneumonia, by helping open the lungs, decrease inflammation, and get rid of mucus. In a 2018 study, the antimicrobial compounds of agarikon were found to be particularly potent against two dangerous strains of tuberculosis, reaffirming ancient beliefs.

Antibacterial, Anti-Viral, and Anti-Microbial

Agarikon was found to be a natural bioshield against potential infection and disease transmission, and agarikon extract shows evidence of broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral activity. After testing 11 strains of agarikon from North America, a few showed exceptionally high activity against viruses, including pox (cowpox), swine (H1N1) and bird (H5N1) flu, and herpes (HSV1, HSV2) viruses. In several sets of tests, extracts against flu viruses exceeded the potency of the drug ribavirin by a factor of ten or more. Recently researchers in Russia have confirmed the strong antiviral activity of agarikon against the H5N1 flu virus, also finding that agarikon is comparatively nontoxic to humans.

Anti-Cancer and Anti-Tumor

Agarikon contains complex carbohydrates, polysaccharides, and antioxidants, giving it immunomodulatory and immunostimulating properties that are particularly effective in preventing and treating tumors and cancer. A 2020 study demonstrated that compounds in agarikon boost interferon, T cells, interleukins, and tumor necrosis factor the body uses to fight cancer. Additionally, by isolating cells, studies found that agarikon supplements are able to offer immense relief to cancer patients.

Saving Our Environment May Mean Saving Ourselves

Perhaps the most fascinating part of this elusive mushroom and fungi, in general, is that many of the pathogens that affect fungi affect humans as well. Mycologists like Paul Stamets are learning a lot from studying agarikons natural defenses against microbes and the solutions it has developed against external invaders.

The problem is that agarikon is endangered, and the only places its foundthe old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwestare shrinking. In fact, only 5 percent of them remain. That means were quickly losing our opportunity to study thisas Stamets puts itdeep reservoir of pharmacologically active agents.

The biodiversity of our ecosystems has within them a wealth of potential solutions to the diseases that afflict us, Stamets said. He and others are working to study as many of the medicinal effects of agarikon and other fungi as possible, and preserve the forests that are their homes. Stamets himself has tirelessly collected and cataloged 37 strains of agarikon (the largest culture bank of this species in the world) and is trying to save it from extinction.

In a culture that has forgotten our connection to the natural world, the story of agarikon is a sobering reminder of what we might lose if we dont acknowledge the wisdom of these organisms and protect the habitats in which they live. Destroying them could destroy the potential cures for unforetold diseases.
Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (18111886) was a virtuoso pianist of the Romantic movement. The prolific composer, performer, and teacher composed 700 pieces in his lifetime. A child prodigy of a musical family, he performed for well-known musicians and royalty by the time he was 9 years old. Regular traveling and performing in his youth led Liszt to develop nervous exhaustion and to consider spiritual alternatives. Young Liszt told his father, Adam Liszt, that he wanted to become a priest.

To improve young Franzs health, Adam took him to the sea in Boulogne, France, where Adam died of typhoid fever. The traumatic death of his father led Franz at age 15 to turn away from music for several years while he focused his inquisitive mind on the study of religion and art.

Poetic Nocturnes

In his early 20s, Liszt returned to composing and performing. He was a virtuoso performer who gave solo recitals completely on his own. The devoted pianist delivered piano music to innovative new places by creating chromatic harmony. He also developed what he called a symphonic poem, a single movement that encapsulated the dramatic complexity of a literary work and combined all the compositional elements of a traditional, four-movement symphony.

The death of his friend and fellow composer Frederic Chopin inspired Liszt to briefly create works in genres that Chopin made famous, such as the nocturne. Liszts three-part Liebestraum, meaning Dreams of Love, is a series of three nocturnes that represent different types of love as expressed by three associated poems. Like German lieder of the Romantic era, they were songs that could be combined with poetry or performed as solo piano pieces.

Liebestraum in 3 Parts

The first nocturne in Dreams of Love, Liebestraum No.1, is based on Johann Ludwig Uhlands poem titled Hohe Liebe or Exalted Love. The poem is about spiritual exaltation in which a person gladly disowns the joys of Earth in favor of the golden beyond. Of the three pieces, this nocturne is the most peaceful and restrained. Pensive notes are held at length while layered arpeggios and rapidly ascending notes allude to the heavens above that have parted.

Liebestraum No. 2 is based on Uhlands poem Seliger Tod or Blessed Death. Liszts second nocturne in the series intentionally exists in stark contrast to the first. The piece is about humanitys experience of love born out of fleeting physical intimacy. The piece flares up dramatically, eventually coming to an abrupt and somewhat dismal end. Uhland hints that this love may allow a viewer to be awakened or even to glimpse heaven, and yet, like all of our experiences in the flesh, it is not meant to last.

Ferdinand Freiligraths poem O Lieb, so Lang du Lieben Kannst, or O Love, as Long as You Can, is the basis for Lizsts third and final nocturne of the series, Liebestraum No. 3. This final piece speaks of a love that transcends the death of the previous poem. It is a bittersweet reminder to love those we hold dear because the time will come when we may no longer have them. The song emotionally builds to an intense crescendo, but it ends in a peaceful feeling reminiscent of the first nocturne. It seems to hold the hopeful message that through gratitude and cultivation, love is ever-present. Although loved ones depart, we may continue to seek the exalted love that only the divine can provide.
Trump Backs Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania Rally

Former President Donald Trump expressed support for Republican Senate Candidate Mehmet Oz during a rally in Pennsylvania, insisting that the GOP member is someone who believes in the ideals of MAGA.

Dr. Oz has led an enormously successful career on television, and now hes running to save our country, just like I do, Trump said in his speech on May 6. Dr. Oz is a man who truly believes in Make America Great Again or the MAGA movement.

The celebrity doctor is due to compete in the Republican primary in less than two weeks. At the rally, Trump also highlighted his recent endorsement success, with the May 3 Republican primary seeing all 22 of his endorsed candidates in Indiana and Ohio win their races.

Despite Trumps endorsement, Oz was continually booed by the crowd. Not only did rally attendees boo as his ads played on the screen, but they also expressed disapproval before he took the stage and when other speakers mentioned Ozs name. The rally staff upped the music as Oz came out on stage in an attempt to drown out the crowd.

Carrie Hamley, a small business owner from Greensburg, told HuffPost reporter Daniel Marans that the reason she is not supporting Oz is because he is not a Pennsylvanian or conservative and not someone who would represent us well.

According to a recent poll by Franklin & Marshall, 41 percent of Republican voters viewed Oz unfavorably, with just 29 percent seeing him in a positive light. Ozs primary opponent, former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick, had better support from a faction of voters who support Trump, with 28 percent saying that they support him as opposed to 19 percent favoring Oz.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is raising questions about Ozs potential ties with the Turkish government. Oz is a citizen of both America and Turkey. At a press briefing on Friday, Pompeo noted that Oz had voted in a Turkish presidential election but not an American election.

Maybe its all innocent, maybe its all straight up, but we and the people of Pennsylvania and [all] Americans  need to understand the scope and depth of his relationship with the Turkish government, stated Pompeo, who is supporting McCormick in the election.

During the Pennsylvania rally, Trump took aim at McCormick, pointing out that the former CEO had commented about his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.

David came out very strongly against me on numerous occasions. This was before he was going to run all of a sudden, he said, Boy, I like this guy a lot. Including with respect to the disinformation spread about January 6, total disinformation, Trump said.

So I dont know David well, and he may be a nice guy, but hes not MAGA. Hes not MAGA. Hes more Toomey than he is MAGA, he added, referring to Pennsylvanian Republican Senator Pat Toomey who had voted to convict the former president during his second impeachment.

Trump also pointed out that McCormick has worked with a company that managed money for communist China.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, at a briefing in New York City on March 1, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

US Responds to Ukraines Call to Remove Russia from UN Security Council

There will be no changes to Russias permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Representative to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield says.

Im also aware of their request to re-look at Russias permanent seat on the Security Council. But again, the Russians have the permanent seat, and I dont see at the moment that there will be any changes in that, she said during an interview on PBSs Firing Line on May 6.

However, the United States will continue to isolate Russia.

The efforts to isolate Russia have been very effective, Thomas-Greenfield said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the United Nations (UN) Security Council via video link on April 5, 2022, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

During a speech on May 5 before the Security Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the U.N. for doing nothing about Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The leader of the former Soviet republic proposed two options to the multinational organization: remove Russia or dissolve the U.N.

Remove Russia as an aggressor and a source of war from blocking decisions about its own aggression, its own war. And then do everything that can establish peace, he said. Or if your current format is unalterable and there is simply no way out, then the only option would be to dissolve yourself altogether.

A map by the U.K. Ministry of Defense shows the troop locations of Russia and Ukraine as of May 7, 2022. (UK Ministry of Defense)

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, which the Kremlin called a special military operation.

The U.N. said that as of May 6, 3,309 civilians had been killed and 3,493 injured in Ukraine since Russias invasion, and almost 5.8 million people had fled the country.

After a botched effort to take control of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Russian forces recently shifted focus to the south and east of Ukraine, where the separatist or disputed territories are located. The Kremlin appears to be intent on occupying the corridor connecting Crimea and Donbas, with Mariupol being a key city along the corridor.

With a huge amount of weapons, training, and other military aid from its Western allies, the Ukrainian armed forces were able to slow or defeat Russian aggressions as the standoff drags on.

Russias most capable units and most advanced capabilities have been ruined by the Ukraine war, the UK Ministry of Defense said.

It will take considerable time and expense for Russia to reconstitute its armed forces following this conflict. It will be particularly challenging to replace modernized and advanced equipment due to sanctions restricting Russias access to critical microelectronic components, the agency wrote in an intelligence update.
Virginia Police Monitoring Planned Protests at Supreme Court Justices Homes: Governor

Virginia State Police (VSP) are monitoring the planned protests at the homes of three Supreme Court justices and will help make sure the justices stay safe, according to a spokeswoman for Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

The governor is aware and Virginia State Police will monitor the situation, Macaulay Porter, the spokeswoman, told The Epoch Times in an email.

VSP will assist federal and local law enforcement as needed to ensure the safety of our citizens, including Supreme Court justices, who call Virginia home, she added.

VSP did not respond to a request for comment.

An activist group called Ruth Sent Us recently posted a map with the addresses of three justices who live in Virginia.

They encouraged people to peacefully protest outside the homes.

The map also included the addresses of three justices who live in Maryland.

The six justices were all appointed by Republican presidents and five or six of them are poised to strike down Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that concluded that access to abortion is a constitutional right, according to a recently released draft ruling.

The activist group calls the six justices extremists and wants some of them to resign, claiming they lied to lawmakers about their stances on the abortion decision.

The map was later removed from the groups website by Google, which said that it violated the companys terms of service and/or policies.

Ruth Sent Us, which is also urging people to dress as characters from The Handmaids Tale and protest inside churches on Mothers Day, did not respond to a request for comment.

A spokeswoman for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan did not return an inquiry. Nor did the Maryland State Police.

Protests have primarily been taking place outside the Supreme Court building, which sits across the street from the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush appointee who penned the draft ruling, is one of the justices who live in Virginia.

Politico, which published the draft, cited a source when reporting that Justices Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh were joining Alito to form a majority.

Thomas is a George H. W. Bush appointee while the other three are Trump appointees.

George W. Bush appointee John Roberts may or may not side with the majority.

The remaining three justices were appointed by Democrat presidents.

The ruling was on Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. The case deals with a Mississippi law that banned abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Alito noted that states had varying laws regarding abortion before 1973, when the nations top court handed down Roe v. Wade.

The decision must be overruled, Alito said, because the Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision.
Amidst the Omicron variant era of the pandemic, secondary disasters have been constantly taking place in many cities in communist China under strict lockdown. Some hospitals flat out refuse patients that dont have a nucleic acid amplification Covid test report, leading to multiple deaths of people who could not receive treatment. What has caused these heartbreaking cases? And is the unimaginable happening in China a warning for the rest of the world?

A shocking psychological experiment, the Obedience Experiment designed and conducted by psychologist Stanley Milgram, may be able to shed some light on this issue.

The Hippocratic Oath: A Must-Read for Entry-Level Physicians

Chinas strict city lockdown policy has caused many tragedies. On April 16, 2022, the son of Shanghai violinist Chen Shunping wrote online that his father had experienced severe abdominal pain and vomiting, so he sought help from Tongji Hospital, which is affiliated with Tongji University, and the No. 10 Peoples Hospital. However, he didnt receive any treatment. As a result, Chen jumped off a building to his death. This issue immediately became a popular subject of discussion among Chinese netizens users.

Zhou Shengni, a nurse at Shanghai East Hospital, had an asthma attack and passed away, as she was denied treatment by her own employer.

When the pandemic broke out in Xian in January, 39-year-old Li Hai (a pseudonym) was in the same situation. Li Hai called 120 (emergency number in China) with chest pains, but since his nucleic acid test results werent available yet, the emergency responders refused to send him to the hospital. Later, he received the test results, but he was still refused treatment by three hospitals for reasons such as hospital closure, and he eventually passed away.

There have been multiple similar cases taking place recently in China, and it is heartbreaking.

All doctors have the responsibility to save people and protect their health. Many physicians, at the beginning of their medical career, would take the Hippocratic Oath or the alternative Declaration of Geneva.

An excerpt of the Declaration of Geneva reads:

I solemnly pledge to dedicate my life to the service of humanity; the health and well-being of my patient will be my first consideration; I will maintain the utmost respect for human life; I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient; I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat.

The Hippocratic Oath and the Declaration of Geneva are considered to be the professional ethics of those who practice medicine. However, why do some medical professionals forget their responsibility to save lives, when they see a patient in urgent need of treatment? Maybe its because they have to obey the orders of their superiors and the authorities, so they have to take actions against their own will.

One may wonder: Can an order from the authorities make a medical practitioner turn a blind eye to the suffering of a patient right in front of him or her?

There was a history-making study on obedience to authority, and its experiment results caused a great deal of controversy at the time.

The Most Shocking Psychological Experiment of All

This study first started right after World War II ended, when the memories of the inhumane massacres during the war were still fresh in peoples minds.

In this context, Professor Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, wanted to know whether it is possible that people would commit murders just to obey the orders of their superiors during wartime. What choices would people make when the authority issues them an order that goes against their basic moral principles?

Therefore, in 1960, Professor Milgram started the obedience to authority experiment (aka the Milgram Experiment).

The subjects of the experiment ranged in age from 20 to 50, with both genders. Their occupations included workers, salespeople, white-collar workers, and professionals. And the experimenters recruited people of all educational backgrounds.

A subject was designated as a teacher, who was told that he or she was participating in a study on the effects of physical punishment on learning behavior. At the same time, a learner, who was actually a confederate of the experimenter, would also participate in the experiment. The teacher would mistake the learner for a subject of the experiment, whereas he or she was the real subject of the study.

The teacher would sit in front of an eye-catching electroshock generator, which was supposed to generate electric shocks of 15 to 450 volts. After the experiment began, the teacher would read some words to test the learners memory. If the learner made a mistake, the teacher would have to administer an electric shock to him or her as punishment. With each mistake, the electric shocks voltage would increase.

In the experiment, the learner would explicitly tell the teacher that he or she was suffering from a heart condition.

During the experiment, the teacher and the learner were placed in different rooms. Unable to see each other, they could only communicate through a microphone on the wall. The teacher would hear the learners screams from the next room during each electroshock, but this was actually a pre-recorded sound to convince the teacher that the shock was real. As the voltage increased, the learner would react in various ways, from being silent, to mumbling, shouting and begging, and finally there would be silence, as if the learner had become unconscious.

In the teachers room, there was a Yale University psychologist responsible for giving instructions to the teacher, representing the authority.

If the teacher asked the authority figure to terminate the experiment, as the learner would be in danger due to high voltages, they would be told please continue for the first four times. However, when the teacher asked to stop for the fifth time, the authority would terminate the experiment.

Prior to the experiment taking place, Professor Milgram and his colleagues tried to predict the number of people, who would stay in the experiment until the very end and apply 450-volt electroshocks to the learners.

The teachers were informed that voltages above 110 were unsafe; 135-volt shocks were already considered very strong, and over 450 volts would be dangerous, and not to mention that the learner was supposed to have a heart condition. Believing that people would have a moral baseline, the experimenters thought that only a handful of people would persist until the end.

However, unfortunately, Professor Milgram and his colleagues were wrong.

The results of the experiment were shocking and depressing. Sixty-five percent of the subjects abandoned their moral principles during the experiment and chose to completely obey the authority to the end, thus applying 450-volt electric shocks to the learners, even though the teachers had been previously instructed that disobeying the authority would not cost them anything or get them punished.

However, it is still heartening to know that 35 percent of the subjects chose to stand by their conscience and stopped the experiment by disobeying the authority.

Professor Milgram and his colleagues repeated the same experiment many times in different cultures, in the United States, Germany, Italy, and South Africa. Although the subjects of experiment possessed different characteristics and ethnicities, the results were surprisingly consistent: around 65 percent of the subjects chose to obey the authority.

The experiment results caused an uproar in the society at that time. We all think that people have the basic morality, which involves being considerate of others and treating them with respect. However, when an authority figure gives orders, would people do things that hurt others while violating their own conscience?

One example of doctors betraying moral conscience and abandoning the Hippocratic Oath has left a deep mark in history:

During the Weimar Republic in the mid-twentieth century, more than half of all German physicians became early joiners of the Nazi Party, surpassing the party enrollments of all other professions. From early on, the German Medical Society played the most instrumental role in the Nazi medical program, beginning with the marginalization of Jewish physicians, proceeding to coerced experimentation, euthanization, and sterilization, according to a paper published in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry.

As in the case of China under lockdown, when a patient has an emergency medical condition, have the doctors forgotten the Hippocratic Oath and their professional ethics? In fact, it is unlikely that they have indeed forgotten about them. Is it pressure from authority that causes them to make the wrong judgment?

Courage Is Essential to Human Life and Health

Professor Milgram began these experiments in 1961 and published his paper in 1963, when the Helsinki Declaration was not published until 1964. Regardless of the unavailability of ethical review at that time, which has triggered some concerns, the implication and influence of the main conclusion of the study are far-reaching.

During the COVID era, countless pieces of important safety information regarding COVID vaccines which were hidden, or underreported. Lives were lost due to silence or obedience of medical professionals.

California recently introduced Assembly Bill 2098, which designates the dissemination or promotion of misinformation or disinformation related to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, or COVID-19, as unprofessional conduct warranting disciplinary action that could result in the loss of health professionals medical licenses. Free voices might be shut even further under the power of authorities with such legislation in the works.

The pressure of authority weakens peoples ability to make subjective judgments about right and wrong, reducing people to robots.

Therefore, in the Milgram Experiment, only 35 percent of the people were able to adhere to their moral baseline and had the courage to say no to authority figures, which is quite commendable.

Speaking of courage, David R. Hawkins, M.D, Ph.D, a well-known American psychiatrist and physician, had systematically studied the energy of the human body in different mental states over a long period of time. He published his findings in the book titled Power vs. Force.

According to Hawkins, the energy of the human body fluctuates with ones state of consciousness. If the energy level of human consciousness is rated on a scale of 1 to 1,000, any state of consciousness and emotion that have an energy level below 200 will have a negative impact on the human body; while any state of consciousness and emotion that have energy levels between 200 and 1,000 will have a positive impact on the body.

The states of consciousness that bring negative energy to people include guilt, apathy, fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, and pride.

The states of consciousness that bring positive energy include acceptance, reason, love, joy, peace, and enlightenment.

When a persons energy level goes from negative to positive, there will be a watershed, which is courage with a level of around 200.

When a person develops courage, it is the beginning of a positive level of life energy. Courage and righteousness are very important for maintaining ones physical and mental health. On a societal level, courage and righteousness are also very important for maintaining a positive social state and the morality of human society.

While frustrating and intimidating, people must all be firm in pursuing and sharing the truth, in standing up for freedom of speech including and especially for the rights of medical doctors to express their medical opinions.

It is only when the morality of human society is maintained that the people living within it will be truly healthy, and human civilization be developed sustainably.

References

BEHAVIORAL STUDY OF OBEDIENCE1

Why did so many German doctors join the Nazi Party early?

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/05/05/doctors-hunted-by-pharma.aspx

Assembly Bill 2098

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a White House daily press briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on May 4, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

White House Working With Broad Range of Groups on Fate of Roe v. Wade

The White House says that its working with a broad range of groups to try to ensure that abortions continue to be legal across the United States.

The announcement comes after a draft majority Supreme Court opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked on May 2.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on May 6 that the Biden administration is working to see what levers we have in government to respond if the 1973 decision that made abortion legal throughout the country is, in fact, overturned by the Supreme Court.

What our effort and our focus is on is on broadly engaging about the specifics on possible actions and preparing for the release of a final opinion, Psaki said, noting that the release is expected early this summer.

She said the White House Gender Policy Council is leading the charge, working with -pro-abortion activist groups and private businesses, as well as officials in state and federal government to see what options the administration has if Roe is overturned and states become able to make their own decisions regarding abortion access.

The press secretary, who is stepping down, also noted recent developments in state legislatures.

Psaki pointed to President Joe Bidens whole of government response to oppose a new law in Texas banning most abortions and Bidens support of a new law, signed on May 5 by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, meant to allow women to get an abortion in Connecticut if theyve been denied in another state.

Obviously, our preference would be for Congress to codify Roe and, of course, for the final opinion not to look like the leaked opinion, she said. But we are also supportive of states. Were going to work with a broad range of stakeholders as we prepare for a final opinion to be released.

Psakis comments come a day after she avoided condemning the unprecedented Supreme Court leak during a line of questioning at a White House press briefing.

She also didnt condemn protests that were planned at the homes of Supreme Court justices.

I dont have an official U.S. government position on where people protest, Psaki said on May 5. I want itwe want it, of course, to be peaceful. And certainly, the president would want peoples privacy to be respected.

The Supreme Court, along with Republican members of Congress, have called for the leaker of the draft opinion to be brought forward and to face consequences.

John Malcolm, vice president of the Heritage Foundations Institute for Constitutional Government, told The Epoch Times on May 3 that while Bidens authority may be limited when it comes to issuing an executive order on abortions, he noted that Biden might be able to issue a rule governing what happens on federal properties.
Activists call on President Joe Biden to not resume student loan payments in February and to cancel student debt, in Washington, on Dec. 15, 2021. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We, The 45 Million)

Will Student Debt Forgiveness Bankrupt the Country?

Commentary

When debts become unpayable, then they should be forgiven. This is the opinion of Michael Hudson, a professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Regardless of the context, the idea of debt forgiveness sounds ludicrous to some. To some, sure. But not to all.

Last week, President Joe Biden said he was seriously considering widespread student debt forgiveness. Although many commentators on the left were quick to praise Bidens comments, important questions must be asked, including the following: Is widespread student debt forgiveness a good idea? If Biden goes ahead with his plan, how much will this cost the United States, a country that is already submerged in a sea of debt?

As authors at The Hill recently reported, Biden plans to expunge at least $10,000 per borrower. He intends to execute this rather controversial plan through executive action. More worryingly, with loan forgiveness, the door, were told, is open to possibly larger amounts being written off. Lots of options are currently on the table.

Members of the administration are doing a lot of listening right now, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill. Listening to who exactly? Well, one assumes, influential people like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), both of whom have called on the president to cancel up to $50,000 in debt.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks during a press conference about student debt outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 4, 2021. Also pictured, L-R, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.). The group of Democrats reintroduced their resolution calling on President Joe Biden to take executive action to cancel up to $50,000 in debt for federal student loan borrowers. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Will Biden acquiesce? There is a moratorium on federal student loan repayments, which will expire on Aug. 31. Although Biden has extended the student loan payment moratorium four times since he was sworn in as the 46th president, the last one was explicitly referred to as the final extension. In short, we should have our answer by the end of August.

The Mother Lode of Bad Ideas

If the president does decide to forgive, say, $10,000 in debt, how will his decision affect the country? In a nutshell, quite badly, it seems.

Before getting into the actual costs of forgiving outstanding debt, another important point must be addressed. The forgiveness of debt doesnt address the underlying problems.

Education has become prohibitively expensive. As the academic Avery M. Davis wrote last year, debt forgiveness fails to address the root cause of the problem: that, each day, we issue thousands of new loans to students in response to rising higher education costs and decreased funding for a public post-secondary education.

Moreover, people are getting less bang for their buck, with an increasing number of degrees being rendered worthless. Throwing money at this particular problem is similar to using antidepressants to battle crippling depression. The drugs dont work. Debt forgiveness might feel good, but feelings, as Ben Shapiro might say, cant compete with facts.

Speaking of facts, lets talk about the cost of forgiveness. The economist Adam Looney has discussed the dangers of even modest student loan forgiveness. By modest, Looney means $10,000. Such proposals, he wrote, are staggeringly expensive and use federal spending that could advance other goals.

What other goals? How about a focus on making skilled trades great again?

As I have discussed elsewhere, the United States needs skilled electricians and carpenters, two careers that offer great autonomy and flexibility, not to mention a rather healthy paycheck. Instead of flushing inordinate amounts of money down the proverbial toilet, a focus on resuscitating skilled trades could prove to be a more fruitful endeavor.

The sums involved in loan-forgiveness proposals under discussion, warned Looney, would exceed cumulative spending on many of the nations major anti-poverty programs over the last several decades.

According to a recent analysis published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to erase $10,000 per borrower, the U.S. government would need to cancel more than $320 billion in federally backed loans.

Whats another $320 billion? After all, two months ago, the U.S. Treasury Department reported that the gross national debt had surpassed $30 trillion for the first time in the countrys history, a figure that Forbes called incomprehensible.

When Forbes, a magazine dedicated to extreme wealth, calls a sum incomprehensible, then we know things are, shall we say, pretty bad.

If the Biden administration does agree to forgive the debt, who stands to benefit the most?

According to financial analysts at the University of Chicagos Becker Friedman Institute for Economics, wealthy Americans benefit the most. Writing off student loan debt would allocate roughly $192 billion to the countrys top 20 percent of earners; meanwhile, less than $30 billion of the debt relief would find its way to the 20 percent at the other end.

So, one wonders, why would the Biden administration even bother canceling repayments? Well, its all about appeasing certain voters. According to Catalist data, some 43 percent of the people who voted for Biden in 2020 graduated with a four-year college degree.

As the author Jerusalem Demsas recently noted: Given that trend, student-loan forgiveness may seem like the classic tale of a political party transferring a valuable benefit to a crucial constituency.

Erasing student debt might prove costly for the country, but it might prove to be a shrewd, self-serving investment for the current leadership. Then again, it could prove to be the final nail in the United States coffin of debt.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Afghanistans Taliban rulers on Saturday ordered all Afghan women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public  a sharp, hard-line pivot that confirmed the worst fears of rights activists and was bound to further complicate Taliban dealings with an already distrustful international community.

The decree says that women should leave the home only when necessary, and that male relatives would face punishment  starting with a summons and escalating up to court hearings and jail time  for women's dress code violations.

It was the latest in a series of repressive edicts issued by the Taliban leadership, not all of which have been implemented. Last month, for example, the Taliban forbade women to travel alone, but after a day of opposition, that has since been silently ignored.

On Sunday in the capital, Kabul, many women on the street were wearing the same large shawls as before. Women also arrived unaccompanied at Kabul International Airport, while in the city women boarded small buses alone.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it was deeply concerned with what appeared to be a formal directive that would be implemented and enforced, adding that it would seek clarifications from the Taliban about the decision.

This decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans human rights, including those of women and girls, that had been provided to the international community by Taliban representatives during discussions and negotiations over the past decade, it said in a statement.

The decree, which calls for women to only show their eyes and recommends they wear the head-to-toe burqa, evoked similar restrictions on women during the Taliban's previous rule between 1996 and 2001.

We want our sisters to live with dignity and safety, said Khalid Hanafi, acting minister for the Talibans vice and virtue ministry.

The Taliban previously decided against reopening schools to girls above grade 6, reneging on an earlier promise and opting to appease their hard-line base at the expense of further alienating the international community. But this decree does not have widespread support among a leadership that's divided between pragmatists and the hard-liners.

That decision disrupted efforts by the Taliban to win recognition from potential international donors at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

For all dignified Afghan women wearing Hijab is necessary and the best Hijab is chadori (the head-to-toe burqa) which is part of our tradition and is respectful, said Shir Mohammad, an official from the vice and virtue ministry in a statement.

Those women who are not too old or young must cover their face, except the eyes, he said. Islamic principles and Islamic ideology are more important to us than anything else."

Senior Afghanistan researcher Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch urged the international community to put coordinated pressure on the Taliban.

(It is) far past time for a serious and strategic response to the Talibans escalating assault on womens rights," she wrote on Twitter.

The Taliban were ousted in 2001 by a U.S.-led coalition for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and returned to power in the waning days of Americas chaotic departure last year.

The White House National Security Council condemned the Taliban's Saturday decree and urged them to reverse it.

"We are discussing this with other countries and partners. The legitimacy and support that the Taliban seeks from the international community depend entirely on their conduct, specifically their ability to back stated commitments with actions, it said in a statement.

Since taking power last August, the Taliban leadership has been squabbling among themselves as they struggle to transition from war to governing. It has pit hard-liners against the more pragmatic among them.

A spokeswoman from Pangea, an Italian non-governmental organization that has assisted women for years in Afghanistan, said the new decree would be particularly difficult for them to swallow since they had lived in relative freedom until the Taliban takeover.

In the last 20 years, they have had the awareness of human rights, and in the span of a few months have lost them," Silvia Redigolo said by telephone. Its dramatic to (now) have a life that doesnt exist.

Infuriating many Afghans is the knowledge that many of the Taliban of the younger generation, like Sirajuddin Haqqani, are educating their girls in Pakistan, while in Afghanistan women and girls have been targeted by their repressive edicts since taking power. Haqqani is a U.N.-designated terrorist and head of the Haqqani network, which has been blamed for some of the deadliest attacks during the 20-year U.S.-led invasion.

Girls have been banned from school beyond grade 6 in most of the country since the Talibans return. Universities opened earlier this year in much of the country, but since taking power the Taliban edicts have been erratic. While a handful of provinces continued to provide education to all, most provinces closed educational institutions for girls and women.

The religiously driven Taliban administration fears that going forward with enrolling girls beyond the the sixth grade could alienate their rural base, Hashmi said.

In Kabul, private schools and universities have operated uninterrupted.

_____

Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, Thomas Strong in Washington and Frances D'Emilio in Rome contributed to this report
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ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  Dozens more civilians were rescued Friday from the tunnels under the besieged steel mill where Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol have been making their last stand to prevent Moscow's complete takeover of the strategically important port city.

Russian and Ukrainian officials said 50 people were evacuated from the Azovstal plant and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Russian military said the group included 11 children.

Russian officials and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said evacuation efforts would continue Saturday. The latest evacuees were in addition to roughly 500 other civilians who got out of the plant and city in recent days.

The fight for the last Ukrainian stronghold in a city reduced to ruins by the Russian onslaught appeared increasingly desperate amid growing speculation that President Vladimir Putin wants to finish the battle for Mariupol so he can present a triumph to the Russian people in time for Monday's Victory Day, the biggest patriotic holiday on the Russian calendar.

As the holiday commemorating the Soviet Union's World War II victory over Nazi Germany approached, cities across Ukraine prepared for an expected increase in Russian attacks, and officials urged residents to heed air raid warnings.

These symbolic dates are to the Russian aggressor like red to a bull, said Ukraine's first deputy interior minister, Yevhen Yenin. While the entire civilized world remembers the victims of terrible wars on these days, the Russian Federation wants parades and is preparing to dance over bones in Mariupol.

By Russias most recent estimate, roughly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters are holed up in the vast maze of tunnels and bunkers beneath the Azovstal steelworks, and they have repeatedly refused to surrender. Ukrainian officials said before Friday's evacuations that a few hundred civilians were also trapped there, and fears for their safety have increased as the battle has grown fiercer in recent days.

Kateryna Prokopenko, whose husband, Denys Prokopenko, commands the Azov Regiment troops inside the plant, issued a desperate plea to also spare the fighters. She said they would be willing to go to a third country to wait out the war but would never surrender to Russia because that would mean filtration camps, prison, torture and death.

If nothing is done to save her husband and his men, they will stand to the end without surrender, she told The Associated Press on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said influential states are involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers, although he did not mention any by name.

We are also working on diplomatic options to save our troops who are still at Azovstal, he said in his nightly video address.

U.N. officials have been tight-lipped about the civilian evacuation efforts, but it seemed likely that the latest evacuees would be taken to Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-controlled city about 140 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Mariupol where others who escaped the port city were brought.

Some of the plant's previous evacuees spoke to the AP about the horrors of being surrounded by death in the moldy, underground bunker with little food and water, poor medical care and diminishing hope. Some said they felt guilty for leaving others behind.

People literally rot like our jackets did, said 31-year-old Serhii Kuzmenko, who fled with his wife, 8-year-old daughter and four others from their bunker, where 30 others were left behind. They need our help badly. We need to get them out.

Fighters defending the plant said Friday on the Telegram messaging app that Russian troops had fired on an evacuation vehicle on the plant's grounds. They said the car was moving toward civilians when it was hit by shelling, and that one soldier was killed and six were wounded.

Moscow did not immediately acknowledge renewed fighting there Friday.

Russia took control of the rest of Mariupol after bombarding it for two months. Ahead of Victory Day, municipal workers and volunteers cleaned up what remains of the city, which had a prewar population of more than 400,000. Perhaps 100,000 civilians remain there with scarce supplies of food, water electricity and heat. Bulldozers scooped up debris, and people swept streets against a backdrop of hollowed-out buildings. Russian flags were hoisted.

The fall of Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port. It would also allow Russia to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, and free some Russian troops to fight elsewhere in the Donbas, the eastern industrial region that the Kremlin says is now its chief objective. Its capture also holds symbolic value since the city has been the scene of some of the worst suffering of the war and a surprisingly fierce resistance.

While they pounded away at the plant, Russian forces struggled to make significant gains elsewhere, 10 weeks into a devastating war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee the country and flattened large swaths of cities.

Ukrainian officials said the risk of massive shelling increased ahead of Victory Day. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities would reinforce street patrols in the capital. A curfew was going into effect in Ukraines southern Odesa region, which was the target of two missile attacks Friday.

The Ukrainian militarys general staff said Friday that its forces repelled 11 attacks in the Donbas region and destroyed tanks and armored vehicles, further frustrating Putins ambitions after his abortive attempt to seize Kyiv. Russia made no acknowledgement of the losses.

The Ukrainian army also said it made progress in the northeastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth. Meanwhile, one person was reported dead and three more were wounded Friday as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

In other developments Friday:

 A Ukrainian army brigade said it used an American Switchblade suicide drone against Russian forces in what was likely Ukraine's first recorded use of such weapon in combat.

 U.S. President Joe Biden authorized the shipment of another $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine for artillery rounds and radar systems. Biden said the latest spending means his administration has nearly exhausted what Congress authorized for Ukraine in March. He called on lawmakers to swiftly approve a more than $33 billion spending package that will last through September.

 The Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region said residents of the city of Kreminna were being terrorized by Russian troops trying to cross the Seversky Donets River. Serhiy Haidai accused Russian troops of checking phones and "forcibly disappearing Ukrainian patriots. His statements could not be immediately verified.

 Haidia also said more than 15,000 people remain in Severodonetsk, a city in the Luhansk region that's seen as a key Russian target. He said he believes most residents wish to remain even though entire blocks of houses are on fire.

 The small village of Nekhoteevk, in Russias southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, was being evacuated due to shelling from Ukrainian territory, according to the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. His claims could not be immediately verified.

___

Gambrell reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists Trisha Thomas in Rome, Yesica Fisch in Zaporizhzhia, Inna Varenytsia and David Keyton in Kyiv, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and AP staff around the world contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Authorities have released the identity of a man killed in a Friday afternoon motorcycle accident near Collinsville.

According to Illinois State Police, at about 4:20 p.m. Friday Dwayne T. Wendell, 73, of Marshfield, Wisconsin, was operating a 2017 Harley Davidson motorcycle on the Interstate 55 northbound exit ramp to Interstate 255 southbound near Collinsville.

Police said that for unknown reasons Wendell left the roadway and overturned his bike in the median. He was ejected and fatally injured. The Madison County Coroners office pronounced him deceased at the scene.

State police said the investigation into the incident continues.
That release could not be found.
It is a common knowledge that this years World Press Freedom Day themed Journalism under digital siege, organized annually since 1993, was held on 2-5 May, 2022. Separate from spotlighting the multiple ways in which journalism is endangered by surveillance and digitally-mediated attacks on journalists, and the consequences of all this on public trust in digital communications, this years Global Conference co-hosted by UNESCO and the Republic of Uruguay , among other things provided an opportunity to journalists, civil society representatives, national authorities, academics and the broader public to discuss emerging challenges to press freedom and journalists safety, and to work together on identifying solutions.

Making it a double-barreled celebration is the fact that at about the same time, the latest UNESCO World Trends Report Insights discussion paper  Threats that Silence; Trends In the safety of Journalists highlighted how surveillance and hacking are compromising journalism. Surveillance it argued can expose information gathered by journalists including from whistle-blowers, and violates the principle of source protection, which is universally considered a prerequisite for freedom of the media and is enshrined in UN Resolutions. Surveillance may also harm the safety of journalists by disclosing sensitive private information, which could be used for arbitrary judicial harassment or attack. It concluded.

However, even when there is presently a growing global push encouraging more transparency regarding how Internet companies exploit citizens data; how that data informs predictive models and artificial intelligence, and enables amplification of disinformation and hatred, At about the same time, the celebration offered me the opportunity to reflect on how Fundamentally, media professionals in Nigeria, particularly, the press have effectively been deployed to cause despondency and exacerbates dropping spirit in our political shores. We have used the press to communicate more hatred than love, injustice than justice and deprivation than equity. Very regrettably, asymmetrical use of the press in the country has brought about a state of affairs where tribal loyalty is now considered stronger and more important than our common sense of nationhood.

In recent years, press in Nigeria has become the stage for fierce political and ideological warfare in ways that negates our rationality as human beings. Through the unfortunate process, great amount of innocent human character has been spilled, wars of words waged, countless souls/ambition persecuted and martyred. The press has failed to communicate noble ideas and ideals. This consequence of their failures is responsible for why anarchy presently prevails in the country and accounts for why Nigerians daily diminish and are impoverished.

That is on the one hand.

Viewed differently, there is no gain denying that citizens of every nation ( democratic or otherwise), hunger for public forum or sphere where the issues of the public interests are viewed as central, and openly considered, discussed or debated. And how the politicians and public office holders for their part, have a great interest in how the media covers their behavior. They depend on the media to provide the information they need about the people and the society. The media practitioners, in turn, depend much on the authorities (public office holders) for their information.

Increasingly, by choice or by accident, a number of issues daily emanate from this mutual dependency particularly, as the vast majority of public office holders are allergic to accepting their political past/mistakes while others are not disposed to having their political future discussed. Also, the media professional in their search for new but personal fields to increase their wealth and wellbeing have at some points opted out of its primary mandate of objective reportage to become a willing tool in the hands of these political gladiators.

And in the process, failed to inculcate and reinforce positive political, cultural, social attitudes among the citizens, and failed to create a mood in which people become keen to acquire skills and disciplines of a developed nation. Indeed, some media professionals have overtly become more cautious than courageous in performing their agenda setting roles. They have on many occasions watched the making of political cum economic decisions that breeds poverty and perpetrates powerlessness, yet took the easy way out without addressing the underlying factors thereby leaving the masses confused.

Consequently, the nation Nigeria has on countless occasions witnessed this relationship snowball into a frosty one as the government attempts to unjustly moderate, control or regulate public discourse using decrees(during the military eras) and draconian legislation to impose punishments that are incongruent with logic or reason. The situation has since been made worse under the present democratic dispensation.

Another silent point we must not fail to remember is that where the media is free, the marketplace of ideas sort the irresponsible from the responsible. But a partisan/government controlled press helps the politicians flood the marketplace of ideas with junks and befuddle the people so that they could not see what their vital interest could mean. Free press the world over is not a privilege but an organic necessity in the society that provides a platform/avenue for positive criticism, reliable, and intelligent reporting through which the government can be informed about what the people of the country are thinking and doing. Nigerians are aware of this fact.

Also, what the government should realize is that with the advent of social media, which has in turn given birth to citizens journalism, the stage is set for a democratized information management and pressmanism.

In advancing the above position, the piece is aware of the social responsibility postulations which are supportive of the views that every freedom must go with a responsibility.

In all, one established truth we cannot do away with is the fact that the sole aim of journalism is service and in providing this service, they enjoy great power and followership. It is therefore left for Nigerian government to provide the media industry the needed raw material to function. The raw material in question is no other but positive performance card.

To make this years celebration a rewarding one, the press/journalists must on their part recognize that every decision they make when gathering, organizing and presenting the news requires a value judgment as different decisions bring different results. All decisions have consequences that are direct and indirect, intended and unintended, short term and long term. And journalists decisions affect others; those decisions may influence thousands of peoples opinions on a political issue.

Government on their part should take recourse to the fact that the function of the press is very high. It is almost holy. It ought to serve as a forum for the people, through which the people may freely know what is going on. To misstate or suppress information is a breach of trust This is sacrosanct and pivotal for any development-oriented society.

Utomi, is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via;[email protected]/08032725374.
Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor says women are key to building a peaceful and sustainable climate-resilient Africa.

Until the world shifts to a position of true gender equality, women will remain the most negatively affected at all levelsunable to use their collective strength in helping to solve issues like climate change and world peace, Dr. Taylor said in her keynote address.

The Vice-President was speaking at a high-level event on the margins of the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women held in New York in March 2022. It was organized by the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), in collaboration with the Group of Friends of AWLN New York, co-chaired by Germany and South Africa, together with UN Women and the International Peace Institute (IPI).

The hybrid side-event was held at the Nelson Mandela Hall in the African Union (AU) Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Under the theme: Womens leadership in mitigating the impact of climate change and building a peaceful and sustainable climate-resilient Africa, discussions focused on the nexus between climate change, womens equality and empowerment. Gender equality and the livelihoods of womens families were inextricably linked to the environment and climate change.

There has been some progress on the continent as more women are assuming key decision-making positions and leading strategic ministries such as defense and agriculture . However, many countries are yet to attain the minimum 30% commitment ( Mexico World Conference on Women, 1975) for womens representation as stated by Dr. Taylor.

While it is critical to continue advocating for more representation, several speakers highlighted the need for women leaders to leverage their positions for the adoption of gender responsive policies.

In attendance, leading the call for integrating gender equality to mitigate the impact of climate change in Africa, were Cabinet ministers from Angola, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and South Africa.

Permanent Representatives of Germany, South Africa, and Nauru, as well as the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Ms. Bineta Diop, AWLN pioneers, civil society, and young leaders also attended the event.

UN Women Executive Director Ms. Sima Bahous said there was need to integrate gender perspective into climate and other policies and programmes.

Sustainable development and peace are inseparable, said Ms. Bahous, adding that African women, had a vital role in bringing sustainable development, climate change, and gender equality to the global stage .

While Africa has enough natural resources to feed the entire continent, the effects of climate change and environmental degradation are impacting food security. Women, especially those in rural area, are particularly adversely impacted by climate change because of their high dependence on the environment for their livelihoods.

Womens leadership

Women, like the late Prof. Wangari Maathai, and the growing number of young activists, have been leading climate change responses in Africa. However, the UN Women Executive Director said a lot of times womens contributions were under-supported, under-resourced, under-valued and under-recognized.

Ms. Antonette Ncube, a youth climate activist from Botswana, reiterated the need to rethink the balance between consultation and activism to increase support for womens efforts.

The kind and nature of support should be clearly stated, and leadership redefined from rural womens perspective. These measures will help eliminate barriers to womens access to services and resources to support food and crop production.

Climate change priority

While the global discourse on climate change emphasizes reducing emissions, Ms. Jane Dorothy Anika, a youth climate expert from Kenya, highlighted the need for Africas narrative to focus on mitigation and adaptation so as to reflect the realities of the situation on the continent.

Africa accounts for an estimated 4% of global emissions, yet nine out of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change globally are in sub-Saharan Africa, noted Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, the AU Commissioner for Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment .

So rather than demoralizing women for cooking with firewood the focus should shift to the effects of using firewood on their health, according to Ms. Chido Mpemba, an AU Youth Envoy.

The global climate talks, COP 27, to be held in Egypt later this year, will provide a platform to engage national gender and climate change focal points and, once more, highlight the importance of womens involvement in innovating solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Youth involvement

Africa has a huge youth population who need be enabled to play a key role in protecting the environment in order to secure their future. Integrating climate governance and sustainable farming into school curricula would teach the younger children to adapt eco-friendly habits at an early age.

Cabinet ministers from Morocco and Nigeria highlighted the need to leverage technology as a means of reaching young people, many of whom are on social media. Mainstreaming current climate change activism efforts by young people -- active blogging and development of short documentaries -- is critical.

Policy

Political will at the highest-level should provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the dialogue on how to address climate change and promote womens leadership.

In addition, an increasing number of countries have signed up to regional and international protocols and have developed national policies and programmes to address climate change.

Several countries in Africa  currently 35, have appointed national gender and climate change focal points, with some  Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe, having passed specific laws on climate change.

Dealing with the complexity of climate change and its wide-ranging impact demands a response that will incorporate womens unique and invaluable perceptions and inputs at all levels .

Climate Action is needed now because the climate change crisis is endangering the realization of Africas Agenda 2063 and the attainment of the SDGs. There is need to prioritize gender equality.
Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, Nigeria, (NONN), the apex body of Ozo Traditional Institution in Igbo land, having watched with studied interest the past and current political developments in respect of the debate on rotation/zoning and the 2023 Presidential election; standing on firm grounds of spirituality and moral conscience, states as follows:

1.Nigeria is a flawed federation by the 1999 Constitution set up by Army Generals. It largely ignores the most essential and inherent principles of a federation, including federalism, equality and mutual respect between the over 300 ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

2. From the second half of the 19th Century when federations emerged as a structure of governance, inclusiveness, justice, equity and fair-play between the federating units and the central government, became the bonding glues of any such union which would peacefully sustain. Federations that thrive on exclusion, inequity, injustice and violence, have always fallen by the way side after some checkered existence.

3. Non-violent agitation for the right to self-determination is lawful under Nigerian laws (African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Chapter 10 LFN 1990 (No. 2 of 1983) and the 1999 Constitution; and African Union and UN multi-lateral treaties duly adopted and ratified by Nigeria. From the end of the World War I, the right to self-determination has become an imperative principle of actions which statesmen only ignore at their own peril. World War II added a lot more impetus.

It is therefore lawless for any government to seek to stop peaceful agitation with brute force and killings.

4. In view of the foregoing, stigmatization and exclusion of the South-East from governance of Nigeria as retribution for South-East youth's agitation for the right to self-determination, is a retrograde step to the Medieval Ages' Devine Right of Kings; and violates both Nigerian and international law; and defies world best practices. Inclusion and deregulation of powers to federating units have always doused agitating fires for such rights around the globe. A few examples would do:

i.The Scots and the Irish, both about 11% of UK population, as against English 84.3% variously agitated and the almighty Gt. Britains unitary monarchy deregulated, based on equality under the law and the right to self-determination, to a federation of 4 nations (English, Scot, Welsh & Irish) to preserve the Union. In a 2014 Scottish independence vote, the Scots voted to stay in United Kingdom.

ii.French Canadians of the Quebec province of Canada (one of 8 provinces and 3 territories) altogether 25% of Canada's population, agitated for independence severally over years. In two referendums (1980 & 1995) Quebec voted to remain Canadians before and after monumental restructuring which included adopting French as parallel official language in1969 (English is the language of the rest of Canada); entrenching minority rights in the Canadian Constitution (1985); and Quebecers being appointed Prime Ministers of Canada 12 of 23 times in Canada's history. It is remarkable that during the two referendums nationalist French Canadians (Pierre Trudeau, father of present prime minister, 1980-1984 and Jean Chretien 1993-2003) held the posts of Prime Minister. This is to say that inclusiveness, equity, justice and fair-play are natural glues that generate patriotism which preserve federations; not exclusion, abusiveness and violence which breed rancour, induce breach of the social contract and alienate citizens from the State, thus driving the disintegration of any union.

5. It is not justifiable to insist that since it took over 100 years after the US Civil war for a candidate from any of the Confederal States (combatants in the US war) to win election as US President, the ex-Biafrans must therefore wait for over 100 years before aspiring to be President of Nigeria. There is a great wall of difference between the two wars. The US war was a just war for the liberation of slaves (our brother Africans) in which the confederal slave merchants, the combatants lost; whereas the Biafra war was fought by Nigeria to enslave the Igbo after 30,000 of them were remorselessly slaughtered and several tens of thousands maimed and traumatized in several riots that forced the Biafra break-way. The Igbos were unarmed defendants and were defeated; but that defeat signaled the conquest of Nigeria. The stare of the truth of that conquest is today beginning to dazzle the eyes, and benumb the senses of even skeptics.

6. Nigerias 4th Republic kicked off in 1999 with the election of General Obasanjo from the South-West zone as President, ostensibly to compensate the South-West for the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Chief MKO Abiola from the South-West, but annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida. Thereafter a rotation arrangement started being implemented by the political class between the North and the South. At the expiration of President Obasanjos two-four-year terms, Alhaji Musa Yardua from Katsina State in the North-West was elected President in 2007. At his death in 2010, his Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan from the South-South, took over as President and was in office for 6 years. General Muhammadu Buhari, also from Katsina in the North-West, defeated President Jonathan, based on the zoning arrangement. Buhari would serve out his 2, 4-year terms on May 29, 2023. Power is therefore supposed to return to Southern Nigeria; and to be micro-zoned to the South-East, the only zone in the South that has not had a shot at the Presidential seat, out of the three in the zone. And the South-East is overflowing with very well qualified candidates who can rebuild the failures of the past seven years!. And the Upper North and some South-West politicians seem to be conspiring to by-pass and therefore exclude the South-East from ever occupying the Nigerian presidential seat. Allowed to happen, these power mongers for no other reason than promotion of parochial personal/sectional interests, would foist on Nigeria a dangerous fiat accompli of exclusivity on the presidency, which is antithetical to the best interests of sustenance of a multi-ethnic /cultural/religious federation, like Nigeria. This is against the best interest of Nigeria and sustenance of a healthy federation.

7. On account of the injustice and the likely permanent instability this high-handed parochial act would impose on Nigeria, if it succeeds, and considering all the factors in the foregoing as elaborated in 1 to 6 above, Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, Nigeria, categorically declares as follows:

(i) It is the turn of the South-East to produce the next President of Nigeria to be elected in 2023 and all well-meaning Nigerians are requested to support the election of the best candidate from the South-East during the 2023 election, as a moral imperative and a patriotic duty.

(ii) That to by-pass the South-East in 2023 would be an act of subversion against Federal Character principles enshrined in Nigerias constitution and the corporate existence of the Federation of Nigeria;

(iii) That zoning and rotation between the North and South, and serially among the six zones of the federation, should be maintained as a deliberate act of inclusion which helps to ensure equity, justice and fair play as an effort to sustain peace and harmony among the over 300 ethnic nationalities of the federation, thereby engendering patriotism which no law or force can generate;

(iiii) That to abandon zoning and rotation now it is the turn of the South, specifically micro-zoned to the Southeast, is a dangerous, costly and unnecessary gamble against inclusiveness, unity, equity and justice, which are needed for peaceful coexistence in the country.

(v) That all South-easterners in Nigeria and around the globe are reminded to remain calm, united, undaunted, and resolute and queue behind this South-East (SE) quest for 2023 Nigerian President from the South East;

(vi) That South-Easterners subverting this SE quest for the 2023 Presidency must remember that there shall be a day of reckoning. Ndigbo have a saying, " Anazobata Obi azobata";_ anagh azopu ya azopu (No sane person rejects or sabotages his turn in a queue);

(vii) That Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, Nigeria , is humbled and appreciates immensely the patriotic leadership of the elders of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum (SMBF) comprising Afenifere, Ohanaeze, PANDEF and Middle Belt Forum in lending shoulders of support to the South-East these trying times when it is much more lucrative for political jobbers to cross the line and join in the splitting of hairs to justify throwing over-board zoning and rotation and thereby validate the South-East exclusion. The struggle should continue until success is achieved. NONN is beyond grateful to SMBF.

(viii) That Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, Nigeria, hereby humbly requests all political parties in Nigeria to micro-zone the 2023 Presidency to the Southeast geo-political zone of Nigeria in the interest of equity, justice and inclusiveness in other to restore brotherhood across zones and foster the peaceful sustenance of a healthy and balanced federation of Nigeria.

Signed :

Prof Ike Oluka, fniae, fasi, fcai.

Ozo Ohamadike &

Chairman Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, Nigeria.

Prince Chukwuemeka Onyesoh

Oba Agbalanze of Nri Ancient Kingdom &

National Leader, Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, Nigeria.


One of the lead counsels to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor has described reports that the United Kingdom government designated members of the agitating group as terrorists as untrue and false.

Ejiofor in a statement on Friday explained that the UK government did not refer to IPOB group as terrorists, but only used the word as was commonly employed by the Nigerian government.

However, the lawyer noted that Kanu's legal team was making plans to make a presentation to the UK government to correct all misconceptions about IPOB and to prove that the group had never been violent.

The United Kingdom Visas and Immigration office in its May 2022 policy update, said, IPOB is proscribed as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government, and members of the group and its paramilitary wing  the Eastern Security Network (created in December 2020)  have reportedly committed human rights violations in Nigeria.

If a person has been involved with IPOB (and/or an affiliated group), MASSOB or any other Biafran group that incites or uses violence to achieve its aims, decision-makers must consider whether one (or more) of the exclusion clauses under the Refugee Convention is applicable.

Persons who commit human rights violations must not be granted asylum.

In its reaction, the federal government, in a statement by the media aide to the President, Garba Shehu, said the UKs stance was a welcome development and should be followed up with appropriate actions.

Meanwhile Ejiofor who debunked the reports said: In view of the obvious sponsored false narrative ostensibly orchestrated by mischief-makers, the facts need to be set right. Following the UK Government's update vide the UKVI, which is clear and unambiguous in every respect, the direction contained in the referenced update is that the Indigenous People of Biafra's (IPOB) affiliated applicants seeking ASYLUM status in the UK, should not be considered on the merit of such claims without a thorough review of their level of involvement in uncivil activities.

Obviously making reference to the proscription of IPOB in Nigeria, and relying on such sub-judicial subject, to insist that the granting of Asylum status on the basis of IPOB related persecution claims, can no longer be as a matter of course.

It is pertinent to point out that the leadership of the IPOB has severally distanced the peaceful movement, from the increasing violent activities of some blood-sucking monsters going on in the South East under the name of UNKNOWN GUNMEN, and in most cases, offered to join in the fight against these monsters.

The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra has never supported the nefarious activities of these enemies of our people, neither have they, in any of their publications approved such inhuman and barbaric activities of the UNKNOWN GUNMEN.

Moreover, the UK Government needs to be aware that the proscription status of the IPOB is a subject matter before the Court of Appeal, currently pending before the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division in Appeal Number: CA/A/214/2018 between IPOB VS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION, now coming up on the 12th day of October, 2022 for definite hearing.

Therefore, all foreign governments are persuaded not to rely on largely fabricated publications on the pages of Nigerian Newspapers in arriving at such far-reaching decision, which is capable of endangering millions of innocent lives who are being persecuted in Nigeria for being members of the IPOB.

In the coming days, the IPOB legal team will make formal representation to the UK Government on this subject via the British High Commission in Nigeria, accompanied with verifiable facts and evidence, to persuade the UK Government to review their recent position.

For clarity, the Government of the United Kingdom has not designated the IPOB as a terrorist organization, rather, reference was made to the proscription of the Organization in Nigeria, and also the heinous crimes being perpetrated by some dissidents in the South East, which said crimes are totally condemnable and have nothing whatsoever to do with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which is a peaceful, non-violent self-determination group.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) remains a lawful and peaceful movement.
Big Joke in Phuket to highlight regional gun arrests

PHUKET: Assistant national police chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn was in Phuket yesterday (May 6) to lead a presentation to the press more than 60 firearms seized during an anti-crime blitz last week that was conducted in the name of instilling confidence among tourists that Phuket and neighbouring provinces were safe to visit.

crimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 7 May 2022, 09:00AM

The campaign, ordered by national police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk, had officers conduct search and seize operations throughout the Region 8 Police area, Lt Gen Surachate explained.

The Region 8 Police area comprises the seven provinces of Upper Southern Thailand, including Phuket.

In total 409 targets were set for the search and seize raids: 77 in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, 75 in Phuket, 68 in Surat Thani, 54 in Phang Nga, 47 in Krabi, 45 in Chumphon and 43 in Ranong.

All raids were conducted under warrants issued by the relevant court, Lt Gen Suarchate noted.

Locations raided included hotels, rental rooms, guesthouses, resorts and other areas where crime patterns indicated that they may affect tourists or the tourist area, Lt Gen Surachate said.

The raids, carried out Monday through Friday last week (April 25-29), netted 67 firearms, including one war weapon, as well as three homemade bombs, Lt Gen Surachate said.

The most guns were seized in Chumphon province (16 guns), followed by Nakhon Sri Thammarat Province (14 guns), Lt gen Surachate said.

Also seized during the week were 127,471 pills of methamphetamine (ya bah) and 9.433kg of crystal meth (ya ice), he added.

Almost as an aside, he added that officers collected DNA samples from 305 individuals who were released from prison as part of the campaign.

National police commander Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk has ordered police to take action to ensure the safety of life and property of people [local residents] and tourists to support the opening of the country, especially important tourist areas that foreigners and Thais like to travel to visit, Lt Gen Surachate said.

During the past three months, there has been a mobilisation to crack down and search the Region 8 area seriously all the time, which has seen more than 1,082 targets searched and more than 193 firearms seized in order to make the tourist areas of Southern Thailand safe from various crimes, so we can welcome tourists and reduce crime in the area. Let the people live in peace, Lt Gen Surachate said.
Domestic tour subsidy schemes extended to revitalise tourism

TOURISM: The government agreed on Friday (May 6) to extend two travel packages to the end of September, to further encourage people to go on holiday and help the ailing tourism sector.

economicstourism

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 7 May 2022, 08:00AM

People gather hoping to watch migrating birds against the sunset, at Bang Pu Recreation Centre in Samut Prakan on Thursday. Photo: AFP / Bangkok Post

The decision was reached at a meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, reports the Bangkok Post.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said after the meeting that the government decided to add 1 million more room rights to the We Travel Together hotel subsidy programme and extend it from the end of this month to the end of September.

The present phase of the scheme offered 2mn room rights, until May 31. All rights were taken up, according to its website.

Under the package, the government meets 40% of the room rate, to a maximum B3,000 a night, and 40%, or up to B2,000, of the air ticket.

Mr Thanakorn said the Tour Teaw Thai package will also be extended, from the end of April to the end of September.

This programme is aimed at helping tour group operators by offering a 40% subsidy discount on tour packages.

The Association of Domestic Travel, Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have orchestrated calls for the government to continue the subsidy schemes to promote domestic travel.

It was earlier this week, when TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said cooperation from hotels was important to stimulate domestic trips without solely depending on a government budget and asked hotels to add another 1mn rooms to the We Travel Together programme.

Yet, the idea received tepid response from the industry. Notably, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said most hotels had already reduced their room rates by 50%.
Marriott Bonvoy celebrates the Joy of Gastronomy in Thailand with two-month food festival

Eat Out with Marriott Bonvoy offers three tiers of culinary promotions throughout May and June 2022, at almost 40 hotels and resorts across the Kingdom

LifestyleDining

By Advertorial

Sunday 8 May 2022, 11:00AM

Indoors at Sears & Co Bar and Grill at the Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort.

Try the rustic grill at Sears & Co Bar and Grill at the Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort.

Marriott Bonvoy is celebrating the timeless pleasures of good company and great gastronomy in Thailand this May and June, with the launch of Eat Out with Marriott Bonvoy, a nationwide food festival that promises a series of rewarding dining discounts for Marriott Bonvoy members at almost 40 hotels and resorts all across the Kingdom.

Running from May 1 to June 30, 2022, this two-month epicurean extravaganza will showcase the finest cuisine from Marriotts hotel restaurants. Diners can take advantage of a trio of appetising promotions: Tier 1 offers diverse culinary experiences for just B950, Tier 2 is priced at B1,150, and Tier 3 is available for B1,450, a fantastic discount of between 20% and 50%! These promotions apply to an amazing array of F&B events and delicious dishes at participating restaurants and bars.

In Koh Samui for example, a Tier 1 promotion is available at Long Talay, the beachside restaurant at Sheraton Samui Resort & Spa, which is offering a Southern Thai Set Menu for two people for just B950  a 25% discount compared to the usual price. Up at Le Meridien Chiang Mai, Favola is offering an Italian Family Set Menu including a salad, antipasti, pasta, pizza and dessert for the Tier 1 price of B950.

Alternatively, Tier 2 deals can be discovered at the brand-new Courtyard by Marriott North Pattaya, where guests can savour the signature Roasted Pork Ribs at Cafe 22 for the tempting price of B1,150, and at Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort & Spa, where The Pizzerias authentic Italian Pizza Stella di Terra can also be enjoyed for B1,150.

In Phuket, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, serving fresh Andaman seafood Tower for the Tier 3 price of B1,450, while the meats lovers can head to Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort for the rustic grill at Sears & Co Bar and Grill. Likewise, Krua Talad Yai offers a Market Place Buffet, where you can choose fresh meats and seafood. Then the talented culinary team will cook for you.

Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotels and resorts in Phuket taking part in this initiative campaign include Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa Phuket, Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa Merlin Beach, Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa Nai Yang Beach, The Naka Island Resort & Spa, Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort, and Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town.

And this is just the start! More hotels and resorts will be rolling out their exclusive offers in the coming weeks, creating a nationwide compendium of culinary promotions and perks. With plenty of affordable options for local residents, dining out in Thailand has never been more rewarding!

Eat Out with Marriott Bonvoy is available exclusively to Marriott Bonvoy members. Not a member yet? Join today and enjoy the exclusive benefits for free at www.marriott.com/loyalty/createAccount/createAccountPage1.mi

For more information about Eat Out with Marriott Bonvoy and to book your table in Thailand, please visit http://restaurants.marriottbonvoy.com/th.
PM affirms neutral Russia-Ukraine war stance

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has reconfirmed that Thailand will not take sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, ahead of a top-level US-Asean meeting that he will be attending in Washington DC next week.

RussianUkrainepoliticsMyanmar

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 7 May 2022, 09:46AM

Photo: Government House

During a media briefing at Government House yesterday (May 6), Gen Prayut talked about his upcoming trip to America for the US-Asean Special Summit from May 12-13.

He said his attendance is required as per other Asean meetings such as the recent Japan-Asean summit and the China-Asean summit, reports the Bangkok Post.

Given Russias invasion of Ukraine, there might be some opinions about it during the meeting, Prayut said. He added there is a broad range of issues that Asean leaders will want to discuss with US President Joe Biden and his administration.

Thailand supports Aseans stance over the conflict which promotes the need for peaceful dialogue among the parties concerned, he said.

I am going as a member country of Asean to discuss the economy, trade, investment and situations in the region. I will put my best effort into it, said Prayut.

Do not listen to those who cluelessly voice their opinions. They might have done it out of good intentions but I believe the person whom you should listen to is your prime minister.

He added that his seven-year experience as PM guaranteed his insight into international affairs and Thailands appropriate stance.

Usana Berananda, director-general of the Department of Asean Affairs, said there would be a discussion on Russia-Ukraine at the summit as well as on tensions in the South China Sea and the crisis in Myanmar.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon will be in charge of national affairs while Gen Prayut is away from May 11-15.
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That Supreme Court's leaked draft copy indicates that Roe v. Wade will soon be on the chopping block.

I graduated from high school in 1972, several months before the Roe v. Wade decision. Nonetheless, opposition to abortion figured prominently in the instruction my fellow students and I received during our senior year at Altons Marquette High School.

Religion classes at Marquette were segregated by gender in my day. I honestly dont remember the subject of sex ever coming up during the first three years. Senior year, however, was a different story.

Our teacher, the late Father Harry Watson, told us on Day One that the first semester would be devoted to the subject of marriage. The second semester would be a course in apologetics that would help us prove to others that the Catholic Church was the one true church.

I had stopped attending Sunday Mass the previous year and wondered whether Watsons apologetics would succeeed in getting me back in the pew. It didnt.

As for marriage, I intended to go to college after graduation rather than tie the knot. Still, I thought it would be interesting to hear what a priest, who had taken a vow of lifelong celibacy, had to say about marriage.

The first thing we learned is that we should marry Catholic women. And how could we facilitate that happening? Watson advised us to date only Catholics. If you never date a Protestant, he told us, youll never find yourself married to one.

I admired Watson for his opposition to racism, although he expressed it in a decidedly peculiar manner. He told of a Catholic father who had expressed virulent opposition to the notion of his daughter marrying a Black Catholic. Watson said he had asked this man, Who would you like to see your daughter marry: a decent Catholic black, or a white Protestant bum? Watson told us that the man had replied, Id rather see her dead than married to either one of them. How pathetic.

Watson asked us what were some legitimate reasons for marrying a non-Catholic. Someone well behind me  I sat in the front row  responded, If the girl is pregnant? Watson said yes. The late Bob Hodge, who sat to my left, asked, True love? Watson replied no. The logical implication was that if you really wanted to marry a non-Catholic, you had to ignore the churchs ban on sex outside of marriage and get her pregnant.

I dont recall this priest devoting much time urging us to save ourselves for marriage. Perhaps he just assumed that ship had sailed. However, I remember Watson lecturing us on the evils of birth control and that the pope had stated every sex act must be open to the possibility of conception.

Actually, birth control was just a rumor to most Catholic couples of that era, who typically had large families. Marquette even had a policy that if you were paying for three of your children to attend the school, the fourth child could attend tuition-free. Indeed, Paul Lenz, Altons mayor at the time, had four children at Marquette during my senior year. He also had four children at Marquette the previous academic.

Abortion was murder, Watson told us. Unlike so many anti-abortion activists these days who buttress that opinion by quoting Biblical verses such as Psalm 139:13-16 and Luke 1:41-44, Watson cited only the teaching of the Catholic Church. I dont recall him making any mention of pregnancy resulting from rape and incest. Since I severed all ties with Marquette after graduation, I can only imagine his reaction to Roe v. Wade.

After almost a half-century, the Supreme Court finally has a majority of justices who are willing to overturn Roe v. Wade. Keep in mind that three of those justices were appointed by a president who publicly boasted that he likes to grab women by the (deleted)" because when youre a star, they let you do it. I find it ironic that many Americans now believe the sanctity of human life was upheld by such a person.
HOUSTON (AP)  A Houston conservative activist charged with unlawful restraint and aggravated assault had asked a U.S. attorney in Texas to provide federal marshals to help his private investigator seize what were believed to be fraudulent voter ballots from an air conditioner repairman's vehicle.

A transcript of a phone call from Dr. Steven Hotze to then U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick filed in district court in Houston says Hotze told Patrick of plans by private investigator Mark Aguirre to cause the repairmans vehicle to crash and for Aguirre to make a citizen's arrest.

Aguirre has also been charged with the same offenses and both men have said through their attorneys that they did nothing wrong. Patrick, now in private practice, declined comment. Both men are out on bail.

Aguirre had hoped to seize what was believed were thousands of fraudulent voter ballots, but the vehicle carried only tools, prosecutors have said.

Then-President Donald Trump and others falsely claimed there was massive voter fraud in the November 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.

He (Aguirre) needs to have a federal marshal with him, Hotze said, according to the transcript of the Oct. 17, 2020 phone call. He doesn't want to get (the) Houston Police Department, he said all the evidence would disappear."

The Texas Attorney General's office was not helping, the transcript said and the county sheriff's office could not be trusted obviously because they're Democrats.

Ryan replied that no federal agents worked for his office.

I can't just send marshals ... the marshals don't work for me, Ryan said, according to the document.

Hotze's attorney, Jared Woodfill, said in a statement to KTRK-TV that Hotze is innocent.

"The Ryan Patrick tape further demonstrates that the indictment of Dr. Hotze was politically motivated and that Dr. Hotze is innocent of any criminal or civil wrongdoing. We look forward to proving Dr. Hotzes innocence, according to the statement.

Aguirre's attorney, Terry Yates, also denied wrongdoing by Aguirre. This is a political prosecution that is utterly baseless in fact or law, Yates said.

Aguirre allegedly slammed his vehicle into the back of the repairmans vehicle two days after the phone call, drew a weapon and ordered the man to the ground and put a knee on his back, according to prosecutors.

Aguirre was paid $266,400 to conduct the investigation by the Houston-based nonprofit Liberty Center for God and Country, whose CEO is Hotze, police have said. The group says on its website that it protects and promote citizens' God-given, unalienable Constitutional rights and liberties."

Hotze, a conservative power broker, unsuccessfully sued to stop the extension of early voting in Texas for this years election. He also sued officials in Harris County to limit in-person and absentee voting, making allegations without evidence that Democrats were engaged in ballot harvesting by gathering votes from individuals who are homeless or elderly.
WOOD RIVERCory Heuchert, a long-time Madison Countys Emergency Management Agency volunteer, was honored Wednesday at an awards dinner as its Volunteer of the Year.

The honor came at the agencys second annual awards presentation. The dinner thanked the agencys 33 registered volunteers; Heuchert was singled out for his service and dedication.

Cory has been with EMA since the volunteer team began, said Chris Johnson, EMA director. The teamplays a vital role in our ability to provide services to the citizens of Madison County. We couldnt do all that we do without them and Cory is a prime example.

Heuchert first got involved with Emergency Management in 2012 as a founding member of the agencys communications support team. Since then he has deployed to incidents all over Madison County providing communications support as well as serving as a member of the agencys Unified Command Post Deployment Team and the Madison County HazMat Team. There arent many agencies that Cory hasnt helped out in this area, said Johnson. The amount of knowledge he brings to the table when it comes to public safety communications is invaluable.

When not volunteering his time with EMA, Heuchert serves as a firefighter/paramedic with the Edwardsville Fire Department and holds multiple certifications from the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal.

I truly enjoy serving people in the community, said Heuchert. Whether its with my day to day job with the fire department or making things run smoothly on a scene for other public safety agencies, I just enjoy being able to help out where I can.

In addition to his volunteerism in Madison County, Heuchert is also registered as a State of Illinois Communications Unit Leader. Having this certification allows him to deploy anywhere in the state when needed.

Visit https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/emergency_management to learn more about the EMAs volunteer programs.
SPRINGFIELD  School systems in Illinois are reviewing the practice of having police ticket students for infractions.

The action comes on the heels of a ProPublica/Chicago Tribune investigation into Illinois schools issuing tickets as punishment.

Within hours of the report being released late last week, the state's top education official called on school districts to stop working with police to ticket students for misbehaving. 

"If your district/schools are engaging in this practice, I implore you to immediately stop and consider both the cost and the consequences of these fines, State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala said in a message to principals and superintendents.

Thousands of Illinois students each year are receiving tickets at school for conduct that violates local laws, according to an investigation by the Tribune and ProPublica. The tickets often involve behavior as minor as littering, vaping, using offensive words or gestures, or getting into a hallway scuffle.

Reporters found more than 11,800 tickets were issued to students during the last three school years, even though the COVID-19 pandemic kept children out of school for much of that period.

Ticketing students violates the intent of an Illinois law that prohibits schools from fining students as a form of discipline. Instead of issuing fines directly, school officials refer students to police, who write the tickets.

A database of school districts and police departments ticketing students between 2019 and 2021 accompanied the article. During that time there were 148 tickets written to students in Highland, 77 in Edwardsville, 70 in Granite City, 43 in Bethalto, 42 in Collinsville, 34 in Roxana and 15 in Jerseyville. Totals were not listed for other area school districts.

The investigation also identified a pattern of racial disparities in ticketing. In the schools and districts where racial data was available, an analysis found that Black students were twice as likely to be ticketed than white students.

Reporters documented ticketing in 141 high school districts and large K-12 districts. For some districts and schools, they also were able to analyze how many tickets went to different racial and ethnic groups.

Neither the state nor the federal government tracks how often police give tickets to students in public schools for violations of municipal ordinances. To understand how frequently and for what reasons police cited students, reporters from the Tribune and ProPublica filed more than 500 requests for public records with schools and law enforcement agencies under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Days after a Supreme Court opinion leaked and signaled the possible overturning of a long-standing precedent for women's abortion access, Justice Clarence Thomas declared that the high court cannot be "bullied."
Boticas is one of Portugal's poorest regions. Located in the north east of the country, its population has tumbled by almost 15 per cent over the past decade, as industry has declined and unemployment has risen.

Now, however, Boticas' prospects could be on the verge of dramatic change. The area is home to one of the most substantial lithium mines in Europe, owned by AIM-listed Savannah Resources.

Savannah shares are 4.2p and should increase materially as the company develops its mine and moves towards commercial production.

Revolution: Lithium is the lightest metal in the world, just one of the reasons that it is a key component of electric vehicle batteries

Lithium is the lightest metal in the world, just one of the reasons that it is a key component of electric vehicle batteries.

Last year alone, more than 2.3 million electric vehicles were sold in Europe, equivalent to 17 per cent of all cars sold.

Experts predict persistent growth in the market for at least the next ten years, as we battle to reduce our dependence on oil and gas. That translates into booming demand for lithium  and surging prices.

The trend should prove highly beneficial for Savannah, which is targeting 200,000 tons of annual lithium concentrate production by 2025, enough to power half a million cars.

Chief executive David Archer, a plain-speaking Australian with decades of mining experience, acquired the Savannah mine in 2017.

A year later, when the group completed an initial scoping study, lithium prices were hovering at about $400 (320) a ton and Archer thought long-term prices would settle at approaching $700 a ton.

The group is expected to be one of the lowest-cost lithium miners in the world

In recent weeks, the price has rocketed to $6,000 a ton. Even if this proves short-term, most forecasters expect prices of at least $1,500 a ton for several years to come.

At such rates, Savannah could generate annual profits in excess of 120 million. The group is expected to be one of the lowest-cost lithium miners in the world, benefiting from cheap local labour and a mine which produces spodumene, a mineral that is particularly high in lithium.

Archer is also hopeful that annual production can exceed 200,000 tons as exploration develops and accelerates.

There are, however, some key steps that need to be taken before Savannah can move into commercial production.

First and foremost, Archer needs environmental approval from the Portuguese government. This has been held back by snap elections earlier in the year and ongoing bureaucracy at local and national levels.

There are, however, strong indications that the permit will be granted in the coming months. Currently, most lithium is refined in China but the West is anxious to change that and Portugal is keen to establish itself as a lithium hub for Europe.

The government backed the construction of a huge Gigafactory outside Lisbon last December and this will clearly need lithium as a feedstock, with Savannah's mine the most obvious choice.

Base: The Savannah mine is in the Portuguese region of Boticas, and the company aims to benefit the local community through jobs and financial support

Archer has also worked hard to ensure his mine exceeds environmental standards, while benefiting the local Boticas community, through jobs and financial support.

Discussions are under way with potential financial backers and Archer is aiming to move into construction in 2024 and start commercial sales a year later.

The company is already producing more than 10,000 tons a year of quartz and feldspar, used to make the decorative tiles and crockery for which Portugal and Spain are famous.

Once Savannah moves into full-scale lithium production, its mine is expected to produce up to 300,000 tons of quartz and related minerals, generating annual revenues of at least $10million.

Midas verdict: Lithium is a metal whose time has come. Savannah Resources has one of the most exciting mines in Europe, that could be up and running within three years.

At 4.2p, the shares have been held back by concerns the Portuguese government will refuse to let Savannah move into construction.

But there are strong grounds for optimism and, if all goes well, the stock could deliver substantial rewards. An attractive buy for adventurous investors.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: SAV Contact: savannahresources.com or 020 7117 2489
Brand: Hope Fashion's ranges are aimed at the over-50s

A fashion brand backed by former Marks & Spencer chairman Lord Rose aims to raise new funds to 'take the business to the next stage'.

Hope Fashion founder Nayna McIntosh wants 1million from seed investors to double the range and ramp up marketing.

She said her 'absolute dream' is to open temporary pop-up shops in major cities including Glasgow and Manchester.

Hope Fashion clothes are made at family-owned factories in Italy.

The company targets over-50s women on its website and on social media.

After quitting her job as an M&S executive nine years ago, McIntosh considered setting up her own brand.

'It sounded completely ludicrous at the time because the world needs another womenswear label like a hole in the head,' she said.

'But then I stopped to think. I was 52 and going through the menopause. It had an effect on my body shape. It can be a deeply uncomfortable time.

'I realised that if I was feeling like that, so must an awful lot of other women.

'I've always felt the industry does not want to acknowledge 50-plus women.'

The label's sizes range from 'slim' to 'super curvy'.

McIntosh added: 'It's about making the cut of the clothes appropriate without making them old fashioned.'
Credit Suisse is preparing a 350million claim against SoftBank, in what will be the first major UK legal dispute sparked by the downfall of Greensill Capital.

The financial titans are set to clash in a mammoth High Court battle after advisers for both parties failed to reach an agreement.

The action relates to US construction firm Katerra, which had ties to Greensill and collapsed last year.

Hit hard: Court documents show Credit Suisse claims it lost hundreds of millions of pounds after Katerra went bankrupt in June 2021 with more than $1billion in liabilities

SoftBank was a major investor in Katerra through its Vision Fund.

Court documents, seen by The Mail on Sunday, show Credit Suisse claims it lost hundreds of millions of pounds after Katerra went bankrupt in June 2021 with more than $1billion in liabilities.

SoftBank has rejected claims made by Credit Suisse.

Greensill, advised by ex-Prime Minister David Cameron and led by Australian financier Lex Greensill, built its lending business on 'supply chain financing' before imploding last year after its finances began to unravel.

As part of its controversial model, Greensill packaged up various supply chain loans and sold them to funds run by Credit Suisse.

Greensill went bust in March 2021 after the Swiss bank decided to freeze its billions of pounds worth of funds with the firm.

Its collapse sent shockwaves through clients around the world, including tycoon Sanjeev Gupta's Liberty Steel.

At the time of its collapse, Katerra blamed its 'unexpected insolvency' on former lender Greensill.

Catalyst: The legal battle between Credit Suisse and SoftBank is linked to the collapse of Greensill Capital, on which construction firm Katerra blamed its 'unexpected insolvency'

SoftBank Group and its Vision Fund are each understood to be instructing separate City lawyers.

Switzerland's second largest bank has already lodged an application in the US, demanding SoftBank hand over information which could be used in 'a planned court proceeding in England'.

The case forms part of Credit Suisse's attempt to recover some of the $10billion in funds linked to the insolvent Greensill.

SoftBank suffered losses in Greensill after it injected more than $400million into the firm just months before its collapse.

It is understood that letters before action have been exchanged between Credit Suisse and SoftBank's lawyers in the UK. The High Court claim could be filed within months.

It is understood Credit Suisse first threatened Softbank with the legal action earlier this year.

Legal advisers at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are acting for Credit Suisse.

Credit Suisse and SoftBank were both contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, Liberty Steel has been trying to find new lenders since the Greensill debacle.

Last month, its offices were visited as part of a Serious Fraud Office inquiry and audits of four of its subsidiaries are subject to an investigation by the Financial Reporting Council.
Wbsite of Chinese Embassy in the UK

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Saturday that China is firmly opposed to and strongly criticized Japan's words and deeds to hype the Taiwan question and maritime issues as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned "Ukraine may be east Asia tomorrow" during his recent visit to the UK.

Japan is hyping these questions to attack China by insinuation, the spokesperson said in a statement released on Saturday on the embassy's website in response to Kishida's recent statement.

"Ukraine may be East Asia tomorrow," Kishida said on Thursday during a visit to London, as he called for Indo-Pacific leaders to recognize that the invasion of Ukraine was not just a European problem, The Guardian reported.

Asked about the implications for Taiwan, he said: "We must collaborate with our allies and like-minded countries, and never tolerate a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by the use of force in the Indo-Pacific, especially in east Asia," reported The Guardian.

The Japanese side has kept slipping its own agenda in diplomatic activities, played up regional tensions by making an issue out of China and hyped up the so-called China threat. By doing so, Japan aims to find excuses for beefing up its own military capabilities and undermine mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries, the spokesperson said, noting that this is not conducive to regional peace and stability and will win no support.

The Taiwan question is purely China's domestic affair that allows no external interference, the spokesperson noted.

On maritime issues, China firmly defends its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. We also stand ready to properly resolve differences with countries concerned through negotiations and consultations to maintain regional peace and tranquility, the spokesperson said.

At a press conference on Friday, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, also said that "China firmly rejects relevant words and deeds of the Japanese side."

If the Japanese side is sincere about maintaining peace and stability in East Asia, then it should immediately stop provoking major-country confrontation, and do more things that will promote mutual trust between regional countries and peace and stability in the region, Zhao said.
FILE - Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee delivers his State of the State address in the House Chamber of the Capitol building, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, in Nashville. Lee has signed legislation that will strictly regulate the dispensing of abortion pills, including imposing harsh penalties on doctors who violate them. The measure will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023.
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BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union's top official on Wednesday called on the 27-nation bloc to ban oil imports from Russia and target the countrys biggest bank and major broadcasters in a sixth package of sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, proposed having EU member nations phase out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year.

We will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative supply routes and minimizes the impact on global markets, von der Leyen said.

The proposals must be unanimously approved to take effect and are likely to be the subject of fierce debate. Von der Leyen conceded that getting all 27 member countries  some of them landlocked and highly dependent on Russia for energy supplies  to agree on oil sanctions will not be easy.

The EU gets about 25% of its oil from Russia, most of which goes toward gasoline and diesel for vehicles. Russia supplies about 14% of diesel, S&P Global analysts said, and a cutoff could send already high prices for truck and tractor fuel soaring.

If approved, the ban on oil imports would be the second package of EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry since the country invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

In a video message posted on Twitter, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed Von der Leyen's proposal for an oil embargo. He said Ukraine is not happy it will be delayed for several months, but its better than nothing.

I think what should be clear now is that (the time) for half-sanctions or half-measures when it comes to sanctions is gone, Kuleba said, arguing that the EU can no longer support Ukraine on one hand by imposing sanctions, while continuing to pay Russia for oil and gas and support their war machine.

As long as Russia continues to receive revenues in billions ... from the European Union ... we cannot speak of defeating Russia," he said. "They will continue financing their war machine from oil and gas revenues.

In addition to sanctions on various entities and individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of his family, the EU previously approved an embargo on coal imports.

The EU has started discussions on a possible natural gas embargo, but consensus among member countries on targeting the fuel used to generate electricity and heat homes is more difficult to secure. The region gets about 40% of its natural gas from Russia.

Hungary and Slovakia previously said they wouldn't take part in any oil sanctions. Von der Leyen didn't elaborate on whether they would receive an exemption from the sanctions, although it appeared likely.

Slovak Economy Minister Richard Sulik said Wednesday that Slovakia was not against the punishing measures but is asking for a transition period of three years. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said his country is ready to support the package but also needs to be allowed more time  about two or three years  before it can implement a ban on Russian oil, in order to increase the capacity of pipelines to get oil from other sources.

Ukraine's Kuleba said that any country which continued to oppose the embargo on Russian oil could be considered complicit in the crimes committed by Russia in the territory of Ukraine.

The EU and Russia are playing a game of chicken. It is hard to say who will swerve/blink first. The Russians for fear of running out of money. Or Europe for fear of the lights going out, James Nixey, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at Londons Chatham House think tank, said.

Von der Leyen also said that the EU should target high-ranking military officers and others who committed war crimes in Bucha, a suburb of the capital Kyiv. Ukrainian officials have alleged that retreating Russian troops carried out mass killings of civilians in Bucha.

This sends another important signal to all perpetrators of the Kremlins war: We know who you are. We will hold you accountable. Youre not getting away with this, von der Leyen told the lawmakers.

EU diplomats confirmed that the European Commission's plans also include an asset freeze and travel ban on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. The diplomats have direct knowledge of the discussions but were not authorized to speak publicly as negotiations continue.

Kirill is a longtime Putin ally and has justified Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Von der Leyen said that Putins intention is to wipe out Ukraine from the map, but predicted he will fail in his deadly enterprise. Ukraine has risen in bravery and in unity," she said. And it is his own country, Russia, that Putin is sinking.

Banks are also in the EU executive arms sights, and notably Russia's biggest, Sberbank. Von der Leyen said the aim is that we de-SWIFT Sberbank." SWIFT is the major global system for financial transfers, and the EU has already excluded several smaller Russian banks from it.

We will also de-SWIFT two other major banks in Russia. By that, we hit banks that are systemically critical to the Russian financial system and Putins ability to wage destruction," she said.

Von der Leyen added that those alleged to be spreading disinformation about the war in Ukraine would be targeted.

We are banning three big Russian state-owned broadcasters from our airwaves. They will not be allowed to distribute their content anymore in the EU, in whatever shape or form, be it on cable, via satellite, on the internet or via smartphone apps, she said.

Von der Leyen didn't name the broadcasters but branded the television channels as mouthpieces that amplify Putins lies and propaganda aggressively. We should not give them a stage anymore to spread these lies.

___

Danica Kirka in London and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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ALBANY A month ago, Jacob Evans and Alexandra Yeager might have been happy to learn they could be in for better pay and benefits from the Stuyvesant Plaza Starbucks where they mix exotic coffee and other beverages for customers including a loyal coterie of friendly regulars.

But now they see it as union-busting move, since the announcement of higher pay and perks only applies to Starbucks stores that are non-union or which are not in the process of holding union votes.

Evans and Yeager are involved in a push to unionize their Starbucks. They and the fledgling union that is backing them, Starbucks Workers United, views Starbucks announcement as the latest salvo in a national fight over unionizing these ubiquitous gourmet coffee shops.



Its not fair, said Yeager, who like Evans is a senior University at Albany student.

Plans for the pay and benefit increase came Tuesday from Howard Schultz, who founded Starbucks and only recently returned as interim CEO after the company has been struggling in the wake of COVID-19.

Schultz has been credited with building Starbucks from a small Seattle-based coffeehouse opened in 1971 to a behemoth which now employs about a quarter-million full- and part-time partners or employees at more than 8,800 company locations nationwide. The company also has an international presence.

Schultz has long spoken of his desire to make Starbucks an enjoyable and rewarding place to work and for years has offered benefits such as health insurance to all employees, full- and part-time.

The company has even helped undocumented immigrants remain in the U.S. under the DACA program for those who were brought to the U.S. as children.

But despite the plaudits Schultz has received for these efforts, the unionization push represents a new challenge, and may increase the bar that Schultz and Starbucks may have to clear in order to improve employee relations, at least in those stores that are unionizing.

Included in the latest round of increases are eventual raises to at least $17 per hour this summer, more training time for new shift supervisors, and longevity raises. They also plan to set up a system for tips to be given via credit cards  something that many restaurants already have.

Those improvements, though, wouldnt go to stores that have unionized or those who are nearing unionization votes.

Essentially, employees in unionized stores would have to bargain for the benefits in their union contracts.

New pay and benefits changes will apply to stores where Starbucks has the right to unilaterally make these changes. Where Starbucks lacks the right to unilaterally make these changes (for example, stores where there is a union or union organizing) Starbucks will provide wage increases that were announced in October 2021 and will otherwise comply with all applicable legal requirements, the company said in a prepared statement.

To workers like Davis and Yeager, that sounds like the company is threatening them with fewer benefits than their non-union peer stores  which has prompted the Starbucks Workers United union to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging Schultzs move had a chilling effect on organizing efforts.

So far, the number of union drives at Starbucks has been modest compared to the companys size, with 250 stores filing petitions to hold union certification votes. Forty stores so far have voted to unionize.

But the growth has been steady with Starbucks in more and more states joining union efforts.

The NLRBs database for the Buffalo and Boston areas, for instance, indicates that stores in South Burlington, Vt., East Amherst, N.Y., Albany, East Gardiner, Mass., Amherst, Mass., West Hartford, Conn., Warwick, R.I., Boston, Latham, N.Y., Worcester and Westford, Mass., Brookline and Waban, Mass., Cambridge and Newtonville, Mass., as well as Rochester, Ithaca and Buffalo have all filed since February to hold union certification votes.

Despite this trend, workers say its not so much the pay or benefits  which they say are good  that is driving the push. Instead, they describe what they view as a chronic shortage of staff, which leads to a harried and stressful workplace.

Feeling supported by management is a huge one, Yeager said of their concerns.

She and Evans both stressed that they are not speaking on behalf of the company.

And they said they want to keep working with the company, expressing admiration for perks such as a matching 401(k) plan, health insurance, stock options and flexible hours. They even get free Spotify accounts.

Instead, it is the pressures that they believe are hurting themselves and customers.

They are expecting us to operate at a much lower staffing level but with higher numbers of people (customers), said Evans.

Were not able to give customers the experience that we want to.

Davis thoughts echoed those of another Capital Region Starbucks organizer, James Schenk, who is helping to organize a union vote at a Starbucks in Latham, just a few miles from Stuyvesant Plaza.

Like other Starbucks workers, Schenk said he has been impressed with the firms stated goal of making customer visits friendly and enjoyable. But thats hard to carry out without adequate staff.

Getting more staffers could be challenging, though, given the current low unemployment numbers and fierce competition for workers after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its the training and the short staffing, Davis said of what was driving the union effort.

rkarlin@timesunion.com  518-454-5758  @RickKarlinTU
ALBANY  In 2018, Antonio Delgado did something remarkable. In a congressional district Donald Trump had won by seven points, the Democratic newcomer beat an incumbent Republican with relative ease.

But anybody who had underestimated Delgado going into that election hadn't been paying attention to his biography. He had a long history of doing remarkable things.

Delgado, raised in both a relatively poor section of Schenectady and a relatively affluent part of Guilderland, was a star scholar and athlete who, remarkably enough, went on to become the first Rhodes Scholar from Bishop Gibbons High School. He went to Harvard Law School, too.

"I've always felt like I'm supposed to be someplace big. I'm supposed to affect a lot of lives and do it in a powerful way," he told this newspaper in 1998, when he was 22. "I feel like I'm supposed to be in the light so I can be enlightening. To me, setting a high goal isn't unrealistic.''

Twenty-four years later, as Delgado prepares to be sworn in as the state's next lieutenant governor, those words look prescient. His path to the office, though, did include some detours, including time spent as a rap musician known as "AD the Voice."

You can still find a few of his songs on Spotify, if you'd like to enjoy the unusual experience of listening to a future lieutenant governor rap about, among other topics, the evils of rapacious capitalism.

Delgado quickly (and wisely) moved on from his music career, taking a job as a lawyer at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a high-powered legal and lobbying firm where his list of clients included Apollo Global Management, a leveraged buyout specialist with a history of practicing, um, rapacious capitalism.

The path from the rap world to the halls of Akin Gump is not a well-worn one, I would imagine. But again, as I keep saying, Delgado's journey has been nothing if not remarkable.

Has he also been a remarkable congressman?

Given his low profile and aversion to saying anything controversial or even particularly memorable, it would be easy to conclude that he hasn't.

Delgado, 45, is nowhere near as loud or prominent as, say, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the downstate Democrat also first elected in 2018, or Elise Stefanik, the Republican who shares his Capital Region roots. Delgado has not rocked the boat in Washington.

But it is a mistake to judge members of Congress by how frequently they appear on cable news or by how much outrage they stoke on Twitter. The politicians who grab the most attention often are not the most constructive.

The Center for Elective Lawmaking, a Vanderbilt University group that grades lawmakers on how well they advance legislation ranked Delgado the 68th most effective member of the 240 Democrats in the 116th Congress, which isn't at all bad for a newcomer. (Ocasio-Cortez was ranked as one of the least-effective members.)

Meanwhile, a Georgetown University index ranked Delgado the fourth most bipartisan member of Congress, which helps explain how he won his 2020 reelection in that relatively conservative district by 12 points  easily outperforming Joe Biden, who narrowly won the district with less than 50 percent of the vote.

Delgado has been moderate (temperamentally and ideologically) in an immoderate age, which perhaps made him a surprising option for Gov. Kathy Hochul. After all, her first choice for lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin, was a pick designed to appease progressives, until he resigned after being indicted. Oopsy!

With Delgado as her do-over, chosen just four years after he won his first election, the governor is doubling down on her own moderation, relative to an increasingly liberal party. She is also going with an all-upstate ticket, which is a no-no in a New York political world dominated by downstate voters and interests.

That isn't the only reason there's risk in picking Delgado, who lives in Rhinebeck with his wife and twin boys. His departure from the 19th congressional district race seemingly makes the contest much more winnable for Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, as Stefanik was eager to note.

"As he jumps ship from Nancys doomed Titanic to Kathys criminal cesspool in Albany," she said in a statement, "we thank Antonio Delgado for his incredible help ensuring Republicans are one huge step closer to winning back the House and firing Nancy Pelosi once and for all."

Yeesh. Remember when we expected politicians to at least pretend to be civil and gracious?

There's also risk in the move for Delgado, who will have to win in both the primary and general election to remain lieutenant governor. Lose and he'll be without a job come January.

But the potential reward is obvious, given that Delgado's new role has so often led to the governor's office. Would it surprise anyone if that proves to be his path?

Given Antonio Delgado's remarkable life, so far, would anybody bet against him?
Albany Police

ALBANY  A teenager apprehended for carrying a loaded revolver Thursday night is the same person who shot another teen in the torso last month, Albany police said.

The unnamed 15-year-old was taken into custody after police responded to Lexington and Sheridan avenues for a report about shots fired. They took down descriptions of suspects involved and soon after the call patrol officers saw a group matching the descriptions walking on Sheridan Avenue. Police said they tried to stop them, but they began to run off.
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul, citing the local payroll scandal that rocked area and national businesses, signed legislation Friday that will study the industry's health and its impact on consumers.

The new law requires the state Department of Financial Services to study the payroll servicing industry, in the wake of the MyPayrollHR scandal that caused major financial disruptions for workers and small businesses, Hochul's office said.

The agency, working with the Department of Taxation, will review insurance or other risk mitigation tools and third-party payroll firms providing such services "to ensure the health of the industry and the existence of sufficient consumer protections." The Financial Services superintendent will submit a report of findings and recommendations to the governor, the temporary president of the Senate and the speaker of the Assembly, according to Hochul.

Michael Mann, who headed the Clifton Park-based MyPayrollHR processing company, was convicted in 2020 for swindling Pioneer Bank and others out of more than $100 million in a fraud scheme that started to unravel around Labor Day 2019. It led to the collapse of MyPayrollHR and left thousands of workers across the country without paychecks. He was accused of diverting payroll deductions from his clients for his own use at various times.

After pleading guilty to the scheme, the former Edinburg man was sentenced last fall to a 12-year federal prison term. The case has also triggered a number of lawsuits.

"Workers and small business owners in New York were devastated by the collapse of MyPayrollHR and it's crucial we have all the information to understand what led to this crisis," Hochul said in a statement. "The first step in any process is gathering all the information on what's occurring, and using that data to create a plan moving forward and that is exactly what this legislation will do."

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 hopes are that the study will be a "first step in reviewing this incident and seeing what possible prevention techniques may exist."

In light of the scandal, sponsor of the state Senate bill, Neil D. Breslin, said it became clear that the state needed to examine the payroll service provider industry to determine what additional consumer protections need to be put in place to ensure that a situation like this doesn't occur again.

"Three years ago, we watched in horror as a payroll company stole tens of millions of dollars from New York businesses and employees," said Assemblyman Kevin A. Cahill, who sponsored the bill in his chamber. "Families could not even figure out how to make rent and pay bills as their salaries were nowhere to be seen and their employers didn't replace the missing funds. We want to make sure no family has to face that situation."
CAIRO (AP)  At least 11 Egyptian troops, including an officer, were killed Saturday in a militant attack on a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal, the military said.

In a statement, it said at least five other troops were wounded in the attack, one of the deadliest against Egyptian security forces in recent years. Troops thwarted the attacks and were pursuing militants in an isolated area of the northern Sinai Peninsula, the statement added. It gave no further details or the attack's precise location.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi mourned the death of the troops, vowing in a Facebook post to the continue fighting the militants and uprooting terrorism.

Two Northern Sinai residents said the attack took place in the town of Qantara in the province of Ismailia, which stretches eastwards from the Suez Canal.

The militants ambushed troops guarding the pumping facility, before fleeing to the desert in Northern Sinai, according to the residents who spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.

No group claimed responsibility for Saturdays attack.

Last week, suspected militants blew up a natural gas pipeline in Northern Sinais town of Bir al-Abd, causing a fire but no casualties.

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.

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 military has claimed that insurgents have suffered heavy losses in recent months as security forces, aided by armed tribesmen, intensified their efforts to eliminate them.

The pace of militant attacks in Sinais main theater of operations and elsewhere has slowed to a trickle since February 2018, when the military launched a massive operation in Sinai as well as parts of the Nile Delta and deserts along the countrys western border with Libya.

The fight against militants in Sinai has largely taken place hidden from the public eye, with journalists, non-residents and outside observers barred from the area. The conflict has also been kept at a distance from tourist resorts at the southern end of the peninsula.
ROME (AP)  Pope Francis, whose mobility has been limited of late by a nagging knee problem, is looking forward to visiting South Sudan in July, according to a joint message by the pontiff, the archbishop of Canterbury and a Scottish church official.

The Vatican on Saturday released the text of the message, which refers to previously announced plans by Francis to make a July 5-7 pilgrimage to South Sudan. The Holy See two months ago announced that the pontiff would make the latest African pilgrimage of his nine-year-old papacy, beginning with a pastoral visit in Congo on July 2.

The message was addressed to South Sudanese political leaders and signed by Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Jim Wallace, Moderator of the Church of Scotland. The three church officials will visit South Sudan together.

The message referred to last months celebrations of Easter, which for Christians marks their belief that Jesus rose from the dead after crucifixion. Jesus shows us that a new way is possible: a way of forgiveness and freedom, which enables us humbly to see God in each other, even in our enemies," the trio of churchmen wrote.

Last summer, Francis and Welby marked the 10th anniversary of the independence of South Sudan by urging rival political leaders there to make the personal sacrifices necessary to consolidate peace, and the message released on Saturday elaborates on that exhortation.

The path of forgiveness and freedom, the message published on Saturday said, leads to new life, both for us as individuals and for those we lead. It is our prayer that you will embrace afresh this way, in order to discern new avenues amid the challenges and struggles at this time.

We pray too that your people will experience the hope of Easter through your leadership. In anticipation of our Pilgrimage of Peace this coming summer, we look forward to visiting your great country, the message concluded.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

On Thursday, Francis, 85, was seen for the first time in public using a wheelchair. He has apologized for the limits a painful knee ligament ailment has caused on his activities of late. For months, Francis has been limping badly and often leans on the arms of aides to navigate steps or to sit down or rise from chairs after delivering speeches.

The majority of South Sudans population is Christian. Churches helped rally international support when the South Sudanese fought for independence from Sudan, which is overwhelmingly Muslim.

Previously, the three church leaders have pressed for more work to be done to ensure peace and reconciliation in the new East African nation. Francis has strived to use his papacy to further the cause of peace, particularly in poorer nations.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  Eleven security forces were killed and nine injured in two separate jihadi attacks in northern Burkina Faso, the army said Friday.

The attacks on Thursday targeted a military camp about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Solle town in Loroum province and a special response unit for the gendarme in the Sanmatenga province, the army said in a statement.

The military killed 20 attackers and seized or destroyed weapons, ammunition and communication devices, the statement said.

Violence by extremists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group is soaring in the West African country, which has become the center of the region's crisis, replacing neighboring Mali, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Thousands of people have been killed and nearly 2 million internally displaced.

The latest attacks come on the heels of other coordinated attacks less than two weeks ago where 15 people were killed including nine security forces in Burkina Faso's Sahel region.

In January, mutinous soldiers overthrew Burkina Fasos democratically elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, promising to secure the country from jihadi violence. However, attacks have since increased, rising by 11% in February compared with the month prior, according to the U.N.

The faster cadence and sophistication of the violence could mean that militants are exploiting public divide after the juntas takeover, say conflict analysts.

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 new attack signals a rising tide of militancy in Burkina Fasos north and raises concerns about the expanding reach of terrorist groups who are undoubtedly making the juntas job of securing the country ever more difficult, said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, which provides intelligence analysis.

In addition to rising insecurity, the Burkina Faso's junta has been trying to find eight miners trapped in a zinc mine in the center of the country for three weeks. On April 16 a flash flood at the Perkoa mine left eight miners missing  six from Burkina Faso, one Tanzanian and one Zambian. The government launched an investigation into the incident and the miners are still being searched for, said state-run media.

The mine belongs to a Canadian company, Trevali Mining Corporation, which said in a statement last week that the missing miners were working 520 meters (568 yards) underground  when the flooding happened. Since then there has been no communication with them, it said. There are two chambers in the mine designed to provide refuge for trapped workers, but the company was unsure if the miners were able to get to them in time.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Caddo Parish to use drone technology to fight mosquitos

Drones are being used to help fight mosquitoes in north Louisiana
Authorities say nine freight train cars derailed in northeastern Indiana, leaving behind a powder-like mess of soybean meal after two of the cars spilled their loads
The war for online info persists . . .



Here's a peek at a local police department handling the situation a bit better than leaders in the Dotte:



Encrypted malware targeted certain systems within the network, preventing the department from accessing files stored on such networks or other services used by employees.

We immediately isolated and disconnected those systems from the network as a precaution, notified the FBI and launched an investigation with the assistance of a forensic firm, Belton Police Chief Scott Lyons said in a news release.

As of Friday, the systems have been restored to "full operational capability."Police believe any information compromised was already a matter of public record, but the department says it plans to be transparent if further investigation proves otherwise.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
This town is pushing past HISTORIC NUMBERS FOR KILLING over the past tow years.

This is the 4th homicide in less than 24 hours and, again, exceeds the pace of 2020 & 2021 -- The deadliest years in local history, respectively.

Here's the report . . .

Homicide 3700 block of Wayne



This afternoon just after 1pm officers were called to the 3700 block of Wayne on a sound of gunshots call.



While officers were on the way the call was upgraded to a shooting call involving a victim in the front yard of a residence there.



On arrival officers were directed to an adult male unresponsive in a front yard of a residence just south of the intersection who appeared to have been shot.



Officers summoned EMS to the scene who declared the victim deceased here at the scene.



There is no information on suspect(s) at this time.



Detectives and crime scene investigators are here now processing the scene for evidence and canvassing for possible witnesses.



If anyone has any information and they have not talked to detectives 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 . . .

Man shot and killed Friday afternoon near 37th, Wayne Kansas City police are investigating after a man was shot and killed Friday afternoon in the front yard of a home near 37th Street and Wayne Avenue.Police said officers were called just after 1 p.m.

Man killed in Friday afternoon homicide in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man was killed in a Friday afternoon homicide in Kansas City, Missouri, marking the city's third homicide in a five hour stretch . Police told KSHB 41 they were called out around 1 p.m. to an area around 37th Street and Wayne Avenue.

One dead in shooting near 37th and Wayne in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City police are on scene of a homicide Friday afternoon, the third deadly shooting in the last two days. Officers were called to the area of 37th Street and Wayne Avenue on a shooting call just after 1 p.m. One victim was found dead at the scene.

Developing . . .
With a scathing series of quotes, a fearless Midtown Kansas City business leader offers insight into behind the political deals that have negatively impacted "security" in Westport.

To wit . . .

WESTPORT HONCHO BILL NIGRO DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FROM MAYOR Q & COUNCIL OVER THEIR PART IN WESTPORT SECURITY FAIL FOLLOWING THE LATEST TRIPLE SHOOTING!!!



More importantly . . .

A great deal of Bill's ire is focused on City Hall mandated "civil rights monitors" that Westport biz must pay for rather than putting that cash toward more capable security personnel.

And so . . .

Maybe the return of those "security checkpoints" touted by the media this week aren't as effective as we'd all like to think.



Without any further prelude . . . Here are texts that Bill forwarded our way on the record . . . We responded that we were surprised by his candor and willingness to put this sketchy deal on the record.

Check TKC quote gathering . . .



Mr. Nigro's main complaint that deserves attention . . .

"The civil rights monitors that Westport is being forced to hire when we check for guns? We are the only ones in the country being forced to pay for civil rights monitors by a government contract and it's compromised our security budget," Bill Nigro said.



The Westport stalwart offers more detail and calls out a community organization . . .

"I've had enough and I want (Mayor) Quinton Lucas and (Councilmember) Katheryn Shields to explain how we could profile when everyone walks through the metal detector, Mr. Nigro said. "It's impossible to profile and this is the fifth year they're forcing us to spend money on babysitters i.e. ad hoc when we should be spending money on security personnel on our perimeter for the benefit of our customers."

For better or worse, no other local media outlet will tell this story . . . Here's a glimpse at Mr. Nigro's frustration . . .

"I just dared the Kansas City Star to write the real article about our problems. This city has compromised our security budget going on five years now. People have gotten hurt and now I hold the city accountable. Last year's contract with the city took $200,000 out of our security budget for babysitters. We've had no civil rights violations or complaints in my 45 years in Westport. The Power & Light District gets one or two every year and they've never been forced to hire civil rights monitors."



More insight into this ongoing debate . . .

"The mayor refuses to help us and Katheryn Shields will not return my calls. Katheryn Shields told us after two years and we prove ourselves; she would get us out of it . . . Katheryn Shields told our Merchants Director five years ago not to bring me to the meeting with ad hoc."

Behind the scenes . . . Mr. Nigro maintains that Mayor & Council have placed exorbitant "civil rights fees" on Westport rather than focusing strictly on security.



"Katheryn Shields wrote up the contract for the city. It's interesting that two lawyers Katheryn and Quinton would force something like this on our neighborhood. I believe that our rights have been violated and the Justice Department needs to be brought in."



As always . . .

TKC is willing to listen to everyone on this . . . But this tragic situation predates the pandemic and we credit Mr. Nigro's bravery in risking offending local elected leaders by clearly stating his position.

Moreover, thanks to Mr. Nigro who sent the notes our way by text so there wouldn't be any risk that his bold message would be lost in blogger transcription.



Now, our question . . .

SHOULD MAYOR & COUNCIL WORK WITH WESTPORT TO FOCUS ON SECURITY RATHER THAN EXTRACTING HEFTY FEES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS SOCIAL WORKERS?!?!

TKC contends that the debate deserves attention given the latest triple shooting and a dangerous Summer ahead.

You decide . . .
We can debate the future of Western Civilization.

But it's much more fun to count other people's money . . .



Accordingly, in the last days before decriminalization . . . Take a peek the EPIC REVENUE that will power acceptance of a drug that's now more widely available than bubble gum . . . Take a peek . . .



Propelled by a strong performance on 4/20, Missouri sales rocketed forward again, rising 19.70% over Marchs record-setting sales.



Through April, Missouri dispensaries have sold more than $120 million dollars in 2022.



Cumulative sales for the program now sit at $335.80 million since the programs first retail sales in October 2020.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Brampton Mayor and Conservative Party leadership hopeful Patrick Brown decided to stay on the campaign trail in Atlantic Canada rather than take part in the leadership debate in Ottawa on Thursday. - Graeme Frisque/Metroland
Money will be used to 'support the highest priorities and most urgent needs'
Meanwhile, some CanLit authors and publishers a pandemic-spurred rise in reading gives them hope for the future of their industry.
An illustration of the adenovirus, a possible cause of a mysterious acute hepatitis disease of unknown origin. Illustration photo by Shutterstock

The health ministry has called for local surveillance to be stepped up for detecting possible cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin that has been found in 20 countries.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Friday asked medical facilities, especially pediatric hospitals, to increase surveillance for detecting the disease among kids.

If and when such cases are detected, the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) would gather information and samples to perform tests and look for a cause, including pathogens like adenoviruses, the department said.

Adenoviruses are a group of common viruses that infect the lining of eyes, airways and lungs, intestines, urinary tract, and nervous system. They're common causes of fever, coughs, sore throats, diarrhea, and pink eye.

The General Department of Preventive Medicine had earlier requested the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Pasteur Institute to watch out for the mysterious disease and prepare measures to limit the numbers of infections and deaths.

Infants, children aged below one and high-risk groups need to be vaccinated against hepatitis B as a preventive measure, it added.

Vietnam has not recorded any case of the acute hepatitis of unknown origin so far, but the health ministry said it cannot exclude the possibility that the disease is already present in the country.

The mysterious disease was first detected in England and Scotland in early April, with about 70 kids aged between one month and 16 years old getting infected. Most of the infected were children aged below five.

The disease was later detected in 20 other countries in several regions. In Southeast Asia, Indonesias health ministry said three children in the country have died from the mysterious condition, The Guardian reported. At least 228 probable cases of child hepatitis have been found globally, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said Tuesday at a Geneva press briefing, Reuters reported.

Symptoms of the disease include dark urine, yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice), fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, light-colored stools and joint pain.

The WHO has not called for any travel or commercial restrictions on countries where the condition has been detected.
The First of December Initiative Group has addressed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of France Emmanuel Macron, and the Federal Council of Switzerland with a request to help release Ukrainians from Mariupol and the city's Azovstal steelworks.

Thats according to the Groups urgent appeal, Ukrinform reports.

We, Ukrainian scholars, human rights defenders, former dissidents who survived the extraordinary pressure of the totalitarian system, appeal to you, political leaders, who are empowered to help Ukraine and its heroes.

The Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol is completely surrounded by a disproportionate number of Russian troops. For more than 70 days, the military, as well as civilians who had no chance to survive the occupation, remain in the shelter of the Azovstal plant. Without access to water, food, medicine. The military cannot stockpile weapons. They are bombarded from the air, sea, land. Fights dont stop for an hour, the statement reads.

The scholars stress that the battle for Mariupol is the Ukrainian Thermopylae.

But we live in the humanistic 21st century, and it is our duty, the duty of the entire civilized world to save 300 Spartans of Ukraine.

Their children, wives, and mothers will not forgive us all for our inaction.

The history of world wars knows many examples when the parties showed goodwill and allowed the military to leave the encirclement.

Unfortunately, Ukraines diplomatic resource is not enough for such agreements.

We encourage you, highly distinguished leaders, to act as a third party in the extraction procedure.

History will not forget your efforts. The Ukrainian nation will thank you forever.

The Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol can still be saved. But the time is measured now in hours, the appeal concludes.

The term "extraction" means moving combatants from an enemy-controlled territory to a safe zone.

The Russian invaders have caused the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Mariupol. Unable to defeat the Ukrainian Army, the occupiers have been bombing civilians and are blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid. Thousands of Mariupol residents were killed in the attacks by the Russian Federation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a number of world leaders were involved in an effort to evacuate the Ukrainian military from Azovstal in Mariupol.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
Russian invaders continue offensive operations in eastern Ukraine and are attempting to maintain a land corridor to the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Meanwhile, the enemy has lost control over Tsyrkuny in the Slobozhanskyi direction and failed to advance towards Virnopillia.

The relevant statement was made by the Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU StratCom) on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The enemy continues to conduct offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to gain full control over Donetsk Region and Luhansk Region, and maintain a land corridor between these territories and the temporarily occupied Crimea, the report states.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, Russian troops did not take active actions. The separate units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus continue to perform tasks to cover the section of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in Brest Region and Gomel Region. The threat of missile and air strikes from the territory of Belarus is persisting.

In the Siverskyi direction, the separate units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to carry out tasks to cover the Ukrainian-Russian border in Bryansk Region and Kursk Region. Russian troops are hardening positions within the border areas of Kursk Region.

In the Slobozhanskyi direction, the enemy focused efforts to prevent Ukrainian forces from advancing towards the state border of Ukraine. Russian troops enhanced the groups of the 20th Combined Arms Army and the 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District with reserve units. The enemy launched artillery strikes near Prudianka and Slatyne.

As a result of the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian invaders lost control over Tsyrkuny.

The enemy attempted to launch an offensive in the direction of Vernopilla but failed, suffered losses and retreated.

In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops focused efforts to gain full control over Rubizhne and make preparations for the offensive on Lyman and Sievierodonetsk.

In some areas, Russian invaders continued to launch artillery, missile and air strikes using operational and tactical aircrafts. The enemy also attempted to gain control over Oleksandrivka but failed.

In the Mariupol direction, Russian troops continued to block the Ukrainian defense forces within the Azovstal plant. The enemy continues to conduct assault operations with the support of artillery systems and tanks.

In the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian invaders did not conduct active hostilities.

With the support of aircrafts, Russian troops attempted to conduct offensive operations in the direction of Poltavka, Zaporizhia Region, but suffered losses and retreated.

Near Polohy, Zaporizhzhia Region, the Ukrainian defense forces successfully inflicted fire damage to Russian troops, having destroyed some of their ammunition and military equipment. The enemy personnel left their positions.

In the Southern Bug direction, Russian troops are keeping the defense and launching missile strikes on military and civilian infrastructure. The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Kryvyi Rih direction. Russian invaders opened fire on the positions of Ukrainian forces with mortars and artillery systems.

Russian occupiers are suffering significant losses in battles with the Ukrainian defense forces. Over 100 wounded servicemen of the airborne troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were revealed in the village of Burchak.

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Workers stand at the port of Qingdao, Shandong province, China June 10, 2019. Photo by Reuters

China's export growth is expected to have slowed to a crawl in April as strict Covid-19 curbs hit production while imports likely extended declines, creating heavy headwinds for the world's second-largest economy in the second quarter.

The trade sector, which accounts for about a third of gross domestic product and employed 180 million people in 2020, is losing momentum as widening anti-virus curbs ensnared supply chains.

Exports likely grew 3.2 percent from a year earlier, according to a median forecast in a Reuters poll of 18 economists, slowing sharply from a 14.7 percent gain in March. The forecast is the slowest growth since June 2020.

The uncertainty over the Ukraine war and recovering production capacity overseas also squeezed China's share of global trade. The new export orders component of the official manufacturing purchasing managers' index hit a two-year low in April.

Imports were expected to have fallen 3 percent year-on-year in April, the poll showed, worsening from a 0.1% fall in March and marking the steepest decline since May 2020.

Sixteen economists in the poll forecast a $50.65 billion trade surplus in April, wider than the $47.38 billion in March, mostly due to the decline in imports.

The trade data will be released on Monday.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs said in a note on Friday that Covid related restrictions disrupted domestic supply chains and port operations in the month. Trading partners such as South Korea reported weaker trade data with China.

Data from the China Port Association showed throughput of foreign goods at eight major container ports in China declined 4.1 percent year-on-year in the April 11-20 period.

Premier Li Keqiang this week urged support for production, logistics and employment at key trade firms.

However, investors and markets want even more support as the country's leaders urge citizens to stick with the dynamic zero-Covid policy.

Chinese capital Beijing is reporting dozens of daily infections while Shanghai said on Friday it has brought the virus under control following a month-long lockdown of nearly 25 million people. Elsewhere, some Chinese cities now require PCR test results from people in order to enter public places.

Nomura analysts estimate that it would cost 1.8 percent of China's GDP if 70 percent of the 814 million population came under a 48-hour testing mandate.
Russia may resort to a number of provocations on May 9 Victory Day to put psychological pressure on Ukrainians.

Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, addressed the issue on the air of Radio NV, Ukrinform reports.

"Still, we need to understand that Russia is desperately seeking to do us harm on May 8 or 9, and therefore there will probably be some provocations. Unfortunately, we must understand that Russia is acting inadequately today. That is, they dont want to do it from the military standpoint, not to inflict certain destruction on our infrastructure, theyre doing this from a purely psychological perspective

According to the official, Russia is seeing no success in its war with Ukraine, so this complex of their enmity toward Ukrainians needs compensation through missile strikes on peaceful cities.

"I dont expect anything unconventional that could spark some panic moods. I expect Russians to act as a classic Russian. This is to stab you in the back. In this case, this is to launch an extra missile at some peaceful city of ours. That's why we need to be more vigilant these days," Podoliak added.

As reported, Ukrainian intelligence, as well as a number of high-ranking military officials in Britain and the United States, said that on May 9, Putin may announce general mobilization in Russia.
The Russian military are stealing vegetable oil from Polohy Oil Extraction Plant, which is situated in Zaporizhzhia Region.

The relevant statement was made by Zaporizhzhia Regional Territorial Defense Forces in a commentary to journalists, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Polohy Oil Extraction Plant PJSC has fallen another prey to Russian occupiers and looters. Prior to the Russian occupation, it was one of the largest budget-forming enterprises in Polohy District, Zaporizhzhia Region, the report states.

Now Russian occupiers are stealing finished products from the plant, which were expected to be shipped to foreign partners. The latter are already facing the lack of high-quality Ukrainian products.

A reminder that Russian invaders are threatening to dispossess local residents of their land in the urban-type settlement of Chernihivka, Zaporizhzhia Region.

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Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Federal Republic of Germany Andrij Melnyk has reacted to the Berlin Polices decision to ban the use of not only Russian but also Ukrainian symbols on May 8-9, 2022.

The relevant statement was made by Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Federal Republic of Germany Andrij Melnyk in a commentary to RND, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

We are shocked that the Berlin Police has banned Ukrainian flags from being flown on May 8-9. This is a slap in the face of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, Melnyk said.

In his words, the Ukrainian flag was banned from being flown in Germanys capital city just like the Russian flag, under which the worst war crimes are committed against Ukrainian civilians and dozens of thousands of Ukrainian women and children.

This not only shows a lack of tact; it is a catastrophic political decision, Melnyk added.

According to Melnyk, one can understand the efforts of the police to ensure safety, but the fact that the victim and perpetrators are equated is simply outrageous.

Melnyk called on Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey and Interior Senator Iris Spranger to immediately revoke that questionable decision.

Later, Melnyk told Ukrinform that the Berlin authorities, unfortunately, were not planning to cancel this shameful decision.

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U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have agreed to continue holding Russia accountable for its brutal actions in Ukraine during their telephone conversation.

Thats according to a readout published by the White House, Ukrinform reports.

"Both leaders underscored their commitment to continue holding Russia accountable for its brutal actions in Ukraine, and reviewed their ongoing efforts to provide security assistance to the government of Ukraine and economic and humanitarian aid to the millions of Ukrainians affected by the violence," reads the statement.

It is noted that the U.S. President praised the close cooperation with Canada since the Russian onslaught in Ukraine, as well as Canadas leadership for imposing sanctions on Russia.

Read also: Biden announces allocation of new package of security assistance to Ukraine

As Ukrinform reported, on February 24, Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, starting to massively bombard and shell peaceful towns and villages. Ukraine's defense forces have been resisting the Russian invaders and inflicting heavy losses on them.

The United States and the European Union have imposed economic sanctions against the Russian Federation to limit the Kremlin's capacity to continue the war.
Canada will continue to provide Ukraine with all kinds of humanitarian and financial assistance.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, this was discussed during a phone call between First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyridenko and Minister of International Trade of Canada Mary Ng.

"Minister Ng strongly condemned the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and Russia's attacks on innocent civilians. She reaffirmed Canada's commitment to strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and economy, as well as its solidarity with the people through further humanitarian and financial assistance," the Canadian Ministry of Commerce said in a press release.

Read also: Canada aims to reopen embassy in Ukraine

This year's state budget of Canada provides $1 billion for a loan to Ukraine through the IMF mechanism.

"Minister Ng described how Canada continues to work with the international community to implement a number of economic measures aimed at prosecuting Putin and his henchmen and isolating Russia and Belarus from the global economy," the ministry said.

In addition, the conversation focused on "the impact of the Russian invasion on global food security and prices."
The third batch of humanitarian aid from the CORE charity, founded by actor Sean Penn, has arrived in Lviv region.

"Thanks to CORE's financial assistance and support for the Let's Help Together initiative, we managed to purchase long shelf life foods (canned food, pate, cookies, sweets), disposable tableware, water, tea and coffee, and medicines," Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration Maksym Kozytskyi posted on Telegram.

According to Kozytskyi, the humanitarian aid from the CORE charity was received at the Lviv Main Railway Station.

There are specially equipped places at the railway station where people evacuated from the epicenters of hostilities can rest, eat, get information about the settlement and medical and psychological assistance.

Meals at the station are provided by volunteers, Lviv region restaurants and international organizations such as the World Central Kitchen.

The Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration thanked Sean Penn and his organization for their important support on the path of Ukraine's victory.

As Ukrinform reported, at the end of April, the Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine received the first batch of humanitarian aid from the CORE charity.

Photo credit: Maksym Kozytskyi, Facebook

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Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, India has handed over 187 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukrainian healthcare facilities.

"A batch of humanitarian aid from the Embassy of India has arrived in Ukraine. In total, during the full-scale Russian invasion, the Republic of India has handed over 187 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukrainian healthcare facilities from the government and private pharmaceutical companies," the Ministry of Health of Ukraine informs.

The assistance provided by the Embassy of India includes patient monitors, antibiotics, saline, and consumables. The humanitarian cargo will be distributed among healthcare facilities in the frontline and adjacent regions.

Currently, the Ministry of Health verifies the needs of regional healthcare facilities and provides them with the necessary medicines and medical devices. We are grateful to everyone who comes to the aid of our hospitals today and helps our physicians save even more lives. Since the beginning of the war, India has significantly supported our healthcare system. However, now we ask the country to strengthen this support by terminating cooperation with the Russian pharmaceutical market," said Deputy Health Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Yaremenko.

As reported, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has received a total of 4,485 tonnes of medical humanitarian goods to the tune of UAH 5,963 million.

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Nicole Sirotek is pro-active and refuses to back down on things she is passionate about, he nominator said. We need more advocates like her.

I believe the strongest quality needed as a nurse is the ability to stand strong, resilient, and unwavering in the face of adversity, Sirotek said. This quality has become a key characteristic when advocating; I cannot simply back down because of threats of intimidation and bullying when a life depends on my ability to stand strong on a position statement. It's definitely not for the timid and it comes with repercussions such as being denied access to goods and services, especially locally, but the people that depend on me deserve someone that will be a voice for the voiceless and I am honored to help.

Sirotek said she has multiple degrees in science such as biochemistry, with experience in genetic research, and recently in nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Throughout the years I have worked in humanitarian efforts with outbreaks such as ebola, measles, tuberculosis, and COVID; natural disasters in Haiti and South America; and refugee camps and field hospitals in Syria, Lebanon and the Ukraine, she said. I also work extensively in the policy arena, both nationally and abroad; here I have worked to ensure early access to treatment such as in Tennessee, freedom of medical choice in numerous states, and visitation rights to patients in Florida with the No Patient Left Alone legislation.

Sirotek said the most rewarding thing about the nursing profession is its sheer level of diversity afforded to nurses. From the bedside to the board room, I've experienced a diversity never thought possible in a helping profession. I've flown in helicopters, worked in field hospitals, and spoke with presidents, each time it helped patients in a different aspect of patient care.

Her nominator said she is all about the BEST treatment for patients. I admire her for her courage, strength, and love for doing the right thing in the face of adversity.

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Patty Taylor is the Public Health Nurse for Southern Bands Health Center, Indian Health Services in Elko.

Patty has worked tirelessly since the tribes first positive Covid case in June 2020. She was the sole contact tracer for the center for over a year. With the most compassionate concern, Patty calls each and every patient daily, offering wise medical advice, ensuring patients have adequate food and medicine, and if not, she ensures they have what they need.

I do believe Pattys calls truly helped keep the number of positive cases lower than what they could have reached, said her nominator. One patient confided in me after the family recovered, what a support Patty was and didnt know what they would have done without her daily encouraging calls.

Taylor said she decided to go into nursing while working in a long term care facility as an activities assistant.

The facility offered a CNA course on-site, and that experience launched my career, she said.

She went on to earn a BSN at the University of Nevada, Reno in 2005, and has worked at Renown Regional Medical Center, Life Care Center of Reno, Home Health Services of Nevada, and Genesis Home Health and Hospice.

Taylor said she has loved all of her jobs but has found nursing home as the Public Health Nurse for Southern Bands Health Center, providing care for Native Americans and Alaskan Natives in Northeastern Nevada. She has been the public health nurse since 2011.

Although Patty has gotten a part-time assistant, this has not lessened her duties as she diligently ensures patients and family members are Covid-vaccinated and have test kits.

It is important to note that the Elko service unit comprises the area from Battle Mountain to Wendover, so this is not a small patient population base Patty covers -- and she knows them all and their families.

Prior to Covid, among other duties which are truly a passion for Patty is in-home health care, which comprises a variety of medical care for patients unable to travel to the clinic.

A few of Pattys other daily responsibilities include ensuring all SBHC patients are current on vaccinations, providing new car seats with instructions on properly securing seats, sending out annual mammogram reminders and well child check-ups.

While many nurses nominated will surely have done as much as Patty, in addition to being available to the clinics patients 24/7 on her cell, working many 6-7 day weeks, coming in by 7 a.m. and staying until after 9 p.m. -- and yes she has a family and is active in her church -- Patty shows up with the absolute most gracious and compassionate demeanor of anyone I have ever known, said her nominator.

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(@FahadShabbir)

Havana, May 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2022 ) :Four people were killed and 13 were missing after a massive explosion ripped through a hotel in central Havana on Friday, with rescuers desperately searching through the rubble for survivors.

Shortly after 11:00 am, a cloud of dust and smoke billowed from the five-star Saratoga Hotel in the Cuban capital as the blast -- reportedly caused by a gas leak -- tore off large parts of the facade and blew out windows.

The first four floors of the historic establishment, which was empty of guests pending refurbishment, were left gutted by the explosion.

The Cuban presidency, in a tweet, quoted Havana Communist Party official Luis Antonio Torres Iribar as confirming four deaths while "13 people remain missing." "Initial findings indicate that the explosion was caused by a gas leak," the presidency said on Twitter.

AFP reporters witnessed rescuers at the scene going through debris piled up at the foot of the hotel.

Several vehicles near the hotel -- known for having hosted celebrities such as Madonna and Beyonce -- were destroyed.

Ambulances and five fire trucks rushed to the scene, and police cordoned off the area, dispersing people who swarmed to the site.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel, accompanied by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and National Assembly President Esteban Lazo arrived at the site as the rescue operation got underway.

According to the website of the Saratoga Hotel, it is an upmarket establishment with 96 rooms, two bars, two restaurants, a spa and gym.

Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, meanwhile, said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would not cancel a trip to Cuba planned for Sunday.

"Our solidarity to the victims and affected, as well as to the people of that dear brotherly people," the minister tweeted.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is allegedly trying to use history to make a case for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is allegedly trying to use history to make a case for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

"As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions," Blinken said in a statement for the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.

"President Putin tries to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine," Blinken said.

The revision of history, and specifically of World War 2, has typically been an accusation addressed by Russia against the United States and its allies.

On May 8, 1945, the commanders of Nazi Germany's armed forces signed the instrument of surrender, admitting defeat in World War 2. This day is celebrated in many countries and referred to as Victory Day. Due to a difference in time zones, Russia and several other former Soviet republics celebrate it a day later.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The Russian embassy in Poland had to limit the number of people invited to the Victory Day celebrations to senior diplomatic personnel due to widespread calls for violence against the attendees, Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev told Sputnik on Saturday

WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2022) The Russian embassy in Poland had to limit the number of people invited to the Victory Day celebrations to senior diplomatic personnel due to widespread calls for violence against the attendees, Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev told Sputnik on Saturday.

The Russian diplomatic mission planned to hold the Immortal Regiment march and lay wreaths at the Soviet Military Cemetery on Zwirki and Wigury street in Warsaw in an open format, but had to reconsider it amid public outcry.

"When the May 9 event at the cemetery was announced, the internet unleashed a torrent of calls for protest actions (against the Victory Day events), including physical violence on the part of various so-called activists," Andreev said.

The ambassador said that the embassy decided against holding the Victory Day events in the planned format for fear of provocations.

Instead, the ambassador, his wife and senior Russian diplomats will come to the cemetery and lay wreaths to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Earlier this week, the Russian Embassy in Warsaw informed Polish Foreign Ministry of the plans to hold May 9 celebrations in the capital and urged the authorities to ensure public safety during the event. A public backlash followed, with the mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski going so far as to say that "the celebration of the aggressor" should be banned altogether.

In turn, Polish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Marcin Przydacz said on social media that Poland "did not plan to provide support to the embassy of the Russian Federation and will not provide such support," noting that the Warsaw mayor has the final say in the matter of holding the celebration.
Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill on Saturday said Northern Ireland was entering a "new era" as a historic election victory loomed for her nationalist party, urging a "healthy debate" about ending UK rule

Belfast, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2022 ) :Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill on Saturday said Northern Ireland was entering a "new era" as a historic election victory loomed for her nationalist party, urging a "healthy debate" about ending UK rule.

"Today ushers in a new era. It's a defining moment for our politics and our people," she told supporters and the media as full results were announced from her Mid Ulster constituency.

"I will provide leadership which is inclusive, which celebrates diversity, which guarantees rights and equality for those who have been excluded, discriminated against or ignored in the past," she added.

O'Neill is on course to become Northern Ireland's very first nationalist leader, with the main unionist party trailing after Thursday's election for a new devolved assembly.

The Democratic Unionist Party is refusing to join a new government in Northern Ireland unless the UK rips up post-Brexit trading rules with the European Union.

"The people have spoken and our job is now to turn up. I expect others to turn up also," O'Neill told reporters, stressing the new government must tackle foremost a cost-of-living crisis in the UK.

But she said a "healthy conversation is already underway" about Irish reunification, a century after Northern Ireland was carved out as a Protestant fiefdom under British rule.

"Let's have a healthy debate about what our future looks like."
(@FahadShabbir)

Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk criticized on Saturday the police's decision to ban the Ukrainian flag at upcoming World War 2 commemoration events in Berlin, calling the move a "slap in the face" to Ukrainians

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2022) Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk criticized on Saturday the police's decision to ban the Ukrainian flag at upcoming World War 2 commemoration events in Berlin, calling the move a "slap in the face" to Ukrainians.

On Friday, the Berlin police announced the prohibition on showing Russian and Ukrainian flags at the memorial sites on May 8 and 9. The police also banned St. George ribbons, images of "V" and "Z" letters, military uniforms and songs. An exception will be made for diplomatic delegations and veterans.

"We are shocked that the Berlin police have banned carrying Ukraine-related flags on May 8 and 9. This is a slap in the face to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," Melnyk told German news agency RND.

Meanwhile, the German capital's authorities said that the rules apply to 15 memorial sites and that the Ukrainian flag will still be allowed in the city.

The authorities also confirmed that the Berlin police will make sure there is no "public approval of the offensive war against Ukraine" at pro-Russian events outside of the memorial sites.

On May 8, 1945, the commanders of Nazi Germany's armed forces signed the instrument of surrender, admitting defeat in World War 2. This day is celebrated in many countries and referred to as Victory Day. Due to a difference in time zones, Russia and several other former Soviet republics celebrate it a day later.
(@FahadShabbir)

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2022) Nothing can justify attacks on journalists, who should be able to work without facing intimidation and threats, Florencia Soto Nino, an associate spokesperson for the UN secretary general, told Sputnik on Saturday, following the discovery of an explosive device in a Berlin house lodging RIA Novosti journalists.

Someone threw a bottle into the window of one of the apartments housing Russian journalists in Berlin on Friday. An inspection of the building that followed found a suspicious object with a gas tank and wires, believed to be explosive.

A German bomb squad confirmed it to be an improvised explosive device and deactivated it on the spot.

"We always want journalists to be able to do their jobs free of intimidation and threats of any kind. Nothing justifies actions against media workers anywhere. They should be respected," Soto Nino said, adding that all incidents against journalists should be investigated.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on UN and OSCE agencies handling journalist rights to offer their impartial assessment of the incident in Berlin.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2022) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday said it is investigating an outbreak of hepatitis among children in the United States that has resulted in five deaths since October as well as in other countries.

There have been 109 total cases reported in the United States so far, starting with an initial outbreak of nine cases in young children by Alabama officials in the autumn, according to the CDC. Roughly 90% of those impacted have been hospitalized, with 14% requiring a liver transplant.

"Investigators both here and across the globe are hard at work to determine the cause," CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases Dr. Jay Butler said during a press briefing.

More than 200 cases have been reported from 20 countries, the World Health Organization said this week. While the CDC has not recorded a significant rise in severe hepatitis cases among children in the US, authorities in the United Kingdom noted a significant increase in cases, first alerting the world to the outbreak.

Scientists said they believe an adenovirus might be linked to the outbreak, considering that approximately half of the children had tested positive for it. While adenovirus is not known to cause severe hepatitis in healthy children, it is linked to the illness in children with weakened immune systems.

However, other causes are also being investigated by public health officials around the world.

"We also don't know yet what role other factors may play such as environmental exposures, medications, or other infections that the children might have," Butler said.

Hepatitis, which results in inflammation of the liver, is characterized by symptoms including yellowing of the skin, vomiting, and dark urine. Parents are encouraged to contact their healthcare providers if they have any concerns, Butler added.

The CDC is investigating cases in the US states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, New York, Texas, Washington and the territory of Puerto Rico.
We must lift as we climb

By Dave Scheiber | USF Advancement

Once a month last semester, Jorge Soriano stood before students in the Latino Scholarship Program, the Black Leadership Network and USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy. His mission was to teach financial literacy to students who receive scholarships. But in the bigger picture, Sorianos goal mirrors the mantra of the Latino Scholarship Program (LSP) that made such a difference in his life as a USF student  the guiding phrase, We must lift as we climb.

Sorianos personal story is like so many built upon the foundation of the 30-year-old Latino Scholarship Program, reflecting perseverance, gratitude and deep desire to give back to the program that made such a difference in his own life. It is a program supported by grateful donors like Soriano, but also by major gifts such as the $1.25 million gift made by Helios Education Foundation in 2008.

In Sorianos case, the LSP afforded him an educational lifeline. His mother, Raquel Fernandez, brought him to Florida from Cuba in 1998, after dispatching her older son to live with his father in Puerto Rico to avoid Cubas compulsory military draft. Once in the United States, Soriano made the most of his new start, eventually reuniting with his brother and graduating from USF in 2011 as a finance major from the Muma College of Business.

He wanted to find a way to honor his mother for her sacrifices. And that ultimately came in the form of a scholarship established in her name, made with his then-fiance and now wife, Hilary Wedner.

My mom didnt have the same opportunities I had, and she sacrificed so much to get us into this country, Soriano said at the time of the gift. It was very important for my brother and I to get our education, because she never had that. When Hilary and I told her about naming the scholarship for her, she just broke down crying.

The LSP has enriched more than 600 scholars over its three decades of impact, and recently the USF Foundation expanded its staff to further support the program. Many, like Soriano, continue to give back. The programs roots extend back to 1992, when the Latin Community Advisory Council, led by the late Dr. Braulio Alonso, established LSP to support students from low-income families without the funds to send a child to college. Alonso was joined in creating the program by three women: the late Adela Gonzmart, Dr. Adrienne Garcia, 68, and the late Dr. Remember Maceo-Gomez.

For the record, the programs first recipient was a Brandon High School valedictorian, Paola Sequeira, 96 and MSPH 98, who faced deportation after graduation. An extension for a student visa was granted, and aided by the inaugural Latino Scholarship, Sequeira enrolled at USF, graduated with honors, and earned both her medical degree and U.S. citizenship. She now practices internal medicine at the University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles, as well as a community clinic serving low-income patients.

Sequeiras story is just one of many hundreds that reflect the programs spirit of compassion for those in need of helping hands  and commitment to changing lives. The Columbia Restaurants Richard Gonzmart, Adelas son, understands the power of the program as well as anyone. He established the Adela and Cesar Gonzmart Endowed Memorial Scholarship in 2002, and in 2005, to mark the Columbias 100th anniversary, created the Columbia Centenario Award. Those two scholarships total more than $300,000. Then in 2017, came the Richard and Melanie Gonzmart Latino Scholarships totaling another $300,000. The Gonzmart family currently supports 21 USF students.

My mother stressed to me the need to help students who werent so fortunate  students who were academically talented but financially challenged, he says. She felt strongly that it was our responsibility to help.

Among those helped: two siblings, Julio and Elsi Rodriguez, whose father died while picking crops. They graduated USF in 2000 and became successes in technology and finance. Following the lead Gonzmart had set for them years earlier, Julio created the Rodriguez Nambo Endowed Scholarship, honoring their mother, Esther Rodriguez Nambo.

Before the (Gonzmart) scholarship, I thought my only decision was going to be which crops I would be picking, says Julio. At that time, Elsi and I were both working in the fields, and trying to figure out if one of us one might be able to go to college and the other continue in the fields. His generosity allowed us both to go to USF  and that made all the difference in opening doors for me and both my sisters.

Jose Valiente, 73, Life Member, USF Foundation board chair, presided over the 30th anniversary Latino Scholarship Program awards ceremony in September. He has been part of the Latin Community Advisory Committee for 31 years; he and wife, Lourdes, Life Member, have also been donors to the program, sponsoring seven students. Valiente and his family made a dramatic exit from Cuba in 1962 just before the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted. Overcoming many hardships, he and cousin Jorge, 83, were propelled by USF to highly successful financial careers in Tampa.

Without a doubt, no matter what year, no matter what degree, no matter what field, our students and graduates are making valuable contributions and serving as role models for new generations of students, Valiente told the celebratory gathering. They are, in fact, making a difference locally and globally. They represent USF and the Latino Scholarship Program with great pride.
By Zhuang Xiaohao, Li Jiapan and Huang Qi

BEIRUT, May 6 -- The 20th Chinese peacekeeping engineering contingent to Lebanon completed the construction of a new air defense bunker on May 4, local time, providing effective security support for Nepalese peacekeeping troops.

The air defense bunker of the Nepal peacekeeping infantry battalion located near the Blue Line has been seriously deformed after long-term use. It posed a major safety hazard, and a new air defense bunker was urgently needed. After receiving the task, the Chinese contingent immediately dispatched professional forces to conduct on-site surveys, and formulated a comprehensive construction plan after weighing the safety risks.

The current hot weather in Lebanon brought great challenges to outdoor operations. In order to improve efficiency, the Chinese peacekeeping engineers worked in different groups and carried out the construction work at multiple points synchronously.

On the completion day, a Nepalese commanding officer expressed gratitude to the Chinese peacekeepers. "The project is well done with very high standards. This bunker you built is of vital importance to our safety, thank you very much," he said.

A shovel excavator fills the gabion with gravel. (Photo by Zhuang Xiaohao)

A Chinese peacekeeper fixes steel bars on the gabion. (Photo by Zhuang Xiaohao)
Tami Baumann has been helping Elko County for countless years in many different roles. Since the start of the pandemic she has been helping on the front lines of testing and setting up mass vaccination PODs in Elko, Wendover, Carlin and Jackpot. Tami is truly a light of hope for Elko County.

From a really young age, I knew I wanted to be a nurse, said Tamara Baumann, APRN, who serves as director of clinical services for Nevada Health Centers, the states largest community health center program and operator of Elko Family Medical and Dental Center in Elko.

Tamara  or Tami, as shes known to friends and colleagues  is a native Nevadan raised in Winnemucca, and her love for healthcare blossomed via an unassuming connection to her fathers volunteer work in emergency services.

Dad was a volunteer EMT on the local ambulance, and when he was out on a call hed take us kids to the hospital and wed hang out at the nurses station until he got back or until mom could pick us up. Chatting with the nurses and watching them work, watching them help people in need, thats where it started.

In 2022, Tami celebrates 30 years as a registered nurse, a journey that began in 1992 at Northern Nevada Community College (NNCC) in Elko.

I originally planned to apply to nursing school at Boise State, but I remember one of the program counselors telling me, Youre going to be one of 400; this list is very long. After that, I decided to set my sights on community colleges in my home state, and I discovered the NNCC program.

NNCC was the first college that accepted me, said Tami, and I was there for two years. It was wonderful. I couldnt have asked for a better training experience.

When asked about her education, she was reminded how dutiful and diligent her nursing professors were. It was a very strict program, very regimented. We couldnt have a scruff on our shoes, and we had to wear blue-striped dresses with white aprons. We had to pay close attention and were always expected to know what we were doing  to be prepared.

Despite what she describes as a very rigorous program, in hindsight, she wouldnt change a thing. That experience shaped me into the professional nurse I am today.

Since those formative days in Elko, Tami has made incredible strides in her chosen field. She landed in Harbor UCLAs prestigious Womens Health Nurse Practitioner Program, where she trained alongside some of the nations most skilled clinicians in obstetrics and gynecology. She went on to earn a masters degree in midwifery from Philadelphia University and is now one class way from completing her post-masters certification from the University of Nevada, Reno.

When I was in nursing school, I really loved doing rotations in OB care, she said. Shes since held womens health roles in her hometown of Winnemucca, as well as Carson City, Reno, Las Vegas and Elko.

In Elko, I worked with Dr. Beale to provide services to women in the community, and more recently Ive had the chance to help Elkoans navigate the COVID-19 pandemic through testing and vaccination clinics coordinated in partnership with the county.

On behalf of Nevada Health Centers, which holds a public health contract with Elko County, Tami was instrumental in coordinating several pod-style vaccination events to bring COVID vaccines to those who wanted them. She also played a significant role in standing up Nevada Health Centers testing capabilities, as well as training local leadership and providers on how to run and manage these types of services.

What really stood out to me was the collaboration we had with Elko County, Tami stated. It was their willingness to work with us  to figure things out  that provided the framework to be successful in responding to Elkos needs. At the outset of the pandemic, a lot of the key infrastructure to ramp up testing and vaccination wasnt readily available. Special freezers, nursing staff, and COVID-19-specific testing equipment had to be put in place, and it took a concerted effort from a dedicated team to make it happen.

After a few weeks of working with Elko County leaders I knew our relationship was going to be good. I also had a lot of previous experience putting on vaccination pods in western Nevada during the H1N1 flu pandemic, so I felt confident in my abilities to replicate those types of events for COVID-19. I knew we had to plan; I knew what it would take. It was a natural fit for me.

As COVID cases have receded in Elko and across the nation, Tami expressed gratitude for her role in helping out the community. It was busy, but it was something we needed to do to help the people that call Elko home.

Now, she continues to visit Elko regularly, focusing her efforts on Elkos Title X reproductive services program, educating the community about its benefits, and making sure local clinical staff are continually up to speed on their responsibilities.

After 30 years in nursing, Tami is clear-eyed about what the future holds for her and her husband, Jim.

My husband is from the Elko area and we have discussed moving back permanently to the community to be closer to family and to reconnect with our rural roots. Tami and her husband also love the outdoors and know that Elko offers a range of possibilities for those who seek fresh air and sunshine. I love to run, hike, water ski, snowshoe, and camp. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy people, and Elko has such beautiful mountains and easy access to the things we love doing.

Nevada Health Centers proudly stands in support of Tami Baumann as its nominee for Elkos Nurses: The Heart of Healthcare recognition. More broadly, we thank all who have invested their time, energy, and compassion in the pursuit of a career in nursing, in Elko and throughout the Silver State.

Josh Charlebois is director of organizational communications at Nevada Health Centers.

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Travis R. Nichols, 25, of Reno was arrested May 1, 2022, at Fourth and River streets for felony possession of a controlled substance and violation of probation.

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Benjamin J. Thompson, 34, of Elko was arrested April 30, 2022, at Ninth and Douglas streets on two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $10,000. He was also arrested May 2, 2022, at Silver Street and Errecart Boulevard for conspiracy to commit criminal contempt. Bail: $2,500

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Brandon J. Lennberg, 29, of Magna, Utah was arrested May 2, 2022, at Salt Lake County Jail on a felony warrant for two counts of theft. Bail: $15,000

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Robert R, McEneny, 32, of Ryndon was arrested May 2, 2022, on Interstate 80 in Elko on a warrant for petty larceny, failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime, and violation of probation.

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Justin J. Oros, 29, of Elko was arrested May 3, 2022, at Silver Street and Errecart Boulevard for felony possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $5,000

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Myranda J. Reich, 28, of Elko was arrested May 2, 2022, at Silver Street and Errecart Boulevard for violation of probation.

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Danyel D. Seloom, 44, of West Wendover was arrested May 2, 2022, on a felony warrant for grand larceny of a motor vehicle. Bail: $20,000

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Tadessa R. Lessard, 28, of Elko was arrested May 3, 2022, at Fifth and Walnut streets for violation of probation.

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Jesse D. Rinaldo, 30, of Spring Creek was arrested May 3, 2022, at 316 Dove Creek for violation of probation, resident operating vehicle without Nevada vehicle registration, and no proof of insurance.

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Douglas R. Burkeybile, 61, of Wells was arrested May 5, 2022, at 340 Commercial St. for felony possession of a controlled substance and selling, transferring or attempting to sell a controlled substance. Bail: $25,000

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Richard D. Heig, 30, of Elko was arrested May 4, 2022, at Third and Cedar streets for and selling, transferring or attempting to sell a controlled substance; burglary of a business; and use of credit or debit card without consent. Bail: $45,000

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Keikilani D. Joseph, 42, of Wells was arrested May 5, 2022, at 340 Commercial St. for felony possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $5,000

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Michael K. Pohlabel, 62, of Elko was arrested May 4, 2022, at Third and Cedar streets for failure to appear after bail on a felony crime. Bail: $15,000

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Breanna M. Vest, 28, of Elko was arrested May 5, 2022, at 895 W. Silver St. for felony possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $5,000

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Fawn L. Bear, 24, of Elko was arrested May 5, 2022, at 2175 Idaho St. for felony possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $5,000

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Talon S. Jones, 29, of Fernley was arrested May 5, 2022, at Third and Commercial streets for battery on a protected person and resisting a public officer. Bail: $3,640

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Javon J. Keester, 22, of Elko was arrested May 5, 2022, at Elko County Jail on a warrant for battery by a prisoner. Bail: $20,000

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Dion M. LaRue, 42, of Elko was arrested May 5, 2022, at Elko County Jail on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a felony crime. Bail: $5,000

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Katherine E. Zaval, 28, of Spring Creek was arrested May 5, 2022, at Elko County Jail on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a gross misdemeanor crime.

The charges listed do not imply guilt. Under the law, everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia  Officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met Friday in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, in a new effort to organize humanitarian assistance for strife-torn Myanmar, a goal that critics feel falls short of addressing the causes of the crisis in the military-run nation.

The meeting, which some participants joined by video, was attended by high-level representatives from Myanmar and the other nine member states of ASEAN, its external partners, United Nations specialized agencies and other international organizations. Cambodia is the current chair of ASEAN.

No details of any agreements at the meeting were released. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who is also ASEAN's special envoy on Myanmar, said at a news conference that progress had been made, and wrote on his Facebook page that the meeting produced promising outcomes and directions.

The meeting was part of an attempt to revive a five-point consensus on Myanmar reached by ASEAN in April last year. That consensus was reached in response to violence that swept Myanmar after the military in February 2021 seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and used lethal force to quash opposition to its takeover.

The consensus calls for the immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. Prak Sokhonn said Friday's meeting added momentum to implementing the five-point consensus. He said he would make a second trip to Myanmar in his capacity of special envoy in the next few weeks.

Myanmar initially agreed to the consensus but then made scant effort to implement it. Its stonewalling led fellow ASEAN members to block Myanmar's leaders since last October from attending major meetings of the regional grouping.

At the same time, armed resistance to military rule has increased to the extent that some U.N. experts say the country is now in a state of civil war. Myanmars military has launched large-scale operations, including air strikes in several areas of the country, generating large numbers of displaced people.

In an effort to eliminate havens for armed opponents, the governments tactics have included burning down entire villages and restricting access to essential supplies such as food.

About 924,800 people remain displaced across Myanmar as of April 25, including 578,200 people who have fled their homes as a result of conflict and insecurity since the military takeover, according to an assessment by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Humanitarian access to conflict-affected and displaced people remains heavily restricted and there are significant gaps in assistance to these communities despite continued efforts by humanitarian partners and local organizations, it said.

Even if access to those in need is eased, relief efforts face funding challenges. Myanmar is one of the regions poorest countries, and its economy has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the political upheaval, making foreign assistance an imperative.

The U.N.'s 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan seeks to reach a record 6.2 million people and requires $826 million, the world body announced last month. To date, it is only 4% funded, it said.

Critics of Myanmars military government suggest that any attempt to implement the five-point consensus is a waste of time.

ASEANs credibility depends on its ability to act in accordance with the reality of the situation in Myanmar, the non-partisan group ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights said in an open letter last month to ASEAN leaders. The group cannot expect the military to abide by the terms of the Five-Point Consensus or to any international or humanitarian norm for that matter.

The lawmakers group said it is imperative that the member states escalate measures to put real pressure on the military to stop it from brutalizing its own population and turning the country into a failed state.

Measures it suggested include the suspension of Myanmars membership in ASEAN, regional travel bans for Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and members of his ruling military council, and targeted sanctions against them that include their sources of economic support. Western nations such as the United States and Britain have already implemented similar bans and sanctions.

Critics of Myanmars military believe any breakthrough toward resolving the crisis must ultimately involve the countrys National Unity Government, the main organization representing opposition forces. The group, set up by elected lawmakers who were denied their seats by the army takeover, considers itself the countrys legitimate government and has widespread public support. The countrys military leaders, however, have officially designated it an outlawed terrorist organization and refuse to engage with it.

The open letter from the lawmakers group called on ASEAN to immediately and publicly meet with the NUG, an appeal that met with a positive response on Twitter from Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah. He said he had informally met via video with the NUG foreign minister ahead of a conference of ASEAN foreign ministers in February.

Saifuddin later said Malaysia would propose that ASEAN engage informally with the NUG because no progress had been made in a year in implementing the five-point consensus.

We are not proposing for ASEAN to recognize other governments, but such informal engagement may be conceivable, especially on how humanitarian aid to the people of Myanmar who are still in their country can be delivered, he said.

Myanmar's Foreign Affairs Ministry quickly rejected his proposal as irresponsible and reckless."
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 Russian girlfriend of a Belarusian dissident, arrested with him a year ago when their plane was forced to land in Minsk, was on Friday sentenced to six years in prison, a rights group said.

Sofia Sapega, 24, was detained with Belarusian opposition activist Roman Protasevich, 27, in May 2021 when their Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania was grounded as it passed over Belarus.

Sapega, a Russian citizen, faced seven criminal charges including "inciting social hatred" and "violence or threats" against police.

Following a closed-door trial, a court in Belarus sentenced Sapega to six years, rights group Vyasna said.

After her arrest, Sapega cooperated with authorities and appealed to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for her release.

Protasevich fled to Europe in 2019 from where he co-ran the Nexta Telegram channels, a key Belarus opposition media that helped mobilize protesters during historic rallies against the disputed re-election of Lukashenko in 2020.

After their arrests, both Protasevich and Sapega appeared in "confession" videos that their supporters said were recorded under duress and are a common tactic of the regime to pressure critics.

Protasevich remains under house arrest in Belarus awaiting trial.
Moroccan police said Friday they had arrested a suspected Islamic State group member, in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, who was implicated in plotting "acts of terrorism."

The announcement came ahead of the opening next Wednesday in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh of a conference of member countries in the U.S.-led coalition against IS.

The suspect, based in the kingdom's northeastern Berkane region, was implicated in the "preparation of a terrorist plot aimed at delivering a serious blow to public order," Morocco's counterterrorism police, the Central Office of Judicial Research, said in a statement.

"The outlines of his terrorist conspiracy were unmasked on the basis of research and technical investigation carried out jointly with the FBI," it added.

This operation "is further evidence of the persistent dangers of the terrorist threat that hangs" over Morocco and "the importance of bilateral cooperation ... with the United States in the fight against terrorism."

The suspect, a 37-year-old engineer, "ran a closed user group dedicated to extremist goals and projects and aimed at recruiting and drawing in sympathizers," the statement said.

His objective was to carry out attacks against Moroccan and foreign dignitaries on Moroccan soil, it alleged.

Morocco has been spared the jihadi violence that has shaken other Middle East and North African countries in recent years, but the security services regularly report arrests of suspects in operations targeting militant cells.

Since 2002, the police say they have arrested more than 3,500 suspects in terrorism-linked cases.
In the days since the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and allow individual states to outlaw abortion, U.S. corporations have been largely silent on the issue. But experts say that behind the scenes, corporate leaders are scrambling to figure out how to respond.

The court's opinion, written by Associate Justice Samuel Alito, would change the law in huge swaths of the United States, primarily in the South and Midwest.

If the opinion takes effect, access to abortion would be sharply curtailed or effectively eliminated in up to 26 states, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization. Those bans will apply immediately in states that have passed "trigger" laws that take effect as soon as Roe v. Wade is struck down.

For business leaders, deciding how to react is a complex calculation, involving challenges such as how to address the concerns of employees who live in states poised to ban abortion; what sort of public stance, if any, to take on the divisive issue; and how to plan for a future in which a state's social policies  beyond the control of corporate executives  can affect potential employees' willingness to take a job.

Difficult subject

"I think we can kind of start off by saying that this is an issue that corporations would really, really rather not touch with a barge pole," Alison Taylor, executive director of the business advisory organization Ethical Systems, told VOA.

Taylor said that if the ruling takes effect, she has little doubt that companies are going to have to address it through changes to their benefits packages that, for example, cover the expenses of women who have to travel to a different state to obtain an abortion.

Many companies will eventually have to take a public stand, she said, because of the increasing expectation, particularly among younger workers, that corporations ought to have positions on important social issues.

Given the current uncertainty, however, it is understandable that many companies would prefer not to take a public stance right now, she said.

"People are not really saying anything yet," she added. "I think they are trying to get their ducks in a row. But I am not convinced that speaking up is a very advisable idea given the current context."

Retaliation worries

A real concern is that any company response that seems implicitly critical of the court's decision leaves that business open to the possibility of political retaliation.

On Wednesday, for example, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida harshly criticized companies that offer to pay for employees to travel to different states for abortion care. He introduced a new bill that would make it illegal for companies to claim that spending as a business expense. Rubio's bill also would target companies that pay for parents to take children out of state for treatment of gender-identity conditions.

In a statement, Rubio said, "Our tax code should be pro-family and promote a culture of life. Instead, too often our corporations find loopholes to subsidize the murder of unborn babies or horrific 'medical' treatments on kids. My bill would make sure this does not happen."

Retaliation has also occurred at the state level. In March, Citigroup said it would pay for employees in Texas to travel out of state for an abortion, circumventing a new law in that state. In response, a state lawmaker announced he would introduce a bill that would prevent the company from underwriting municipal bonds in Texas.

Silence not total

While most major corporations have been silent on the draft opinion, social media firms appear to be an exception. While not speaking expressly for her company, Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, criticized the opinion on her own Facebook page.

"This is a scary day for women all across our country," she wrote. "If the leaked draft opinion becomes the law of the land, one of our most fundamental rights will be taken away. Every woman, no matter where she lives, must be free to choose whether and when she becomes a mother. Few things are more important to women's health and equality."

The social media site Yelp issued a statement that said, in part, "Overturning Roe v. Wade will jeopardize the human rights of millions of women who stand to lose the liberty to make decisions over their own bodies."

Bumble, which owns online dating sites, issued a statement that said, "At Bumble, we believe strongly in women's right to choose and exercise complete control over their bodies. The safety, privacy, and freedom of family planning are critical to equality for all."

Benefit changes likely

Past actions suggest many companies will alter their benefits packages to allow employees in states that ban abortions to access services in states that do not.

Last year, when the Supreme Court allowed a controversial Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks to stand without ruling on the merits of the case, a number of companies were quick to promise support to their employees in Texas.

Apple offered to cover medical expenses for its workers who had to leave the state for abortion services. Salesforce offered to help employees relocate to a different state if they wanted to. On Monday, before the draft opinion leaked, Amazon announced that it would reimburse Texas employees up to $4,000 for travel expenses related to out-of-state abortion care.

Jen Stark, senior director for corporate strategy at the Tara Health Foundation, told VOA that in the short term, she would expect to see more of the same.

"We've seen examples of companies beginning to roll out programs to provide some travel support, update their paid sick leave programs and other wraparound benefits and existing policies and practices that can be adapted to meet the moment," she said.

Stark said that corporate leaders she has spoken with are also beginning to consider how to address public policy issues such as this one in the future.

Against public opinion

The anti-abortion movement in the United States is large and well-organized. However, the elements of the movement that seek total or near-total bans of the practice represent a minority of the population.

Survey data have demonstrated again and again that a broad majority of the American public does not want Roe v. Wade overturned. Belief that access to abortion ought to be maintained is even more popular among younger workers than it is across the population in general.

This presents potential problems for businesses operating in states likely to sharply restrict access to abortion.

"Eight in 10 college-educated knowledge workers  top talent  view access to abortion and reproductive health care as part of gender equity in the workplace, no more, no less," Stark said. "Employers that want to attract top talent into states that have social policies that don't align with their values will have to do more to make up for this."

In some cases, that might well involve locating operations elsewhere.

Said Taylor, of Ethical Systems: "If I had expansion plans in states that are going to be enacting these laws, I'm going to be revisiting them now because of the expense and the hassle, and because of the noise that a lot of these lawmakers are making about 'If you put in place protections, or if you try and do something to help women, we're going to retaliate against you.'"
The tweeted invitation for a teach-in at Cornell University featured a photograph of "Pillar of Shame," a sculpture that commemorates the deadly 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, which authorities removed from Hong Kong University last year.

The topic: "Academic Freedom, Global Hubs and Cornell Involvement in the People's Republic of China."

The speakers: Three Cornell University academics with China-related specialties and Yaqiu Wang, a senior researcher on China at Human Rights Watch.

The event was organized as a rebuke to the university's growing involvement in China and reflected a broader trend of calls for colleges and universities to cut ties with and divest from Chinese groups linked to human rights abuses. The call echoes past demands for universities to sell off investments in fossil fuels and apartheid-era South Africa.

Since last year, Cornell administrators have pushed the development of collaborative programs with Chinese universities. Despite students' and professors' concerns about China's record of clamping down on academic freedom, Cornell, famous for its hospitality courses, moved ahead with a dual-degree program in hospitality and business, the Cornell-Peking MMH/MBA program. Graduates would earn a Master of Business Administration from the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University in Beijing and a Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) from the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

The Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York, also continues to expand a recently launched research exchange network with institutions from around the world. Named Global Hubs, the network includes six schools throughout China.

At the April 29 event, Eli Friedman, an associate professor and chair of international and comparative labor at Cornell's Industrial and Labor Relations School (ILR School), gave an overview of the history of U.S. university engagement in China, while Peidong Sun and TJ Hinrichs, both associate professors in Cornell's history department, spoke on the state of academic freedom in China.

Richard Bensel, a Cornell professor of American politics and host of the teach-in, told VOA Mandarin that the event was intended not only "to review primarily Cornell's involvement in the People's Republic of China and academic freedom," but also to convey "basic information on that involvement to the Cornell community."

Wang spoke about censorship and self-censorship among overseas Chinese students.

She told VOA Mandarin that academic "programs in China are not the problem." Rather she said, the problem is that they do not adhere to the same principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech that universities uphold in the U.S.

The Cornell conundrum

In July 2021, Cornell's Nolan School of Hotel Administration and Peking University's Guanghua School of Managementintroduced the Cornell-Peking MMH/MBA program, targeting mid- to senior-level executives in the hospitality and service industries.

Bensel and some other members of Cornell's Faculty Senate expressed concern about the joint program. They feared that faculty members who traveled to China could get into legal trouble because of the country's constrained academic environment. In 2018, Cornell's IRL School suspended two exchange programs with China's Renmin University because of academic freedom concerns, according to The Washington Post.

The Faculty Senate continues to suspect that the program's real goal is not academic exchange but revenue generation for Cornell, according to transcripts of the senate meetings.

The dual-degree program is expected to bring in nearly $500,000 for Cornell starting in September 2022, with the potential to increase revenue as enrollment expands.

In March 2021, the Faculty Senate voted 39-16 against the proposed partnership with Peking University, according to the school's newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun. However, the "sense of the senate" vote carries no legal imprimatur, so Cornell's administration approved the project, according to a university press release dated May 28, 2021.

In fall 2021, the Cornell vice provost for international affairs, Wendy Wolford, presented another initiative to the faculty. Cornell planned to create a network, the Global Hubs, with top universities in countries that included China.

According to Faculty Senate records, many members worried that Cornell had not mentioned any standards or requirements regarding academic freedom and freedom of speech when selecting Global Hub partners.

In December, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution urging the administration to consult the senate before developing hubs in the future, senate records show.

The resolution in particular calls out Cornell's continued expansion of collaboration in China.

Despite this resolution, the central administration continues to pursue the dual-enrollment project because, as Wolford said in an email to VOA Mandarin, "We at Cornell are very proud of our active international community and collaborations; these connections are particularly important at a time when some would suggest we turn inwards, building walls rather than bridges."

Faculty members who supported the dual-degree program emphasized the importance of engaging with China, according to a Faculty Senate meeting transcript dated March 10, 2021.

"If you want to see change happen in China, engagements are the only way," said Connie Yuan, a professor in the global development department. "Present the Chinese students alternatives, and let them decide if that's the alternative that will work for them, and they are the person who decides which way to go."

She also questioned whether the concerns about human rights abuses against the Uyghur minorities in China's Xinjiang region, which were raised by professors who opposed the program, were influenced by what she called Western media bias.

"I think the Western news and Eastern news (are) biased," she said, laying out another reason she voted for the program. "I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. And I think it's Chinese government's attempt to contain terrorism, but they may have gone a little bit too far."

Push for divestment from China

Cornell faculty are not alone in their concerns about U.S. academia's business ties with China. Since last year, faculty and students at several American universities have launched initiatives to have their schools audit China-related investments.

On April 26, Athenai Institute, a student-founded nonprofit pushing for U.S. universities to divest from China, tweeted an open letter to the presidents and governing boards of major public universities, calling for a break with China.

"We are asking you to take all possible steps to investigate your institution's endowment, including the endowment of any institutionally related foundation, for ties to entities complicit in the genocide of Uyghurs, and to divest from any such holdings," wrote the group.

U.S. politicians, including former undersecretary of state Keith Krach, have signed the letter.

John Metz, Athenai Institute's executive director, said that other than moral reasons, universities should pull business ties from China for their own business interests, as investments in a country that is involved in human rights abuses could be subject to future sanctions.

Students from Georgetown University, George Washington University, the University of Virginia and the University of California, Los Angeles, are mobilizing toward divestment from China.

Metz told VOA Mandarin that "not only do (schools) have the potential to be leaders on this issue, but it also makes financial sense to avoid risk and to avoid involuntary divestment basically, and to avoid selling those investments after they've fallen 60 or 70%."

In December, Catholic University of America's administration began to independently examine its endowment for connections to the human rights abuses of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, according to the website The College Fix.

In January, Yale University's Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility began to investigate potential investments in Chinese companies tied to human rights abuses, according to the Yale Daily News.

Metz told VOA Mandarin that the divestment movement is still in its early stage. But, he said, "We think divestment as a tactic has a lot of potential to extend beyond universities to other institutional investors, like pension funds, and ultimately to Wall Street."
Relatives of the missing in Cuba's capital desperately searched Saturday for victims of an explosion at one of Havana's most luxurious hotels that killed at least 26 people. They checked the morgue, hospitals and if unsuccessful, they returned to the partially collapsed Hotel Saratoga, where rescuers used dogs to hunt for survivors.

A natural gas leak was the apparent cause of Friday's blast at the 96-room hotel. The 19th-century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood did not have any guests at the time because it was undergoing renovations ahead of a planned Tuesday reopening after being closed.

Havana city officials raised the death toll to 26 Saturday, according to the official Cubadebate news site. The dead included four children and a pregnant woman. Spain's President Pedro Sanchez said via Twitter that a Spanish tourist was among the dead and that another Spaniard was seriously injured.

Cuban authorities confirmed the tourist's death and said her partner was injured. They were not staying at the hotel. Tourism Minister Dalila Gonzalez said a Cuban American tourist was also injured.

Representatives of Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA, which owns the hotel, said during a news conference Saturday that 51 workers had been inside the hotel at the time, as well as two people working on renovations. Of those, 11 were killed, 13 remain missing and six were hospitalized.

Gonzalez said the cause of the blast was still under investigation, but a large crane hoisted a charred gas tanker from the hotel's rubble early Saturday.

Search and rescue teams worked through the night and into Saturday, using ladders to descend through the rubble and twisted metal into the hotel's basement as heavy machinery gingerly moved away piles of the building's facade to allow access. Above, chunks of drywall dangled from wires, desks sat seemingly undisturbed inches from the void where the front of the building cleaved away.

At least one survivor was found early Saturday in the shattered ruins, and rescuers using search dogs clambered over huge chunks of concrete looking for more. Relatives of missing people remained at the site while others gathered at hospitals where the injured were being treated.

A desperate Yatmara Cobas stood outside the perimeter waiting for word of her daughter, 27-year-old housekeeper Shaidis Cobas.

"My daughter is in the Saratoga; she's been there since 8 a.m. (Friday), and at this time I don't know anything about her," Cobas said. "She's not at the morgue, she's not in the hospital." The mother said she had gone everywhere seeking answers from authorities but came up empty.

"I'm tired of the lies," she said.

Lt. Col. Enrique Pena briefed Comandante Ramiro Valdes, who once fought alongside Fidel Castro, on the search efforts at the site Saturday morning.

Pena said the presence of people had been detected on the first floor and in the basement and four teams of search dogs and handlers were working. He did not know if the victims were alive or dead.

"I don't want to move from here," Cristina Avellar told The Associated Press near the hotel.

Avellar was waiting for news of Odalys Barrera, a 57-year-old cashier who has worked at the hotel for five years. She is the godmother of Barrera's daughters and considers her like a sister.

Neighbors were still in shock a day after the explosion.

"I thought it was a bomb," said Guillermo Madan, a 73-year-old retiree, who lives just meters from the building, but was not injured. The three-decade resident of the neighborhood was cooking and watching television when he heard the blast. "My room moved from here to there. My neighbor's window broke, the plates, everything."

Katerine Marrero, 31, was shopping at the time. "I left the store, I felt the explosion," she said. "Everyone started to run."

Although no tourists were reported injured, the explosion is another blow to the country's crucial tourism industry.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic kept tourists away from Cuba, the country was struggling with tightened sanctions imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and kept in place by the Biden administration.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine deflated a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, said at least 74 people had been injured. Among them were 14 children, according to a tweet from the office of President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated. Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata said five of the students suffered minor injuries.

The hotel was renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban government's revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban military's tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not respond to an email from the AP seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

In the past, the Hotel Saratoga has been used by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there in 2013.
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On Monday the Philippines will elect a new president. Voters have faced a barrage of disinformation, particularly on social media. Dave Grunebaum looks at the issue and the people trying to combat it. Camera: Dave Grunebaum Producer: Luis Da Costa
ELKO  Finding an apartment or house to rent in the Elko and Spring Creek areas is hard, with apartment complexes reporting no vacancies and waiting lists  and at the same time, rents have gone up.

The market is pretty harsh yet, said Sandy Wakefield of Sandys Castles, which manages 264 rental properties. Prices have come up a little bit with higher insurance costs, higher taxes and higher power costs, she said. Single-family stuff is really big.

She said on an average day the vacancy rate is zero on one-bedroom and five-bedroom places, while the others have an average of a five-day vacancy rate.

Wakefield said rentals that go for more than $2,000 a month take a little longer to rent, and some people looking to rent have a hard time qualifying.

Its worth noting that people looking to rent houses generally have lower credit scores than those looking to buy, she said.

The minimum credit score she allows is 600 out of 850.

Cathy Rich, manager at Parkway Apartments for the past 30 years, said rents are definitely going up in Elko, and there are people in fancy apartments looking at Parkway to save money, but Parkway is full.

I dont have anything available now, she said, adding that a couple of two-bedroom are coming open but they are already pre-rented, and she is receiving calls for three-bedroom apartments that are being remodeled.

Rich said remodeling projects are slow because of delays in the supply chain, including for cabinets and appliances.

People are waiting, but there is nothing I can do, she said.

Rich said Nevada Gold Mines is hiring, and she has applicants from as far away as Las Vegas, South Carolina and Canada.

Parkway, which has 100 units, raised rates earlier this year, so a two-bedroom now rents for $1,075, and larger two-bedroom and three bedrooms rent for $1,150 a month.

Kelly Zornes, manager of Copperwood Apartments, said the complex is full, and a lot of prospects are coming from out of state. Its been steady and a long waiting list

She said some units are coming available, but they have been rented from the waiting list. The complex has 108 units.

The mines are bringing in so many people, she said, adding that she has renters who go back and forth from renting to building or buying a house, and Copperwood offers month-to-month rentals for an extra fee for those waiting to get into houses. The complex also offers six-month and one-year leases.

We try to accommodate what people are looking for, Zornes said.

She said there has been a rent hike. One-bedrooms rent for $1,155, two-bedrooms, $1,370, and three-bedroom apartments are $1,485 per month.

Zornes also reported that as renters move out, Copperwood is adding washers and dryers.

Ruby Vista, which offers luxury units, is full and the complex raised rates this month because of the market, according to staff.

A two-bedroom, two-bath apartment rents for $1,899 a month, and a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment is $2,199 a month.

At Monte Carlo Apartments, the staff reported there were no vacancies, and rents have gone up. A one-bedroom, one-bath apartment is now $995, a two-bedroom with two baths ranges from $1,040 to $1,180, depending on the apartment size, and three-bedroom apartments start at $1,260 and go up to $1,280.

The complex has 176 units, but 45 of them are under renovation.

At Villas at Riverside, leasing agent Ciera Lupercio said there are some three bedrooms coming available, but no ones and twos. We have a waiting list, but they are looking for one-bedroom or two-bedroom units. A lot of people are coming from out of town to work at the mines or as contractors.

Rents have gone up because of the market, Lupercio said. A one-bedroom rents for $1,175 per month, a two-bedroom, $1,425, and a three-bedroom, $1,599.

Lupercio said there is a $25 parking fee per month and a $10 property tax fee per month that is in addition to the rental amount.

A recent FOXBusiness story cited realtor.com to report that the median rent price in the 50 largest metros across the country reached a record high of $1,807.

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Ukraine's armed forces Saturday released footage said to show a Russian landing ship being destroyed near Snake Island, a small isle under Russian control in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian army said a missile launched from a Ukrainian drone, a Bayraktar TB2, destroyed the Russian warship. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said an armed Bayraktar drone also destroyed a missile defense system on the island, located 80 miles south of the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Satellite images taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed what appeared to be a Serna-class landing ship near Snake Island's northern beach. That corresponds with the video released by the Ukrainian military said to show a drone striking it, engulfing the vessel in flames.

The video also claims to show buildings on the island that had been destroyed in a barrage of drone attacks by Ukrainian forces.

Striking Snake Island would impede Russia's efforts to control the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, six missiles hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Saturday, the spokeswoman for Ukraines southern military command told the country's public broadcaster.

Also, all women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from the Mariupol steel works plant besieged by Russian forces, according to Anna Chernikova, a VOA reporter in Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials from the countrys national security council said Friday that Victory Day could mean more shelling in parts of Ukraine.

Since Russian troops cannot boast of any significant achievements on the front by Victory Day, the risk of massive shelling of Ukrainian cities these days is increasing, the officials wrote on Facebook.

Ukraine has warned its citizens to take cover when they hear air raid sirens and to avoid large gatherings because of the expected uptick in Russian attacks.

Russian lawmaker: US active in Ukraine war

Russia's most senior lawmaker Saturday accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine which he said amounted to direct U.S. involvement in the military action against Russia.



"Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country," Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

Washington and European members of the transatlantic NATO alliance have supplied Kyiv with heavy weapons to help it resist a Russian offensive that has resulted in the occupation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine but failed to take Kyiv.

However, the United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly said they will not take part in fighting themselves to avoid becoming parties to the conflict.

Reuters reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will send a doomsday message to the West on May 9.

A Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said Friday that Russia has no intention of deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Ukraine.

Russia firmly abides by the principle that there can be no victors in a nuclear war, and it must not be unleashed, Alexei Zaitsev said.

More evacuations from Mariupol steel plant

Fighting continues to rage around the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol which remains controlled by Ukrainian fighters.

More civilians were rescued from the tunnels under the plant Friday and Saturday, as the Ukrainians holed up at the sprawling complex made a stand to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategic port city.

Mariupol is a city reduced to ruins by the Russian onslaught. About 2,000 Ukrainian fighters, by Russias most recent estimate, are holed up in a vast maze of tunnels and bunkers beneath Azovstal steelworks and they have repeatedly refused to surrender.

U.S. first lady Jill Biden has arrived in Slovakia; the second stop of her four-day visit in Eastern Europe. Previously she visited Romania. At the U.S. embassy in Bucharest, the first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for their work in helping refugees fleeing the Russian invasion in neighboring Ukraine, calling the efforts "amazing."

Biden heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russias war and found safe haven across the border. On Sunday in Slovakia she is scheduled to meet with displaced Ukrainian families.

The White House said Friday that U.S. President Joe Biden and other G-7 leaders will have a virtual meeting Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The United Nations Security Council adopted a unanimous resolution Friday in support of a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine, the first such statement from the Security Council since Russia invaded Ukraine February 24.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Press and Reuters.
Russias desire to create a land corridor to Moldovas separatist region of Transnistria is drawing attention to Moscow's efforts to prevent the pro-Russian enclave from deepening ties to the West and undermining the decadeslong Russian grip over part of Moldova, some analysts say.

Russian General Rustam Minnekaev endorsed the idea of a land corridor on April 22, saying: Control over the south of Ukraine is another way to [reach] Transnistria, according to Russian news agency Interfax. He said Transnistrias Russian-speaking population suffers oppression, implying that it needs Russias protection from Romanian-speakers in the rest of Moldova.

Moscow has made similar assertions about Russian speakers in Ukraine to justify its invasions of Ukrainian territory since 2014.

Transnistria is a majority Russian-speaking territory that broke away from Moldova in 1990, a year before the majority Romanian-speaking Soviet republic declared independence from the Soviet Union. A 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists backed by Russian troops ended with a cease-fire that has remained in effect for 30 years, leaving Transnistria to run its own affairs as a de facto state but without international recognition.

Russia has not recognized the region as a state. But it has helped the separatists for decades to administer a sliver of land on Moldovas eastern edge, between the east bank of the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border. Transnistria has a population of 300,000 to 400,000 according to Moldovan and separatist estimates, respectively.

Russias support for the separatist region has prolonged what some observers call a frozen conflict that has kept Moldova too weak to join major Western institutions. Moscow has long regarded the expansion of the NATO alliance and European Union into post-Soviet states such as Moldova as a threat to its security.

Moscows main support for Transnistria has taken the form of providing it with free Russian natural gas, a presence of about 1,500 Russian troops and bank transfers of Russian funds.

But Transnistria has been reorienting its trade toward the EU since the bloc signed a free trade agreement with Moldova in 2014. That deal granted the enclave tariff-free exports to the EU under certain rules and visa-free travel to the EU for residents with Moldovan passports.

As the separatists trade with the EU rose in recent years, their trade with Russia declined.

Former U.S. ambassador to Moldova Asif Chaudhry told VOA Russian that the 2014 agreement has opened people's minds on the Transnistrian side. They see that it is to their economic and personal benefit to have a better relationship with the Republic of Moldova, he said.

One way Russia has tried to counter that trend is by providing the separatist region with free natural gas from Moscow-controlled energy company Gazprom through pipelines crossing Ukrainian territory.

Transnistria, which is poor in natural resources, uses the gas to produce electricity and metal products that it sells to customers in similarly resource-poor Moldova and to foreign customers at market prices, according to Moldovan energy analyst Sergiu Tofilat, who served as an energy adviser to Moldovas president from 2020 to 2021.

Speaking to VOA Ukrainian from Moldova, Tofilat said separatist authorities relied on income from natural gas-derived products for 53% of their budgetary spending in 2019 and for 40% in 2020.

In a study he published in 2020, Tofilat also found that the value of the Russian gas obtained by Transnistria was equivalent to 48% of its gross domestic product from 2007 to 2016.

Half of the Transnistrian economy survives only due to the gas subsidy from Russia, he told VOA.

Russia also maintains influence over the enclave with a deployment of about 1,500 troops, said former Moldovan defense minister Vitalie Marinutsa, who served in the role from 2009 to 2014. He spoke to VOA Russian in Moldova on May 3.

Several hundred of those Russian troops serve under the authority of a peacekeeping force known as a Joint Control Commission that also includes Moldovan and separatist personnel. The rest of the Russian contingent guards a major depot of Soviet-era ammunition near the village of Cobasna and trains separatist paramilitaries.

Another tool of Russian influence is the use of banks to wire Russian funds to the separatist region.

Tatsiana Kulakevich, a Russia researcher at the University of South Florida, told VOA that Moscow wires the funds to the separatist government owned Transnistrian Sberbank to provide pensions to residents. Transnistrian Sberbank is part of the correspondent network of Russias largest bank, also named Sberbank.

Kulakevich said she does not see any threat to Russias ability to transfer money to the separatist region, as Moscow has been using its own network to facilitate transactions and shield itself from Western sanctions targeting Russian banks use of the SWIFT international financial messaging system.

But Russias policy of making Transnistria dependent on it for free natural gas to generate electricity could create problems for the enclave in the coming years, as Moldova looks to reduce its own dependence on that electricity, Tofilat said.

Moldovas government has decided to construct a high-voltage power line that will connect us with Romania and diversify our electricity supplies. This will take another three years, he said.

Russia also faces difficulties in keeping its military presence in the separatist region supplied with personnel and weapons.

Since Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and invaded its eastern Donbas region in 2014, Ukrainian authorities have cracked down on Russian smuggling of people and arms into Transnistria, whose border with Ukraine is porous, Kulakevich said.

News reports suggest the Ukrainians are better guarding the border, but its hard to control completely, she said.

Moldova also has tried to block Russia from sending military personnel to the separatist region through Moldovan government-controlled territory.

We have taken steps to ensure that this military exchange [of personnel] does not take place, said Anatol Salaru, a former Moldovan defense minister who served from 2015 to 2016, in an interview with VOA sister TV network Current Time last month.

Russia also has no simple way to supply its forces in Transnistria by air. The enclaves only airfield, a former Soviet military base near its self-styled capital Tiraspol, has not been in operation for more than 30 years, according an April 27 article by Ukrainian news site European Pravda.

Ukrainian national news agency Ukrinform reported on April 6 that authorities in Tiraspol were preparing the airfield to receive aircraft. It did not elaborate on whether the preparations were for military or civilian flights.

One of the shortest paths for Russian aircraft to reach Tiraspol would be to fly from one of the airfields in Russian-occupied Crimea over the Black Sea toward the separatist region. But that would entail flying through at least 40 kilometers of Ukrainian airspace.

Sergey Bratchuk, a spokesman for Ukrainian military forces in the Odesa region bordering Transnistria, said in an April 30 Telegram post that they had received new air defense systems to use against Russia.

Speaking earlier this week, as reported by the BBC, Bratchuk had this warning for Russian aircraft attempting the journey to Tiraspol: "We have the right to shoot them down over the territory of Ukraine. These are enemy planes [attempting] enemy landings.

Alex Yanevskyy reported from Moldova.
Changes are underway at some local U.S. law enforcement agencies that are trying to tackle long-standing policing problems such as excessive force and racial bias.

The reforms come as minority communities demand changes on how police officers do their jobs, including more accountability for their actions.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the patterns and practices of police departments in several cities including Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A report last month by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights said there was a pattern of racial discrimination at the Minneapolis Police Department. It found the law enforcement agency illegally engaged in race-based policing, resulting in different treatment for people of color.

The report was based on a nearly two-year investigation that began days after the murder of African American George Floyd by white former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. The incident captured on video showed officer Chauvins knee on Floyd's neck and back for more than nine minutes. The incident sparked months of U.S. demonstrations and worldwide protests to end police brutality.

Since the investigation was launched, the Minneapolis police department has instituted several reforms. They include stronger disciplinary action against officers who engage in misconduct, new detailed requirements for reporting use-of-force incidents and enhanced training for implicit bias.

Former and current Minneapolis Police Department leaders all acknowledged there was a problem with MPDs organizational culture and that they knew it was resulting in racial disparities, said Rebecca Lucero, commissioner of the Minnesota Human Rights Department.

The report found that Minneapolis officers were almost two times more likely to search and arrest Black members of the community than whites. Officials also uncovered officers who consistently used racist, misogynistic and disrespectful language.

Minnesotas Human Rights Department blamed the discriminatory police practices in Minneapolis on deficient training along with insufficient and ineffective accountability systems.

Investigators reached the conclusions after reviewing hundreds of hours of police body camera footage and interviewing thousands of people. Minneapolis officials will now draft a court-enforceable agreement to prevent future discrimination.

Theres no place in the Minneapolis police department for bias or discrimination, said Amelia Huffman, the citys interim police chief. Im confident that there are men and women in the Minneapolis police department who have the desire to meet the challenge of today and tomorrow.

Some analysts believe the citys focus should be on recruiting quality officers and developing more community outreach.

When you focus on building solid relationship(s) in communities of color, things like excessive aggressiveness and implicit bias begin to diminish, said Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York.

We tend not to be discriminatory against people we know well, Aborn told VOA. We need to encourage much greater substantive interaction between the police agency and minority communities.

Police accountability

In other U.S. cities problematic policing is under a spotlight. The Justice Department is investigating whether police in Louisville, Kentucky, engaged in unconstitutional practices, including the use of unreasonable force and illegal searches.

The probe followed the death of Breonna Taylor in March 2020. The unarmed African American medical worker was shot by police inside her home during a botched drug raid. Her death also fueled nationwide demonstrations.

Since Taylors death, Louisville police have banned the use of so-called no-knock warrants such as was used to enter her apartment. The department also searched for other officer misconduct by reviewing dozens of use-of-force incidents, including officer-involved shootings from 2017 through 2021.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the citys police department revised its policies to prohibit discrimination by targeting, stopping or detaining people due to their race or ethnicity. Other departments have designed new officer training programs like one adopted in Baltimore, Maryland, that emphasizes the use of impartial practices when making traffic stops and arrests.

As part of an ongoing effort to address police reforms, the Justice Department has provided more assistance to law enforcement agencies seeking to improve fair policing. The program, launched in March, will focus on officer training and building positive relationships with the community.

This program is a voluntary opportunity for a law enforcement agency that knows it needs to make changes, and wants to make changes, to do just that, said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. We will provide technical assistance so that police departments can accomplish reforms as they are identified.

The program comes after bipartisan negotiations to craft federal police reform legislation failed in Congress last year.

Clearly Congress did not do what they should have done to provide support around this very challenging social issue of policing in this country, law enforcement analyst Cedric Alexander told VOA.

Some social justice groups want lawmakers to reintroduce the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. It sought to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct and eliminate policing practices such as racial profiling. The legislation was approved in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate, where Republicans can block most legislation with a filibuster.

In an effort to work around the Congressional stalemate, U.S. President Joe Bidens administration is considering executive orders to address police misconduct while providing more federal resources to help city police departments fight against a rise in violent crimes.

The administrations 2023 federal spending plan requests more than $8 billion in grants for states and localities to fund local law enforcement efforts to build trust with the communities they serve while implementing community-based strategies to prevent gun crime and gun violence.
North Korea has fired what appears to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile, South Koreas military reported Saturday, the Norths 15th round of launches this year.

The short-range missile was launched Saturday afternoon from the Sinpo area toward the sea off North Koreas east coast, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an alert to reporters.

Japans coast guard also reported the launch, saying it appeared to be a ballistic missile that splashed down after about a 15-minute flight. Japans Kyodo news agency reported the missile flew for about 600 kilometers and landed outside Japans exclusive economic zone.

No further details were available. In the past, North Korea has launched SLBMs from the Sinpo South Shipyard using both an experimental ballistic missile submarine and a submersible test stand barge.

North Korea has ramped up missile tests this year, making significant progress on a weapons development wish list laid out in 2021 by leader Kim Jong Un.

On Friday, the U.S. State Department warned North Korea could also conduct another nuclear test as early as this month, noting recent preparations at the Norths main nuclear test site in the northeast part of the country. North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test in almost five years.

A nuclear explosion risks further raising tensions with North Koreas neighbors, including its main economic backer, China, whose border is only about 160 kilometers from North Koreas Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

However, China and Russia have largely looked the other way as Pyongyang ramps up missile tests. Instead, Beijing and Moscow have pressured the United States to do more to restart nuclear talks that have not been held since 2019.

The United States has repeatedly said it is willing to reenter negotiations without preconditions, but North Korea has either rejected or ignored those invitations. Instead, it has fired missiles, sometimes at a record pace. In late March, the North conducted its first long-range launch in over four years.

The Norths apparent launch Saturday comes just three days after its previous missile test on Wednesday, which uncharacteristically went unreported in North Korean state media the following day.

That suggested the Kim regime wanted to keep its progress secret or didnt want to admit to a failed test, said Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Either way, it was apparent Pyongyang would conduct another test soon, he said.

North Korea has multiple possible reasons for launching missiles.

While Western media reports and U.S. officials often describe the launches as provocations, there is an increasing amount of evidence that the North is instead focused on the military dimension of such tests.

Some observers suggest that North Korea launches missiles to get Washingtons attention and restart dialogue. There is more evidence that Pyongyang is focused on improving military capabilities to deter, threaten and extort other countries, said Easley.

Last week, Kim warned he could preemptively use his countrys nuclear weapons to counter hostile forces, if necessary. At a military parade in late April, Kim also warned that his nuclear forces were tasked not only with deterring the countrys enemies but also striking anyone who violates the Norths fundamental interests.

The comments have raised concerns that Kim may use the threat of a nuclear attack to coerce his neighbors, in some ways mirroring the strategy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has regularly threatened a nuclear attack in Ukraine.

The tensions come as South Korea prepares to inaugurate a new conservative president, former chief prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol, who has promised to take a tougher approach toward the North.

Yoon, who takes office on Tuesday, has vowed to fully restore joint military exercises with the United States that have been scaled back or spread out since 2018 to preserve diplomacy and because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wallace Johnson, a 97-year-old World War II Navy veteran from a suburb of San Francisco, calls China an "apt student" of programs that made the United States economically vibrant. But he's concerned that its rising power and links with Russia will drive the superpower to move against the U.S.

"Allied with Russia, (China) might decide we are incapable of sustaining proxy war demands on both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, and might make a move on Taiwan," Johnson said.

Johnson's views reflect findings of a recent Pew Research Center survey of Americans' views on China, a former Cold War foe.

Nine in 10 American adults call the Sino-Russian relationship "at least a somewhat serious problem for the United States," and 62% say it's a "very serious problem," the survey found, noting that more worry about China's ties to Russia than its involvement in U.S. politics, its human rights policies, or tensions between China and Taiwan.

Americans overwhelmingly back Ukraine, so, "if China's government does accommodate (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, it makes the Chinese government look worse in American public opinion for sure," said Perry Link, professor of comparative literature and languages at University of California, Riverside.

China has avoided condemning Russia over its war in Ukraine, parting ways with an outpouring of pro-Ukraine sentiment from the West.

"China is seen as an enabler, is seen as a co-conspirator and also as an accomplice," said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington. "This is a simplistic view, but it's a very broadly shared view."

Differing opinions

Opinions toward China in the United States vary by age, occupation and location, experts say.

Residents of the politically liberal U.S. coasts and younger white-collar workers with links to China view the communist country more positively than do residents of the more ideologically moderate and conservative interior states. Some of those states backed former president Donald Trump in 2016, who was tough on China.

Trump launched a trade dispute with China, curbed the U.S. activity of flagship Chinese tech firms, and stepped-up U.S. relations with Chinese political rival Taiwan, a longtime de facto Western ally. Trump's China approach, in large part, has continued under Joe Biden's presidency.

When evaluating China, many Americans consider the 4-year-old Sino-U.S. trade war, accusations of commercial espionage, and China's latest COVID-19 outbreak, Sun said.

Lupe Ayala, a third-year political science student at University of California, Berkley, sees similarities between the U.S. and China.

"I know (China is), I would say, very controversial just because they're very strict, but I think, looking at America right now, we're basically the same, so we can't really be pointing fingers like they're worse than us," said Ayala, who was disturbed by the news leak about the draft Supreme Court ruling indicating a women's federal right to abortion might be overturned.

She urged Americans to respect customs, beliefs and cultural traits that are unique to China.

Some younger Americans believe China has the "right to a more prominent place" in the world order, said Dexter Roberts, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Asia Security Initiative and author of The Myth of Chinese Capitalism. He points to his own students at the University of Montana, a liberal school in a relatively conservative state.

"Those students argue that China is "rising relative to the U.S.," Roberts said.

"Not a small number of students I talked to said that (Americans) need to recognize the fact."

Younger Americans often say that they're not concerned about the U.S. and China's tense, competitive relationship, and that they would move to China for the adventure, travel opportunities and income potential if sent by an employer.

"I wouldn't consider myself very politically inclined, especially not international politics, but I think that everything is worth trying once," said Michael Alexander, a junior studying molecular and cellular biology at University of California, Berkeley.

But the COVID-19 outbreak that has caused lockdowns in Shanghai, Shenzhen and other Chinese cities over the past two months do weigh on American sentiment.

"The main issue is that they are essentially just trapped inside their apartments," said Kush Davidd, a computer science and economics double major from the U.S. state of Georgia. "They can't really get anywhere for food's sake and stuff like that."
As South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol enters his five-year term of office, he is envisioning South Koreas expanded position on the world stage and strengthening Seouls role in its long but languishing alliance with the U.S. as he prepares for his first summit with President Joe Biden.

The incoming president, who will take office on May 10 after winning a hotly contested election on March 9, will meet Biden on May 21. Yoon, the leader of the worlds 10th-largest economy, expects the Seoul summit will be a pivotal moment toward putting the allies on more equal footing.

Yoon, 61, plans to revitalize the Seoul-Washington alliance of nearly seven decades after cooperation on global issues wilted as current President Moon Jae-in devoted much of his term that began in 2017 to engaging North Korea.

Yoon sat down with VOAs Korean Service for an exclusive interview in late April to discuss how the Seoul-Washington relations could be renewed and broadened so the allies could together tackle some of the most challenging issues around the world ranging from technology to security.

Yoon said, South Korea needs to do more than merely expressing that we agree with U.S. policies or that we stand with the U.S. but actually labor over global issues together with the U.S. He continued that Seoul needs to play a leading role in the areas that necessitate our part.

South Koreas former prosecutor general said that when President Moon met with Biden in May 2021, they discussed how Seoul could play an active role in cooperating with the U.S. in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, developing advanced technologies and dealing with climate change.

When the two met last year, they discussed only the [COVID-19] vaccine, but I believe the discussion needs to be expanded to include broadening the scope of joint working groups cooperation on the Quad, cutting-edge technologies and climate change, said Yoon, who has never before held an elected position.

The Biden administration has emphasized that the production of semiconductors is critical for remaining competitive with China, and when he visits Seoul for his summit with Yoon, he plans to visit Samsung Electronics plant in Pyeongtaek, an hours drive from Seoul. Samsung Electronics was one of top global chipmakers invited by the Biden administration to the White House in April 2021.

Climate change has been a top priority of the Biden administration, and South Korea, as the world's ninth-largest carbon emitter, has been slow in taking action to meet the 1.5 degree Celsius temperature limit set by the Paris Agreement to which Seoul is party.

Yoon continued, The concept of security in the ROK-U.S. alliance has to go beyond military security now to include security in the areas of economy, advanced technologies and supply networks as well as global issues surrounding climate change and health care so that the relationship could be expanded and upgraded to a comprehensive level of alliance. The Republic of Korea (ROK) is South Koreas formal name.

After the summit with Yoon, Biden is expected to meet with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan in Tokyo for a summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the so-called Quad, designed to counter Chinas aggression in the Southeast Asia.

The Biden administration has been looking toward South Korea as an ally that shares the same liberal democratic values with the U.S. to play an enhanced role in maintaining a rules-based order in the region against Chinas rising autocratic threat to security and political freedom.

Yoon is the 20th president of South Korea since 1948 when the country was divided at the 38th parallel and the Soviet Union set up a Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. China, which fought against South Korea on the side of North Korea, is now Seoul's top trading partner and considered North Koreas closest ally.

To deal with the increasing threat from North Korea, Yoon said a consistent signal and message needs to be sent to Pyongyang that should not be changed from time to time out of convenience.

North Korea has conducted 15 weapons tests since January, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on March 24 and what it called a new type of tactical guided weapon on April 17 designed to boost its nuclear fighting capabilities supposedly against South Korea.

Yoon wants to make clear to Pyongyang that Seoul has the deterrence capabilities to defeat any potential aggression across the inter-Korean border.

Yoon said, As a way to deal with North Koreas nuclear weapons, an emphasis has been placed on extended deterrence. He continued, We must certainly participate in having more intimate and in-depth communications with the U.S. about extended deterrence.

Extended deterrence has been a main pillar of security strategy between the U.S. and South Korea since the hostilities of the Korean War concluded with an armistice in 1953.

Under extended deterrence, the U.S. promises to provide security assurance to South Korea by using its military forces, including nuclear forces to deter attacks on the territories of the East Asian ally and to fight for it when an attack is launched.

When Yoons four-member delegation, led by his intended foreign minister, Park Jin, visited Washington in April, they discussed deploying strategic assets such as nuclear submarines and bombers to South Korea.

Park, who must be confirmed by the National Assembly, served four terms in South Koreas National Assembly where he was a member and chief of the committee for foreign affairs and unification.

Deploying the strategic assets is an important element of reinforcing the extended deterrence, and the issue naturally came up during the discussions, Park said after his meeting with U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington on April 5.

To ensure South Korea's defense against the North, Yoon thinks it is crucial for South Korea to obtain intelligence gathering assets but said the South Korean military currently lacks sufficient capabilities to operate intelligence assets, which he believes are necessary to have a command authority over a wartime operation.

Yoon said, The most important thing in commanding a wartime operation is intelligence, intelligence about an adversary.

He continued, We need to secure a reasonable level of intelligence capabilities for conducting surveillance and reconnaissance operations that will enable [South Korea] to have a command over a joint wartime operation.

Since fighting ended in 1953, an American four-star general who serves as the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, as well as the United Nations Command and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, has had wartime command control over South Korean forces and about 28,500 American troops stationed there.

Moon tried to expedite the process of transferring a wartime operation command authority from the U.S. to South Korea.

South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook said the allies have created necessary conditions for the transfer of OPCON of combined forces during a joint press conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on March 18.

But Yoon said, We are lacking sufficient readiness to operate intelligence assets, which he said were essential in commanding a wartime operation.

He added, The issue of returning the wartime operational control [to South Korea] should depend on factors that are most effective in winning a war.

As far as extending diplomatic outreach to North Korea, Yoon did not rule out a summit with North Korea.

There is no particular reason to avoid a summit, Yoon said.

However, any such leadership-level meeting would be predicated on talks that produce substantive outcomes on North Koreas denuclearization, he said.

If a summit ends in showoff displays with no concrete outcomes or substantial results made on denuclearization or providing economic support to North Korea, then it will not help advance inter-Korean relations and denuclearizing North Korea, Yoon said.

If North Korea gives up nuclear weapons, accepts nuclear inspections, carries out irreversible denuclearization, then programs that will significantly improve North Koreas economic situations will be examined and prepared [to be offered to North Korea], he continued.

To help the North Korean people, Yoon thinks South Korea needs to work with the international community to find overarching responses to global human rights abuses.

Rather than limiting [South Koreas] response to North Koreas human rights violations, when there is a collective abuse of human rights in the world and when abuses are done by a government authority or political force, then the international community [including South Korea] must cooperate and respond so that international order based on norms can be maintained, Yoon said.

Yoon believes South Korean activists advocating for human rights of the North Koreans should be able to pursue their activities without Seouls interference unless the groups efforts endanger South Koreans.

I dont think it is appropriate for a government to forcibly regulate nongovernmental organizations human rights activities toward North Korea out of fear how those activities would offend North Korea, Yoon said.

The current South Korean government legally banned broadcasting or sending information to North Korea. I believe that is wrong unless the ban is absolutely necessary to protect the safety of South Koreans living near the North Korean border, he added.
For 10 years, Rojin Derki hoped her brother Mohammad was still alive and would one day be released from a Syrian government prison after his arrest in 2012.

Yet when a presidential decree last week gave a general amnesty for prisoners, she had mixed feelings.

"It's an ugly feeling because you don't know if he is alive, if he will be released, or if he will remember us," Derki said, holding a photo of her brother at a sit-in Saturday in Berlin by dozens of Syrians for political detainees.

"When my mother learned about the decree she said, 'even if he doesn't recognize me, at least I will do,'" said Derki, whose brother supported an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

The April 30 amnesty appears to be the first for those detained under a sweeping 2012 counter-terrorism decree, which rights groups say allowed authorities to round up opposition activists and aid workers.

It has given hope for thousands of Syrian families to see loved ones free again after years of detention. But rights groups say the decree will only give freedom to a small fraction of the political prisoners the government detains.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), which has been documenting the war from outside Syria, said around 200 people have been released so far since the decree, with the total unlikely to exceed 1,800.

"The government has 132,000 Syrian citizens (detained for political reasons), according to SNHR data, of which there are 87,000 forcibly disappeared, meaning they are not included in amnesty decrees," SNHR head Fadel Abdul Ghany said.

Confusion

Derki, with other Syrians, laid down framed photos of their detained family members in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

They were unhappy at the decree's lack of clarity.

"Like me, all families here are angry. We don't know what this amnesty means," said Yasmin Shabaji, who has not heard news of her detained brother and father in almost a decade.

Ammar Bilal, a member of the legislation department at Syria's ministry of justice, said it was not possible to determine the number of people the amnesty would cover, adding that the pardon was more comprehensive than previous ones because it included people tried in absentia.

Syria's Justice Ministry said all detainees covered by the amnesty would be released successively in the coming days, without providing further details.

For Derki, the decree was another way for the Syrian leader to show his power. "He did this to say to Syrians: 'I am still here and your sons are still held by me.'"
The Taliban announced Saturday that an all-covering head-to-toe burqa will be mandatory in public for women in Afghanistan, the latest in a set of curbs the Islamist group has imposed on womens rights in nine months since returning to power.

The reclusive Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada issued the decree requiring all Afghan women to strictly comply with it, said the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, while sharing details at a news conference in Kabul.

The ministry said in a statement that a womans male guardian, such as her father, brother or husband, would receive a warning before being imprisoned for three days if the woman did not cover her face outside the home. It said the guardian would eventually be taken to a court for a stricter punishment if the decree is still violated.

The ministry stated that female government employees would be dismissed from jobs if they dont cover their faces, and male employees would face suspensions from jobs if female members of their families are found guilty of breaching the edict.

The statement described a burqa as the best type of hijab, insisting it is part of Afghan culture and it has been used for ages. It added that another preferred type of womens hijab is a long black veil and dress that should not be "thin or tight."

Most women in deeply conservative Afghanistan wear a headscarf for religious and cultural reasons, but many in urban areas, such as Kabul, do not cover their faces.

Critics denounced the Taliban for making a burqa mandatory and continuously infringing upon the freedoms of 50% of the countrys estimated 40 million people, warning it would further alienate the international community as well as donors.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it was deeply concerned with Saturdays decision by the Taliban.

This decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans human rights, including those of women and girls, that had been provided to the international community by Taliban representatives during discussions and negotiations over the past decade, the UNAMA said.

The mission, the statement said, will immediately request meetings with Taliban de facto authorities to seek clarification on the status of the decision.

The decision six weeks ago to postpone secondary schooling for Afghan girls was widely condemned internationally, regionally, and locally. Todays decision by the Taliban might further strain engagement with the international community, UNAMA warned.

Rina Amiri, the U.S. special envoy for Afghan women and girls, criticized the Taliban, saying they continue to adopt policies oppressing women and girls as a substitute for addressing the economic crisis and need for inclusive governance in the country.



I join calls by Afghans & the int community to end these oppressive measures, reopen girls schools, let women work & resume their lives, Amiri said on Twitter in response to the decision that Afghan women must wear burqas.

The Taliban defend their restrictions on women, saying they are in line with Sharia and Afghan culture. The group has already banned women from undertaking long road trips without a close male relative and ordered taxi drivers to refuse to accept female passengers not wearing an Islamic hijab. Men and women are also banned from visiting parks at same time.

The international community, joined by Islamic nations and Muslim scholars, have been pressing the Taliban to end restrictions on women to uphold their repeated pledges that they would respect human rights of all Afghans.

Heather Barr at Human Rights Watch alleged the Talibans apparent goal is to erase women and girls entirely from public life and make them wards and property of their male relatives, with no autonomy.

Torek Farhadi, a political commentator and former Afghan official, said Islam does not require women to be in a burqa.

This is what the Taliban have asked for. They are the same people who have closed teenage girls schools as well. They just want to relegate women at home. A shortsighted view of their world, lamented Farhadi.

Borge Brende, the president of the World Economic Forum, lamented in a statement that the Talibans burqa restriction comes on top of banning women from many government jobs and girls from secondary education.

It is hard to comprehend but the Taliban today imposed one of the harshest restrictions on Afghanistan's women since seizing power, ordering them to wear the all-covering burqa in public, Brende wrote on Twitter.



The radical group had previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when women were barred from receiving an education and leaving home without being accompanied by a close male relative, leading to Afghanistans global isolation at the time.

Foreign governments have not yet recognized the interim Taliban leadership and linked any such consideration or opening diplomatic ties with Kabul to respect of human rights, particularly those of Afghan women.

In nine months since they retook Afghanistan on August 15, the Taliban have allowed female university students to return to classes in a newly-introduced, strictly gender-segregated education system. But they have not yet reopened high schools to girls.

The school ban was due to be lifted in late March but the Islamist rulers reversed the decision at the last minute, drawing strong condemnation from domestic critics and foreign governments. It prompted the United States to cancel planned meetings with the Taliban on easing the conflict-torn countrys financial crisis.

Washington and other Western donors cut development aid and enforced sanctions on the Afghan banking system immediately after the Islamist group seized power and the last U.S.-led foreign troops withdrew from Afghanistan on August 30 after nearly 20 years of war with the country's insurgents-turned-rulers.
Trade relations, regional security and the Russian invasion of Ukraine will top the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden hosts the leaders of member countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, at a conference May 12-13.

Eight out of 10 ASEAN leaders will attend the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit. Missing will be Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is due to leave office in June, and Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, whom ASEAN excluded in a rare rebuke. The military chief led a coup against Myanmar's elected civilian government in February 2021.

The White House has not released many details about the summit, except to say it will demonstrate the United States' "enduring commitment" to ASEAN.

While the summit is not expected to yield much substance, observers say the symbolism of Biden taking two days to host these leaders while war rages in Ukraine will reaffirm that the Indo-Pacific is still Washington's priority. Biden will follow up with a trip to Seoul and Tokyo for a Quad Summit later this month.

Some key issues to watch from the summit:

Ukraine



Biden is likely to push the Ukraine issue in pursuit of a coalition against Moscow that extends beyond Europe.

"I would note that there has been a broad response to the invasion of Ukraine by [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin and the Russian military, including by a number of countries who are participating," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday.

Regional views on the war are mixed, however. Myanmar, for example, openly supports Russia, while Singapore was the only ASEAN country to slap Moscow with sanctions. And with many members hit by war-induced increases in the cost of oil, gas, grains and fertilizers, ASEAN will bring forth calls for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Sarang Shidore, director of studies at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, warned that in a region bloodied by the Cold War, the Biden doctrine of pitting democracies against autocracies will not work. The administration must be mindful not to trigger nonaligned regional instincts.

"Ultimately, ASEAN countries don't want a world of two blocs," he told VOA.

The region's states need to diversify their relationships with major players, including Russia, to avoid being caught in the U.S.-China rivalry trap, said Aaron Connelly, a senior fellow for Southeast Asian politics and foreign policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"To have one of those relationships, with Russia, potentially taken off the table by Western sanctions or by pressure  that is really challenging to them because that would force them to be even more engaged in the U.S.-China relationship, which they don't want to do," Connelly told VOA.

A key area to watch is whether Washington will push the ASEAN leaders to cut back on weapons purchases from Moscow or threaten them with secondary sanctions on Russian oil. Secondary sanctions, like those reimposed on Iran in 2018, pressure third-party importing countries to reduce their purchases or risk being cut off from the American financial system.

Trade relations



The summit presents an opportunity to discuss deepening trade relations, a key part of what ASEAN wants as part of the comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP) framework negotiated since October. ASEAN already has a CSP with China and Australia.

Observers say the U.S. lacks a robust economic and trade strategy to counter China's increasing influence in the region. The administration has stated it will not sign on to any new free trade agreements; with Trump-era protectionist sentiments still running high, opening American market access is viewed as politically perilous domestically.

Meanwhile, the region has many free trade options to choose from. ASEAN is negotiating a free trade agreement with Canada, and some of its members have joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Watch related video by Jessica Stone:

Washington is not part of RCEP, the world's largest free trade agreement that includes China. Beijing has applied for membership to CPTPP, a free trade agreement born out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Obama pushed for, but Trump pulled out of.

To signal its interest in rebuilding trade relations in the region, the administration is developing its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which will include different modules covering "fair and resilient trade, supply chain resilience, infrastructure and decarbonization, and tax and anticorruption." Countries can choose the modules they are interested in.

So far, regional reception to IPEF has been lukewarm  a challenge for the administration. Collectively, the ASEAN's 10 member states make up the third-largest economy in Asia and the seventh largest in the world, with a combined gross domestic product of $2.4 trillion.

"ASEAN countries really matter," said Marc Mealy, senior vice president of policy at the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council. "If you look at America's top 20 to 30 trade partners in the world, six of them are ASEAN member states."

The U.S. is also lagging China in another area: infrastructure investment. The launch of the Build Back Better World initiative, billed as a healthier alternative to Beijing's Belt and Road program, has been delayed.

China threat

Amid security threats posed by China, ASEAN nations will want reassurances that U.S. military support for NATO and Ukraine will not come at the cost of a reduced commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. is likely to condemn Chinese behavior, particularly its militarization of islands in the South China Sea. However, ASEAN's divergent views on China pose a challenge.

"Some members  Vietnam, for instance, Philippines to a lesser degree  would really like to hear more tough talk about China. Indonesia  to a degree Singapore, certainly Malaysia and Thailand  wants to kind of hive off U.S.-China competition and keep it outside of the organization, at least publicly," said Gregory Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The U.S. has to respond to both those demand signals."

The summit statement will also likely include standard language about North Korea and nuclear proliferation risks. But more closely watched will be what the statement says about Ukraine and the South China Sea.

Pandemic recovery

Indonesia, as host of the Group of 20 summit in November and co-host of the second virtual Global COVID-19 Summit next week, is set to push for a more robust and equal global pandemic recovery agenda that includes access to vaccines, testing and therapeutics.

So far, the U.S. has donated 190 million vaccine doses to ASEAN countries and others in the East Asia and Pacific region.

The summit is also set to build on past investments to fight the pandemic, including the $40 million announced in October to accelerate joint research and strengthen health system capacity through U.S.-ASEAN Health Futures  an initiative launched under the Trump administration. Another key investment is the Southeast Asia regional office of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which opened in Hanoi, Vietnam, in August.

However, because the administration's request for global pandemic response funding is stuck in Congress, the U.S. may not be able to offer what the region needs: money to turn vaccines in vials into shots in arms.

Human rights

This will be the first time Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, this year's ASEAN chair, sets foot in the White House since taking power in 1985. Activists worry that Biden is giving international legitimacy to the former Khmer Rouge commander, whose rule is been marked with corruption, repression and violence.

"If the administration holds this summit and does not publicly raise human rights concerns with ASEAN members, it will send a message that human rights violations will now largely be tolerated in the name of forging alliances to counter China," John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, told VOA.

Myanmar, led by a coup-installed junta, is another problem. While junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has agreed to follow ASEAN demands to send only nonpolitical representatives to the summit, he has largely ignored ASEAN's five-point consensus to halt violence and engage in dialogue following the deadly unrest in the wake of the coup.

Just last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called out Myanmar's military for crimes against Rohingya Muslims. Observers say the administration will urge tougher steps against Myanmar, but that is likely to get nowhere with the ASEAN members.

Climate change

Observers say there are untapped opportunities that can pair the administration's global climate change goals with the infrastructure demands of the region. Several initiatives are set to be expanded, including the U.S.-ASEAN Climate Futures, a program to help the world limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

ASEAN leaders are scheduled to meet with U.S. congressional leaders and attend a dinner at the White House Thursday. Biden and ASEAN leaders will participate in summit discussions at the State Department the next day.

This will be the second special summit with ASEAN leaders held in the U.S. since then-President Barack Obama's meeting at the Sunnylands estate in California. Many hailed the 2016 summit as the beginning of a new era in Washington's relationship with one of the most dynamic regions in the world, given the political, cultural and economic diversity of its 10 member states.

Jessica Stone contributed to this report.
The United States plans to more fully outline its policy toward China ahead of a series of high-profile meetings with Asian leaders, and the first in-person meeting between U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs in June.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was expected to make a major policy speech this week outlining the administrations approach to relations with China. The speech was postponed after the secretary tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

The U.S.s China policy likely will be a part of the U.S.-ASEAN summit next week in Washington, as well as the Quad summit later this month in Tokyo, where President Joe Biden will meet with counterparts from Australia, India and Japan.

President Biden has emphasized that Washington and Beijing need to establish guardrails to avoid unintended conflicts while managing great power competition with China.

Those are expected to be a feature of talks between defense chiefs from the United States and China during the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a high-level Asia security summit.

Keeping military communications open

This years annual Shangri-La Dialogue will be held from June 1012. It was last held in 2019 and canceled in consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that he hoped the meeting with Chinas Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe can promote security and stability in the region.

We both recognize the importance of a dialogue and maintaining open channels, said Austin. I look forward to again, engaging him in the future  in the not-too-distant future.

This would be their first in-person meeting since President Biden took office. Austin and Wei spoke over the phone on April 20. The two sides provided different accounts of the conversation afterward.

Some experts said while it is significant that both the U.S. and China are "demonstrating to the region that there are lines of communication, the security gathering itself cannot solve longstanding problems between the two countries.

The two sides would have the appearance of being cordial and professional but the meeting itself would be likely reading scripts, said Drew Thompson, a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Improving US competitiveness with China

State Department Counselor Derek Chollet told VOA in a recent interview that elements of the U.S.-China relationship are conflictual, competitive, with areas on which the countries fundamentally disagree. He said the space for cooperation between the U.S. and China is dwindling after Russias war on Ukraine.

This week, the U.S. Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021. If signed into law, the bill would pay for billions to support semiconductor manufacturing and enhance the U.S. capability to compete with Chinese technology.

Secretary of State Blinkens China speech is expected to underscore the governments plan to invest more in U.S. strategic interests, such as high-tech products like semiconductors, as part of a broader push to improve U.S. competitiveness with China.

We have strengthened our capacity to shape the ongoing technological revolution so that it actually protects our interests. It boosts our competitiveness, it upholds our values, Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.

The U.S. government considers China a strategic competitor, with Beijing seeking to grow its military and economic influence around the world. There have been clashes over tariffs and technology secrets, as well as regional flashpoints that have the potential to spiral into armed conflict, including in the Taiwan Strait and the South China and East China seas.

When it comes to Taiwan, Blinken told U.S. lawmakers last Tuesday, we are determined to make sure that it has all necessary means to defend itself against any potential aggression, including unilateral action by China to disrupt the status quo that's been in place now for many decades.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to reunify the two sides.
ELKO  When will a secondary access road between Spring Creek and Elko be constructed?

Its a question in the minds of commuters when Lamoille Highway is closed, and becomes a concern during wildfire season.

According to Elko County officials, the project is still in the planning stages. Talks suffered a setback when the Nevada Department of Transportations District 3 engineer left unexpectedly, which postponed meetings on the topic, said County Manager Amanda Osborne.

Weve had a few meetings to restart the process, Osborne explained. Where we left off was identifying a specific route for the secondary access [road] and next steps in the process.

Now that NDOT has appointed a new District Engineer, Osborne said she expects to resume meeting in the near future.

Elko County Commissioner Delmo Andreozzi said he believed the projects funding, alignment and right-of-way acquisition make a new access road a long-term solution for Spring Creek.

I know the staff is evaluating routes and has some LiDAR information that helps determine topography, Andreozzi explained, adding that there are many, many factors to consider.

Besides topography, other factors include public or private land ownership and locating possible exiting right-of-ways or acquiring them.

Defining alignment works with right-of ways to determine how it best ties the greater Spring Creek area into and through Elko, or even around, knowing that there is a river and two railroad track to cross, he said.

Andreozzi suggested the County consider short-term solutions that have positive impacts on the interim to solve the problem.

I have mentioned the idea of a median barrier on this segment of the roadway with NDOT on the annual priority projects system, he said.

A median barrier or alternate route would help move traffic to, through and around our communities, improving safety and helping to keep traffic moving when there is an incident of any kind.

This route is very important to the greater Spring Creek area for basic access purposes, Andreozzi continued.

In a January 2021 meeting with NDOT, Elko County Commissioners urged the agency to put a median barrier on the highway to improve safety, and to work with the City and school district to plan a secondary route into Spring Creek from Errecart Boulevard.

One idea was for the route to begin the stoplight at Lamoille Highway, go through Burner Basin and come out at the north end of Vista Grande, Tract 200 section.

According to the Elko County Capital Needs Summary updated in April, the estimated cost to implement the secondary access road would be about $50 million.

Lamoille Highway is a four-lane state route connecting Elko to multiple communities, including Spring Creek, Pleasant Valley, Lamoille, Jiggs, Lee and South Fork.

According to NDOTs Traffic Information Systems, the annual average daily traffic count for 2020 was recorded at 35,300 vehicles from 12th Street and Lamoille Highway to the intersection of Lamoille and Jiggs highways.

On May 3, traffic was halted in both directions on Lamoille Highway for about two hours after a vehicle crash blocked the lanes. The highway was reopened at 9:30 p.m.

Its one of many incidents that has closed the four-lane highway over the years.

Additionally, concerns over wildland fires blocking access to Elko in the event of an evacuation, and the growth of the Spring Creek community have prompted the Spring Creek Association to work toward a secondary access road.

A top priority for the Spring Creek Association is working with the County, NDOT and other entities to finalize a secondary route for access in and out of Spring Creek, said Jessie Bahr, association president and general manager. With the growing population in the Spring Creek valley, the access must be addressed.

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An Andy Warhol portrait of Marilyn Monroe worth an estimated $200 million headlines this month's spring sales in New York that collectors say are among the most anticipated ever.

Christie's expects Warhol's 1964 Shot Sage Blue Marilyn to become the priciest 20th century artwork when the auction house puts it under the hammer on Monday.

Not to be outdone, competitor Sotheby's is offering $1 billion of modern and contemporary art, including the second helping of the famed Macklowe Collection, during its marquee week in May.

"The excitement is certainly unprecedented," Joan Robledo-Palop, a collector and CEO of Zeit Contemporary Art in New York City, told AFP, about the buzz surrounding this season's auctions.

The 100-centimeter by 100-centimeter silk-screen Warhol is part of a series of portraits the pop artist made of Monroe following her death from a drug overdose in August 1962.

They became known as the Shot series after a visitor to Warhol's "Factory" studio in Manhattan fired a gun at them, piercing the portraits which were later repaired.

Alex Rotter, head of 20th and 21st century art at Christie's, has called the portrait "the most significant 20th century painting to come to auction in a generation."

The current most expensive 20th century auctioned work is Picasso's Women of Algiers, which fetched $179.4 million in 2015.

The auction record for a Warhol is the $104.5 million paid for Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) in 2013.

Other highlights offered by Christie's include Jean-Michel Basquiat's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict (1982), expected to go for more than $30 million, and Untitled (Shades of Red) by Mark Rothko, tipped to fetch up to $80 million.

The auction house is also offering three Claude Monet oil on canvases that are predicted to sell for upwards of $30 million each.

Rothko, Picasso, Richter

"Every couple of decades you have a sale where the quality is so high that you don't see all of this at once normally. This season really grew into one of those unique moments," Rotter told AFP.

After selling the first batch of works from the Macklowe Collection -- the most expensive to hit the market at $600 million -- last fall, Sotheby's will auction the remaining 30 items when its sales open on May 16.

Highlights include Gerhard Richter's 1975 Seascape, estimated at up to $35 million, and Rothko's Untitled from 1960 that has a high-end pre-sale estimate of $50 million.

Sotheby's said its modern evening auction of 19th and 20th century works, including by Pablo Picasso and Philip Guston, is its "most valuable" in the category in 15 years.

Picasso's Femme nue couchee is appearing at auction for the first time, and Sotheby's expects it to fetch more than $60 million. Other highlights include a Monet view of Venice tipped to fetch $50 million.

Brooke Lampley, head of sales for global fine art at Sotheby's, said she expects records to be broken across categories.

"The art market is very strong. That's why we see such an amazing array of works on offer this season," she told AFP.
Jackson held out for more than a week as gunfire ripped through his poor neighborhood in the Haitian capital, hoping help would come to end the bloody turf war between rival gangs.

"For eight days, the bursts of bullets flew nonstop, but we thought that the police were going to intervene," he said.

But the police never showed. So like thousands of others, 29-year-old Jackson -- taking nothing but the clothes he was wearing -- fled his home.

The United Nations said Friday that clashes between rival gangs in the downtrodden slums of northern Port-au-Prince have claimed the lives of at least 75 people, including women and children, since all-out war started on April 24.

The world body said it was "deeply concerned by the rapid deterioration of the security situation" in the city.

"According to multiple sources, at least 75 people, including women and children, have been killed and 68 others injured," the U.N. statement said.

It added that at least 9,000 residents of the conflict-hit northern suburbs have been forced to flee their homes and take refuge with relatives or in temporary shelters such as churches and schools.

Jackson held out until last Sunday. He was just returning from church when the fighting came right to his door.

"I didn't know that the members of the '400 Mawozo' gang had managed to cross the bridge" next to his home, Jackson said, referring to the most feared of all the gangs.

"Suddenly I heard neighbors yelling 'They're at Shada crossroads,' which meant they were 30, 40 meters from me. I had my identity card, my driver's license and my insurance card on me. I took my passport and ran out," he said.

As he passed a nearby gas station, he saw gang members accusing the motorcycle taxi drivers who were parked there of being lookouts for a rival gang. "So they shot them," Jackson said.

Lost education

For decades, armed gangs have run amok in the poorest neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, but they have drastically increased their hold across the Haitian capital and the country at-large in recent years, sending murders and kidnappings skyrocketing.

The U.N. has denounced the "extreme violence" of the gangs, saying local sources recorded "acts of sexual violence, including the gang rape of children as young as 10 years, and the terrorization and intimidation of the local populations living in areas controlled by rival gangs."

The U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, has warned of the gangs' impact on children's education.

"In Haiti, 500,000 children have lost access to education due to gang-related violence," it said on Friday. "Nearly 1,700 schools are currently closed in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince."

"No child can go to school while bullets are flying in the air, it's dangerous and it shouldn't be like this," said Bruno Maes, the UNICEF representative to Haiti.

The U.N. office in Haiti has also expressed concern over children being recruited into the armed gangs.

The Haitian government has not yet commented on the latest outbreak of violence which has placed the capital in a state of siege, preventing any safe exit by road to the rest of the country.

Last October, the powerful "400 Mawozo" gang abducted a group of 17 North American missionaries and their relatives, including five children.

The district where the violence has been centered is highly strategic: it contains the only road access to the country's north as well as between Haiti's capital and the Dominican Republic.

Since June, authorities have also lost control of the only road connecting Port-au-Prince to the south. For a stretch of 2 kilometers, the highway is completely under the control of armed criminals from the slums of Martissant.

Gangs in Martissant have also forced Doctors Without Borders, an international medical nonprofit, to close a hospital it had been running there for 15 years.
All women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from the Mariupol steel works plant besieged by Russian forces, according to Anna Chernikova, a VOA reporter in Kyiv.

The Soviet-era steel mill of Azovstal, the last holdout in Mariupol for Ukrainian forces, has emerged as a symbol of resistance to the wider Russian effort to capture swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine in the 10-week-old war, Reuters reports. Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraines deputy prime minister, wrote on the Telegram messaging app "this part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation is over."

The United Nations, which is leading the rescue effort along with the International Red Cross, is not confirming that the operation has ended.

The UN is on the ground, with our colleagues from ICRC, working on a safe passage operation agreed with the parties to the conflict. This includes Azovstal and other areas around Mariupol. The U.N. will give more details of the operation once it is concluded, said Saviano Abreu, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Reuters reports that while under heavy bombardment, fighters and civilians had been trapped for weeks in deep bunkers and tunnels that crisscross the site, with little food, water or medicine.

Russian forces backed by tanks and artillery tried again Saturday to storm Azovstal, Ukraine's military command said, part of a ferocious assault to dislodge the last Ukrainian defenders in the strategic port city on the Sea of Azov.

Mariupol has been left in ruins by weeks of Russian bombardment, and the steel mill has been largely destroyed. Several groups of civilians have left the sprawling complex over the past week during pauses in fighting.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is gathering evidence for a possible war crimes investigation into attacks it says it has documented by Russia on health care facilities in Ukraine, it said in Kyiv on Saturday.

Reuters reports that WHO Emergencies Director Mike Ryan, on an unannounced visit with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told a news conference it was the explicit responsibility of warring parties to avoid attacking health facilities, yet the WHO had documented 200 attacks on hospitals and clinics in the country.

"Intentional attacks on health care facilities are a breach of international humanitarian law and as such  based on investigation and attribution of the attack  represent war crimes in any situation," Ryan said.

"We continue to document and bear witness to these attacks ... and we trust that the U.N. system and the International Criminal Court and others will take the necessary investigations in order to assess the criminal intent behind these attacks."

Russia has denied previous accusations by Ukraine and Western nations of possible war crimes and has also denied targeting civilians in the war.

Ryan said the 200 cases did not represent the totality of attacks on Ukrainian medical facilities, only those the WHO had verified. Kyiv has said there have been around 400 such attacks since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's armed forces Saturday released footage said to show a Russian landing ship being destroyed near Snake Island.

The Ukrainian army said a Ukrainian drone, a Bayraktar TB2, destroyed the Russian ship.

Satellite images taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed what appeared to be a Serna-class landing ship near Snake Island's northern beach.

That corresponds with the video released by the Ukrainian military said to show a drone striking it, engulfing the vessel in flames.

The video also claims to show buildings on the island that had been destroyed in a barrage of drone attacks by Ukrainian forces.

Striking Snake Island would impede Russia's efforts to control the Black Sea.

Missiles hit Odesa

Six missiles hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Saturday, a representative for Ukraines southern military command told the country's public broadcaster.

Ukrainian officials have warned the countrys residents that the battles with Russian troops are likely to intensify this weekend, in the lead-up to Russias Victory Day celebrations Monday, commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.

The holiday is celebrated across Russia with military parades.

Since Russian troops cannot boast of any significant achievements on the front by Victory Day, the risk of massive shelling of Ukrainian cities these days is increasing, the officials wrote on Facebook.

Ukraine has warned its citizens to take cover when they hear air raid sirens and to avoid large gatherings because of the expected uptick in Russian attacks.

Russia's most senior lawmaker on Saturday accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine which he said amounted to direct U.S. involvement in military action against Russia.

"Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country," Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

Washington and European members of the transatlantic NATO alliance have supplied Kyiv with heavy weapons to help it resist a Russian offensive that has resulted in the occupation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine but failed to take Kyiv.

However, the United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly said they will not take part in fighting themselves to avoid becoming parties to the conflict.

Reuters reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will send a doomsday message to the West on May 9.

A Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said Friday that Russia has no intention of deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Ukraine.

Russia firmly abides by the principle that there can be no victors in a nuclear war, and it must not be unleashed, Alexei Zaitsev said.

Jill Biden in Europe

U.S. first lady Jill Biden is visiting Slovakia during her four-day visit in Eastern Europe to show support for U.S. troops and Ukraine.

During her earlier visit at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, the first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for their work in helping refugees fleeing the Russian invasion in neighboring Ukraine, calling the efforts "amazing." Jill Biden heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russias war.

The White House said Friday that U.S. President Joe Biden and other G-7 leaders will have a virtual meeting Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The United Nations Security Council adopted a unanimous resolution Friday in support of a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine, the first such statement from the Security Council since Russia invaded Ukraine February 24.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Press and Reuters.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden announced Friday a new U.S. weapons package worth $150 million for Ukraine's fight to repel Russia's invasion.

"I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine," Biden said, while warning that funding was close to running out and urging Congress to authorize more.

According to a senior U.S. official, the package includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars used for detecting the source of enemy fire, electronic jamming equipment and spare parts.

The artillery munitions appear to be meant for recently supplied U.S. howitzers.

Friday's new batch brings the total value of U.S. weaponry sent by the Biden administration to Ukraine  including heavy artillery, shoulder-held Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and drones  to $3.8 billion since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Friday's package means the remaining $250 million available from previously authorized funding for Ukraine will have all but run out. Biden is pressing Congress to authorize a huge $33 billion Ukraine package, which would include $20 billion in military assistance, and last for five months.

Biden and the rest of the G-7 leaders, plus Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are meeting virtually on Sunday to discuss Western support for the country in its struggle against President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

"The United States has provided a historic amount of security assistance to Ukraine at rapid speed. We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorized directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine," Biden said in a statement.

However, Biden said current funding was "nearly exhausted" and that "for Ukraine to succeed," the United States and its allies must "keep the weapons and ammunition flowing to Ukraine, without interruption."

"Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table," he said.
All women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from the Mariupol steel works plant besieged by Russian forces, according to Anna Chernikova, a VOA reporter in Kyiv.

The Soviet-era steel mill of Azovstal, the last holdout in Mariupol for Ukrainian forces, has emerged as a symbol of resistance to the wider Russian effort to capture swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine in the 10-week-old war, Reuters reports. Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraines deputy prime minister, wrote on the Telegram messaging app "this part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation is over."

The United Nations, which is leading the rescue effort along with the International Red Cross, is not confirming that the operation has ended.

The UN is on the ground, with our colleagues from ICRC, working on a safe passage operation agreed with the parties to the conflict. This includes Azovstal and other areas around Mariupol. The U.N. will give more details of the operation once it is concluded, said Saviano Abreu, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Russians try again to take Azovstal

Reuters reports that while under heavy bombardment, fighters and civilians had been trapped for weeks in deep bunkers and tunnels that crisscross the site, with little food, water or medicine.

Russian forces backed by tanks and artillery tried again Saturday to storm Azovstal, Ukraine's military command said, part of a ferocious assault to dislodge the last Ukrainian defenders in the strategic port city on the Sea of Azov.

Mariupol has been left in ruins by weeks of Russian bombardment, and the steel mill has been largely destroyed. Several groups of civilians have left the sprawling complex over the past week during pauses in fighting.

WHO records war crime evidence

The World Health Organization (WHO) is gathering evidence for a possible war crimes investigation into attacks it says it has documented by Russia on health care facilities in Ukraine, it said in Kyiv on Saturday.

Reuters reports that WHO Emergencies Director Mike Ryan, on an unannounced visit with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told a news conference it was the explicit responsibility of warring parties to avoid attacking health facilities, yet the WHO had documented 200 attacks on hospitals and clinics in the country.

"Intentional attacks on health care facilities are a breach of international humanitarian law and as such  based on investigation and attribution of the attack  represent war crimes in any situation," Ryan said.

"We continue to document and bear witness to these attacks ... and we trust that the U.N. system and the International Criminal Court and others will take the necessary investigations in order to assess the criminal intent behind these attacks."

Russia has denied previous accusations by Ukraine and Western nations of possible war crimes and has also denied targeting civilians in the war.

Ryan said the 200 cases did not represent the totality of attacks on Ukrainian medical facilities, only those the WHO had verified. Kyiv has said there have been around 400 such attacks since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Ship destroyed

Meanwhile, Ukraine's armed forces Saturday released footage said to show a Russian landing ship being destroyed near Snake Island.

The Ukrainian army said a Ukrainian drone, a Bayraktar TB2, destroyed the Russian ship.

Satellite images taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed what appeared to be a Serna-class landing ship near Snake Island's northern beach.

That corresponds with the video released by the Ukrainian military said to show a drone striking it, engulfing the vessel in flames.

The video also claims to show buildings on the island that had been destroyed in a barrage of drone attacks by Ukrainian forces.

Striking Snake Island would impede Russia's efforts to control the Black Sea.

Missiles hit Odesa

Six missiles hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Saturday, a representative for Ukraines southern military command told the country's public broadcaster.

Ukrainian officials have warned the countrys residents that the battles with Russian troops are likely to intensify this weekend, in the lead-up to Russias Victory Day celebrations Monday, commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.

The holiday is celebrated across Russia with military parades.

Since Russian troops cannot boast of any significant achievements on the front by Victory Day, the risk of massive shelling of Ukrainian cities these days is increasing, the officials wrote on Facebook.

Ukraine has warned its citizens to take cover when they hear air raid sirens and to avoid large gatherings because of the expected uptick in Russian attacks.

Russia's most senior lawmaker on Saturday accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine which he said amounted to direct U.S. involvement in military action against Russia.

"Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country," Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

Washington and European members of the transatlantic NATO alliance have supplied Kyiv with heavy weapons to help it resist a Russian offensive that has resulted in the occupation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine but failed to take Kyiv.

However, the United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly said they will not take part in fighting themselves to avoid becoming parties to the conflict.

Reuters reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will send a doomsday message to the West on May 9.

A Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said Friday that Russia has no intention of deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Ukraine.

Russia firmly abides by the principle that there can be no victors in a nuclear war, and it must not be unleashed, Alexei Zaitsev said.

Jill Biden in Europe

U.S. first lady Jill Biden is visiting Slovakia during her four-day visit in Eastern Europe to show support for U.S. troops and Ukraine. During her visit at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, the first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for their work in helping refugees fleeing the Russian invasion in neighboring Ukraine, calling the efforts "amazing." Jill Biden heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russias war. After visiting Romania, she will head to Slovakia, where on Sunday, she will meet with displaced Ukrainian families.

The White House said Friday that U.S. President Joe Biden and other G-7 leaders will have a virtual meeting Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The United Nations Security Council adopted a unanimous resolution Friday in support of a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine, the first such statement from the Security Council since Russia invaded Ukraine February 24.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Press and Reuters.
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Howdy, I am John DOC Garrard. The title given to corpsman usually in combat that come anywhere, anytime, any situation to take care of our servicemen and women. I swore an oath to the constitution. My main priorities are the youth in these communities, education, mental health issues including gun violence and suicide. Roads, fire, farming and mining issues in balance with public recreational uses.

I am a biologist and dad to a great bunch of kids. I am Great Basin born and bread and have family here, fourth generation from Basque, Scottish, Native American and Norse roots.

I grew up on a farm and the back of a horse. I have several degrees but worked as an enlisted serviceman in many areas of the military from special operations to medical research.

I inherited land in Elko County and live here fulltime.

I served the people of Wendover as an EMT and fireman, I belong to the DAV, VFW, and American Legion in Nevada.

I have made a pledge to work toward term limits for Senators and Congress, I am not a politician, but I have experience working on the renewable power law and got it passed so rural areas can have power.

I plan on holding all local and state officials accountable for their actions. I am well aware of the disconnect between Reno, Vegas and our communities and I always defend and speak up for our communities.

I want to get a central Nevada Veterans hospital and see youth centers in every community. I promise I am well respected within my own party and my family is bipartisan and I have no reason to play partisan politics. I follow the tenets of my religion and respect others.

I intend to do my job as elected and represent the people of District 33 as I have family from the district and the tribal areas. No one will be less represented or left out by me. I am here to listen, not be manipulated.

Anyone who knows me knows I care about people and children. My game warden uncle taught me hunting and fishing issues well. I was a shooting instructor and trained medical personnel in the military at the range.

I intend to do as good as or better job if I can than my predecessor and seek advice from him as I go. Go Vote!

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Navalny organisation had urged Italian authorities to seize Scheherazade over alleged Putin links.

The Italian treasury has seized a $700 million super yacht, with alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin, amid media reports that the luxury vessel had been about to leave the Tuscan port of Marina di Cararra where it has been undergoing maintenance work in recent months.

The Scheherazade megayacht was impounded on Friday night pending a decision by the European Union in relation to its forthcoming package of sanctions against Russia, the government said in a statement.

An investigation by Italy's finance police has revealed evidence of significant economic and business links of the beneficial owner of the Scheherazade with prominent elements of the Russian government" and other individuals subject to EU sanctions, the statement said.

Italy's Financial Security Committee (FSC) has proposed that the owner of the boat - who was not identified in the statement - be included in the new EU sanctions which concern "restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."

The move follows weeks of rumours, speculation and denials over who actually owns the yacht which has been moored on the west coast of Italy since September and has long been the subject of investigation by Italy's Guardia di Finanza.

In March the Anti-Corruption Foundation of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny published a video claiming that the Scheherazade can be linked to Putin through crew members that work on board the 140-m luxury vessel.

About a dozen people on the list, the group claimed, work for the Federal Protection Service (FSO), the state agency tasked with protecting and managing the lives of high-ranking Russian state officials, including Putin.

The six-storey yacht has two heli-pads, a gym, a beauty salon, an elevator and a swimming pool with a retractable cover that converts to a dance floor, according to the New York Times, which raised questions about the ownership of the Scheherzade in early March.

The Scheherazade is flagged in the Cayman Islands and its owner, an anonymous company called Bielor Assets Ltd, is registered in the Marshall Islands, Reuters reports.

In March and April Italy seized superyachts and property from Russian oligarchs linked to Putin as part of EU sanctions in response to Moscow's military invasion of Ukraine.
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For more than 100 years, Protestant-dominated Unionist parties committed to remaining part of the U.K. have won every election to Stormont, Northern Irelands governing assembly. Until now. That Unionist hegemony, which began with the creation of the devolved state in 1921, was finally broken this weekend when Sinn Fein, for many years the political wing of the paramilitary Irish Republican Army (IRA), topped the polls in the provinces elections.

Sinn Fein believes that Northern Ireland as an entity should be wiped from the map. It wants a united island of Ireland, ruled from Dublin.

Despite the historic symbolism of Sinn Feins victory, the result does not sound the death knell of the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to the province in 1998 after the 30 years of the violent Troubles, also holds  if uneasily.

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It used to be said of the Irish economy, as it lurched from boom to bust and back again, that the situation was catastrophic but not serious. Today, the state of the Union in Northern Ireland is catastrophic, but not yet seriously under threat.

Even Sinn Feins triumphant Stormont leader, Michelle ONeill, has downplayed discussion of a referendum on Irish reunification. Under the peace agreement, the British government alone can call a border poll if it believes there is a majority for it in the province.

No such majority exists. The Unionist vote was split between several parties in the election, while the non-aligned Alliance party made significant gains. The real danger is that if the second-placed Democratic Unionist party (DUP) refuses to serve under a Sinn Fein first minister, there will be no devolved government but direct rule from London.

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Yet on the face of it, all the ingredients for Irish reunification would seem to be in place. In Northern Ireland, the Catholic population (which has a nationalist majority) is growing, and Brexit, the flagship policy of the mistrusted Tory government in London, was overwhelmingly rejected by the provinces voters.

The DUP has made an infernal mess of Brexit too. First, it backed Brexit six years ago in the referendum, then it rejected every compromise departure deal with Brussels. Eventually, it got an agreement inimical to its interests, negotiated by Boris Johnson. Under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol, a customs barrier was established between the province and the British mainland. That was the price for keeping the border with the Irish republic open, along with access to Europes single market for goods.

An unloved east-west border in the sea was thereby added to the already disputed north-south one on land.

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Despite these blunders, however, nationalist support in Northern Ireland for immediate Irish reunification has only marginally increased over the last 20 years  from 27% to 30%. Another third of the population considers itself British, while a similar proportion is unaligned Northern Irish.

Not all Catholics are inclined to vote for Irish reunification either. When opinion poll respondents are told that leaving the U.K. would mean higher taxes to replace 10 billion pounds ($12.3 billion) in subsidies from London, support for reunification drops to 11%. Voters would prefer to keep the U.K. free (taxpayer-funded) National Health Service and social security payments. Pro-unity sentiment also halves across the border in the Irish republic when the financial implications are pointed out.

In the election, Northern Irelands voters were more concerned with the cost-of-living crisis and the state of public services than the state of the Union. Sinn Fein wisely stuck to bread-and-butter issues throughout the campaign.

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This strategy echoes Sinn Feins successful policy platform in the Irish republic where it operates as a left-wing protest party. Its all-Ireland leader, Mary Lou McDonald, was never a member of the IRA and Sinn Fein has a 10-point lead in the polls, at 33%, over the traditional ruling parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Younger voters have flocked to it (almost 46% of those aged between 18 and 34), as they have to a lesser extent in the north where Sinn Fein has abandoned Catholic dogma on abortion and LGBT rights.

But although Northern Irelands paramilitaries have gone quiet, they havent entirely gone away. The security forces believe in the continuing existence and cohesion of an IRA command structure with shadowy links to Sinn Fein. MI5, the U.K.s domestic intelligence service, works to thwart terrorist plots by dissident republican and Protestant gangs who make ends meet by drug dealing.

Sectarian tensions persist, too. Ten years after the Berlin Wall was torn down, physical barriers or peace lines were still being erected by popular demand to separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods.

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In Northern Ireland, it is best to let sleeping dogs lie. But the protocol has acted as a dog whistle for hardline Unionist opinion. Many British firms gave up delivering goods to the Northern Irish market when checks became onerous, and Unionists began to fear a covert conspiracy to cut economic links with Britain. In February, as its supporters began to defect to splinter Unionist parties, the DUP quit the power-sharing executive in protest and collapsed it.

Johnsons government also dislikes the overzealous application of customs rules by the European Union. In recent months, the prime minister has threatened to abandon the protocol unilaterally or legislate to change it if Brussels does not show more flexibility. President Emmanuel Macron of France, for one, looks prepared to call the prime ministers bluff. The prospect of a trade war between Britain and Brussels while a real war rages on the other side of the continent in Ukraine has prompted wiser heads in London to step back from the brink.

It is absurd that the U.K. and the EU cannot find a workable compromise on the border to keep the peace. No surrender is the watchword of obstinate Northern Irish Unionists. London and Brussels should know better.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Martin Ivens was editor of the Sunday Times from 2013 to 2020 and was formerly its chief political commentator. He is a director of the Times Newspapers board.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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California and Florida have a lot in common: Large populations, nice weather, beautiful beaches, celebrities, Disney theme parks, hundreds of thousands of acres of citrus orchards. When Covid-19 came to the U.S. in early 2020, the two states reacted similarly, shutting down in-person schooling and indoor dining and urging residents to stay home. Through some combination of that quick action, March weather thats conducive to spending time outside and keeping windows open, and pure luck, both largely avoided the initial spring 2020 Covid wave that took so many lives in New York City and elsewhere in the Northeast. They have also had similar success in vaccinating older residents, which for the past year-plus has been by far the most effective way of preventing Covid deaths.

Yet California and Florida are widely seen as representing opposite poles of Covid policy  with some justification. According to the Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker, which quantifies public-health policies on a stringency index, the states approaches diverged in late-summer 2020 and stayed far apart until a couple of months ago.

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The divergence was most pronounced in schooling. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all Florida public schools to provide in-person instruction in fall 2020. There was resistance, and a court challenge, but according to Burbios K-12 school opening tracker Floridas percentage of in-person school days was third-highest among the states in the 2020/2021 academic year. California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom allowed schools to reopen in fall 2020 if local infection rates were below a certain level but few did, and the largest districts stayed remote for the entire school year, came in dead last. Other differences included a rapid return to indoor dining in Florida but not California, as well as opposite approaches to mask and vaccine mandates, with Floridas DeSantis generally opposed (even signing legislation in November 2021 that banned most of them) and Californias Newsom in favor. Another telling contrast: Floridas Disney World reopened in July 2020, Californias Disneyland in April 2021.

These differences, along with all the similarities outlined above, mean that Californias and Floridas Covid outcomes might actually shed some light on the effectiveness and side effects of their differing Covid-fighting approaches. Since March 2020 there have of course been lots of premature attempts at comparing states success or failure in keeping Covid in check that were made to look silly by subsequent events. This effort may be premature, too, but with U.S. Covid deaths nearing their lowest levels since the pandemic began one can at least hope its not, and in any case it seems fair enough to compare California and Florida at a point when both have been through four significant waves of the disease.

The headline outcome is that Floridas Covid death toll relative to its population was 34% higher than Californias. Going by 2021 population estimates and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions May 4 weekly release of Provisional COVID-19 Deaths by Sex and Age, 241 in 100,000 Californians have died from the disease, 12th lowest among the states, while 322 Floridians have, 28th lowest and well above the national Covid death rate of 302 per 100,000.

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That shouldnt be the last word, though, given how deadly Covid has been for the elderly and how many old people live in Florida. The states percentage of residents 65 or older is, at 21.3%, second only to Maine among the states. Its 75-and-older percentage is, at 9.7%, by far the nations highest. Californias percentage of 65-plussers is 15.2%, below the national average, and its 75-and-older percentage is 6.4%. Adjust state Covid mortality statistics to what they would be if all the states populations had roughly the same age distribution as the nation  as conservative activist and policy analyst Phil Kerpen has been doing for much of the pandemic  and Floridas rate drops to 275 per 100,000, well below the national rate of 302, while Californias rises to 267.

Thats very close, and in a recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper Kerpen, fellow conservative activist Stephen Moore and University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan make a bunch of other adjustments (for pre-existing health conditions and several economic and social factors) that bump Floridas overall pandemic performance up to 6th best in the nation and Californias down to 47th. So thats one take. But age adjustments can also obscure a lot, as this breakdown of mortality rates by age group illustrates.(1)

Young people have been much more likely to die of Covid-19 in Florida than in California, those 75 and older slightly less likely. Because Covid is so much deadlier for the old than the young, that works out to Florida having only a slightly higher age-adjusted death rate. But some of the age group differences are really big!

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Floridas Covid mortality rate for ages 5 to 14, for example, is more than twice Californias, a difference that seems like it probably has something to do with kids being physically in school in Florida but not in California during the 2020-2021 school year. Having restaurants, bars and other workplaces fully open may have contributed to Floridas higher death rates for working-age adults. Florida has also vaccinated a smaller share of its young people and working-age adults than California  not all that surprising given the states lack of mandates and the fact that its surgeon general, a DeSantis appointee, has questioned the safety of Covid vaccines and officially recommended against giving them to children.

As already noted, Florida has been about as good at vaccinating its elderly residents against Covid as California has. According to the official statistics its done even better, with 91.2% of Floridians 65 and older fully vaccinated versus 90.6% of Californians. Thats probably not accurate, given that Floridas vaccination numbers were artificially boosted boosted by hundreds of thousands of out-of-staters who got their shots while wintering there, but the two states do not seem to have been all that far apart on this measure.

Those are some Covid-policy-related explanations for why young people in Florida have been more likely to die of the disease than their peers in California, and old people slightly less likely. But the differences between the two states all-cause mortality rates by age before the pandemic were so similar to the Covid disparities that there must be other forces at work too.

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Older Floridians are different from their peers in California and most other states in that so many of them are from other states, and retired to Florida for the warm weather and low taxes (lots of people from other states used to retire to Southern California, too, but then it got expensive). These transplants are on balance surely more active and affluent than stay-in-state retirees, and can afford better medical care. In 2019, Florida ranked 19th among the states in life expectancy at birth and 6th in life expectancy at age 65 (California was second in both). Florida seniors are also less likely to live in multigenerational households than their California peers, which helps when a highly infectious disease is spreading.

Young Floridians, meanwhile, are a lot poorer than young Californians. They live in a state with much skimpier health care provision for the poor, and much higher rates of death from accidents and homicides, two big killers of the young.

One way to look at all this is that Florida takes good care of its old people and neglects the young  which you might expect given that about a third of the states voters are 65 or older, and more than half are 50 and older. But in the context of the Covid pandemic, another takeaway might be that Floridas health outcomes havent been any worse relative to Californias than they usually are. The DeSantis doctrine on Covid has been defined as protecting the elderly while letting the young take risks, and that seems to have been pretty much what the states policies delivered.

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The cost in additional Covid deaths of that risk-taking by younger Floridians was real, and undercounted by straight mortality numbers because so many years of potential life are lost when a young person dies. But there were costs to Californias stricter policies as well. Floridas job market has recovered much more quickly, with payroll employment now 1.7% higher than before the pandemic while in California its still 1.7% lower. California has experienced faster growth in real gross domestic product than Florida since the end of 2019  3% versus 2.7% annualized (national GDP growth was 1.6%)  but that seems to reflect boom times for Californias tech companies more than the experience of most of its residents. Theres also evidence that remote schooling in California led to big learning losses, especially for poor and minority students.

Weighing such socioeconomic outcomes against mortality statistics is a fraught exercise that Im not going to attempt here. But theres a more direct comparison available. The pandemic has coincided with a big increase in homicides and accidental deaths among young people that many have blamed on lockdowns and other Covid policies (suicides are usually included in such claims, but according to CDC statistics they havent risen). Ive generally been of the opinion that the pandemic itself was mainly to blame, but compare whats happened to such deaths in California and Florida and it does seem like state Covid policies may have played a role.

Florida had a much higher death rate from these causes to begin with (52.3 per 100,000 under-45 residents in 2019 versus 29.3 in California), and its death rate has remained higher. But the increase over the course of the pandemic has been much greater in California, with the disparity growing after the states Covid policies began to diverge in summer 2020  which is hard to chalk up to the pandemic itself given that it hit Florida slightly or much harder, depending how you measure it.

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One way to quantify this difference is that if California had experienced the same percentage increase in under-45 accident and homicide deaths from March 2020 through August 2021(2) that Florida did, 1,889 Californian lives would have been saved. If it had experienced the same Covid death rate among that age group over that period as Florida, 1,685 more Californian lives would have been lost.

The closeness of those two numbers is partly an artifact of the age cutoff I chose, and this whole column has taken a pretty haphazard approach to relating cause and effect. A more serious effort at causal inference might come to different conclusions, and you may draw different conclusions from the numbers Ive shared here. But my takeaway from this exercise is that the two states very different approaches to battling the pandemic did not deliver obviously better or worse results.

Its not that the school and restaurant closings and other non-pharmaceutical interventions that California stuck with much longer than Florida had no effect on the spread of disease. The very affluent and very Covid-cautious San Francisco Bay Area has suffered just 111 Covid deaths per 100,000 population, less than half the statewide rate and about one-third of Floridas rate. Canada has done even better than that, with 104 Covid deaths per 100,000. In Australia its been just 29.

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But states dont have the same ability to shut their borders to disease that nations do, and most parts of California were less able and willing to social distance indefinitely than the Bay Area (worst-hit has been Imperial County, in the states southeastern corner, with a Covid death rate of 506 per 100,000). Also, for the past year or so vaccination rates, especially among the elderly, have been the main determinant of Covid mortality and California and Florida just arent all that far apart on that metric.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando in February, DeSantis boasted that had Florida not led the way, this country would look like Canada or Australia, which deployed much stricter Covid measures. If thats really so, he has lot to answer for: battling Covid as successfully as Canada would have saved 650,000 lives in the U.S., and equaling Australias performance would have saved 900,000. But if you dont hold DeSantis responsible for the bungled national response to Covid, and simply compare Floridas performance with that of other states, California in particular, his approach doesnt look so terrible at all.

More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

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 The U.S. Needs a Commission on Covid-19: Jonathan Bernstein

 Better Vaccines Are in Sight  for Next Pandemic: Lisa Jarvis

 Covid Traffic Deaths Not Due to Pandemic Rage: Mark Buchanan

Want more Bloomberg Opinion? Terminal readers head to OPIN . Web readers click here.

(1) The chart shows deaths that were attributed to Covid on death certificates. Excess-deaths estimates that compare total deaths from all causes to levels expected based on past experience and demographic trends can be a better way to compare places that have differing standards for attributing deaths to Covid, but (1) theyre not readily available by age group and (2) Californias and Floridas standards for attributing deaths to Covid appear to have been pretty similar. That is, Californias ratio of reported Covid deaths to CDC-estimated excess deaths is 85% versus Floridas 88%, while compared to the estimates of the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation the ratios are 78% and 74%, respectively. Also, while detailed mortality data arrives at the CDC from states and counties with variable and sometimes long lags, Californias and Floridas numbers seem to be similar in their completeness, and the decline in Covid deaths in recent weeks makes the lags matter less in any case.

(2) The CDCs provisional multiple cause of death data does not have numbers on accidents and homicides past October 2021, and even those are incomplete. I chose August as the cutoff because its numbers seem to be pretty complete.

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.

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In May 1921, the island of Ireland was split in two  giving rise to Northern Ireland as part of the U.K., and to what would become the independent Republic of Ireland. A century later, the idea that reunification could happen one day has taken on new life. Theres little prospect of the referendum that would bring it about being held in the next five years, but shifting demographics, coupled with the forces unleashed by Brexit, suggest a ballot beyond then is possible  assuming the British government chooses to hold one.

1. Why was Ireland divided?

The 1921 partition was cemented by a peace agreement between British authorities and Irish rebels seeking independence after centuries of British rule. Northern Ireland, with a majority Protestant population (most descendants of settlers from Britain), remained part of the U.K. The largely Catholic southern part of the island became the Irish Free State, before formally declaring a republic in 1949.

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2. Why talk of reunification now?

Brexit is one big reason. In a 2016 referendum, 52% of people in the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, but 56% of Northern Irish voters supported remaining. As in Scotland, where a majority also backed EU membership, being forced out of the 27-nation bloc stirred nationalist sentiment. Scotlands government is pushing for another referendum on leaving the U.K., a grouping of four distinct nations that also includes England and Wales. Some 88% of Northern Irish who see themselves as nationalists  and support a united Ireland  voted against Brexit, compared with just a third who want Northern Ireland to stay in the U.K., known as unionists.

3. Why must the British approve a referendum?

Its written in the Good Friday Agreement  the 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of bloody sectarian violence. Under the terms, only the U.K.s Secretary of State for Northern Ireland can call a vote on Irish reunification  referred to as a border poll  and then only if it appears likely a majority there would back it. The accord doesnt define likely, but scenarios include multiple surveys backing reunification or a consistent nationalist majority among Northern Irish lawmakers. If a referendum were defeated, another could only be held after seven years.

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4. Does the Republic of Ireland also get a say?

Consent for reunification is required on both sides of the border under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, meaning a referendum would take place in the republic, too. Polls in the south consistently back unity. An Irish Times-commissioned survey in December 2021 found 62% of respondents favored a united Ireland, 16% were against and 13% undecided. If Northern Ireland (population 1.9 million) voted against reunification, the measure would be rejected no matter what happened in the south (population 4.9 million).

5. Why do demographics matter?

Northern Irelands 2021 census may show Catholics outnumbering Protestants for the first time, with the results released in the fall of 2022. Not all Protestants are unionists and not all Catholics are nationalists, but religious identity tends to be a good indicator of attitude to a united Ireland. At the last census, in 2011, 48% identified as Protestant and 45% as Catholic. (In 1971, Catholics made up just 31% of the population.)

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6. When will a referendum happen?

The Irish government said in 2021 a poll should not be held for at least five years because of tensions fanned by Brexit. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it wouldnt happen for a very, very long time. A referendum anytime soon would be dynamite, according to former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement. Outbreaks of sectarian violence in last year underlined the point, with some unionists attributing the rioting to resentment about Northern Irelands different treatment than other parts of the U.K. under the Brexit agreement. To avoid reinstating a physical border between north and south  a move officials in Dublin, Brussels and London feared might inflame tensions  Northern Ireland remained in the EUs customs area, meaning shipments from Britain must be checked to make sure they conform with EU standards.

7. What do surveys say?

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Few if any polls in Northern Ireland have indicated a majority supporting reunification. An Irish News survey in April showed only 32% of respondents in the north would vote for a United Ireland, with 48% against. Support fell further if voters there had to pay higher taxes for unity. Still, a significant proportion of the electorate are yet to decide which way they would vote in a border poll.

8. What are the obstacles?

All mainstream Irish political parties publicly aspire to eventually reunite Ireland. Yet other than Sinn Fein (the main nationalist party) most are wary partly because there would be a cost. As things are, the U.K. provides an annual subsidy of about 10 billion pounds ($13.8 billion) to Northern Ireland, a relatively poor region with high social spending thats still rebuilding its economy after decades of violence. Theres also the potential difficulty of absorbing a unionist community opposed to the concept, some bitterly so. That said, a referendum in Scotland or the census results might shift opinion, as could the likely inclusion in Irelands government of Sinn Fein  winner of the popular vote at the last election and a force in the north whose core political objective is a united Ireland.

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Rooted in its campaign for a united Ireland, Sinn Fein was long an outsider in politics due to its links with the Irish Republican Army. With the conflict in Northern Ireland largely over following a 1998 peace deal, the movement has reinvented itself to appeal to a new generation of voters. Now, in a historic shift, it has become the biggest party in Northern Ireland, and it leads opinion polls in the Irish Republic to the south, making its demand for a referendum on unification harder to ignore.

1. What is Sinn Fein?

The party, whose name means Ourselves Alone, was created amid the campaign for Irish home rule at the start of the 20th century. After the Catholic south won its independence from Britain in 1921, Sinn Fein continued to oppose Britains hold on the mostly Protestant north. It only began to seriously contest elections south of the border in the 1980s under a strategy known as the Armalite and the Ballot Box. (Armalite is a gun manufacturer). Today, its a broadly center-left party that campaigns for higher government spending, better housing and increased taxes on the rich.

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2. What role did it play in the north?

During the conflict known as the Troubles, Sinn Fein was seen widely as the political wing of the republican movement that also included the Provisional IRA. The fighting was triggered by street protests in 1968 and claimed about 3,500 lives through to the Good Friday Agreement. Sinn Feins leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness helped to negotiate the peace deal and moved into government in Northern Ireland.

3. How popular is Sinn Fein today?

It won the most seats in an election on May 5, overtaking the Democratic Unionists as the largest party in Stormont, shorthand for Northern Islands parliament. That win puts it in position to choose Northern Irelands first minister for the first time since the Good Friday accord, a major shift in a region historically dominated by parties loyal to Britain. South of the border in the Republic of Ireland, Sinn Fein has moved from fringe to mainstream after doubling its vote between 2007 and 2016. In 2020, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail -- the two parties that have largely dominated Irish politics since the states foundation -- had to form a coalition to keep Sinn Fein out of power.

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4. Why the surge in support?

Wrangling over how to keep trade flowing with EU-member Ireland after Britains departure from the European Union has made Northern Irelands position within the U.K. a major issue once more, playing into the partys key message. Brexit has also sown discord within Sinn Feins archrival the DUP, which has lost voters to other unionist parties and centrists. The May 5 election could help to determine the regions final post-Brexit arrangements as the assembly gets to vote on the issue in 2024 and has the power to scrap the status quo altogether. In the south, Fianna Fail and Fine Gaels support for each other since 2016 has allowed Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald to present herself as the only true agent of change. The party is especially popular among younger voters who were hit hardest by a housing shortage and have little memory of the Troubles.

5. What are Sinn Feins main policies?

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Sinn Fein wants planning to begin for a referendum on reunifying the island. In Northern Ireland, its also campaigning on a promise to help voters deal with the soaring cost of living. In the republic, it wants to freeze residential rents and increase government spending on new homes. It plans to abolish property levies, close corporate tax loopholes, ensure the rich contribute more in tax and cut the official age of retirement.

6. What does it mean for a united Ireland?

Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, only the British government could call a vote for unification and would consider doing so only if its likely to pass in the north. There would then need to be a vote in the Republic as well. While Sinn Fein now has the most seats in Northern Irelands assembly, that does not necessarily translate into increased support for united Ireland: Overall unionist candidates won more votes than nationalists. In an April poll for the Irish Times, only 32% of people backed the idea, with 48% opposed. Significantly, more than half of those polled would be against unification if it meant paying higher taxes.

(Adds details of Northern Ireland election results throughout)

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Even clumsy communicators occasionally say something worth hearing. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for example. Hes of late been accused of muddling his messages in support of Ukraine and much else. But if you pay attention, hes actually trying to achieve something huge: a global  rather than Western  alliance of democracies against autocracies such as Russia and China.

By accepting that mission, hes in effect taken the baton from U.S. President Joe Biden, who hosted a rather underwhelming summit for democracy in December. That was before Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine, when rallying the freedom-loving nations didnt seem quite as urgent. Nor did it help that the U.S., long the worlds beacon of liberty, is itself struggling to preserve democracy at home.

Democracy in Germany  which the country learned largely from the Americans after World War II  looks reassuringly sturdy, by contrast. Moreover, Scholz happens to be holding a large bullhorn right now. This year, his government is presiding over the Group of Seven (G7), a forum of the worlds wealthiest liberal democracies. Besides Germany, it includes the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the U.K. Theyll meet on June 26-28 in Elmau, a castle at the foot of the Bavarian Alps.

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But Scholz is also inviting several other democracies to Elmau. These include India  whose prime minister, Nahendra Modi, Scholz hosted this week  as well as Indonesia, South Africa and Senegal. Hes also hinted that hell try to nudge Indonesia, which holds the rotating presidency of the G20, to keep Russia away from that forums summit in Bali this November.

India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa have at least two things in common. First, they are non-Western democracies. Second, three of them (India, Senegal and South Africa) abstained from a vote at the United Nations in March to condemn Russias attack on Ukraine, and all four from a vote in April to suspend Russia from the UNs Human Rights Council.

Their ballots at the UN suggest that, like some other Asian, African and South American democracies, these countries dont yet regard Russias war on Ukraine as the worlds  and by extension, their own  problem. And yet it is: What Russian President Vladimir Putin is brutalizing is the right of Ukrainians to be free and democratic. By putting might over right, hes waging war against liberty. To defeat him, all democracies should stand together. The family photo cant just be a picture of a bunch of white guys and one Asian.

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In a TV interview this week, Scholz tried (words never come easily to him) to explain his thinking. If we reduce the West, the people to whom were allied, to those who were already democratic at the beginning of the previous century, then were aiming too low, he said. Pressed for clarification, he added that in defending democracy, wed make a big mistake if we viewed it as a Western way of life. It has to do with our view of human nature, of humanity.

Scholz thereby waded headlong into a controversy thats almost as old as democracy itself. Is it based on Western values, or universal ones? Uncountable PhD theses over the years, not to mention the stump speeches of wannabe tyrants, have argued the former. Liberal democracy, in these narratives, just isnt suitable to certain cultures  tribal, Islamic or Confucian ones, say.

In the 1990s, for example, Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, propagated the theory that liberal democracy conflicts with Asian values. That nebulous label implied some allegedly superior cultural cocktail favoring community, hierarchy, consensus and harmony over unfettered self-expression and individualism.

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Such pop-sociology is, of course, manna from heaven for neo-Confucian emperors everywhere, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, whod rather not be bothered by the feedback from the people they rule. Simultaneously, its shown to be hogwash by such vibrant  and still very Confucian  democracies as Taiwan, South Korea or Japan. Each has followed its own path to democracy and practices its own culturally distinct flavor of it.

Other attempts to disavow democracy as Western and thus alien and unsuitable are just as inane. Putins, for example. Even while he was still pretending to be democratic (by allowing the ritual of elections), he also painted Western liberalism as inherently decadent and soft  in effect, as a gateway drug to godlessness and homosexuality. The worst part is that his admirers in the West, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, parroted this bilge.

What is true is that, in the old democracies, it took centuries to establish the institutions that underpin liberty. These range from the separation of powers to the rule of law and civic traditions of free speech, among others. Historically, its fair to say, liberalism has usually preceded democracy.

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But the two can also be adopted at the same time, as any number of successful democracies prove  from Taiwan to Germany, which both embraced liberty late, but then with gusto. Moreover, democracy does not inherently conflict, as its enemies claim, with tradition, religion, or communitarian values.

Instead, democracy is the collective goal of a society to guarantee as much freedom and dignity as possible to its citizens, to encourage and welcome their participation in public life, and to check and balance power wherever it accumulates. Nowhere is it ever perfect or complete; everywhere it is worth improving.

Nothing about this is Western. But everything about it negates the worldview of a brutal despot like Putin. This is why Scholz is right to try to broaden the worlds resistance to the dark side. Its also why India, Indonesia, South Africa, Senegal and all other democracies should rethink their national interests, and rise to the call of freedom by joining the struggle against Putin.

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More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:



Only One Thing Will Help Ukraine Now. Weapons: Therese Raphael



Vienna Must End Its Long Waltz with Putin: Andreas Kluth



Why NATO Should Welcome Finland and Sweden: The Editors

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andreas Kluth is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist. Hes the author of Hannibal and Me.

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Judge rules Greene can run for reelection Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight A judge in Georgia ruled Friday that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) can run for reelection after a group of voters challenged the congresswomans eligibility because of allegations that she participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol after the 2020 presidential election. State Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot submitted his findings to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who accepted them and said Greenes name will remain on the ballot.

A group of Georgia voters launched a legal effort to disqualify Greene from running for reelection because of her alleged role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

Greene, 47, had been accused of frequently using language to incite violence at the U.S. Capitol, including referring to efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election as our 1776 moment. The conservative lawmaker denies that she played a role in the event, which resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to 140 members of law enforcement.

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While testifying in April about her alleged role in the attack, Greene said she could not remember whether she urged President Donald Trump to impose martial law as a way to remain in power.

Free Speech for People, a national election and campaign finance reform group, filed the challenge in March with the Georgia secretary of states office, alleging that Greene, who has built a reputation as one of Trumps most fervent supporters, helped facilitate the violent insurrection aimed at preventing Congress from confirming Joe Bidens win.

The organization expressed its disappointment in the judges ruling, calling it a betrayal of the 14th Amendment.

 Eugene Scott and Felicia Sonmez

Man gets 55 years for fatal shooting of officer

A man convicted of fatally shooting an Indiana police officer who came to his aid following a car crash in 2017 was sentenced Friday to 55 years in prison.

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A Marion County judge sentenced Jason D. Brown to 58 years, with three years suspended, in the killing of 38-year-old Southport police Lt. Aaron Allan.

Brown, 33, apologized and told the court he would never forgive himself for what he did.

Brown was convicted of murder and a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge during a February bench trial.

Prosecutors agreed last December to drop their death penalty request against Brown in exchange for the judge, instead of a jury, hearing the case.

Brown was dangling upside down by his seat belt on July 27, 2017, when Allan approached after the single-car crash on Indianapoliss south side. Allan attempted to crawl into the vehicle to keep Brown calm until paramedics arrived, but Brown shot him 11 times.

Two other officers then opened fire on Brown, wounding him.

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The defense argued that Brown suffered a seizure before the crash and was not conscious of the fact he was shooting at an officer. But a doctor who treated Brown following the crash testified that he saw no evidence of a seizure.

Allan, who was married and had two sons, was a full-time officer with the Southport Police Department in the 2,000-person municipality on the south side of Indianapolis.

 Associated Press

Three officers indicted in 2020 protests

Two Dallas police officers and one from the Dallas suburb of Garland were indicted Friday for aggravated assault for their actions during the 2020 protests following George Floyds killing by police in Minneapolis.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzo announced Friday that Dallas officer Ryan Mabry faces six counts, former Dallas officer Melvin Williams faces four counts and Garland officer Joe Privitt faces one count after being indicted by a grand jury.

Mabry and Privitt were placed on administrative leave while Williams was fired earlier this year for violating the departments use-of-force policy in a separate incident.

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CAIRO  At least 11 Egyptian troops, including an officer, were killed Saturday in a militant attack on a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal, the military said. In a statement, it said at least five other troops were wounded in the attack, one of the deadliest against Egyptian security forces in recent years. Troops thwarted the attacks and were pursuing militants in an isolated area of the northern Sinai Peninsula, the statement added. It gave no further details or the attacks precise location.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi mourned the death of the troops, vowing in a Facebook post to the continue fighting the militants and uprooting terrorism.

Two Northern Sinai residents said the attack took place in the town of Qantara in the province of Ismailia, which stretches eastwards from the Suez Canal.

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The militants ambushed troops guarding the pumping facility, before fleeing to the desert in Northern Sinai, according to the residents who spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.

No group claimed responsibility for Saturdays attack.

Last week, suspected militants blew up a natural gas pipeline in Northern Sinais town of Bir al-Abd, causing a fire but no casualties.

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.

The military has claimed that insurgents have suffered heavy losses in recent months as security forces, aided by armed tribesmen, intensified their efforts to eliminate them.

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The pace of militant attacks in Sinais main theater of operations and elsewhere has slowed to a trickle since February 2018, when the military launched a massive operation in Sinai as well as parts of the Nile Delta and deserts along the countrys western border with Libya.

The fight against militants in Sinai has largely taken place hidden from the public eye, with journalists, non-residents and outside observers barred from the area. The conflict has also been kept at a distance from tourist resorts at the southern end of the peninsula.

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ROME  The Italian Coast Guard on Friday rescued more than 100 migrants and recovered two bodies after a sailboat ran aground near a jetty in southern Italy. A pair of rescue divers had to coax one survivor, who was clinging to a metal pylon jutting up from the water, to jump into the sea so they could bring him to safety. He was taken by motorboat to Siderno, a town on the west coast of Calabria, the region that forms the toe of the Italian boot-shaped peninsula.

One diver shouted, Jump, jump! and Bravo! to try to boost the mans courage. Eventually, he leaned down to grab a divers outstretched hand.

In all, 108 migrants had been aboard the double-masted sailboat, which had beached and overturned on a sandy shore adjacent to the jetty, the coast guard said.

Sailboats and yachts usually carry far fewer migrants than traffickers unseaworthy fishing boats, which often attempt to sail from Libya to the Italian island of Sicily. In that way, the sailboats often avoid detection by appearing to be pleasure boats as they aim for remote stretches of Italys long Calabrian coast.

A police helicopter and an Italian coast guard helicopter searched the waters near the jetty in case there were any other survivors or victims, but the coast guard said no one appeared to be missing.

Italian state TV said most of the migrants were from Afghanistan.

___

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The Battle for Hearts and Minds



The Amiriyah shelter in a middle class Baghdad neighborhood After several weeks of air war, the emphasis declined on attacking Baghdad and leadership sites. Saddam Hussein was still very much alive and the unanticipated mission of preventing Scud missile attacks on Israel forced a rewriting of the script. Other priorities also intruded on the leadership focus, such as new intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. The Amiriyah shelter, known as the Al Firdos C3 bunker to U.S. war planners, was added to the target list in early February as a newly activated Iraqi command shelter. Signals traffic and daytime satellite photography of limousines and trucks parked outside suggested "leadership" activity.

Looking out the roof of the darkened Amiriyah shelter. The shelter was bombed in the early morning hours of Feb. 13. A pair of stealth fighters expertly dropped two 2,000-lb. laser-guided bombs on the hardened shelter, piercing the concrete steel reinforced roof. Unexpectedly hundreds of Iraqi civilians, possibly the families of elite government and intelligence personnel, were using the shelter as a refuge to escape nighttime bombing. About 400 Iraqi civilians, mostly women and children, died in the attack. Another 200 were injured severely. U.S. intelligence never detected the civilian presence and still believes the shelter was used (at least during the day) by Iraq's intelligence agencies as a back-up communications post. U.S. leaders scrambled to explain the attack. Generals Schwarzkopf and Powell conferred and the air war planning office in Riyadh was ordered to get approval for any subsequent downtown targets selected for attack.

The interior of the unbombed twin to the Amiriyah shelter In September 1991 I had occasion to visit a twin of the Al Firdos bunker, another Baghdad civil defense shelter that was on the target list but went unbombed after the Amiriyah disaster. It appeared to be a typical civil defense facility, built to NATO specifications and filled with bunk beds and pool tables, hardened in anticipation of an Israeli or Iranian attack on the capital.

 Copyright 1998 The Washington Post

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Temples in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon church, have long been a site of curiosity, suspicion and admiration. Grand, sometimes even imposing structures, temples are among the most distinctive symbols of the church.

Temples are where the faiths most sacred rites or ordinances are performed, so church members were traditionally taught not to discuss some of them publicly. But Latter-day Saint leaders have worked to dispel confusion about temples by posting photographs of the interior, describing rites in more detail and promoting public tours. Many locations include adjacent visitors centers that offer a brief introduction to the temple and church teachings, and new or remodeled temples are open to the public before they are dedicated for worship.

The LDS temple in Washington, D.C., for example  the faiths tallest, and a common landmark for commuters in the U.S. capital  is open for tours from April 28 to June 11, 2022, after four years of renovations.

Once a temple is being used for religious rituals, however, entrance is restricted to members of the church who hold what is called a temple recommend: a document from local religious leaders attesting that the church member is in good standing. So what happens inside?

Not just church

Temples are different from churches in the Latter-day Saint faith. Weekly Sunday services are held at meetinghouses, where congregation members teach religious lessons and celebrate Communion, which they call the sacrament. Churches also host other events for the local LDS community.

There are tens of thousands of such meetinghouses around the world, which are open to the public and commonly display a Visitors Welcome sign. These are simpler, smaller buildings that look similar to other Christian churches.

By contrast, temples are rarer and considered much more sacred. There are currently 170 operational temples in the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Temples are closed on Sundays.

Holy covenants

As a scholar and historian of Mormonism, I can confirm that temples have long been a source of controversy  even back in 1903, when the election of a prominent Latter-day Saint to the U.S. Senate sparked a yearslong government investigation. Critics argued, unsuccessfully, that the vows Latter-day Saints make in temples should disqualify them from office.

In the past century, temples have continued to spark public scrutiny, generally when a local community opposes plans to build a new one.

The three primary rites that take place inside are marriages, called sealings; the endowment, which reenacts the Bibles creation story; and baptisms for the dead. In this ritual, also called proxy baptism, church members stand in for people who died without having received an LDS baptism. Latter-day Saints believe that the deceased person has an option in the afterlife of accepting or rejecting the baptism.

Latter-day Saints often experience these rites as deeply transformative and are taught that they have eternal consequences. In marriage sealings, for instance, Latter-day Saints believe they connect with a spouse not only for their lives on Earth, but for all time in the afterlife as well, although divorce is permitted.

During the endowment rite, in which many adult Latter-day Saints participate, members make vows to serve God and others and receive instructions about salvation. Those who have received the endowment ritual also promise to wear a sacred garment under their regular clothing.

Some members find the rites esoteric, strange or outdated. But most return again and again to absorb the symbolism and seek answers to prayer.

Gods house

On the outside, temples display a variety of styles from Gothic to modernist. Today, most have a prominent steeple with a golden angel blowing a trumpet: the Angel Moroni. Moroni has a central role in the churchs narrative, as a prophet in the Book of Mormon who appeared to modern church founder Joseph Smith.

Inside, each of the rituals has a distinct room or rooms. Baptisms for the dead are performed in the basement in a large font on the backs of 12 oxen. Sealing rites are performed in smaller rooms with a central altar at which a couple kneels as they are married.

The endowment is the most elaborate. Participants sit in a small theater, with men and women on separate sides, to watch a film that depicts a sacred drama of Adam and Eve. At the end, all are admitted together to pray and converse in an elegant salon called the celestial room, the most sacred room, which represents the presence of God.

Lightning rods

The rites have often raised debate. Outsiders are excluded, which means that even immediate family members might not be present at a loved ones marriage ceremony. Same-sex couples are excluded from sealings. Before 1978, Black church members were prohibited from participating in any of the rites. Latter-day Saint feminists have criticized some of the vows in the endowment for reinforcing gender hierarchy, although some welcomed changes the church made in 2019.

Baptisms for the dead also have drawn criticism. Zealous church members have used genealogical records to perform baptisms for the dead for Holocaust victims, which Jewish groups have condemned as disrespecting victims faith. Church leaders have put controls in place to discourage the practice, such as urging members to focus on their own ancestors.

Yet temples have also brought inspiration, and not only to adherents. The late Lutheran theologian Krister Stendahl once applied his famous idea of having holy envy, or admiring aspects of other faiths, to describe his own appreciation for LDS temples.

As sacred sites where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints engage in distinctive practices, temples are bound to spark a variety of responses for years to come, especially as the church continues its ambitious project to build more.

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Yet the story is instructive not only for what it says about a freewheeling executive confronting a safeguard-heavy system but for what happens when a niche corner of science has a light thrown on it by a social media celebrity. All that wattage has created a divide within the neuro community. Is Musk a strange bedfellow they can live with to save people? Or a distraction whose hype will undermine critical research? The simple truth is, whether academics or entrepreneurs want to accept this, a lot of people would not be talking about neurotech had Elon not made this his focus, said Marcus Gerhardt, chief executive and co-founder of the Utah-based Blackrock. The neurotech community is sceptical at Musks ambitious plans. Credit:Jessica Shaprio But, he added, the hype was also dangerous. If you send a sporadic message, on the spur of the moment, to patients and get their hopes up, its irresponsible no matter how you try to turn it. Ed Niedermeyer, the automotive analyst who wrote a book about Musk and Tesla, said that Neuralink is a perfect example of what Musk does - make claims that are so extravagant he hopes you wont spend much time thinking about them.

BMI tech works by recording brain signals via electrodes implanted in the brain. That recording then allows an algorithm to combine all the signals and transmit them to a computer - potentially allowing paralysed people to walk again via a robotic limb, or ALS patients who cant speak to type instructions for a computer-generated voice. While meaningful signals are generated by 100-200 electrodes (Blackrocks amount, via the Utah Array approach), Neuralink captures 1,024 electrodes per implant, via a breakthrough sewing technique. Licensed from University of California at San Francisco research, it involves the stitching together of many electrodes in a polymer thread. An implant is the diameter of a quarter, but five times thicker. If you send a sporadic message, on the spur of the moment, to patients and get their hopes up, its irresponsible no matter how you try to turn it. Marcus Gerhardt, chief executive and co-founder of neurotech company Blackrock Neurotech Neuralink was founded in 2016 but little publicised until a streaming event three years ago. Musks current boasts that he could make tetraplegics walk again are in fact a reining in of his promises then; at that presentation, he went far beyond medical uses to pledge that Neuralinks devices could achieve a sort of symbiosis with artificial intelligence and ultimately help secure humanitys future as a civilisation relative to AI. Musk has talked less about AI-melding recently (scientists say it is, at best, many decades away) but has kept the hype machine churning. Short-term: solve brain/spine injuries. Long-term: human/AI symbiosis, he tweeted in January 2021. Last April, Neuralink released a viral video that showed a monkey playing Pong with its mind. It set the internet ablaze with 6 million views and dozens of awed news articles.

But publicity coups have sometimes come with crisis. In February, Neuralink acknowledged that at least some of its 23 experiment monkeys died, after the animal rights-minded Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sent a letter to USDA alleging apparent egregious violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The group said the monkeys had their brains mutilated in shoddy experiments and were left to suffer and die. Neuralink has denied the charges, saying it was absolutely committed to working with animals in the most humane and ethical way possible. The company has also faced staffing challenges. Neuralinks longtime executive Max Hodak left last year amid reports he was uncomfortable with Musks accelerated timelines for new products. Six of the eight original scientists - many from UCSF, including a highly touted researcher named Philip Sabes - have also left the firm. Sabes and Hodak did not reply to requests seeking comment. Requests for comment from both Neuralink and Musk were not returned.

FDA approval for implantable medical devices is a deliberate process, aimed at laying down every speed bump before doctors are allowed to surgically implant machines. Musks M.O., though, is to move fast and crack china. Musk initially said he would start human trials by the end of 2020, then postponed to 2021. In January, he said he was hiring a director of those trials to begin this year; no such director has yet been announced. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel is another Neuralink investor. Credit:AP Meanwhile, neuroscientists question the companys prowess as a research centre, noting that the MindPong video was essentially executed by researchers nearly 20 years ago. They are a great engineering company, making smaller, slicker products that are wireless and use Bluetooth and so definitely a step forward, said one neuroscientist at a top university who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardise future relationships with Musk. But they are not a research company, and it is testament to how good a publicist he is that much of the country doesnt realise that. And while 1,024 electrodes implanted in the brain instead of a couple hundred is an advance, neuroscientists say, it offers no demonstrable edge in human-mobility applications; Blackrocks decade-old tech can basically do the same thing. That company already has FDA-approved devices implanted in 31 patients in trials around the world.

Blackrock also articulates more measured timelines - that a wide commercial rollout of implants for paralysis, say, could be at least five years away, and implants for stroke and Parkinsons patients a decade or more away. It feels like there are two companies basically doing the same thing. One is doing it the right way and Elon Musk is doing it the wrong way, said Laura Cabrera, an associate professor of engineering science and mechanics at Pennsylvania State University who follows neurotech companies. She particularly questioned human trials and how a company with few formal ties to medical institutions could convince people to let it insert devices in their brains. I really dont know where hell find subjects, Cabrera said. Maybe on Twitter? Another neuroscientist who spoke on the condition of anonymity worried that bold promises left unmet could also over time dampen public and investor interest, and even choke off lifesaving research.

Musk has undeniably propelled a wave of capital so far. Neuralink has raised at least $US363 million in venture investment, including $US100 million from Musk and an undisclosed sum from Google Ventures. Shortly after the MindPong video, Blackrock announced a $US10 million venture round, its first, including an infusion from the venture-capital provocateur Peter Thiel. Two months later, Musk, Thiels PayPal co-founder, announced Thiel had also invested in Neuralink. Loading This marks a sea change. After the collapse of a groundbreaking company called Cyberkinetics in the late-2000s (Blackrock acquired and is founded on its research), funding for neurotech essentially dried up until Musk came along. Companies, Neuralink and otherwise, that are playing in this space make me feel very grateful, said Paul Nuyujukian, director of Stanford Universitys Brain Interfacing Laboratory and one of the fields founding pioneers. Because it validates everything the academic community has been doing for so many years and paints a picture of the promise of this field for improving medical outcomes for people with significant brain disease. He said he was troubled, but only slightly, by the kind of far-off speculation offered by people like Musk. Vision is good. You need to have vision to be able to reach a goal. Its the making of promises that I think is dangerous because you can mislead the public.
And here she is now, over Zoom from Germany, where shes been working as a professional dancer, most recently in a show called Harmonia for German contemporary performance group Unusual Symptoms. It follows her work in Australia with Weave Movement Theatre and Rawcus.

That was the message I got from the beginning, she says, once people saw her less than 122-centimetre frame, the short limbs from her achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism.

Leisa Prowd always wanted to dance. Professionally. Since she was a girl. But it never seemed to be an option for her. The world had apparently put it out of her reach.

I like to challenge the narrative that a particular type of body is the only one accepted in dance, she says. What do you think dance is? People think of these set choreographies, set bodies doing amazing set routines. But dance isnt just that.

She will return to Australia later this year to take part in a groundbreaking project at Arts House in North Melbourne: The Warehouse Residency, which over five years will commit $100,000 a year for artists with disability to explore ideas and showcase new work. The first year will also see residencies from artists who are deaf or autistic.

Prowd grew up in the 1970s and 80s: at the age of five, she started ballet classes at the local community hall. She loved it. At the end of the year, she was an oyster and the Dormouse in Alice in Wonderland, performing the shows only solo. She still remembers being wheeled through the audience in a teapot: the applause and laughter of the audience, the photo call for the local newspapers.

But as the eldest of seven kids in a one-wage family, pretty soon there wasnt the money for ballet classes. [My parents thought], well, shes not going to get a career out of it. She is what she is, she has what she has, and her body is like this. So we wont sacrifice that money.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size At just 19 years of age, Teresa Palmer had done what so many hopeful Australian actors only dream about: shed cracked Hollywood by landing representation with a big-time talent agency, William Morris. But her introduction to her new team would be memorable for an unexpected reason. When I walked into this big room to meet the heads of the agency, I was like, Hi, I just want to let everyone know that Im really happy to be represented by this agency  its what I always dreamed about. But first and foremost, Im going to be a mother,  Teresa recalls via Zoom from Los Angeles, where shes sitting cross-legged on a bed wearing khaki linen overalls, and true to her statement, cradling her six-month-old baby daughter, Prairie Moon. Prairie is in fact baby number four for Teresa and her husband, actor and director Mark Webber, and child number five for the family, which also includes Marks 14-year-old son, Isaac Love, from a previous relationship. It was eight years after that announcement before Teresa had her first baby, Bodhi Rain, now 8, followed by Forest Sage, 5, then Poet Lake, 3, and most recently, Prairie. But what Teresa, now 36, probably didnt know back then is that while she would make motherhood a priority, it wouldnt come in the way of her acting ambitions. At the same time she was growing her family, she took on roles in films such as Lights Out (2016), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), and Berlin Syndrome (2017). She also acted in, co-wrote and co-produced the film The Ever After (2014), with husband Mark. From 2018 to 2022, she starred in the supernatural drama series A Discovery of Witches, and portrayed jockey Michelle Payne in the 2019 film Ride Like a Girl. R.M. Williams Marlo blouse, $249. Tory Burch skirt, $1130. R.M. Williams Akubra Cattleman hat, $210. Credit:Jedd Cooney A key part of this balancing act is having a supportive partner who rightfully values her career, and together they work as an impressive team. I wouldnt usually have babies with me, but Im flying solo with five kids for the next six days, Teresa says, explaining why Prairie, who turns her head to give an adorable, toothless grin down the Zoom camera, is guest-starring in this interview.

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I think the flow of our life certainly works much better when we sort of tag-team. My husbands off shooting a TV commercial right now. Im returning to work in mid-June, then hell pass the baton to me. I think the flow of our life certainly works much better when we sort of tag-team. But it doesnt always work out. Sometimes itll cross over and then we just figure it out. In those times where they are both committed to jobs, Teresa employs the it takes a village approach and relies on close friends to help out. Luckily I have a lot of girlfriends who are willing to jump on a plane and cover me while I film, she says. For the last three projects, Ive utilised friends to babysit, which was amazing. But Im down to slim pickings now, because they all want to start having their own kids! Teresa wears Esse Circa top, $360. R.M. Williams Heyfield pants, $599, and Adelaide boots, $645. Prairie wears Printebebe smock, $60. R.M. Williams booties, $150. Poet wears Printebebe dress, $90, and scarf, $25. Credit:Jedd Cooney Teresa and her family have recently returned to LA after spending the summer in Australia. The trip here was mostly to spend downtime together, but there was some work in there too, including this photo shoot for Sunday Life and Teresas partnership with R.M. Williams, a brand with which she feels a deep affinity. What I love about the R.M. story is that they come from humble beginnings in South Australia, and I feel like there is a parallel story there, she says, referring to her childhood in the Adelaide Hills. Im still living on that same property Ive been on since 1991. I grew up with my dad wearing R.M. Williams boots, and I had these little R.M. boots that Im sure I can find somewhere. So for me, theres this sort of nostalgia with the brand.

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Teresa is friends with actor Sophia Forrest, whose father, Andrew Twiggy Forrest, took ownership of R.M. Williams in 2020, and shes excited about the changes hes looking at making, especially in terms of sustainability. So when this opportunity landed on my lap, it felt like a good alignment, she says. Teresa wears Bassike polo knit, $480. R.M. Williams Kulin suede skirt, $499, Millicent boots, $595, and Saddle bag, $295. Poet wears Printebebe overalls, $95. Credit:Jedd Cooney Teresas deep love of Australia, especially her native South Australia, shines through within minutes of speaking with her (I try to sing it from the rooftops how brilliant South Australia is), but returning to LA is a necessity for work. As much as they can, the family tries to split their time evenly between the two countries. It really just works for us because both places are like polar-opposite experiences, says Teresa. For our children to have such a different perspective, depending on what country theyre living in, we think thats really well-rounding for them. Theyve got their American friends and American culture, and then we go to Australia and my home town in the Adelaide Hills is beautiful and sleepy. So its a very slow, wild kind of lifestyle and its just a beautiful contrast to what we experience here in LA. The children attend school when in Australia and do a combination of tutors and home-schooling following the Australian curriculum in the US. Luckily we work with an amazing Adelaide school who just package everything up for us, she says. They either put it online, or they send us books and worksheets, and we all go through it together. But a significant downside to being in the US is being away from her own mother, Paula, who Teresa is clearly close to. Shed been with us for the last six months straight, so I was like, Okay Mum, my gift to you this Mothers Day is a sleep-in! It can be chaotic with the grandchildren, but of course she misses us and shes like, When can I come over? 

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Teresa expects Mark will have grand plans for her own Mothers Day celebrations. My husband is beautiful about celebrating those kinds of things, so hell organise something lovely for all of us to do together. Teresa wears Iris & Wool Quirindi knit, $279. R.M. Williams Leeman pants, $229. Poet wears Printebebe dress, $90, and scarf, $25. Prairie wears Printebebe smock, $60. R.M. Williams booties, $150. Credit:Jedd Cooney Throughout the interview, Teresa simultaneously breastfeeds Prairie, welcomes Poet to sit on her lap, keeps an eye on her older children through a window and still doesnt miss a beat answering questions. Its clear that motherhood is second nature to her. Was it always this easy? At first I was just sort of fumbling and finding my way, as we all do, she recalls. I also had a pretty challenging recovery after birth. My beautiful mum was there and shed help me up off the couch, and change the bucket of water that I had to wee in, so I could bond with my baby and establish a latch with breastfeeding, and figure out whether I was following a schedule or not. Ultimately, I decided to let go of all of that and just follow my instinct, and my babys cues, and things shifted. For me it was exactly what I needed to do. My main thing is to meet needs when needs arise  including my own. It was my number one dream to have eight children, like my nanna. I think my husband would be like, Not with me!  Teresa embraced her new role as a mum so fervidly she was inspired to start a blog with her friend Sarah Wright Olsen called Your Zen Mama, which describes itself as a cosy community for other mums and families all over the world. The popularity of the site led to their book, Zen Mamas: Finding Your Path Through Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond.

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There is a picture circulating on social media of a boulder hovering before a tree-topped cliff, seemingly suspended in the air. The caption reads: This picture is real and was not edited, the stone is real, the trees are real, the soil is real and the sky is real. Now the only thing you have to do is change your perspective. Look at the picture from upside down.

Turning your phone upside down, the picture is mundane. It shows a rock sitting in the middle of a creek. The sky and trees are reflected in the water. What appeared to be a cliff is the river bank.

Ben Roberts-Smith outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday. Credit:Peter Rae

It has been a turbulent few weeks for Ben Roberts-Smith in his defamation claim against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times. The second witness called to support his case was arrested and charged with a criminal offence shortly after stepping out of the witness stand, and the third liked an Instagram post apparently calling the newspaper lawyers f---tards among other spicy language.

By comparison, the testimony of Roberts-Smiths fourth witness was a model of credibility. Person 29 came across as considered and coherent against the previous witnesses unbridled machismo.
Senator Jacqui Lambies favourite merchandise for her party features her as a bikini-wearing Princess Leia strangling a Clive Palmer-headed Jabba the Hutt with the chains he used to imprison her.

I just find it very empowering  there wouldnt be too many people who could put a chain around Clive Palmers throat, Lambie says with her gravelly laugh.

Senator Jacqui Lambie (right) shows off some of her merchandise with Senate candidate Tammy Tyrrell. Credit:Grant Wells

The painting by Lindsay Spears (you can buy the original for a cool $2.5 million, a print for $30, or a T-shirt for $35) reminds Lambie of her tough, early days in parliament as a senator for the Palmer United Party in 2014, when she was, she admits, a wrecking ball.

Lambie, who formed her own party, the Jacqui Lambie Network in 2015, was re-elected to the Senate in 2019. She is not standing in this months election but is campaigning on behalf of several Jacqui Lambie Network candidates she hopes will join her in Canberra after the election, including Tammy Tyrrell, who has worked for Lambie for six years.
A key Liberal senator has renewed his call for religious freedom laws to be dealt with at the same time as protections for gay and trans students, despite Prime Minister Scott Morrisons plan to deal with them separately.

The move could ignite the same tensions that led five Liberal MPs to cross the floor to vote against the government in February, siding with Labor and crossbenchers to amend the governments package of bills to protect all LGBTQ students.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg says he wants to see protections for LGBTQ students and teachers legislated at the same time as a religious disrimination act. Credit:James Brickwood

Morrison has promised faith organisations that he will revive the governments contentious religious discrimination bill as a matter of priority if the Coalition is returned on May 21, but with no added protections for LGBTQ students as part of that process, saying he wants to pursue the bill as standalone legislation.

But Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg, who was poised to cross the floor in the upper house on the bill earlier this year to support more protections for LGBTQ students, said the issues must be dealt with closely together - although not necessarily in the same package of legislation.
New York: The latest Spider-Man blockbuster was banned from release in China after Sony refused to remove scenes of America that Beijing deemed too patriotic, including images of the superhero swinging around the Statue of Liberty, according to a media report.

The claim was published on the Puck News website, which cited unnamed sources as saying Chinese censors had asked last year if the Sony could delete the Statue of Liberty from the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Sony reportedly said no to a request from Chinas sensors to cut the Statue of Liberty scene from Spider-Man: No Way Home. Credit:Sony

The superhero, played by British actor Tom Holland, is seen battling supervillains around the symbol of American freedom.

Sony declined. China then inquired if the New York statue could be minimised, according to the report.
Ukraine on Friday urged civilians to brace for heavier assaults before Victory Day in Russia, warning them to avoid large gatherings and putting in place new curfews from Ivano-Frankivsk in the west to Zaporizhzhia in the southeast. Ukrainian police forces were also placed on heightened alert before the holiday, which will be commemorated in Russia with military parades in Moscow and hundreds of other cities. Loading The regional governor of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, Serhiy Haidai, warned that Russian forces were preparing for a major offensive in the next few days against a pair of eastern cities, Severodonetsk and Popsana. He assailed what he called continued horror in the region, where he said that the latest Russian shelling had killed two people and destroyed dozens of houses. The pace of Russian missile strikes across Ukraine has been intensifying in recent days as Moscow tries to slow the flow of Western arms across the country. But as with so many aspects of the war, uncertainty about Putins intentions runs deep.

There is rampant speculation that he might use the upcoming holiday to convert what he calls a special military operation into an all-out war, which would create a justification for a mass mobilisation of Russian troops and set the stage for a more broad-ranging conflict. Kremlin officials have denied any such plans. But they also had denied plans to invade Ukraine. Loading Ukrainian officials have said that a military draft in Russia could provoke a backlash among its citizens, many of whom, polls show, still view the war as a largely distant conflict filtered through the convoluted and sometimes conflicting narratives provided by state-controlled media. General mobilisation in Russia is beneficial to us, Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Zelenskys chief of staff, said during an interview on Ukrainian television this week. It can lead to a revolution. Some Western analysts speculate that Putin may instead point to the territory that Moscow has already seized in eastern Ukraine to bolster his false claims that Russia is liberating the region from Nazis.

Fears that Russia could intensify its assault came as the UN Security Council adopted a statement on Friday supporting efforts by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to broker a diplomatic resolution to the war. The statement, initiated by Mexico and Norway, was the first action regarding Ukraine that the council had unanimously approved since the invasion began. Russia supported the statement, which did not call the conflict a war, a term the Kremlin forbids. Zelensky insisted on Friday that peace talks cannot resume until Russian forces pull back to where they were before the invasion. Still, he did not foreclose the possibility of a negotiated settlement. Not all the bridges are destroyed, he said, speaking remotely at a virtual event held by Chatham House, a British research organisation. Alexey Zaitsev, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on Friday that talks between Russia and Ukraine were in a state of stagnation, Russian state media reported.

Zaitsev blamed NATO countries for prolonging the war by shipping billions of dollars in arms to Ukraine, even as those countries have urged Putin to withdraw his troops. This leads to an extension of hostilities, more destruction of civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties, he said. Zelensky said that Russian propagandists had spent years fuelling hatred that had driven Russian soldiers to hunt civilians, destroy cities and commit the kind of atrocities seen in the besieged southern port of Mariupol. Much of the city, once home to more than 400,000 people, has been levelled, and it has become a potent symbol of the devastation wrought by Russia in Ukraine. Zelensky said Russias determination to destroy the last Ukrainian fighters holed up with desperate civilians in bunkers beneath the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol only underscored the cruelty that has defined the invasion. This is terrorism and hatred, he said.

On Friday, about 50 women, children and elderly people who had been trapped beneath the Azovstal plant in Mariupol were evacuated in a humanitarian convoy, according to a high-ranking Ukrainian official and Russian state media. The official, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, said the evacuation had been extremely slow because Russian troops violated a cease-fire. Nearly 500 people have managed to leave the Azovstal plant, Mariupol and surrounding areas in recent days with help from the United Nations and the Red Cross, according to Guterres. As the fighting drags on, concerns are growing that the war could exacerbate a global hunger crisis. The United Nations said Friday that there was mounting evidence that Russian troops had looted tons of Ukrainian grain and destroyed grain storage facilities, adding to a disruption in exports that has already caused a surge in global prices, with devastating consequences for poor countries. At the same time, the organisations anti-hunger agency, the World Food Program, called for the reopening of ports in the Odesa area of southern Ukraine so that food produced in the war-torn country can flow freely to the rest of the world. Ukraine, a leading grain grower, had some 14 million tons in storage available for export, but Russias blockade of the countrys Black Sea ports has prevented distribution.
While China is still checking new epidemic flare-ups with its dynamic zero-COVID approach, some Western bigots sensed a chance to talk badly about the country's anti-pandemic efforts and heap scorn on the Chinese government's epidemic control policies.

For example, in its latest rant against Shanghai's anti-epidemic fight, The New York Times (NYT) has gone to great lengths to depict an inept Chinese government and question the "legitimacy" of the Communist Party of China (CPC) "in a time of crisis."

But all those jabs have crumbled in the face of facts. As China has struck a fine balance between pandemic control and economic development, its way of taming the virus has proven to be scientific and effective, and has testified to the country's institutional strength.

For more than two years, China has been putting people's lives and well-being first and sticking to its dynamic zero-COVID approach. In the meantime, it has been making dynamic conditions-based adjustments to its targeted epidemic control measures. All these efforts, coupled with an epidemic prevention focus to guard against both inbound cases and domestic resurgence, have enabled the country to restrict the spread of the virus and minimize the epidemic's impact.

As the highly contagious and latent Omicron variant is sweeping the world, multiple Chinese regions have been overshadowed by the current COVID-19 resurgence. But China has been rising to the challenge.

Through a resolute and full implementation of the dynamic zero-COVID approach, and with the whole-hearted support of the Chinese people, Shenzhen in southern China resumed normal work and production in late March as the resurgence subsides, while community transmission has been cut in Jilin Province since mid-April. Racing against time, Beijing has carried out multiple rounds of nucleic acid testing, and has grasped the basic picture of hidden transmission in society.

Besides, data shows the epidemic situation is steadily improving and under effective control in the city of Shanghai. Daily new COVID-19 cases have fallen from a peak of 27,000 to under 5,000, and nearly two-thirds of the infections have recovered in the city. Over 70 percent of Shanghai's 1,800-plus major enterprises have resumed work and production, and the resumption rate of the first batch of more than 660 key industrial enterprises in the city has exceeded 90 percent.

China's capability of successfully arranging massive nucleic acid tests, building makeshift hospitals, dispatching medical staff and delivering much-needed supplies have all demonstrated the country's systemic ability to pool strength behind significant undertakings and the solidarity of the Chinese people.

Under the guidance of the Chinese central government, Shanghai has mobilized nucleic acid testing teams with a daily handling capacity of 2.38 million test tubes. More than 30,000 medics from 22 provincial-level regions nationwide have rushed to the city to aid in the anti-epidemic battle. To many experts, such prompt actions in Shanghai are a miniature of China's unprecedented mobilization and organization abilities made possible out of the strong and wise leadership of the CPC, which has firmly stood as the most reliable backbone of the Chinese nation and people.

According to preliminary statistics in late April, more than 720,000 Party members volunteered to report for duty during the current resurgence in Shanghai. As of April 30, Party members have also helped set up 164 nucleic acid testing sites in the city.

Support from the people makes a difference in the anti-epidemic response, noted a meeting convened on Thursday by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, stressing the need to make sure that the Chinese people are well-informed, and to timely respond to their concerns.

This people-oriented philosophy, warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by the Chinese people, has secured China in achieving major strategic progress. Among major economies, China has been the first to bring the pandemic largely under control, the first to resume work and production, and the first to achieve economic growth. Even though thousands of daily cases have been reported recently, China, the world's most populous country, is still one of the countries with the lowest infection rates worldwide.

"The comprehensive strategy, marked by rapid mass testing, vaccinations and government support in terms of care for the afflicted, stands in stark contrast to what has happened in other jurisdictions around the world," noted Kenya-based international relations scholar Cavince Adhere. "On the basis of the experience, China is now taking right steps for its densely populated cities and around," said Muzaherul Huq, former Southeast Asia Region adviser at the World Health Organization.

The Chinese people's growing confidence in the government's epidemic control policies, as well as the international community's broad recognition of China's anti-pandemic achievements, have slapped the NYT and its like in the face. In the time ahead, more practice will prove that China's epidemic control strategy is the right choice that can stand the test of history.
Addressing the presentation ceremony in Hanoi on May 6, Ambassador of the RoK Park Noh-wan said the RoK Government bestows the orders of diplomatic service merit upon the ones making significant contributions to the RoKs friendship with other countries, and the Grand Gwanghwa Medal is the noblest among those orders.



Ambassador of the RoK Park Noh-wan (L) presents the RoK Government's Grand Gwanghwa Medal to Tran Van Tuy on May 6. (Photo: VNA)



Reviewing the recipients dedication to the Vietnam - RoK relations, Park noted that when Tuy served as Chairman of the Peoples Committee and then Secretary of the Party Committee of Bac Ninh province, he considerably helped facilitate investment by Korean businesses, including Samsung Electronics.



Acting as Chairman of the Vietnam - RoK Parliamentary Friendship Group from 2016 to 2021, he greatly assisted with the successful organisation of mutual visits by the two countries leaders and parliamentary friendship groups, thereby helping elevate bilateral parliamentary cooperation to a new level.



Tuy also made considerable contributions to the settlement of many common issues and challenges facing both countries, including COVID-19, according to the diplomat.



Park said the RoK Governments presentation of Grand Gwanghwa Medal to Tuy is the recognition of his active and effective dedication to bilateral connections.



As Vietnam and the RoK will mark the 30th founding anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, the ambassador expressed his belief that Tuys contributions will be one of the stepping stones for the countries to lift their ties to the highest level. He also asked the former official to keep supporting the Vietnam - RoK friendship in the time to come.



For his part, Tuy said the order he received is not only his honour but also a common reward for the Vietnam - RoK Parliamentary Friendship Group, whose members are all devoted to diplomatic activities.



He pledged continued efforts to help develop the two countries relations to a new height./.
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

 Pedro's Cafe in Emmaus to close

 SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location

 Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m.

 Elpedios Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

 Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option.

 Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine.

 Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton.

 King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.

 Molinari's at 322 E 3rd St. in Bethlehem is re-opening, offering ticketed seating with an Italian menu offering.

 The SHED is open at The HOUSE and BARN at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus, serving drinks and cigars.

 Tony's Pizza & Restaurant opened a new location at 3417 Sullivan Trail in Easton.

 Big Papa's Restaurant & Catering opened at 1236 Northampton St, Easton. Dale Koehler & Sons Farm will supply the restaurant with meat and eggs.

 Route 61 Hardware has its ribbon cutting at 635 Fountain St. in Ashland at noon on June 24.

 The Shenandoah Pharmacy will hold a ribbon cutting at noon, June 1, at its 33 N. Main St., Shenandoah, location.

 The Canalside Cup on Route 611 in Williams Township opens for the season May 13

 The Curious Plantaholic Nazareth has expanded into New Jersey with a second store at 20 Main St. in historic Clinton, Hunterdon County. the original store is on Belvidere Street in Nazareth.

 Childcare With A Purpose and Lehigh Valley Martial Arts are both coming to the shopping center on Easton Avenue in Bethlehem later this year.

 Within Harmony wellness center has its grand opening May 18 and 5 p.m. The center, which will provide services such as reiki and crystal energy sessions, is located at at 182 S. First St. in Lehighton

 Time 2 Talk Therapy Services will hold an open house June 1 at 521 Bridge St. in Lehighton

 Alter Ego Salon & Day Spa to hold grand opening on May 22 at 500 Broad Street in Emmaus

 Sephora at Kohl's to open at Whitehall Kohl's

 Juliette Bridals by Ivana has relocated to 161 Glenworth Rd., Pottsville and is having a "relocation celebration" on May 19 at noon.

 Iqor has opened a new 30,000 square-foot call center in Allentown

 Life Advance Fitness at 436 State Ave. in Emmaus opens on May 11

 Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is open at 561 S. Broad Street in Lansdale, in the former Super Foodtown location.

 The Caribbean Grill will hold its grand opening on May 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at 1800 Sullivan Trail in Forks Township.

 A new mafia-themed bar named Capo & Co. Keg and Cork Kitchen is hiring staff in Emmaus. The restaurant is at 1375 Chestnut St. and will feature a self-tap wine bar.

 Terrain on the Parkway, at 1625 Lehigh Parkway East in Allentown is open and renting apartments ranging from studio to three-bedroom size.

 Sports and Social opened April 28 in Allentown. The sports bar and restaurant at 645 Hamilton St. is part of a national chain.

 McCall Collective Brewing plans a May opening for its second location at 7743 Hamilton Blvd. in the Breinigsville section of Upper Macungie Township. The original brewpub is in Allentown.

 Project Paw cat cafe and thrift shop opened April 30 at 452 Northampton St., Easton. The cats in the cafe will be available for adoption. The business supports The Center for Animal Health & Welfare in Williams Township.

 McDonald's of Coopersburg is open at 6690 Short Drive, Upper Saucon Township, just off Route 309

 Oley Valley Inn in Oley Township is coming back as The Riedenau House, a farm-to-table restaurant. It will serve a German menu.

 Margaritaville resort, a Jimmy Buffett-inspired resort is coming to Monroe County. Construction in Tobyhanna and Pocono townships may begin next year, with an opening in 2024 at the site of the old Pocono Manor.

 La Dolce Casa, at 16 W. Broad St. on Tamaqua's main thoroughfare, has added La Dolce Casa Bakery and Italian Market just three doors away at 32 W. Broad St. in the former Bittner's General Store.

 Rutter's opens 3rd location in Berks at Route 222 and Long Lane in Maxatawny Township, north of Kutztown.

 Berks Nature opened The Rookery. The Rookery is in Angelica Creek Park, on top of the existing Nature Place structure.

 New Santiago's Restaurant at 125 S. Third St. in Coopersburg has reopened after about a year off.

 Obsidian Tattoo & Piercing Parlor of Bethlehem has expanded to Emmaus. The 173 Main St. location is open now.

 Ocean State Job Lot, a Rhode Island-based discount store, will open at the former site of the Kmart at Shillington Plaza in Cumru Township.
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Ambassador Hoang Van Loi donates to support Truong Sa district (Photo: VNA)

The collected money will be handed over to the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) when representatives of the Vietnamese community in South Africa make a trip to Vietnamese islands, which is scheduled for later this year.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Van Loi, the Vietnamese community in the country always shows active response to activities to support their fellows at home, including assisting residents in flood-hit areas and contributing to the COVID-19 prevention and control fund.

He said that many Vietnamese who could not attend the event directly still donated cash to the fund via bank transfer or through their relatives.

Since 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Naval High Command have coordinated to organise trips for overseas Vietnamese to the country's islands, including Truong Sa island district and DK1 Platform. The trips have helped inspire the pride among overseas Vietnamese and enhance their awareness of protecting national sovereignty over seas and islands.

The Ambassador expressed his hope that more trips will be held in the future.

Recalling her memories during her trip to Truong Sa and DK1 Platform three years ago, Ms. Khuat Tu Anh, an official at the embassy, said that she admires the sacrifice by soldiers and islanders in affirming and protecting national sovereignty over seas and islands, as well as their optimism amid numerous difficulties./.
The MRBN will work to strengthen partnership for the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta, climate change adaption and reduction of climate change impacts.



It now has operational rules and a 39-member executive board comprising academics, business executives and experts in rice and fruit exports, resilient technology and logistics services.



Members of the newly-established Mekong Delta Resilient Business Network (MRBN) are introduced at a ceremony on May 6. (Photo: VNA)



In his remarks, Director of VCCI Can Tho Nguyen Phuong Lam outlined a number of activities underway in the Mekong Delta, including studies on the state of the ongoing drought and saline intrusion in the region and negative impacts of climate change on local enterprises and economy, surveys on climate- and drought-resilient business models and symposiums with domestic and foreign specialists seeking solutions for the management of and long-term response to natural disaster risks.



Lam voiced his hope that the MRBN will not only create initiatives and promote experience sharing but also act as a think tank for the government in policy making.



During the event, the MRBN signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Can Tho Universitys Research Institute for Climate Change (DRAGON-Mekong Institute) for future cooperation.



The Mekong Delta, known for its fertility and rice fields, has been facing enormous challenges posed by climate change and upstream activities.



According to the World Banks assessment, Vietnam is one of the five countries hardest hit by climate change, with a one-metre rise in sea levels likely to affect 10 percent of population and cause losses equal to 10 percent of GDP in delta regions./.
Soldiers of the 21st Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering contingent to Lebanon receive explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training.

BEIJING, May 7 -- A total of 196 troops to join the 21st Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering contingent to Lebanon gathered in a brigade under the PLA's 75th Group Army on May 6 to participate in a three-month closed intensive training and assessment to make full preparation for their peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

The intensive training covers 16 specialties including demining, explosive ordnance disposal, engineering construction, etc., in a bid to enhance the peacekeepers professional competency and teamwork.

It is learnt that, after the intensive training, the 196 troops will leave for Lebanon to take over the peacekeeping mission from the 20th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering contingent.
Its a rainy Friday night in late April and most of the tables at Low Life Barrel Houses brand-new space are occupied for the brewerys soft opening, where staff are pouring eight beers and two varieties of a fizzy grape-based beverage called piquette.

Its a rainy Friday night in late April and most of the tables at Low Life Barrel Houses brand-new space are occupied for the brewerys soft opening, where staff are pouring eight beers and two varieties of a fizzy grape-based beverage called piquette.

Among those surveying the room is Adam Carson, co-founder of Low Life with Tyler Birch of Barn Hammer Brewing Co.

Theres brewer Chris Young, one of the quieter members of the Low Life crew, who pops his head out from the brewing area in the back to periodically say hello.

Jesse Oberman, Low Lifes winemaker and assistant brewer (as well as the brains behind Next Friend Cider  a project that sees him foraging fruit from backyard trees and turning them into cider), is more the extrovert type, chatting away with anyone within earshot.

General manager Lucas Gladu is seemingly everywhere, overseeing patrons and the brand-new bar staff all at once.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS From left: Adam Carson, owner, Chris Young, brewer, Lucas Gladu, general manager, and Jesse Oberman, winemaker, celebrate the opening of Low Life Barrel House.

I had wanted to chronicle a brewery build from start to finish for some time, and following Low Lifes progress at 398 Daly St. N. has proved to be quite the learning experience.

The challenges theyve faced are even more acute because, unlike other locals, theyll be making a range of barrel-aged beer, wine, cider and other drinks. And, of course, all the challenges have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been a long, exhausting road to Low Lifes opening. Carson looks happy, relaxed, visibly relieved.

Its a far cry from the stress hes experienced on this yearlong journey, one that has taken up all of his time, a lot of his money and frayed relationships with friends and business partners.

APRIL 2021

I meet the 37-year-old Carson for the first time just weeks after he and Birch, also 37, signed the lease to take over the former Electra Sign office just off Pembina Highway. Theyre in demolition mode, smashing through office walls and opening up the space that will hold the brewing and winemaking equipment, large oak barrels and taproom.

When the pair first started brewing together, Carson was a partner at Clearview Rentals, which is the equipment rental agency he still runs, while Birch had helmed TNT Fenceworks.

"Before we started Low Life I used to go over to Tylers house and brew in the basement, make this gigantic mess. The very first beer that we brewed that was doable was very close to the Grandpas Sweater," says Carson, referring to Barn Hammers oatmeal stout, now a staple in their lineup.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The exterior of the new home of Low Life Barrel House, the former Electra Sign office on Daly Street North, just off Pembina Highway

Birch mentioned to Carson that he wanted to get into the beer industry full time, sold his fencing business and got to work on what would become Barn Hammer Brewing Co.

Carson helped out with the build at Barn Hammer before he and his wife relocated to Toronto in 2018. Despite the move, it was around that time Carson and Birch decided to start their own brewing project, and the pair began brewing in earnest out of Barn Hammers facility in early 2019.

Rather than brew under the Barn Hammer name, Carson and Birchs funkier, often barrel-aged beers were released under the name Low Life Barrel House.

"We started doing it as a side project for us; it definitely wasnt for the money," says Carson. "Wed release one beer at a time."

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Construction is about to take a place at the new site for Low Life Barrel House.

Carson was mulling opening a bricks-and-mortar brewery in Toronto when the pandemic hit. When things started shutting down, including his wifes fitness studio, they returned to Winnipeg.

At that point, he and Birch began searching in earnest for Low Lifes own space while continuing to make their barrel-aged beers in dribs and drabs at Barn Hammer.

In what was maybe fate, both Carson and Birch got separate emails from different real estate agents about the same Daly Street building, and they started swinging hammers in the space March 1, 2021.

The plan is to open the 100-person taproom in September. But for that to happen theyll need in place both the brewhouse and the large oak barrels, called foeders (pronounced FOOD-ers), which will help impart Low Lifes signature flavour profile.

The brewhouse  essentially the engine of a brewery, which consists of brewing equipment including the kettle, brite tank and fermenters  is slated to arrive mid-summer, and the foeders shortly thereafter.

ALEX LUPUL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS From left, Adam Carson and Tyler Birch in the space that will eventually become home to Low Life Barrel House.

First there are the water upgrades to attend to so the building can handle the increased need for water required in the brewing and cleaning processes. Each regular-sized batch of beer they brew is about 20 bbl (beer barrels), the measurement used in the industry, which is the equivalent of around 2,300 litres. So theres the water involved with making the beer, plus the cleaning of the tanks and barrels, the dishwashing, washrooms and more. Low Life had to upgrade the water line in the building to facilitate brewing, a fix that cost upwards of $25,000.

Instead of spearheading the brewing themselves, Birch and Carson hired Chris Young, longtime head brewer at Half Pints Brewing Co., who also moved to Toronto briefly and worked at Indie Ale House before returning to Winnipeg. "Hes been an absolute revelation," Carson says. "Chris has brewed two new beers for us that are in mini foeders (at Barn Hammer), a dark saison and a Berliner hes been amazing."

On brett and barrels DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Making beer in foeders takes time  months, rather than the days or weeks typically involved with making beer. One of the signature features of Low Life Barrel Houses beer is the fact theyre infected, for lack of a better term, with brettanomyces (or brett). Brett is a particular strain of yeast, which is often used in lambic beers and other Belgian and Belgian-style brews. It typically imparts earthy, funky flavours that, in moderation, bring additional complexity to beers. At a facility such as Low Life, brewer Chris Young and winemaker Jesse Oberman will need to be careful to ensure airborne brett particles dont infect the wines and ciders. While a bit of brett in such products can add similar complexity to beer, those funky flavours can easily overwhelm wines. click to read more One place brett thrives particularly well is in oak barrels  hence the bakers dozen of 2,300-litre large oak vessels called foeders in Low Lifes taproom. As is the case with wine, aging beer in oak barrels imparts different flavours than when finished in stainless-steel tanks before bottling. Barrels allow minute amounts of oxygen in and out, which ramps up the bretty notes and ages a beer differently. In addition to the taproom foeders, Low Life has a range of smaller vessels onsite, as well. Making beer in foeders takes time  months, rather than the days or weeks typically involved with making beer. Hence the fact that, until Low Life can start packaging or kegging some of their foeder-aged beers in the next month or two, theyre focusing on making brews that reflect their unique flavour profiles but without the use of wood. For more detail on Low Lifes innovative beer styles, visit lowlifebarrelhouse.com Close

One of the reasons the business is called Low Life Barrel House (rather than, say, Low Life Brewing Co.) is that the plan is also to operate an urban winery in the space, making reds, whites, roses and sparkling wines with organic fruit purchased from Ontario. To that end, Carson and Birch hired Oberman, who has taken part in harvests in Ontario and Europe, worked as a sommelier in London, operates a wine-importing agency focusing on minimal-intervention "natural" wine producers called Elevage Selections and makes cider under the Next Friend name.

"I was really into natural wine for years. I learned about it in Montreal when I was on my honeymoon," says Carson. "We went to London right after that, and natural wines everywhere  it blew my mind. Jesse and I moved back to Winnipeg around the same time, so I reached out to him."

"It was serendipitous timing," says Oberman, who was in France when the pandemic hit and, like Carson, retreated to Winnipeg. "Adam said he wanted to start making wine, and I was making cider in my basement." Inspired by the minimal-intervention wines of southern France, the Alsace region as well as neighbouring Germany, the wines Obermans looking to make will be relatively low in alcohol, hazy in appearance due to being unfiltered and made in a hands-off style  all the hallmarks of "natural" winemaking.

"Its like pretty thrilling to make wine in Winnipeg," Oberman says (a sentence I never thought Id hear uttered by anyone). "I wanted to be a winemaker, and I wanted to live in Winnipeg. And I just didnt think the two were compatible."

With a brewery, winery and cidery licence, the plan is for Oberman to move his Next Friend cider operations from Barn Hammer to Low Life, where hell have access to more space and barrels. Theyll also make piquette, a slightly spritzy, beer-strength beverage made from grape pomace, which is leftover skins and seeds, and water.

Until the barrel house can open, the modest revenue from sales of existing Low Life stock, as well as Carson and Birchs income from their other businesses, is whats keeping the demo work going.

JULY 2021

ALEX LUPUL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS From left, Tyler Birch and Adam Carson work in the space that become home to Low Life Barrel House.

Low Life Barrel House isnt yet looking anything like a spot to enjoy a pint. Over the sound of heavy machinery and heavy metal (Iron Maiden, to be precise), the pair point out where everything is going to end up  the brewing equipment, taproom, washrooms, cooler and more. "Were also planning to get a still to make some whisky," Birch notes. "We want to, say, get a Chardonnay barrel, age a brett beer in it, take that out and put whisky in there and see what happens."

The big snag right now is paperwork from the city. "Were just waiting on permits for everything  its now is in zonings hands," says Carson. "I contacted zoning this morning they wont tell me where I am in the queue. Just give me a ballpark  are we talking number 300? Number two? Just so we can prepare better, talk to our subtrades some trades will go elsewhere. The plumbers are going, Well, I have another job to take."

That paperwork will set off a chain of events that will move Low Life much closer towards completion. "Once we get our permit, the inspector will come, sign off on the plumbing, we can pour the concrete, let that sit, and then the floors come in and then, go time."

ALEX LUPUL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A liquor licence application notice outside Low Life Barrel House.

In the meantime, arrangements are being worked out with the Manitoba Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority that will allow the first step in the brewing process to happen at Barn Hammer, then have the non-alcoholic grain juice transferred to Low Life for fermentation and aging in the foeders. "Wed basically make the beer there, then drive it over here, pump it into the foeders and just let it sit."

The 13 foeders slated to sit in Low Lifes tasting room have arrived, but until the concrete can be finished and the floor installed theyre sitting empty at Clearview Rentals. Theyre a key part of what sets Low Life Barrel House apart from most other local craft drinks-makers.

"One of the trickier points about Low Life is that many people dont really know what we do or how we do it," Carson says. "The taproom will solve a lot of those problems. You come in and go, What are these big barrels? Thats what we age our beer in." Adds Birch, "Thats why we were very interested in having them on display."

The brewhouse, meanwhile, is another story. "We ordered it in December, and it was due to come in July," Carson says. "Now its pushed back to September."

All of which makes their initial September opening date likely unattainable. "I think October might be more realistic but honestly, its probably going to be November," Carson admits.

SEPTEMBER 2021

Sure enough, delays and setbacks along the way mean the September opening isnt going to happen. This isnt a huge surprise, as anyone who has opened a brewery can tell you.

And while things arent progressing on schedule, when I pop in to Daly Street to catch up with Carson and Birch in the fall of 2021, there has certainly been progress. The cooler in the back area, where grains and finished cans and kegs of beer will be stored, is done, with the exception of the door. "We just sent the cheque this morning  its supposed to be here for the first week of October," says Carson.

The refrigeration units, meanwhile, will be installed on the roof later in the week, and the drywall in the space (being finished in large part by Birch and his father, who owns Brandons Black Wheat Brewing Co.) is nearly done. Once its finished, the urethane floor will be installed, but that cant happen until the refrigeration units are out of the space and on the roof. "And another big thing were waiting for right now is the electrical to get switched over," says Birch. "We need more power."

If we didnt order by the day we did, they went up some 25 per cent in price. And since then, theyve gone up again.  Adam Carson

Carson expresses frustration at the delays theyve encountered, many of which were due to supply-chain issues. One particular snag theyll encounter repeatedly along the way is with doors  particularly bay doors for the front of the building and fire-rated units needed for installation between the brewhouse and taproom. "The bay doors, which we ordered in late April, early May, it looks like theyre coming the sixth of November," says Carson. "And normally thats something that you should be getting, like, two to four weeks after you order. Today I contacted two different Hutterite colonies to build them, just to see if they could get them quicker."

He also notes the cost of materials, including the bay doors, are skyrocketing. "If we didnt order by the day we did, they went up some 25 per cent in price. And since then, theyve gone up again."

Carson expects the brewhouse to arrive the week after the urethane floor is installed; the fermenting tanks have already arrived, and are for the time being stored at Clearview Rentals with the foeders.

Meanwhile, they have added Lucas Gladu to their roster. He was formerly in charge of the bar at Forth, and will act as general manager and salesperson. Hes working part time for now with the intention of going full time in January.

ALEX LUPUL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The drywall has to be finished before the urethane floor can be installed.

And while the delays have caused significant headaches and dented Carson and Birchs cash flow, theyve taken what theyve learned from the Barn Hammer build and put it to good use.

"When I did Barn Hammer, I got an architect to just mostly approve stuff, and we kind of designed it ourselves for budget reasons, which ended up with some regrettable oversights," Birch says. "This has been much more planned out and organized in that way."

But he is starting to find hes less able to keep tabs on things back at Barn Hammer.

"I spend all my time here," he says. "I keep trying to do Barn Hammer stuff, but I have to finish so many things here. Before we do the wall, we need to put the draft lines in, finish the drywall so that the electrical guy can do his thing."

I keep trying to do Barn Hammer stuff, but I have to finish so many things here. Before we do the wall, we need to put the draft lines in, finish the drywall so that the electrical guy can do his thing.  Tyler Birch

Low Life has also been broken into twice in the past couple of months. "I had all my tools stolen," Birch says. "The first time they took my cordless angle grinder, and then the second time they came and just cut the hinges off the door with that same cordless angle grinder. Just peeled it back like a banana and crawled in."

But Carsons still somewhat optimistic, noting that if installation of doors and approvals from the city come through, theres still a chance to open in 2021, albeit with some temporary fixes for smaller missing pieces. "We could perhaps have a soft opening lets say mid-November. I could deal with Dec. 1," he says. "But were not missing the holidays, I can assure you of that."

NOVEMBER 2021

Birch and Carson meet me again at Daly Street, where things are visibly coming together, although far from completion. The floors are done, the brewhouse is in place and the 13 foeders line one of the taprooms walls. Its shaping up to be a brewery unlike any other in the city.

While the bay doors still havent arrived, Carson expects them soon, and most other door-related issues appear to have been resolved. "Getting material is out of control. But we got doors. We had to pay extra and they were rushed through. We ordered them last week and we get them in three weeks."

Both Young and Oberman continue to make beer, piquette and cider at Barn Hammer, although production on Low Life beer continues to scale down as more materials are brought to Daly Street.

"Jesse is the hardest-working person. Hes there from mornings until midnight doing beer stuff, his cider stuff, wine stuff," Carson says.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Tyler Birch, left, and Adam Carson, check out the progress of Low Life Barrel House.

Both Birch and Carson are cognizant of the toll building Low Life has taken on their respective psyches.

"I think the last time we were here with you I was a bit down about it all," Birch says to me. "But were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Carson agrees. "I feel the same way. We were both down and negative, with so much going on. But yeah, I think there is a clear ending ahead."

As to when they expect to arrive at the end of the tunnel, Carson remains optimistic.

"I think we could maybe be brewing in three weeks," he says. In terms of an opening date, however, hes less specific. "I think wed open the minute we were allowed to. We need some money coming in."

JANUARY 2022

MMIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Despite supply-chain issues, cost increases to materials and the like, there has been more visible progress.

The holidays have come and gone, and Low Life is still neither open nor making beer on site. Carson, visibly downcast when I drop by in January, rattles off many of the same problems that plagued them on my last visit  supply-chain issues, cost increases to materials and the like.

But again, there has been more visible progress. The brewhouse is completely installed, the taproom fridge and merchandise area completed, the washrooms and plumbing nearly done and the kitchen (essentially just a dishwasher for glassware  therell be no food prepared at Low Life) is close, too.

Other progress is less visible, namely the preparation of the oak foeders to receive beer for aging. Theyve been steamed, and will first be filled with whats called a "trash wort" a low-alcohol beer that can be dumped after use (unless it tastes good, of course)  to help with conditioning and mellowing out the woody notes in the barrels. "Water doesnt do it  its not acidic enough," says Birch. "I think the lower pH of the beer actually takes some of that oakiness out."

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The foeders have been steamed, and will first be filled with whats called a "trash wort" a low-alcohol beer that can be dumped after use (unless it tastes good, of course)  to help with conditioning and mellowing out the woody notes in the barrels.

One of the unwelcome holiday gifts for the Low Life crew has been contracting COVID  both Oberman and Young tested positive, while Birch was laid up with what he assumed was COVID, as well. Only Carson managed to dodge getting sick.

Production of Low Life beers at Barn Hammer has pretty much stopped in anticipation of getting up and running on Daly Street. "We have a couple beers in foeders at Barn Hammer and thats it," says Birch, whose drywalling and construction duties at Low Life have wrapped up, allowing him a bit more time at his Wall Street brewery.

For Oberman, unlike the others, witnessing any kind of a build first-hand is new, and has been a revelation.

"Adam works in construction and Tyler has built a thousand things. Chris has opened breweries before, too. Theres a lot of problem-solving every day," he says.

We were both down and negative, with so much going on. But yeah, I think there is a clear ending ahead.  Adam Carson

"Every time something comes up, Im like, Oh, my God. Its going to ruin everything. And theyre like no, no"

He hopes to have some piquettes ready to go in March that he reckons will be made at Barn Hammer, while Young gets to know the newly installed brewhouse.

I hesitate before asking again about an opening date, risking sounding like a broken record, but Birch sounds confident. "Theres not that much to do in here, although I know it doesnt look like it," he says, laughing. "Its definitely not 2 1/2 months from now. Theres no way it will take that long."

APRIL 2022

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "We canned and packaged some beer that was very satisfying," Young says.

In early April, 2 1/2 months later, theres not been much news from the Low Life camp, which I figure isnt a good sign, so I email Oberman, Birch and Carson about meeting again, with the hopes things are nearly ready to go one year after we first met to chat.

After locking in a time to meet at Daly Street, Carson informs me Birch is no longer part of the project. Its odd to be back in the space without Birch there, but Carson offers his take on his departure.

"Owning and running one brewery is a hell of a lot of work, plus he owns Mammoth Canning (a mobile canning facility used by many local breweries). And then navigating it through a pandemic, while trying to open another brewery during the pandemic and with a young family I imagine its a bit overwhelming, a bit much for anyones plate," says Carson, who has a young child of his own and another on the way.

"Im not saying he cant handle that workload. But youve got to focus on your priorities. If you own all of Barn Hammer and half of Low Life, what would you rather save? If you lose Barn Hammer, youre totally screwed."

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Head brewer Chris Young in the back room.

Carson explains he and Birch officially ended things a few weeks back. "We had a conversation in December where he was going to step back in some form. Then in mid-January, he was back on, had figured his situation out differently. And then it just kind of petered out again, back to where we were."

With all the big pieces in place in the facility, however, things really are looking near completion. The taproom bar and furniture are in, lighting looks to be mostly done and, lo and behold, theres beer, brewed on site and in cans and kegs, although theyve not been aged in foeders  theres just no time. About half of the foeders are filled with beer aging away for future release.

"We canned and packaged some beer that was very satisfying," Young says. "And as much as I dont mind doing other things here, its good to be able to just make beer. But I know this same story from every other brewery thats ever opened  theres so many things that go into it."

Carson, who seems exhausted but with a glimmer of optimism, jumps in. "I wish I knew what he knew. Im in construction and we just install. This has been a lot different than anything Ive ever been a part of. There were a lot of moving parts."

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS In addition to the eight beers and two piquettes on tap, there are several offerings in cans to go.

Speaking of parts, the cost of wood has skyrocketed over the last year. "We have a beautiful exterior design and patio, which is 90 per cent wood," Carson says. "And were just holding off from doing it. Wood has gone up in price so much that its not doable right now. So were going with a temporary patio, which aesthetically is not going to be as nice. Thats not putting your best foot forward, but thats the reality." Carson says the patio will have room for an additional 60 guests.

And the bay doors that will lead to the patio have yet to arrive. "Were still waiting on the overhead doors we ordered over a year ago. Theyre still not here," Carson says, almost laughing. "Theyre supposed to ship today from Nebraska. Theyre beautiful  glass with black trim. Lights going to be pouring in here. Its going to look great."

Hes pleased about the look of the taproom, although some of the first choices on particular elements didnt come through. And those changes came with a cost. "These last-minute changes, you hear, Oh, that tile, by the way  its unavailable. The one you wanted, which is X amount per square foot this ones twice as much, but its all we can get in time for you to open," he says. "I need more chairs. So I emailed two weeks ago about chairs, and they are $110 more each than they originally were."

DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS People check out Low Life Barrel House on the establishments long-awaited opening day.

Asked about cost overruns on the project as a whole, Carson doesnt get into specifics  and I dont ask  but he says there have been enough of them.

"Its not double, but its not far off," he says, wincing. "And a lot of that was due to COVID. You cant just make that money back. Its not like you can say, Oh, we paid an extra 20 per cent for this countertop, so now were charging a percentage on the beer."

Not all of the 20 taps behind the taprooms dark porcelain bar will have beer, wine or cider flowing from them when the place opens, but many are already spoken for. Carson anticipates seven beers will be available on tap initially with offerings including a piquette, two different grape ales, a house saison, a small pale, a dry-hopped sour and a dark mild, none of which will have been aged in foeders but which will still be representative of Low Lifes unique take on brewing.

Tasting notes MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The first four beers below were brewed at Low Lifes new location, albeit not aged in foeders, due to the time it takes for barrel-aging. Theyre available at the brewery, and have started rolling out to Liquor Marts and beer vendors. The latter two brews were aged in oak, although they were brewed at Barn Hammers Wall Street location; as such they cant be sold at Low Life, but are at Liquor Marts and beer vendors, and may still be available at Barn Hammer. click to read more The first four beers below were brewed at Low Lifes new location, albeit not aged in foeders, due to the time it takes for barrel-aging. Theyre available at the brewery, and have started rolling out to Liquor Marts and beer vendors. The latter two brews were aged in oak, although they were brewed at Barn Hammers Wall Street location; as such they cant be sold at Low Life, but are at Liquor Marts and beer vendors, and may still be available at Barn Hammer. House Saison (5.2 per cent alcohol by volume, $3/355 ml can) A typical Belgian-style saison comes with higher carbonation, plenty of fruit and spice notes. Low Lifes house variety is pale straw and hazy in appearance. Bread dough, spice, floral and slightly grassy aromas. Dry, light-plus bodied and crisp, fresh citrus (lemon rind), grassy and subtle spice notes. Complex but easygoing. Dark Mild (4.4 per cent ABV, $3/355 ml can) Pale cola in colour with an off-white head. Up-front malt, toffee and dried fruit (raisin) aromas. Slightly off-dry, pronounced toasted almond and malt flavours, very low bitterness, hints of dried fruit. A rainy-day beer that brings dark-beer flavours with far less weight than most. Small Pale (3.4 per cent ABV, $3/355 ml can) Pale straw and hazy in appearance. Bright tropical (pineapple, papaya) and grassy aromas. Dry, crisp, moderately hoppy, citrus rind and tropical flavours, underlying malt notes. An ideal post-lawnmowing beer offering remarkably intense flavours while landing with lower alcohol content. Cabernet Franc Saison grape ale (5.7 per cent ABV, $5/355 ml can): Grape skins in contact with the beer give a slightly pinkish look to this gold, hazy beer. Berry, spice, bread dough and malt aromas are most prominent, all of which persist on the mainly dry, light-bodied, tart and complex palate. There isnt anybody combining beer and wine elements quite like this  especially using organic Ontario grapes. Berliner Weisse (4.9 per cent ABV, $3.65/355 ml can): Pale gold and hazy in appearance. Funky, earthy aromas as well as vanilla, wheat and subtle banana. Dry and light-plus bodied with slightly salty, tart citrus, bread dough and subtle woody flavours. A good introduction to brett beers, as both the oak influence and funkier notes are discernible without being overpowering. Kiss Kiss Apricot Brett Saison (Six per cent ABV, $4.75/473 ml can): Medium gold and slightly hazy in appearance. Tart balsamic and subtle apricot aromas that come with that funky brett note. Dry, medium-bodied and slightly tart, with a more pronounced barrel note that comes with the slightly nutty apricot component. A wild mix of fruit and funk for more adventurous palates.  Ben Sigurdson Close

In the big wooden barrels are some of Low Lifes staples  the Blood Cut brett IPA, Tempestarii saison, Low Light brett table beer and Majik concord grape saison with brett. Also in the foeders is a pilsner, which will likely get the brett treatment as well. But theyll not be ready until late May or June.

Oberman, meanwhile, has been working with his Ontario grapes on some of his first creations. For the most part, production on the wine started at Barn Hammer and will be finished at Low Life  initial offerings will include a rose made of skin-macerated Vidal grapes as well as Cabernet Franc, three sparkling wines, another skin-contact Vidal that will be an "orange" wine and a white blend, of which there will be two iterations  one for Low Life and one for Barn Hammer.

And while Carson seems in slightly better spirits, the stress is still palpable, much of which he attributes to dollars and cents. "If anything ever really bad happened to my other company, Id be in trouble. And now Im spending almost all my time here," he says, echoing Birchs sentiments before he stepped away. "Unless youre working 80 hours a week, you ignore one business. And your family. My daughter is due in a month."

He pauses before continuing. "Its been the worst year of my life. Im a very positive person and very upbeat, high energy. I usually try to kid around and laugh, and now I cant sleep. But, you know, the last couple of weeks, Ive been trying to be a little bit more positive. Because I can see it. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Drinking some of these new beers that Chris is making, with zero guidance for me the last couple hes made have been fabulous.

"Im really excited about this place we just need to get the doors open at this point."

And, he says, barring any last-minute snags on approvals from the city and the like, Low Life Barrel House will have its soft opening on April 29, and officially open to the public May 4.

DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A few of the offerings brewed on site and for sale at Low Life Barrel House.

A couple of days later, I stop by Barn Hammers Wall Street taproom to touch base with Birch about the split. When I arrive, hes working the canning line for the initial offering from Super Fun Beverage Co., a project he and Carson both still co-own and whose initial offerings will be craft seltzers. Birch steps away from the line for a few minutes, visibly more relaxed than during our previous Low Life visits.

"What I wanted from Low Life and what (Adam) wanted from Low Life was different. We just wanted to go in different directions," he says. "The other part was that Barn Hammer was really suffering  I was doing the construction at Low Life, spending so much time there. And I have a young family it was like, I just cant do it. Even if it was going super-well I probably would have backed away."

Birch notes the pandemic was particularly hard on Barn Hammer  add in the rebranding theyre rolling out, upcoming renovations to the space and other projects such as Super Fun and Mammoth Canning, and it was all too much.

And while hes disappointed he wont be a part of the facility he helped build, Birch has no regrets about the decision to step away and focus on Barn Hammer.

"Its been so much easier," he says. "Im way happier, way less stressed."

DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Patrons gather at the bar to order drinks and chat on opening day.

Its the evening of April 29, my last official visit. The construction noises have been replaced by the din of human voices  a taproom filled with people chatting and drinking beer under large domed light fixtures, that fabulous wall of foeders offering a beautiful backdrop.

The menu of beers on the wall behind the bar is missing a couple of letters and not all the lights are lit quite yet, but its finished enough. Once those new bay doors are installed and the evening sun is shining through, it will be quite a sight.

Tonight the rain from the latest Colorado low to blast the city is just starting to fall.

In addition to the eight beers and two piquettes on tap, there are several offerings in cans to go, none of which have been aged in barrels but which bring Low Lifes tasty left-of-centre, adventurous approach to beer. Theres also glassware, T-shirts, hoodies and more for sale. Staff are pouring drinks as Carson, Young, Oberman and Gladu circulate and chat with the various invited tradespeople involved in putting the place together.

DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Allison Carrasco pours a drink while working on opening day of Low Life Barrel House.

Oberman and Young say theyve found working together both inspiring and educational, although the chaos of getting ready to open and the fact that Oberman is still doing Next Friend cider stuff at Barn Hammer means the pair havent collaborated extensively at Daly Street, with the grape ales pouring on tap and in cans their first true tag-team effort. Theyre an unlikely pairing, but one that seems destined to bring a real sense of adventure to Winnipegs craft beer and wine scene.

And the doors do officially open to the public Wednesday with photos of the handsome foeders, hazy beers and slick new taproom already spreading across social media. Low Life has already had many requests for special-event bookings for later in the year, and between the barrel wall, the innovative beers and the spacious taproom, its easy to see why.

One of the things Ill take away from chronicling Low Lifes journey from side project to stand-alone drinks-maker is that cost overruns and delays are pretty much the norm, although in this case they were escalated by the pandemic. And while the beers taste great and the almost-completely finished facility looks spectacular, both front and back of house, theres so much hard work and behind-the-scenes issues to contend with that anyone considering opening their own brewery better have lots of free time, an abundance of patience and even more money.

DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "I think Winnipegs really going to embrace it. Its a brewery, but its a little bit different," Carson said.

Carsons not the tallest drink of water out there, but on this occasion he seems to stand taller and is visibly more lively  he looks as though the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders. I corner him for some last words.

"The last week of getting ready to go was beyond stressful. But everybody pitched in, from top to bottom. Im a bit overwhelmed," he says. "Im looking forward to just getting through this weekend and really seeing the public come in enjoy the place.

"I think Winnipegs really going to embrace it. Its a brewery, but its a little bit different."

ben.sigurdson@freepress.mb.ca
Its the newest guessing game in Canada today: When is the Pope coming? And where? And what will he say when he formally apologizes to Indigenous Canadians?

Andrew Medichini / The Associated Press Files Planning is underway for Pope Francis to visit Canada and formally apologize on behalf of the church to Indigenous people.

Its the newest guessing game in Canada today: When is the Pope coming? And where? And what will he say when he formally apologizes to Indigenous Canadians?

According to reports, he may go to Lac Ste. Anne in Alberta, Iqaluit and Quebec City. That speculation has pleased some people, but not others; it seems everyone wants him to visit their former residential school, territory or province  and has a good rationale for why they should be selected.

The fact is, no one yet knows where he will go. That includes the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). All they will say is they are grateful the Pope is coming, and to expect a short trip given the Popes age and physical condition. The details are up to the Vatican.

As for how much it will cost and who will pay, they cant say anything about that either, until the dates, location and scope of the trip are confirmed by the Vatican.

But who in the Vatican is making those decisions? For that I turned to Neil McCarthy, communications lead for the CCCB delegation to Rome.

There are a number of staff involved in planning and logistics, he said, adding this work involves reviewing proposals for sites, along with programming, security, media and liturgical celebrations, he added.

Typically, the Vatican team would be involved in one or two site visits to a country prior to the Popes formal visit, he said, adding they would interact closely with the government of the host country, along with church and civic officials.

And, in the case of this visit, Indigenous partners, he said.

In terms of actual locations, those are typically not confirmed until approximately two months prior to the Pope arriving, McCarthy added  which would be this month, if he is coming in July.

When I asked Winnipeg Archbishop Richard Gagnon what he knows about the visit, he said not much.

Gagnon, who worked closely with the Vatican to arrange the visit by Indigenous people in March, and who accompanied delegates from the Manitoba Metis Federation to Rome a few weeks ago, has heard no confirmations about locations.

The Vatican has the final word, said Gagnon, who has worked closely with the Pope on different issues.

The big factor is the Popes health. He has mobility issues, Gagnon said, noting the Pope has sciatica and a bad knee.

Another consideration is the Canadian government. The Pope is a head of state, he just cant show up in another country, he said, adding there will be discussions with government officials.

As for the Pope coming to Manitoba, anything is possible, he said. Well see if Winnipeg makes the list, he said.

Then theres the matter of the apology itself; what will he say? That, too, is unknown.

The Pope did issue a personal apology in Rome, in the presence of First Nations, Inuit and Metis delegates. But when he comes to Canada, he is expected to make an apology on behalf of the wider church, similar to what he did in Bolivia in 2015 for Indigenous people in South America.

As for the apology itself, how does that get created? Does the Pope write it himself, or does he have help?

For an answer to that question, I turned to Michael Swan, a longtime observer of all things Roman Catholic and a reporter at the Catholic Register, Canadas national Catholic newspaper.

Swan explained that The entire curia, what we think of as The Vatican, is at the disposal of Pope Francis, and the people there encompass a range of expertise, including theologians, canon lawyers, historians, anthropologists, and others.

Along with that, the Canadian bishops will also have a say in what the Pope says in his apology, he said.

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One thing to keep in mind, he added, is this Pope is less reliant on all these advisers than previous popes.

Pope Francis is no puppet, he said. He listened carefully in Rome (to Indigenous people from Canada) and Im sure what he heard will be part of what he says.

At the same time, Pope Francis is quite famous for going off script, he noted, as he did in his personal apology on April 1 apology in Rome.

The official transcript didnt say anything about the Popes desire to be with the pilgrims at Lac Ste. Anne, said Swan. That was all Francis.

In terms of what he will say when he comes  whenever and wherever that is  the Pope knows that a genuine apology has to come from the heart, Swan said. He also knows that he speaks for the entire Catholic Church.

faith@freepress.mb.ca
Sales of aquariums, fish and fish-related accessories shot up during the pandemic, a set of circumstances consumer analysts attributed to people staying home more often and, as a direct result, angling for new and interesting ways to occupy their time.

Sales of aquariums, fish and fish-related accessories shot up during the pandemic, a set of circumstances consumer analysts attributed to people staying home more often and, as a direct result, angling for new and interesting ways to occupy their time.

Professional aquarist Rick Banack has been in the fishkeeping biz for more than four decades. The married father of three has a word of advice for anybody new to the hobby: dont name your guppy or molly the way you would your cat or dog.

"I did just that at the age of seven or eight, after begging my parents to buy me a goldfish," says Banack, 61, who, as owner of Environmental Aquatic Services at 290 McDermot Ave., has stocked and maintained aquariums as large as the 150,000-litre, walk-through facility that used to welcome visitors to Club Regent Casino, and designed and built marine exhibits for tourist resorts in Florida, Belize and Antigua. (Those holding tanks you spot on your way inside Red Lobster restaurants across Western Canada? Those are his, too.)

"Then, of course, one day I came home from school and Goldie, or whatever the heck I called it, was floating upside down, which was obviously a bit upsetting to see. So yeah, if you simply think of your fish as specimens, youre probably better off in the long run."

Banacks life in a fishbowl began in earnest when he was 10 or so, when his grandfather built a sizable aquarium for him to replace what he had been using. Before long, he was visiting pet stores around the city that specialized in tropical fish; that was, when he wasnt poring over book after book, absorbing everything he could on the subject matter.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rick Banack has run his aquarium business in the Exchange District since 1992.

Following a two-year stint at university, he caught on as a track maintainer for CP Rail. The work was largely seasonal, and he was laid off every few months, so in order to make ends meet, he began building aquariums on the side, first out of glass, later acrylic, and selling them out of his parents North End abode.

That pattern continued after he got a place of his own. At age 22 he quit the railway outright and opened a pet shop, Something Fishy, on Notre Dame Avenue near the Canadiana Motor Inn. He moved that operation to Pembina Highway a couple of years later, redubbing it Winnipeg Aquarium Company. He was still on Pembina in 1986 when he was approached by someone associated with the Assiniboine Park Zoo who wondered if hed be able to assist them with a project that was in the works.

Sure thing, he said. When the zoos Down Under exhibit opened later that year, a monster-size tank he built from scratch was housing an assortment of metre-long sharks native to Australian waters. (All these years later, almost all the aquariums he constructed for the zoos Kinsmen Discovery Centre in the late 1980s are still in use, he says with a hint of pride.)

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Banack stands in an empty 5,000-gallon tank in his shop on McDermot Avenue.

Banack had a business partner at the Pembina location. When that association ended in 1990, he took a job with Prairie Pond, an enterprise that had been building aquariums in the basement level of a seven-storey, century-old building in the Exchange District. Two years later, the owners decided not to renew their lease. He took over the premises, changed the name on a street-level door to Environmental Aquatic Services and hasnt looked back since.

"Watch your head," Banack says, leading a visitor down two flights of stairs to his 3,000-square-foot, subterranean lair. Nodding "good morning" to a pair of workers who are putting the finishing touches on a four-metre long shellfish tank, he flips a light on in his cement-floor office quickly checks his desktop computer for messages.

On a typical day, he might be needed at a grocery store to service the filter of a lobster unit, or be asked to pay a visit to a doctors or dentists office to drop off supplies for an aquarium in the waiting room. Once when he was maintaining the Club Regent aquarium, he was summoned there in the middle of the night after a blacktip shark took a chunk out of another fish."Oh, never mind," a manager announced when he arrived 30 minutes later. The predator had, ahem, finished the job.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Banack routes the edge of an acrylic lobster tank.

Satisfied his calendar is clear, he leans back in his chair and, speaking loudly enough to be heard over a soundtrack of clanging steam pipes and an AM radio, asks, "OK, what do you want to know?"

Were the present digs ever used to keep fish available for purchase a la his pet shop days? At one time, but no longer. Testament to that is an empty, 19,000-litre tank he employed to acclimatize different species. Although none of the fish that passed through were endangered in the least, there was so much "death and destruction" as a result of transporting them in the cargo hold of a plane, he closed the book on that end of things, he says, as it bothered him to no end.

Some of the private aquariums he maintains are a bit larger than the typical family-size fish tank. Without naming names, he cites a wealthy individual living in southeast Winnipeg who owns a circular-shaped tank so voluminous  2 1/2 metres around and nearly three metres tall  that the only way to clean it is to don scuba gear and go swimmin with the fishies.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Some of Banacks acrylic tank-building tools and nets.

That isnt a problem for his five-foot-eight frame, he notes, mentioning he has his diver certification. Anything a tad smaller can be troublesome, however, if he finds himself unable to extend his limbs once hes fully immersed. ("Hey, that might not be a bad idea," he says, when its mentioned he should train his slighter-of-stature, 14-year-old twins to lend their dad a hand.)

Banack laughs when pressed for memorable fish stories through the years. His favourite occurred the afternoon he was on the receiving end of a call from a case manager at Manitobas Workers Compensation Board. The fellow was following up on a claim by one of Banacks employee who had reported that he was off work because he was bitten by a moray eel he had been feeding by hand.

Why on earth was this person anywhere near an eel, the caller wanted to know. Secondly, was this a common occurrence?

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Glass pieces at Environmental Aquatic Services.

"I told him, Yeah, that was part of the job when we had the casino contract but honestly, Im pretty sure he thought I was feeding him a line," he says, laughing.

Oh, if you think a person whos been around fish his whole life wouldnt have much of an appetite for the creatures come mealtime, think again. In one corner of his workspace is a vent that leads outside, and sitting directly underneath it is a charcoal grill hell fire up every now and again for a staff lunch of shrimp, salmon, crab you name it.

When it comes to the sporting part of things, however, hes never been much for baiting a hook. The only thing he enjoys about fishing is the "having-a-beer part," he says.

david.sanderson@freepress.mb.ca
WINNIPEG - The marshy delta of Manitoba's Fisher River was not the original home of Peguis First Nation. But having been relocated there more than a century ago after an illegal land transfer, and facing increased flooding in recent decades, the community is hoping to get some permanent infrastructure for protection.

Rebecca Sutherland of Pequis First Nation, and volunteer Shaine Paul sandbag a home at risk of flooding in Peguis First Nation, Man., Wednesday, May 4, 2022. The marshy delta of Manitoba's Fisher River was not the original home of the First Nation. But having been relocated there more than a century ago after an illegal land transfer, and facing increased flooding in recent decades, the community is hoping to get some permanent infrastructure for protection. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

WINNIPEG - The marshy delta of Manitoba's Fisher River was not the original home of Peguis First Nation. But having been relocated there more than a century ago after an illegal land transfer, and facing increased flooding in recent decades, the community is hoping to get some permanent infrastructure for protection.

"We have asked for a diversion (channel). We have asked for ring diking. We have asked for elevated roads ... but nothing has occurred," Chief Glenn Hudson said in an interview from the community that has been swamped again this year.

A reservoir upstream that might hold back water during flooding would be another option, he said

More than 1,400 of 3,500 residents have left the reserve since the Fisher River spilled its banks last week. Most have gone to Winnipeg, 60 kilometres to the south.

Hundreds of homes have been surrounded by water or have been flooded. Residents who have stayed are trying to keep homes protected with sandbags and are ferrying food and people by boats.

Manitoba faces the threat of flooding almost every year. Many communities are protected by dikes, diversion channels or reservoirs. The town of Morris in the Red River Valley, with a much smaller population than Peguis, is one of many with a ring dike that can keep the community dry even when surrounding farmland and roads are submerged.

Hudson, who has been chief for all but two of the last 15 years, said the federal and provincial governments have been in talks about possible permanent flood protection.

It would be less expensive than frequent evacuations and cause much less stress in the community, he said.

Ottawa pays for evacuations and temporary emergency measures, including sandbagging. It also provides compensation after flooding.

The federal government indicated Friday it is willing to look at permanent protection.

"There is a history of flooding in this community and we have some important work to do once we get through this crisis period to talk about the future of supporting Peguis in resiliency efforts," Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said in Ottawa.

Peguis was originally the St. Peter's reserve and was situated on good agricultural land closer to Winnipeg. The federal government did a land transfer in 1907 that resulted in the First Nation being moved to its current location.

Peguis has other smaller reserves as well.

The federal government conceded in 1998 that the transfer was illegal. The two sides reached a settlement 11 years later.

While this year's flooding is the worst in a long time, the First Nation has faced high water and evacuations frequently over the last few decades, most notably in 2009 and 2011. In 2017, when flooding was a non-issue in most of Manitoba, Peguis was still affected and more than 100 people left.

Hudson said drainage improvements upstream since the 1970s have made things worse by allowing water to flow to Peguis more quickly.

"That improvement stops at the south end of our First Nation ... and therefore (water) bottlenecks when it comes through."

The federal government has provided help to flood-proof some of the most vulnerable homes and has cost-shared a study with Manitoba.

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"The ... study concluded mitigation measures were possible, but would likely cost several hundred million dollars and would likely not prevent all types of flooding," Matthew Gutsch, a spokesman for Indigenous Services Canada, wrote in an email.

Jay Doering, a flood expert and professor of civil engineering at the University of Manitoba, said a community ring dike for the sprawling area the reserve covers would be costly.

"What probably makes more economic sense is what was done in the Red River Valley following the 1997 flood," Doering said. "The majority of those homes were put up on pads."

The 1997 flood  often called the flood of the century  prompted a new requirement that homes and flood defences be elevated to withstand water at least 60 centimetres above the 1997 level.

A dam or other project that could hold back water upstream could also be feasible for Peguis, Doering said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2022.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California likely will have an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power about 1.3 million homes when use is at its peak during the hot and dry summer months, state officials said Friday.

FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2017, file photo, electrical power flow and conditions are monitored at the California Independent System Operator grid control center in Folsom, Calif. California energy leaders on Friday, May 6, 2022 said the state may see an energy shortfall this summer. Officials from the ISO, the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission said Californian's should prepare to reduce their energy us in the after-work hours. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California likely will have an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power about 1.3 million homes when use is at its peak during the hot and dry summer months, state officials said Friday.

Threats from drought, extreme heat and wildfires, plus supply chain and regulatory issues hampering the solar industry will create challenges for energy reliability this summer, the officials said. They represented the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state's energy grid.

State models assume the state will have 1,700 fewer megawatts of power than it needs during the times of highest demand  typically early evening as the sun sets  in the hottest months when air conditioners are in full use.

One megawatt powers about 750 to 1,000 homes in California, according to the energy commission. Under the most extreme circumstances, the shortfall could be far worse: 5,000 megawatts, or enough to power 3.75 million homes.

The only thing we expect is to see new and surprising conditions, and we're trying to be prepared for those," said Alice Reynolds, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates major utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric.

FILE - This Nov. 3, 2008, file photo shows one of Pacific Gas and Electric's Diablo Canyon Power Plant's nuclear reactors in Avila Beach, Calif. California energy leaders said Friday, May, 6, 2022 that the state may see an energy shortfall this summer. Facing possible electricity shortages, Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the possibility that the state's sole remaining nuclear power plant might continue operating beyond a planned closing by 2025. (AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File)

Climate change is driving a megadrought in California, which this year saw the driest January through March on record. Last summer the state for the first time shut off hydropower generation at the Oroville Dam because there wasn't enough water. It's up and running again, but the shutdown cost the state 600 megawatts of power, officials said.

Large hydropower projects generated nearly 14% of the state's electricity in 2020, according to the independent system operator. Renewable energy sources, chiefly solar, accounted for 34.5% and nuclear power made up 10%.

Amid expected shortfalls this summer the state  and residents  have multiple tools to avoid blackouts. Power can be purchased from other states and residents can lower their use during peak demand, but power shortages still are possible during extreme situations, officials said. Reynolds urged people to consider lowering their energy use by doing things like cooling their homes early in the day then turning off their air conditioners when the sun goes down.

In August 2020, amid extreme heat, the California Independent System Operator ordered utilities to temporarily cut power to hundreds of thousands of customers.

Mark Rothleder, senior vice president for the system operator, said the state would be more likely to experience blackouts again this year if the entire West has a heat wave at the same time. That would hinder California's ability to buy excess power from other states. Wildfires could also hinder the state's ability to keep the power on, he said.

California is in the process of transitioning its grid away from power sources that emit greenhouse gases to carbon-free sources such as solar and wind power. As old power plants prepare for retirement, including the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, the state has fewer energy options available. By 2025, the state will lose 6,000 megawatts of power due to planned power plant shutdowns.

Ana Matosantos, cabinet secretary for Gov. Gavin Newsom, declined to share details about what other actions the administration might take to ensure reliability, only saying Newsom was looking a range of different actions." The Democratic governor recently said he was open to keeping Diablo Canyon open beyond its planned 2025 closing.

Meanwhile, supply chain issues caused by the pandemic are slowing down the availability of equipment needed to stand up more solar power systems with batteries that can store the energy for use when the sun isn't shining.

The state officials also pointed to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce into imports of solar panels from Southeast Asia as something with the potential to hinder California's move toward clean energy.

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California has set a goal of getting 100% of its electricity from non-carbon sources by 2045, with certain benchmarks along the way including 60% by 2030. Already the state sometimes exceeds that target, particularly during the day. How much power comes from renewable sources varies based on the time of day and year as well as what's available.

Recently the system operator said it hit a record of getting more than 99% of energy from non-carbon sources around 3 p.m., though that only lasted for a few minutes.

Solar power by far makes up the largest share of renewable power, though it peaks during the day and drops off significantly at night when the sun goes down. The state is ramping up battery storage so solar power can continue to be used when its dark, but the state's capacity is still significantly lacking.

Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves about 16 million people in California, has added more battery storage since the 2020 power outages and is working on programs to reduce the energy load during peak demand, spokeswoman Lynsey Paolo said in a statement. The company is conserving water in reservoirs it relies on for hydropower and telling customers how they can reduce demand, she said. Her statement did not mention Diablo Canyon, which the utility operates.

Southern California Edison, another major utility, is working to procure more power, complete its own battery storage project and incentivize customers to use less energy, spokesman David Song said.

Southern California Edison understands how much our customers depend on reliable electricity that is delivered safely, especially during the summer months when customers rely on electric service for air conditioners and fans during extended heat waves," he said.
HAVANA (AP)  Rescuers in Cubas capital searched Saturday to find survivors of an explosion that killed at least 25 people and devastated a luxury hotel that once hosted dignitaries and celebrities, including Beyonce and Jay-Z.

Rooms are exposed at the five-star Hotel Saratoga after a deadly explosion in Old Havana, Cuba, Friday, May 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

HAVANA (AP)  Rescuers in Cubas capital searched Saturday to find survivors of an explosion that killed at least 25 people and devastated a luxury hotel that once hosted dignitaries and celebrities, including Beyonce and Jay-Z.

A natural gas leak was the apparent cause of Fridays blast at Havanas 96-room Hotel Saratoga. The 19th-century structure in the citys Old Havana neighborhood did not have any guests at the time because it was undergoing renovations ahead of a planned Tuesday reopening after being closed.

The death toll rose to 25 Saturday, according to Orestes Llanez, coordinator of the Havana city government, according to the official Cubadebate news site. He said 22 had been identified, 18 residents of the capital and four from elsewhere in Cuba.

He said searchers has managed to reach the hotel's basement in the hunt for possible survivors.

At least one survivor was found early Saturday in the shattered ruins of the hotel, and rescuers using search dogs clambered over huge chunks of concrete looking for more. Relatives of missing people remained at the site overnight. Others gathered at hospitals where the injured were being treated.

I dont want to move from here, Cristina Avellar told The Associated Press near the hotel, whose outer walls were blown away by the explosion, leaving the interiors of many rooms exposed.

Avellar was waiting for news of Odalys Barrera, a 57-year-old cashier who has worked at the hotel for five years. She is the godmother of Barreras daughters and considers her like a sister.

Rescue teams remove debris from the site of a deadly explosion that destroyed the five-star Hotel Saratoga, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, May 6, 2022. A powerful explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak killed at least 18 people, including a pregnant woman and a child, and injured dozens Friday when it blew away outer walls from the luxury hotel in the heart of Cubas capital. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Although no tourists were reported injured, the explosion is another blow to the countrys crucial tourism industry.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic kept tourists away from Cuba, the country was struggling with tightened sanctions imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and kept in place the Biden administration. Those limited visits by U.S. tourists to the islands and restricted remittances from Cubans in the U.S. to their families in Cuba.

Tourism had started to revive somewhat early this year, but the war in Ukraine deflated a boom of Russian visitors, who accounted for almost a third of the tourists arriving in Cuba last year.

The hotels lower floors appeared to have suffered most of the damage from Friday's blast. The missing walls made it possible to distinguish mattresses, pieces of furniture, hanging glass, tattered curtains and cushions covered in dust.

Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, said at least 74 people had been injured. Among them were 14 children, according to a tweet from the office of President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Cubas national health minister, Jose Angel Portal, told The Associated Press the number of injured could rise as the search continues. Fire Department Lt. Col. Noel Silva said rescue workers were still looking for a large group of people who may be under the rubble.

The shattered hotel remained cordoned off as workers under the glow of emergency lights operated heavy machinery to lift huge pieces of wall and masonry and trucks left the site loaded with debris.

Rescuers declined to answer questions because the authorities had ordered them not to to avoid confusion.

A 300-student school next to the hotel was evacuated. Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata said five of the students suffered minor injuries.

The emblematic hotel had a stunning view of Cuba's center, including the domed Capitol building about 110 yards (100 meters) away. The Capitol suffered broken glass and damaged masonry from the explosion.

The hotel was renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban governments revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban militarys tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA. The company said it was investigating the cause of the blast and did not respond to an email from the AP seeking more details about the hotel and the renovation it was undergoing.

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In the past, the Hotel Saratoga has been used by visiting VIPs and political figures, including high-ranking U.S. government delegations. Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed there in 2013.

Garcia Zapata said structures adjacent to the hotel were being evaluated, including two badly damaged apartment buildings. Diaz-Canel said families in affected buildings had been transferred to safer locations.

Photographer Michel Figueroa said he was walking past the hotel when the explosion threw me to the ground, and my head still hurts.... Everything was very fast.

Worried relatives of people who had been working at the hotel showed up at a hospital to look for loved ones. Among them was Beatriz Cespedes Cobas, who was tearfully searching for her sister.

She had to work today. She is a housekeeper, she said. I work two blocks away. I felt the noise, and at first, I didnt even associate the explosion with the hotel.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was scheduled to arrive in Havana for a visit late Saturday and Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the visit would still take place.
BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP)  The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a new era Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win.

Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson congratulates party colleague Pam Cameron on her election at Ulster University Jordanstown count center in Newtownabbey, in North Belfast, Northern Ireland, as counting continues in the Northern Ireland Assembly Election on Friday, May, 6 2022. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP)  The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a new era Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win.

With almost all votes counted from Thursday's local U.K. election, Sinn Fein secured 27 of the Assemblys 90 seats. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has dominated Northern Irelands legislature for two decades, captured 24 seats. The victory means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast  a first for an Irish nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921.

The centrist Alliance Party, which doesnt identify as either nationalist or unionist, also saw a huge surge in support and was set to become the other big winner in the vote, claiming 17 seats.

The victory is a major milestone for Sinn Fein, which has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs and bullets to try to take Northern Ireland out of U.K. rule during decades of violence involving Irish republican militants, Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries and the U.K. army and police.

Today ushers in a new era, Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill said shortly before the final results were announced. Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds, my commitment is to make politics work."

An emotional Edwin Poots, after being elected for South Belfast as a DUP MLA Northern Ireland Assembly Election, pays tribute to his colleague Christopher Stalford, a Democratic Unionist party member of the Northern Ireland assembly who died suddenly in February, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Friday, May 6, 2022. Poots was asked by Mr Stalford's family to stand for the constituency in honor of his late friend. (Liam McBurney/PA via AP)

O'Neill stressed that it was imperative for Northern Ireland's divided politicians to come together next week to form an Executive  the devolved government of Northern Ireland. If none can be formed within six months, the administration will collapse, triggering a new election and more uncertainty.

There is space in this state for everyone, all of us together, ONeill said. There is an urgency to restore an Executive and start putting money back in peoples pockets, to start to fix the health service. The people cant wait.

While the Sinn Fein win signals a historic shift that shows diminishing support for unionist parties, its far from clear what happens next because of Northern Ireland's complicated power-sharing politics and ongoing tussles over post-Brexit arrangements.

Under a mandatory power-sharing system created by the 1998 peace agreement that ended decades of Catholic-Protestant conflict, the jobs of first minister and deputy first minister are split between the biggest unionist party and the largest nationalist one. Both posts must be filled for a government to function, but the Democratic Unionist Party has suggested it might not serve under a Sinn Fein first minister.

The DUP has also said it will refuse to join a new government unless there are major changes to post-Brexit border arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Those post-Brexit rules, which took effect after Britain left the European Union, have imposed customs and border checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. The arrangement was designed to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, a key pillar of the peace process.

Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, right, and party leader Mary Lou McDonald after Sinn Fein topped the poll at the Medow Bank election count centre on Saturday, May, 7, 2022, in Magherafelt , Northern Ireland. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

But the rules angered many unionists, who maintain that the new checks have created a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. that undermines their British identity. In February, the DUPs Paul Givan resigned as first minister in protest against the arrangements, triggering a a fresh political crisis in Northern Ireland.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said he will announce next week whether he will return to the government.

We will consider what we need to do now to get the action that is required from the government. I will be making my decision clear on all of that early next week, he told the BBC.

The U.K.'s Secretary for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said he will meet with all party leaders in the coming days and urge them to get back to the business of government quickly.

Voters have delivered a clear message that they want a fully functioning devolved government in Northern Ireland, they want the issues around the Protocol addressed, and that they want politics to work better, Lewis said.

Saturday's results bring Sinn Fein's ultimate goal of a united Ireland a step closer, although the party kept unification out of the spotlight this year during a campaign dominated by the skyrocketing cost of living.

ONeill has said there would be no constitutional change on Irish unification until voters decide on it. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald indicated Friday that planning for any unity referendum could come within the next five years.

Polling expert John Curtice, a professor of political science at the University of Strathclyde, said Northern Ireland's power shift is a legacy of Brexit.

The unionist vote has fragmented because of the divisions within the community over whether or not the Northern Ireland Protocol is something that can be amended satisfactorily or whether it needs to be scrapped, he wrote on the BBC website.

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Persuading the DUP to join a new government and pressing the EU to agree to major changes in post-Brexit arrangements will pose a headache for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Curtice added. Johnson's own Conservative party lost at least 450 seats in Thursday's local election.

Britains Conservative government says the Brexit customs arrangements cannot work without unionist support in Northern Ireland. Johnson has threatened to unilaterally suspend the Brexit rules if the EU refuses to change them.

___

Hui reported from London.

___

Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has refused help from external First Nations leaders to address allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Grand Chief Arlen Dumas.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has refused help from external First Nations leaders to address allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Grand Chief Arlen Dumas.

On March 31, Sandra DeLaronde, a respected facilitator who has spent decades advocating for Indigenous people in Manitoba, co-wrote a letter to the AMC with Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, a nationally recognized expert on gender-based violence against Indigenous women and girls.

The pair offered to facilitate a trauma-informed process for women with allegations of harassment against Dumas  and other chiefs  to share their stories and ensure the assembly takes them seriously.

DeLaronde and Anderson-Pyrz have heard from a handful of women who have yet to speak out publicly against Dumas, because they fear personal and professional repercussions. The assembly has ties to virtually all First Nations initiatives in the province.

A number of women have come forward with harassment allegations against former ACM chief Arlen Dumas. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)

In 2019, Dumas took a brief leave after 22-year-old Bethany Maytwayashing accused Dumas, who was nearly double her age, of sending texts and social media messages that made her feel "really creeped out."

Two months ago, chiefs suspended Dumas after Winnipeg police opened a sexual-assault investigation, which is still active.

In that time, local activist Sadie-Phoenix Lavoie has come forward to allege "predator behaviour" in the form of late-night text messages from Dumas. Renee Yetman has also recounted a consensual sexual encounter in 2017 that left her feeling exploited.

The Free Press has heard similar accusations from a handful of women who have spoken with Anderson-Pyrz and DeLaronde.

"Theres a lot of talk on ground between people, and people roll their eyes, because its AMC," DeLaronde said.

CP Hilda Anderson-Pyrz (left) and Sandra Delaronde (right, with Angie Hutchinson, centre) have offered to facilitate a trauma-informed process for women with allegations of harassment against Dumas and other chiefs. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)

For years, she and Anderson-Pyrz have helped lead the Manitoba Coalition, a grassroots group that spent years pushing Ottawa to launch the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls  and then for that inquiry to have a family centred process that looked less like a court.

They feel a similar idea would be best for dealing with claims against Dumas, and other chiefs.

"Its not about just the grand chief; its in all these situations that women and girls have been victimized or traumatized  and nothing has been done," said DeLaronde.

"Its about a system, and how that system protects itself."

The pair argue the AMC missed the mark when allegations about Dumas texting young women first surfaced in 2019.

People rallied in March to support women who filed complaints against Dumas. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Dumas denied Maytwayashings claim, saying his phone number was hacked, but then apologized for acting in ways that made women uncomfortable.

The AMC promised an internal probe, but nobody ever approached Maytwayashing, who had offered to have her phone examined. The group has rebuffed numerous queries about what exactly the investigation entailed.

The assembly could become an example of how to respect women by focusing on healing, instead of colonial concepts around whether or not someone is guilty of a specific criminal offence, DeLaronde said.

The AMCs testimony to the national inquiry argued that women deserved "a process that was transparent, accountable to them" instead of imposing processes that might protect those accused of harm, she noted.

"This current circumstance doesnt appear to be consistent," she said.

Bethany Maytwayashing alleged Arlen Dumas sent her 'creepy' messages. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

The letter also sought clarity on whom the AMC commissioned to do investigations into its workplace culture, and whether they have experience with human-rights issues and trauma support.

The AMC replied to the proposal from Anderson-Pyrz and DeLaronde by pointing out an existing press release pointing out that Dumas would eventually face a non-confidence vote.

Last week the assembly postponed that vote, originally scheduled Wednesday, until after an internal investigation has been completed.

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Shamattawa Chief Eric Redhead was appointed to serve as interim grand chief until stepping down last month to run for provincial office. Redhead said chiefs considered the proposal, but were advised against it.

"My understanding is they consulted with legal (officials) and right now, until the investigation is complete, that was not on the table," he said.

The Free Press asked interim grand chief Cornell McLean for an interview. Instead, the assembly sent a statement.

"The AMC takes the allegations made against Grand Chief Dumas very seriously and has suspended him from his position pending the results of an impartial investigation," wrote policy analyst Marcel Balfour.

"The AMC is required to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the confidentiality of the person who made the complaint against Grand Chief Dumas, therefore, no details will be shared with the media at this time."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged citizens "especially" in the coming days not to ignore air-raid alarms.

"I ask all our citizens - especially these days - not to ignore the air raid sirens. Please, this is your life, the life of your children, " he said in his video address Friday evening.

He also asked "to strictly follow the public order and curfew regulations in cities and communities."

"Be sure to comply with the ban on visiting forests in the territories that were occupied. A great threat of mines and tripwire mines left after the Russian military remains there," he said.
Four decades after she became a teenage mother, a Sagkeeng woman is urging Sagkeeng First Nation Chief Derrick Henderson to confront his past.

Four decades after she became a teenage mother, a Sagkeeng woman is urging Sagkeeng First Nation Chief Derrick Henderson to confront his past.

A group of women in the community has rallied around her, calling for the chief to step down.

Lillian (Beans) Cook, 57, says she was 14 when she became pregnant with Hendersons child. Henderson, then 23 and married, was her phys-ed teacher at Sagkeengs South Shore Elementary School and had hired her to babysit his son.

Cook is choosing to speak publicly now, she says, because she wants the chief to be accountable, and she wants to let go of the shame shes carried for 43 years.

JESSICA LEE Lillian Cook was 14 when she had her son, Chris. The father is Sagkeeng First Nation Chief Derrick Henderson, she says. (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press)

"Its time for me to let go of that blame, and its time for him to take that blame, for him to take that responsibility," she says, crying softly.

"You (Henderson) took my life away when I was 14. I want to have a life now. I dont want to live in shame anymore, or guilt.

Although Cook was a child, their nine-year age gap wasnt unlawful in 1979, when Canadas age of consent was 14 and strong sexual exploitation laws didnt exist. Cook says their relationship started with flirting and progressed to touching and fondling, which sometimes happened at school and started when she was only 12.

"I was always, like, the ugly girl in school, so he made me feel good about myself, and he was my teacher," Cook says.

"We had a relationship. He would flirt with me, and I was just a young girl. He took advantage of me, of the situation. I fell for him, I had feelings for him."

They had sexual intercourse twice when she was 14, she recalls. She got pregnant the second time.

Henderson has served multiple terms as chief in the community. Sagkeeng, located on the shores of Winnipeg River about 130 kilometres north of Winnipeg, has about 7,600 band members, 3,350 of whom live on reserve.

Cook went to police and provided a statement in the fall of 2018; no criminal charges against Henderson have ever been laid. In March 2019, upon reviewing the case file from Powerview RCMP, a Manitoba Crown prosecutor decided there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction, so no charges were authorized.

On Feb. 26, 1980, when Cook was 15, she gave birth to her son Chris. She had been transferred to Powerview School after she got pregnant, but left school to work while her grandmother helped raise the baby. Years later, Cook went back to earn her high school equivalency and obtain certification to be a health-care aide.

Sagkeeng Chief Derrick Henderson was a teacher of Cooks when she got pregnant. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Chris died in 2014 at age 34, leaving behind seven children. His obituary, written by Cooks sisters, lists Henderson as his father.

The Free Press repeatedly sought comment from Henderson, who is now 65, and sent him a detailed account of the allegations, to which he did not respond.

Prior to that, when reached by phone in late March and asked about sexual allegations involving him and Cook, Henderson said: "There is no allegation there, I mean, I buried my son. She was there when I buried him, she was there with me," he said. "I mean, Im not going to make a story about it, either. If you write a story, be prepared, right?"

Cook says Henderson denied the baby was his when she told him she was pregnant, and that he left the reserve soon afterward.

"If he didnt take advantage of me, and if I wouldnt have got pregnant at the time, I might have had a better life," she says.

Henderson has never publicly acknowledged he was Chriss father, but Cook says he sometimes gave her money for the grandkids after he was elected chief.

Cook has, on more than one occasion, offered to arrange for DNA testing to establish paternity.

In 1976, Henderson was hired as a teachers aide by the Sagkeeng Education Authority. He was tasked with teaching physical education for Grades 6 and under for the south shore school while he was attending an eight-week university course in physical education. Cook was in Grade 4 at the time.

Henderson went on to work as a teacher and principal in northern Saskatchewan, and later as a school superintendent and education administrator in Alberta. He returned to Sagkeeng in the late 2000s after suffering a spinal injury, and ran for band council. He advocated for transparency and fairness, and his supporters viewed him as a positive choice for a leader. He was appointed acting chief in 2014 and has been re-elected as chief twice. His current term as chief ends next year.

JESSICA LEE Lillian Cook holds a photo of herself as a young mother with her son Chris. (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press)

Cook is speaking publicly in the aftermath of two community gatherings last fall during which Henderson was asked to step down as chief. Cook did not attend either meeting and says she didnt find out about them until afterward, but other women confronted the chief about what happened to her.

Elder Verna Prince, 81, called for a protest and a sacred fire outside the Sagkeeng band office on Oct. 21, 2021. In a recording of the event shared on social media, Prince, a well-respected member of the community, speaks directly to the chief, presenting concerns about his leadership.

"Step down and go for healing for yourself, because theres a lot of things you did wrong, too, and we all have to heal from that to be a good leader," Prince said at the time.

Henderson listened in silence and did not respond, as seen on the video, but advised those in attendance to bring their concerns to an upcoming general assembly meeting. At that subsequent meeting, Prince again asked him to step down.

In an interview, she explains, "people know on the reserve" about Hendersons involvement with Cook.

"The ones that work at the school knew that he was involved with her, because he was a teacher at that time, and she was just 14," Prince said when asked if her requests for him to step down had anything to do with Cook.

"I feel sad and angry at times, because I know how it is to live when youve been abused. You cant be yourself. Thats why Im working so hard now to change that, after going through it. I want my people to heal and be honest with each other."

A core group of five other Sagkeeng women, including Princes daughter, mental-health worker Anita Prince, has been supporting Cooks efforts. At the same protest last fall, Anita stood in front of the chief and spoke passionately about Cook, although she didnt use Cooks name.

JESSICA LEE Cook went to the police in 2018 but no charges were laid against Henderson. (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press)

"Ill never let it go, Derrick, of what happened in your past history," Anita told him, later turning to everyone gathered and adding, "Every one of us knows who were talking about"

In an interview, Anita confirms she was talking about Cook and was referring to what happened to her when she was young.

Anita says she has been hoping the truth would come to light for years. She recalls meeting with a committee of elders to discuss the issue, asking how Henderson had become chief despite his past.

"I started questioning, how can people vote him in, because he already did this?" Anita says, adding she was working for the band at the time was afraid to speak up. She describes Cooks account as an open secret in the community.

"Its a silent secret, but people know," she says.

Now that its coming to light, Anita says she hopes the community will be able to heal.

In many ways, sexual abuse has been normalized after residential school and generations of trauma. Its taken years for Indigenous women to speak out, she says.

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"Its important the truth comes out so real healing can start. Our women are the leaders but were never given that chance. A lot of our women have been sexually abused, and thats where that power was taken away from them, and if we can start a movement where we can start healing our sexual abuse, our community will heal," she says.

For now, Cook says she is not safe in Sagkeeng and has had to relocate. She says she is being denied band services such as home repairs and heat, but she says she does not have a political motive for speaking publicly.

"The fact is, I was a child. I feel that he totally took advantage of that, and he robbed me of my innocence," she says. "He robbed me of my life. And Ive suffered for that for 40 years."

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
Rayleen De Luca had a way of bringing out the best in people. She knew how to listen, creating safe environments in which everyone felt comfortable to talk about  well, anything.

Rayleen De Luca had a way of bringing out the best in people. She knew how to listen, creating safe environments in which everyone felt comfortable to talk about  well, anything.

Her oldest son, Troy, describes his mother as warm, empathetic, brilliant and insightful, making everyone she met feel like the most important person in the world.

She made our house the drop-in centre and treated our friends like family; our friends would love to come over and just sit and talk, Troy says.

All topics were on the table for conversations from politics to human behavior. She never said, Im the expert; you just felt like you were talking to someone who knows.

De Luca devoted her life to care: first of her own children, then professionally, achieving a doctorate in the field of psychology that focused on children and their mental health and well-being.

She became a highly respected and sought-after child psychologist in Manitoba and beyond, and recognized as one of Canadas foremost researchers for her pioneering work in the area of child sexual abuse.

She died March 22, after a battle with cancer, at age 79.

De Lucas impact was widespread and saved lives, as these words from a 15-year-old client convey:

When I was in my darkest times, Rayleen was the sun that broke through the clouds above me and brought light and hope back into my life. Rayleen, I can say without a doubt, is the reason Im still living. Every day, I look for the sun just to see her. I could never thank Rayleen enough or do her enough justice for what she did for me Rayleen will always be here as long as the sun still shines.

Passionate and focused about her calling, Troy says you could predict one thing about his mother when children were involved.

She always ensured their well-being was the only constant amongst the variables of the situation. She worked with the most vulnerable individuals, likely in the highest risk for self-harm.

As a professor at the University of Manitoba in the department of psychology, it was noted De Luca was the first woman to hold the position of director of clinical training. Her colleagues and peers of the Manitoba Psychological Society recognized her distinguished contribution to the profession of psychology when they awarded her the prestigious Clifford Robson Award.

A tireless advocate and inspiration to women, De Luca was active in countless community organizations with a focus on solutions to violence and abuse. Nominated as a Canadian representative to the United Nations Status of Women Committee, she was not afraid to speak out against injustices, and inspired others to do the same.

Michelle Hume met De Luca at the University of Manitoba.

At the time, Rayleen was a female role model, blazing the way for other women aspiring to achieve a higher education, Hume says of her friend and colleague.

Eventually, the pilot project that Rayleen and I were working on morphed into a treatment program at a provincial level, producing publishable research and warranting professional presentations, Hume says.

Our professional relationship broadened even further when Rayleen decided to open a private practice to offer her professional skills to children and families in need of psychological services. I can recall meeting with Rayleen over lunch, when she asked me to join her in her little practice and become her partner and associate.

Rayleens little practice was a huge success and enabled countless people to receive the help they needed. Rayleen was a remarkable woman who touched so many people and left a tremendous mark on our community and my life.

De Luca never hesitated to freely give her time. She also served as president of the Folk Arts Council, vice-chairwoman of the board of governors of St. Pauls College, and on a national ad hoc committee on the protection of minors and vulnerable people.

Recognized extensively for her academic and professional leadership and commitment, she received a long list of awards spanning several decades. Most notably in recent years, she was named a Manitoba Trailblazer Recipient in 2021, and received the Order of Canada in 2017.

Invitations led to presentations nationally and internationally; her publications were translated into multiple languages and her research in the area of child abuse and family violence was identified as ground-breaking.

Born in Shawinigan, Que., on April 29, 1942, De Luca spent all but a year of her life in Winnipeg. At the centre of her world was her family, and her devoted husband of 58 years, Vincent.

The first time I saw Rayleen was Dec. 24, 1958, in the basement of the old Holy Rosary Church on Sherbrook Street, Vincent says. The next time I saw her was at the same place on June 7, 1959. Thus began a journey of love that lasted 63 years. Rayleen was never just my wife; she was my life.

When asked what she believed and hoped her legacy would be, without hesitation De Luca said her family, her love for her children (Troy and Trevor), her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was an amazing woman inside and out, says youngest son Trevor. She truly made everyone feel as if they were the most important thing at that moment, and they were. She will always be my hero.

Troy cherishes the life-long talks he had with his mother.

After I was out at a party, I would always stop in her room and we would talk through the events; what did it mean when so and so would do that or say this, (was there) deeper meaning behind it? I would get real-time feedback, he says.

Words were very important to her. We would sit and have spirited debates and then switch sides and have more spirited debates, which taught me to not only see things from multiple sides but be able to discuss them and carry the point.

She was by far the biggest and greatest female influence in my life. I was fortunate to grow up with a strong, confident female from the time I can remember.

passages@freepress.mb.ca
Although she woke up much earlier than usual last Monday, she was not her usual self. She did not want to get dressed and get ready for school. She tried to tarry until it was too late, not expecting to be forced to go to school on this day of Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

Although she woke up much earlier than usual last Monday, she was not her usual self. She did not want to get dressed and get ready for school. She tried to tarry until it was too late, not expecting to be forced to go to school on this day of Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

There was a time when nine-year-old Arghwan Ahmad counted down the days to Eid, getting new clothes and having henna applied to her hands the night before.

On Eid day, she got cash gifts from guests visiting her family and showing off her newfound wealth to other kids in the neighbourhood in Kabul, Afghanistan.

But for her first Eid in Winnipeg, things were different: no new clothes, no henna on her hands. Worst of all, she had to go to school like every other weekday.

Arghwan, and her six family members, were forced to leave their home and belongings in Kabul and flee in the only clothes they had. Arghwans family got to Canada in February and settled in Winnipeg after a long and difficult journey. Many Afghan families were randomly sent to Winnipeg this winter, although some of them have since chosen to move to Toronto or Vancouver. Arghwans family chose to stay.

Arghwans family was among the thousands of Afghans who worked for the former Kabul government: journalists or human rights advocates who fled following the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban on August 15, 2021.

Many countries welcomed vulnerable Afghan citizens and announced their support for them. Canada announced that it would accept 40,000 Afghans citizens. According to new statistics, by the end of April 2022, about 12,500 Afghan newcomers have arrived in Canadian cities.

Annually, Muslims around the world celebrate two Eids, determined by the Hijri lunar calendar. Eid al-Fitr falls from the first to the third of the month of Shawwal after the sighting of the moon, and Eid al-Adha is in the 10th month of Dhihjah. Most of the Muslims around the world also travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) on Eid al-Adha.

In Afghanistan, however, the government gives three days off to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and four days off to celebrate Eid al-Adha. Women and men use these vacations to celebrate Eid and visit relatives. Today, however, with the Taliban in control in Afghanistan, women are not allowed to work, attend school beyond Grade 6, and are not even allowed to travel without a man escorting them.

A young lady who also recently arrived in Winnipeg, who does not want to be identified because the rest of her family in Afghanistan may be harmed by the Taliban, says she spent the first day of Eid in the hospital.

She lives with her parents, and it so happened that her parents medical appointment coincided with the first day of Eid. She says that she made no special preparations for this Eid since she does not have anybody to celebrate with in the city she now calls home.

She says she is happy and lucky that she could escape from the Taliban. "Women are not allowed to leave the house in Afghanistan, so I believe that Eid in Kabul is not the same as before, and we women were kept at home during Eid days too," she further said.

The celebration is a time for families to come together, including those who work in other cities. But for Abdul Hamid Samimi, a former Afghan video editor at a private TV network in Kabul, this Eid was a lonely time. He was only able to make it to Canada alone and settle in Winnipeg. Samimi, who has five children, says it is his first Eid away from his loved ones.

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He is worried for his wife and children but took some time to be with other Afghan citizens in Winnipeg.

"For the first time, I celebrated Eid alone, away from my family and friends," Samimi said, adding that: "At 9:40 a.m., I offered Eid prayers at the Manitoba Islamic Association. I met many Afghan families, and celebrated Eid days with them."

The Canadian government has promised Samimi that they will help his family members get to Canada as well. He expects that his family members will come and join him soon.

Arghwan, her family and other Afghan newcomers kept their celebrations light compared with their days in Afghanistan, but felt secure in different cities of Canada. This at a time when hundreds of families in Afghanistan mourn for the loss of their loved ones in the recent explosions and suicide attacks.

More than 400 people, including schoolchildren, have been killed and hundreds more have been wounded in blasts and suicide attacks in Kabul and other cities of Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.

This story was written for the Reader Bridge as part of a partnership with New Canadian Media.
Red River College Polytechs annual Indigenous students grad powwow marked a welcome return to in-person, on-campus celebration Friday.

The day-long affair was filled with the sound of drums, sights of regalia and the smell of bannock. After a pipe ceremony and awards presentation, students visited a hallway market filled with Indigenous vendors.

The Winnipeg college recognized 170 graduates at the powwow  the largest number in its 20-year run  its first in-person ceremony since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Its memories  today they have their family with them, their friends Theyre here because theyre proud of their success. I hope, I know we are all here to celebrate their successes," said Monica Morin, program manager for RRC Polytechs school of Indigenous education. "Its a beautiful day."

There was an opportunity for the school to better foster camaraderie among its Indigenous students through such in-person events now that restrictions have loosened, Morin added.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Graduates at the RRC Polytech graduation powwow.

"Getting together is so important for our communities, in a powwow setting, it is a ceremony."

Among those collecting diplomas Friday was 23-year-old valedictorian Kyra De La Ronde, a Metis student from Selkirk who had been studying community development.

"Being back with Indigenous people in an Indigenous celebration is so honouring to me. Its been really, really long, Ive really missed it," she said. "I feel like a lot of people needed this, needed to come together."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The flag ceremony.

De La Ronde is already working in her field  she serves as the provincial youth chairwoman for the Manitoba Metis Federation  and wants to further foster economic independence within her community.

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"I really hope to work for my nation, and bring any skills that Ive learned here back to my community, and really just ensure we have a strong economic future and economic prosperity for all," she said.

Seeing such a large number of her fellow Indigenous graduates in one space was meaningful to De La Ronde.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS RRC Polytech graduate Cheryl Baraniuk dances during the grand entry.

"I think it shows that during the pandemic, weve really missed having a gathering place and having somewhere to come together," she said.

"And I think for the turnout were seeing today, it just also shows that theres a lot of Indigenous excellence within these institutions."

The University of Manitoba will host its in-person Indigenous students grad powwow Saturday.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
Manitoba is starting a public-tender process for a new air ambulance service.

Late Friday afternoon, the province announced it is issuing a request for proposals from private providers of airplane and helicopter medical transportation. It will give priority to businesses that can supply newer aircraft with reliable, 24/7 service.

All air ambulances need to be able to handle critically ill patients, including specialty care such as bariatric stretchers and neonatal incubators, the province acknowledged in a news release.

Our government is committed to enhancing critical care capacity in Manitoba and a modern medical aviation fleet is a vital component of this service, said Gordon. This request for proposals will ensure standardized and universal care among air ambulances, and help to build a more modern critical care service that supports the evolving needs of all Manitobans, reads the statement from Health Minister Audrey Gordon.

Proposals for a multi-year air ambulance contract will be accepted until Sept. 9.

The announcement comes after air ambulance service in Manitoba was criticized following the death of a 31-year-old mother from Ebb and Flow First Nation.

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Krystal Mousseau died on May 25, 2021 following a failed airlift attempt in Brandon via a privately contracted aircraft service. She was a COVID-19 patient who was considered stable enough for transport. In March, Manitobas chief medical examiner declined to call an inquest into Mousseaus death.

The NDP raised concerns about the governments decision to open the public-tender process and further privatize medical transportation services. The opposition party has also objected to the decision not to call an inquest, saying a public inquiry is necessary in Mousseaus death.

In a statement responding to the request for proposals, NDP Leader Wab Kinew said questions about patient safety need to be answered before the tender process goes ahead.

The PC government announcement to continue privatizing medical aviation services is deeply concerning. There are serious unanswered questions about whether the government is ensuring patient safety and medical standards are being met.

These questions should be addressed prior to this RFP process moving forward. The pandemic showed the importance of putting patient safety and standards first when medical transportation is at issue. We should be investing in public medical aviation services that put patient safety first, Kinew stated.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
TWO Manitoba mental health programs got a federal cash injection Friday.

Carolyn Bennett, the federal mental health and addictions minister, flew to Winnipeg to hold a news conference at Newcomers Employment and Education Development Services Inc., a newcomer and refugee support centre on Notre Dame Avenue.

The centre, as well as The Pas Family Resource Centre, were each awarded $1.325 million.

The Winnipeg centre will use the cash to bolster its support program for Syrian refugee children and their parents.

N.E.E.D.S. will scale up programming to include older children and youth, on top of trauma-informed training meant for the people who deliver the services.

CEO Margaret von Lau said conflicts like the war in Ukraine and unrest in Afghanistan, cause undue stress on the people whove fled.

The future is unknown, you start panicking and feeling that you are losing control of your life  you often escape, leave an unsafe place and become a refugee, von Lau said.

The new challenges emerge in language barriers  very often, a different culture, a new surrounding, and the weather practically everything is different.

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Von Lau said stress, anxiety and depression are among the challenges newcomers and refugees face.

Bennett said mental health supports for newcomers and other marginalized people need to be culturally appropriate.

If you can listen without judgment, then you are creating a safe space for that person to talk and a safe space for them to ask for help  I think thats why its been so important for us to worry about stigma and the stigma that is different in different communities, the minister said.

It is the stigma that often prevents people from asking for help.

The Pas centre will spend its $1.325 million to expand its Cedar Path project to more communities in the north. The project helps Indigenous teens engage in healthy lifestyle activities.

 staff
It will be a quiet Mothers Day weekend at a north Winnipeg personal-care home that has been battling stubborn COVID-19 outbreaks for the past six weeks.

It will be a quiet Mothers Day weekend at a north Winnipeg personal-care home that has been battling stubborn COVID-19 outbreaks for the past six weeks.

Six residents at Holy Family Home have died and 112 have tested positive since the first two cases appeared March 23.

There are currently six different active outbreaks spread through various units in the sprawling 317-bed facility located on Main Street between Redwood and Aberdeen avenues, CEO Tara-Lee Proctor said, adding 30 staff members who have also tested positive are isolating at home.

Holy Family is restricting access to designated family caregivers, putting a damper on many planned Mothers Day celebrations.

COVID-19 activity remains prevalent in the community and the absence of restrictions outside of our doors preventing infection within the home becomes even more challenging, Proctor said.

Most residents have received three vaccine doses, she said, adding the home is working on getting fourth doses to people who are eligible soon. And she said most of the residents who have tested positive recently are dealing with generally mild symptoms.

There are currently 16 personal-care homes in the city dealing with active COVID-19 outbreaks, WRHA spokeswoman Bobbi-Jo Stanley said. There have been 21 associated deaths.

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It is important to note that deaths are reflected in this count if residents who passed away tested positive for COVID, but not all are necessarily due to COVID, Stanley said.

Jan Legeros, executive director of the Long Term and Continuing Care Association of Manitoba, said the virus continues to circulate through the community.

There are more tragedies in the (care) homes, but thankfully not as numerous as in the first and second waves before we had the vaccines, Legeros said.

But its still tragic when people get COVID  even with a mild case. They can get long-COVID symptoms and we have many residents who now have cardiac issues they didnt have before, and breathing issues now.

It is really important for people to realize COVID is still out there. Thats why were getting cases in long term care; its because of the really high community transmission.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
More than 330 City of Winnipeg vehicles were caught on camera running red lights or speeding over the last three years, city data shows.

More than 330 City of Winnipeg vehicles were caught on camera running red lights or speeding over the last three years, city data shows.

But its not clear how many city employees paid the tickets, nor how many  if any  were disciplined for the infractions.

Intersection cameras and mobile photo-radar caught 136 city vehicles violating traffic laws in 2019, 90 in 2020 and 110 in 2021, according to the data provided by the city to the Free Press. It does not break down the details of the offences, including whether they involved speeding, the rate of speed or running a red light, nor if any drivers were repeat offenders. The data also doesnt include emergency vehicles.

And while a spokesperson for the city said the administration tries to ensure employees pay up, that information is tracked by department, and directed the Free Press to file a freedom of information request if it sought a further breakdown.

On paper, at least, it appears Winnipeg cracks down harder on scofflaw staff than other major Canadian cities. City employees in at least two Ontario cities, Hamilton and Ottawa, dont have to pay photo-enforcement tickets.

By the numbers: Click to Expand  24 city-vehicle infractions were captured in June 2020, making that the month with the most violations over a three-year period.  49 intersection safety-camera locations exist in the city, with 33 cameras rotated through the locations.  10 mobile photo-radar units catch speeding drivers in school, playground and construction zones.  Most of the infractions are caught by the mobile units, accounting for 75,598 in 2020 while; intersection cameras nabbed 33,856 vehicles.  Of the infractions captured on intersection safety cameras in 2020, 7,470 were for red-light offences and 26,386 were for speeding.  $203 is the cost of a ticket for a red-light infraction caught on camera.  Speeding fines can range from $181 for going 10 km/h over the limit to thousands of dollars for more serious offences.

Todd MacKay, the Canadian Taxpayers Federations prairie director, said Winnipeg does the right thing by not giving staff a free pass.

"The rules have to be the same for everybody," MacKay said. "When some cities are looking the other way for their employees, that suggests to a lot of us that its more about money than safety."

Still, he said the city should be transparent about how many employees pay up.

According to the city, the corresponding department is responsible for investigating the infraction and determining who "had care and control of the vehicle."

If there is no dispute, the department pays the fine and tells the employee to reimburse the department. There are occasions where the department head "may consider the circumstances and waive the requirement for the employee to reimburse the city," city spokesperson Kalen Qually said in an email.

If the employee is still ordered to pay but refuses, they may face disciplinary action. Employees may also face discipline for the infraction itself, "for failure to demonstrate proper diligence in the safe operation of a city vehicle or motive equipment," he said.

The city wont say how many, if any, staff have been disciplined or fired for infractions, citing human resources confidentiality.

Public works vehicles racked up the most infractions, with 226  two thirds of the total 336 violations  followed by water and waste with 62 and planning, property and development with 31. Public works, with 820 vehicles, makes up the bulk of the roughly 1,300 non-emergency vehicles in the citys fleet.

While all police vehicles are exempt from photo enforcement, its not the same across the board for Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service.

"When a WFPS light fleet vehicle generates a photo-radar ticket, an investigation takes place to determine whether the vehicle was responding to an emergency incident," said WFPS spokesperson Erin Madden. "If it was responding to an emergency, the ticket is waived. If the light fleet vehicle was not responding to an emergency incident, the employee driving is responsible for the cost of the ticket."

In 2019, no tickets were issued to WFPS employees. In 2020 and 2021, eight tickets were issued each year, at a cost of $1,699 and $2,207, respectively. The employees responsible paid the tickets.

When compared to overall numbers, Winnipegs city vehicles make up a fraction of how many are caught on camera. About 129,000 total vehicles were flagged for photo infractions in 2019 and 109,500 in 2020, according to police data. Police attribute the 15 per cent drop to less overall traffic because of the pandemic.

That means city staff made up just 0.1 per cent of all 2019 infractions and 0.08 in 2020.

However, to get a true sense of the significance of the city violations, it would be necessary to know how many drivers are on Winnipeg roads and how frequently theyre driving, and compare that to the citys fleet and their driving frequency, said David Shellnutt, a Toronto-based personal injury and human rights lawyer who advocates for safer streets.

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City staff should be setting the gold standard when it comes to following the traffic rules it expects its own citizens to follow, Shellnutt said.

"If (city employees) dont lead by example, certainly nothing will change," he said.

While Shellnutt is a proponent of traffic cameras, he describes such systems as "one good tool in multi-pronged approach" to street safety. Also needed is public education, better infrastructure on roadways, strict penalties for dangerous and careless drivers and better driver education or re-training.

Public works rejects mismanagement allegations Rush hour traffic sits at a red light on Bishop Grandin Boulevard. (Mike Sudoma / Free Press files) Posted: 7:00 PM Mar. 10, 2022 Winnipegs public works department responded publicly for the first time Thursday to allegations of financial mismanagement within the traffic signals branch at a special meeting of the citys finance committee. Chairman Scott Gillingham (St. James) called the session in response to the recent Free Press investigative series Red Light, Green Light, No Oversight, based on the findings of independent traffic researcher Christian Sweryda. Read Full Story

"We cant ticket our way out of this," he said.

He would like to see cities reinvest the revenue from traffic cameras into making streets safer. Winnipeg Police Service, which oversees the photo-enforcement system, says the revenue is put toward the forces "general revenue."

The photo-radar system and related street-safety issues have long been controversial topics in Winnipeg.

A February Free Press investigation revealed gaps and flaws in the citys management of infrastructure and street-safety enforcement. Critics specifically pointed to issues with amber-light times and speed-limit signs not meeting Canadian standards as evidence that photo-enforcement is about making money, not keeping streets safe.

The city adamantly rejected the charges.

Regardless, certain areas remain photo ticketing hot spots.

Talbot Avenue east of Watt Street is one such location. Its where more than 60 of the city-vehicle infractions took place, accounting for 18 per cent over the three-year period.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ian Walker, chair of Safe Speeds Winnipeg, on Talbot Avenue where more than 18 per cent of the city-vehicle infractions took place over a three-year period.

"Theres no reason we shouldnt be using technology to make streets safer."  Ian Walker

Its not just city vehicles getting dinged there.

"Thats where my wife got a ticket," Winnipegger Ian Walker said with a laugh.

Top spots city vehicles were caught Click to Expand Eastbound Talbot Avenue at Watt Street: 62 Westbound Burrows Avenue at McGregor Street: 32 Westbound Grant Avenue at Thurso Street South: 26 Southbound Harrow Street at McMillan Avenue: 15

Despite the hit to his familys pocketbook, Walker is still a big fan of photo-radar enforcement. Hes chair of Safe Speeds Winnipeg and in favour of most measures that force or convince drivers to slow down and drive safely.

"Speed is a killer," he said. "Theres no reason we shouldnt be using technology to make streets safer."

It might take a ticket or two to force people to confront their unsafe driving, he said. And he imagines that for city staff, it doesnt look very good when your employer knows youre speeding around town and running red lights. Hopefully it forces all drivers to change bad habits, he said.

Still, Walker said if certain areas routinely remain ticket hot spots, the city should "absolutely" consider changing infrastructure or posting better signage.

"The opportunity for people to be hurt by vehicles should be eliminated," he said.

katrina.clarke@freepress.mb.ca
Even the Pope claims to be infallible only on matters of faith and doctrine. On the chance of rain or the speed of a racehorse, he will freely admit that he is just as fallible as you and I. Whereas secular dictators, and especially ones who are building a personality cult, are implicitly claiming to be infallible about everything.

Opinion

Even the Pope claims to be infallible only on matters of faith and doctrine. On the chance of rain or the speed of a racehorse, he will freely admit that he is just as fallible as you and I. Whereas secular dictators, and especially ones who are building a personality cult, are implicitly claiming to be infallible about everything.

This is quite a burden, although it helps that dictators can deny things have gone wrong, and punish anybody who says otherwise. Nevertheless, sooner or later people are bound to notice that things really have gone wrong. That is President Xi Jinpings main problem at the moment, but it is also Chinas.

For more than two years now, Xi has loudly proclaimed that Chinas zero-COVID policy has been a brilliant success that demonstrates the superiority of the Chinese system and of his own leadership. And for a while there, the evidence was on his side.

The COVID-19 death toll in China is still under 6,000, while COVID-19 fatalities in the United States, with only a quarter of Chinas population, are nearing the million mark. However, China achieved this miracle only by almost completely shutting its borders and imposing draconian shutdowns on entire cities at the first sign of an infection.

That succeeded for a while, just as it did in Australia and New Zealand, two geographically isolated countries that followed essentially the same policy. But their governments knew that this could not be a permanent policy, and as soon as the great majority of their populations were fully vaccinated they began to release the restrictions.

Happily, by then the Omicron variant was taking over, making COVID-19 even more infectious but far less lethal, especially for vaccinated people. Xi Jinping seems to have missed that memo, and has pressed on with the zero-COVID policy even at great cost to the Chinese economy and in the face of growing resentment among ordinary Chinese people.

At the moment, 340 million people, around one-quarter of the population, are under full or partial lockdown in 46 different cities. The 25 million residents of Shanghai, Chinas commercial capital, are entering their sixth week of lockdown.

Guangzhou, the southern industrial hub, has ordered the mass testing of 5.6 million people after the detection of one suspected COVID-19 case. Even Beijing is teetering on the brink of lockdown, with schools already closed and people panic-buying provisions for what could be another long confinement to their homes.

Given the huge infection rate of Omicron  in both the United States and the United Kingdom around 70 per cent of the population have had COVID-19 at least once  this policy cannot logically have a long-term future.

The ceaseless lockdowns are hitting China so hard that second-quarter growth in an economy that used to boast growth rates in excess of 10 per cent is forecast to be only 1.8 per cent. This means not only unemployment and potential unrest, but Chinese customers elsewhere shifting away from dependence on supply chains originating in China. The shift could be permanent.

And yet Xi Jinping perseveres with the policy. His regime has not even speeded up vaccinations in China, although fewer than half the over-60s have even had one booster shot. Nothing must be allowed to suggest the zero-COVID policy is failing. Why?

Because an absolute dictator must appear infallible. Xi has boasted so much of the success of his victory over COVID-19, made it so much his own signature achievement, that no doubt can be admitted  especially at a time when he is planning to make his dictator-for-life status official.

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This autumn marks the end of the two five-year terms Xi would have been permitted under the Communist Partys post-Mao rules, which were designed precisely to thwart other would-be absolute dictators from gaining powers.

His plan was to be elected to a rule-breaking third term at the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party next October or November, and even a year ago he looked like a shoo-in.

Xi has purged and/or jailed a great many senior officials on corruption charges, and those who were still in office seemed thoroughly cowed. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of senior Party people who think that one-man rule is always a mistake.

Xis complicity with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his continuing COVID-19 blunder also count against him with many important people, and the Party Congress, normally a choreographed, almost ritual event, could theoretically turn against him.

Youd still be unwise to bet against Xis chances of a third term (and as many more as his lifespan allows), but he himself is now running scared. Which probably means that there will be no change in the current crazy COVID-19 policy at least until the end of the year.

Gwynne Dyers new book is The Shortest History of War.
THE comeback of Canada geese from near-extinction has been remarkably successful. In fact, its been too successful.

Opinion

THE comeback of Canada geese from near-extinction has been remarkably successful. In fact, its been too successful.

In an appropriate environment, geese are magnificant birds. To watch them from a site such as Oak Hammock Marsh is to marvel at their natural beauty as they ride the wind currents in V-shaped formation, outstretched necks honking their throaty exclamations.

In Winnipeg, though, theyve become urban pests, soiling parks and playgrounds with excrement, hissing aggressively at people who walk near their nests and creating a traffic hazard as they plod obliviously on roads.

I generally believe we should co-exist peacefully with wildlife including geese, live and let live. The exception is when wildlife poses a danger.

Until now, urban geese didnt seem like a substantial danger, although they can certainly be irritating as they damage the lawns of homeowners, pollute ponds and squawk a non-stop cacaphony when they group together.

Whats made me reconsider whether geese in Winnipeg are dangerous is the new avian influenza strain H5N1, which officials say is highly pathogenic. Samples from two wild birds in Manitoba, a snow goose and a bald eagle, have already tested positive, and, alarmingly, a third case has been found in a commercial poultry flock at a farm near Whitemouth.

How dangerous is it? Those of us who are not veterinary scientists look to the experts to gauge an appropriate level of worry about the possibility of the bird flu growing throughout Manitoba. The experts seem apprehensive.

Avian flu "is spreading in wild bird populations across the globe and presents a significant national concern as birds migrate to Canada," the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced April 23. The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre has urged Manitobans to remove bird feeders and bird baths from their yards.

The Manitoba government urged the owners of small flocks of birds to keep them indoors during the high-risk period of wild bird migration. City council, on the advice of the Winnipeg Humane Society, dropped a proposed pilot project to let homeowners raise chickens in their backyards.

This is where the geese come in, literally. A heightened fear of avian flu is the unwelcome baggage geese bring to Winnipeg in their annual migratory return, many of them coming from the U.S., where this strain of flu has already killed more than 24 million chickens and turkeys.

Without natural predators in Winnipeg, and protected from humans by a federal law, the geese strut around town like its their free range. This unchecked influx has meant some neighbourhoods with grassy spaces and water  especially those near retention ponds  are populated by geese to a point where the homeowners regard it as an infestation.

It hasnt always been this way. Urban antagonism toward these birds is a marked change from the early 20th century, when extinction threatened. It must have been heartening to see the first few geese return to Winnipeg back then, but they have since reproduced at a prodigious rate.

An organization called Urban Goose Working Group estimates thousands of "resident" geese are in Winnipeg all summer, while between 50,000 and 120,000 geese alight in Winnipeg and surrounding areas at migratory times.

Perhaps concern about the spread of avian flu will be the tipping point that prompts the public to say enough is enough, and that geese dont belong in a city. Its understandable if people feel its time to rid Winnipeg of geese. But easier said than done.

Canada Geese are protected under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, which prevents killing, capturing, relocating or disturbing the geese or their feathers, nests or eggs.

The law allows certain exceptions, such as obtaining a permit to remove eggs. The University of Manitoba tried it in 2017, when it got the required permit and hired a contractor to destroy the nests and eggs on U of M property. Workers armed with bats and umbrellas arrived on campus to start cracking eggs, much to the alarm of geese-loving students, whose protests caused the university to stop the attempted cull.

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Other places have also tried noisemakers, scarecrows, chemical repellents, bird-chasing dogs such as border collies, and stretching netting over retention ponds.

These makeshift methods are, at best, short-term fixes. The long-term solution is to revoke the legal protection enjoyed by geese. The law was updated in 1994 to protect geese as an endangered species and it achieved its purpose, but its no longer needed.

If we do nothing, it will get much worse, as arithmetic shows. A female goose produces average clutch sizes of six goslings a year during a 12-year reproductive span.

Geese have had the run of the city long enough. The law should be updated to allow citizens humane ways to push these geese into the wilderness, where they belong.

carl.degurse@freepress.mb.ca

Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that influential intermediaries were involved in diplomatic channels regarding the release of Ukrainian servicemen from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

"We are also working on diplomatic options to save our military who still remain at Azovstal. Influential mediators are involved. Influential states, " Zelensky said in his video address Friday.

He also reported that the Ukrainian side continue to work on the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal with the mediation of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

"During the day, our team organized rescue for more than 40 civilians - women and children. We hope that soon they will be able to arrive in a safe area after two months of shelling, just underground - in shelters, " the president said.
If Winnipeg wants to stop using its rivers as toilets, including discharging raw sewage from wastewater treatment plants as it did last month, it has to fix its antiquated combined sewer system.

If Winnipeg wants to stop using its rivers as toilets, including discharging raw sewage from wastewater treatment plants as it did last month, it has to fix its antiquated combined sewer system.

To do so, the provincial and federal governments  who pretend to care about cleaning up rivers and lakes but dont act on it  have to step up and provide the funding. So far, they havent committed a dime.

Like many Canadian cities, older parts of Winnipeg are serviced by a "single pipe" sewer system that collects sewage and street runoff (rain, snowmelt, water main breaks, etc) and sends it to one of three treatment plants before its discharged into the river. Since the 1960s, newer developments were built with a two-pipe system where only sewage is sent to a treatment plant.

The problem with the single-pipe system is it cant handle even moderate amounts of precipitation. Almost every time it rains or when snow melts, combined sewers discharge diluted untreated sewage into the rivers before it reaches a treatment plant. It happened 1,071 times in 2020 from 76 outflows around the city (the most recent data available) and 1,299 times a year on average from 2013 to 2020.

Almost nine billion litres of diluted raw sewage flows into Winnipeg rivers a year, on average, through combined sewers.

However, thats not all.

During heavy rainfalls and snowmelt, the citys three wastewater treatment plants get overwhelmed and divert some untreated sewage into the river. Thats what happened in late April, when 1.6 billion L of partially treated sewage (equivalent to the size of 650 Olympic-size swimming pools) was discharged from the north end sewage treatment plant into the Red River, as the Free Press reported this week.

Sewage treatment plants arent built to handle maximum flows during wet weather events. When higher than normal runoff and sewage arrives at the plant (it doesnt take much), some of it is automatically diverted around the treatment process and discharged into the river.

It happens regularly, to varying degrees. That effluent is measured and tested daily. Monthly reports are sent to the province to ensure the City of Winnipeg complies with its licensing requirements.

Sewage spills occur in other ways, too, such as from pump failures or clogged pipes. However, the majority of untreated discharges occur from combined sewer overflows and from wastewater treatment plants.

There is a plan to expand capacity at treatment plants but it wont be enough to handle all future wet weather events. Ergo, the need to fix combined sewers: the less street runoff sent to treatment plants, the less raw sewage is discharged from those plants.

According to the citys 2020 combined sewer annual report, if the three levels of government each contribute $30 million a year, the target (capturing 85 per cent of combined sewer overflows) could be reached by 2045.

The problem is funding. While senior levels of government are helping pay for plant upgrades, they have committed no funding for combined sewers. The city, so far, is doing it on its own.

The province is demanding city hall fix its combined sewers by 2045, but its not willing to help pay for it.

According to the citys 2020 combined sewer annual report, if the three levels of government each contribute $30 million a year, the target (capturing 85 per cent of combined sewer overflows) could be reached by 2045. The total cost is estimated at $2.3 billion. If the city is the sole funder at $30 million a year, it would take until 2095 (the longer it takes, the more expensive it will be).

City hall has since increased its annual combined sewer budget to $45 million. However, without funding commitments from senior levels of government, the 2045 target wont be met.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS 1.6 billion litres of partially treated sewage was discharged into the Red River in one incident last month.

The only alternative is if the city comes up with $90 million a year on its own, something Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital)  a long-time proponent of replacing combined sewers  has been musing about. However, its unclear where that money would come from. It could mean further increases to sewer and water rates.

The question is: why arent the governing Tories, who desperately need Winnipeg votes in next years provincial election to remain in power, stepping up to fund their share?

And where are Liberal Winnipeg MPs such as Terry Duguid and Dan Vandal (both former city councillors) on this? Why arent they going to bat for Winnipeg?

Until they do, Winnipeg will keep treating its waterways like toilets for decades to come.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  A Manitoba senator is accusing his Red Chamber peers of using COVID-19 as an excuse to not show up for work, after the Conservatives were outvoted in their bid to end hybrid sittings.

OTTAWA  A Manitoba senator is accusing his Red Chamber peers of using COVID-19 as an excuse to not show up for work, after the Conservatives were outvoted in their bid to end hybrid sittings.

"Everybodys moving along, but in federal buildings, no. It just makes no sense," Sen. Don Plett, Conservative leader in the Senate, told the Free Press.

"What makes us that much more important than the rest of the country?"

The Conservatives had been pushing for weeks to have the Red Chamber end its virtual sittings, in which senators can speak in the chamber or at committees through a video link. Under that system, there have been fewer sitting hours and committee meetings.

The Tories argue its a bad trade-off, particularly when Ottawa has low case counts and Ontario has lifted almost all workplace restrictions.

That was a non-starter for senators appointed by Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who sit in various groups but arent officially linked to a party.

"This chamber and people on all sides of it, in the context of hybrid sittings, have given of their best," Ontario Sen. Tony Dean said in the chamber.

"Suggestions to the contrary were, frankly, deeply offensive to many of us in this room," said Dean, arguing his colleagues have been busy at work and saved taxpayers on flights.

Pletts team tried to find a compromise this week, proposing the Public Health Agency of Canada outline what in-person meetings are safe, and have the Senate law clerk compare those pointers and Ontario and Quebec rules with the capacity and spacing of the Senate chamber and committee rooms.

Senators voted against that proposal, arguing COVID-19 is still spreading in communities across Canada.

Plett found that stance excessive when senators are vaccinated and wear a mask on planes and taxis.

"Ottawas the safest place in the world to go to," he claimed. "Its much more dangerous staying in my home province."

Senators have instead opted to extend the virtual sittings until the summer break starts in June, just days after the Commons passed a motion that allows the Liberals to curtail House sittings.

"It is the most undemocratic motion that this dictatorship, this regime has brought in seven years that we have been suffering with their leadership," Plett said.

Keeping the hybrid option was the best compromise for a chamber with diverse views on safety, said Sen. Marc Gold, who represents the government in the Senate.

"Im not being ideological about this. It makes sense at this juncture, to consider the importance of not disenfranchising senators," Gold said last week. "

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An Ontario senator died in November from COVID-19: Josee Forest-Niesing, 56, had an autoimmune condition that weakened her lungs for more than a decade.

Plett said he misses Forest-Niesing, a good friend, and said it was "a low blow" when Dean brought up her death in the debate over virtual sittings.

"The world has opened up, and the Senate of Canada has not," he said, arguing federal buildings are also being overly cautious.

At the Service Canada centre in Steinbach, Plett said he was baffled to face numerous vaccination and health questions, distancing, masking and staff "completely encased" in plexiglass.

He went to a grocery store afterward, and said nobody seemed to be wearing a mask, save for a few cashiers.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
As Miller Ingenuity gets ready to celebrate 75 years, the company continues to improve not only railroads across the country but also maintains a large presence in Winona.

Founded in 1947, Miller Ingenuity creates devices aimed at helping to improve safety on railroads, specifically for workers who are on the rails. While that is its top priority, the company also has a hand in the parts that make up a locomotive, building much of the inner workings of locomotives.

The first invention of the company came at the hands of its founder, Rudy Miller, who was able to manufacture the wick lubricator, which lubricates the axels of railroad cars and is still in use today. Since the lubricator, the company has continued to manufacture many different parts and products, including its latest product, ZoneGuard.

ZoneGuard is placed on railroad tracks to help workers know when there is an incoming train. The product utilizes a camera, multiple sensors and an apparatus that the workers wear that will give them a signal when the system detects a train will be incoming.

For company president Steve Blue, ZoneGuard is a product that the industry needed to have long ago with the dangerous work that happens on the rails.

(ZoneGuard) saves lives of track workers, Blue said. A lot of them get killed every year because that train comes on and they dont know until its too late. Even though the railroad has all kinds of operating rules of the train is not supposed to be there, it ends up being there.

The company also recently announced a partnership with Railworks, a railroad company that serves just about every aspect possible on the tracks, which Blue called a big deal for us.

Thatll be a game-changer for ZoneGuard because they have so much more reach than I do, Blue said. Theyre a huge company. Theyre all over North America. And they can get into places that I couldnt afford to get into; I wouldnt be able to have the relationships.

Blue also emphasized that not only will the network that ZoneGuard will be available to be wider, but that the product can keep even more workers safe.

Ive been on many tracks in my career, and I can tell you that a 45 mile an hour locomotive coming up behind you, believe it or not, youll never hear it until its too late, Blue said.

But as it was with every industry during the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic altered the railroad industry. For Miller Ingenuity, sales dropped about 25% through the first year of the pandemic, Blue said.

However, Blue stated that the company came out of the pandemic stronger than how it went in largely due to keeping a close eye on its balance sheet and keeping it strong  which was a key factor in Blue not having to do any layoffs.

I didnt do that for two reasons. One, I just didnt think it was right. If were still if were still making money, why lay people off just because we werent making as much money? Blue said. And secondly, I knew at some point in time, I want to get them back.

Another important thing for Blue, and something that he is proud of, is that the employees buy into the culture that he wanted to create.

We have a culture here and we have a set of values that all of our employees believe in, Blue said. Were really, really big into culture and employee involvement.

One of the unique things that Miller Ingenuity has as far as employee involvement is that when conducting an interview, the team that the interviewee would be working with conducts the interview and makes the final decision on if the interviewee is brought into the company.

Another innovation Blue put into the company is a space for employees called the Creation Station. The Creation Station is a spot where employees can go to brainstorm ideas and collaborate with their colleagues. Its also the spot, Blue says, where ZoneGuard was born.

Its basically what I call a Google-like campus in a factory, Blue said. Our employees are free to go back there anytime they want and just brainstorm noodle about stuff, solve problems and create opportunities.

One of the things that Blue is particularly proud of is the level of involvement that his employees have in the community. Many of his employees have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and have held positions on boards of various organizations in Winona including Winona Community Foundation, the American Red Cross and Ready Set School.

I think we should pay back where we earn we are in our keeping this community so therefore we ought to contribute to it and youll see our fingerprints everywhere in town, Blue said.

Blue also added that Winona is a very business-friendly environment where businesses are valued immensely.

As for the 75th anniversary celebration, Miller Ingenuity will be holding two separate events, one for employees and one by invitation.

The employee event will be a day for the employees to celebrate themselves, something Blue felt was very important to do, and will be doing 75 hours of community service in the morning with a tour boat on the river to follow in the afternoon.

The second event will include guided tours of the factory to show the evolution of the factory over the past 75 years, with proclamations being made by Winona Mayor Scott Sherman and Winona city councilman George Borzyskowski.

To learn more about Miller Ingenuity, visit https://www.milleringenuity.com/.

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A classroom full of fourth grade students at Rio Elementary School have spent the past seven months forming a bond with a dairy calf through a national agriculture program.

Discover Dairys Adopt-a-Cow program has allowed kids across the country for the past few years to head out to pasture without leaving their classrooms. The program connects classrooms, 4H groups, and other K-12 groups with farmers in their state, allowing them to adopt calves on the farm.

Throughout the school year, the farmers will send photos and updates on the calves, discussing what theyre eating, where theyre living, and how theyre taken care of. When fourth grade Rio teacher Lori Bongert heard about the program, she said she knew right away that she wanted her students to be part of it.

Im always trying to get more agriculture into my lessons and make sure my students are understanding the value of farms and agriculture, said Bongert.

This is Bongerts second year in the program, and her students have gotten to know a calf named Dulce that lives on a farm in Lancaster. Having grown up on a pig farm herself, Bongert said shes learned just as much from Dulce as her students, adding her and her farm home into lesson plans.

Im understanding the connections with the farms, I can tie it into geography and our Wisconsin studies, she said. Im connecting it to our literature and our math with the different acreage and bushels.

With the pandemic canceling so many field trips and class outings over the past few years, Bongert added that learning about Dulce has been an amazing way to keep the kids engaged in lessons. The year-long aspect of the program, she said, helps to develop a bond the kids wouldnt have necessarily gotten from a simple farm field trip or animal visit.

Its almost like having a pet, said Bongert. We talk about our calf like shes someone we know.

Discover Dairy is a lesson series based in Pennsylvania, with a mission to incorporate different aspects of dairy farming into classroom lesson plans.

Originally, the Adopt-a-Cow program only featured Pennsylvania calves. A little over two years ago, though, they decided to extend the program to groups of farmers from different states, allowing participating classrooms to be matched with calves closer to them.

Bongerts class, for example, was matched with Dulce by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

Our goal is trying to have our schools and our students be able to know about their local dairy farmers, said Karen Doster, the director of youth and schools programs for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

Since partnering with Discover Dairy, the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin have really beefed up the programs numbers in the state according to Doster, who cited a 54% increase in the number of students now involved in Adopt-a-Cow.

This means more to the schools and the students if their calf is actually a calf that lives maybe near where they are, said Doster. Weve had a really good couple years.

Currently, over 43,000 students in over 1,700 Wisconsin groups are part of the program. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin have three farms participating in the program, with around 10 calves adopted between the student groups, according to Doster.

Due to the limited number of calves available, participating groups do have to share their calves. For the calves, this means a lot of attention, mainly in the form of letters sent by students.

While the students gain more knowledge about agriculture and where their food comes from, Doster said the farmers themselves benefit from the program just as much.

For the dairy farmers that are involved, this is the perfect platform for them to share their story, said Doster. Its a two-way process.

The program typically ends with a video call, in which the farmers can show the students around the farm, allowing them to interact virtually with their calves.

In the case of Bongerts fourth-graders, the call offered even more lessons, particularly in terms of the milking stations.

They were just blown away by all of the technology, said Bongert. We get to feel like were almost there.

The Adopt-a-Cow program began taking applications for next years calf adoptions on May 1, and will continue through September 15. The program is completely free, with more information available at Discover Dairys website, discoverdairy.com/adopt-a-cow.

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Fifty women, children and the elderly have been rescued from Azovstal today, but it was not possible to pick up Mariupol residents on the way back near Port City because of the enemy's violation of the ceasefire, the evacuation will continue tomorrow, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Reintegration of the Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereschuk.

"Today we were evacuating civilians from Azovstal. On the way back we were supposed to pick up people at Port City. Unfortunately, we didn't make it in time. Because the whole day the convoy was forced to stand at Azovstal. Fighting and other provocations took place there. The enemy constantly violated the ceasefire. Therefore, the evacuation was very slow. However, today we managed to get 50 women, children and elderly people out of Azovstal," Vereschuk wrote on her Telegram channel.

She also reported that tomorrow morning the evacuation operation would continue, Mariupol residents are asked to gather at 17:00 near Port City.

"If everything goes according to plan, at 17:00 there will be buses at Port City that will take people to Bezimenne. People from Port City will join our column from Azovstal, which will go to Zaporizhia the next day. I sincerely apologize to the people of Mariupol who waited in vain for the evacuation buses today. Tomorrow we should be able to make it. We gather near Port City at 17:00 ," stressed the Minister.
BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua)  China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has released a list of the six most-wanted fugitives for their involvement in major crimes of abduction and trafficking of women and children.

Police have encouraged the public to provide tip-offs, promising protection and rewards to those who provide useful information.

The list was released amid intensified efforts by the Chinese government to protect women and children. The MPS launched a 10-month nationwide operation, starting from March 1, to crack down on the abduction and trafficking of women and children to better protect these groups.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua)  The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee convened a meeting on Thursday to analyze the new development of COVID-19 and arrange key measures for better and more rigorous epidemic control. General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the meeting and delivered an important speech.

It was noted at the meeting that since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have always put the people and their lives first and worked hard to prevent both inbound cases and domestic resurgences. We have upheld a dynamic zero-COVID policy and kept adjusting epidemic prevention and control measures in light of new developments. Through such efforts, we have achieved major strategic progress.

Since March this year, with concerted efforts nationwide, we have withstood the most challenging COVID-19 control test since the anti-epidemic battle of Wuhan in early 2020 and attained major achievements. Practice has proven that our epidemic control strategy is decided by the Party's nature and mission, that our policies can stand the test of time, and that our measures are science-based and effective. We won the battle of Wuhan and will surely win the one in Shanghai.

The global COVID-19 pandemic situation is still severe, the virus has been constantly mutating, and the development of the pandemic is still full of uncertainties, meaning we still have a very long way to go before we can relax our efforts, according to the meeting. As a populous country with a huge number of senior citizens, unbalanced development between different regions, and insufficient medical resources, China will definitely see a wide range of infections if we ease up on epidemic prevention and control, which will cause a huge amount of severe cases and deaths, severely threatening social and economic development as well as the people's health and safety. We should have a profound, complete, and comprehensive understanding of the prevention and control policies of the CPC Central Committee, and address deficiencies in understanding, preparation, and practical work. We must never underestimate the situation, take a carefree attitude, or make arbitrary decisions regarding COVID-19 control. Rather we must be sober-minded, unswervingly adhere to the dynamic zero-COVID policy, and combat any rhetoric and actions that distort, doubt, or deny our country's anti-epidemic policies.

Victory comes from perseverance, the meeting noted. Currently, we are at a critical juncture which is like sailing against the current: you either forge ahead or drift downstream. Party committees and governments at all levels should bolster confidence, be keenly aware of the complex and onerous nature of the fight against COVID-19, and fully implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee. Maintaining our fighting spirit, we will build up firm shields against the epidemic, consolidate the achievements we have made in our epidemic response, and rise to every occasion to fulfill our responsibilities.

It was emphasized at the meeting that regional outbreaks must be dealt with in a timely manner. All those who should be tested, quarantined, placed under medical observation and treated must be handled accordingly. Important links involving nucleic acid tests, epidemiological investigations, quarantines, the transferring of patients, and community-level containment measures must be well coordinated so that the infected and their contacts can be identified as soon as possible.

We must further improve our prevention and control capacity, and strengthen coordinated regional prevention and control measures and overall planning at the provincial level. We must secure sufficient manpower and materials for epidemic response. We must timely refine prevention and control measures, strengthen the research and prevention efforts on virus mutations, and never take any measures in an oversimplified or one-size-fits-all fashion. Enough efforts must be made at the same time to guarantee people's basic needs and the supply of daily necessities, and ensure medical services are provided where they are needed.

It was stressed at the meeting that routine prevention and control measures must be strictly implemented, inbound cases must be controlled by strictly screening people, goods and surroundings, and related sectors and departments must be held accountable for their responsibilities. Support from the people makes a difference to our response to the epidemic, and we must make sure that they are well informed, and timely respond to their concerns. We should make sure the general public have a strong sense of responsibility, enhance awareness for self-protection, and consciously assume responsibilities and obligations for epidemic prevention and control. Daily preventive measures for individuals and households must be implemented, and vaccination be strengthened to forge a strong defense line against the virus.

It was stressed at the meeting that Party committees and governments at all levels, and all sectors must align their thinking and action with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee to ensure they remain on the same page as the CPC Central Committee ideologically, politically, and practically. They should never let down their guard, get beaten by frustrations, leave things to chance, or slacken their efforts, but rather should mobilize all people and make overall arrangements, and lose no time in carrying out all prevention and control work in a solid and meticulous manner. Party organizations at all levels, Party members, and officials should charge to the frontline and work with tenacity, playing a primary and exemplary role. Exemplary individuals and their deeds that emerged during the fight against COVID-19 should be publicized in order to encourage all officials and people to stay confident, stand united, and work together in the fight against the epidemic.

Other matters were also discussed at the meeting.

(Source: Xinhua)
Weather Alert

...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...South winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph expected. * WHERE...Southwest Indiana, southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...Until 6 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Strong winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Boaters on area lakes should use extra caution since strong winds and rough waves can overturn small craft. &&
Free events to support North Wales landlords ahead of landmark rental law changes

An award winning estate agent will hold free events to support landlords and tenants ahead of a landmark transformation in Welsh rental laws.

Williams Estates is to host drop-in sessions and advice clinics at its offices in Mold, Ruthin, Rhyl, Denbigh, Prestatyn and Rhuddlan in the run up to July 15, when The Renting Homes Act 2016 is set to be introduced across the country.

The Act has been branded the biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades and includes updates to current laws; among them is an increase in the notice landlords must give when issuing no-fault evictions and protection for tenants from no-fault evictions for a minimum of 12 months after signing a contract.

Managing Director Jason Williams and the team  named Best Lettings Agency in Denbighshire at The British Property Awards for 2021/22  are on hand to help all parties as the changes will mark a watershed moment for the sector.

The Act has been in the pipeline for some time so the announcement it will finally take place this summer will have a huge impact on landlords and tenants, said Jason.

It will in many ways make the process a lot simpler but in the short term there will be a lot of questions around liability, insurance, legalities and other issues so we are going to hold free advice and information sessions across all our North Wales offices to try and help people as much as we can.

Whether you are a customer of Williams Estates or not, our award-winning, experienced staff will be on hand to share their expertise at what is a watershed moment for the housing industry.

From July 15, all landlords will be required to provide a written copy of the occupation contract to the tenant, setting out the rights and responsibilities of both parties; there will be a strengthened duty on landlords to ensure the property is fit for human habitation, including the installation of smoke alarms and regular electrical safety testing, and the introduction of a consistent approach to eviction where antisocial behaviour and domestic violence occurs.

Welsh Government Climate Change Minister Julie James admitted the Act has taken longer than expected to implement but says it will have a positive effect for years to come.

She added: This Act represents the biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades and will make it simpler and easier to rent a home, replacing various, complex pieces of existing legislation and case law with one clear legal framework.

When in place, contract-holders in Wales will have greater security of tenure than in any other part of the UK.

For more information on the free information clinics, visit the Williams Estates website www.williamsestates.com and follow Williams Estates on social media @williamsestates.
North Wales Business School unveils new courses to help meet industry demand

Cambria Business School unveiled a raft of innovative new funded courses to meet industry demand.

The Coronavirus pandemic has transformed the way the private sector operates, including flexible working hours and conditions, sustainable, green initiatives, and future proofing.

The Northop-based Business School  part of Coleg Cambria  has designed professional programmes (funding subject to eligibility) in partnership with leading organisations such as IOSH, NEBOSH, the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), CIPD, Prince2, Highfield, and the ILM (Institute of Learning and Management).

Among them are qualifications on the themes of People Management, Organisational Learning and Development, Leadership and Management, Project Management, Effective Mentoring Skills, and Professional Digital Marketing, with a variety of grant-funded and free and flexible options (subject to eligibility) as part of the Personal Learning Account (PLA) scheme.

Jane Keys, Assistant Principal for Employer Engagement, said: To meet the demands of industry in 2022 and beyond, and in collaboration with our partners in the private and public sector, we have designed a wide range of courses across multiple sectors.

We also tailor qualifications specifically to the needs of an employer, should they want to upskill their workforce for CPD, and forward planning, in light of the challenges all organisations have faced since the onset of Covid-19.

Jane added: An example of this is our new Level 4 and Level 5 Remote Management programme, to support company owners, senior leaders and HR employees managing a remote or hybrid workforce due to the pandemic.

For some there are still obstacles to communicating virtually and trying to implement strategies, deal with everyday HR issues and measure productivity  its been very testing for them.

Thats why, given demand and the feedback weve received from across different industries, we decided to create a bespoke programme that will cover many of these themes, which can be adapted for a variety of areas.

Another new and topical suite of courses cover mental health awareness, led by Mental Health and Wellbeing lecturer Caroline McDermott.

She said: We have had interest from North Wales and further afield given the innovative and advanced content we will be delivering.

Our partnership with the awarding bodies Highfield, IOSH and NEBOSH are a particular USP and attracting managers wanting to enrol day or night, which we can accommodate given the demand.

And the topics are across changes in the workplace to ensure the wellbeing of employees and those with specific mental health conditions.

Jane added: Whatever the subject, we work in partnership with industry to ensure our learners are at the forefront of advances in their sector.

And with many of these courses supported by grant funding it gives employees and employers peace of mind when looking to develop their skills for the future.

For more information, email employers@cambria.ac.uk or call 0300 30 30 006.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for more news and information from Coleg Cambria.

To find out if you are eligible for PLA (Personal Learning Account) courses and a full list of those available via Welsh Government funding, email pla@cambria.ac.uk.
U.S. President Joseph Biden has announced another $150 million security aid package that would provide Ukraine with additional artillery ammunition, radars and other equipment.

"Today, the U.S. is continuing our strong support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country. I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine, " he said on Twitter Friday evening.

According to a memorandum released by the U.S. administration, the equivalent of $150 million in aid to Ukraine would include defense goods and services, military training and education.

Biden's statement on the White House website also indicates that funds to send aid to Ukraine are almost gone and that swift congressional approval of the funding is required.

"With todays announcement, my Administration has nearly exhausted funding that can be used to send security assistance through drawdown authorities for Ukraine. For Ukraine to succeed in this next phase of war its international partners, including the U.S., must continue to demonstrate our unity and our resolve to keep the weapons and ammunition flowing to Ukraine, without interruption. Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, " the message reads.

Last week, Biden called on Congress to allocate $33 billion for defense and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and to strengthen European defense. Of this amount, more than $20 billion is planned for weapons, ammunition and other military aid, as well as $8.5 billion for economic aid and $3 billion for humanitarian aid.

At the time, White House press secretary Jen Psaki commented that without this approval from Congress, President Biden could only increase military aid to Ukraine, which had then reached $3.5 billion, by $250 million.
This is the report delivered by Alex Lantier to the 2022 International May Day Online Rally held on May 1. Lantier is the national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party in France. To view all speeches, visit wsws.org/mayday.

Alex Lantier, National Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (Parti de l'Egalite Socialiste) in France



Dear comrades and friends,

I bring the fraternal greetings of the Socialist Equality Party of France to this international celebration of labour.

In France, as elsewhere, May Day celebrations take place in the shadow of the imperialist war waged by the NATO powers against Russia in Ukraine.

A class gulf separates the attitude of workers toward the war from that of the ruling class in France. There is no support for the reactionary invasion of Ukraine launched by the capitalist regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the brutal NATO offensive against Russia, and the threat of a nuclear escalation, worry the vast majority of the French population.

Stopping the NATO drive toward war will require the international mobilisation of the working class, in a renewed struggle for socialism.

The recent French presidential elections, held on April 24, showed that the fight against war cannot take place via the ballot box. Both candidates in the second round, the incumbent liberal Emmanuel Macron and the neo-fascist Marine Le Pen, sought to avoid any reference to the danger of a world war.

Le Pen sought to have everyone forget her hostility toward Islam and her support for Donald Trump by displaying sympathy toward Moscow. She hailed the discussions between Macron and Putin, and presented them as initiatives for peace. What a lie!

Macron has done no better than she. He acknowledged the enormous role played by Russia, and by the entire Soviet Union, in the defeat of the Nazi armies and the liberation of Europe from the Nazi yolk during World War II. Pretending that an enlightened Europe had learned from history, Macron invoked, against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the memory of the Nazi massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane in France, during the liberation.

But in reality, NATO does not want to free, but to subjugate the workers. Macron is aligned completely with Washington and NATO, who openly state their aim is to break the back of Russia. Biden told the business roundtable of the US employer association that the Pentagon brass predict 45 million-60 million deaths in wars to decide who will lead a new world order.

French imperialism hopes for its share of the bounty from a new re-division of the world. Paris is therefore delivering arms to the Ukrainian army and far-right militia groups who are killing Russian soldiers on behalf of NATO. Under the cover of Macrons liberal imagery, the French capitalist class is following a far-right foreign policy.

What is the emblem of the Azov Battalion, the neo-Nazi militia on the front lines of the war against Russia? It is the Wolfsangel, the symbol of the Nazi SS division Das Reich, which, having arrived in France from occupied Ukraine during WWII, committed the very massacre at Oradour.

The Azov Battalions choice of symbol, like Macrons silence, did not come about by chance. The Ukrainian far-rights model today is Stepan Bandera, the head of the Ukrainian collaboration with the Nazi occupiers in WWII. And in 2018, Macron revealed his own sympathies, while he was sending police to attack Yellow vest protesters who were mobilising against his anti-worker policies, by hailing the memory of French collaborationist dictator Philippe Petain.

In the presidential elections, the Socialist Equality Party called for workers to fight for an active boycott of the vote. The SEP rejected the argument of the lesser evil, which falsely presented Macron as an alternative to the far right. The SEP insisted that only by rejecting a fraudulent choice between two far-right candidates could workers be prepared for the necessary struggle against the next president.

The SEPs intervention in the election revealed once again the importance of the defence of Trotskyism by the International Committee of the Fourth International. Rejecting the nationalist theory of Socialism in one country of Stalin, as well as the national manoeuvres of the French Stalinist apparatus, the SEP has put forward a socialist and internationalist line against war and the danger of fascist dictatorship.

In the first round of the presidential elections on April 10, 22 percent of voters sought to express their opposition from the left by voting for Jean-Luc Melenchon. Finishing just behind the 23 percent of Le Pen, Melenchon was indeed eliminated from the race. But his vote, concentrated in the youth and the workers suburbs of major cities, placed Melenchon and his party, Unsubmissive France, in a powerful position.

The PES proposed an active policy of struggle for the working class. Melenchon could have called on his voters to strike and to protest against war and against the second round of Macron-Le Pen. Such a movement in the workers districts of major French cities could have not only brought the French economy to a halt, but rallied workers internationally in a fight against war. But Melenchon reacted by demobilising his own supporters. He called for an Unsubmissive France vote in the June legislative elections, promising to serve as prime minister, whether under a President Macron or President Le Pen.

This was a sign that the Stalinist and Social-Democratic milieu based around the leadership of Unsubmissive France could very well accommodate itself to a neo-fascist regime in France, which would wage war against Russia.

Indeed, before the presidential elections, all the petty-bourgeois apparatuses that during the 20th century dominated the left and the workers movement in France, by putting forward their friendship with the Stalinist bureaucracy, had all turned against Russia. The Stalinist union apparatus, the General Federation of Labour; the Pabloite New Anti-capitalist Party; as well as Melenchon himself expressed their sympathy towards NATO against Russia in Ukraine.

Melenchons declaration that he would serve as prime minister under whoever may be the president of France, like the alignment of the old pro-Stalinist apparatuses with NATO against Russia, all of this constitutes a warning. The middle-class political descendants of the Stalinist opponents of Trotskyism are moving sharply toward the right.

The SEP, however, has full confidence in the revolutionary capacities of the French and international working class. A class gulf separates workers from the diverse political formations of the pseudo-left. The working class, armed with a political perspective and the traditions of the Russian Revolution of October 1917, will be able to fight and achieve victory against capitalism and war, and thus construct a new socialist order.
Thursdays local elections saw Boris Johnsons Conservative government lose hundreds of council seats as expected. But the real disaster was the Labour Partys total failure to muster significant popular support out of this sea of opposition to Johnson and the Tories, such is the hostility to Sir Keir Starmers equally right-wing party.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer visits Barnet after his party won the London borough in the local elections (Credit: KeirStarmer/Twitter)

Councils were contested across the UK, including in most major cities. By the end of counting Friday evening, the Tories had lost 397 council seats across England, Wales and Scotland and Labour had picked up just 252. The Liberal Democrats gained 189, won mainly at the expense of the Tory Party in the South of England. The Green Party gained 81, taking from both the Tories and Labour.

This translated into an additional eight councils won for Labour, 12 lost for the Tories and five more won for the Liberal Democrats.

In Walesa Labour strongholdthe party gained 62 new councillors and two councils. It lost control of Neath Port Talbot council as the nationalist Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) gained seats there. Most of Labours gains in Wales were at the expense of the Tories. The Conservatives lost 67 councillors and lost control of the only council they controlled, Monmouthshire. While Labour became the largest party, their total in Monmouthshire of 22 seats was two short of a majority. Plaid Cymru lost three seats overall but took control of three more authorities in the processAnglesey, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. The Greens won eight seats in Wales, their best ever result.

In Scotland, while Labour became the second largest party at the expense of the Tories, the Scottish National Party (SNP) easily maintained its position as the largest party in local government. Across Scotlands 32 councils, the SNP increased its total number of councillors by 22. Labour gained 20 seats and one council, but finished 13 percentage points behind the SNP in the vote share.

Elections were also held to the Northern Ireland Assembly, where results so far suggest Sinn Fein will be the largest party. This would be the first time an Irish nationalist party has held the most seats in the parliament, allowing them to select the First Minister, and would likely produce a political crisis. The rival Democratic Unionist Party has already signalled its intention to refuse to nominate a Deputy First Minister if Sinn Fein win. If one is not in place after six months, the administration collapses.

According to a projected national share of the British vote released by the BBC on Friday afternoon, Labours share was 35 percent, the Conservatives 30 percent, and Liberal Democrats 19 percent.

Whatever spin is put on it, the results are an indictment of Labour who made the minimum gains possible under the circumstances. Starmers declared campaign to rescue the party from former leader Jeremy Corbyns electoral disaster in 2019which he and his fellow Blairites were as much responsible for as Corbynhas been a dismal failure.

Labour was up against a prime minister who has overseen the mass murder of almost 200,000 people in the pandemic at the head of an austerity imposing Tory party in power for 12 years; and now overseeing a price surge making life literally unaffordable for the working class. Prior to the election, the Labour supporting Mirror predicted that the Tories would lose up to 800 seats, sending the Tory Party into meltdown and leading to the possible resignation of the widely hated Johnson. Others like the Guardian suggested Tory losses of over 500 seats.

In the event, Johnson was able to brush off a mixed set of results and comment, We had a tough night in some parts of the country but on the other hand in other parts of the country you are still seeing Conservatives going forward and making quite remarkable gains in places that havent voted Conservative for a long time, if ever ...

According to a Sky News projection, based on local election results from 1,700 wards and an analysis of the change in vote share since 2018 across 87 local authorities, Labour would fail to win the next general election set for 2024. It projected a hung parliament with the Tories on 278 seatsseven more than Labour on 271.

In the so-called Red Wall of historically Labour strongholds in the north of England, Starmers party flopped entirely. In the 2019 general election, the Tories took many of these constituencieswhose working-class areas had been long abandoned by Labourfor the first time in decades, if not ever. There were no signs of this rot being reversed. In Hull, after being in power for a decade, Labour lost control of the council to the Liberal Democrats. Hull was one of the ports hit by the recent mass firing of 800 P&O ferry workers, which Labour and the trade unions did nothing to fight.

Where the Tories suffered heavy losses, Labour was far from harnessing or monopolising the opposition. Most workers simply voted with their feet and did not turn up to the polls. As for those who did cast a ballot, the Liberal Democrats and Greens between them gained more seats than Labour. The further lurch to the right under Starmer has been so extreme that these parties picked up many voters, predominantly from the middle class, repulsed by the reactionary stench of both the main parties.

Since being handed the reins by Corbyn in April 2020, with both professing that they would offer Johnson only constructive criticism during the pandemic, Starmer has moved ruthlessly to purge the party of any connection even with his predecessors watered down left policies.

The Labour leader has launched an extended audition for the role of British imperialisms chief warmonger and the support of the City of Londons financial oligarchy. Starmer declared Labour is the party of NATO and assured the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) last November, As I said in my speech at Labour Party conference: Labour is back in business Labour is also the party of business.

The first fruits of his efforts were summed up by victories in Westminster council, held by the Conservatives since 1964, and Wandsworth council, in Tory hands since 1978the year before Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came to office. Wandsworth was the Tory flagship council, reputed to be Thatchers favourite, such was its commitment to her privatising, free market agenda.

Starmer pointedly chose to celebrate a stronger performance for Labour in London with a televised visit to newly won Barnet, where false accusations of Labour anti-Semitism have played a major role due to its high concentration of Jewish votes. He declared that his party had won there as a result of this rotten right-wing witch-hunt, which has seen Corbyn expelled from the Parliamentary Labour Party and countless others from the party altogether.

Even then, Labour group leader Barry Rawlings had to acknowledge of the partys victory: Ill be honest, its not us being wonderful. I think a lot of Conservatives havent voted this time, I think they feel alienated from No 10 theyve been disappointed with Boris Johnson.

Two other London councilsCroydon and Tower Hamletswill not declare results until Saturday morning and Saturday evening respectively. Labour is threatened with the loss of Croydon after declaring bankruptcy due to years of financial skulduggery, including the sell-off of public assets.

Financial Times columnist Camilla Cavendish delivered a blunt assessment: If Starmer cant enthuse voters now, he might never beat Johnson. She writes, The local elections, which Conservatives had feared would represent a huge backlash against the prime minister, have turned out to be just as much a verdict on Labour. Boris Johnson will be quietly concluding he is safeand Keir Starmer still has a very long way to go if he wants to win the next election.

The results confirmed that the working class had no dog in the fight in these elections being fought out by the near identical parties of big businesswith Labour, if anything, more committed to a programme of austerity and war than the criminals occupying Downing Street. The only way forward for the working class is the rebuilding of a mass socialist movement through the construction of its own party, the Socialist Equality Party.
The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke with a single mother in South Auckland, as part of the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, about the growing pressure she faces to send her two primary school aged children back to school, while the pandemic rages out of control.

COVID-19 has spread like wildfire across New Zealand, which has just experienced its deadliest month of the pandemic, so far. Deaths with COVID have shot up from 59 at the end of last year to more than 845 as of May 5. At least one in five people have been infected, and hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients.

New Zealand has officially recorded nearly 1 million COVID cases. The vast majority were since March 2022. (Source: Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0)

This disaster is the direct result of the Labour Party-led governments decision last October to abandon its previous elimination policy, which used lockdowns and border quarantine to reduce cases to zero. At the behest of big business and the financial elite, these measures were scrapped, and schools and businesses were reopened with the assistance of the trade unions.

The parent, who we will call Jennifer, is aged in her forties and suffers from asthma. She fears that her children could contract COVID and spread it to her. She pointed out that the Ministry of Health website lists chronic lung or airways disease (which includes asthma) among the conditions placing people at higher risk of more severe illness if they contract COVID-19. Jennifer said the ministry also gives advice for the vulnerable groups, and the number one piece of advice is: avoid getting COVID.

Despite the government telling people to take responsibility for their own safety, the Ministry of Education and school administrators are pushing parents to send their children back into unsafe classrooms. The government has announced a crackdown on truancy, with $88 million to be dedicated to addressing the issue in this years budget.

Jennifer said she had repeatedly tried to arrange for her childrens school to send learning materials so that they could study at home, but it has refused to do so. At the start of Term 2 in May, she emailed the school again asking for the learning packs. The principal replied, saying that the children should be attending in person and that the school had asked the Ministry of Education to have a discussion about this with Jennifer. She is still waiting for the ministry to call her.

Is it okay for them to force me to put myself at medical risk because of truancy issues? Jennifer asked. Is it not okay for me to want learning packs so I can instruct my children at home where I know we are safe? I am their only caregiver. If I die, then what? Is the principal going to adopt them? Getting COVID is not a risk or a hardship I am willing to go through for me or my children.

She questioned what the ministry could say to justify sending her children back to school. Theyre not going to change my mind about having the vulnerability and school not being safe, and remote learning. They cant change my mind about having asthma and needing to avoid COVID. What do they think theyre going to change?

Jennifer explained: The government has dismantled all of our COVID regulations. So the only logical thing for me and people with other vulnerabilities to do is to go further away from the public. Were not given other options.

After schools reopened nationwide in February, the highly infectious Omicron variant spread rapidly across New Zealand. South Auckland, a working-class area, is one of the worst-affected parts of the country, with Middlemore Hospital frequently overwhelmed with patients.

Manurewa High School principal, Pete Jones, told One News that in the first term of 2022, attendance dropped to just 35 percent because we had so many COVID cases in the community. Nationwide, the Principals Federation says 67 percent of students are attending school regularly, which is defined as more than 90 percent of the time.

Jennifer said those children not attending school probably lived with vulnerable family members, like herself.

Contrary to repeated false statements by politicians and the media, children face significant risks from COVID. On May 4, the Ministry of Health reported the death of a child aged under 10 and a person aged in their teens who had the virus. Jennifer pointed out that vaccines did not make people invincible and that everything is uncertain and still being researched. Long COVID is still being researched. How can we put our kids in harms way without having any complete research about it?

On April 13, the government lifted a mask mandate which covered most, but not all, school students. The removal of the mandate was opposed by experts, who have also criticised the lack of ventilation in schools. Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero is also calling for masks to be reintroduced in schools.

Many children are unvaccinated, or not fully vaccinated, making schools ideal for spreading the virus. Vaccine mandates for school staff have also been removed.

Jennifer said the real issue was that schools should not be open in the first place. When the schools enrolment administrator called me, they said: We have masks and we keep kids far apart in the classroom. I said: Well, my son wont wear a mask for more than two minutes. He just wont. Teachers, who are stressed and overworked, are not in a position to enforce proper mask use, particularly with younger children.

As a recent immigrant from the United States, who came to New Zealand to study, Jennifer said she was shocked by the about-face in the Labour governments management of the pandemic, and by the complacency that is now being encouraged.

I had to go and get my booster shot at the pharmacy and everyone was walking around like normal, lining up next to each other, nobody wearing a mask, she said. I think another thing people keep forgetting about COVID is you dont just recover like the flu. Some people become permanently disabledif you dont die from it.

Jennifer told the WSWS that one of her childhood friends had died of COVID last year in the US, aged in his thirties. We grew up together as kids in the 90s, played video games together, went to school together and got into trouble together. Now hes dead.

She felt very disappointed that New Zealand had adopted the every man for himself approach from the United States. I would relate that to the Republican [Party] ideal, which is really sad, because Labour is supposed to be left of centre, I thought.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the October 4, 2021 press conference announcing that the government will begin to move away from its previous elimination policy for COVID-19. (Source: Jacinda Ardern Facebook page) [Photo / CC BY 4.0

When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the end of the zero COVID policy, during New Zealands outbreak of Delta last year, Jennifer said my heart sank immediately, even though she had seen it coming. They couldnt keep it up forever, I could tell that they were breaking just by the way they were reporting [on the cases]. I knew that because of what other countries were doing that they were going to do it too. For some reason, New Zealand likes to copy Australia, and Australia copies America: its a bad domino line.

In the lead-up to the change of policy in October, former Prime Minister John Key, and numerous pro-business commentators, had demanded that New Zealand reopen its border and live with the virus, saying the elimination policy had turned the country into a hermit kingdom.

Commenting on this propaganda, Jennifer said: The way I feel about it is: So what if were a hermit kingdom, if its going to keep people safe? Im from a place where we have a lot of tornadoes, and during a tornado you take shelter. When the tornado is gone, you come out of the shelter. You dont come out of the shelter in the middle of a tornado.

She said New Zealands public health response was going backwards and it just doesnt make any sense. It seems like every time they have the opportunity to listen to actual microbiologists or epidemiologists about what should be happening, [the government] completely ignores the experts advice.
Amazon worker (Amazon)

On April 29, Amazon announced to its nearly 1.3 million employees in the United States that the company would end COVID-19 case reporting and would return to pre-pandemic sick leave policies.

A text message sent to employees on Amazons company app declares that it will no longer send site-wide notifications of positive cases in our facilities, unless required by law. This is in keeping with state governments across the country who have also begun dropping measures to reduce or end their own COVID-19 reporting.

The sustained easing of the pandemic, ongoing availability of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, and updated guidance from public health authorities, all signal we can continue to safely adjust to our pre-COVID policies, the notice informs workers. Finally, the memo added that Amazon was returning to standard sick leave policies which include up to 5 days of excused, unpaid time off for a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis (emphasis added).

Amazon will also no longer provide dedicated time off for workers awaiting a test result following an exposure. Instead, accrued time may be used for a COVID-19-related absence. The message hypocritically urges everyone to continue taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.

Amazons justifications for the removal of remaining COVID-19 protections are false. The pandemic is not easing. According to the New York Times COVID-19 tracker, the United States counted 105,215 cases on Thursday, and the daily average of cases has risen to 67,953, up more than 59 percent over the past 14 days.

Hospitalizations are up 19 percent, despite recent efforts by the Biden administration to reduce COVID-19 hospitalization counts.

As for the claim that vaccines and treatments are widely available, the White House has stated that it does not have adequate resources to purchase enough booster vaccine doses for all Americans, if additional doses are needed. The majority of the American population has not received a booster shot, and potentially lifesaving anti-viral treatments remain difficult to acquire in many areas.

Amazons reduction of COVID-19 protections is the intended outcome of the accelerating abandonment of public health measures by the US government, particularly since the onset of the Omicron variant in late 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) announcement at the end of December that it would recommend only five days of quarantine for an infection, down from 10 previously, was done at the request of American businesses, not on the basis of science, and was denounced by numerous epidemiologists at the time.

The sheer number of people becoming infectedand therefore having to isolate or quarantinethreatens to crush the ability of hospitals, airlines and other businesses to stay open, experts say, stated an article published by the Associated Press in December.

Amazon, which struggled to meet demand during its lucrative holiday period due to the number of quarantined employees, has made previous moves to roll back COVID-19 safety measures. In January the company announced that it would limit the amount of paid sick time off from two weeks to only one. It justified this by claiming without evidence that the dangers posed by the evolving COVID-19 pandemic had significantly decreased.

Further undermining public health, the Biden administration in late February decided to alter the way in which states were determined to be high risk of infection, basing itself on hospitalizations instead of total cases. Using this formula, the CDC determined the majority of America could go unmasked. Days before this, Amazon also removed its mask requirements.

Amazons rollback of safety measures to pre-COVID-19 levels will only intensify the pandemic and accelerate the spread of the disease. Given the corporations outsized role in the US economy, its dropping of public health measures will be followed in workplaces throughout the country.

The immediate timing of the announcement was significant.

Last week, the company reported lower-than-expected revenue of $116.4 billion for the last quarter. This reflected a loss of projected earnings of nearly $3.8 billion, as growth slowed to a pace unseen since the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, wrote Yahoo! Finance. The companys stock fell by 15 percent in response to its announcement.

An article in the Washington Post (which is owned by Amazons founder and former CEO, Jeff Bezos) quotes company Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsalvsky, who noted that Amazon has gone from being understaffed to being overstaffed.

Within this context, eliminating paid sick leave and other measures is part of an effort on Amazons part to sweat even more out of its workers and reduce its labor costs at the expense of the health of workers and their families. The Post adds that this cost-saving drive could also take the form of employee attrition, meaning the increasingly strenuous working conditions imposed on workers could drive down its headcount.

A number of news outlets have pointed out that Amazons announcement that it would return to pre-pandemic sick leave policies was made only a day after the conclusion of the Amazon Labor Unions election at the LDJ5 warehouse in Staten Island, New York. It is possible that the company delayed its announcement until the vote was concluded to minimize its impact on the vote, which may have increased the ALUs support at the warehouse.
The United States is in the midst of its seventh wave of COVID-19 infections, with the combination of the BA.2 and the BA.2.12.1 subvariants dominant, while the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants that are currently causing a surge of infections in South Africa are waiting in the wings.

However, not a finger is being lifted to address the danger to the population.

Dr. Ashish Jha, now the White House COVID coordinator (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Despite the acknowledgment by the mainstream media that more than 1 million Americans have died from COVID-19, there is absolutely no urgency on the part of the White House or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to act or warn the public of the dangers posed by this new surge.

Yesterday, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, was interviewed on NBC TVs Today program by host Hoda Kotb. The interview conveyed the official laissez-faire attitude to the dangerous pathogen that is making its latest assault on the population.

Kotb noted that new cases of COVID-19 are up 70 percent over the last three weeks (currently at 66,000 per day, on average), and deaths are up 30 percent. Citing suggestions that New York might reimpose a mask mandate, she asked Jha if there was a correlation between the new surge and the lifting of mask mandates on airplanes and public transportation more broadly after the Florida judges ruling three weeks ago.

Also she alluded to last weekends White House Correspondents Association dinner, attended by President Biden and some 2,500 reporters, media personalities, celebrities, politicians and assorted billionaires, virtually none wearing masksa list that included Jha himself. The superspreader event has already resulted in numerous reported COVID-19 infections.

Kotb asked, If you had a do-over, would you have told the president not to attend?

Jha responded with the standard comeback that everyone had tested negative at the dinner, and the president had made his personal choice. He went further, presenting the gala as an example of how such events should be conducted.

Although acknowledging that there were worrisome trends, he then deflected concerns by blaming the BA.2 variants highly infective qualities, saying, Thats the prime driver!

His response was a non-sequitur. The question was not about the virus but the policies that allow for a more significant social mixing of the population. That the virus is so contagious makes all the more critical a vigorous response, involving the immediate implementation of broad-based public health measures to stem infections.

Indeed, it has been confirmed by real-world data from China that comprehensive measures can turn a wave of infections, including from Omicron variants. Cases are down more than 80 percent since their highs three weeks ago, to less than 5,000 for a country with 1.4 billion people.

By comparison, on May 4, 2022, the New York Times tracker reported that close to 2,000 people died and more than 100,000 were infected that day in the US. The epidemiological curve of average deaths has sharply increased in conjunction with hospitalizations, and COVID-19 cases are rising in almost every state.

A recent study out of Harvard, Jhas alma mater, shows that the Omicron variant is intrinsically as severe as previous variants, affirming the dangers that principled health experts have raised since the beginning of the Omicron phase of the pandemic. Refuting the lie promoted by the government and the media that Omicron is mild, the authors noted that the risks of hospitalization and mortality were nearly identical between Omicron and previously dominant variants.

From January 10 to February 22, 2022, the BA.1 subvariant of Omicron was killing more than 2,000 people daily. BA.1 killed 170,000 Americans during the three months it spread uncontrolled in every community across the country. Almost 60 percent of the population has now been infected with the virus.

Only the Alpha wave in January 2021, when barely anyone had received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, killed more and for a longer time. (From December 2, 2020 to February 19, 2021, there were more than 2,000 deaths per day on average.)

Since President Joe Biden was inaugurated, some 575,000 lives have been lost to the contagion. In January and February of this year, 52,000 fully vaccinated individuals died of their infection.

When Kotb asked Jha, Can we expect mask mandates to be reinstated? Jha diverted attention to the CDCs COVID-19 map, noting that more than 80 percent of the country remains in the green. He failed to explain that the CDC had deliberately changed its classification for risk to ensure that the mask mandates would be repealed, in line with the demands of Wall Street executives to end all pandemic measures and transition immediately to normalcy.

Jha added that decisions on mask mandates and other mitigation measures would be taken locally. This rejection of any comprehensive science-based policy to contain and eliminate the viruswhich requires not only a coordinated national, but international responseis in line with the mantra that individuals have to decide how to navigate these life-and-death issues on their own.

The import of these comments is that the population will have to learn to live permanently in the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and that no serious public health measures will be taken to impede the virus. This essentially repudiates the entire understanding of community disease and the critical principles of public health that have been established over centuries of experience.

Vaccines are a crucial part of a comprehensive program of public health measures. But the Biden administration has adopted a vaccine-only policy in keeping with the demands and interests of the corporate elite. He has enforced the reopening of schools and businesses and rejected any lockdowns, so as to ensure an uninterrupted flow of workers to pump out surplus value and profit.

That the loss of life has been so pronounced in 2021 and into 2022, on the basis of the vaccine-only strategy, remains unexplained by Jha and the Biden administration.

New strains with immune-evading characteristics are evolving as a result of a policy that uses the existence of vaccines to force the population back into unsafe factories and workplaces. Studies highlighting the rapid loss of immunity and rise in reinfection rates are ignored by the health officials whose duty is to translate these findings into practical measures to protect the population. Funding by Congress to pay for antivirals, respirators, testing centers and proper tracking is denied.

One must ask why Jha has chosen to study public health, his area of expertise, when he dismisses its importance in protecting society. This, however, is the universal line of virtually every government around the world, which claims that the pandemic is over and has entered a new endemic phasea falsification of both the facts and the scientific meaning of endemic.

Who benefits? The capitalist ruling elites, who reject the necessary public health measures to protect human life because they cut across the drive for profit.
A new report by Reuters details ties between Trump-aligned fascist militia groups and police departments across the country. The report identifies five police trainers who have been paid, with tax-payer money, by police departments in at least 12 states, including, Idaho, Washington, Texas and Missouri.



The report asserts that the trainers have ties to the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and Proud Boys militia groups. Members of these groups are currently facing the most serious charges stemming from Trumps failed coup of January 6, 2021, including seditious conspiracy, to which three Oath Keepers have already pled guilty.



One of the trainers identified by Reuters is Richard Whitehead, the current owner of Richard Whitehead & Assoc. LLC. The company, per Reuters, is one of 35 training firms that advertised at least 10 police or public-safety training sessions in 2021 on policetraining.net, a website used by police departments around the US to find for-profit trainers.



In addition to being a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers from 2016 to 2017, Whitehead ran for sheriff of Kootenai County, Idaho in 2020. Prior to, and during the campaign, he openly aligned himself with the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a far-right movement founded by former sheriff and Oath Keeper co-founder Richard Mack.



Whitehead cut a promotional video with the Three Percenters group as part of his campaign, Reuters notes.



Public records analyzed by the news agency show that Whitehead has taught at least 560 police officers and other public safety workers in 85 sessions in 12 states over the past four years.

Trump supporters storm the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Whitehead boasts that prior to training police full-time, he spent 33 years in law enforcement, including leading homicide, SWAT, communications and intelligence sections. He claims to have trained investigators of all types in statement analysis, including detectives, private eyes and members of the Texas Rangers.



Reuters wrote that its review of Whiteheads social media postings found that he previously called for the execution of government officials he sees as disloyal to Trump. In language echoed by Michigan Boogaloo Boys militia members who plotted to kidnap and possibly assassinate Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer in the lead-up to the November 2020 elections, Whitehead called on police to ignore COVID-19 public health orders issued by tyrannical governors, warning, We are on the brink of civil war.



Whitehead is currently scheduled to host training courses for police in May, June, July, August, September and October 2022, per policetraining.net. The courses are scheduled to take place in Belton, Harker, Heights and McKinney, Texas; Missoula, Montana; Neosho, Missouri; Fruitland, Idaho and Seattle, Washington.



Another far-right police trainer identified by Reuters is Ryan Morris, founder of Tripwire Operations Group. Morris claims his company held some 50 training classes in 2021, about half of which were attended by law enforcement types.



In an interview with Reuters, he admitted that he and other Tripwire trainers were in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. Prior to January 6, Tripwires social media accounts promoted Trumps lies about the election having been stolen. In one post, written a month before the attack on the US Capitol, Morris called Bidens victory a coup, the overthrow of the US free election system, the end of our constitutional republic and the merge [sic] of capitalism into the slide toward socialism.



In his interview, Morris admitted that he and several other Tripwire trainers were employed at the Stop the Steal rally on January 6, 2021.



Morris refused to tell Reuters who hired him, or in what capacity Tripwire trainers were employed at the rally, but he did say they were sometimes hired to help law enforcement agencies or protect high-level executives.



Another fascist police trainer identified in the report is an individual named Tim Kennedy, who told Reuters he held about 200 training sessions across the United States in 2021 for police officers. The previous year he shared a post in which he aligned himself with the Boogaloo Boys.



In that post he wrote about his desire to boogaloo, a euphemism for violent race war. Two months later, Kennedy posted a photo of himself wearing a Hawaiian shirt, the unofficial uniform of the Boogaloo movement, while aiming an assault rifle. The picture was captioned: If you choose to be an asshole... I picked out a special shirt for the occasion.



According to Reuters, in addition to promoting the Boogaloo Boys on social media, Kennedy interacted frequently with Proud Boys leader Joseph Biggs. Biggs is currently jailed pending trial for his actions on January 6.



A US Army veteran and correspondent for the fascistic Infowars program hosted by Alex Jones, Biggs is facing multiple charges, including obstruction of Congress, obstruction of law enforcement, destruction of government property, and assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement.



Reuters notes that Kennedys Twitter account shows that he has been an associate of Joe Biggs their online interactions were as recent as May 2018, several months before Biggs Twitter account was suspended. In the Twitter posts, Kennedy discussed going on motorcycle rides with Biggs and offering him the position of interior secretary in his imagined administration.



The pair also discussed an alleged Antifa rally, with Biggs writing, Going downtown to cause havoc, to which Kennedy replied enthusiastically, Same. Sounds like a date!



Biggs, whose trial is set for August 8, was photographed at the Trump International Hotel with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham in November 2019.



That police departments and federal agencies around the country employ the services of fascistic paramilitary types with ties to militia groups to train their forces will not come as a surprise to regular readers of the World Socialist Web Site.



Last year, the WSWS reported that during the January 6 attack on Congress, the US Capitol Polices Containment Emergency Response Team, or CERT, which was tasked with evacuating members of Congress, failed to respond to calls for help.



In testimony before Congress, now-retired Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton revealed that the Capitol Police had paid a private contractor, Northern Red LLC, over $90,000 in 2018 and 2019 to train CERT. According to a report authored by Bolton, the CERT team refused to fire its less-lethal rounds to protect Congress.



The founder and CEO of Northern Red, John-David Potynsky, is a former US Army Special Forces soldier who continues to this day to use neo-Nazi iconography in his companys logo and uniform patches, and on his website. Bolton warned in his testimony that it was urgent for the Capitol Police to immediately sever all ties with the neo-fascist outfit. It appears, however, that other US government agencies did not feel the same way.



On the Northern Red website, the company continues to advertise training services for police and military members only. The website notes that in March, Northern Red held a Close Quarters Combat course for military and police personnel at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, commonly known as Fort Dix, located south of Trenton, New Jersey.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will take part in a virtual meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday, May 8, where they will discuss Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. The date of the meeting was specifically chosen, and on May 9, U.S. President Joseph Biden will sign the Lend-Lease Act, the U.S. Administration said.

"On Sunday morning, the President [Biden] will participate in a G7 virtual leaders meeting chaired by German Chancellor Scholz. The leaders will be joined by President Zelensky of Ukraine. They will discuss the latest developments in Russias war against Ukraine, the global impact of Putins war, showing support for Ukraine and Ukraines future, and demonstrating continued G7 unity and our collective response, including building on our unprecedented sanctions to impose severe costs for Putins war, " White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Friday.

She pointed out that Biden would sign the Lend-Lease Act, the Lend-Lease Act of 2022, on Monday, May 9.

"Well, I think it should not be lost  the significance  or on anyone  the significance of when the timeline  when his  when this G7 meeting is happening, which is the day before Russias Victory Day, which President Putin has certainly projected his desire to mark that day as a day where he is victorious over Ukraine. Of course, hes not. While he expected to be marching through the streets of Kyiv, thats obviously not what is going to happen," Psaki said.

"But certainly having this meeting and conversation on Sunday is an opportunity to not only show how unified the West is in confronting the aggression and the invasion by President Putin, but also to show that unity requires work; requires effort; requires blood, sweat, and tears sometimes. And the President is committed to continuing to engage to make sure people are unified  that these leaders are unified moving forward," the White House press secretary added.
Are you a nurse? We want to hear from you. Contact us to expose the conditions at your hospital and learn how to organize a fightback by nurses against the for-profit sabotage of public health. Comments will be published anonymously.

Registered nurse Bryan Hofilena attaches a COVID Patient sticker on a body bag of a patient who died of coronavirus at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Last weeks tragic suicide of a nurse at a Kaiser hospital in Santa Clara, California, has highlighted the heavy emotional burdens which have been placed on health care workers for more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The growing mental health crisis among overworked and traumatized healthcare workers is reflected in the mass exodus of nurses from the profession.

Olivia, a California intensive care unit (ICU) travel nurse whose name has been changed to protect her identity, has spent the past two years of the pandemic in some of the most over-stressed locations across the state.

Ive seen pictures of me from a long time ago. Im happy, she said. That person is no more.

Weve been under a lot of stress. I cant think straight. I have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I have anxiety. I can barely leave my house. I have an 8-year-old I have to care for.

Olivia described how Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was rationed at the beginning of the pandemic, They [hospitals] locked the N95 masks. They would only give you one.

In the beginning, nurses were the only ones going into the COVID rooms with an iPad so the doctor can talk to them.They tried to tell us not to wear N95s at the beginning. They told us to wear bandanas. Some nurses had to wear the same N95 for a month working with COVID patients. They wouldnt even let us bring our own equipment. I said, Now people are dropping dead around me and you cant give me an N95. If you dont want to give me a mask, Im going home. Our entire career, we were told to only wear an N95 once. You had a TB patient, you put it on once.

I felt like they were trying to kill us. Were disposable. We dont matter, we're garbage. Nurses in Oakland had to use garbage bags for isolation gowns. They had to work on their own staff who died of COVID. I never got COVID and Im very thankful for that. People around me got it and got sick.

'Its not my job to die. You send firemen with oxygen and their gear. You send us nothing. Its like you gave me a rock and a stick and sent me into war and expected me to be quiet.'

Olivia explained the effects of COVID-19 on patients. I got one girl who was 22 years old. Came in by ambulance. Gasping for air. An older girl came in for a UTI, had no shortness of breath and seemed fine. She didnt know she had COVID.

The girl who was gasping for air and has positive COVID, her lungs looked great. The older girl, her lungs were completely covered in COVID. This is how it moved all the time. People would be fine and the next day they would come back and in 24 hours they would be dying, on 16 drips and bleeding out.

During COVID, I didnt save one person in that first year and a half. Not one person left the ICU. At one point it was like a morgue where everyone was intubated.

These conditions are extremely difficult, even for seasoned nurses. Hospitals asked nurses from other specialties to take them on with little preparation, she said. They brought a bunch of telemetry nurses to the ICU . They said they were going to train them. In a few days they had full-blown COVID patients. I told them that these were heavy COVID patients and I told them they needed to say no. Its your license. If something happens, trust and believe that theyre going to come after you and nobody else.'

Indeed, Olivias warnings have been proven in the case of RaDonda Vaught, a Tennessee nurse who was criminally convicted for a medication error that she reported through proper channels. They throw them under the bus to save their own ass. They dont support her or find out where the break in the system is. There are thousands of medical errors. Theyre just not reported. She could have not reported it at all, and no one would even know about it.

Nurses are under a tremendous amount of stress and a lot of them cant handle that stress. Obviously, nurses are bringing a gun to work and killing themselves,' referencing the recent on-the-job suicide of a nurse at Kaiser in Santa Clara.

She noted that So many nurses have died in the past two years. For my first 20 years, I have not known any nurses who have died.

Olivia mentioned a nurse she knew who forgot to put on her N95 mask, and ran in to perform CPR on a COVID patient. Tragically, the nurse caught COVID-19 and died seven days later. A 2021 study from the United Kingdom found that in 2020, nurses died of COVID-19 at roughly twice the rate of the general population.

In addition to the loss of health care workers from the pandemic, Olivia noted that many have died by their own hands. A nurse at another facility went outside and saw one of the CNAs [certified nursing assistants] jumped off the garage building because she couldnt deal with COVID anymore. And the nurse then had to work on her. That pretty much screwed her up and she had to get out of nursing.

A fellow nurse mentioned that another nurse had recently jumped off a building on a shift at a different site. And a couple months ago, an ICU travel nurse that left in the middle of their shift said, Ive got to get something from my car and killed themself. You dont hear any of this on the news. I didnt hear about this, which happened two hours from me, on the news. Nobody cares.

Even before the pandemic began, female nurses in the United States were at more than twice the risk of suicide compared to the general female population, with male nurses also experiencing elevated risk.

These same pressures weigh on so many health care workers, including Olivia. Ive been suicidal, especially in the middle of COVID and many months after. Ive never felt so mentally unstable. I scared myself. I didnt want to be here anymore. Im losing it. All for what, for my job? Which Ive done for 22 years? For what? For the corporations and society to turn our backs on us and tell us to suck it up? Im trying to get counseling. They say there's free counseling, but where?

How do you expect me to pay $500 a month as a single mom with two kids just to get mental health care? I cant do it. I used to love my career. I dont even want to work anymore. I have anxiety the day before work. Management doesnt care about us. No one even came to me saying are you OK, are you alright? We should have free health care for what the hell were going through.

Youre going to spend how many billions for Ukraine but you cant give us one billion for PPE? she asked. In the middle of COVID when Black Lives Matter was doing a peaceful protest, Im watching the peaceful protest and the SWAT team was there and they had $80,000 worth of gear on. Meanwhile Im home from my nightmare shift covered in COVID with one N95 on. Im in war and they are watching a peaceful protest. It makes no sense. Wheres our gear?

We need more support. We need more mental health care. We need debriefing. We need counseling. We need staff. We need CNAs. We need more nurses. We need our breaks. Dont interrupt us during our breaks. Dont make us feel guilty for taking our breaks. Stop writing nurses up. We are not the problem. The system is the problem.

Olivia was adamant that the nursing unions have done nothing to improve the situation nurses face. The unions are useless. I had a problem with Kaiser trying to accuse me of something I didnt do. I went to my union rep and he said to me If they want to get rid of me, they will. So I left, I quit.

I want to get out of nursing but I only have 10 years left until I can retire. And now a nurse comes to work and kills himself. Now Im afraid a coworkers going to come to work and kill me. Its not safe anymore. Its just not.

Olivia was enthusiastic about the call by the Stanford Nurses Rank-and-File Strike Committee for a statewide strike of nurses. God, that would be awesome. That would be amazingNo matter where you go, its the same. I dont care if its Stanford. Its about the higher-ups making money. Underneath it all, its all the same BSWe have to come together as one and stand up.
A forum for candidates in the electorate of Sydney last Wednesday night provided a revealing glimpse of the line-up of the Greens and the pseudo-left Socialist Alliance behind Labor, as it wages its most right-wing and openly pro-business federal election campaign in history.

The forum, hosted by local community groups, was addressed by Socialist Alliance candidate Andrew Chuter, Greens candidate Chetan Sahai, Wen Zhou of the right-wing Citizens Party Australia and sitting Labor member Tanya Plibersek.

The event was billed as a debate. In reality, it had the character of a love-in between Socialist Alliance, the Greens and Labor. Sahai and Chuter warmly greeted Plibersek and deferred to her repeatedly when it came to answering questions.

Greens candidate Chetan Sahai [WSWS media]

Both refrained from any direct criticism of Plibersek, and did not recall her record as a senior member of the last federal Labor governments, between 2007 and 2013. Those governments carried out sweeping attacks on welfare recipients, intensified the market-based restructuring of public health and education, did nothing to address climate change and aligned Australia with a vast US military build-up in preparation for war with China.

The broader issues confronting the working class, of war, the disastrous consequences of let it rip COVID policies and an assault on democratic rights, only emerged when Socialist Equality Party (SEP) Senate candidate for New South Wales Oscar Grenfell and other SEP members challenged Plibersek from the floor.

The opening remarks of Sahai and Chuter were virtually indistinguishable.

Socialist Alliance has dispensed with any pretence of advancing a socialist perspective opposed to the major parties and to capitalism.

Socialist Alliance candidate Andrew Chuter [WSWS media]

In his campaign, Chuter has produced videos extolling Australias preferential voting system on the grounds that people can vote for Socialist Alliance, while continuing to support the big business Labor Party and the Greens. In fact, the preferential system is profoundly anti-democratic because it compels all voters, including those hostile to the major parties, to cast a preferential vote for Labor, the Liberal-National Coalition or the Greens.

Speaking on climate change, Chuter declared that the elephant in the room was car dependency. He favourably cited remarks by Gough Whitlam, the Labor prime minister of the 1970s, on the need for reduced car use, in a signal of Socialist Alliances orientation to Labor.

Claims that climate change is the result of overconsumption on the part of ordinary people are aimed at covering up the responsibility of the major corporations and capitalism for the environmental crisis, and blaming the working class. Chuters comments expressed the class character of Socialist Alliance as a party of the affluent, inner-city middle class, indifferent to the social hardships confronting the working class and hostile to it. The program of Socialist Alliance is tinkering at the edges of capitalism, in a unity with the Greens and Labor.

Chuter supported proposals for a federal corruption commission, advanced by Labor to try to restore confidence in the widely-loathed parliamentary set-up. He suggested that public housing could be expanded through a Green new deal and by cutting defence spending by half. Socialist Alliance, which had previously presented itself as anti-war, would maintain the other half of funding for Australias war machine, which sits at over $600 billion for this decade.

The Greens Sahai focussed his remarks on climate change. He hailed the turn by major corporations to the lucrative market in renewable energies. This would continue, he said, whether through the Greens transition plan, or the private market. In other words, Sahai was promoting the fraud that climate change, a product of the capitalist system itself, can be resolved under the dominance of the banks and big business.

The Greens candidate bemoaned a failure of imagination from Labor and the Liberals. But all could be resolved if the Greens held the balance of power in federal parliament, where they would hold Labor to account. The Greens are appealing to Labor for a de facto coalition government, under conditions where Labor is presenting itself to the ruling elite as the best vehicle to impose sweeping pro-business restructuring and to escalate Australias frontline role in the US-led confrontations with Russia and China.

Pliberseks remarks showcased the diversionary character of the official election campaign. Her comments centred on denunciations of Liberal-National Prime Minister Scott Morrison and assertions that a Labor government would be more competent. Plibersek took off from the support extended by Socialist Alliance and the Greens, speaking at length on Labors proposal for an anti-corruption commission.

Tanya Plibersek

When the forum was opened to questions, SEP Senate candidate Grenfell intervened, stating: For the past 30 years, the US has waged one war after another, murdering millions, displacing millions more and laying waste to entire countries. Each of these neo-colonial operations had been supported by Labor.

Grenfell warned: Now American imperialism is waging a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and is preparing war against China in this region. He asked Plibersek: By what right does Labor support dragging the Australian people into this drive for a catastrophic third world war, a war that would almost certainly involve the use of nuclear weapons and threaten the very future of humanity?

Oscar Grenfell

Plibersek responded by falsifying Labors record, claiming that it had opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In reality, Labor repeated the lies about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, which served as the pretext for the US attack. It suggested only that there should be a figleaf of United Nations support for the aggressive war, and openly backed the war once it began.

Plibersek said she was actually surprised to hear you criticising the US when its Russia thats invading Ukraine. The Russian intervention was an aggressive attack on sovereignty and one of the greatest tragedies of this century. Labor would stand up in support of Kiev.

Plibersek said nothing about the massive US-NATO intervention. Washington goaded Moscow into launching its reactionary invasion by transforming Ukraine into a garrison state on Russias border. The US and its allies, including Australia, have handed over tens of billions of dollars of weaponry to the Ukrainian military and its associated fascist militias.

Over recent weeks, top officials in the Biden administration and the American military have declared that their aim is to win what is clearly a proxy war directed against Russia, aimed at advancing longstanding preparations for direct conflict with Moscow.

Plibersek said nothing about the other front of this strategy, aimed at upholding American imperialist hegemonythe preparations for war with China. These were initiated under the last Labor government, in which she was a prominent minister. During the current election campaign, Labor has sought to outflank the Liberal-Nationals from the right on the issue of China, including by bullying and threatening the Solomon Islands over its signing of a security pact with Beijing.

The Greens and Socialist Alliance candidates said nothing in response to the question on war. Both parties have insisted that it is necessary to support Ukraine, by which they mean backing the US-NATO puppet regime in Kiev.

Later, another SEP member recalled that Plibersek had been a leader of the Greens-backed Gillard Labor government, which in 2010 joined in the US-led persecution of Julian Assange. In 2019, when British police unlawfully arrested Assange, Plibersek shared a tweet denouncing the Australian citizen and labelling his supporters as cultists.

SEP member challenges Plibersek over Labor's pro-war record

The SEP member asked why Labor supported the attempts to destroy a journalist for exposing war crimes.

Plibersek said nothing about this record. Assange, she declared, had been locked up long enough. If it formed government, Labor would ask the UK and US governments to drop the current attempt to extradite Assange from Britain to America. Such a polite request, even if it eventuated, would fall far short of the governments obligation to secure the immediate release of a persecuted Australian citizen through the use of its full diplomatic and legal powers.

Labor has said nothing about Assange while in opposition, signalling it would do the same in office. Labors real attitude to the heroic journalist was summed up by Pliberseks concluding remarks, in which she declared that when Julian Assange was accused of rape in Sweden, he should have faced those charges.

When Grenfell noted that Assange had never been charged with a crime in Sweden, Plibersek rolled her eyes and stated accusations. In reality, the Swedish case was a frame-up, aimed at railroading Assange to the US. During almost a decade, the Swedish investigation never progressed beyond the preliminary stage and was dropped on three occasions. Swedish prosecutors refused repeated requests by Assange that they interview him, and secretly collaborated with American and British government agencies.

Sahai and Chuter declared that Assange must be freed. But, again, they did not criticise Plibersek. Nor did they explain why their parties have not campaigned in defence of the WikiLeaks founder in the election.

In a third revealing exchange, an SEP supporter explained that she was a nurse who had witnessed the catastrophic impact of the let it rip COVID policies supported by all the official parties. They were still resulting in tens of thousands of infections a day and dozens of deaths, yet the pandemic was being presented as a thing of the past. Why wasnt a scientifically-grounded strategy aimed at eliminating the virus being implemented? she asked.

Plibersek cynically thanked the nurse for all that you do. She then falsely claimed that Labor had not supported let it rip policies. It had criticised the slow vaccine rollout and the failure to develop purpose-built quarantine facilities. In reality, Labor, via the Labor-majority National Cabinet, backed and presided over the lifting of restrictions last December, as Omicron surged. This has resulted in almost six million infections in the past five months, and more than 4,000 deaths.

As for elimination of COVID-19, this would be very hard Plibersek stated. That is only because the measures required would cut across the corporate profit interests that Labor represents.

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.
Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapakse last night imposed a state of emergency, after a one-day general strike and business shutdown (hartal) calling for the president and his government to resign paralysed the islands economy yesterday.

Under the state of emergency, Rajapakse has sweeping powers to deploy the military as well as the police, to arrest people without a warrant, ban strikes and protests, enforce curfews and impose media censorship, among other things.

The presidents proclamation of a statement of emergency declared that it was made in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.

Katunayake free trade zone workers protesting on 28 April 2022 [Photo: WSWS media]

The state of emergency is in addition to extensive powers that Rajapakse already wields as executive president and under a battery of repressive legislation.

The proclamation of a state of emergency is the second in just over a month. The first, on March 31, was used to impose a curfew in an attempt suppress emerging anti-government protests. However, protesters defied the curfew, the government backed down and the president revoked his emergency regulations on April 5.

Over the past month, protests have continued and mounted on a daily basis, driven by the intolerable economic and social crisis facing working people. Prices of essential items have skyrocketed and goods are in short supply, forcing people to queue for hours for food, fuel and medicines. Electricity outages last for long hours each day.

President Rajapakse has clearly been shaken by the entry of the working class into the struggle against the government. Yesterdays general strike, involving millions, followed a previous one-day general strike on April 28.

Desperate to retain control of the mounting anti-government movement of working class, the trade unions have called for an indefinite general strike from May 11 if the president and the government have not resigned.

Kayts Hospital health workers protesting in Jaffna on 6 May 2022 [Photo: WSWS media]

The power of the working class was evident everywhere yesterday. Almost every section of workers took part in yesterdays general strike. Railway and private bus transport was completely crippled. Electricity and postal workers and all government administrative employees took part in the strike. State and private banks were shut down.

Health workers, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and other employees, joined the strike while keeping skeleton services for emergency cases and to treat critically ill patients. Public schools were forced to close, as all teachers and principals participated in the action.

Tea and rubber plantation workers struck and thousands came to nearby cities to hold demonstrations.

Workers in many free trade zones stopped work. According to the Daily FT, tens of thousands of workers were involved. No factories operated in the key free trade zones of Katunayake, Biyagama and Seethawaka, and all vehicles were blocked from entering or leaving.

Koggala free trade zone workers told the World Socialist Web Site that the companies closed the gates to the zone, preventing them from leaving. Thousands of garment workers in Hatton in the islands plantation district stopped work and demonstrated in the city.

Port workers wanted to join the strike but the port unions limited them to a work-to-rule campaign and a midday demonstration. WSWS reporters were told that port employees argued with union officials to be allowed to join the strike action.

Hundreds of thousands of people participated in protests in many cities and towns across the country, blocking roads and chanting anti-government slogans. The number of workers actively involved was far higher than in the April 28 general strike, when the unions did not encourage public protests.

Thousands of students marched from Jayawardenepura University in Colombo and blocked the main roads leading to the national parliament complex beginning on Thursday. Yesterday, when they tried to march on parliament, which was in session, the police blocked the road and attacked the protesters with tear gas and water cannon.

Protesters challenging police water cannon attack and throwing back tear gas shells in Colombo on 6 May 2022 [Photo: WSWS media]

The determination of workers to wage a struggle to defend their interests is in marked contrast to the perspective of the trade unions, which is to direct this mass movement back into the dead-end of parliamentary politics.

The National Trade Union Front and Mass Organisations and Trade Union Coordinating Committee is calling for an interim government to replace the president and his government and for new elections.

These demands are almost identical to those of the capitalist opposition partiesthe Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)and the corporate lobby groups. The Frontline Socialist Party, which has lined up with the trade unions, and its Inter-University Student Front have a similar program.

These opposition parties have no alternative other than unloading the burden of the economic crisis on the back of the people. Any interim government formed by the opposition parties would implement the demands of the International Monetary Fund for draconian new austerity measures as the price for an emergency loan.

Socialist Equality Party (SEP) members intervened in many parts of the country, including Colombo, Jaffna, Galle, Maskeliya in the central plantation district and the Katunayake Free Trade Zone. They explained that capitalism was the source of the present economic crisis and outlined the partys socialist program to address the needs of the masses.

Many workers expressed their utter hostility not just to the government, but to the entire political establishment.

Shanaka, a private bank employee in Colombo, said: I am participating in this struggle because I strongly believe that there must be a change in the entire political system to end the utterly miserable conditions faced by the Sri Lankan masses. All the rulers who have governed Sri Lanka so far have been deceiving the people. It is clear that they are all defending the same policy.

A retail shop assistant in Galle said: I cannot maintain my patience anymore. My meagre salary is not enough to live on. I cannot even spend money to educate my children. I cannot find enough money for basic necessities. My wife doesnt have a job. I have nothing to sell at my house. We are so helpless. I do not believe in any of these capitalist politicians.

Amila, a factory worker from the Puttalam district, explained: We started to join the protest at 4.30 to 5.00 in the morning independently with workers representing almost all the factories. The unions did not call us out. This government must be sent home. All the 225 politicians [in parliament] must go. Their plundered wealth must be taken back. People have no fuel, no fertiliser, nothing to eat. Whatever government comes next, they will do the same thing.

Yesterdays proclamation of a state of emergency confirms the SEPs warnings to the working class in its party statement. While the president backed off his previous attempt to use the security forces against the protests, he knows full well that the draconian demands of the IMF cannot be imposed democratically or peacefully.

In its April 7 statement, the SEP warned: Rajapakse is biding his time. He can reimpose emergency rule without warning and again mobilise the military. He can ban industrial action, proscribe organisations and political parties, censor the media and arbitrarily arrest and detain individuals. The presidency itself must be abolished. Along with Gotabhaya, the executive presidency and the barrage of anti-democratic laws in the hands of the government have got to go.

The declaration of a state of emergency adds to the urgency of the working class taking its own independent action, political and industrial, to prepare to counter the threat of a bloody crackdown on the protest movement. The government has already demonstrated that it will use violence with the police shooting of demonstrators in Rambukkana, which killed Chaminda Lakshan and seriously injured others.

Matters cannot be left in the hands of the trade unions, which have demonstrated time and again their willingness to sell out strikes and struggles to serve the needs of big business and the government at the expense of workers. The SEP urges workers to form their own action committees, independent of the unions, and to link up with other sections of workers in Sri Lanka and internationally to fight for their demands and defend themselves from the government assaults on their rights.

In its statement, the SEP elaborated a socialist program to counter the attacks on the democratic and social rights of the working class. These included taking the production and distribution of all essential goods under the democratic control of the working class through the nationalisation of the banks, large corporations, large estates and other major economic centres under workers control. It called for the repudiation of all foreign loans.

By establishing action committees and fighting for its class interests, the working class can rally the rural toilers and urban poor to its side in the fight for a workers and peasants government to refashion society along socialist lines and meet the pressing needs of the majority, not boost the profits of the wealthy few.

The SEP alone fights for this perspective. We urge you to join the SEP and build it as the mass party needed to provide political leadership to the struggles that are rapidly unfolding.
The Supreme Courts draft ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization not only abolishes the basic democratic right to abortion, but it is an attempt to radically transform the countrys legal superstructure by stripping the population of the democratic protections established in the American Revolution and Civil War.

The opinion would overturn the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade in the most sweepingly reactionary way imaginable. It establishes a new test in which (1) constitutional rights previously upheld by clear legal precedent can be stripped away without warning, and (2) rights not listed verbatim in the Constitution are deemed unenforceable if they were not widely recognized in 1791, a time when the US was home to three million people who used horses for transportation and candles for lighting.

An anti-scaling fence surrounds the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday, May 5, 2022 in Washington. [AP Photo/(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)]

In the Dobbs decision, the Republican majority curls a beckoning finger toward its far-right partners, imploring legal challenges to a host of other basic rights. It suggests that the new legal test could be applied to all fundamental rights that are not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution and calls all unenumerated rights into question by referring to them as putative rights, i.e., rights which have been assumed to exist but which may not exist in reality.

The decision criticizes the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. It rejects the constitutional right to privacy, claiming that this right is also not mentioned in the text of the Constitution, paving the way for a massive intrusion of the state into the private lives of individuals. Homosexuality was not accepted in society in 1791, after all, and neither was interracial marriage.

The right wing is scanning the darkest periods of American history to inspire its political strategy today. Alongside the specter of morality squad police raids on gay bars and private homes, Republican leaders are planning to re-introduce segregation, this time with immigrants as the victims.

The day after the decision was leaked, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he will ban the children of undocumented immigrants from attending public schools, the modern revival of Governor George Wallaces pledge to stand in the schoolhouse door. The law would involve fines or criminal prosecution if immigrant children are caught on school grounds (and perhaps for using drinking fountains intended for Citizens Only).

Abbott said states should enact their own restrictions on immigration and wage legal battles to overturn a 2012 Supreme Court decision barring Arizona from declaring that undocumented immigrants had no constitutional rights and could be jailed simply for being undocumented.

Police organizations are also preparing to argue that there is no constitutional right to Miranda warnings or other protections for arrestees and criminal defendants, opening the door to even more brutal waves of police violence. The fascist Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) declared on a podcast Thursday that the decision is a big tool in our arsenal, and is shaking things up in a way that could help us in the long game. After all, since police forces did not exist at the time the Constitution was ratified, necessary democratic protections against police abuse could not have been rooted in the traditions of the time.

The Supreme Courts ruling did not arise from nowhere, it is another manifestation of the disintegration of bourgeois democracy in the United States and the uncontrollable drive toward ever more extreme forms of political reaction. To understand what this decision arises out of is to understand how to fight it.

The ruling class has cultivated and promoted obscurantist and fascistic layers for decades as a bulwark against the working class. Under conditions of permanent war and social counterrevolutionled by both partiesthese figures have become the dominant force in bourgeois politics and within the states repressive apparatus.

The last half-century has been defined by financial parasitism, militarism, nonstop attacks on democratic rights, the end of restrictions on campaign finance, and unrelenting efforts to prevent masses of people from having any say on government policy. Americas 50 richest families now possess $1.2 trillion in assets. The oligarchic principle is manifest in the entire two-party, bicameral set-up, characterized by undemocratic and unrepresentative structures from top to bottom.

As Oxford University professor Joe Foweraker wrote in his recent work Oligarchy in the Americas, High returns to capital and super-rents deriving from market power and monopolies have created a new financial oligarchy and a step-change in the private command of public policy, leaving the oligarchy largely unaccountable to democratic government. (Emphasis added). The oligarchy, Foweraker writes, is so far detached from the society from which it extracts its wealth that it can act entirely independently of it.

The character of the entire political establishment and corporate media flows from this fact. But despite this, the American ruling class declares itself the champion of democracy in the fight against Russia. Every day provides new confirmation that this is a lie.

This includes recent revelations that Donald Trump proposed launching missile strikes against Mexico and ordered the military to fire live rounds against those protesting the police killing of George Floyd, that fascist Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes was in contact with the Trump team in preparing to administer lethal violence on January 6, and that Joe Biden privately confided to a Democratic congressman in the days before the 2020 election that if he didnt win, Im not sure we are going to have a country.

Despite this, the leading conspirators in the plot of January 6 remain at liberty to plan their next steps, including Trump and every one of his congressional conspirators. The Democratic Party continues to insist on bipartisanship even with these Republican colleagues.

The Democrats will do nothing to reverse the attack on the right to abortion. When it comes to pouring missiles into Ukraine, there is no risk the Democratic Party is not willing to take, not even risks that bring the world to the edge of nuclear war. But when it comes to defending basic democratic rights, there is always a Joe Manchin or a Senate parliamentarian to blame for their own fecklessness.

In reality, the Democrats political trajectory is entirely of a piece with the Republicans transformation into a party of open authoritarianism. The Democrats abandoned social reform decades ago and transformed themselves into a vehicle for the race- and gender-obsessed upper-middle class, which the Democrats view as a necessary constituency for waging imperialist war. The politics of identity does not represent an opposition to the right-wing degeneration of the Republicans; it is merely another expression of the rot at the heart of the entire two-party system.

The extremely anti-democratic character of the Dobbs decision is a sign that basic democratic rights can only be secured through social revolution. As Lenin wrote in his 1916 work Imperialism and the Split in Socialism, The difference between the democratic-republican and the reactionary-monarchist imperialist bourgeoisie is obliterated precisely because they are both rotting alive.

Even the most moderate democratic reforms can only be implemented through mass social struggle. Changing basic campaign finance rules, ending lifetime appointments for judges, addressing the existence of a Senate in which Wyoming and California each have two votes, and ending the lack of proportional representationall of this requires nothing less than revolution.

The working class is the only social force capable of leading this. But in order to succeed, its energies must not be sapped by pathetic calls to reform the two-party system. Instead, they must be directed into a revolutionary struggle against the entire capitalist system.
Although Germany's entire political and media establishment has been in war mode for months, opposition to the proxy war in Ukraine is growing. An open letter warning of the danger of a Third World War and rejecting the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine has received more than 200,000 signatures within a few days.

The letter calls on Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with a view to the future judgment of history and the historical responsibility of Germany, not to deliver any further heavy weapons to Ukraine, either directly or indirectly, as this would accept an escalation of this war into a nuclear conflict. A Russian counterattack, the authors say, could then trigger the NATO treaty assistance case and thus the imminent danger of a world war.

The first signatories included the filmmakers Andreas Dresen and Alexander Kluge, the journalist Alice Schwarzer and the criminal law professor Reinhard Merkel. The letter was published on Friday, April 29, a day after the German parliament approved by a large majority the delivery of anti-aircraft tanks to the Ukrainian military, which is riddled with right-wing extremists.

Chancellor Scholz at the May Day rally in Dusseldorf

The broad support for the open letter is an expression of the enormous opposition to war, which is deeply rooted in the German working class after two world wars. The more openly the German government embraces imperial and Nazi great power policieswar against Russia and military dominance over Eastern Europethe stronger the resistance grows.

This was clearly demonstrated on May 1. Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey was booed at a DGB (German trade union confederation) rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate and had eggs thrown at her when she demanded respect for the police and support for the war in Ukraine. In the course of his militaristic speech in Dusseldorf, Chancellor Scholz was forced to shout at demonstrators who described him as a warmonger and criticised his militarist policy.

Opinion polls also prove the growing anti-war sentiment. According to a recent Deutschlandtrend survey, support for the delivery of heavy weapons to the Ukrainian military fell by 10 percentage points to 45 percent within a month. In a further survey by the opinion research institute Insa, 73 percent of the respondents expressed the concern that the Ukraine war could expand into a Third World War.

But how can the Third World War be averted? The Letter of the 28 does not provide an answer to this. It addresses a powerless and hopeless appeal to Chancellor Scholz, who has proved himself to be the leading militarist among all the heads of state and governments of the European Union since the beginning of the war. Scholz and the traffic light coalition have provided the German army with a special fund of more than 100 billion, thus initiating the largest German rearmament since the fall of the Nazi regime.

Moreover, Scholz runs a government that supplies more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine than any other EU country. In addition to the secret arms deliveries that have taken place since the beginning of the war, which Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (Social Democrats) has publicly admitted, tanks have also been smuggled into Ukraine via Eastern Europe for weeks. As the Tagesspiegel newspaper reported earlier this week, Ukraine now has more functional tanks than Russia, according to insiders from the US Department of Defense.

Scholz has not conducted a prudent policy that carefully considered the risks, as the authors of the letter claim. On the contrary, the German government has deliberately provoked and brought about the conflict. Already in 2014, the German government announced the end of military restraint and orchestrated the anti-Russian Maidan coup detat in Kiev just a few days latertogether with Washington. Since then, the Ukrainian military has been waging a war against its own Russian-speaking minority population by resorting to fascist gangs of murderers such as the Azov Battalion.

The German government is de facto arming these fascist units and the right-wing extremist legionnaires who are fighting with them, and is using the war to impose itself as Europe's dominant military power.

The fact that it is pointless to appeal to the sense of this ruling class is shown by the angry smear campaign with which the political establishment and the media themselves have reacted to the tame demands of the open letter.

Anyone who feels harassed by a war should straighten out their moral compass with a hammer, said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Free Democrats, FDP), chairman of the Defense Committee. Green politician Anton Hofreiter accused Schwarzer of spreading pure Russian propaganda, in a conversation with the right-wing Bild channel, as if the concern about a nuclear war is war propaganda.

In addition to Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck (Greens), Britta Haddelmann, leader of the Greens' parliamentary group, spoke out vehemently against the letter. Alexander Lambsdorff (FDP) praised a Spiegel article by columnist Sascha Lobo, who described German rag-tag pacifism in the classical manner of a right-wing militarist as the best thing that can happen for Putin.

Those who are closely linked to German policy on Ukraine were particularly aggressive. Sergei Sumlenny, long-time head of the Green-aligned Heinrich Boll Foundation in Kiev, accused Schwarzer of having regularly instrumentalized her publication for the dissemination of Russian propaganda. Only days before, Sumlenny called for war against Russia and literally demanded to eliminate the nuclear power of Russia. On Twitter, he said that the Russians were much more involved in Putin's crimes than the Germans were in Hitler's crimes.

An appeal to these people to pursue their war plans a little more carefully is like an appeal to the devil to make hell a little cooler. The aggressiveness of German imperialism has objective causes. Under conditions of the deepest capitalist crisis since the end of the Second World Warwhich was brought to a head by the COVID-19 pandemicall imperialist powers resort to the means of war in order to divert class tensions outward.

The only way to prevent a Third World War is to mobilize the international working class. As David North, the editorial chairman of the World Socialist Web Site, noted at the International May Day Rally on Sunday:

The contradictions that threaten world war also create conditions for world socialist revolution. The challenge that confronts the working class is this: to strengthen and accelerate the objective tendencies that lead to revolution, while undermining and weakening those that lead to world war.

The basis for the struggle against war is the movement of the working class. That is the great social force that has the power to stop war, put an end to capitalism, tear down national borders and build a world socialist society.
Deputy head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva has held a meeting with a delegation of members of parliament of the European Union and other countries that are members of the informal international network United 4 Ukraine, during which he noted the need for Ukraine to receive heavy weapons from international partners, which can stop the occupying Russian troops.

"I expect that the participants of the meeting will help direct and unite the efforts of the parliaments of the EU member states and other states in supporting Ukraine in this matter," said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

According to Zhovkva, the strong sanctions pressure of the world community on Russia, in particular the expected introduction of the sixth package of EU sanctions, should deprive Russia of the resources to continue hostilities in Ukraine. "In this regard, it is also important for Ukraine to maintain the unity of the positions of the European Union," he said.

Zhovkva praised the expert role of the United 4 Ukraine members in shaping public opinion about the current situation in Ukraine in their countries and expressed hope that they will continue to support our country to strengthen European security and promote European values.

Established on March 22, 2022, the United 4 Ukraine network brings together more than 240 members of parliament from Europe, as well as Canada, the United States and other democratic countries involved in coordinating international initiatives for a joint response to the Russian military action against Ukraine.
Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has arrived in Ukraine, where he intends to hold meetings with the organization's staff and assess the necessary increase in assistance to war victims.

"Arrived in Ukraine. As a child of war, I know how children and adults trapped in this war feel. I want to assess how WHO can increase our support to them. I will also meet our staff here - they are doing tremendous work under extremely difficult circumstances," he said on Twitter Friday night.

On Friday he said that he had visited the WHO warehouse in Rzeszow, Poland, which is used to deliver life-saving medicines to Ukraine, as well as the medical center that receives refugees from Ukraine, which now houses more than 6,000 refugees.

Ghebreyesus also said he spoke with the refugees themselves and thanked the volunteers who work on the Ukrainian-Polish border and at the Polish hospital.
A strong international response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is critical to deterring China from embarking on territorial conquests in Taiwan or the South China Sea, said Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.

China has been carefully observing the current situation of Russias aggression against Ukraine and they are paying particularly close attention to what kind of reactions the international community has been taking, Kishi told The Post during an interview in Washington on Thursday.

The top Japanese defense official said the global response would weigh heavily on Beijing and its actions in the Asian region going forward.

If the international community somehow allows or condones Russias aggression against Ukraine, it might send a wrong message that such actions can be tolerated in other parts of the world, including the Indo-Pacific, Kishi said.

Tokyo, which has historically shied away from conflicts outside of Asia, has joined the United States and the European Union in imposing multiple rounds of sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. The Japanese Defense Ministry has provided Ukraine with drones, bulletproof vests and humanitarian aid, and accepted evacuees from Ukraine using Japanese aircraft. Kishi said Japan will continue as much support as we can to Ukraine.

When asked why Japan did not take the same tough stance on Russia in 2014 over Crimea, Kishi said the world "has changed since the annexation."

During the last time, the response of the international community was not as united as this time, he said.
The Russian invaders fired rockets and multiple rocket launchers at civilian infrastructure in Mykolaiv; shelling of settlements in Kharkiv region continues, the AFU General Staff reported.

"In Pivdenno-Buzke direction, the enemy was striking at our troops' positions with artillery. They fired rockets and multiple rocket launchers at civilian infrastructure in Mykolaiv. In Ivano-Kepin, defense units destroyed an ammunition depot and up to 20 pieces of military equipment of the enemy," reads a morning report posted on the Facebook page of the General Staff.

It is also reported that in Kherson, which is temporarily occupied by the enemy, the invaders are taking a number of measures to ensure the activities of the Russian occupation troops and to maintain the Russian occupation regime. The number of checkpoints and mobile patrols has been increased.

The enemy has not been active in Poliske direction. During an inspection of the combat readiness of units performing tasks to cover the section of the border with Ukraine, it cannot be ruled out that these units may be secretly rotated.

The enemy made no active operations in Siverske direction. Engineering and fortification of positions and strips in the border areas of Kursk region continues.

In Slobozhanske direction the enemy continues artillery shelling of populated areas near the city of Kharkiv. In Izium direction the enemy conducts aerial reconnaissance with the use of UAVs in order to clarify the positions of our troops.

In the area of Tsirkuny and Russkie Tishki settlements, the invaders carried out the undermining of three automobile bridges in order to slow down the counterattack actions of the Defense Forces units.

In Donetsk and Tavrycheske directions, the enemy continues to fire artillery along the line of contact and uses operational and tactical aviation to launch missile and bomb strikes on our troops' positions.

In Mariupol, the occupiers continue to blockade units of the Defense Forces near Azovstal. The enemy performed storming actions in order to take control of the territory of the plant.

During the previous day, the air defense units of the Air Force and Ground Forces defeated 14 Orlan UAVs.

In the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the defenders of Ukraine in the past 24 hours repelled eight enemy attacks, destroyed three tanks, eight artillery systems, seven units of armoured combat vehicles, one vehicle and three units of special engineering equipment of the enemy.
BEIJING, May 7 -- Several ship formations of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy carried out high-intensity combat training exercises in waters of the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea respectively, in a bid to test the coordination among vessels.

In the Yellow Sea, a naval task group consisting of frigates Wuhai (Hull 540) and Pingdingshan (Hull 602) from a naval frigate flotilla under the PLA Northern Theater Command carried out a 5-day round-the-clock drill.

The radar of frigate Wuhai captured the onshore target of the "enemy". The two frigates took their positions for main gun strike at the same time and accurately destroyed the mock target with continuous strikes.

Subsequently, the frigate Pingdingshan detected the echo of an unknown underwater metal object with its sonar, and the ship immediately adjusted its attack position and successfully intercepted the torpedo.

In the waters of the South China Sea, the task group consisting of frigates Mianyang (Hull 528), Luoyang (Hull 527) and Liupanshui (Hull 514) from a naval flotilla under the PLA Southern Theater Command encountered airborne "enemies" upon its arrival at the training area.

The commander determined the strike plan according to the on-site situation.

Frigates Luoyang and Mianyang formed an air defense formation and successfully destroyed the mock target with their close-in weapon systems.

After that, the frigate Mianyang received an order given by the exercise directing group to rescue the "drowning personnel". The warship adjusted its course and speed in real-time according to maritime conditions, formulated a life-saving plan, and successfully carried out the rescue.

During the training exercise, the vessels successively completed subjects including independent searching of in-coming missile attack, air defense and anti-missile operations, in which the warships' combat training results got tested.

In the East China Sea, a naval task group consisting of destroyer Zibo (Hull 156), destroyer Ji'nan (Hull 105), frigates Binzhou (Hull 515) and Anyang (Hull 599) from a destroyer flotilla under the PLA Eastern Theater Command encountered "enemy" just after leaving the foggy area.

Frigate Anyang detected the incoming "missile" attack with its radar firstly. Under the cover of smoke, the four vessels adjusted their courses in time, and fired their close-in weapon systems to intercept the incoming "target".

Soon after that, the anti-submarine control room of frigate Binzhou was suddenly "shot" and "caught fire". The damage control team rushed to the scene to rescue the "trapped personnel", put out the fire, and cooled the temperature.

During the three-day training exercise, the task group mainly practiced air defense and anti-missile defense, various fire support and long-range precision strikes.
A Russian Project Serna amphibious assault ship has been destroyed by a drone strike off the coast of the occupied Snake Island, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Telegram channel reported on Saturday.

"Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 destroyed another Russian ship. This time the landing craft of the Serna project. The traditional parade of the russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island - at the bottom of the sea," the message reads.

The Defense Ministry also published a video of the strike on the vessel.

Advisor to Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko said that the Russian Serna-type vessel was destroyed in an attempt to deliver the TOR surface-to-air missile system to Snake Island by an air strike. Before that, another SAM surface-to-air missile system had also been destroyed by an air strike on Snake Island itself.

"As of today, the enemy units remaining on the Snake Island remain without air cover and will be destroyed and scorched like cockroaches or locusts," he wrote on Telegram.
Recently recognized with Silver Certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition, Crescent B Commons offers a mix of retailers, restaurants, healthcare providers, beauty salons and professional services.

Crescent B Commons, the new 83,487-square-foot shopping center at Babcock Ranch, is now 98 percent leased, announced Kitson & Partners which is developing Americas first solar-powered hometown.

Since the September 2021 opening of Publix Super Market, the centers first tenant, it has been joined by resident-owned restaurants Pi Local Pizza and Mxuma Tacos Mexican Grill as well as Publix Liquors, Clover Nails & Spa and The Postal Place Pack & Ship. More businesses are expected to open in the coming months.

Bringing businesses to residents of Babcock Ranch and the surrounding region is an important part of our vision as a sustainable and growing community, said Syd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners. It significantly reduces long commutes for grocery shopping and services residents need.

Recently recognized with a Silver Certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition and located at the main entrance to Babcock Ranch at 14500 State Road 31, Crescent B Commons offers a mix of retailers, restaurants, healthcare providers, beauty salons and professional services.

Stellar Vision and the Vet at Babcock with a surgery center are expected to open this month. Royal Paw Grooming & Boarding and a dental office will open by June. Additional tenants include U-Yee Sushi, Burger Fi, a hair salon and a residential real estate office. Kitson & Partners is also finalizing leases for a national coffee shop and a pet supply company for two freestanding buildings.

Businesses want to be in Crescent B Commons and Babcock Ranch, said Matt Buehler, senior vice president of retail for Kitson & Partners. Those which have already opened are busier than anticipated.

With Chicago brick-accented facades and architecture reflecting Babcock Ranchs distinctive style, the shopping center offers outdoor areas for dining, large oak trees, a childrens play area, shaded gathering spots and benches.

Babcock Ranch was founded on the principles of green building, improved energy efficiency and conserving natural resources, said Kitson. Everything we do is built on the premise that smart growth and sustainability is best for the land and improves the quality of life for our residents, business owners and their employees. Certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition validates this philosophy and provides impartial verification that were fulfilling our commitment.

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Babcock Ranch has previously earned the coalitions top certification level as a Platinum Florida Green community in 2018 as well as Gold and Silver Certification in 2020 for commercial buildings in Founders Square, its lakefront downtown.

Encompassing 18,000 acres, half of the towns footprint is set aside as greenways, parks and expansive lakes, providing recreation and scenic backdrops for Babcock Ranchs homes, Founders Square and Crescent B Commons. The town is planned for 19,500 residences and 6,000,000 square feet of commercial space.

Construction activity continues to accelerate to meet demand with new homes, neighborhoods, amenities and facilities introducing the next phase of the towns development. Babcock High School and the neighboring Field House are under construction with plans to open for the 2022-23 school year.

Recognized as the countrys 14th top-selling master-planned community in 2021 by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors and named Master Planned Community of the Year by the Lee Building Industry Association for a second consecutive year in 2021, Babcock Ranch offers homes from seven homebuilders in seven neighborhoods, with additional builders and new neighborhoods coming soon.

Homebuilders offer over 50 home designs ranging from 1,120 to more than 4,000 square feet. Homes appeal to young millennials, families, empty nesters and retirees, with prices ranging from the $200,000s to over $1.5 million. Built to FGBC standards, homes emphasize energy and water conservation and have a full gig of fiber-optic connectivity.

Within Babcock Ranchs welcoming neighborhoods, more than two dozen model and quick-delivery homes are now open or under construction by AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, Divco Custom Homes, Florida Lifestyle Homes, Lennar, Meritage Homes, Pulte Homes and WCI.

For more information about Southwest Floridas new hometown, located just northeast of Fort Myers off Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, visit the Woodlea Hall Discovery Center at 42850 Crescent Loop in Babcock Ranch, call 877-709-6620, or visit www.BabcockRanch.com.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Crescent B Commons shopping center at Babcock Ranch nearly fully occupied
Vice President Kamala Harris packed a lot into her nearly 19-minute speech at Tennessee State University's commencement ceremony on Saturday.

Along with praising graduates for their accomplishments, she acknowledged the long-standing struggles that many of those who attend historically Black colleges and universities and their families have faced.

Kamala Harris in Nashville: With Roe v. Wade in the spotlight, Kamala Harris welcomes TSU grads into 'an unsettled world'

Previously: Vice President Kamala Harris to speak at Tennessee State University commencement ceremony

Harris also talked politics, warning graduates of the challenges she anticipates they will face, and that she hopes they might solve, in what she called the "unsettled" world they are entering.

Here are some of the most significant  and controversial  topics Harris mentioned.

The war in Ukraine

"It cannot be denied also that your class has traveled a stony road," Harris told the class of 2022. The world you graduate into is unsettled, she added.

"We see this in Ukraine," Harris said, referencing the now 10-week long war that began when Russia invaded the Eastern European country on Feb. 24. The war  and the Biden-Harris administration's response to it has captured the nation's attention.

Harris said Russia's invasion threatens "international rules and norms."

Kamala Harris on Roe v. Wade

She also referenced the fiery abortion debate that was reignited when news broke earlier this week that the U.S. Supreme Court is on the verge of overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion across the nation.

"Here in the United States, we are once again forced to defend fundamental principles that we hoped were long settled; principles like the freedom to vote, the rights of women to make decisions about their own body, what constitutes the truth," she said as the sea of blue caps before her roared.

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Harris rebuked Republican lawmakers and conservative justices earlier this week, when she argued access to abortion would be severely limited in almost half the country if Roe v. Wade gets overturned.

The gap between the rich and the poor

The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the widening gap between the rich and the poor, with Black households typically falling further behind than their white peers  one type of inequality that seems to have always existed, Harris noted.

"The gaps between the rich and the poor, men and women, the global North and global South, have existed throughout our history. And through this pandemic, the gaps have become much larger. Globally, extreme poverty is on the rise as is extreme wealth," she said.

Misinformation + the future of technology

Harris also argued that "what constitutes the truth" is under attack as rampant online misinformation further divides the political divisive country.

"What constitutes the truth, especially in an era when anyone can post anything online and say it is a fact?" Harris asked.

The White House pointed its finger at social media companies, accusing them of "killing people" for allowing misinformation about the pandemic to spread.

She said the class of 2022, who "grew up online," will be tasked with building the future of technology

"Graduates, you stand on the brink of a new frontier, where we are building the platform to the next phase of technology ... where we are defining those fundamental principles that will underpin the 21st century," she said.

Voting rights + the climate crisis

Harris also told graduates that the nation is once again being "forced to defend fundamental principles that we hoped were long settled," like the freedom to vote, and challenges that have never been settled, like the increasing threat of climate change.

Voting restrictions have cropped up in many states since Republicans and former President Donald Trump claimed the 2020 election was compromised, but Democratic legislation aimed at countering recent restrictive state measures stalled last year.

The Biden-Harris administration also promised to tackle climate change, with the president's most recent budget proposal signaling a commitment to fight global warming, but Russia's war with Ukraine also threatens global energy supplies.

Religion news: The new, more conservative Global Methodist Church just launched: Key takeaways from its start

OPINION: As news leaks of possible Roe v. Wade turnover, reaction is mixed across Tennessee

What she didn't mention? Student loan debt

One topic the vice president didn't mention Saturday? Student loans.

More than 41 million borrowers haven't had to make payments on their federal student loans since March 2020, and Biden recently extended the moratorium until Aug. 31, but the White Houe is facing mounting pressure to offer widespread debt relief to student loan borrowers.

Meghan Mangrum covers education for the USA TODAY Network  Tennessee. Contact her at mmangrum@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.

Want to read more stories like this? A subscription to one of our Tennessee publications gets you unlimited access to all the latest news throughout the entire USA TODAY Network.

Stay up-to-date on Tennessee's top education news by signing up for our new weekly newsletter, School Zone. Sign up here.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Everything Kamala Harris said  and didn't say  at TSU commencement
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Jill Biden made a stylish arrival in Romania on Friday. This is her first stop on the four-day solo trip to eastern Europe to get an up-close look at the Ukrainian refugee crisis. The first lady flew in overnight from Washington and landed just in time to help serve dinner at Romanias Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near the Black Sea.

More from Footwear News

First lady Jill Biden is greeted as she arrives at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania on May 6, 2022. - Credit: AP

AP

Biden showcased her sophisticated and chic style sense in a pinstripe blazer jacket. She teamed the overcoat with a white top and colorful scarf that was tied in knot around her neck. She paired the top with a white flowy skirt that had a ruffled hemline.

First lady Jill Biden meets on the tarmac with seven members of the Delaware Army National Guard, before departing the airport near the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania on May 6, 2022. - Credit: AP

AP

First lady Jill Biden and Staff Sergeant Sharon Rogers read Night Catch for Rogers son, Nathan, during a visit to the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base on May 6, 2022. - Credit: AP

AP

When it came down to footwear, the New Jersey native slipped into one of her favorite go-to shoe styles  suede boots. The gray silhouette had an elongated pointed toe and a short stacked block heel.

A closer look at Jill Bidens grey suede boots at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in - Credit: AP

AP

Dr. Biden is known for creating sartorial moments both on the political stage and in her day-to-day routine. Some of her most prolific looks include garments from brands like Markarian and Dolce & Gabbana. For footwear, she favors versatile pumps in nude and black tones from brands like Dior, Valentino and Stuart Weitzman. Color-coordinated heels are also a go-to for her brighter ensembles, from labels like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. In warmer months, she can also be seen in espadrille wedge sandals by Loeffler Randall.

Discover Bidens sharp style through the years in the gallery.

Slip into a pair of grey suede boots this spring.

Credit: Kohl's

Kohl's

To Buy: Sugar Ollie Over-The-Knee Boots, $65 (was $77).

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Credit: DSW

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To Buy: Kelly & Katie Tarq Over The Knee Boot, $70.

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Abortion rights activists are planning to protest outside of the homes of the conservative justices on the Supreme Court after a leaked draft of a majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was published earlier this week.

Ruth Sent Us, a progressive activist organization, posted on their website that they will be protesting outside the homes of the six conservative justices on May 11.

At the homes of the six extremist justices, three in Virginia and three in Maryland. If youd like to join or lead a peaceful protest, let us know, the site reads.

The planned protests come after Politico published the leaked draft written by staunch conservative Justice Samuel Alito that states the court would overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively ending federal protections for abortions. The opinion would move the decision on abortion down to the states.

Following the report, the Supreme Court said that the draft, which was penned in February, was authentic, but that a final decision has not yet been made on the matter.

Another group, Shutdown DC, announced a vigil at Alitos house on Monday, May 9.

Justice Alito thinks he can take away our rights. But our rights are fundamentally ours. Were showing up to tell him in person, the tweet read.

The tweet included a graphic with the location of the justices house.

When asked about previous protests outside of the justices homes on Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki dodged the question.

I think our view here is that peaceful protests  theres a long history in the United States, in the country of that. And weve certainly encouraged people to keep it peaceful and not resort to any level of violence, Psaki said when asked if the president would discourage protesters from going to the justices homes.

The six conservative justices are: Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and John Roberts.

When asked if the White House condoned posting justices addresses online, Psaki said: The presidents view is that theres a lot of passion, a lot of fear, a lot of sadness from many, many people across this country about what they saw in that leaked document, Psaki said.

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We obviously want peoples privacy to be respected. We want people to protest peacefully if they want to protest. That is certainly what the presidents view would be.

The Hill has reached out to the Supreme Court for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
In any case, the Americans would not respond disproportionately.

Arthur Cyr

Peggy Noonan, respected and influential columnist for The Wall Street Journal, made that statement regarding the possibility that Russia will use nuclear weapons in the continuing war with Ukraine.

Her startling statement has ambiguity, but implies that the United States would launch nuclear weapons only to the extent that Russia did so. That alone is a terrifying prospect, but one which must be considered given alarming public statements by President Vladimir Putin.

Putin, who prefers to view NATO as the aggressor in the Ukraine war, has stated further escalation of the fighting could introduce nuclear weapons. These distinctively destructive and horrific weapons mercifully have been off limits since the U.S. dropped two of the new devices on Japan cities to end World War II.

Contrary good news, generally ignored by the mass media, is that in January Moscow and Washington quietly agreed to extend the New START treaty for five years, until 2026. This treaty, signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russia President Dmitry Medvedev, limits nuclear warheads on each side to 1550, plus limitations on missiles and bombers.

Nuclear arms represented the highest-stakes arena of the Cold War. In response, governments achieved both nuclear and conventional weapons control agreements, and such efforts have continued since that global conflict ended.

The Trump administration proved erratic on nuclear weapons matters. Initial emphasis on ending North Koreas nuclear weapons program was unsuccessful. In August 2019, the administration withdrew from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, complaining of violations by Russia.

Nuclear Summits involving large numbers of nations and international organizations was an important initiative of the Obama administration. The 2016 Nuclear Summit in Washington D.C. concluded with a formal statement underscoring nuclear weapons control.

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Unfortunately, Russia did not participate. That reflected Russias strained relations with other nations following annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Nonetheless, the major conference reinforced the important, tangible United Nations framework to coordinate efforts regarding the threat of nuclear terrorism. Specifically, UN Security Council Resolution 1540, passed in 2004, and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT), provide a legal foundation for action and facilitate cooperation.

The first Nuclear Summit took place in 2010, also in Washington D.C. Others took place in 2012 in Seoul, South Korea, and 2014 in The Hague in the Netherlands.

In 1986, during the Soviet-U.S. summit in Iceland, Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan surprised staffs and the world by pledging to the abolition of all nuclear weapons. That utopian vision fostered a more practical result, the INF Treaty signed by Gorbachev and Reagan in 1987.

Reductions are desirable, but efforts to outlaw all nuclear weapons fundamentally flawed. Destroying all known nuclear weapons would provide a decisive advantage to any power that secretly retained even a few.

Another benchmark in arms control occurred in 1972 when the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) led to treaties between the U.S. and the Soviet Union limiting both offensive and defensive missile systems.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, an initiative of President Dwight Eisenhower, facilitates peaceful nuclear energy and provides long-term restraint on nuclear weapons proliferation. Ike, always comprehensive in vision, also achieved demilitarization of Antarctica.

In 1954, Eisenhower firmly vetoed use of nuclear weapons to support France, losing a colonial war in Indochina. In direct terms, he reinforced President Harry Trumans refusal to use nuclear weapons during the Korean War.

Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). His the Clausen Distinguished Professor and director of the Clausen Center at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI. Contact acyr@carthage.edu

This article originally appeared on Star Courier: Arthur I. Cyr column: Nuclear war danger, Russia and Ukraine
The former CEO of a South Carolina bank has been indicted for conspiring with disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh to defraud victimsincluding a deaf man who was left quadriplegic after a damaging car crashof nearly $2 million.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the 21 charges against Russell Lucius Laffitte, along with new charges for both Murdaugh and his friend and fellow attorney Cory Fleming, in a statement from his office Wednesday.

Four new charges were added to staggering list of criminal accusations against Murdaugh, who is now facing a total of 79 criminal charges, while five new charges were lobbied against Fleming.

Fleming has been accused of, among other things, stealing just over $8,000 from the mother of Hakeem L. Pinckney, who was left quadriplegic after a 2009 car crash and later died in 2011. He allegedly used the ill-gotten gains meant for the victims family to fly himself, Murdaugh and another attorney on a private plane to the 2012 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, authorities said.

Alex Murdaugh Pd

Alex Murdaugh Photo: AP

Laffitte, 51, had served as chief executive officer at the Palmetto State Bank until he was fired in January. It is the first time hes been criminally charged for his alleged association with Murdaugh; he's accused of helping the disgraced attorney misappropriate funds that were being held at the bank.

The first of three superseding indictments from the grand jury charges Murdaugh and Laffitte with one count of criminal conspiracy for allegedly working together to surreptitiously misappropriate $350,245.08 in funds to Murdaugh that Laffitte had held in a trust while serving as the conservator for Natarsha Thomas.

Thomas and Hakeems mother, Pamela Pinckney, had also been severely injured in the crash that left Hakeem a quadriplegic, according to FITS News.

Murdaugh was accused of using settlement funds he secured for Thomas to be made out in a check to Settlement Proceeds: Natasha Thomas in the amount of $325,000 to the bank and disbursed from a client trust account of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Elztroth and Detrick, P.A. (PMPED), but then used the check to purchase a money order payable to an unnamed family member, according to the indictment.

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Rather than giving the money to Thomas, he breached her trust and used the money for his own personal use, authorities said.

Laffitte is accused in helping Murdaugh divert the money for his own personal use. Laffitte has also been charged with two counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent of a value more than $10,00 and a computer crime in connection to the scheme.

The pair are also accused of similarly misappropriating $309,581.46 in money Laffitte held in trust as a conservator for Hakeem and his estate, according to a second indictment. Rather than going to the intended victim, authorities said Murdaugh used the money to pay back loans Laffitte had issued him from client funds in an unrelated case.

Fleming and Murdaugh are also accused of defrauding Hakeems mother, Pamela Pinckey, and are facing charges of criminal conspiracy for working together to allegedly divert $89,133.44 in money meant for Pamela to Murdaugh himself. Fleming is also facing charges for allegedly stealing $8,078.46 from Pamela for his own personal use to take that flight to the College World Series.

The Pinckneys family attorney, state Rep. Justin Bamberg, described the latest criminal charges to FITSNews as a long time coming.

The Pinckneys have waited over a decade for things to be made right, he said. If people didnt get it before, they should get it now. No stone will be left unturned.

Finally, a third indictment accused Murdaugh and Laffitte of criminal conspiracy for acting together to misappropriate nearly $1.2 million being controlled at the bank by Laffitte to Murdaugh, who used the money to pay back loans Laffitte had issued him in an unrelated case. The settlement money had been meant for Arthur Badger, a man who had lost his wife Donna in a vehicular crash.

Laffitte was accused of being an aider and abettor in 12 breach of trust counts in connection the alleged scheme.

In his role as a bank executive, Laffitte intentionally enabled Murdaugh to conduct transactions to further Murdaughs schemes that should have never been conducted, the indictment read.

In total, Laffitte is accused of schemes to defraud victims of $1,832,772.30, authorities said.

His attorney Matt Austin said in a statement to FITSNews that his client is maintaining his innocence and has been cooperating with authorities

We intend to fight the charges vigorously and look forward to our client having his day in court, Austin said.

Murdaugh and Flemingwho had been Murdaughs college roommate and the godparent to one of his childrenare already facing criminal charges in connection to a similar alleged scheme to defraud the family of Murdaughs long-time housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.

Satterfield died in 2018 after a fall at Murdaughs Colleton County home. Authorities have said Murdaugh encouraged her family to hire Fleming to sue him in a wrongful death case, without ever revealing that Fleming was one of his closest friends. He then allegedly funneled millions of dollars meant for the family in an insurance settlement into his own personal accounts.

Murdaugh had once been a successful lawyer who hailed from a prestigious legal South Carolina family but his life began to unravel after his wife Maggie and son Paul were found shot to death on the familys Colleton County hunting compound in June.

The investigation into their deaths brought to light the series of alleged financial crimes committed by Murdaugh, who is now accused of defrauding victims of $8,492,888.31 across the 79 charges against him, authorities said.

The double homicide remains unsolved.

For more on the case, watch Oxygen's special "Alex Murdaugh: Death. Deception. Power."
The parliaments of Latvia and Estonia  former Soviet states that are now members of NATO and the European Union  officially declared on Thursday that Russia has committed genocide in Ukraine.

The Riigikogu, Estonias parliament, recognizes as genocide against the Ukrainian people the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and its political and military leadership in conducting the renewed military aggression against Ukraine, the legislature said in a statement on Thursday.

The parliament said that Russia had committed acts of genocide in areas including Mariupol, Bucha and Borodyanka, among others.

These have consisted of murders, enforced disappearances, deportations, imprisonment, torture, rape, and desecration of corpses, according to the statement.

The Estonian parliament called on other international organizations and parliaments to take similar measures in calling Russias actions a genocide and urged for nations to bolster sanctions against Moscow while increasing humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine.

The Saeima, the Latvian parliament, also adopted a statement on Thursday, which says in part that it recognizes that the Russian Federation is currently committing genocide against the Ukrainian people  with the support and involvement of the Belarussian regime.

In addition to urging for more sanctions against Russia and providing more support to Ukraine, the statement also asserts that Russias invasion is a gross violation of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as international law and previous Russian commitments.

The declarations by the two parliaments was praised by Oleksandr Korniyenko, first deputy speaker of Ukraines parliament.

The parliaments of #Estonia and #Latvia have recognised [Russias] actions against Ukrainians as genocide. Our friends call on the world to tighten sanctions against [Russia] and support #Ukraine with weapons right now, Korniyenko wrote on Twitter.

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While President Biden and former President Trump have both said that Russia has committed a genocide, the United States has not made a formal declaration, and Biden has said that the ultimate determination will be made with his lawyers.

Bidens comments were slammed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov earlier this month, who claimed during a press briefing it was a distortion of the situation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Top Chef judge Alon Shaya says growing up, his mom and grandmother cooked Israeli and Bulgarian recipes. "Our days were always centered around food," he says. (Photo: Alon Shaya; designed by Quinn Lemmers)

Because food connects us all, Yahoo Life is serving up a heaping plateful of table talk with people who are passionate about what's on their menu in Deglazed, a series about food.

Regardless of where he goes or where he's come from, Alon Shaya has created a map of his personal journey through menus. As a young boy from Israel growing up on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pa., food has always been a guiding light for the Top Chef Season 15 judge, as well as a way to connect to his past, present and future.

"Food has always just played a really huge role," he says. "It was a big thing in our house  our days were always centered around food."

"We have so many [food traditions] because I was born in Israel," he adds. "My mom and my grandmother cooked a lot of food from Israel and my grandmother is Bulgarian, so she cooked a lot of Bulgarian dishes."

The 43-year-old author of part memoir, part cookbook Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel says he grew up in the kitchen, but the moments he recalls most vividly are centered around holiday traditions.

"One of my favorite moments was during Hanukkah every year," Shaya shares. "You make jelly donuts  Sufganiyah  and for any kid, it's a highlight. My mom had this jelly gun and I would sit there and squeeze the jelly into the donuts and spend all day in the kitchen with her."

Shaya, who currently resides in New Orleans, La. and owns hospitality and restaurant consulting business Pomegranate Hospitality, says this love of traditions built around food has remained a constant in his life. He hopes to pass his passion for food on to friends and family, and to his daughter, Ruth. In fact, Shaya and his wife, Emily, have blended their rich culture with the history of their new hometown to build a brand new tradition for their family.

We call it our 'Cajun Shabbat' and we do it every Monday night," Shaya tells Yahoo Life. "It's when my wife cooks a big pot of red beans and rice and we invite a bunch of friends over, have wine and catch up on the last week."

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Shabbat, the day of rest and peace in the Jewish faith, typically takes place weekly from sundown on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday. Shaya says this merging of culture is something that's turned Monday into a day to look forward to: one that's built around not only his Jewish roots but also the food culture in New Orleans.

"Monday is the day that red beans and rice are traditionally served in Louisiana  Monday was wash day, so that's when all the laundry was hand-washed back in the day," the chef explains. "People were busy all day long scrubbing clothes, so they didn't have a lot of time to stand over a pot and cook. The thing about red beans is you can put them on early and let them go and eight or nine hours later, you have a great pot of red beans."

Aside from menus at home, Shaya's time in Louisiana has also shaped the menus of his restaurants across the country. Shaya spoke with Yahoo Life on behalf of his most recent work with the Vidalia Onion Committee, where he created a special menu for this year's Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Ky. based around the sweet onions and horse races.

"I'm working with them to make some recipes for the Derby," he says,"things I think are fun to have while watching the horse race."

"Gumbo is one of them," Shaya continues. "With gumbo, if you make it with a really dark roux, it can sometimes have some bitter notes because the flour is cooked for so long, but I add a whole lot of Vidalia onions to the dish and they really sweeten it up so it balances that bitterness in a really great way.

A good, rich roux  a mixture of white wheat flour and cooking fat that is cooked down then used to thicken and flavor dishes like gumbo  is a staple in Louisiana cooking. As a self-proclaimed proud New Orleanian, Shaya says this aromatic Creole stew has become the perfect celebration dish.

"That's something I really love for parties, just a huge pot of gumbo," he says. "Everyone can come up and grab a ladle and put it on top of some rice or potato salad  which is another thing a lot of people don't know about  potato salad with gumbo. It's kind of a Western Louisiana thing."

Shaya's Vidalia onion gumbo with potato salad recipe is a Vidalia-forward recipe created for the Kentucky Derby website through his partnership with the Vidalia Onion Committee. (Photo: Stephen Werk)

"We're doing a potato salad to go along with the gumbo with a lot of Vidalia onions in it," he explains. "So when you ladle that gumbo you can put a scoop of potato salad in it and it gets really creamy and delicious."

Although many cultures and cuisines inspire him, Shaya says the chef who most inspires him to keep cooking is the same one who helped him get started on his culinary journey.

"I would say the cook I admire most is Donna Barnett, my former home economics teacher," Shaya shares. "I feel she has single-handedly used food to make a huge difference in people's lives when they needed it the most, so she's always been my main inspiration."

Shaya says his home economics teacher became a mentor to him in high school, a time where he needed "direction in life." It was Barnett who helped him apply for culinary school and land his first job in a fine dining restaurant. "She saw I had a lot of talent and passion for cooking," he says. "She's remained a huge part of my life  she's always been like a mother to me."

The pair launched the Shaya Barnett Foundation in 2016 to provide resources and culinary education to high school students in an effort to provide them with the same opportunities and experiences that helped shape Shaya's success in the kitchen.

"We started our foundation to try to help make a difference in people's lives the way she made a difference in my life," Shaya says of his continued work with Barnett, which began when he was a youth in Philadelphia.

So, as a Philadelphia native, where does Shaya, a two-time James Beard Award-winner, go for the perfect Philly cheesesteak? "Dalessandro's is my favorite cheesesteak," he says. "It's located in North Philly and that's where I go."

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Zelensky indicates the need to eliminate queues at gas stations  meeting of Presidents Office with Cabinet

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Head of the Presidents Office Andriy Yermak and his deputies, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and members of the government took part in a meeting on topical issues of the executive branch, where they addressed issues of fuel security of the country.

According to the website of the head of state, the president noted the need to eliminate queues at Ukrainian gas stations.

According to First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, the work on providing Ukraine a green corridor in the ports of Eastern Europe, which is the main bottleneck in the logistics of fuel supplies to the country, continues in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The need for long-term contracts and the accumulation of state fuel reserves was also noted.

Minister of Finance of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko reported on the state budget execution under martial law. According to him, the country ended April with a deficit of UAH 125 billion. At the same time, the tax and customs revenues amounted to UAH 53 billion, which exceeded expectations. In May it is planned to receive UAH 57 billion.

According to the minister, the monthly deficit is planned to be repaid through international grants and loans. Negotiations continue on international grants of $11 billion, of which Ukraine has already received $5 billion.

The meeting discussed the preparation of a plan for Ukraine's reconstruction and development after the war.

In addition, the Head of State was reported on the process of granting Ukraine the status of candidate for membership in the European Union.

Also, in the course of the meeting, attention was paid to the issue of interaction between the state authorities and organizations that provide citizens who suffered from the Russian aggression with medical, psychological and social rehabilitation services.
Ashland police reported a rash of vehicle break-ins recently at a local soccer complex. Money, gift cards, purses and other items were stolen. Police say thieves are more likely to target a vehicle when valuables are left in plain sight.

ASHLAND  It takes about 15 seconds to break into a vehicle, especially if would-be thieves are motivated by something they see inside.

That's according to Ashland Police Department Capt. Craig Kiley, who reminds drivers such theft incidents can happen anytime and almost anywhere.

There are ways to protect yourself, however. First and foremost, lock up, say local authorities, and don't leave valuables in plain sight.

Catalytic converter thefts on the rise: Watch your car: Catalytic converter thefts on the rise across the nation

Thieves target vehicles at Ashland soccer complex

More than $1,500 and other valuables were stolen April 30 from five vehicles parked at an Ashland soccer complex.

According to an Ashland police report, the break-ins happened at 1480 County Road 1302, between 7 and 8:30 p.m. while the vehicle owners were attending a soccer game.

Hondas, a Lincoln and Chevrolets were among the vehicles targeted. A thief or thieves broke windows to gain entry.

Sentencing in fatal crash: Indiana man gets time in Ashland County Jail for 2020 crash that killed four along I-71

Four of the five vehicles were locked, Kiley said.

Items stolen include purses, credit cards, cash, checkbooks, IDs, gift cards and a diabetic pen.

A motivated thief can gain entry into your locked vehicle within 15 seconds. Authorities advise parking in well-lit areas and not leaving valuables in plain sight.

One vehicle's window had multiple small fractures at the base of the window, the police report noted. A small device, "possibly spring-loaded ... might have been used to shatter the window with minimal effort."

"Just a friendly reminder that you should never leave your valuables in your vehicle, especially in plain sight," police cautioned in a Facebook post. "We've had a rash of vehicle break-ins over the weekend where windows were busted out because purses were visible."

Kiley advises keeping purses in trunks, parking in a well-lit area and not leaving an excess of cash in your vehicle.

Thefts from vehicles down since 2019

Ohio's major cities reported a total of 2,746 incidents of thefts from vehicles in the second quarter of 2018, down slightly from 2017 (2,754), according to data from the Office of Criminal Justice Services.

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In Ashland, theft from vehicles steadily dropped since 2019, numbers provided by the local police agency show.

2019: 36

2020: 23

2021: 22

2022: 10 (As of May 5)

The vehicles most commonly broken into are Ford, Chevrolet pick-up, Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Car break-ins happen at all times of the year, Kiley advises.

"Holidays, I'd say, increase the likelihood," he said.

How to keep your car safe from potential break-ins

Keep your car in a well-lit area

Don't keep valuable items in your vehicle

Don't carry an excess of cash

Make sure your car is locked

Hide purses, or other valuables

Reach Grant at 419-281-0581, ext. 259 or gritchey@gannett.com

On Twitter: @ritchey_grant

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Protect yourself: Here what you can do to keep car thieves at bay
Local authorities say Azuree Charles, nine, was found dead in Pennsylvania (WTAE)

A young boy found dead in Pennsylvania was murdered, local authorities have confirmed.

Azuree Charles, nine, was found on Wednesday in a wooded area near a home in New Kensington, Westmoreland County. On Thursday, the county district attorney confirmed that he had been killed.

I can confirm again this was a homicide, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli told WTAE. The child did die at the hands of another person.

Ms Ziccarelli said that a person of interest had been identified in the case but gave no other details, citing an ongoing investigation.

Azurees father, Jean Charles, was arrested on Wednesday but reportedly on unrelated charges. According to a criminal complaint, Mr Charles is accused of punching one of his children in the eye in November 2021. The complaint does not identify the child.

At Thursdays press conference, Ms Ziccarelli gave little information about the case. However when a reporter asked if the suspect was still at large, she said that the public need not worry.

Based on everything we know at this time in the investigation  again, at this time  we do not believe there is a danger to the community at large, she said.

Azurees community expressed their devastation over his death. On Wednesday, the local school district sent a letter to families offering grief counselors and other services.

It is with a heavy heart that I share news that one of our elementary students passed away suddenly sometime this morning before school, wrote Dr Chris Sefcheck, superintendent of the New Kensington-Arnold School District. A tragedy like this is not easy to accept, while causing many levels of grief across our close-knit community.

The childs aunt, Madorne Lemaime, remembered Azuree as a sweet and respectful child.

He was the most friendly kid, Ms Lemaime told TribLIVE. When they were at the grocery store, he would run around saying hi and asking if people wanted to be friends.

She added that Azuree had been recovering from health problems stemming from his premature birth, including several surgeries.

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He was just getting over all of his health conditions, the grieving aunt said.

As the investigation continues, police have asked the public to come forward with any information they might have.

This is a horrible tragedy for our community here in New Kensington and our county at large, Ms Ziccarelli said. If you can provide anything about the life or death of Azuree, please contact the New Kensington Police Department at 724-339-7533.
A Lafayette Police officer is facing multiple charges after crashing on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge while driving on Interstate 10.

Lt. Todd Alcorn was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless operation of a vehicle, open alcohol container and first-degree vehicular negligent injury, which is a felony offense.

He was booked Friday afternoon into the Iberville Parish Jail and has since bailed out of jail on a $9,500 bond, according to jail records.

Alcorn, a 25-year department veteran, was driving west on I-10 in his personal car on April 10, Louisiana State Police Troop A spokesperson Trooper First Class Taylor Scrantz told KLFY.

At about 7 a.m. that morning, Alcorn struck a bridge rail and lost control of the car near mile marker 132, which is about five miles east of Whiskey Bay. He came to a stop in the left lane and was hit by an oncoming vehicle.

In other news: Bill creates possible parole path for Jim Crow non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana

Alcorn was critically injured and was taken to a Baton Rouge hospital, Scrantz said. The 44-year-old driver of the other car was taken to a Lafayette hospital.

Alcorn has been out on medical leave since the accident and has not reported to work, a Lafayette Police Department spokesperson said Friday night, but provided no other comment.

After the crash, a department spokesperson asked the public to keep Alcorn and his family in their prayers and said "things are difficult right now and out of respect for his family we will not be releasing a statement."

Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lafayette Police officer facing DWI charge after crash on basin bridge
Members of Dance Academy of Mexico prepare to perform at the Cinco de Mayo Family Festival.

Victor Huyke saw the parallels between 1862 and today clearly.

One of the main organizers of Saturday's Cinco de Mayo family festival on Milwaukee's south side, Huyke spoke of the holiday's roots  the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Then he spoke of the Ukrainian people's fight to defend their lives and homes against an invading Russian military.

"France had a powerful army that continued to advance on Mexico, but when they got to Puebla, the Mexican general got aid from the farmers who lived there, and they won," said Huyke. "What we've learned from that is that despite overwhelming odds, people can accomplish anything."

Huyke, the publisher of El Conquistador Latino Newspaper, said Cinco de Mayo is a celebration not just of one country, but of the human spirit.

And so on Saturday, the celebration was dedicated to the people of Ukraine. El Conquistador and UMOS, a Milwaukee-based advocacy organization supporting housing, child development and social services for underserved populations, staged it at UMOS headquarters.

The festival featured food trucks, music, contests, a car show and a carnival. It also included a booth sponsored by St. Michael's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, where Nadiya Kavyuk and fellow church members were selling homemade cookies, Ukrainian Easter eggs and jewelry, with all the proceeds going to support victims and refugees of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We've been collecting money and sending supplies to people in Ukraine since the war began," said Kavyuk. "But this is the first community event we've been to. We're so thankful to be included."

Although the day is celebrated in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not  as many Americans think  Mexican Independence Day. The celebration has actually become more popular in America than it is in Mexico, as many see it as a way to celebrate Mexican culture.

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"The victory wasn't celebrated in Mexico at first, but rather by Mexican Americans as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War. The holiday then picked up more traction during the Chicano Movement during the 1960s and 1970s," according to a recent USA TODAY interview with Mario Garcia, a Chicanx historian from the University of California Santa Barbara.

For the Ukrainians at the Milwaukee festival Saturday, that theme of resistance is felt daily.

As other members of St. Michael's continued to accept donations from festivalgoers, Kavyuk scrolled through a group message app on her phone. Kavyuk, who has lived in the United States for the past 16 years, has family members living in Ukraine who are on the app.

One message was from a relative who heard sirens and wondered where her father was. Another was sent from a bomb shelter. Another was sent in the middle of the night. Halfway across the globe, Kavyuk was reading along, feeling the emotions from her homeland.

"Imagine, you wake up to hear that and you have to just go ... to a bomb shelter," she said.

As Kavyuk put her phone away to accept more donations, she noted the similarity between her family members fighting to stay in their homes and the fight of the Mexican people 160 years ago.

"I'm thankful that we're here and we're supporting each other's communities," said Kavyuk. "We need to learn about each other more. What is Cinco de Mayo? It's about fighting for your home and winning victory."

Contact Amy Schwabe at (262) 875-9488 or amy.schwabe@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @WisFamilyJS, Instagram at @wisfamilyjs or Facebook at WisconsinFamily.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cinco de Mayo 2022 family festival in Milwaukee held by UMOS
Elon Musk's $44 billion buyout of Twitter is facing its first legal challenge. A Florida pension fund is suing Musk and Twitter, arguing that the deal can't legally close until 2025 due to the billionaire's stake in the platform. The proposed class-action lawsuit  filed today by the Orlando Police Pension Fund in the Delaware Chancery court also declares that Twitters board of directors breached its fiduciary duties by allowing the deal to go through. In addition to Musk and Twitter, the lawsuit also named former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, current Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and the companys board as defendants.

In a message to Engadget, Tulane Law Schools Professor Ann M. Lipton says the lawsuit raises "some very novel issues" under Delaware corporate law. Under a law known as Section 203, shareholders who own more than 15 percent of the company cant enter a merger without two-thirds of the remaining shares granting approval. Without this approval, the merger cant be finalized for another three years.

The funds lawyers state that Musk initially owned roughly 10 percent of Twitters shares, which would seemingly not make Section 203 applicable. But, the fund argues, Musk formed a pact with Morgan Stanley (which owns 8.8 percent of shares) and former CEO Jack Dorsey (who has 2.4 percent) to advance the deal. The combined stake of these parties allegedly makes Musk and his allies in the takeover deal an "interested shareholder" under Section 203  which, if the court agrees with the underlying reasoning presented in the case, means the merger must either be delayed or get approval shareholders representing at least two-thirds of the company's ownership.

Section 203 is not often litigated, and so the issue of whether Musk's relationship with these parties actually counts for statutory purposes is an unsettled question and it will be interesting to watch how it unfolds, wrote Lipton.

More details of Musks highly complex $44 billion buyout of Twitter have been made public since the social media platform accepted the billionaires offer last month. The New York Times reported that Musk promised investors returns of nearly five to ten times their investments if the deal went through. Parts of the deal are being scrutinized, including its reliance on foreign investors and whether Musk bought shares in the company specifically to influence its leadership. But antitrust experts say the merger is unlikely to be blocked by the FTC. The agency will decide in the next month whether to quickly approve the merger or launch a lengthier investigation.
Superyacht "The Scheherazade" Moored In Italian Marina - Credit: Getty Images

A superyacht believed to be owned by Russian president Vladimir Putin was frozen by Italian authorities Friday before the ship could set sail from port.

The $700 million, 459-foot Scheherazade, worth approximately $700 million, had been under investigation since March, when Italian authorities boarded the ship as part of the European Unions sanctions against Russian oligarchs in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

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While Scheherazades ownership was under question, anti-corruption journalists working with jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny long claimed that the ship belonged to Putin; U.S. officials also linked the Scheherazade to Putin, the New York Times reported.

ATTENTION!!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

The Scheherezade, also known as Putin's secret super yacht, has just been arrested in Italy.

Here is the press release from the Guardia di Finanza.

https://t.co/FPdgXowjNS  Maria Pevchikh (@pevchikh) May 6, 2022

A subsequent report by Italian newspaper La Stampa connected the Scheherazade through shell companies to Russian oligarch Eduard Yurievich Khudainatov, former president of Russian oil company Rosneft, though his ownership is believed to obfuscate the real owner of the ship.

(Forbes notes that Khudainatov  who does not face EU sanctions  is also accused of being a proxy owner of the Amadea, a superyacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.)

The investigation into the Scheherazade  dry-docked at the Marina di Carrara since September for maintenance  hastened in recent days as it appeared the ship was preparing to imminently set sail, which would have removed it from the jurisdiction of EU sanctions. Before that could happen, however, the Italian Minister of Economy and Finance announced a freezing decree of the Scheherazade before it could leave the dock.

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In announcing the freeze, the Minister of Economy and Finance Daniele Franco said their investigation found the presence of significant economic and business links of the beneficial owner of the boat Scheherazade with prominent elements of the Russian government.

If Putin did in fact own the Scheherazade, he didnt have much time to enjoy it: Forbes reports that the ship was built in 2020, and that some of its perks included an on-ship movie theater, beauty salon, spa and helicopter pad.

The Scheherazade is the latest superyacht targeted in the ongoing sanctions against Russian oligarchs, following the seizure of Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanovs custom-built 512-foot yacht Dilbar as well as the Amore Vero, a superyacht belonging to Igor Sechin, the Russian oil oligarch dubbed Darth Vader.

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Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Meshkov said on Friday that his country had been snubbed from participating in commemorative World War II victory events in France slated to be held on Sunday, Russian news agency Tass reported.

On May 8, France will traditionally hold celebrations dedicated to the victory in World War II. Ambassadors and military attaches  first of the Soviet Union, then Russia, Belarus as countries that made a decisive contribution to the victory over fascism  were always invited, he said, according to the news outlet.

This year we there was no place on the podium, although the ambassadors of those countries that fought on the side of Nazi Germany will sit there.

May 8 is known as Victory in Europe Day, marking Germanys surrender during World War II. A separate Victory Day is celebrated in Russia on May 9.

There had been recent speculation that Russia would formally declare war on Ukraine on May 9, which Russia dismissed.

Russia has not formally recognized their invasion into Ukraine, now in its third month, as anything other than a special military operation.

But that conflict in Ukraine has sparked international condemnation, leading nations around the world to isolate the country socially, politically and economically in retaliation, including being snubbed from global events such as Frances World War II celebrations.

During Sundays events in Paris, a ceremony on the Champs Elysees will be led by French President Emmanuel Macron, according to Tass.

Under the Arc de Triomphes arches, the Eternal Flame will be lit in addition to other events including laying flowers at the Unknown Soldiers tomb. A wreath will also be laid on the monument to Gen. Charles de Gaulle.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow warned Americans to avoid large public gatherings around Russian celebrations commemorating their World War II victory amid the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine.

Annual Victory Day celebrations, including the main parade in Red Square, will take place in Moscow through May 9. Local authorities will restrict movement in event areas to facilitate rehearsals for the event, the embassy said in a security alert on Friday.

In the past, there have been heightened police presence surrounding these events. Given the ongoing tensions, U.S. citizens should avoid large public gatherings. Smaller Victory Day events are expected throughout Russia, it added. The embassy may not always be aware of the exact time and place of these events in advance.

There has been recent speculation that on May 9, Russias Victory Day, the country could formally declare war against Ukraine. Russia has said that it is conducting a special military operation, in Ukraine, though the United States recognizes the invasion as a war.

That Victory Day speculation, however, has been dismissed by the Kremlin.

The development amid news that President Biden announced that a $150 million security assistance package would be going toward Ukraine, which would include equipment like radars and artillery munitions.

The U.S. has sent more than $13 billion in aid to Ukraine as the invasion drags on for third month.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday that legislation regarding an additional $33 billion requested by Biden last month for Ukraine could be voted on as soon as next week.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
BOLOGNA, Italy  Buyers were happy to be back at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, which ran from April 28 to May 2.

Its great to actually get out to a live show again, said Shawn Whiffler, portfolio manager for personal care at Clicks, based in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Weve been very much starved of innovation in the industry  and even more so in Australia, after spending so much time locked down in Melbourne, working remotely, added Lizzy West, head of product development at Mecca Brands. At Cosmoprof, things are so much quicker, because you can experience the textures, ask the questions. You have the full sensorial elements and can make decisions quite quickly.

Here, a roundup of what retailers from the world over were looking for at the trade show.

Shawn Whiffler, portfolio manager for personal care at Clicks, of Cape Town, South Africa, with 800 stores.

We are a health and beauty retailer and need to attract customers from grocers and other specialized stores, so we need differentiation, Whiffler said. You find that at a fair like Cosmoprof.

Already on the first day, weve seen some very good things, which were excited about  some fun brands [with] glitter, UV and bright colors, he continued. The first customers that have come out of the starting blocks are the young [ones]. They want more than what they had before COVID-19  bright colors, glitter, different hair color. So youre looking for bigger nails and eyelashes, more color, newer shades. On top of that, we are looking for skin care. Customers hear about different formats and formulations, but all they want to know is what its used for  whats the main ingredient and why you should be using it.

Im looking at cosmetic accessories, not much is new there, [and] fragrances, the executive said.

Some brands he mentioned included Doll Beauty for lashes, Marc Anthony in hair care, Bye Bye Blemish for skin care and Eveline Cosmetics.

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Lizzy West, head of product development at Mecca Brands, of Melbourne, Australia, with 109 doors and an e-tail platform.

West walked the halls searching for products for Mecca Brands, the retailers private label line with four brands.

What were sourcing for varies by brand, and its brand and product philosophy that is unique to each, she explained. In general, we are seeking skin care technology  the cutting-edge of new high-tech actives, highly effective, clean beauty formulations and the like. Sourcing componentry is important to us.

And finally, looking for the weird and wonderful, West said. Cosmoprof is quite magical for wandering the halls once youve ticked everything off your list and are just going for a wander and finding those strange little curios that can be a seedling of an idea.

Laura Reyes Palomo, marketing director of Tik Tek, of Mexico City, with a network of 30 retailers, including Costco, Walmart, Liverpool, Sally Beauty and Sears.

Laura Reyes Palomos scouting in Bologna was multilayered, encompassing different categories and price points. The executive mostly focused on finding accessible solutions for the Mexican market, as she acknowledged that the average spending capacity for beauty is limited. The key target was skin care and hair care priced between $8 and $10.

To optimize the search, for the first time, Tik Teks team flew to Bologna, Italy, with a buyer from one of its key retailers, Sally Beauty, which alone has more than 250 doors in Mexico. For us, this is very convenient; it saves a lot of time, because if [the buyer] sees something she likes, we [import] directly, Palomo said.

While accessible prices were key for a partner like Sally Beauty, Palomo found other higher-priced solutions fitting for the retailer Liverpool, for instance. These included a spray foundation by Thatso, which she described as being among her favorite discoveries at the trade show.

Palomo additionally looked for affordable skin care rich in hyaluronic acid and collagen.

Nyakio Grieco, cofounder of Thirteen Lune, a Los Angeles-based e-tailer

Nyakio Grieco, at Cosmoprof in Bologna for the first time, described Thirteen Lune as the first truly inclusive beauty retail platform.

Im excited to be here, she said, adding that was as a retailer, as well as a skin care brand founder of 20 years keen to see new innovation and technology.

From the Thirteen Lune perspective, Grieco said: Its so exciting to be here to discover whats next, especially in relation to founders of color who produce sustainable and clean products for everyone. Im obviously very drawn to brands that are really speaking to inclusivity and cultural relevance. But I also really love science and innovation  that intersection of tech and beauty. I feel theres so much more coming to the scene.

Dima Matta, head of beauty product development at Apotea, a Stockholm-based e-tailer

Im here first of all to get inspired, because for two years, I havent seen anything new  everything stopped, said Dima Matta, who works for Swedens leading online pharmacy Apotea. As her searchs focal point was sustainability, she found many brands moving in that direction with natural ingredients and recyclable packaging, but not so much new in terms of concepts. Mattas primary aim was finding skin care, hair care and intimate care solutions. But also innovation in cosmetics products, she said, explaining that two years worth of online meetings pushed Apoteas customers to buy more makeup and skin care.

They are more open to try something new, even from unknown brands, while before the focus was on famous ones, she said, adding that customers are opting for lower price points.

Matta focused on scouting European labels. I worked with China, and with COVID-19, we didnt get our products, or they didnt have recycled plastic bottles or paper packaging. Then, the prices went up. We couldnt control anything, so what were trying to do is to work with firms closer to us.

Rajesh Gosalia, chief executive officer at Bait Al Arab, of Dubai, with two doors

Rajesh Gosalia looked for new brands in fragrance, vegan cosmetics and skin care, the categories his retailer mostly trades in. Particularly, he was aiming to answer the demand for vegan formulations booming in his market now and that was not existing before COVID-19, Gosalia said. His expectations were met at Cosmoprof, where he was impressed by the plethora of vegan and organic brands on display. Overall, the executive also had his eyes set on Italian labels specifically. Italy has something very special  unique products and different tastes, Gosalia said.

Nader Ali Al-Abed, executive manager at Al-Abed Cosmetics, of Saudi Arabia

Im after newness, because if customers dont see it, they will get bored of coming in our stores, said Nader Ali Al-Abed, who has run his namesake business for almost three decades, offering everything from body products and shampoos to makeup and fragrances. At Cosmoprof, he sought out formulations that can address specific skin conditions, such as acne, but also high-end products across categories as long as they featured natural ingredients, which during the pandemic have been increasingly in demand from his customers.

Suzie Wokabi, founder of SuzieBeauty and consultant, of Nairobi

Suzie Wokabi was in attendance as part of Cosmoprofs international buyer program. The executive said shes always on the lookout for newness  in products or trends  to see whats changing in the industry, because its been three years since the last event. All the information weve been getting is online, so just the physicality of [the fair] makes a difference.

Wokabi was looking into makeup and skin care  with an emphasis on makeup  and accessories, as well  especially brushes.

FOR MORE, SEE:

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Bakel Kicks Off Milan Beauty Week Introducing 3D Cosmetics Formulation

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Everyone has an opinion on The Staircase.

Did Michael Peterson brutally kill his wife, Kathleen, at the bottom of the stairs of their Durham home in 2001? Was it an unfortunate but simple misstep that left her in a pool of blood? Or did an owl do it?

Often called North Carolinas trial of the century, the death of Kathleen and the subsequent conviction of Michael for her murder had all the makings of a story that would take on a life of its own  a big family with dark secrets, a salacious trial scrutinized for maximum dramatic effect and the unnerving realization this kind of brutality could happen in anyones neighborhood.

But this wasnt just a crime. It was a living, breathing and constantly unraveling animal of speculation that was re-investigated in real time when a French documentary crew followed Michael and his convoluted family dynamic through the 2002-03 proceedings that would put him behind bars  at least for a while.

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The Staircase, the resulting 2004 documentary series, garnered infamy and acclaim as an early entry in the now-booming true crime docuseries genre. Netflix even produced new episodes in recent years. But whose story was it telling?

Colin Firth and Toni Collette in "The Staircase"

Thats the question at the heart of HBO Maxs The Staircase, a limited series that premiered May 5 from creator Antonio Campos, who has been working to adapt the story for a decade, having even sat in the courtroom for one of Michaels trials.

With more than 20 years of hindsight, Campos and his cast dramatize not only the tragic story of the Petersons (now played by Colin Firth and Toni Collette) but also the documentary filmmaking process that became increasingly intertwined with the Petersons.

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Everything I watched or read, you could hear a bias and a slant, Rosemarie DeWitt said of her research process to play Candace Zamperini, Kathleens sister. Its illuminating on one hand to hear peoples take, but you realize it is their take whether it was an author or podcaster or an interviewer. I think the really cool thing Antonio is playing with here is all of those vantage points and the genres themselves. The documentary, the true crime genre, the Court TV perspective, the reenactment perspective  they are also characters in our story.

Olivia DeJonge (left) and Rosemarie DeWitt (right) face tough family decisions in HBO Max's new limited series "The Staircase," based on the Durham, N.C. murder of Kathleen Peterson.

That is saying something because The Staircase was never short on characters.

The Petersons were a blended family of five children  Todd and Clayton, Michaels two biological sons from a previous marriage; Caitlin, Kathleens biological daughter from a previous marriage; and Margaret and Martha, two sisters Michael had taken in while living in Germany.

For every cast member, the documentary was an obvious choice for homework. But not everyones prep work was the same.

Dane DeHaan, who plays the troubled-but-working-on-it Clayton, had seen the documentary when it was released on Sundance Channel in 2004. But he also had experience just down the highway from where the actual crime took place, having attended the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

While his time in the state came well after the trial, he brought to the role the knowledge of the Carolina way of life  including his own familial ties to the Tar Heel State.

The cast of HBO Max's new limited series "The Staircase" deal with the aftermath of the Durham, N.C. murder of Kathleen Peterson.

I definitely had some experience with the state having lived there, and my wife is from Mount Airy, so I have a lot of North Carolinians on that side of the family, he said. I understand what it means to live in North Carolina."

His co-stars had to use other means of getting to know the location, their characters and the story.

Like DeWitt, Olivia DeJonge, who plays Kathleens daughter Caitlin, watched the documentary numerous times, listened to podcasts and thumbed through the many books written after the fact by those involved. They were even paid a visit by a few real players in the story, including David S. Rudolph, a famous North Carolina defense attorney who represented Michael.

But both DeWitt and DeJonge were in different positions than other cast members because their characters  both related directly to Kathleen  broke away from the Peterson family early in the trial as Michaels secrets were unearthed, including his secret relationships with men.

Having separated herself from her step-siblings, Caitlin is largely absent from the original documentary, leaving DeJonge and DeWitt room to offer a bigger presence for two women pushed to the fringes of their own familys story.

There was a little bit of wiggle room for interpretation because, in the documentary, there just isnt much information on Caitlin, DeJonge said, adding, But I dont want to speak on behalf of her. I dont know 100 percent what brought her to that decision (to break away from Michael and his children), but I can certainly empathize. Thats one of the things we get to explore as actors  deep empathy for somebody. These were extraordinary circumstances she was under.

More: Explore the magic mind behind the 'Black Lives Do Matter' art installation: Greyson Davis

On the other side of the family tree, DeHaan found his character, Clayton, sticking much closer to his father through the trial and Michaels imprisonment (a 2011 retrial would see his charge reduced from murder to manslaughter, allowing his release from prison for timed served).

There is no doubt in Clayton's mind that his father is innocent and he will do anything he can to protect him and make sure he is found not guilty, DeHaan said. That is Claytons perspective and it's fairly clear to him.

While true crime aficionados and even some casual observers likely know where all the players stand, the cast of The Staircase is hoping the new adaptation gives new insight into one person not often given much screen time  Kathleen.

Antonio was adamant that he wanted Kathleen to be vital in this, DeWitt said, noting that was particularly important for her as well.

In fact, it was the days the cast got to celebrate the better memories of Kathleens story that resonated with them more deeply. DeWitt, who also played Collettes sister in Showtimes The United States of Tara, remembered one day when nearly the whole cast shot scenes for Michael and Kathleens wedding day. Even though most of the footage is only used in the background, DeWitt said it gave the woman at the center of this story the chance to be more than a footnote.

For 12 hours, we got to be part of the happiest day of her life, not just the worst, she said. Even if we didnt use it, we had the memories of throwing our arms around each other and making impromptu toasts on her behalf.

The first three episodes of The Staircase are now streaming on HBO Max. New episodes will debut Thursday, May 13.

Twitter: @hunter_wesley

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: The Staircase cast talks HBO Max adaptation of Michael Peterson case
Anti-aircraft defense forces shot down a Russian cruise missile in the sky over Poltava region, head of Poltava Regional Military Administration Dmytro Lunin said.

"Our air defense shot down an enemy missile over Poltava. The AFU spares our peace of mind, but air raid sirens should not be ignored!" Lunin wrote on Telegram on Saturday.

As reported, the Russian occupiers launched a missile strike on an infrastructure facility in Karlivka, Poltava region on Saturday morning. There were no casualties or victims, the fire was extinguished, the blast wave damaged window panes in nearby buildings.
A last-to-first run down the stretch highlighted the early portions of Saturday's races at Churchill Downs.

Speak of the Devil provided some early excitement for the 148th Kentucky Derby undercard races, which benefited from better weather than Friday's Kentucky Oaks and undercard events.

Stay up to date with recaps from several Derby Day races here.

Kentucky Derby 2022 full finish order

1. Rich Strike

2. Epicenter

3. Zandon

4. Simplification

5. Mo Donegal

6. Barber Road

7. Tawny Port

8. Smile Happy

9. Tiz the Bomb

10. Zozos

11. Classic Causeway

12. Taiba

13. Crown Pride

14. Happy Jack

15. Messier

16. White Abarrio

17. Charge It

18. Cyberknife

19. Pioneer of Medina

20. Summer Is Tomorrow

Race 7: Former Kentucky Derby hopeful Jack Christopher wins the Pat Day Mile

Jack Christophers attempt to make the 2022 Kentucky Derby field may have ended in November, but he still managed a win on Derby day at Churchill Downs.

The undefeated 3-to-5 favorite cruised to a three-length win in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile, giving trainer Chad Brown his second win of the afternoon.

Jack Christopher won his first two starts, earning points during the Road to the Kentucky Derby, but was scratched the day before the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in November. He eventually needed surgery on his left shin.

Coming off a layoff, you never know because youre running a mile in a really good field on Derby day, Brown said. I chose this race because I wanted him to run against his own age group. I really didnt want to sprint the horse. Coming off the layoff and a minor injury, the pace of the race concerned me if we ran him in a straight-up sprint.

Posting: What time is the Kentucky Derby? Here's your complete guide to the 2022 race

I took those races out of play and wanted him in a race that allowed him to stretch his legs a little bit and at least get comfortable at some point in the race and protect him moving forward. Certainly, it worked today.

Jack Christopher was just off the lead after the opening quarter then made his move with three furlongs to go.

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He took the lead around the final turn and cruised to a 3 3/4-length win in 1:34.81.

Jose (Ortiz) did a great job with this horse, Brown said. He had speed from the start, made a good decision to use him early to sort of get up and out in the clear. He really took control of the race from there.

Pappacap finished second. My Prankster finished third.

- Jon Hale

Jockey Jose Ortiz pumps his fist in the winner circle after riding Jack Christopher home to win the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs, on Kentucky Derby day. May 7, 2022

Race 9: Stolen Base outduels Balnikhov in American Turf Stakes

The American Turf Stakes presented one of the most exciting finishes on Saturday, as Stolen Base battled it out with Balnikhov down the stretch to win the 1 1/16 mile Grade 2 race and the $500,000 prize.

Its been a great day, said jockey Flavien Prat, who took home his second straight win in the American Turrf Stakes after winning last year with Du Jour. Prat also won the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile with Speak of the Devil earlier on Saturday. I was surprised to be as close as he was. Today, (Stolen Base) was really into the race, so it was great.

Dowagiac Chief used a clean break to take the lead through the first half mile of the race, but Red Danger and Coinage werent far behind. Red Danger overtook Dowagiac Chief at the  mile mark, but then Stolen Base and Balnikhov started making their move to take the front. Both horses battled it out during the final stretch, but Stolen Base had just enough to pull off the photo finish.

He took the lead on me, but my horse regrouped and fought back, said Prat.

It was the first win for Stolen Base in four starts in 2022 and the second overall first place finish in nine career starts.

Stolen Base paid out $13.20, $6.60 and $4.00. Second place Balnikhov paid out $7.20 and $4.40, while third place Sy Dog paid out $3.00.

- Jonathan Saxon

Race 8: Obligatory wins Derby City Distaff Stakes for third straight win

Obligatory had to battle for her third straight win, but the effort was rewarded with a $750,000, Grade 1 Derby City Distaff Stakes victory.

Trainer Bill Mott has been high on Obligatory in her fourth season, but he wasn't confident in her run early. Obligatory started in last place but overtook Four Graces and Just One Time on the far turn to pull off the 14-length comeback.

"I never felt confident until they got to 70 yards," Mott said. "When she was at the three-eighths poll and the others were at the quarter poll I said, 'We've got a lot to make up.'"

Live updates: Kentucky Derby 2022: Favorites, odds, races and more at Churchill Downs

And Obligatory made things up in a hurry. As a 7-to-2 favorite on paper, she didn't look like she carried the speed 3-to-1 favorite Just One Time had. Mott was dazzled.

"That was impressive. I was impressed," Mott said. "I'm very seldom impressed but I was impressed. Her stretch run here is her weapon. She loves the track and she loves this stretch."

- J.L. Kirven

Race 5: Speak of the Devil goes from last-to first to win the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile

Kentucky Derby Day started off with a thriller after Speak of the Devil pulled off a last-to-first rally to win the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile.

Seconds into the first stakes race of the day, trainer Chad Brown's In Italian (GB) jumped out to an early lead while his 2-to-1 favorite Speak of the Devil slipped into last.

But Speak of the Devil's furious rally on the final turn sent the 4-year-old filly flying past the five other horses in the field. In Italian and Wakanaka finished second and third, respectively. The win gave Brown, who trained last year's winner Blowout, his second-straight win in the $500,000 Grade 2 race.

What to know: Kentucky Derby post positions for 2022 race

"So lucky to have this filly" Brown said. "Every week she kept on getting better and indicated everything you want to see."

Speak of the Devil paid out in $4, $3 and $2.20 and became the fourth-straight international horse to win the turf mile. Brown hopes her win is a sign of good things to come for the day.

- J.L. Kirven

In Italian with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. up, crosses the finish line to win the 37th running of The Longines Curchilll Distaff, Saturday, May 7 2022 in Louisville Ky.

Race 6: Three Technique picks up first win in Knicks Go

Three Technique added to the excitement of the Derby as the 36-1 underdog found another gear late in order to win the Knicks Go.

The Knicks Go is a one-mile race for horses that havent won a graded stakes race in 2020-21 with a purse of $160,000.

"Today was a great opportunity," jockey Rafael Bejarano said. "I knew it was a longshot, but I thought he was going to run good. He loves this track (and) the fast surface."

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Gun It benefitted from a strong start out of the gate, but soon fell back to the pack after the half-mile mark of the race. Dream Shake overtook Gun It to claim the front for a moment, but Three Technique put on the burners and overtook Dream Shake to claim first place with a time of 1:35.48.

"He likes to be in the middle of the track," Bejarano said. "He likes to be in the middle of the group. I just have to find that position and go from there. You have to play it by ear."

Three Technique paid out $75.60, $35.20 and $14.80. Second-place Injunction paid out $7.00 and $5.20, while South Bend paid out $5.20 in third place.

The first-place finish was the first for Three Technique in 2022 and the fourth overall win in 23 starts.

- Jonathan Saxon

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby full results, finishing order for Churchill Downs races
Wolves are believed to have killed at least one calf and caused the death of another in Colorado's Jackson County in recent days, despite a night watcher looking over the herd.

Rancher Don Gittleson, who had already lost three animals to the pack, told the Coloradoan about the most recent attack.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in an email Friday that two calves died at the ranch in the past month but there wasn't evidence to confirm that wolves were to blame, such as bite marks.

The pack, which consists of eight grown wolves and includes a female that is suspected to have given birth to her second litter northeast of Walden, has been present on and around the ranch. The wolves had not attacked the Gittlesons' cattle since the family lost one calf and two pregnant cows to the wolfpack in December and January. One of the cows and a calf were killed by the wolves. The other cow was injured so badly Gittleson had to shoot her.

Volunteers have been helping the Gittlesons with night watch over their registered Angus herd since those deaths, which were all late at night.

"Not exactly sure what happened but I suspect they got ahold of the calf and drug it through the fence because there were marks and the mother went across the fence and chased after them,'' Don said of the first attack. "Nobody realized they had come in there that night.''

He said the wolves were back the next night when his wife, Kim, was on night watch. She heard the wolves and shot into the air to chase them off but the wolves returned again the following night.

He said the wolves got into his calving pasture between lights meant to scare them off.

"They got ahold of (another) calf, and the cow was after the wolves when I drove over to them and honked the horn and they chased off,'' he said. They still haven't found that calf.

He suspects a third calf he lost died from lung damage caused by being chased by the wolves.

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Andrea Gittleson and her father-in-law, Don Gittleson, lift a calf onto a scale for at the Gittleson Angus ranch on April 20.

He said Colorado Parks and Wildlife came out to investigate the first calf's death.

In addition to the December and January attacks at the Gittlesons' ranch, the agency confirmed the pack also injured a cow badly enough on the State Line Ranch in mid-March that it had to be euthanized. The State Line Ranch is about 10 miles from the Gittleson ranch.

The pack also has killed a working cattle dog in the area northeast of Walden.

The Gittlesons are in the midst of their monthlong calving season. Don said they have had around 100 calves born with another 80 calves expected over the next few weeks.

Wolves usually have their litter around mid-April, and pups begin to emerge from the den around late May.

"I get a few hours of sleep throughout the day, but right now I'm out there every night,'' Don said. "Yeah, it's a bit frustrating.''

Collision course: North Park calving season collides with wolf births

Rancher witnesses wolves kill elk

Ben Zak, a ranch hand at State Line Ranch, said he saw firsthand Easter morning the killing power of the wolf pack.

He said he was inside his house at 6 a.m. April 17 getting ready to head out to check cattle when he saw out of the coroner of his eye a herd of elk running through the ranch yard, which he said was a rare sight.

Then he looked across the road and saw the reason for the fleeing elk, which he estimated numbered about 100.

"It was insane, '' he said. "The elk were frantically running everywhere, and when I looked closer I saw wolves chasing them about 200 yards from our house. We witnessed the wolves attack one elk and get it down, and then we heard elk screaming and one standing not too far from the highway with its guts hanging out.''

Don Gittleson fends off a heifer as his son, Dave Gittleson, and Dave's wife, Andrea Gittleson, quickly weigh, vaccinate and apply an ear tag to a calf at the Gittleson Angus ranch on April 20.

Zak said they yelled at the wolves, which reluctantly trotted off from the two elk they killed.

He said he told his wife, Pam, that they just saw history taking place. He said he is not against wolves on the landscape but he believes they need to be managed.

"How many people actually say they saw something like this happen from their front door?'' he said. "I've seen a lot of crazy stuff in 30 years on ranches, 22 here, but this was mass hysteria. They had no problem getting those elk down.''

State Line Ranch has also lost a cow to the wolves. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed in March that wolves were responsible for injuring a 9-year-old, 1,200-pound cow so badly it had to be euthanized on the ranch in far northeast Jackson County.

Colorado wolf reintroduction: Where the predators will likely be released

Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports  you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado rancher says Jackson County wolf pack is killing cattle again
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/Handout

Its been 55 years since two fellow cops found Walter Stathers, a burly 43-year-old police officer in Coral Gables, Florida, face down in the grass next to his patrol car shortly after four in the morning and just six days before Christmas.

When the policemen turned Stathers over, they saw a bullet hole in the right side of his neck and an exit wound in his upper left forehead, according to a Dec. 19, 1967 incident report typed up by James Harley, one of the officers at the scene.

His eyes were rolled back in his head, Harley wrote. And there was no sign of life whatsoever.

Stathers service firearm, a .38 caliber Colt Trooper pistol, was missing when his colleagues found his body.

More than a half-century later, a dearth of solid leads on who may have killed Stathers, possibly with his own gun, has sucked the faith out of the fallen officers son, Wayne, that his dads murder will be solved before he dies.

Walter Stathers and his son Wayne Handout

Every morning when doing his daily paperwork, the 73-year-old dive master gazes at the photo of his father on his desk in Key Largo, where Wayne runs his scuba diving business. Its always on my mind, Wayne told The Daily Beast during a recent phone interview. Over the years, Ive kind of given up and kind of lost hope in finding out anything about who did it.

As the decades rolled on, calls from cold case detectives with the Miami-Dade County Police homicide bureau, which has handled the Stathers investigation since he was murdered, became less frequent to virtually non-existent, Wayne said.

They would always tell me that they havent forgotten, Wayne said. But it keeps getting passed down to someone else whenever a lead detective retires. I havent heard anything from the cold case bureau in several years.

Murdered Hawaii Teen Had a Bright Future

A request by The Daily Beast to interview homicide investigators currently working the Stathers case was denied. This is a very active and open investigation, Miami-Dade Police spokesman, Det. Alvaro Zabaleta, said in an email. Based on that fact and our efforts to maintain the integrity of the case, homicide bureau personnel cannot comment or provide any details of the investigation.

Story continues

Wayne has reason to feel demoralized, however. Solving the mystery of who shot Stathers has been marred by the murder weapon never being recovered, lost evidence including potential DNA samples, and the recent death of a possible person of interest, according to sources who independently pursued tips over the years.

A former Coral Gables top cop and a private investigator have long suspected Robert Jackson, a 72-year-old who passed away on Aug. 13 2021, of being involved in the Stathers slaying, but they allege that Miami-Dade homicide detectives didnt bring him in for questioning since the murder probe began. According to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner, Jackson died from COVID, just 12 days before his birthday.

In 1968, one year after Stathers was killed, James Butler joined the Coral Gables Police Department, where he spent his entire career in law enforcement. He rose up the ranks, serving 10 years as assistant chief until his final promotion to the top job in 1993. Butler retired four years later, but Stathers unsolved murder still gnaws at him because he believes Jackson was responsible.

When dealing with a career criminal who is in bad health, you need to interview him before he passes this earth, Butler said. It is still an open case, but there is a 99 percent chance the person who just died is the subject who did it.

David Bolton Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty/Handout

David Bolton, the private eye and a Coral Gables native whos dug into the Stathers case on his own for more than 20 years, shares Butlers conclusion. Bolton told The Daily Beast that Miami-Dade homicide investigators confirmed to him that Jackson was the main suspect during a meeting three years ago.

They told me everything points to Robert Jackson, Bolton said. So I gave them my file on Jackson. It took me six months of calling and calling them to get my file back. They told me they were working on it, but nothing happened.

Ed Hudak, the current Coral Gables Police chief, isnt as confident as Butler and Bolton about their suspect. He said Jacksons name has come up several times over the years, but that Miami-Dade homicide investigators had tested DNA recovered from Stathers body that was inconclusive. That did not come to fruition, Hudak said. If something had come up on Jackson, I am sure they would have told me.

Hudak said hes eager for closure on the Stathers murder, but that theres been very little new evidence over the decades for county detectives to work with. Im disheartened that we still have an unsolved murder of an officer that happened long before I got here, Hudak said. It is a case I would love to see closed out.

Jackson led a troubled life since he was a youth, according to Miami-Dade court records, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement background check, and police reports. Between 1966, when he turned 18, and 2014, when he was 66, Jackson was arrested more than two dozen times for various crimes. He spent time in jail for petty theft, shoplifting, grand theft, battery and assaulting a police officer. In the early 80s, he was accused of committing two murders. He was convicted on some felonies, including a robbery charge and multiple cocaine possession charges.

On Jan. 1, 1982, Jackson allegedly got into a fight with a man named Justin Moore, according to a Miami Police report. Jackson pulled out a gun and chased Moore, shooting the victim three times in the face and killed him. Jackson fled the scene, but a witness positively identified him as the shooter in a photo lineup, the report states. Jackson surrendered to homicide detectives a month later and was arrested for first degree murder. State prosecutors declined to pursue the charges, the Miami-Dade court docket shows. The case file has been destroyed.

Records for a 1983 murder Jackson was charged with have also been destroyed. The court docket shows state prosecutors again did not proceed with the case against Jackson. Seven years later, he was arrested for attempted murder and using a firearm in the commission of a crime. A man named Joseph Daly accused Jackson of shooting him several times in the head and back, leaving him paralyzed. The court docket shows prosecutors also declined to pursue these charges against Jackson.

Jackson was last arrested in Sept. 9, 2014 for shoplifting and charged with misdemeanor petty theft, according to the Miami-Dade court docket. He was convicted and received six months probation. Efforts to reach surviving relatives of Jackson were unsuccessful. His wife Linda Bellinger and daughter Shadon Jackson both died in 2020.

The morning Stathers was killed, a woman named Bertha Dorquett, the maid for the homeowner who called the police station about a man lying in his yard and who heard a gunshot, told officers she saw a Black male standing over Stathers, the 55-year-old incident report states. It looked like the Black male was rummaging through Stathers pockets and then got on a bicycle and headed south, Dorquett said.

Later the same day, officers picked up a girls bicycle with no fenders as possible evidence and sent it to the county polices crime lab to be processed, according to a Dec. 21, 1967 Coral Gables Police report. The following month, a teenage boy questioned by Coral Gables Police said Jackson, who was 19 at the time, occasionally used a bicycle with no fenders and that he and other teens believed Jackson killed Stathers, according to a Jan. 7, 1968 Coral Gables Police report.

Bolton claims that the bicycle was recovered outside of Jacksons apartment building and that it was subsequently lost after it was sent to the crime lab. No one knows what the hell happened to the bicycle, Bolton said. No one knows where it is.

Scrapings taken from Stathers fingernails that today could have been run for DNA samples were put inside a refrigerator in the property room that broke down and stopped working, Butler added. All that DNA evidence was ruined and lost.

Still in Shock: Retired Corrections Officer Nabbed in 11-Year-Olds 1988 Murder

According to a July 18, 2001 video statement by former Miami Police detective John Haywood, one of his informants, a gas station owner named Frank Bubba Riley, called him the night after Stathers murder to tell him that Jackson came by his business and showed him a .38 caliber revolver. I had not furnished the serial numbers to Bubba and he read off the numbers he saw, Haywood said. I got out of bed, went to my board and lo and behold it was the same damn numbers.

Riley also took a lie detector test that showed he was being truthful, Haywood said in the video, which was recorded by Bolton around the time the private investigator started his own probe into the Stathers case.

In 1982, when he was a Coral Gables Police detective, Butler said he met Jackson and convinced him to take a polygraph test at the police departments headquarters. But it was inconclusive, Butler said. The examiner couldnt get a straight answer from Jackson about what he knew about Stathers murder.

Two decades later, on July 26, 2002, Jackson agreed to take another lie detector test. This time, it was Bolton who asked Jackson to answer questions. The test was conducted by Miami-based forensic examiner George Slattery. During the polygraph, Jackson denied fatally shooting Stathers, denied knowing who was involved in the murder and denied having any knowledge about the cops death.

Jackson demonstrated significant and consistent psycho-physiological reactions consistent with deception to the relevant questions and answers, Slatterys report states. When Jackson was advised about the apparent deception, he had no explanation for those reactions, according to the report.

Therefore, we are unable to clear Mr. Jackson on this matter and offer this for your information, Slattery wrote.

Butler told The Daily Beast that he and Bolton teamed up in recent months to piece together their previous work with the actual case file at the Miami-Dade homicide bureau. The goal is to find out if the county ever interviewed Jackson, Butler said. I told one of the detectives that we have some independent leads you may have or may not have. I never heard back from him.

Wayne, Stathers son, told The Daily Beast that he knew investigators had a suspect in mind for many years, but didnt know the alleged perpetrators name. It was just recently that I heard Jacksons name, probably from Jim Butler, Wayne said. Id like to think if they had anything serious on [Jackson], they would have brought him in.

Wayne Stathers Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty/Handout

While he would like to have closure, hes not expecting a definitive answer about who killed his father, Wayne said. I am sure all the officers who have looked into it would like to put it to rest too, he said. Its been so long that I really don't have any hope that something will turn up.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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U-M graduates take photos before the Comeback Commencement for the Class of 2020 and 2021 at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Marissa Inga and Ilana Char stood just on the edge of Michigan Stadium on Saturday morning, wide smiles and laughs spilling out as they mugged for selfies and FaceTime calls.

Its been two years since the pair last walked the University of Michigans campus, sweating out exams and research papers.

Their 2020 class didnt get a chance to have a traditional commencement ceremony. It was canceled at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the wait didnt dampen their spirits.

In some ways its better, Inga said. We arent worried about jobs and whats next and where we are going. Its kind of nice to be settled in and come back. Its like a high school reunion, only better. And having Dr. (Anthony) Fauci as the speaker is perfect.

As Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, entered the stadium, he marched down the center of the field with the rest of the universitys top administrators and board members. As students became aware of his presence, many stood and cheered. A few groups also started chanting his name. He acknowledged the students with waves.

In his brief speech, Fauci called on graduates to seek out truth and critically evaluate what is going on in public life. He didnt shy away from tough words, calling out egregious distortions of reality by people on social media, by so-called news organizations and sad to say, certain elected officials in positions of power.

He said the graduates have the responsibility to stand for truth and facts.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 graduates flooded Michigan Stadiums floor for the ceremony. In addition to the class of 2020, some members of the class of 2021 were in attendance.

A large 2020 banner hung in front of the podium on a large stage stretching across one end zone. Parents and other guests filled in both sides of the stadium, with more sitting behind the end zone at the opposite end of the stadium under crystal-clear blue skies and temperatures climbing well over the 60-degree mark.

Story continues

It was a full-out party atmosphere, with graduates running up to each other all over the field, offering huge hugs and many exclaiming loudly: You made it! I didnt know if you were coming.

From the start of the ceremony, the speakers didnt shirk references to what students faced during their time at U-M.

Anne Curzan, dean of U-M's College of Literature, Science and the Arts speaks during the Comeback Commencement for the Class of 2020 at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Two years later and how beautiful to be here with you, said Anne Curzan, the dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. She told the graduates she recorded her 2020 commencement speech from her home with her cat looking on. She walked through an empty campus on graduation day and saw one lone student in cap and gown getting some pictures taken. It was bone sad, she recalled. We were all discombobulated.

She then told graduates the problems of the past year had proven to graduates they could overcome problems.

Interim President Mary Sue Coleman echoed those themes.

Adversity. No worries, youve been there, Coleman said. And when the world gets tough, remember you graduated during a global pandemic.

U-M president Mary Sue Coleman speaks during the Comeback Commencement for the Class of 2020 and 2021 at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Occasionally a loud truck horn from protesters gathered outside could be heard.

A couple dozen protesters rallied outside Michigan Stadium before the graduation ceremony began, holding signs decrying Fauci and the COVID-19 vaccines.

Among the protesters was former Republican state Sen. Patrick Colbeck, who ran for governor in 2018 and has also pushed debunked theories about the 2020 election.

He was joined by his wife, Angie Colbeck, who said Saturday's protests were aimed at COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Vaccine mandates are not logical, she said. People that get vaccinated can still get and transmit COVID.

While COVID-19 transmission can still take place among vaccinated individuals, fully vaccinated individuals who contract a breakthrough case of COVID-19 are less likely to develop serious illness than those who are unvaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Republican Lena Epstein, a former congressional candidate who is currently vying for a spot on the U-M Board of Regents, also stood with anti-vaccine demonstrators, asking those walking by to support her in the November election.

People protest Anthony Fauci outside of the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor during the Comeback Commencement for the Class of 2020 and 2021 on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

In addition to demonstrators holding signs outside of the Big House, the Trump Unity Bridge, a float celebrating former President Donald Trump, led a convoy of trucks driving around the stadium. Written on the side of several trucks were the words The Indiana Peoples Convoy.

A marching drummer also walked around the famous arena, joined by a man wearing a Revolutionary War-style coat holding the American flag.

Colby Goettelman, who traveled from Boston to attend the ceremony for her sister who graduated from U-M, said the demonstrations outside the stadium were a distraction from the accomplishments of the graduates being celebrated inside.

Everyone has the right to an opinion, she said. But this is so disrespectful.

Six Michigan State Police officers were stationed at the gate where protesters gathered. At one point, officers had to separate a protester and someone attending the ceremony after the two began shouting at each other.

There were no protests visible inside the stadium.

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dr. Fauci to U-M 2020 grads: Be aware of 'distortions of reality'
WARNING: This article contains allegations of physical and sexual violence that some readers may find distressing.

Amber Heard delivered her second day of testimony on Thursday in the trial over a defamation lawsuit brought against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Heard is being sued by Depp for $50m for implying he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Although she didnt name him, he claims her allegations impacted his ability to work.

The trial is on hiatus for a week with both sides issuing statements of confidence in how proceedings are going.

On Thursday, Heard spoke extensively about her troubled relationship with Depp and detailed alleged physical fights. The court heard a harrowing account of an alleged sexual assault on Heard during a brutal and bloody altercation in Australia in 2015.

Heard had previously described an unusual and remarkable first meeting with Depp and a blossoming relationship as she fell head over heels in love. However, her testimony took a darker turn as she recalled the first time he allegedly hit her, his jealousy, and his drug and alcohol use.

Key points

Depp and Heard almost ran into each other in court after her sexual assault testimony

10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard nearly ran into each other as the court took a break shortly after her testimony on an alleged sexual assault by Mr Depp.

Court security stopped Mr Depp from walking out of the courtroom at the break, allowing Ms Heard to leave the witness stand and head back to her legal team on the other side of the room.

Story continues

Read more:

Depp and Heard nearly run into each other after her testimony on alleged assault

Heard claims Depp accused her of having an affair with Eddie Redmayne

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Eddie Redmayne is the latest star to be named in Johnny Depps defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Heard returned to the witness stand for a second day on Thursday 5 May, where she told the court that Depp had accused her of having an affair with Redmayne while they were filming The Danish Girl (2015).

Read more:

Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp accused her of having an affair with Eddie Redmayne

How courtroom live-streaming turned an ugly battle between Depp and Heard into a circus

06:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Tom Murray reports on how the lines between justice and entertainment have blurred.

Depp v Heard: How courtroom live-streaming has turned a bitter trial into a circus

Voices: Johnny Depp was lovable onscreen  it doesnt mean hes a nice guy

04:59 , Oliver O'Connell

A lot of people have fond memories of growing up with Johnny Depps films  I get it. But this is ultimately irrelevant, writes Sunny Hundal.

Opinion: Johnny Depp was lovable onscreen  it doesnt mean hes a nice guy

Heard tells court she thought Depp was going to kill her

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard told a court that she thought Johnny Depp was going to kill her without realising it as a jury was shown photos of injuries she claims he inflicted on her.

Read more:

Amber Heard tells court she thought Johnny Depp was going to kill her

Depp and Heard issue duelling statements sharing confidence in trial as court breaks for week

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have issued duelling statements sharing confidence in their respective legal teams standing their defamation trial as the Virginia court proceedings take a weeks break.

Following incendiary testimony by Ms Heard on Thursday, in which she claimed Mr Depp sexually assaulted her, a spokesperson for Mr Depp said in a statement released to media outlets that as Mr Depps counsel correctly predicted in their opening statements last month, Ms Heard did indeed deliver the performance of her life in her direct examination.

A spokesperson for Ms Heard told The Independent that as evidenced by the statement just released, Mr Depps defamation claim is falling apart so rapidly that his counsel are turning from prosecutor to persecutor.

Read more:

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard issue duelling statements as court takes week break

Heard sobs as she recounts fight where Depp allegedly sexually assaulted her

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard sobbed as she recounted a fight in Australia with Johnny Depp during which she claims that he sexually assaulted her with a vodka bottle.

The Hollywood actress claims the Pirates of the Caribbean star slammed her against a wall, threw bottles at her and ripped off her nightgown in a drug-fuelled rage in Australia in March 2015.

Read more:

Amber Heard sobs recounting fight where Johnny Depp allegedly sexually assaulted her

Heard references previous claim Depp pushed Kate Moss down the stairs

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard said she instantly thought of Kate Moss and stairs when she recounted a fight with Johnny Depp involving her sister Whitney.

On the stand on Thursday in the defamation trial between the two actors, Ms Heard walked through one of many fights between herself and Mr Depp, with this one taking place in March 2015.

Read more:

Amber Heard references previous claim Johnny Depp pushed Kate Moss down the stairs

Heard tells court Depp cheated on her after their wedding

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard has testified that Johnny Depp cheated on her with another woman just after the former couple got married.

A jury at their multi-million dollar defamation trial in Fairfax, Virginia, was told by the actress that her husband had an on-and-off relationship with the woman, who he had been text messaging.

I found his iPad open, he had been texting someone with it open, he had passed out, and I saw he was texting a woman he had a relationship with on and off at the beginning of our relationship so I recognised the name but the date was right after the wedding.

Read more:

Amber Heard tells court Johnny Depp cheated on her after their wedding

Heard says Depp subjected her to disgusting and violent grilling about sex scene

Saturday 7 May 2022 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard has alleged that Johnny Depp once subjected her to a disgusting and violent grilling about a sex scene she had filmed with James Franco.

Read more:

Heard says Depp subjected her to disgusting grilling about sex scene with Franco

Who is Amber Heard?

Friday 6 May 2022 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

While Amber Heards tumultuous relationship with Johnny Depp has made headlines, the 36-year-old is an actor, activist, and model in her own right.

Inga Parkel profiles the actor.

What we know about Amber Heards career, background and family life

Heard tells court why she recorded Depp howling like an animal

Friday 6 May 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard has told the court that she recorded Johnny Depp howling like an animal while was allegedly intoxicated on a private flight from Boston to Los Angeles because he wouldnt remember how bad it was afterward.

An alleged violent incident on the flight took place in May 2014 after Ms Heard had flown from New York to Boston to meet Mr Depp for their flight to LA.

Read more:

Amber Heard tells court why she recorded Johnny Depp howling like an animal

Heard says Depp told her only way out of marriage is death

Friday 6 May 2022 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard testified that before their engagement party, she had discussed with Johnny Depp about getting a prenuptial agreement to eliminate any doubt about her intentions towards marrying him, given that he earned significantly more money.

Amber Heard says Depp told her only way out of marriage is death

Heard says Depps jealousy made her give up film roles

Friday 6 May 2022 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard has told the court that Johnny Depps jealousy made her give up film roles with sex scenes and revealing outfits as she took the witness stand in the couples defamation trial on Thursday.

Telling how the couples relationship affected her career, Ms Heard spoke of feeling like she had to negotiate with Mr Depp when she received a job offer.

Ive always been really independent. I couldnt imagine not working, she told the jury on Thursday. I never imagined myself having to explain or justify my job.

Read more:

Amber Heard says Johnny Depps jealousy made her give up film roles with sex scenes

Heard says she had to get used to different versions of Depp

Friday 6 May 2022 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard said that she had to get used to different versions of Johnny Depp based on his alleged drug use, as part of her testimony during Mr Depps defamation trial.

Heard says she had to get used to different versions of Depp

Most damning things Depp said about Heard at her defamation trial

Friday 6 May 2022 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have both made damning claims about the other during the proceedings in Virginia with both levelling allegations of both verbal and physical abuse.

Over the course of three and a half days on the witness stand, Mr Depp testified at length about alleged physical and verbal abuse he sustained at Ms Heards hands, as well as her drug and alcohol use.

Heres a rundown of some of the most damning things Mr Depp testified about Ms Heard:

Most damning things Johnny Depp said about Amber Heard at their defamation trial

Heard testifies about photos of Depp passed out after drug binges

Friday 6 May 2022 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury in the defamation trial of Amber Heard has been shown images of Johnny Depp allegedly passed out after using drugs, as his ex-wife continued her testimony on Thursday morning (5 May).

Ms Heard said she would look for clues in terms of Mr Depps drinking and drug use.

He would pass out, and get sick, and lose control of himself. And people would find him, and fix him up ... I would take pictures to document it, she said.

Read more:

Amber Heard testifies about photos of Johnny Depp passed out after drug binges

Debunked: Claim Heard borrowed lines from The Talented Mr Ripley

Friday 6 May 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A claim that Amber Heard lifted from the plot ofThe Talented Mr Ripley for her testimony at the Johnny Depp defamation trial has been debunked.

After the Aquaman actor delivered her second day of testimony at the ongoing trial on Thursday (5 May), she was accused of taking lines verbatim from director Anthony Minghellas critically acclaimed film.

Read more:

Claim Amber Heard borrowed lines from a movie for her Depp testimony is debunked

Sexual assault allegations, physical violence, and a stifled career: Amber Heards testimony on Johnny Depp

Friday 6 May 2022 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

After two days on the witness stand, heres what weve learned so far from Amber Heards testimony.

Key moments from Amber Heards testimony on Johnny Depp

When will there be a verdict in Johnny Depps trial against Amber Heard?

Friday 6 May 2022 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The defamation trial opposing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has concluded its fourth week at the district court in Fairfax, Virginia, but when will a verdict be reached?

When will there be a verdict in Johnny Depps trial against Amber Heard?

Depp v Heard: A timeline of their relationship, allegations, and court battles

Friday 6 May 2022 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Here is a timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heards relationship, separation, and court battles, from when they are said to have started dating to the latest trial:

A timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heards relationship and court battles

What Heard and Depp have each said about Australia fight where he severed finger

Friday 6 May 2022 19:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have both testified about what they each allege happened during a violent incident in Australia in early 2015, when the latter actor severed his finger.

Ms Heard and Mr Depp have both been asked about the alleged incident as part of the defamation trial opposing them in Fairfax, Virginia.

The alleged 2015 incident in Australia has been a key point of the trial, with Ms Heard and Mr Depp each sharing their accounts. Over the course of the evening, Mr Depps middle finger was cut off. Ms Heard has said she was not awake when the injury happened; Mr Depp has alleged his finger was injured when Ms Heard threw a vodka bottle in his direction.

Here is what Mr Depp Heard and Ms Heard have each told the jury:

What Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have each said about fight where he severed finger

When will Amber Heard resume her testimony?

Friday 6 May 2022 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Week four of the defamation trial of Amber Heard concluded on Thursday evening before she finished giving testimony, what happens next?

Is Johnny Depps trial against Amber Heard in court today?

The lesser known person: Amber Heard

Friday 6 May 2022 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

As she entered the witness box to give evidence in the multimillion-dollar US defamation trial against her former partner Johnny Depp, Amber Heard acknowledged that she was the lesser known person in the courtroom.

Mike Bedigan profiles the actor.

Amber Heard: The lesser known person in Johnny Depps US defamation trial

Psychologist says Heard has PTSD from domestic violence

Friday 6 May 2022 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A forensic psychologist testifying for Amber Heards defence has said that the actress suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from domestic violence.

She also dismissed the claim that the couple was responsible for mutual abuse, as testified by their marriage counsellor earlier in the trial.

Read more:

Psychologist says Amber Heard has PTSD from domestic violence

Judge denies Heard bid to dismiss Depp defamation suit

Friday 6 May 2022 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Penney Azcarate denied Amber Heards bid to dismiss Johnny Depps defamation lawsuit against her on Tuesday after the latter actors legal team rested its case.

In seeking a dismissal, defence lawyer Ben Rottenborn argued that the only issue in the case is if Ms Heard can be held responsible for defamation because of her 2018 column and nothing else.

Read more:

Judge denies Amber Heard bid to dismiss Johnny Depp defamation suit

Depp lost $40m after publication of Heard op-ed, forensic accountant says

Friday 6 May 2022 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Johnny Depp lost $40m after the publication of Amber Heards op-ed, a forensic accountant testified shortly before Mr Depps legal team rested their case.

Forensic accountant Michael Spindler told the court on Tuesday that he was tasked for this case with reviewing Mr Depps lost earnings. He analysed the time between 18 December 2018, when Ms Heards op-ed was published, and 31 October 2020.

Read more:

Depp lost $40m after publication of Heard op-ed, accountant says as actor rests case

What does Depp need to prove to win his case against Heard?

Friday 6 May 2022 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

The defamation trial opposing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Virginia has reached its halfway mark.

Depp sued Heard, his ex-wife, in March 2019, over an op-ed she wrote in 2018 for The Washington Post, titled: I spoke up against sexual violence  and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change. In the piece, she refers to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse.

Depp isnt mentioned by name in the piece, but he has alleged it defames his character.

The op-ed depended on the central premise that Ms Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her, his complaint alleges in part, calling the claim of domestic abuse categorically and demonstrably false.

Since 11 April, a jury has been selected and witnesses, including Depp himself, have been heard at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia.

The trial is expected to last for a total of six weeks. Depp and Heards respective legal teams will deliver their closing arguments, and a jury will deliberate to reach a verdict.

Four weeks of proceedings have elapsed, and three remain to take place.

Here is what you need to know about the case moving forward:

What Johnny Depp needs to prove to win his case against Amber Heard

Heard claims Depp accused her of having an affair with Eddie Redmayne

Friday 6 May 2022 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Eddie Redmayne is the latest star to be named in Johnny Depps defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Heard returned to the witness stand for a second day on Thursday 5 May, where she told the court that Depp had accused her of having an affair with Redmayne while they were filming The Danish Girl (2015).

Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp accused her of having an affair with Eddie Redmayne

Voices: Why do people blindly support Johnny Depp? Ill tell you why

Friday 6 May 2022 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Charlotte Proudman writes:

As a barrister, I see many victims of domestic abuse being sued for defamation, for daring to speak about what their perpetrator did to them. Meanwhile, the world questions whether theyre a real victim.

Opinion: Why do people blindly support Johnny Depp? Ill tell you why

Voices: The unbearable memeification of the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial

Friday 6 May 2022 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Clemence Michallon writes: Even when I traveled to the courthouse in the opening days of the trial, I didnt think Id see TikToks deconstructing Heards every movement or fawning over Depps hand gestures, or memes circulating on Twitter about domestic violence.

The Johnny Depp v Amber Heard memes have got to stop

Voices: Johnny Depp was lovable onscreen  it doesnt mean hes a nice guy

Friday 6 May 2022 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Sunny Hundal writes: A lot of people have fond memories of growing up with Johnny Depps films  I get it. But this is ultimately irrelevant.

Opinion: Johnny Depp was lovable onscreen  it doesnt mean hes a nice guy

How courtroom live-streaming turned an ugly battle between exes into a circus

Friday 6 May 2022 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Tom Murray writes:

Its a much louder and far more bombastic affair than Depps previous defamation case. He lost that one  which was held at Londons High Court of Justice and not televised  to the publishers of The Sun, after a judge deemed its labelling of the actor as a wife beater to be substantially true. The current trial  over Heards 2018 Washington Post op-ed, which implied that Depp was a domestic abuser  is stranger still for the ease with which it can be viewed.

Depp v Heard: How courtroom live-streaming has turned a bitter trial into a circus

Heard says Depp subjected her to disgusting and violent grilling about sex scene with James Franco

Friday 6 May 2022 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Amber Heard has alleged that Johnny Depp once subjected her to a disgusting and violent grilling about a sex scene she had filmed with James Franco.

Ms Heard returned to the witness stand for a second day on Thursday as part of the defamation trial opposing her and Mr Depp in Fairfax, Virginia.

She was asked about an incident she alleges occurred on a private flight in 2014. At the time, Ms Heard had been cast to star alongside Mr Franco in The Adderall Diaries, a thriller that was ultimately released in 2016.

He was mad at me for taking the job with James Franco, Ms Heard said. He hated, hated James Franco and was already accusing me of secretly having a thing with him in my past, since we had done [the 2008 movie] Pineapple Express together.

The alleged incident happened in May 2014 on a flight between Boston and Los Angeles.

Read more:

Heard says Depp subjected her to disgusting grilling about sex scene with Franco

Friday 6 May 2022 14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Depp and Heard issue duelling statements sharing confidence in trial as court takes week break

Friday 6 May 2022 14:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have issued duelling statements sharing confidence in the trial as the Virginia court takes a weeks break.

Gustaf Kilander has the latest.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard issue duelling statements as court takes week break
The prospect of a White House rematch between President Biden and former President Trump is coming into focus. And theres nothing that backers of either man would like more.

If the election were held today, Trump would win by 6 points, enthused Corey Lewandowski, the Trump ally who served as the former presidents campaign manager in the early stages of the 2016 election cycle.

Asked about other plausible Democratic nominees should Biden decide not to seek a second term, Lewandowski insisted Joe Biden would be my first choice as an opponent.

On the other side of the equation, Democrat Dick Harpootlian, who served on Bidens 2020 campaign finance committee, said, I am praying for Donald Trump to be the nominee  Trump represents the worst aspects of the Republican Party and I am convinced that absence will not make the heart grow fonder.

Harpootlian, a longtime fixture of South Carolina politics known for his colorful turns of phrase, gleefully branded the former president crazy as a shithouse rat.

Biden and Trump journeyed to key states Friday, giving a split-screen preview of what a 2024 campaign would look like.

Biden made the case for his manufacturing agenda in Ohio, a historical bellwether state that has trended sharply Republican in recent years.

Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania in support of TV personality Mehmet Oz, whom the former president has endorsed in the U.S. Senate primary in the Keystone State.

Trump and Oz were joined onstage by J.D. Vance, the author catapulted to victory in Ohios GOP Senate primary three days previously by Trumps April endorsement. Vance had been trailing in third place in the polls until the former president backed him.

Plenty of Americans will recoil from the idea of a Biden-Trump rematch.

They will remember the public tensions that spiraled during the 2020 campaign, chaotic presidential debates and the protests sparked by Trumps false claims of election fraud that reached their nadir with the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

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Looking ahead, the nation also confronts the possibility of a 2024 contest in which the younger of the two candidates, Trump, would be 78 on Election Day. Biden would be 81 by then.

Still, voters who blanch at the idea of a Biden-Trump rematch face the same question that fixates Washington insiders: Who else but Biden and Trump are realistically likely to be their party nominees?

Biden gives every appearance of wanting to run for a second term.

If he goes ahead, it would be near-inconceivable that Vice President Harris would challenge him. Harriss road to the White House either involves a fork in the road where Biden doesnt seek a second term or a timeline that doesnt put her at the top of the ticket until 2028.

Biden could face a challenge from the left, but Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has tried and failed twice to win the presidency and will turn 81 this year. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has appeared to rule out a 2024 White House bid.

On the Republican side, Trump has once again defied the odds, failing to be relegated to the margins of American public life as many critics thought he would be after the Capitol riot. Eighty-one percent of Republican voters have a favorable view of Trump, according to an Economist-YouGov poll earlier this week.

Even Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah), the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump after both of his impeachments, said this week that the former president would very likely be the GOP nominee if he runs in 2024.

Further fueling the prospect of a return bout between the two men is the idea, pushed by partisans on either side, that each one is particularly well suited to the fight against the other.

Democratic strategist Joel Payne argued that if you have Trumps chaos injected into a race, the comfort and ease of Joe Biden seems to be a pretty good antidote.

Trump allies believe that Biden will be weaker when he has to defend his own record in office. They also point to what they perceive to be a lack of vigor on the part of the incumbent president.

Lewandowski predicted that, as the next election appears on the horizon, when the average American goes back to the central question of Am I better off today than I was four years ago?, by every single metric the answer is No. 

To be sure, much could change between now and 2024. Biden or Trump could decide not to even contest the presidency. And, if they do go forward, they face real challenges.

In the FiveThirtyEight polling average on Friday, Bidens job performance won the approval of 42 percent of Americans but the disapproval of 52 percent.

The Economist-YouGov poll indicated that 40 percent of adults held a favorable view of Trump while 55 percent held an unfavorable view.

But its hard right now to imagine either Biden or Trump stepping away from the fight.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A spinoff of the hit Fox sitcom That 70s Show has been ordered for Netflix, Variety reports. There's currently an order for 10 episodes of the new show, titled That 90s Show. It might seem too soon to start parodying the nineties, but there is actually a similar gap between each show's premiere date and the year their universes are set in. This iteration will be produced by Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, who were responsible for That 70s Show and its much less successful spinoff, That 80s Show.

What was That 70s Show?

The original That 70s Show aired on Fox from 1998 until 2006. There were 8 seasons and 200 episodes, and it launched careers for well-known performers Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Wilmer Valderrama. The show is set in Point Place, Wisconsin, and the first episode begins on May 17, 1976.

The story largely revolves around the relationship between two teens, Eric (Grace) and Donna (Prepon), with their antics counter-balanced by the old-school parenting of Eric's parents, Kitty and Red, played by Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith.

The premise of That 90s Show?

In the newly ordered series, things begin in the year 1995. Eric and Donna's daughter, Leia Forman, has come back to Wisconsin to visit her grandparents and make references to the 90s era for the amusement of millennials everywhere.

Who is returning from the original cast?

Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp will be returning as the elder Foremans, but the biggest group returning is from the production side. In addition to the Carsey-Werner Company, the original series creators Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner are coming back as writers, and bringing their daughter Lindsey Turner to write as well. Gregg Mettler, who produced the original, is coming on as the executive producer and showrunner for the series. Both Smith and Rupp are getting executive producer credits along with their roles.

It was reported on April 30 by Variety that even more original cast members had agreed to sign on for at least a cameo in the new series. Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Wilmer Valderrama are all supposed to be coming back as their original characters for guest appearances. The only notable exception is Danny Masterson, who is facing trials for multiple sexual assault accusations. Masterson played Hyde on That 70s Show.

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There was a That 80s Show.



Fox tried to cash in on the popularity of the first show by expanding the franchise in 2002 with That 80s Show, but it only aired from January to May that year. Set in San Diego, there was less of a direct connection to That 70s Show than this new series; Eric Foreman was supposed to be the cousin of the show's main character, Corey Howard, played by Glenn Howerton. The storyline beganand endedin 1984.

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Luis G Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

The absolute freakout by the mainstream media and Democrats over the likely-imminent overturning of Roe v. Wade didnt surprise me.

What did surprise me was how some of conservatisms erstwhile leading lights want to pump the brakes. Shouldnt we be celebrating? What gives? I wondered. Then I remembered: Trump.

I expected the left and sympathetic media to frame overturning Roe as the coming end of Western civilization, but I was baffled by some Never Trump conservatives expressing opposition to the pro-life movements biggest victory.

This was the moral issue of the conservative movement for the last fifty years, during which time most of these folks were loyal conservatives. To the degree the Republican big tent had a litmus test, this was it.

Mitch McConnell Played the Long Game and Just Transformed America

But this decision (should it become official next month), couldnt have happened without Trump, who nominated three of the nine justices on the Supreme Court. This is where things get weird to be a Never Trumper who still identifies as a conservative.

The first example out of the gate was New York Times columnist Bret Stephens. To be fair, Stephens contends he was always a pro-choice conservative, but he previously said he wouldnt be entirely sorry if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade because abortion rights would be more secure, not less, if they had been achieved through normal legislative processes or ideally with a constitutional amendment.

But once it actually became clear that the court was on the verge of overturning Roe, Stephens immediately published a column saying that although Roe was an ill-judged decision, overturning it would be a radical, not conservative, choice.

The gist of his take is that conservatism, as a philosophy, opposes abrupt change. If you call a fifty-year struggle to return to the pre-1973 status quo where state legislatures had a say abrupt, I suppose thats what this is. But its also how our system is adjudicated; if Roe is overturned, it will be because conservatives went through the proper channels in our democracy.

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Having previously written that we should repeal the 2nd amendment, Stephens drift away from conservative orthodoxy is not surprising.

I was more surprised by the next example, Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBCs Morning Joe, who served in the 1990s as a pro-life Republican congressman from Florida. This week, Scarborough used his Twitter feed to promote columns that were critical of overturning Roe. He also took to the air to express his dismay at the likely end of Roe.

This isnt about abortion. This is about a womans freedom, Scarborough said on MSNBC this week. This is about Americans freedom. Its about autonomy over their lives. Control over their lives. Freedom with what they do with their lives. Its autonomy over a womans reproductive freedoms. You talk about extreme..."

During another segment, Scarborough said 70 percent of Americans support abortion as a constitutional right, adding Americans will rightly conclude that their voices and their votes no longer matter.

Reached for comment, Scarborough, a lawyer by training, told me he worries that overturning this popular precedent will harm the legitimacy of the court. He also noted: The embrace of increasingly extreme positions makes my previous view that social issues should largely be handled by states, and not nine unelected federal judges, untenable.

When I previously held this [anti-Roe] position, Scarborough continued, I looked to Republican governors like Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and George Voinovich as examples of Republicans who were more reasonable than radical. Those days are long gone.

Hes not wrong. Moreover, we have a conservative legal community that, as Scarborough tells me, now celebrates the likes of John Eastman and Ginni Thomas.

In my mind, the question over whether Roe is constitutional (and whether abortion is morally correct) are separate (and more pertinent) questions from whether Republican-controlled states will handle the next step in a competent and compassionate manner. But Scarboroughs concerns about the Republican Party and some red states are not insane.

Indeed, even some Never Trump conservatives who support overturning Roe have concerns about how the states will handle the next step. "Returning Roe to the states, which I think is the correct decision as a constitutional matter, will be landing this issue into the dumbest wave of culture war legislation that I've seen in my life, says David French of The Dispatch. Of course, when it comes to abortion, as French points out, Democrats are doing the same thing, in reverse, in blue states.

To be sure, there are gradations of Never Trump conservatives.

People such as The Washington Posts Jennifer Rubin or MSNBCs Nicole Wallace have long-since abandoned any pretense of being conservative or Republican. Others have come to the opposite conclusion when it comes to this issue. Consider Peggy Noonans Wall Street Journal piece The End of Roe v. Wade Will Be Good For America.

Then, there are some people who are no longer making an issue on moral or ethical grounds, but instead focusing on political grounds.

Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele (now a political analyst for MSNBC) fits into this latter category. While I disagree that this former seminary student has gone full abort lib (as one conservative outlet put it), during a recent segment on MSNBC, Steele seemed to focus his commentary on the political backlashand on extreme hypotheticals, such as a 10-year old girl who is raped by her father and lives in a state that bans all abortionsnot on whether abortion is good or whether the 1973 decision was constitutional.

During a phone call on Friday, Steele confirmed that he still believes in a culture of life, and agrees that Roe was wrongly decided fifty years ago. I have always been and still firmly remain pro-life as a Catholic, as someone who, when I was in the seminary had the opportunity to minister in this space with some folks that I knew. So this for me is very personal, he said. Also, as an adopted child, Steele continued, I understand more than many can appreciate what choice meansespecially when your mother chooses life, which is what Deuteronomy and the gospels teach.

But Steeles position is nuanced. He notes that abortion rates are already falling, and credits science and technology for changing the narrative around the issue. He believes the pro-life cause has not done enough to support women who might be left in a lurch if abortion is no longer an option. And he worries that overturning Roe now will put the lives of women in the hands of state legislatures that are "putting a bounty on her womb."

Along those lines, over at The Bulwark, Jonathan V. Last (formerly of the Weekly Standard), wrote that, For the first time since the days of Jim Crow, it is going to matter a lot what state you live in.

Trump Is the Only Thing Holding the Democrats Together

This inevitably brings us to Donald Trump and the Trump-era Republican Party. In recent years, many decent conservatives who could not abide Trumps illiberal policies and vulgarian rhetoric, made common cause with Democrats (and Democratic-adjacent media outlets). Theoretically, many opposed the elevation of a New York pro-choice politician because of their pro-life worldview, not in spite of it.

Thats a crisis of Never Trumpism.

In these tribalistic times, however, its nearly impossible to sustain an a la carte ideology. There are immense pressures on members of both parties to conform to their side's entire slate of policy preferences. Not doing so requires constantly reasserting your independence.

By embracing Trump, pro-lifers helped elect a man who would nominate three Supreme Court justices, making it possible for Roe to (likely) be overturned. It is understandable why some people who prioritize the life issue would ultimately make peace with Trump.

"On social issues, the GOP and the Democratic Party remain miles apart, even if Trump acts like Hugh Hefner, French told me. But by embracing Trump, pro-lifers also allowed their noble cause to be tainted by all the bad Trumpian baggage. This allowed their political opponents to plausibly conflate authoritarian Trumpism with the right to life, and thus causing some former allies to head for the hills.

What we are seeing now is the likely inevitable next step in the GOP reorderingwhereby more Never Trump conservatives will effectively be absorbed into the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, a generation of young Americans will likely conflate the life issue with MAGA and QAnon and The Big Lie. This is both tragic and ironic.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Abortion-rights supporters rally outside a Planned Parenthood center in St. Louis, Missouri, in May 2019. One year earlier, Missouri passed an abortion ban that would take effect once the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Trigger laws in 13 states would lead to abortion bans when the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

An Insider investigation found agencies in those states have no plans for how to implement the laws.

Local DAs described starkly different approaches on whether they'd prosecute medical providers.

Hours after a leaked draft opinion revealed that the Supreme Court is planning to overturn Roe v. Wade, a visibly shaken Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke outside of the court as protesters gathered. "The Republicans," she said, "have been working toward this day for decades."

But that work did not extend to planning for what comes next. The 13 states in which abortion could soon become a crime are profoundly unprepared for how to go about implementing a ban, an Insider investigation has found.

These states  Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming  have so-called "trigger laws" on the books that take effect once the court strikes down Roe. Some have been in place for as long as 17 years.

After submitting more than 100 records requests since March, and reaching out to nearly 80 state and local officials, Insider found only one state agency that could provide any written plans about how it will roll back a civil right that has existed for nearly half a century. Insider requested information from governors' offices, mayors' offices, state attorneys general, district attorneys, state legislative offices, and health departments in all 13 trigger-law states.

Many of the states have potentially complicated bans that include exemptions for cases of rape, incest, or health of the pregnant person  each of which would require fine-grained judgments by police, prosecutors, healthcare providers, and other officials involved in decisions about how to enforce and comply with the law. None of the states could produce any guidance provided to officials who will be responsible for making those judgments.

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Abortion providers and reproductive-rights advocates have been bracing for the Supreme Court's ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health since it agreed to hear the case last May. The central focus is a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a frontal challenge to the standard set by Roe that bars states from prohibiting the procedure before viability  around 24 weeks. The decision is expected in June, but Politico published the leaked draft opinion on Monday.

Legal experts told Insider that they anticipate widespread uncertainty and confusion over what abortion care will look like across the country, as the 13 trigger laws take effect while emboldened lawmakers in around a dozen other states look to pursue additional bans and restrictions.

"It's really district by district, county by county, and the chilling effect is going to be the same regardless, because also prosecutors can change over time. So even if one declines to prosecute or enforce, the next one could," Jessica Arons, a senior advocacy and policy counsel for reproductive freedom at the ACLU, said. "Providers are really left in a situation of trying to suss out their risk level and whether it's safe for them to provide care to their patients or not, and it's a really untenable position for them to be in."

This ambiguity, the experts said, will likely hinder abortion access even in places where the procedure is still legal.

"The chaos and confusion that people are experiencing right now in this moment, even prior to a final decision being handed down, is exactly what we anticipate seeing when the final decision is rendered," Farah Diaz-Tello, a senior counsel and legal director at the reproductive-justice legal organization If/When/How, told Insider. "There are a lot of questions that people have about what is this going to mean, how is it going to be implemented."

"Ultimately, the confusion is a feature and not a bug," she added. "It is exactly part and parcel with the overall project of making abortion inaccessible and even a crime."

The complexities of enforcing of 'draconian laws'

An Insider review of the language in the 13 trigger laws, passed between 2005 and 2022, hints at the confusion to come. In four of the states, North Dakota, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, exemptions permit abortions if a person is pregnant as a result of rape or incest; Mississippi also has an exemption for rape. However, according to the statutes in three of those states  Idaho, Mississippi, and Utah  the rape must be reported to law enforcement prior to obtaining an abortion. Idaho and Utah also require reporting in cases of incest.

Yet Insider found that state agencies could not provide guidelines for victims of rape and incest or for the doctors and nurses who will treat them. None of the state attorneys general or county district attorneys that Insider contacted could answer detailed questions about whether they have a plan, or have even convened planning meetings, concerning protocols for law enforcement, child welfare officials, and health providers when these incidents arise.

More than two-thirds of rapes go unreported, according to a 2020 Department of Justice survey.

In 12 states  all but Oklahoma  the laws allow exemptions to protect the life of the pregnant woman in medical emergencies. (Idaho, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming specifically exclude life-threatening risks with a mental, psychological, or emotional cause.) No state agency contacted by Insider in those states could produce protocols for how a life-threatening risk to the pregnant patient would be defined.

The agencies also couldn't produce guidance on what physicians will be expected to do when confronted with life-or-death situations. No agencies in Oklahoma, where the trigger law contains no exemptions at all, provided guidance for doctors who will have to face the prospect of letting a pregnant patient die when an abortion might save their life.

Legal experts described other potential scenarios that point to the complexities of enforcement. For example, Diaz-Tello noted, prior to Roe, people who had abortions were sometimes compelled to testify about who performed their procedure and faced contempt charges if they refused. Carol Sanger, a law professor at Columbia University, said that law-enforcement investigations could come into direct conflict with federal privacy law protecting medical records.

"It's one thing to introduce and enact unconstitutional laws that you know your state won't be allowed to enforce. You can advocate for them, you can pass them, you can make lots of statements, and that potentially can win you attention and votes," Elisabeth Smith, the director of state policy and advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told Insider. "We are now moving into a stage where the Supreme Court, they issue a decision that will allow states to actually enforce for the first time since 1973 some of these draconian laws."

'It makes no sense to do anything'

Over the course of the past two months, Insider sent 116 public records requests to state and local agencies in every trigger-law state. Forty-three of these agencies said they had no responsive records, and more than a dozen denied the request. The remaining agencies did not provide records by publication time.

Just 13 agencies responded to Insider's request with records of any kind. Of these, only the Texas Department of Health and Human Services responded with trigger-law-planning documents. The department provided two "implementation dashboards" listing a few milestones it would have to complete, including updating medical licensing rules, producing provider guidance, and training licensing staff, without any deadlines attached.





Abortion-rights activists at the state capitol in Austin, Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott signed a state "trigger law" in June 2021. Photo by Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images

Twenty-four state, county, and city agencies said that they did not have plans for the law going into effect when reached for comment by Insider. Dozens of agencies declined to comment or did not respond to Insider queries.

"It makes no sense to do anything, think about anything, implement anything, or plan to implement anything," Reginald Rogers, the department attorney for the Arkansas Department of Health, said in a March phone call. "We have other items, we're still in the pandemic, so we're not sitting on our hands waiting for something."

A department spokesperson said in late April that the agency "will not engage in planning or implementation of SB 149"  referring to Arkansas' trigger law  "until it comes into effect, and we cannot speculate about how it will be implemented at this time."

A spokesperson for the municipal government of Oklahoma City told Insider that "there has been no discussion" within city government about preparing for the state trigger law to go into effect. Similarly, a spokesperson for the Wyoming Department of Health responded "no" to all of Insider's questions about whether the department has made any plans, produced any documents, or had any discussions about how to implement the state's trigger law.

Asked to explain how the statute would impact Wyoming healthcare providers, the spokesperson said, "Presumably it will make performing an abortion illegal."

Some agencies objected to Insider's questions. "The Shelby County District Attorney's office does not deal in hypothetical situations," Amy Weirich, the district attorney for the Oklahoma county, told Insider in an email. "We deal in facts and truth. Any statement on unknown variables is irresponsible and political grandstanding." Oklahoma's trigger law was signed into law a year prior to Weirich's statement.

Most agencies did not provide anything in response to Insider's requests for comment. Others, such as the departments of health of Idaho, North Dakota, Mississippi, and Wyoming, said their agencies aren't involved with enforcement. A Mississippi State Department of Health spokesperson said her agency, which handles inspection and licensing, "will be prepared to move forward appropriately when a decision is issued."

The local government of Kansas City, Missouri, which straddles the state's border with Kansas, claimed the state's trigger law will have no financial impact, according to a record obtained by Insider  meaning that no additional labor by public employees will be required to implement the laws. The city provided Insider with a June 2019 document that stated it was simply "not possible" to determine the fiscal impact of Missouri's trigger law on the city "because pregnant women can cross state lines and obtain abortion services on the Kansas side."

Several state legislatures required fiscal-impact statements when considering their trigger bans, and a few states  Idaho, Oklahoma, and Wyoming  determined that the laws would incur no costs.

Dustin Curtis, the executive director of Students for Life, an anti-abortion organization, said his group campaigned for both Texas and Wyoming's trigger laws. He told Insider that the organization hasn't weighed in on how these states should implement their new laws.

"We really hadn't really given the AGs specific advice," Curtis said. "Our biggest thing for us is just making sure that we do have the AGs who will enforce the law."

A splintered enforcement landscape

There are several hundred counties in the trigger-law states  more than 250 in Texas alone. And there are already indications that district attorneys in some states will approach enforcing abortion bans in starkly different ways. A spokesperson for Idaho's attorney general, for example, said their office lacks the authority to enforce his state's abortion ban. That authority, he said, lies with Idaho's 44 counties.

Some district attorneys who spoke to Insider expressed no hesitation about enforcing their state's trigger law. In Idaho, Twin Falls County's prosecuting attorney, Grant Loebs, said if the trigger law took effect in Idaho, and a law-enforcement agency were to refer an illegal abortion to his office, his next step would be to consider filing charges against the provider.

"We would have to look at that independently and say, 'Oh wow, looks like you do have expert medical testimony that this would have caused the danger to the life of the mother,' and we might agree then and dismiss the case," Loebs said. Or his office might disagree with the healthcare provider, determine that "this is just an excuse you're making up after the fact," and prosecute.

"We don't have the resources to put a doctor on staff to second guess every doctor's decision," he said. "But case-by-case we would look at that kind of evidence in any individual case that came up."

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk said he would not enforce the state's abortion ban. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File

Glenn Funk, the Democratic attorney general of Tennessee's 20th judicial district in Nashville, has staked out a strikingly different approach. In September 2020, he declined to defend another Tennessee anti-abortion law and received blowback from the state's Republican governor, Bill Lee. Funk declared then that criminal law should not be used by the state to exercise control over a woman's body and told Insider he stands by that today.

"As long as I am the elected district attorney for the 20th judicial district, I will not prosecute any woman who chooses to have a medical procedure to terminate a pregnancy or any medical doctor who performs this procedure at the request of their patient," Funk said.

In Missouri, a St. Louis alderwoman, Megan Ellyia Green, said her strategy is just that  to encourage local prosecutors not to enforce the statewide ban.

"Even if it becomes criminalized, prosecutorial discretion still exists and so how do we put pressure on prosecutors to agree to not prosecute people," Green told Insider. "That is how we can act locally, and we have to ensure that these draconian laws are not actually enforced against our constituents."

When asked about his plans for enforcing Missouri's trigger law, St. Louis' prosecuting attorney, Wesley Bell, told Insider in a statement, "We do not have any plans in place currently, but we are monitoring this unfortunate infringement on the fundamental rights of women, along with everyone else."

There may be other forms of resistance from Democratic cities in trigger-law states governed by mayors who support abortion rights. In Idaho, Boise's mayor, Lauren McLean, for example, released a statement Tuesday saying, "I'm deeply saddened, and very concerned, by the news from the Supreme Court.  No one should have to flee their state to access safe abortion care. I remain steadfast in my support for all people who need access to abortion care and stand with them in fighting for privacy in health care decisions."

Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston also spoke out this week against the "elimination of a woman's right to choose." Several emails from the city government of Houston, obtained via a public-record request, illustrate frustration and disgust with state abortion laws, including SB 8, a 2021 statute banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

"As long as Roe is still the law, this thing isn't just unconstitutional, it is crazy," Houston's director of government relations wrote in a December 2021 email to coworkers. "Our Supremes are awful."

Clinics have 'a number of contingency plans'

Although state and local governments haven't prepared for trigger laws to take effect, abortion clinics have. Tammi Kromenaker  the clinic director for Red River Women's Clinic, the only abortion clinic in North Dakota  told Insider the clinic has been preparing "a number of contingency plans" since the Supreme Court agreed to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health.

Kromenaker said the clinic is considering relocating to northwest Minnesota, a few minutes' drive from its current location in Fargo. Depending on the state attorney general's interpretation of the Supreme Court decision, the clinic may challenge the state in court.

"We certainly have never considered closing down completely," Kromenaker said. "That's just something I can't stomach. I literally cannot even fathom closing our doors and saying, 'OK, patients we've been serving for the past 24 years, you're on your own. Try to go to Minneapolis, because that's the next closest provider.'"

Minneapolis is about a four-hour drive from Fargo. Kromenaker said that many of the clinic's patients  who come from North and South Dakota and parts of Minnesota  already have to drive three to five hours to get to Fargo.

Bonyen Lee-Gilmore, the vice president of strategy and communications for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, pointed out that regardless of what happens with Roe, abortion is already extremely difficult to obtain in the state due to a slew of previous anti-abortion measures. Only around a dozen patients each month access abortion services at the state's last clinic in St. Louis, she said, with far more Missourians going out of state for care.

The call center at Planned Parenthood's regional logistics center in Fairview Heights, Ill., in March 2022. Here, four full-time case managers ensure patients from Missouri, Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and beyond are able to access abortion care. Photo by Neeta Satam for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Due to those increasing restrictions, Planned Parenthood recently opened a regional logistics center in Illinois, close to the Missouri border, that employs four case managers working full time to ensure that patients not just from Missouri, but also from Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and beyond, are able to access abortion care.

"We are absorbing 100% of the costs of travel [and] lodging. We're connecting patients with abortion funds from all 50 states depending on what they need and who they qualify with. We help them kind of piece together all the pieces that are required to get abortion care now in this country," Lee-Gilmore said. "We won't be deterred from doing the work."

She has yet to hear anything from the state of Missouri or any of its agencies about how they plan to enforce the state's trigger law, which would take effect immediately after the court overturns Roe.

Matt Drange, Esther Kaplan, and Oma Seddiq contributed reporting.

Read the original article on Business Insider
About 100 people march for their reproductive rights Oct. 2.

Caitlin Cranford was in an abusive relationship when she found out she was pregnant.

She said she knew immediately that she needed to get an abortion.

I cant protect this baby from this man," Cranford said was her first thought.

Today, Cranford is flabbergasted that having an abortion could soon be illegal in Arkansas. On Monday, Politico released a leaked Supreme Court opinion that indicated the justices are planning to overturn Roe v. Wade.

If the landmark case was reversed, the legality of abortions would fall back to each state. In Arkansas, legislators have created a trigger law that would ban abortions immediately if Roe v. Wade fell. The law would make abortions illegal except to save the life of the mother. It makes no exception for rape or incest victims.

Cranford and her two friends, Jennifer Roller and Terrie Davis, are organizing a rally in support of abortion rights. Demonstrators will meet at 2 p.m. May 14 at the Sebastian County Courthouse. They also had a march protesting anti-abortion legislation in October.

Essentially my thoughts are its pretty clear cut to me what the Supreme Court is planning on doing, and I think we need to take this as a warning and prepare for that to be the decision and what can we do now that thats the decision," Davis said.

The women said that banning abortions will impact a myriad of other issues. They said this will mean more kids in the foster care system, the need for more mental health care providers and more instances of domestic abuse.

The ban will have the most impact on women who are poor and cannot travel to other states to get abortions. All of Arkansas' neighboring states have trigger laws on the books.

I feel like this is just the first attack on our rights. This is just the beginning of the battle," Cranford said.

But for those who have fought to ban abortions, the prospect of criminalizing abortions is a dream come true.

Well first of all Ive been working in the pro-life movement in Arkansas since 1984, and I really never thought I would live to see the day that the U.S. Supreme Court would be seriously considering overturning the Roe v. Wade abortion decision," said Jerry Cox, the executive director of the Family Council.

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The Family Council is a Little Rock-based organization that lobbies for conservative issues in Arkansas.

Rep. Cindy Crawford voted for Arkansas' trigger bill and described herself as elated that the Supreme Court is poised to send the issue back to the states.

Its a curse thats been on our land, and it needs to be removed," Crawford said.

Cox said that if abortions become illegal in the state, Arkansans will have to step up to help the woman who would have gotten those abortions.

For Cox, this means supporting pregnancy resource centers. There are two in Fort Smith: First Choice Pregnancy Medical Center and Heart To Heart Pregnancy and Family Care Center. These centers help women explore options for their pregnancies that do not include abortion.

Cox said there are about 50 of these kinds of centers throughout the state.

What I would say it means for the women of Arkansas is, first of all, they dont have to go through the trauma of an abortion," Cox said. "People act like an abortion is something that women dont think about. They do, and it weighs on them for years and years and years even after the fact, and many will tell you they wish theyd never done it."

Alex Gladden is a University of Arkansas graduate. She previously reported for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and The Jonesboro Sun before joining the Times Record. She can be contacted at agladden@swtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Fort Smith residents share thoughts on abortions
Ihor Zhdanov, Information Defence Project , Open Policy Foundation

Information Defence of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine as of the past day of May 6th, based on an analysis of open sources.

PLEASE NOTE! The first review was published on February 26th. All experts of the Information Defence of Ukraine project work free of charge, on a volunteer basis. We need your help. Each of your charitable donations is important to us. Your help in UAH can be transferred to the Oschadbank card: 5304 0999 9952 1978, Beneficiary name: Ihor Zhdanov. Your help in US dollars can be transferred to the account: IBAN number: UA513226690000026207001378162; Name of bank: Acc. 04-095-334 PJSC State Savings Bank of Ukraine, Hospitalna str., 12 G, Kiyv, Ukraine; SWIFT: COSB UA UK KIE. Beneficiary name: Ihor Zhdanov (  ). For more information about our team, see the link in the end of this review.

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, in the Slobozhanskyi direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine regained control over the settlements of Oleksandrivka, Fedorivka, Ukraiinka, Shestakovo, Peremoha and a part of the village of Cherkaski Tyshky.

In the Donetsk and Tavriia directions, in order to restrain the actions of the Ukrainian units, the enemy fires along the entire line of the contact border area. Air strikes and missile strikes continue.

In the Lyman direction, the enemy carried out assault operations in the direction of the village of Shandryholove. The enemy tried to establish control over the settlements of Rubizhne and Voievodivka in the Severodonetsk direction, but was unsuccessful. In the Popasnyanskyi direction, the enemy carried out assault operations in the direction of the settlement of Nyzhnie.

In Mariupol, the enemy focused its efforts on blocking and defeating the units of Ukrainian defenders in the Azovstal area. The occupiers conducted reconnaissance by fighting in the direction of the settlement of Prechystivka, they were unsuccessful and retreated.

In the Pivdennyi Buh direction, the enemy did not conduct active offensive operations, providing fire damage on the positions of the Ukrainian troops in some areas. The enemy focused their efforts on maintaining the occupied frontiers, replenishing ammunition and engineering their equipment positions.

The total combat losses of the enemy from February 24 to May 6 were: approximately 24,900 (+200) combatants were eliminated, tanks - 1,110 (+8) units, armoured combat vehicles - 2,686 (+35) units, artillery systems - 502 (+3) units, MLRS - 171 (+2) units, air defence - 83 (+0) units, aircraft - 199 (+3) units, helicopters - 155 (+0) units, motor vehicles and tank trucks - 1 926 (+19) units, ships / boats - 11 (+1) units, UAVs of operational and tactical level - 324 (+12), special equipment - 38 +0), cruise missiles - 90 (+1).

The Armed Forces of Ukraine hit the modern missile frigate of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral Makarov with Neptune missiles.

Up to 800 wounded and up to 200 bodies of dead russian servicemen are being held in the psychiatric hospital in the village of Malotokmatskyi, in the Rostov region, which was partially handed over to the russian Armed Forces.

In the Kharkiv region, 11 russian snipers were captured during a special SBU (The Security Service of Ukraine) operation. The detainees were a part of the so-called 115th Regiment of the DNR, which fired on Ukrainian positions.

2. Information summaries, reviews and assessments of foreign, Ukrainian intelligence and think tanks.

Senior US officials in the NYT said that the United States had provided intelligence to Ukraine, which helped strike the russian cruiser Moscow - the flagship of the russian Black Sea Fleet.

The NYT writes that immediately after the strike, representatives of the Biden administration "scrupulously kept silent", refusing to confirm even the fact of the task of striking at "Moscow". But in the recent days, the US officials have confirmed that the US intelligence data was provided to Ukraine a few hours before the launch of the Neptune missiles. They declined to elaborate.

The United States believes that russia has failed to implement its "difficult" plan to seize Ukraine due to the lack of trained soldiers and logistical miscalculations.

This was reported by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff James McConville and the U.S. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth in a joint statement of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee during a review of defense finance for 2023 and the Defense for the Future Program.

According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, in the occupied city of Sorokine in the Luhansk region, the process of issuing "passports of the Luhansk People's Republic" for the Ukrainian citizens displaced from the recently occupied territories has begun.

People deprived of homes, property and money are forced to accept these conditions, because that is the only way to get money, food, and medical care.

The HUR (The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine) also reports that putin continues to send conscripts to the war in Ukraine. Due to heavy losses at the front, the occupiers are trying to urgently replenish their reserves of "manpower". Despite repeated statements by the kremlin about the inadmissibility of involving conscripts in the war, such cases are becoming more frequent.

3. The russian occupiers are violating international humanitarian law and committing mass genocide of Ukrainians.

International and national investigation into the genocide of the russian occupiers against Ukrainians.

Reuters journalists conducted their own investigation in Bucha and found that the city was occupied by fighters of the Rosguard Regiment Vityaz and paratroopers from Pskov. In the three weeks since Bucha's de-occupation by the Ukrainian military, Reuters interviewed 90 witnesses, inspected crime scenes and found several personal belongings of the russian occupiers.

For the first time, this investigation has publicly established the involvement of the "Pskov paratroopers" and the "Kadyrovtsy" in atrocities and war crimes committed by the russian occupiers against the unarmed civilian population in the Kyiv region.

The russian aggressors kill Ukrainian children. As of the morning of May 6th, at least 631 children were injured in Ukraine as a result of the armed aggression of the russian federation: 223 children were killed and more than 408 children were injured.

May 5th, due to the shelling of the regional landscape park "Feldman Ecopark" in the village Lisne, the Kharkiv district, the Kharkiv region, a 15-year-old volunteer boy who helped feed and evacuate animals died.

On May 5th, it became known that on April 23rd, as a result of the bombing of the village of Novoselivka, the Pokrovskyi district, the Donetsk region, a 17-year-old boy died.

Children suffered mostly in the following regions: the Donetsk region- 139, the Kyiv region - 116, the Kharkiv region - 95, the Chernihiv region - 68, the Kherson region - 46, the Mykolaiiv region - 44, the Luhansk region - 37, the Zaporizhzhia region- 27, the Sumy region - 17, the Zhytomyr region - 15. In Kyiv City, 16 children were injured.

The russian invaders are launching missile and bomb strikes on civilians, towns and villages. On the night of May 6th, russian troops fired heavily at the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, less intensely in Kharkiv; in the Dnipropetrovsk region, there was a missile strike on the Pokrovskyi community and shelling of two villages; and on the evening of May 5th, there was a missile strike on Ochakov in the Mykolaiiv region.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a rocket landed in the Pokrovskyi community. Also, there was shelling from "Grads" on two villages in Zelenodolska and Shyrokovska communities. There were no casualties.

The Kharkiv region: a night with isolated shelling on the outskirts of Kharkiv. No one was injured. During the day, Saltivka was also shelled - 5 civilians were wounded and Rozova was shelled, 1 person was killed.

The Luhansk region: 16 times russians opened fire on residential neighbourhoods and infrastructure. 12 houses, an electric substation, a complex of commercial buildings were damaged. 7 houses were destroyed in Rubizhne, 2 - in Novodruzhesk. There are destructions in Lysychansk, Orikhovo, Hirske, and Popasna. Two peopke were killed.

The Donetsk region: in Kramatorsk, on May 5th, 32 high-rise buildings were severely damaged and 25 people were injured. In addition to residential areas, the russian army is actively attacking the citys industrial facilities with missiles (shelling at night and in the morning). russians do not stop shelling the Avdiyivka Coke Plant.

They also shelled the village of New York, and from 5 a.m. on May 6th, they intensified shelling of the Svitlodar community .

The Mykolaiiv region: on Thursday after 4 pm, there was an "arrival" of rocket fire in Ochakiv on infrastructure facilities. Five inhabitants of the Mykolaiiv area were wounded as a result of attacks of the russian occupiers.

4. Evacuation of civilians, exchange of prisoners.

In the evening of May 5th, almost 500 more Ukrainians were deported from Mariupol and Azovstal.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the third stage of evacuation of civilians began on May 6th at the Azovstal plant.

The russian troops violated the "ceasefire" regime in Mariupol and fired on an evacuation vehicle that was going to pick up civilians from Azovstal on May 6th: a soldier was killed and six wounded. This was reported by the Azov Regiment in the Telegram .

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has told Telegram that another exchange of prisoners has taken place. 41 people were returned, including 11 women. 28 military and 13 civilians are returning home."

5. Political and socio-economic situation in Ukraine, economic losses due to russian aggression.

Economic losses due to russian aggression. At this moment, 70 vessels are blocked in Ukrainian seaports, as it is impossible to navigate, and 6 of them, which operate under foreign flags, are in Mariupol.

Due to the destruction of the Kremenchuh refinery by russian troops, it will not be able to work until the end of the year. The destruction of the Kremenchuh refinery, which was the main producer of fuel in Ukraine, as well as a number of large oil depots led to a shortage of fuel at gas stations. The situation should be resolved within a few weeks until the market switches to supplies from the EU.

The damage to the infrastructure of the village of Moshchun in the Bucha district in the Kyiv region, which is called an outpost on the enemy's way to Kyiv, exceeds UAH 1.1 billion. This is stated in the assessment of the KSE Institute on the basis of data project RebuildUA from SmartFarming and Agro Courses.

The first signs of recovery and growth of the Ukrainian economy. During the sowing of 2022, Ukraine sowed 7.1 million hectares of land with the main agricultural crops, which is 49.3% of the planned 14.4 million hectares for the current season. This was reported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.

As of the beginning of May, more than 400 residential complexes are being built in Ukraine, 65 of them in Kyiv and another 45 in Odesa.

Construction was also resumed in Dnipro, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuh, Cherkasy, and Uman. In the western regions, 245 housing estates are currently being built.

Restoration of infrastructure in de-occupied and war-affected areas. ATB retail chain plans to resume more than half a hundred temporarily closed stores in Kyiv region by the end of May

6. International support and assistance to Ukraine.

Political and social support of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden had a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. They discussed both the military situation and the state of support for Ukraine. They agreed that Ukraine should continue to receive significant and ongoing support in exercising its legitimate right to self-defence.

Neither the United States nor Germany "will recognize any steps that run counter to Ukraine's territorial sovereignty and integrity and will consider them illegitimate."

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia arrived in Kyiv on May 6th. Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets said the ministers arrived to demonstrate unwavering support for the Ukrainian people and discuss more ways in which the Baltic states can help Ukraine, which is fighting for its freedom and sovereignty, as well as for democratic values.

Flash polls Eurobarometer , 66% of EU residents agree that Ukraine should join the EU when it is ready - this idea is largely supported in all countries except Hungary (where 48% agree).

Most people agree that Ukraine should join the EU as soon as it is ready - in Portugal (87%), Estonia (83%), Lithuania (82%) and Poland (81%). At the same time, Luxembourg (38%), Greece (37%), and Hungary (36%) have the most disagreements.

Financial assistance to Ukraine. The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development of Poland have reached an agreement on the revocation of permits for all carriers engaged in international fuel transportation.

Military assistance to Ukraine. Germany has agreed to supply Ukraine with 7 self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitzen 2000. This was confirmed in Slovakia on Friday by Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht , according to Die World.

About two-thirds of respondents in EU countries approve funding for the purchase and supply of military equipment to Ukraine. This is evidenced by the results of the Flash survey Eurobarometer.

In particular, 67% of respondents approve of the purchase and supply of military equipment to Ukraine, including 33% fully approve and 34% are inclined to approve.

7. Statements, provocations and fakes of the russian aggressors.

The chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin assures that mobilisation in Russia is not expected and that a nuclear strike by russia is possible only as a response attack.

A spokesman for the russian president, Dmitry Peskov, told TASS that a broad celebration of Victory Day in Mariupol, a Ukrainian temporary occupied city, was impossible, and the russian delegation was not going there on May 9th.

8. Political and socio-economic situation in russia, the impact of international sanctions on it.

New sanctions and restrictions against russia. The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions against the metallurgical and mining company Evraz, whose largest shareholder is a russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Japan will freeze the assets of another 140 russians and extend export restrictions to the russian military enterprises.

According to Bloomberg , the European Union has proposed to extend sanctions to Alina Kabaeva, a former gymnast who heads the National Media Group and which is closely associated with the russian president putin.

Oil and gas embargo. Ukraine calls on the European Union to immediately impose an embargo on the purchase of russian oil and to begin consideration of a ban on the purchase of gas. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba at a press conference in Kyiv with his colleagues from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, European Truth reports .

A new package of EU sanctions against russia, including an embargo on crude oil imports, will do more harm to Hungary than russia. This is stated in a letter from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to Index .

Austria still opposes gas supplies from russia and calls this step a "red line".

Bulgaria will ask for an exemption from the oil embargo against russia, proposed by the European Commission under the sixth sanctions package.

According to the latest data The EU has proposed a revision of the oil embargo against russia, allowing Hungary and Slovakia to buy russian oil until the end of 2024, the Czech Republic - until June 2024. This was reported by Bloomberg .

Finland managed to reduce oil imports from russia immediately after the invasion of Ukraine began in late February.

***

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.

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Faculty are urging the Washburn University Board of Regents to take its time in making one of the biggest decisions the body has made in 25 years.

In five short months, Washburn University will be without president Jerry Farley at its helm for the first time in a quarter century, and faculty at the school are worried there may be pressure to rush the search process for his successor.

At a brief public comment period at the end of Thursday's Washburn University Board of Regents meeting, newly elected faculty senate president Shaun Schmidt and his predecessor Kim Morse urged the Regents to consider appointing an interim president after Farley retires at the end of September.

More: Longtime Washburn University president Jerry Farley announces retirement

The faculty senate on Monday had discussed the upcoming transition in leadership for Washburn, which will be without Farley and several other university leaders, including vice president for academic affairs JuliAnn Mazachek.

Mazachek, a career-Ichabod, is in her last few weeks as Washburn's de-facto provost for the past six years. She was hired in March to serve as the next president at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, starting May 23.

Faculty: Interim president needed to bridge gap between Farley, successor

"What was immediately clear is that faculty embraces the transitions with equal parts optimism and anxiety," Morse, a history professor, told the Regents. "Faculty are resolute in the knowledge that faculty endures and leads, especially now. Faculty insists on our rights and our obligation to participate in the conversations about the transition processes, and in the transition processes themselves as the evolve."

More: As Topeka looks to invest in sports promotion, Washburn named host of NJCAA track championship

Schmidt said the faculty at that discussion Monday came to a consensus that "Washburn is not well-served by a rapid search for a long-term president.

"Instead, we believe an interim president is needed to guide the university community's transition to the next long-term presidency," Schmidt said. "The (Kansas Board of Regents) approach to appointing executive leadership may work well for our cousin institutions. However, Washburn is unique in its role in our community and faces a unique set of challenges."

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Morse and Schmidt said any decision about a new vice president for academic affairs should only come after a permanent president is appointed.

But an interim president would not have to be a long-term proposition for the Regents, and such a transition period could last less than a year under the right person.

Interim could help Washburn rethink what it is, what it wants to be, faculty members say

Washburn University president Jerry Farley gives his regular update to the university's Board of Regents on Thursday in the campus Memorial Union.

Morse and Schmidt further added that faculty request that the Washburn Regents direct any appointed interim president to work closely with faculty to assess the university's needs and determine how to position itself to attract the best quality candidates for its next permanent president.

Washburn University is a completely different institution than it was 25 years ago when Farley was hired, especially as the university enters its post-pandemic era.

"As faculty, staff and students, this really is a tremendous opportunity for us not only to be grateful for his 25 years of service, but for us to really rethink who we are, what our role is in the Topeka and Shawnee County community," Morse told The Capital-Journal.

More: Longtime Washburn administrator JuliAnn Mazachek hired as Midwestern State University president

An interim president should also maintain faculty's student-first focus, Schmidt said. Earlier in the Regents meeting, the board had heard a presentation on university-wide efforts to boost student success, with one effort boosting Washburn's typical graduation rate for first-time freshman from 34% to 51% in five years.

"Chemistry is the easy part of my job," said Schmidt, chair of the chemistry department. "It's adjusting to students every year as they change that takes the hard work, and the institution now needs to take a short breather with someone who is skilled in doing these transitions to allow us to make those adjustments, and figure out what is next."

Regents to consult with Washburn community about interim president

Interim presidents are standard practice at most other universities around the country, Morse said. While the faculty desire that a potential interim president come from outside Washburn University's existing administration, the faculty would be happy with any interim president, Schmidt said.

Their leadership during a transition helps decision-makers like the Regents take time to make a fully informed and thought-out decision on the institution's next leader, while also giving a chance for transparency into that process.

The Regents took a brief executive session at the end of the meeting Thursday to discuss personnel.

Vice chair Shelly Buehler, who was filling in for chair Terry Beck while he's out of the country, said after the meeting that the Regents have not decided on hiring an interim president but would consult with members of the Washburn community on that possibility.

An immediate search for a permanent president, if the Regents wish to hire that person before Farley's September retirement, would have to take place mostly over the summer months, and rushing that process could deprive stakeholders from participating in the search, Schmidt said.

Few faculty or Regents were even hired during the last presidential search 25 years ago, and bringing in a broad set of perspectives could only help a process that "will be new for 95% of campus."

"Transparency is essential, and bringing faculty, WUBOR, administration, students and the community together in that shared conversation is absolutely essential," Morse said. "It builds trust, it builds community and it builds vision."

Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Washburn faculty urge Regents to hire interim university president
After nearly a century in Fremont, the Jewish residents of Sandusky County had their own home to gather for worship, education and social activities in the building that now houses the Sandusky County Historical Society Museum.

As Fremonts Jewish population grew, the members of Beth Israel purchased the Holderman property on the corner of Birchard and Park avenues and Aug. 30, 1942, the new Temple Beth Israel was dedicated.

The sanctuary of Beth Israel could seat about 65 people and the Temple also had a library, study area, meeting rooms and a kosher kitchen.

During the late 1940s and early 1960s, Fremonts Jewish community is believed to have reached its peak in numbers. An estimated 50 families were affiliated with Beth Israel. For part of this period, Beth Israel continued to meet weekly on Fridays for a Shabbat service and major Jewish holidays were celebrated.

By the late 1970s, Fremonts Jewish community had declined in numbers, and in 1980 the trustees put their synagogue up for sale. Fifteen households were members at the time.

In 1981, the Sandusky County Historical Society purchased the property. Trustees of Beth Israel involved with the sale were Robert Gilberg, Nannette Newman and Bruce Pollak. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Beth Israel was used to create a scholarship at Ross High School.

Austin Reid

This information on the Jewish temple in Fremont comes from a document on Fremont Jewish History by Austin Reid, a graduate assistant at the Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement.

His full document, A History of Jewish Life in Fremont and surrounding areas, traces Jewish history in Fremont back to the 1840s and the Gusdorf family, believed to be the first Jewish family to settle locally.

A native of Lancaster, Reid attended Capital University for undergraduate studies in history and political science. While at Capital, he began a project to document small-town Jewish life in Ohio, starting with his hometown Lancaster and surrounding areas. Some classmates from Fremont told him that a synagogue once existed in their hometown and this is how he learned of the former Temple Beth Israel.

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He has documented the Jewish history of Fairfield and Hocking counties as a project for Capital's history program. While researching this, he realized many other small towns were once home to Jewish communities and he came to believe that this was piece of Ohio history that risked being forgotten.

Reid believes that small-town Jewish communities played a significant role in shaping what Jewish religious life looks like in the United States. He also believes Jews in small-towns contributed significantly to the reduction of anti-Semitism in the United States during the 20th century.

Reid has written about Ashtabula County, Athens County, Chillicothe, Coshocton, Fremont, Lancaster, Piqua, Steubenville, Zanesville and other places. He has sent these papers to local historical societies and the Columbus Jewish Historical Society has digitized these works so they can be found online.

The Temple Beth Israel portion of Reids history is featured in an exhibit at the Sandusky County Historical Society Museum, now housed in that building.

Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Wilhelm: Jewish temple played a role in early Fremont
SUNNYSIDE  More than 40 residents showed up to Monday nights City Council meeting after a Friday evening gang shooting that left five injure
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. &&
I have a confession when it comes to the culture war our society is mired in: I consider myself a pacifist on this front. As the battles rage on between the woke left and the anti-woke right, it seems clear to me that there will be no winners, only losers. Those losers are the majority of Americans, in the middle, who want a government that actually governs.

James Davison Hunters 1991 book, Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America, focused on the convergence of Christian fundamentalists, Orthodox Jews and conservative Catholics in a battle against their progressive counterparts for control of American secular culture, the book cover states. The culture wars have certainly evolved in the 31 years since. But at its heart, as always, is a struggle for Americas cultural identity.

The culture wars are a response to the conflict between the secularization of society and the values many Americans still adhere to. Then there are those who inflame these grievances and resentments for political gain. The culture wars are used as a cudgel for both the right and the left, who typically portray the other side as an existential threat to their very survival.

In March, Floridas Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, signed the Parental Rights in Education Bill, which reinforces parents rights to make decisions regarding the upbringing of their children. The bill prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and prohibits instruction that is not age appropriate for students and requires school districts to adopt procedures for notifying parents if there is a change in services from the school regarding a childs mental, emotional or physical health or well-being. Critics of the bill started calling it the Dont say gay bill, even though there is no mention of the word gay in the bill. The bill is vague and would make it difficult for school districts and teachers to comply. As with most issues in our politics today, the bill came under a national spotlight.

After DeSantis signed the bill, woke employees of Disney World  the top employer in central Florida  demanded that the Walt Disney Corporation condemn the bill, and Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek vowed to fight for its repeal.

DeSantis retaliated by asking Florida lawmakers to repeal a provision, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, that gives Disney the right to govern itself like a city since 1967. Disney can raise its own revenues to pay for municipal infrastructure expenses like roads, water, waste services, and fire safety and ambulance services at Disney World. Reedy Creek also issues bonds and levies taxes on properties within its boundaries effectively on behalf of Disney. Those bonds total $1 billion.

If its revoked, the state of Florida acknowledges it will not be able to cover the improvement districts bond obligations. The new bill is slated to take effect on July 1, although the changes wont become enforceable until June 2023.

The losers in this current battle are the improvement districts 300 employees, who could lose their jobs, and the taxpayers who were warned that their property taxes may jump by 20% to cover the cost of the districts services.

As an old-school conservative, I have a nuanced take on the Florida situation, which I am quite aware no longer fits into the current, populist Republican Partys beliefs. I believe in parental rights but think the conversations about curriculum should be taking place at the local, school district level. I am suspicious of a strong central government, so I think the Florida governor and Legislature overreached. I also believe in free markets, privatization, free trade, deregulation and minimal government debt. The bill passed to dismantle the improvement district is antithetical to all of those beliefs. I also prefer, probably unrealistically, that corporations stay out of political fights.

I am by no means suggesting that our society should not be debating how to deal with change, to decide what is important to our communities, and to decide the values we want to hold. I am proposing that the culture wars be removed from politics.

When politicians and elected officials spend their time engaging in culture war issues, they stop spending their time on the pragmatic tasks of governing. I imagine there are plenty of Floridians who could identify far more urgent issues worth addressing.

So how can political culture war pacifists give peace a chance? We can refuse to engage in culture war combat, we can work to build back our local communities, start to trust our institutions again, encourage that trust to grow, and reward politicians who refuse to engage in culture war battles with our votes.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Tuesday that there was an urgent need for a new balanced personal status law in Egypt to solve family issues honestly and impartially.
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As PM Viktor Orban tells Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, that Hungary cannot accept in its current form the Commissions proposal to impose a ban on oil imports from Russia, the main government daily calls the Commission irresponsible.

On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen announced that the Commission proposes to phase out oil imports from Russia by the end of the year, whereupon Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent her a letter on Thursday explaining that the sanctions would divert vital national resources to redundant fossil fuel investments while relevant funding from the EU is only available to us on paper.



In a second angry commentary in as many days on the planned ban on Russian oil imports, Magyar Nemzet believes the European Union is destroying itself.



The author, Zsolt Bayer, a founding Fidesz member known for his highly opinionated columns, tells European decision-makers that the United States has advised them not to impose an embargo on Russian oil supplies, as the ensuing increase in oil prices would compensate Russia for the loss  and harm the rest of the world. In an aside, he also remarks that the United States doesnt oppose a ban on Russian gas supplies, as higher gas prices would help sell expensive American shale gas worldwide. In a bitter sentence, Bayer accuses the leaders of the EU of intending to free Europe from Russian energy dependency by destroying Europe itself.



At the same time, he adds, the Commission is demanding huge material sacrifices from Hungary, whilst withholding EU funds from her.



Hungary Opposes the Planned European Ban on Russian Oil



A pro-government commentator fears that Hungary would find itself in war-like conditions if it has to cut oil imports from Russia, in line with the latest European Commission proposals.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary cannot responsibly support the planned European ban to end the import of Russian oil, as the country depends on Russian supplies for 65 per cent of its crude oil needs. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told CNN it would take Hungary 3 to 5 years to replace Russian oil. Hungary has so far supported all 5 rounds of European sanctions on Russia.



In Magyar Nemzet, Gergely Kiss warns that halting the inflow of Russian oil would result in extreme petrol shortages which would bring road traffic, the supply of consumer goods, and agriculture to a virtual standstill. Even if Hungary could find a replacement for Russian oil, it would require hundreds of millions of Euros and a long time to re-adjust its main refinery at Szazhalombatta on the Danube, which was built specifically to process Siberian crude oil, the commentator of the number one pro-government daily continues.



Hungary would thus be hit much harder by a ban on Russian oil than Russia itself, Kiss believes, with war-like conditions including empty shelves, and hopelessly long queues in front of shops. Luckily enough, he writes, Hungary has voted to return those to government who put the national interest first.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher.

Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

Click here to Share Your Story





MTI/PM's press office photo: Zoltan Fischer
The EUs proposal to phase out Russian oil may create a situation where Hungary runs out of fuel and other oil products important for its industry, Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned in an interview on Friday.

Hungary will not accept such a proposal, he said. At the same time, Hungary will be happy to discuss proposals in line with Hungarian interests, he said.



Revamping Hungarys energy production and transmission system to oil products other than those from Russia would take up to five years, he said. While the EU has allocated money to funding the developments, they are yet to give us that money, and we cannot start the works until that arrives, unless Hungary takes out loans form the market to cover the costs, he said.



I have sent this back to President [Ursula von der Leyen] to be reworked, we are now waiting for the new proposal, he said.



Hungary must at least maintain its veto on the issues most important for the country, he said. As a result, he said he had been willing to approve the first five packages of sanctions but made it clear that the energy embargo would be a red line.



They also wanted to put Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill of Moscow on the sanctions list but we will not support including church leaders on the list because that would affect the freedom of religion for Hungarian communities which is sacred and inviolable, Orban said.



Hungary stands for peace and wants the parties in the Ukraine war to agree to a ceasefire and start peace talks as soon as possible, Orban said.



He noted that he had visited Moscow in the interest of peace before the war started in February, as had French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. None of them succeeded, he said.



Hungary must stay out of this war, he said, adding that at the same time, the country was providing record-large humanitarian aid. Hungarian society as a whole has become mobilised, he said.



Hungarians are now disregarding how Ukrainians used to treat ethnic Hungarians in recent years because currently we only focus on the people that suffer, he added. Delivering weapons to Ukraine would distance Hungary from peace  delivering weapons brings trouble on the head of those involved, especially if they are neighbours of the country at war, he said.



Orban said that Transcarpathia has come within striking range because someone is delivering or planning to deliver weapons and the Russians will target the transport junctions where such trans-shipments travel.



Orban said that he planned to present members of his new, significantly reshuffled government between May 20 and 30. He said considerable changes were planned, reflecting the many considerable changes in the world.



Christian Democrat, nationally minded governments usually start work by assessing the challenges of the upcoming four years, Orban said.



Protection against migration pressure must be boosted, he said. The [coronavirus] pandemic has not disappeared and there is a war going on, he added. We must form a government that is able to protect Hungary, he said.



Orban Slams Planned Oil Sanctions on Russia



The European Union's proposal on phasing out imports of Russian crude oil is "unacceptable", Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, adding it was equivalent to "dropping a nuclear bomb on the Hungarian economy".

In a regular interview with public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, the prime minister said EU member states had agreed earlier that the bloc should only take steps that take into consideration the different energy mixes of member states and their sovereign right to decide on them.



However, the president of the European Commission either willingly or unwillingly, attacked this hard-fought European unity, he added.



Orban said the EU proposal to phase out Russian oil imports was equivalent to dropping a nuclear bomb on the Hungarian economy, adding that its approval would be the end of the utility price caps.



Petrol prices could reach 700 forints (EUR 1.80) per litre and diesel could cost up to 800 forints, he said.



Replacing Russian oil imports would take years and cost several hundreds of millions of forints, while changes to Hungarys energy transmission system would cost thousands of billions of forints, he said. At the same time, a costly investment bringing results in 4-5 years may not make sense as the root of all problems, the war in Ukraine, is here now, he said.



Latest Sanctions Against Russia Not to Affect States Equally, Says Gulyas



The economic impact of the latest sanctions on Russia is a decision the consequences of which can be clearly calculated mathematically, and it will not affect countries equally, the prime ministers chief of staff told commercial news channel HirTV on Thursday.



Hungary and Slovakia are in the worst situation, Gergely Gulyas said, with Hungary relying on Russian crude oil for about two-thirds of its oil consumption. The ratio in Slovakia is even higher, he added.



Under the proposed sanctions, petrol in Hungary would cost 700 forints (EUR 1.8) per litre while diesel would rise to 800 forints, Gulyas said, adding that the security of Hungarys supplies could not be guaranteed either.



This is why the government has made it clear that it cannot support any sanctions in this form, Gulyas said, noting that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban clearly stated Hungarys position in his letter written to the head of the European Commission on Thursday.



Hungary will keep to the sanctions which were adopted at the EU summit in Versailles in March, Gulyas said, noting that these sanctions do not cover crude or natural gas. We must adopt sanctions that will hurt those whom we want to punish but not those who otherwise want to punish Russia over the aggression committed against Ukraine more so, he said.



He said that Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic had expressed serious concern over energy sanctions. We need full unity; without that sanctions cannot be adopted, and if the European Commission wants to maintain the unity which emerged because of the war, it must enter into talks, Gulyas said.



Hungary can tell exactly how much extra the situation would cost the country compared with other member states, in what aspect is its situation different, and what sort of expenses it would expect Brussels to reimburse, Gulyas said.





MTI / PM's press office photo: Zoltan Fischer
YORK  An inmate at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women has been given more prison time after assaulting another inmate in the prison.

Taylor Melvin, 24, was sentenced to a term of 1-2 years in prison for second degree assault. She was sentenced this past week by Judge James Stecker in York County District court.

She is currently serving a 3 1/2-year sentence for assaulting a health care professional, assault of a confined person, assaulting a peace officer and another conviction of assaulting a peace officer.

She was given no credit for any other time served.
Traffic violators in Gurugram will soon be able to spare themselves the hassle of visiting the Traffic Towerthe traffic police office, as will be able to pay their fine on the spot from next week onwards. The traffic police have tied up with the State Bank of India (SBI) which will provide it with special card swiping machines for on-spot payment. According to officials, the new system will be rolled out by Monday (May 9).

The Gurugram traffic police will receive 230 special card swiping machines from SBI with software equipped with pre-loaded offences and fines corresponding to these violations. Hence with these machines, the violators can make payments through debit/credit cards or UPI.

This on-spot payment will be very convenient for both officers on duty and violators. This city has many violators who are just passing by other cities. We have been getting feedback and complaints about people having to go to the traffic tower for payment, said Ravinder Tomar, DCP (Traffic), Gururgam.

Also read: Driving Licence: Latest rules in India, how to apply - Know it all

The DCP further noted that the new system will also ensure transparency, as the majority of the people offer bribes rather than paying challans just to skip going to the Traffic Tower. In many cases, they dont pay up and then they are sent to court and the process gets elongated. This will smoothen things, the senior officer said.

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The East African country Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot and has flora and fauna which are not found elsewhere in the world. Hence, to explore the unexplored, Ambassador Abhay Kumar met Madagascars Minister of Transport and Meteorology M Rolland Ranjatoelina on May 5 and discussed the possibility of starting a direct flight between Mumbai and Antananarivo.

"Ambassador Abhay Kumar met M Rolland Ranjatoelina, Honble Minister of Transport and #Meteorology of Madagascar today. They discussed the possibility of starting a direct flight between #Mumbai and #Antananarivo," Ambassador Abhay Kumar said in a tweet.

Ambassador Abhay Kumar met H.E. M Rolland Ranjatoelina, Honble Minister of #Transport and #Meteorology of #Madagascar today. They discussed the possibility of starting a direct flight between #Mumbai and #Antananarivo. pic.twitter.com/tAH7gMQzGR  India in Madagascar & Comoros (@IndembTana) May 5, 2022

Madagascar remains unexplored by Indian tourists, an island nation located just six hours away in the Indian Ocean next to Mauritius. Visa is available for Indian tourists on arrival in Madagascar and there are many places to visit across the country from Baobab Alley to dancing lemurs to singing whales and pristine beaches. Madagascar is a travellers dream.

Also read: Racist comment leads to a massive fight in KLM flight, passengers record video: WATCH

It is well known for dark night skies for astro-tourism. All the major constellations visible from the Southern Hemisphere are visible in Madagascar. A direct flight between India and Madagascar can help the people of Madagascar to avail world-class health, educational and financial services in India and can promote tourism between the two countries.

India is the fourth largest trade partner of Madagascar. A direct flight between the two countries can promote trade and commerce and people-to-people relations between the two countries. Madagascar has a large Indian diaspora who have family roots in Gujarat.

(With inputs from ANI)
A 57-year-old United Airlines passenger was arrested after opening the emergency exit and walking out onto the plane's wing while it was taxiing at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to media reports. United Airlines flight 2478, coming from San Diego, was involved in the incident.

The man from California was taken into custody, CNN reported. "A male subject was onboard a plane that was approaching the gate when he pulled the emergency exit and walked out onto the wing of the plane," according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

"The subject then slid down the wing and onto the airfield," Chicago Police added. Randy Frank Davila has been charged with reckless conduct, according to Chicago police.

Also read: Airlines to pay compensation for wrongly denying passengers boarding: DGCA

United Airlines said the ground crew stopped the individual outside the aircraft. When the plane arrived at the gate, all passengers deplaned safely, according to a statement from the airline. Police said he was taken into custody "without incident" and charged with the misdemeanour. He will appear in court on June 27, CBS News reported.

The charges come as unruly passengers continue to disrupt flights, with some even trying to open doors mid-flight. In February, an American Airlines flight attendant had to hit a man with a coffee pot after he tried to open the passenger door mid-flight.

In April, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its largest-ever fines: USD 81,950 for a passenger who allegedly hit a flight attendant, tried to open a cabin door, and headbutted and tried to kick crew members and passengers; and USD 77,272 for a woman who allegedly tried to "exit during flight" and repeatedly bit another passenger, the report added.

The FAA received more than 5,500 reports of unruly behaviour last year, and the spike in passenger outbursts has prompted some airlines to develop internal ban lists.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Along with Brahmastra are Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Avatar: The Way of Water and many more titles to release this year from the studio.

New Delhi: Bollywood filmmaker Ayan Mukerji's ambitious trilogy Brahmastra has been the talk of the town for more reasons than one. To begin with, the epic drama promises to be a never-seen-before visual spectacle with an exciting ensemble cast.

Now, the film has added yet another prestigious feather to its cap. The Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has added the first part of the trilogy and magnum opus Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, to its global theatrical release slate. This is the first time an Indian movie has made it to the list.

It means the film, featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni, will hit screens worldwide on September 9, 2022.

Meanwhile, the motion poster of this big-budget venture as well as the teaser of the first song Kesariya have added to the excitement as to how interesting this journey is going to be. The response around both has been amazing from fans and audiences.

Produced by Fox Star Studios (owned by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) and Dharma Productions, Brahmastra Part One: Shiva will release on 09.09.2022 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
Jordan's King Abdullah II will visit Washington on Friday for talks with US President Joe Biden.
New Delhi: In the wake of his slap incident at Oscars 2022, Apple has decided to postpone the release date of Will Smith's film 'Emancipation'. As per Variety, the streaming giant is planning to delay the film`s release to sometime in 2023.

While Apple has not shared an official date, one source familiar with the situation said, "it`s the unspoken truth" that the action-drama will not hit the platform in 2022.

Emancipation, sees Smith portraying a runaway slave named Peter, which is based on a true story from an 1863 photo titled 'The Scourged Back'.

For the unversed, while presenting the best documentary feature award at the 2022 Oscars, Chris Rock made a joke about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head.

Rock said he couldn`t wait to see Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia areata, star in 'G.I. Jane 2' which led Smith to go up on stage and slap Rock.

Smith returned to his seat and shouted, "Keep my wife`s name out of your fu**ing mouth!"

A few minutes after the incident, Smith was announced Best Actor at the 94th Academy Awards. While accepting his first-ever Oscar for best actor (leading role) in `King Richard`, Smith apologized to the Academy and fellow nominees but did not mention Rock.

However, after receiving backlash for his disorderly behaviour, Smith issued an apology to Chris Rock and the Academy on his social media handle.On March 29, there was a short virtual meeting between Smith, Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, initiated by Smith.

And then after a few days, Academy banned Smith from Oscars for 10 years.
The Allahabad High Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Noida CEO Ritu Maheshwari after she did not appear before the court in a contempt of court case linked to land acquisition. The court directed the police to produce her before it next week.

Justice Saral Srivastava passed the order on Thursday in a contempt plea filed by Manorama Kuchhal and another person whose land was acquired in 1990 by the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) but were not given fair compensation till date.

On April 28, the court had directed the matter to be listed on May 4 and Maheshwari was directed to remain present. But despite the summons, she was not present when the matter was taken up.

''Considering the fact that the order of Writ Court has not been complied with despite the fact that the possession of the land of the applicants had been taken over by the NOIDA illegally in the year 1990 without paying even a single penny as compensation.

''When the Court summoned the CEO, NOIDA in contempt proceeding, she did not appear before the Court, when the matter was taken up which led her counsel to request the Court not to take up the matter till she reaches the Court as her flight is delayed, this Court finds that such conduct of CEO, NOIDA amounts to deliberate and willful disrespect to the Court, as the Officer of the rank of Chief Executive Officer of a Corporation expected the Court to take up the matter at her mercy, therefore, this Court finds it to be a fit case where non-bailable warrant be issued against the CEO, NOIDA,'' it observed.

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Amaravati: The death of a Bachelor of Pharmacy student under mysterious circumstances triggered tension in Penukonda town in the new Satya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh on Friday, with her family alleging it to be a case of gang-rape and murder.

A second post-mortem, however, revealed no traces of rape or murder, doctors of Penukonda hospital who performed the autopsy said. However, the vaginal swabs of the victim were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for further examination to determine if she was sexually assaulted, they said.

The victim's body was found hanging on Thursday in a farm shed owned by her lover Sadik Basha, according to the Dharmavaram sub-divisional police officer Ramakanth.

"They were in love for the last three years. He called her on May 4 and took her to his farm shed. They had a chat for over two hours, after which he went out to bring food. Upon his return, Basha found his lover hanging dead," the SDPO said.

The first post-mortem revealed that it was a case of suicide, he added.

But, after the victim's family suspected gang-rape and murder, a second autopsy was conducted on Friday.

ALSO READ | Kerala shocker! Man blows up wife, two children in blast before jumping into well in Malappuram

The family and relatives of the girl staged a demonstration outside the hospital in Penukonda, alleging that Basha killed her after deceiving her on the promise of marriage.

Satya Sai district Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Singh visited the hospital, where he faced the ire of the demonstrators, who alleged that the police were trying to divert the case claiming it to be a suicide.

The local Telugu Desam Party cadre also joined the protest.

The BJP state general secretary decried the incident and demanded that Basha be arrested immediately.

Meanwhile, a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her 20-year-old neighbour in the early hours of Friday in Anakapalli district.

The person allegedly dragged her to a secluded place when she came out of her house, along with her elder sister, to attend nature's call, police said.

A shocked elder sister ran into the house and alerted her parents, who searched for their girl child.

They later found the girl bleeding and in an unconscious condition. She was rushed to the area hospital for treatment.

"It was a case of aggravated sexual assault and we have nabbed the assailant. The girl is now stable," Anakapalli district SP Gowthami Sali told PTI over phone.
New Delhi: The door of Badrinath Dham is all set to open doors for devotees on Sunday (May 8) morning. Ahead of the opening ceremony, the senior officials of police, while inspecting the security arrangements instructed the on-duty police personnel to be extra cautious.

On Saturday, the Badrinath temple has been decorated with flowers and lights. Located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alaknanda River, Badrinath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

The shrine is one of the four ancient pilgrimage sites referred to as `Char Dham` which also include Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath.

It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand. It is open for six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November). Kedarnath Temple opened its doors for pilgrims on Friday morning.

The annual Chardham Yatra began on May 3 on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in the Uttarkashi district. Portals of Badrinath Temple will open on May 8.

Earlier this month, the state government capped the number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dhams. A total of 15,000 pilgrims will be allowed daily at Badrinath, 12,000 at Kedarnath, 7,000 at Gangotri and 4,000 at Yamunotri. This arrangement has been made for 45 days.

This year, it is not mandatory for pilgrims to carry a negative COVID-19 test report or vaccination certificate.Char Dhams draw lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad.

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The Punjab Government had to pay a bill of Rs 45 Lakh for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to Gujarat from 1-3 April. The visit to Gujarat was done for Mann's participation in the party's campaign for upcoming elections in the state. The civil aviation department issued a bill of Rs 45 Lakhs to Punjab government for an aircraft that was taken on rent for Mann's visit.

The elections in the state of Gujarat are due in December this year. For the same, the two Chief Ministers of AAP - Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal - had gone to launch the party's election campaign in the state.

The revelation came after an RTI was filed in the matter. The response to the RTI, filed by Bhatinda resident Harmilap Singh Grewal, said that the Punjab government received a bill of Rs 44,85,967 for the trip.

Another similar trip was made to Himachal Pradesh on April 6. However, no information is available on the April 6 trip.

'Party's promotion, payment from state exchequer'

Harmilap Singh Grewal said that Bhagwant Mann is the same person who used to mock former Chief Minister Charanjit Sing Channi for use of helicopters even inside Punjab. However, Mann is now indulged in the same practice. He also said that the visit-in-question was completely private to promote the party. It was nowhre related to Punjab's welfare in manner.


The Central Bureau of Investigation today raided three locations linked to AAP Punjab MLA Jaswant Sing in a Rs 40 crore bank fraud case. An FIR has been registered in the matter against AAP MLA Jaswant Singh 'Gajjan', his brother Kulwant Singh and his nephew Jaswant Singh - all are the directors of the firm that is accused of causing the fraud to Bank Of India to the tune of Rs 40 crores.

Jaswant Singh is a sitting MLA from Amargarh, Sangrur, Punjab for Aam Aadmi Party. The accused are also the guarantor of the loan.

The account, to which the loan was sanctioned, was classified as Non-Performing Asset on 31st March, 2014 and based on anomalies, the account was declared as fraud on 9th Febraury, 2018 with an outstanding amount of Rs.40.92 Crore (approx).

"It was also alleged that the loan availed by the accused has not been used for the purpose for which it was availed," a press statement said.

"A cash of Rs. 16.57 Lakh(approx), around 88 foreign currency notes, 94 blank cheque along with Aadhar Card, some property documents, several bank accounts and other incriminating documents were found and recovered during searches," the statement added further.

The searches were conducted at Malerkotla and Gaunspura locations.

As per the FIR, the firm was sanctioned loans at four intervals from 2011-2014 by the Bank.
New Delhi: The Central government has told the Supreme Court that the 1962 verdict of the five-judge Constitution bench case which upheld the validity of the offence of sedition under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, is binding and continues to be a "good law and needs no reconsideration".

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, in the written submissions, said that the 1962 five-judge bench judgement of the top court in Kedar Nath Singh v/s State of Bihar case which upheld the validity of Section 124A of IPC has stood the test of time and applied till date in tune with modern constitutional principles.

"It is a settled position in law that a judgment which withstood the test of time and has been followed not mechanically but in the context of changing circumstances cannot be easily doubted," the Central government has submitted.

It said the 1962 verdict is a good precedent and that it requires no consideration and isolated instances of misuse cannot be a ground to uproot the precedent that has withstood the test of time for over six decades.

"The remedy would lie in preventing such abuse on a case-to-case basis rather than doubting a long-standing settled law declared by a Constitution bench since about six decades," the Centre said.

The Centre further submitted that a three-judge bench cannot hear a legal challenge to the Constitutionality of Section 124A.

Only a bench of co-equal strength of Kedar Nath Singh can pose any doubts on the verdict, the Centre stated while adding that thus, for reconsideration of Kedar Nath Singh judgement, the matter will have to be referred to a bench of five judges or more.

It said, "The bench of three judges cannot reconsider the ratio of a Constitution bench without referring the matter to a larger bench. For a reference to a larger bench also it will be absolutely necessary for the bench of three judges to record its satisfaction that the ratio in Kedar Nath Singh (verdict) is so patently wrong that it needs reconsideration by a larger bench. The bench of three Judges cannot itself decide whether Kedar Nath Singh (verdict) is a good law or not."

"The Kedar Nath Singh judgement has been the law of the land for more than six decades. The judgment balances constitutional rights and principles viz. needs of the State, to provide a reasonable interpretation," it added.

The response of the Central government was filed on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the sedition law.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on May 5 said that it will first decide the issue of whether the petitions challenging the Constitutional validity of Section 124A to be referred to the larger bench or not.

The bench had posted the matter for hearing on May 10 for arguments on referrals of the petitions to the larger bench and had also granted the last opportunity to the Centre to file its affidavit on the pleas.

Earlier, Attorney General of India KK Venugopal had told the Supreme Court that the sedition law should not be struck down but there is a need for guidelines on this section.

What is permissible and what is impermissible and what can come under sedition need to be seen, said Attorney General.

Venugopal while defending the constitutional validity of Section 124A and the Kedar Nath Singh judgement said that it is a well-thought-out one and needs to be upheld.

Venugopal had argued that the misuse of sedition law has been brought under control. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that many people are in jail due to the provision and it needs to be struck down since it was a colonial law to protect their rule in India.

He had added, "We are in free India and we are not serving any masters. Each day a journalist or someone else spends in jail due to this then how does it fair. We are not subjects of the crown anymore."

Various petitions were filed in the apex court challenging the constitutional validity of sedition law. The pleas were filed by former army officer Major-General SG Vombatkere (Retd), former Union minister Arun Shourie, NGO PUCL, Editors Guild of India, and Journalists Patricia Mukhim and Anuradha Bhasin among others.

Last year, CJI Ramana questioned the Central government on the requirement of sedition law even after 75 years of independence and observed that it was colonial law that was used against freedom fighters.

While pointing out that sedition law was used against freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the apex court had asked Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, why it can`t be repealed.

It had observed that the Centre has repealed many stale laws and enquired why the government is not looking into repealing Section 124A (which deals with the offence of sedition) of the IPC.

It had further said that the court was concerned about the misuse of such laws. Chief Justice of India had also said that the apex court will look into the plea challenging the Constitutional validity of section 124A while adding that the "situation on the ground is grave... if one party does not like what the other is saying, Section 124A is used... It is a serious threat to the functioning of individuals and parties."

CJI had said "use of sedition is like giving a saw to the carpenter to cut a piece of wood and he uses it to cut the entire forest itself".

The top court had further told Attorney General that the conviction rate under Section 124A is very low. Major-General Vombatkere (Retd) challenged the Constitutional validity of the sedition law on the ground that it causes a "chilling effect" on speech and is an unreasonable restriction on free expression, a fundamental right.

Arun Shourie sought direction to declare the sedition law unconstitutional arguing that it is "heavily abused". Shourie in his plea had said that cases are being filed against citizens for "exercising their freedom of speech and expression".Section 124-A (sedition) under the IPC is a non-bailable provision.

Earlier, a different bench of the top court had sought a response from the Centre on a plea challenging the Constitutional validity of sedition law, filed by two journalists -- Kishorechandra Wangkhemcha and Kanhaiya Lal Shukla -- working in Manipur and Chhattisgarh respectively.

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The Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed Tajinder Pal Bagga's arrest till next hearing in special midnight hearing on Saturday, hours after a Mohali court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him. Justice Anoop Chitkara took up Bagga's petition in an urgent hearing at his residence.

"Punjab and Haryana HC directs no coercive step against Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga," his counsel was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Earlier in the day, the court of Judicial Magistrate Ravtesh Inderjit Singh issued the arrest warrant against Bagga in connection with a case registered last month.

The Punjab Police had booked Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga on the charges of making provocative statements, promoting enmity and criminal intimidation. The case was registered on a complaint of AAP leader Sunny Ahluwalia, a resident of Mohali.

The FIR registered on April 1 referred to Bagga's remarks on March 30, when he was part of a BJP youth wing protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Bagga was booked under relevant sections, including 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place etc), 505 (whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report) and 506 (criminal intimidation), of the Indian Penal Code.

Bagga was arrested by the Punjab Police from his Delhi home on Friday, stopped in Haryana while being taken to Punjab and brought back to the national capital by Delhi Police hours later.
New Delhi: As many as seven people were charred to death after a massive fire broke out in a double-story building in Swarna Bagh Colony in Indore, the police said. The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday.

According to preliminary information the blaze is suspected to be triggered by a electric short circuit inside a house, said Indore Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra.

The Police Commissioner said, "Seven people have died and nine people have so far been rescued by officials present at the spot."

#UPDATE | Seven people died in the fire that broke out in a two-storey building in Indore, Madhya Pradesh: Indore Police Commissioner Harinarayana Chari Mishra to ANI Latest visuals from the spot. pic.twitter.com/E6wXhytkl3  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) May 7, 2022

The police have initiated an investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed anguish over the incident. "The sad news of the untimely demise of many precious lives was received in the accident due to short circuit in Swarn Bagh Colony of Indore. I pray to God to give place to the departed souls at his feet and give strength to the family members to bear this deep sorrow and to give speedy recovery to the injured," said Madhya Pradesh CM in a tweet in hindi.

 Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) May 7, 2022

Madhya Pradesh CM also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 Lakhs each for kins of the deceased in Indore fire incident. "The news of death in Indore fire incident is extremely heartbreaking. I have ordered an inquiry into it. Strict action will be taken against whoever is found to be negligent. Rs 4 lakh each will be given to the next of kin of the deceased," CM Chouhan tweeted in hindi.
New Delhi: Gurjit Singh, former Indian ambassador to Germany, on Saturday (May 7), said that instability in Pakistan will benefit India and Indo-Pak issues can be resolved if the military rule is reestablished in Pakistan. He said that Indias relations with Pakistan were better under military rules under Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf.

Speaking at Zee Medias Learning XP platform, Singh also said that Pakistan will not change its priorities despite the change in regime. However, the political uncertainty in the neighbouring country will help India. Singh also pointed out that the recovery of PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) is not a strategic necessity for our country.

Talking about China former envoy said, the Quad is essential for India to keep a check on China in the Indo-Pacific region. Apparently referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Singh also pointed out that Russia has become an uncertain partner and India should cut its defence and power purchase from Russia. ALSO READ: Pakistan schools demand ban on toy guns, firearms

India's dependency on the Chinese market:

Indias imports jumped 28% from the first quarter of 2021 to $27.69 billion. Whereas, the exports slumped 26% to $4.87 billion, signalling an increased dependence on Chinese goods.

On Indias role in handling the economic crises in South Asia, Singh said that the nation should carry the weight of neighbouring nations, barring Pakistan. ALSO READ: Taliban makes covering of faces mandatory for women in public, say burqa is best

However, he pointed out that even though friendship comes at a cost, the government shouldnt go overboard when it comes to helping out nations in economic crises. If we need to counter China, we have to bear the financial costs, he added.

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Egypt recorded a daily average of 89 coronavirus infections and six deaths over the past week, as new cases continue their steep downward trajectory since the end of the fifth wave of the pandemic, according to the Ministry of Health and Populations fourth weekly update on the coronavirus pandemic nationwide.

The drop in cases and deaths this week come on the heel of a daily average of 400 cases in the previous week - a number that was significantly lower than 559 a week aprior.

A daily average of 100 people were discharged from hospitals nationwide over the past seven days, bringing the total number of recoveries since the outbreak began in February 2020 reached 444,703.

More than 44.7 million people have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while more than 34 million have been fully vaccinated since the start of the country's mass vaccination campaign last year. Additionally, more than 2.4 million have received their booster shoot.

The ministry continued to urge residents in its weekly update to register on its website to receive the vaccine.

The ministry also continues to receive inquiries regarding the coronavirus via the 105 and 15335 hotlines as well as over WhatsApp on +20 155-310-5105.

Those who think they may have contracted the disease can also download the Android or iPhone versions of the Sehat Misr app for guidance regarding which hospitals to head to.

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New Delhi: A Jammu and Kashmir Policeman was seriously injured on Saturday (May 7, 2022) morning when terrorists opened fire at him at the Aiwa Bridge area of Ali Jan Road in Srinagar.

"Around 8:40 am, terrorists fired at and critically injured Jammu and Kashmir Police constable Ghulam Hassan near Aiwa Bridge in Safakadal area of the city," a police official said.

Jammu & Kashmir | Terrorists fired at and critically injured a Policeman at Aiwa Bridge, Ali Jan Road, Srinagar. (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/LDCc7OB4A4  ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2022

He left for duty at 7 am. 10 minutes later I received a call about him. He works just as a driver to officers...Has he caused harm to anyone? He did nothing. Such acts in our valley are wrong, said brother of the Policeman who was shot.

According to the reports, the area was later cordoned off and a search for the attackers was launched. More details are awaited.

Earlier on Friday, a top Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander was among three other terrorists who were killed in a gunfight in Pahalgam town of Jammu and Kashmir.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: After clashes broke out between two communities on Eid-ul-Fitr in Rajasthan`s Jodhpur, the curfew imposed in the city has been extended till May 8, said District Police Commissioner Rajkumar Chaudhary on Friday (May 6, 2022).

"The curfew imposed in Jodhpur Commissionerate area on May 3 has been extended till midnight of May 8. Raikabagh Palace Bus Stand and Raikabagh Railway Station have been excluded from the curfew," read the order.

Who all are exempted?

According to the order by the state government, students and teachers appearing for examinations have been exempted from the curfew.

Additionally, personnel engaged in medical services, bank officials, Judicial officers and media personnel are exempted from the curfew.

The order also informed that the newspaper hawkers will also be allowed to distribute the newspapers.

"In other special circumstances, if necessary, the concerned Assistant Commissioner of Police and the concerned Police Officer will be able to give permission to go out during the curfew," the order added.

211 people arrested by police till now

A total of 211 people have been arrested in connection with incidents of communal clashes in Rajasthan`s Jodhpur ahead of Eid celebrations that left several people injured while 19 cases have been registered, said police.

Of the 211, 191 have been arrested under section 151 of the India Penal Code (IPC).

Earlier on Thursday, Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) ML Lather had said that the situation in Jodhpur is under control and ensured that steps are being taken to maintain law and order.

"Situation in Jodhpur is under control. Police are taking all possible steps to maintain peace, law and order. A total of 211 persons have been arrested so far, and out of these 191 arrested were under section 151 and 20 persons in other cases," the Rajasthan DGP said.

About the agitation

Tension gripped Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot`s hometown Jodhpur hours before Eid on Tuesday, prompting the authorities to suspend mobile internet services and impose a curfew in 10 police station areas of the city.

There was agitation over putting up religious flags on the Jalori gate circle in Jodhpur, which led to stone-pelting in which five policemen were injured.Following the incident, Jodhpur Police issued orders imposing a curfew besides suspending mobile internet services to check the spread of rumours.

The situation was brought under control in the early hours of Tuesday with heavy deployment of police but tension escalated again in the morning after prayers at an Eidgah. Shops, vehicles and houses were pelted with stones near the Jalori gate area.

(With ANI inputs)
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy over the use of loudspeakers in Maharashtra, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has alleged that the state government is "scared" of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

He also demanded the arrest of Raj Thackeray for the breach of conditions for the May 1 Aurangabad rally, saying that it`s necessary to stop him from flaring up the communal tension in the state.

"The Maharashtra police had set 16 conditions for the rally in Aurangabad, out of which he violated 12. There are non-bailable warrants against Raj Thackeray from two courts. I don`t understand why is the Mumbai police not doing anything? The state government appears to be scared of Raj Thackeray," Nirupam was quoted as saying by ANI on Saturday (May 7, 2022).

He said that there should be legal action against those who violate the rule of law.

"I urge the government to not be scared. There is rule of law in the country and Maharashtra and anybody who poses a challenge against the law, they should be firmly dealt with," he said.

ALSO READ | Centre should bring policy on loudspeakers, says Maharashtra home minister amid row

Raj Thackeray, notably, had held a rally in Aurangabad on May 1 and had lambasted the Uddhav Thackeray-led government on the issue of loudspeakers. He had set a May 3 deadline for the removal of the loudspeakers from mosques and had also threatened that "his party workers would play Hanuman Chalisa with double the volume of `Azaan` (Muslim prayers) in front of the mosques if the state government doesn`t act within the deadline".

At the end of the deadline, numerous MNS workers were detained for allegedly trying to put up loudspeakers outside mosques to play Hanuman Chalisa.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at multiple premises, including that of Jharkhand Mining Secretary Pooja Singhal and her family, in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of over Rs 18 crore MGNREGA funds in Khunti district of the state during 2008-11, officials said.

The agency seized a total of Rs 19.31 crore cash from two premises that were searched in the state capital Ranchi.

About Rs 17.51 crore cash has been recovered from the premises of a Ranchi-based Chartered Accountant-cum-financial advisor whose links with the IAS officer and her family are under the scanner, they said.

Around Rs 1.8 crore cash has also been recovered from another location in the city, they said.

ED raid at a location linked to IAS Pooja Singhal underway in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Several trunks were loaded in a bus amidst tight security by CRPF. pic.twitter.com/sNtawV81Z0  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2022

The officials said a number of "incriminating documents that indicate political and higher bureaucracy links with alleged illegal mining activities in the state" have been seized.

The raids were carried out under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at about 18 premises in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, and a few other states, they said.

The officials said the premises of Singhal, an IAS officer and secretary of the Department of Mines and Geology of the Jharkhand government, in the state capital, Ranchi, are also being covered as part of the action.

Singhal is a 2000 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and was posted as the deputy commissioner in the Khunti district earlier.

A few other locations in Ranchi, including a multi-specialty hospital, were also raided by ED officials who were provided a security escort by the personnel of the central paramilitary force CRPF.

Documents recovered during the raids show that the "declared value" of the hospital premise is Rs 3 crore, they said, adding the promoters of the facility and their links are being probed further.
New Delhi: The Low Pressure Area (LPA), formed over South Andaman Sea, is likely to intensify into a depression by today (May 7, 2022) evening and further into a cyclonic storm by Sunday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

"The #LowPressure Area over South Andaman Sea and neighbouring South-East Bay of Bengal. It will intensify into a #Cyclonicstorm around May 8, 2022," the MeT tweeted.

A Low Pressure Area lies over South Andaman Sea & adjoining Southeast BoB at 0830 hours IST of today, .To move northwestwards and intensify into a Depression over southeast Bay of Bengal by 7th May evening and into a Cyclonic Storm over eastcentral BoB by 8th May evening pic.twitter.com/37GFGOH4Bt  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 6, 2022

The low-pressure area over the South Andaman Sea and neighbouring South-East Bay of Bengal will intensity into a cyclonic storm around May 8, informed the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Special Relief Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary to Government (Disaster Management), Pradeep Kumar Jena asked the District Collectors of Coastal District to stay prepared for a possible cyclone over the Bay of Bengal.

Jena said that 17 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams and 175 fire fighting teams have been kept on standby in the state.

The fishermen are also advised not to venture into the Andaman Sea area, adjoining Southeast and East-central Bay of Bengal from May 5 to May 8.

ALSO READ | Odisha cyclone alert: State government asks district authorities to stay on high alert - Key points

Odisha Special Relief Commissioner wrote to 18 district collectors in the state, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Kandhamal, and asked them to prepare in advance to reduce the impact of the possible cyclone.

Jena directed the district collectors to keep a close watch at IMDs forecasts and send a compliance report on the recommended measures with detailed information on arrangements made in their respective districts.

(With agency inputs)
Chennai: The DMK government has completed a year and to mark the occasion, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin made several announcements. From students' welfare to focusing on public grievance redressal schemes, the Stalin government made big promises. The Tamil Nadu chief minister made 5 announcements in Assembly on completion of one year of DMK government - Breakfast scheme for government school students from standard 1-5, Schools of excellence, Medical check-up of school students, PHC (Public health centre) -like centres in urban areas and 'CM in your constituency scheme' in all constituencies, news agency ANI reported. A public grievance redressal scheme, the CM-in-your-constituency scheme will now be expanded across all the constituencies of Tamil Nadu.

Chief Minister Stalin also paid floral tribute to former CM M. Karunanidhi and DMK founder-former CM CN Annadurai at their memorial in Marina Beach, Chennai.

Tamil Nadu | Chief Minister MK Stalin pays floral tribute to former CM M. Karunanidhi and DMK founder-former CM CN Annadurai at their memorial in Marina Beach, Chennai on the occasion of the completion of one year of DMK government in the state pic.twitter.com/KeZHVCWjbn  ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2022

On his way to Karunanidhi memorial and Anna Memorial, Stalin briefly travelled in a government bus to inspect the condition of the buses. He spoke with the passengers and conductor on one year of his government and bus facilities. Check out:

On his way to Karunanidhi memorial and Anna Memorial at Marina beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin briefly travelled in a govt bus to inspect condition of the buses. He spoke with the passengers & conductor on one year of his government and bus facilities. pic.twitter.com/h65MDGdDMW  ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2022

The DMK won the Assembly polls last year in coalition with the Congress and ousted the rival party, AIDMK, which was in power over several years.

(With ANI inputs)
Jayachandra, Vennela, Tushar Mahadik, Suhas, Kothapally Nagaraju, Oviya Singh  none of these names ring a bell, do they? Theyre not famous, theyre just like you and me and they all have one thing in common  theyre Stewards for Soil.

Have you heard of the Movement to Save Soil Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, launched this global movement in March this year to save the worlds soils from becoming extinct. Ever heard of soil extinction. Its a clear and present danger though few have heard of because its rarely been talked about  till now. What soil extinction means is that we could all be living (or dying) in a desert less than 3 decades from now as fertile soils of the earth rapidly turn to sand.

When Vennela from Telangana heard about this silent catastrophe, she chose not to remain silent. She began a 5000 km journey from her village on 1st May. She will cycle across 33 districts in her state to make people aware of the soil situation, she says. If we do not save our soil now, we will be producing only 40% of the food that we do now, in 2045. A solo rider, shes meeting farmers in every village and talking to them about soil health. What made her do it?

After trying to wake up the world to the threat of soil extinction for 30 years, Sadhguru decided to embark on a lone motorcycle journey across 27 nations, covering 30,000 km in 100 days to get the worlds attention. It may have worked  Save Soil is on many lips now and its more than just lip service; leaders and political parties from over 70 nations have pledged their support to enhance organic content in agricultural soils to secure food and water needs of Humanity.

Talking, preaching, campaigning time is over. We have come to a place where if there is no significant policy change in all the nations, we cannot really make it happen, said Sadhguru in Paris during his journey. This is what the Movement aims to achieve  to urge the nations of the world to formulate policies that will save agricultural soils from becoming sand.

Policymaking, we all know, is not as easy as it sounds. Especially for an issue that hasnt got its due. This means policies have to be demand generated  people must ask for it. For people to tell their leaders to save soil, they must first know that soil needs saving. This is what Vennela is doing- educating people.

Her state mate Kothapally Nagaraju too has undertaken a similar solo journey of 2200 km across all the districts of Telangana state to educate people and gather support.

Jayachandra is quite literally a foot soldier for the Movement. On 21st March- the same day that Sadhguru began his lone motorcycle journey from London- Jayachandra began his own padyatra from Kashi. Hes walking all the way to Coimbatore with the message: lets wake up and tell our leaders we must all unite to save soil.

Tushar Mahadik is going a step further  hes running to Save Soil; a 1000-km solo journey that aims to inspire people to lend their voice for soil.

Sunil, a professional mountaineer, has now taken up the monumental task for climbing up the Mt.Everest and on his way in Camp 3 today, dedicating this to the Save Soil movement.

While several political, business, social, cultural and environment leaders have thrown their weight behind the Movement, the most heartwarming support has come from an unexpected quarter: children. Around the world, in every city that Sadhguru visits, hordes of children run up to him, embrace him and pledge their support.

But 11-year-old Suhas from Hyderabad did something quite extraordinary- he skated 100 km in one day to raise awareness for the Movement.

Suhas (11) was moved by Sadhgurus action towards SaveSoil Movement and decided to do his bit. He did 100kms skating yesterday from Hyderabad towards Nagarjuna Sagar. Neither he lost his balance or determination despite pain:)#savesoil @SadhguruJV @cpsavesoil pic.twitter.com/NBLmI2PUry  Swathi Grandhe #SaveSoil (@SwathiGrandhe) April 16, 2022

Touched by his commitment, Sadhguru tweeted Dearest Suhas, my admiration & gratitude to your contribution to #SaveSoil. May your expression of commitment find its way into hearts of those yet to come awake. Deeply appreciate your efforts but do not hurt yourself further. Just inspire your friends to stand up for Soil.

Dearest Suhas, my admiration & gratitude to your contribution to #SaveSoil. May your expression of commitment find its way into hearts of those yet to come awake. Deeply appreciate your efforts but do not hurt yourself further. Just inspire your friends to stand up for Soil. -Sg https://t.co/wlmUzw9JEz  Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) April 18, 2022

Another 11-year-old who caught Sadhgurus attention is Oviya Singh. The spunky youngster did an 8-minute TED talk on Save Soil. Were running out of food because were running out of the source of food, soil, she told her audience making an impassioned appeal to support the Movement launched by this wise old man.

Congratulations Oviya for using your Voice & talent to #SaveSoil. May your involvement & concern for soil inspire citizens around the world to speak up for soil. Im counting on you to keep up the energy & momentum till the #JourneyForSoil achieves success. Blessings, Sadhguru tweeted.

Congratulations Oviya for using your Voice & talent to #SaveSoil. May your involvement & concern for soil inspire citizens around the world to speak up for soil. Im counting on you to keep up the energy & momentum till the #JourneyForSoil achieves success. Blessings. -Sg https://t.co/qwwOdj6n5F  Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) April 18, 2022

The Save Soil Movement is aiming to reach 3.5 billion people globally to raise their voice for soil, turning it into a peoples movement and driving political will to enact urgent policies to save soil.

Jayachandra, Vennela, Tushar Mahadik, Suhas, Kothapally Nagaraju and Oviya Singh are all doing their bit to reach this number. In doing so, theyre demonstrating the Power of One in driving change.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga on Friday (May 6, 2022) made his first public comment after his arrest and termed detention by the Punjab Police as "illegal". He said that he will keep fighting until Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologised for his comments on the Kashmiri Pandits.

"Those who believe they can do anything with the help of Police, I want to tell them a BJP worker will not be scared of anyone. I thank Haryana and Delhi Police and all BJP workers for supporting me," Bagga told media persons after reaching his residence in Delhi.

"This was an illegal detention. No local police officer was informed about this. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal can register 100 more FIRs against me if he wants to. We will keep fighting until he apologises for what he said about Kashmiri Pandits," he added.

Those who believe they can do anything with the help of Police, I want to tell them a BJP worker will not be scared of anyone. I thank Haryana & Delhi Police & all BJP workers for supporting me. Delhi Police has filed FIR & people concerned will be punished: Tajinder Singh Bagga pic.twitter.com/Y8EeMqfDEc  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2022

Bagga's reaction came after nearly a day-long drama over his arrest by Punjab Police in a case registered against him in Mohali.

The Punjab Police arrived in the capital and arrested the BJP leader on Friday morning, but were stopped in Haryana's Kurukshetra after the Delhi Police registered a case of kidnapping.

The Delhi Police claimed that the Punjab cops did not inform the local police before arresting Bagga from his residence in Delhi's Janakpuri.

Bagga, who is also the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, was held in connection with a case registered against him in Mohali last month.

Tajinder Bagga's father, Pritpal Singh Bagga, 64, had complained that some people came to his house in the morning and took away his son, a senior Delhi Police officer said, adding that the case of kidnapping has been registered at Janakpuri police station.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Ghanshyam Bansal said they received information from Pritpal Singh Bagga that his son Tajinder Bagga had been abducted around 8.30 am from his house by some unknown persons.

There were also other allegations in his complaint, police said.

The case was registered under IPC sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault, or wrongful restraint), 392 (robbery), 342 (wrongful confinement), 365 (kidnapping), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 34 (common intension), according to the Delhi Police statement.

Thereafter, a wireless message was flashed and the said vehicle was intercepted by Haryana Police in Kurukshetra, the DCP said.

A search warrant was obtained from a Dwarka court based on which the assistance of Kurukshetra district police was taken to trace and recover the abducted victim, Bansal added.

Delhi | BJP workers trespass police barricading outside Aam Aadmi Party's office as they protest the arrest of Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga by Punjab Police. pic.twitter.com/dF5Fwi0BBl  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2022

The Punjab Police team was stopped in Kurukshetra's Pipli, with a Haryana Police official saying they had received information that Bagga was "forcibly" picked up from his residence.

Last month, the Punjab Police booked Tajinder Bagga on the charges of making provocative statements, promoting enmity, and criminal intimidation. The case was registered on a complaint of AAP leader Sunny Ahluwalia, a resident of Mohali. The FIR registered on April 1 referred to Tajinder Bagga's remarks on March 30, when he was part of a BJP youth wing protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday (May 6, 2022) defended Punjab Police's actions and claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga was arrested from Delhi for trying to stoke communal tension and violence in Punjab.

Addressing a press conference, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Punjab Police registered a case against Bagga last month after the BJP leader, through his social media posts, "tried to create communal tension and incite violence in the state".

Though Bharadwaj referred to the clashes in Patiala on April 29, the Punjab Police said it arrested the Delhi BJP spokesperson from his residence in the national capital in connection with a case registered in Mohali on April 1. The April 1 FIR referred to Bagga's remarks on March 30, when he was part of a BJP youth wing protest outside the Delhi chief minister's residence.

"Because of such statements, the Punjab Police lodged an FIR and now arrested Bagga. His statements were communal in nature. A lot of BJP-linked people were instigating the violence in Patiala," Bhardwaj alleged.

The April 1 FIR was registered under relevant IPC sections, including 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place, etc.), 505 (whoever makes, publishes, or circulates any statement, rumour or report) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Bagga had come under fire from the AAP, which is ruling both in Delhi and Punjab, for his tweet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over 'The Kashmir Files' movie.

After Bagga's arrest, the BJP accused the Punjab Police of "abducting" him and alleged Kejriwal was pursuing vendetta through the state police.

Delhi | BJP workers trespass police barricading outside Aam Aadmi Party's office as they protest the arrest of Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga by Punjab Police. pic.twitter.com/dF5Fwi0BBl  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2022

Launching a counterattack, Bharadwaj said the Punjab Police arrested Bagga only after he did not join the investigation despite five summons.

"There is no vendetta. The Punjab Police is doing its work impartially," he said, dismissing the BJP's allegations of vindictive action as "absolutely wrong".

The AAP spokesperson alleged the BJP sees politics and vendetta behind the arrest of Bagga because it has been "misusing" state machinery for political gains.

"It is the modus operandi of the BJP and not any other political party," he charged.

"The BJP has always been misusing state machinery for its benefit. When elections are there, raids by ED and I-T, NIA summons and arrests by the police are quite common," Bharadwaj added.

Since the BJP has always "intimidated and threatened" its rivals using the police and other agencies, it feels the rest of the parties have also become like it when "any work is done impartially", he added.

"If there was a bit of chance in his (Bagga's) favour, he approached a lower court, high court, tried to get anticipatory bail but he didn't get any relief from any court," he stated.

The AAP leader listed a number of cases registered against Bagga since 2011 and said he has "a dossier like a big criminal".

"If you see his (Bagga's) Twitter and Facebook accounts to understand what is he known for in Delhi, you will find that his unique selling point (USP) is dirty and cheap language, poisonous speeches that can create hatred and lead to quarrels between two communities," the AAP leader said.

Bharadwaj on Thursday alleged the BJP was behind the clashes between two groups in Punjab's Patiala district, claiming that the special investigation team set up by the Bhagwant Mann government will soon come up with a "big revelation" in this connection.

Replying to questions about the Delhi Police registering a case of kidnapping after Bagga's arrest by Punjab cops, the AAP spokesperson said, "It's a matter between the police of the two states. They will look into it."

The Punjab Police will follow "all the procedures required" in this connection, he said.

"People from the BJP, while sitting in Delhi, try to incite violence and communal clash in Punjab. If the BJP, Delhi Police and the Haryana Police try to protect rioters, people are watching," Bharadwaj added.

On the BJP's charge that the Punjab Police arrested its leader without giving prior information to the local police in Delhi, the AAP leader said, "BJP spokespersons earlier said it on five occasions that Punjab Police visited Bagga's residence. Why did they go there? To give him chance in a film?"

He said the Punjab Police had visited Bagga's residence in the national capital earlier only to serve summons.

It is notable that hours after his arrest by the Punjab Police, Bagga was stopped in Haryana while being taken to Punjab and brought back to the national capital by the Delhi Police.

Meanwhile, Bagga has reached his residence in Delhi on the intervening nights of Friday and Saturday and expressed his gratitude to the Haryana and Delhi police and BJP workers for supporting him.

"Those who believe they can do anything with the help of Police, I want to tell them that a BJP worker will not be scared of anyone. I thank Haryana and Delhi Police and all BJP workers for supporting me. Delhi Police has filed FIR and people concerned will be punished," Bagga was quoted as saying by ANI.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga on Saturday claimed that the Punjab police had barged into his home in large numbers and arrested him "as they do it with a terrorist".

Speaking to ANI this morning, Bagga narrated the entire episode of his arrest and slammed Delhi Chief Minister for "illegally" detaining him.

He said that his detention is an attempt to give a message that whosoever speaks against the AAP supremo would be termed the "biggest terrorist" and not spared.

"I was not shown any warrant. When nearly eight people picked me up, I told them to let me tie my turban. They did not give me the chance to wear the turban and slippers. I was thrown into the vehicle. I was kidnapped by the Punjab police. The local police were also not informed. Nearly 50 policemen came as they do it with a terrorist," he said.

"Nearly 10 police vehicles had come which could be seen in the CCTV footage. It is an attempt to give a message that whosoever speaks against Arvind Kejriwal would be the biggest terrorist and not spared," said Bagga.

Earlier in April, Bagga had claimed that the Punjab police officials reached his home while he was in Lucknow to arrest him without informing the Delhi police.

Bagga said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered an FIR based against him on the basis of a "trimmed" video from his remarks on a television show where he had sought an apology from Kejriwal for his speech on the exodus of Kashmiri pandits in the Delhi Assembly in March.

Notably, Bagga reached his residence in Delhi on the intervening nights of Friday and Saturday after Delhi police brought him back from Haryana where he was en route to Mohali after he was arrested by Punjab Police.

Kejriwal had reacted sharply to the BJP`s demand to make the Vivek Agnihotri film `The Kashmir Files` tax-free in the national capital, saying that the director should upload the movie on YouTube.

Talking about the developments after he was detained and en route to Mohali, the BJP leader said that he was no more manhandled, however, he was asked by the police to "stop talking about the two issues".

"After I was manhandled and beaten at home, they did not do it in the way because they perhaps had the orders. They were streaming it live. They asked me to stop talking about these two issues," he said.

After he was brought back by the Delhi police, Bagga was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in the national capital for a medical check-up on Friday night.

Claiming assault, Bagga said that "in the medical tests done at the Hospital, marks of the assault were recorded. Delhi Police will give security till the case proceedings are underway," he said.

Earlier yesterday, Bagga was arrested by Punjab Police from Delhi. On its way to Mohali, the Punjab Police team was intercepted its Haryana counterpart after the Delhi Police registered a kidnapping case based on a complaint by Bagga`s father.

Haryana Police surrounded the Punjab Police car carrying Bagga and escorted them off the highway to a police station in Kurukshetra. The Punjab police personnel were detained.

At the same time, the Punjab and Haryana High Court turned down AAP-ruled Punjab`s demand that Bagga be detained in Haryana instead of being handed over to Delhi cops.

Haryana Police acted on a request from the Delhi Police which rushed to a court for a search warrant based on the kidnapping complaint. With the search warrant in hand, a team of Delhi police reached Kurukshetra and "rescued" Bagga and brought him back to the national capital.
Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

Ceasefire in doubt

President Vladimir Putin says the Russian army is "still ready" to give safe passage to civilians trapped in Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks, where Ukrainian forces are making a last stand.

He is speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett after a Ukrainian commander says Russia has "violated" a promised truce at the site, leaving civilians hiding from shelling in the basement of the sprawling plant.

The Russian army has announced a three-day ceasefire at the site, but Svyatoslav Palamar, a commander of the Azov regiment which is defending it, says in a video on Telegram "heavy bloody fighting continues".

"As for the militants remaining at Azovstal, the Kyiv authorities must give them an order to lay down their arms," the Kremlin quotes Putin as saying.

UN convoy heads to Azovstal

A new UN convoy is heading to the Azovstal steelworks to try to evacuate civilians, UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths tells a Ukraine donors' conference in Warsaw.

"Today as we speak, a convoy is proceeding to get to Azovstal by tomorrow morning hopefully to receive those civilians remaining in that bleak hell... and take them back to safety," he says.

West slowing, not hindering operation: Kremlin

The Kremlin accuses the West of preventing a "quick" end to Russia's military campaign in Ukraine by supplying weapons and intelligence to the country.

But its spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the West is "incapable of hindering the achievement" of the goals of Russia's military operation.

"The United States, Britain, NATO as a whole hand over intelligence... to Ukraine's armed forces on a permanent basis," Peskov tells reporters.

"Coupled with the flow of weapons that these countries are sending to Ukraine, these are all actions that do not contribute to the quick completion of the operation."

$6 billion raised

More than six billion euros ($6.3 billion) are collected at a Ukraine donors' conference in Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says.

Separately Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky launches a global crowdfunding platform -- United24 -- to help Kyiv win the war with Russia and rebuild the country's infrastructure.

Ukraine's government in April estimated the cost of rebuilding after the war to be at least $600 billion (570 billion euros).

Sell seized assets: EU chief

The European Union should confiscate and sell Russian assets it has seized and use the proceeds to rebuild Ukraine, EU chief Charles Michel says, echoing an idea already floated in the United States.

The EU said early last month it had frozen 30 billion euros ($31.5 billion) in assets linked to blacklisted Russian and Belarusian individuals.

Eastern assault continues

The governor of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region Pavlo Kyrylenko says at least 25 civilians were wounded in an overnight Russian strike on the city of Kramatorsk.

Moscow seeks to establish "full control" of the regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, and to maintain a land corridor to occupied Crimea.

The Ukrainian army meanwhile says it has retaken control of "several settlements on the border of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions".

Russia, Israel and the Holocaust

Israeli prime minister Bennett says Putin has apologised for remarks made by Moscow's top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, who claimed Adolf Hitler may have had "Jewish blood".

The comments had sparked outrage in the Jewish state.

A Kremlin summary of the Bennett-Putin call, which came as Israel marked 74 years since the creation of the Jewish state, made no mention of a Putin apology.

It did, however, note that the leaders discussed the "historic memory" of the Holocaust.

Zelensky invites German leaders

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to commit to visiting Kyiv, even after Ukraine's leader invited him and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, three weeks after the German president was snubbed by Kyiv.

NATO, Sweden and the Baltic Sea

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance could heighten its presence around Sweden and the Baltic Sea to protect the country from Russian interference during a potential membership application.

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The Tamil Nadu Police have arrested two cops in connection with the death of Vignesh, who was taken into custody in Chennai on April 18 and died the next morning.

Vigneshs relatives have alleged that he died due to police torture. As per the post-mortem report, Vignesh had injuries on his head. However, the exact cause of his death is yet to be ascertained as reports of some other tests are pending.

Vignesh and his friend Suresh, both habitual offenders, were taken into custody by the Secretariat police in Chennai on April 18.

The following morning, the police said he developed seizures and was taken to the Kilpauak government hospital where he was declared brought dead.

After his death, Vignesh`s family staged protests and the state police suspended Sub-Inspector Pugazham Perumal, Constable Ponraj, and Home Guard Deepak of the Secretariat colony police station.

In another incident, a 43-year-old man Thangamani was taken into custody by Tiruvannamalai police on April 26 alleging that he was into illicit brewing of liquor.

The next day, he developed seizures at the Sub Jail where he was remanded and died.

Thangamani`s relatives alleged that the police tried to bribe them but they did not accept it and wanted a fair probe into his death.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday told the Assembly, "As the Leader of Opposition said, the post-mortem indicates thirteen injuries. On the basis of this, I would like to inform this House that the case has been changed into a murder case. A murder case has been filed against the police. The CB-CID has been instructed to continue its investigation."

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Another stone-pelting incident was reported in Madhya Pradesh after remains of a slaughtered cow were allegedly found in a well in Khusaur village of Nateran area of the Vidisha district, according to a police official.

This is the second stone-pelting incident in the state within a month. The last such incident was reported in the Khargone district on April 10 during a Ram-Navami procession resulting in the injury of around four persons. The Vidisha incident is said to have taken place on Thursday after which the police brought the situation under control.

The accused in both incidents were arrested. Accused Armaan and others were arrested under the Cow Slaughter Act while a number of people were arrested in connection with the stone-pelting incident. "An alleged case of cow slaughter was reported yesterday. The police team and administration reached the spot after getting the information. An FIR has been registered and the accused have been arrested. Stone-pelting also took place. The police took control of the situation and registered the FIR," Superintendent of police, Vidisha, Monika Shukla said while speaking to the media on Friday.

The SP informed that she along with the district collector reviewed the situation and held discussions with the people from both the groups. "The accused persons in the incident have been arrested. I and the district collector reviewed the situation and held discussions with the people. The situation is under control. The police force is deployed at the spot," SP Shukla said.

The situation is under control after the deployment of the police force in the village.Earlier last month, violence had erupted in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh following a stone-pelting incident during a Ram-Navami procession on April 10. Several people, including police personnel, were injured in the stone-pelting incident during the procession.

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Srinagar: After a Lul of months, once again suspected terrorists did a targeted attack on the outskirts of Srinagar early morning. A Jammu and Kashmir police personnel was critically injured when suspected terrorists fired upon him near Aiwa Bridge on Dr Ali Jan Road in Srinagar, the policeman was in civies when he attacked.

An eyewitness said, it was around 9 am when this policeman was going on his motorcycle, and two motorcycle-borne youths stopped and asked for some address before he could say something the person sitting behind the bike shot at the policeman, and the attackers flew away from the spot.

The policeman had fallen from the motorcycle and was in a pool of blood for quite a long time as the area in the morning almost remains deserted. People living in nearby tents informed the police and the policeman was taken to hospital.

He had two bullet injuries one in head and one in arm. He was immediately shifted to nearby SKIMS hospital, where his condition is said critical.

Police identified the policeman as Ghulam Hassan Dar son of Ghulam Rasool Dar of Danwar Eidgah, he is of headconstable rank. The policeman is posted as driver with 112 police service in police control room srinagar.

When he was attacked he was travelling on his bike, possibly on way to duty at PCR Srinagar. Soon area was cordoned and searches were launched but the attackers looks have managed to flee.

Kashmir zone police tweeted, "#Terrorists fired upon unarmed policeman Ct Gh Hassan near Ali Jan Road Zoonimar area of Srinagar resulting in critical injuries to the official. Injured shifted to hospital. Area cordoned off, search operation in progress." (sic)

#Terrorists fired upon unarmed policeman Ct Gh Hassan near Ali Jan Road Zoonimar area of Srinagar resulting in critical injuries to the official. Injured shifted to hospital. Area cordoned off, search operation in progress.@JmuKmrPolice  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) May 7, 2022

When the news broke in the area his family and realtives and neighbours rushed to the spot where the bike was still laying on roadside having blood strains. Policeman Gulam Hassan who has a daughter and a son who works as a labour and his wife and brothers all were seen in deep shock, they were unable to understand why this happened because just 15 minutes before they were all together.

Gulam Mohammad dar (brother) said, he left for job in morning then we got call he was shot we went there hospital his condition is critical. He had just built new house has taken loan even had not paid single instalment yet. It's wrong what has happened what will one get by killing a human all are humans whatever religion. We pray to God that he show them real way.

Family condemned the attack said is this the way they will get libration this should not happen.

Ali Mohammad dar ( brother ) said it"'s very wrong by killing people libration will not come he works in police because there is unemployment he is working since 2002, he has never taken gun in his hand he is driver you can enquirie from people here what was his behaviour, it's unjustice it's sin, if they get libration by killing them we have thousands of policemen in this constituency if by killing them they will get libration then kill them, they should first warn if someone had done wrong. We condemn it it will not give libration it has affected his family who will now have to face hardships."

Target killings had become a big for security forces as police say it's done by hybrid terrorists who are not in categorised terrorist list, they do terror crimes and again went to their normal routine work. Although many anti-terror operations are conducted around 175 terrorist associates are arrested 31 most of them hybrid terrorists are arrested beside 65 terrorists are also killed this year but still, target killings are being controlled.

The police officer said to protect everyone is not possible and when and where such an incident will happen one doesn't know. He added that civil society and people have to support in stopping such incidents.

Meanwhile, LeT offshoot TRF's note has gone viral on social media claiming the responsibility for the attack. However, the release can't be authenticated individually. In that note TRF said that policeman was a police informer, it reads that such attacks will be carried out again in future.

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A court in Punjab's Mohali has issued a fresh arrest warrant against BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga in connection with a case registered last month. The development comes a day after high-level drama on Bagga's arrest over a tweet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The arrest saw a cat and mouse game between the police department of Punjab, Delhi and Haryana.

While the Punjab police arrested Bagga, allegedly without taking the consent of local police, from Delhi; Bagga's family filed a kidnapping complaint against Punjab cops. Delhi police contacted Haryana police in the matter, that in response, stopped the Punjab police team mid-way. The Haryana Police handed over Bagga to Delhi police, and eventually, Bagga was released by the evening.

"Whereas Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, s/o Pritpal Singh, r/o B-1/170, Janak Puri New Delhi stands charged with the offence punishable U/Sec 153-A, 505, 505 (2), 506 IPC. You are hereby directed to arrest the said Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and to produce him before me," Judicial Magistrate Ravtesh Inderjit Singh said in the order.

The BJP claimed that Bagga was arrested over political vendetta. However, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) defended Punjab Police's actions and claimed that Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga was arrested from Delhi for trying to stoke communal tension and violence in Punjab.

Addressing a press conference, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Punjab Police registered a case against Bagga last month after the BJP leader, through his social media posts, "tried to create communal tension and incite violence in the state".

Though Bharadwaj referred to the clashes in Patiala on April 29, the Punjab Police said it arrested the Delhi BJP spokesperson from his residence in the national capital in connection with a case registered in Mohali on April 1. The April 1 FIR referred to Bagga's remarks on March 30, when he was part of a BJP youth wing protest outside the Delhi chief minister's residence.
New Delhi: If you think waking over the water is a dream, think again! It has just become a reality in Karnatakas Udupi.

Karnataka's first floating bridge was inaugurated on Udupis Malpe beach on Friday. The bridge was inaugurated by MLA K Raghupathi Bhat.

In a welcome move to encourage tourism, Karnataka's first floating bridge was inaugarated at Malpe beach with the co-operation of the locals.#KarnatakaTourism#ExploreKarnataka #Udupi #Malpe pic.twitter.com/zUaMl5xdL2  Raghupathi Bhat (@RaghupathiBhat) May 6, 2022

According to media reports, a team of Hanuman Vittoba Bhajan Mandali took the initiative and spearheaded this campaign from start, which is believed to boost tourism in the region three-fold.

Malpe floating bridge can be restructured

As per media reports, the best part about this bridge is that it is not a permanently attached structure owing to which it can easily be relocated.

It is a 100-metre-long and 3-metre-wide bridge. At a time, 100 visitors will be allowed to walk on the bridge and 10 lifeguards will be deputed to provide security to tourists.

Each tourist will be allowed to stay on the bridge for 15 minutes, as per media reports.

Is it safe?

After the recent tragedies in the state, especially at St Marys Island, Deputy Commissioner M Kurma Rao and other officials held a meeting and reviewed the security of the bridge, The New Indian Express reported.

As per the report, the Karanataka government will buy two jet skis and station one each at St Marys Island and Malpe beach. They will patrol the area to avoid any tragedies.

Cost of Malpe floating bridge

The bridge has been put up at a cost of Rs 80 lakh and will be operational from 9 am to 6 pm.

Those above five years of age can pay Rs 100 and have the experience of the sea for 15 minutes.
New Delhi: Gurjit Singh, former Indian ambassador to Germany, on Saturday (May 7), said that even though China invests more than India in African nations, it is India that does it better among the two.

Speaking at Zee Medias Learning XP platform, Singh said that India focuses more on private sector investments, shielding the nations from a possible debt trap.

Singh also highlighted that India offers a freer market than China. However, he was also quick to point out that China perhaps provides a more efficient market to companies planning to invest there, in comparison to India.

Further, he noted that despite all the indifferences, China still remains the largest trade partner for India, with the US in second place. Notably, in the first quarter of 2022, Indias bilateral trade with China soared 15% year-on-year to a record $31.96 billion, according to the data released by China.

However, Indias imports jumped 28% from the first quarter of 2021 to $27.69 billion. On the other hand, the exports slumped 26% to $4.87 billion, signalling an increased dependence on Chinese goods. Also Read: NPS investors can now set up SIPs in post office, heres how to do it in simple steps online

On Indias role in South Asia, Singh said that India should carry the weight of neighbouring nations, barring Pakistan. However, he pointed out that the government shouldnt go overboard when it comes to helping out nations in economic crises. If we need to counter China, we have to bear the financial costs, he added. Also Read: LIC IPO: Heres what latest GMP and subscription status suggests on day 4 of bidding

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New Delhi: Kriti Sanon leads the industry today as one of the most talented, gorgeous actresses with a massive lineup that extends genres. The actress who has only recently returned from a shoot schedule in Mauritius for Shehzada, has been busy shooting one film after the other from her lineup and is now all set to jet off for yet another long schedule of her next.

A source close to the actress revealed, "Kriti will be going for almost half a month to Ladakh to shoot for Ganapath. This will also be the first time she is ever going to the union territory so she is really looking forward to the schedule there."

Ganapath will show the actress in an out and out action role which is really exciting for her fans. She is being trained by Harsh Verma, the first Indian to be part of the Shaolin performing monks' team and he was all praises for the actress in a recent interview with a leading paper.

He had said, "Kriti is a good listener; she grasps things very quickly. The kind of martial arts she had performed in this film, will change her image totally and the audience  she will be called action queen hereafter."

Besides her action flick, 'Ganapath', Kriti also has the romantic comedy, 'Shehzada', horror comedy, 'Bhediya' the mythological drama, 'Adipurush' along with the unannounced project by Anurag Kashyap.
New Delhi: In a recent move, India Post is now offering online services for the National Pension System (NPS) to investors. So, if you are an existing NPS subscriber or plan to start saving with the popular scheme, you can use India Post's services without the need to visit the Post Office. India Post started its online services on April 26, 2022.

For the unversed, NPS is a defined contribution retirement savings scheme administered and regulated by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

Any resident or non-resident Indian aged between 18 to 70 can open an NPS account in India Post. Investors have to comply with the KYC requirements to start saving for their future with NPS.

Currently, NPS subscribers can pay their contributions via several methods, including cash, cheque, and demand draft, among others. However, subscribers can now pay for their contributions online.

Investors can start online SIPs on India Post by following a few simple steps:

Step 1: Investors will first have to provide their PAN number and Date of Birth.

Step 2: In the next step, they will have to verify either their email, mobile, or both via OTP. For this, they have to enter the details and click on the "Submit OTP" option.

Step 3: Enter the OTP online and continue.

Step 4: Select the "New SIP Registration in NPS" option and click on the Submit button.

Step 5: You will now enter the asked details such as SIP Amount, Date, Maturity Month, Year, etc.

Step 6: You will also need to share your bank information for the online e-mandate process.

Step 7: Select the Continue option after you have confirmed all the shown details. Also Read: LIC IPO: Heres what latest GMP and subscription status suggests on day 4 of bidding

Step 8: Your bank will have to approve your SIP, and only after the approval, contributions towards your investment will be detected from the account. Also Read: Driving Licence: Latest rules in India, how to apply - Know it all

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Delhi Metro has announced the RK Ashram Marg Metro station on the blue line will be the new interchange hub of the DMRC network. The blue line of the metro connects Dwarka metro station with Vaishali/ Noida Electronic city. It is to be noted that this will be Central Delhi's fifth interchange hub. The new hub is expected to improve the connectivity of the network.

Shorter routes will be available for Metro commuters travelling from Central to North Delhi, thanks to the new interchange facility connected to the proposed underground RK Ashram Marg station of the extended Magenta Line (Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg).

Central Delhis new Interchange Hub R.K Ashram Marg Metro station on Blue Line is being converted into an interchange. It will be connecting R.K Ashram Marg Metro station of Magenta Line. Commuters will have access to alternate & shorter routes from Central to North Delhi. pic.twitter.com/2L8pIiWJ2V  Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I    (@OfficialDMRC) May 7, 2022

The news was made public through Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's (DMRC) official Twitter handle. The post said, "Central Delhis new Interchange Hub | R.K Ashram Marg Metro station on Blue Line is being converted into an interchange. It will be connecting R.K Ashram Marg Metro station of Magenta Line. Commuters will have access to alternate & shorter routes from Central to North Delhi."

Also read: Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail: Indias First RRTS trains handed over to NCRTC under Make In India

"The new underground station will be constructed adjacent to the existing elevated station. This interchange will provide a convenient mode of transit and will help in decongesting the busy Blue Line.", they added.

In a similar update, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia approved the building of two multi-modal integration (MMI) systems for Rs. 4.59 crore, adding that coordinated efforts by the PWD and the DMRC would lower the project's cost and save time.

This project is aimed at improving the connectivity between IIT Delhi and Panchsheel Park metros stations. It is expected to save time for the commuters. Transport arrangements like e-rickshaws, autos and others will be provided as part of the project.
Indian Railways has decided to run more than 65 special trains across the country for the convenience of the aspirants appearing for their examinations on May 9 and 10. Many candidates raised the issue of their RRB-NTPC exam centres being far away from their hometowns.

Most of these trains will run on May 8 to help the students reach their exam centres in the morning and then ferry them home after their exams are over. The students would have to pay fares of special trains and no concessions will be given, officials said. "Indian Railways will run more than 65 special trains across the country for the candidates of RRB_NTPC exam to be held on 9th and 10th May," tweeted Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

  , 9  10     RRB_NTPC exam       65   special trains   pic.twitter.com/GfYAjdtk0N  Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) May 5, 2022

Some of these special trains will run between Gaya-Bhilai, Samastipur-Kanpur, Sealdah-Guwahati, Jabalpur-Nanded, Darbhanga-Muzzafarpur, Agartala-Darbhanga, Agra Cantt.- Patna, Veraval-Bandra, Jaipur-Amritsar, Jaipur-Indore, Kakiknada to Kurnool, Kadapa-Rajmundri, Kakinada to Mysore, Kurnool-Mysore, Narsapur-Secunderabad, Secunderabad to Ernakulam, Vijayawada-Nagarsol, Prayagraj to Anandvihar, Jabalpur-Nizamuddin, Delhi-Jammu Tawi.

Also read: IRCTC to start Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train on June 21, will cover all Lord Rama-inspired places

Other special trains which will run during this period are Old Delhi Railway Station to Jodhpur, Shalimar to Vijayawada, Hatia To Vijayawada, Trivandrum to Chennai, Narsapur to Trivandrum, Mangalore to Hubli, Tirunelveli to Mysore, Hubli to Nanded and Mysore to Eranakulam.

The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) had recently released the RRB Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) Computer Based Test (CBT 2) 2022 exam city slip for pay levels 4 and 6 on the official website at RRB cdg.Gov.In.

There was a lot of murmur among candidates that they had been allotted cities in far-off areas and requested change in centres.

A candidate, identifying himself as Tapas, wrote on Twitter, "I Applied for Kolkata RRB For NTPC Exam but they allotted my level 4, CBT 2 exam seat on 10th May in Muzaffarpur Bihar which is 590 km away from home in a different state. This is injustice for Aspirants. Respect the Student's labour."

Another aspirant Soubhik Biswas demanded a change in the exam centre. "Please change the examination center for RRB NTPC CBT 2. This is a humble request to shift the exam centre to everyone's home state," he tweeted.

Demand for shifting centres to the home state has flooded the social networking sites. "I'm from Karnataka. I applied for the Bengaluru region. My 2nd stage RRB NTPC exam city is Kottayam it's 900 km long from my native. Plzz give chance in my home state," tweeted KN Hanumantha.

The total number of candidates for the exams is 1,45,700 for 7,285 posts. The RRB-NTPC exams were in the eye of a storm when aspirants especially from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar took to the streets alleging irregularities in the process.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Russian forces have almost encircled Severodonetsk, the easternmost city in Ukraine held by Kyiv, and are trying to storm it, a local official said Friday.

"The city is almost surrounded by Russian and (separatist) Lugansk People's Republic troops," Oleksandr Striuk, the head of the Severodonetsk military administration said on Ukrainian television.

"They are trying to storm the city through nearby villages," he said, indicating moves for a multi-pronged attack.

Severodonetsk's capture would be a major gain for the Russian army which has refocused its efforts on taking the whole of the eastern Donbas region.

Striuk said there was ongoing fighting in a village just north of Severodonetsk.

He said the Ukrainian army was so far "repelling these attacks" but the Russians were pressing on.

"The city is holding on, but one can feel that they are trying to get around."

Striuk said around 15,000 people remained in Severodonetsk, which had a population of around 100,000 before the war.

Evacuation rates have slowed, he said, with "about 10 people a day that can be persuaded to leave".

Regional authorities have for weeks been urging people to leave the city, an industrial hub in Ukraine's Lugansk region.

It is divided from nearby Lysychansk by the Donets River.

Both cities are key targets for the advancing Russian army.

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New Delhi: Popular actor and comedian Mohan Juneja, who last featured in superhit KGF: Chapter 2, breathed his last on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Reports suggest he was battling a prolonged illness and died at a private hospital in Bengaluru.

MOHAN JUNEJA MOVIE CAREER

The famed actor made his debut in Shankar Nags Wall Poster. He worked predominantly in Telugu and Kannada movies. Mohan worked in theatre extensively and had featured in many plays. Reportedly, he starred in over 100 films with the likes of Upendra, late Puneeth Rajkumar among others.

His performance in Chellata gave him immense stardom and fans adored the late star. He also acted in TV serials like Vitara which added to his fame.

Some of his notable works include KGF (2018), Lakshmi (2013), Brindavana (2013), Pade Pade (2013), Koko (2012), and Snehitharu (2012) to name a few.

CELEBS MOURN MOHAN JUNEJA'S SUDDEN DEATH

Many celebrities expressed grief and extended condolences to the family of late actor Mohan Juneja. Hombale films, which bankrolled KGF: Chapter 2 took to Twitter and condoled the actor's sudden death.

Our heartfelt Condolences to actor Mohan Juneja's family, friends & well-wishers. He was one of the best-known faces in Kannada films & our KGF family. pic.twitter.com/xDDHanWuY0  Hombale Films (@hombalefilms) May 7, 2022

Sandalwood actor Ganesh tweeted:

Hailing from Tumkur in Karnataka, Mohan Juneja's last rites will be performed today.

May his soul rest in peace!
New Delhi: Elon Musk is aiming to increase Twitter`s annual revenue to $26.4 billion by 2028, up from $5 billion last year, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing a pitch deck presented by the world`s richest man to investors.

Advertising will fall to 45% of total revenue under Musk, down from about 90% in 2020, generating $12 billion in revenue in 2028, while subscriptions are expected to pull in another $10 billion, according to the report.

The head of electric-vehicle maker Tesla Inc also aims to increase Twitter`s cash flow to $3.2 billion in 2025 and $9.4 billion in 2028, the newspaper reported, citing the presentation.

Musk clinched a deal last month to buy Twitter for $44 billion in cash, in a move that will shift control of the social media platform populated by millions of users and global leaders to the Tesla Inc chief.

The billionaire has promised to revitalize the company and expand the number of users by cracking down on spam bots and reducing the amount of moderation to facilitate more "free speech".

After the closure of the deal, Musk is expected to become Twitter`s temporary CEO, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

Among his other goals, Musk expects the social media company to bring in $15 million from a payments business in 2023 that will grow to about $1.3 billion by 2028, the NYT cited the document as saying.

Musk anticipates he can increase Twitter`s average revenue per user to $30.22 in 2028 from $24.83 last year, it added. He also expects Twitter to have 11,072 employees by 2025, up from around 7,500.

Revenue from Twitter Blue, the company`s premium subscription service launched last year, is expected to have 69 million users by 2025, the NYT reported.

Musk, in a now deleted tweet last month, suggested a raft of changes to the social media giant`s Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price.

On Thursday, Musk listed a group of high-profile investors who are ready to provide funding of $7.14 billion for his Twitter bid, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Sequoia Capital.

Musk has increased the financing commitment to $27.25 billion, which includes commitments from 19 investors, and reduced a margin loan from Morgan Stanley tied to his Tesla stock to $6.25 billion. He has already secured commitments for $13 billion in loans against Twitter shares. Also Read: LPG cylinder price hike: Cooking gas gets expensive by Rs 50, check new rates

Musk could not be reached for comment. Twitter did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Also Read: Garena Free Fire MAX redeem codes for today, May 7: Check steps to get free rewards

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New Delhi: Tech giant Google`s virtual assistant software application Assistant can now warn users when they need to change their password, and can even help them change it.

According to Android Police, last year, Google had announced that it would be introducing a feature in Chrome for Android that would allow Assistant to help users change stolen passwords in a few taps.

The company had said the new experience would roll out gradually, but it is only about now that more than a handful of users have started to get it on their devices.

Chrome can also warn users if their stored passwords are unsafe or reused from a data breach, the report said.

In 2021, Google announced that it would roll out the ability to automatically handle changing compromised passwords for users, but most people still had to do the actual password-changing part manually.

With this update, users will be prompted as soon as they log into a site with a password that has been compromised. The dialogue box will have a big Assistant-branded "Change automatically" button, as shared by Android Police`s Max Weinbach.

Once tapped, a confirmation sheet will pop up which users will need to agree to. Users will then be taken directly to the affected website to set up a new password for the account. Here, users can type in their own key or let the built-in password manager suggest one.

Assistant can handle the entire process for users from start to finish, but they do have the option to take over at any stage, the report said.
KATHMANDU: An Indian climber died during a summit push on Mount Kanchenjunga, the world`s third-highest mountain, a hiking official said on Saturday.

The death is the third to be reported on Nepal Himalayas during the current climbing season which started in March.

Narayanan Iyer, 52, died around 8,200 metres (26,900 feet), above sea level while trying to reach the 8,586 metre (28,169 feet) peak on Thursday, said Nivesh Karki, an official of the hiking company that organised the expedition.

"Iyer`s guide advised him to turn back after he was feeling unwell but he refused," Karki said while confirming the death.

Last month a Greek climber and a Nepali Sherpa guide died on other peaks.

Mountain climbing is the main tourism activity and a key source of income as well as employment in Nepal, which has eight of the world`s 14 highest mountains including Mount Everest.

More than 900 foreign mountaineers have received permits to climb 26 Himalayan peaks in Nepal, including Mount Everest, during the current season ending in May.
New Delhi: A Russian female influencer faces six years in jail and a substantial fine for posting a image of herself posing naked next to a 700-year-old sacred tree at a temple in Bali.

A raunchy photoshoot of Alina Fazleeva, a Russian influencer, is facing a lot of backlash as the tree in the picture, which is situated at Babakan Temple in Tabanam, is known locally as kayu putih, is centuries old and is considered holy to locals.

The Instagram influencer, who has more than 16,000 followers, could be facing time in prison on pornography charges as Niluh Djelantik, who is a Balinese entrepreneur reported her to the authorities after coming across the images.

The incident has caused uproar with locals promting the immigration officials to launch efforts in order to track down the influencer.

According to the reports, under Information and Electronic Transactions Act (ITE), if the Russian influencer is convicted she will be hit with a 78,000 fine and could face six years in jail.

Meanwhile, when the influencer realised her mistake, she deleted the photos on her Instagram page and in a video apologised to the locals.

"I apologise to all Balinese and Indonesian people, I regret my actions. I'm so embarrassed, I didn't mean to offend you in any way, absolutely no knowledge of this place. I just prayed under a tree and went straight to the police station to explain this incident and apologise," she said in the video.
North Korea may be preparing to stage a nuclear test as early as this month, a US State Department spokesperson said.

Principal Deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said on Friday the US has also shared the information with allies and partners, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"The US assesses that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test site and could be ready to conduct a test there as early as this month, which would be its seventh test," she said in a telephonic press briefing.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North`s official name.

Earlier reports have said the North appeared to be repairing underground tunnels at Punggye-ri that were purportedly dismantled in 2018 as a sign of its willingness to denuclearize.

Punggye-ri has been the site of all six nuclear tests conducted by North Korea to date.

The last test was held in September 2017.

Porter said the assessment is "consistent" with what Pyongyang has said in recent public statements.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the country will continue to advance its nuclear capabilities and also use them to pre-emptively mitigate aggression against the country if necessary.

"We have shared this information with allies and partners and will continue closely coordinating with them as well," said Porter.

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New Delhi: Following a day of anti-government strikes and protests over a worsening economic crisis, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday (May 6, 2022) declared a state of emergency.

"The President has taken this decision due to the public emergency situation in Sri Lanka and in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community," a statement released by his office said.

The measure, which is effective immediately, drew immediate criticism from the Opposition and Sri Lankan Bar Association.

Calling on Rajapaksa to resign, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said the state of emergency "runs counter to seeking any solution to the crisis".

Expressing grave concern over Rajapaksa's decision, Sri Lankan Bar Association urged him to revoke the decree while pointing out that stifling public protest is not a solution to the crisis.

The BASL also asked the President to explain the reason for his decision and requested him to ensure that the fundamental rights of the people of Sri Lanka are not violated, reported ANI.

"We call upon His Excellency to revoke the proclamation declaring a state of emergency and to ensure that the fundamental rights of the people such as the freedom of expression including the freedom of speech and publication, and the freedom of peaceful assembly which are aspects of the sovereignty of the people are respected and protected and not violated by the State or its agents," ANI quoted the Bar Association as saying.

The Association assured Sri Lankans to uphold and protect their fundamental rights. However, it also called on the people to remain calm and hold protests in a peaceful manner.

Rajapaksa previously declared a state of emergency on 1 April but rolled it back after five days.

Sri Lanka, notably, has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, rising oil prices and government tax cuts. The island country has been left with as little as $50 million in useable foreign reserves, as per the official estimates.

It has also approached the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.

(With agency inputs)
Washington (US): Russian President Vladimir Putin's alleged girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, is included in the sixth proposed package of European Union sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. According to two European diplomatic sources, Kabaeva, who has been romantically linked to Putin was included in the proposed EU sanctions list, reported CNN. At this stage, names can be taken off or added at member states' discretion and is expected to be a point of negotiation when any new sanctions package is proposed, an EU Commission source told CNN.

The EU has not officially signed off on the draft proposal. "Discussions are going on. It's not a piece of cake, but we have to wait and see," one of the diplomatic sources told CNN on Friday morning.

Who is Alina Kabaeva

Kabaeva, who was born in 1983, was first linked to Putin more than a decade ago, while she was a medal-winning gymnast. Putin, who is divorced, has denied a relationship with her. Kabaeva and Putin reportedly met when she was a young gymnast who won multiple medals domestically at European competitions and at the Olympic Games. She was awarded the gold medal for rhythmic gymnastics at the Athens Games in 2004. Widely known in her home country, she was chosen as one of the torchbearers when Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014, an event that took place shortly before Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, reported CNN.

Sanction can be a personal blow to Putin

In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that US officials had been debating whether or not to place sanctions on Kabaeva, with concerns that such a move might increase tensions further because it could be an extreme personal blow to Putin. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, is also among the individuals who are included in the proposed sixth round of EU sanctions, according to two sources who have seen the full documents, reported CNN. The proposed sanctions are out of touch with "common sense," Russian Orthodox Church spokesperson Vladimir Legoida said Wednesday, according to Russian state news agency TASS."The more indiscriminate (these) sanctions become, the more they lose touch with common sense and the harder it becomes to reach peace, which is what the Russian Orthodox Church prays for at every service with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch," Legoida said in a Telegram post."Only those completely ignorant of the history of our Church can seek to intimidate its clergy and believers by compiling some lists," Legoida said.

The EU has been ratcheting up its economic action against Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. Most recently, the bloc has proposed a ban on Russian oil imports, something that would have a major impact on Russia`s economy, though Hungary, an EU member state with close links to Putin, is likely to scupper any such plans.
For weeks, first lady Jill Biden has been transfixed by the news coming out of Ukraine, by the bombings and scenes of ``parents weeping over their children's broken bodies in the streets,'' as she said in a recent speech.

Now Biden is using her second solo overseas trip to get an up-close look at the Ukrainian refugee crisis by visiting Romania and Slovakia, where she will spend Mother's Day meeting with displaced families in a small Slovakian village on the border with Ukraine.

After flying overnight from Washington, Biden arrived at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania, near the Black Sea, in time to help serve Friday dinner to U.S. service members stationed there. Some of the several thousand U.S. troops who President Joe Biden deployed to eastern Europe in the leadup to the war were sent to the base, which is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Romania's border with Ukraine.

Jill Biden told reporters traveling with her Thursday night, ``It's so important to the president and to me that the Ukrainian people know that we stand with them.'' She said earlier in the week she wants the refugees to know ``their resilience inspires me.''

NATO allies Romania and Slovakia border Ukraine and have taken in some of the millions of mostly women and children who fled after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, triggering Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II.

Biden also will use her four days in Europe to highlight issues she promotes at home, such as support for U.S. service members, education, and the welfare of children.

The centerpiece of the first lady's trip comes Sunday _ Mother's Day _ when the mother of three meets with displaced Ukrainians who sought refuge across the border in Slovakia.

Biden's daughter, Ashley Biden, had planned to accompany her mother to Europe, but backed out after learning Thursday that she was a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, said Michael LaRosa, the first lady's spokesperson. Ashley Biden tested negative, LaRosa said.

``I can only imagine the grief families are feeling,'' Jill Biden said this week. ``I know that we might not share a language, but I hope that I can convey, in ways so much greater than words, that their resilience inspires me, that they are not forgotten, and that all Americans stand with them still.''

The first lady also will meet during the trip with humanitarian aid workers, educators, government officials, and U.S. embassy personnel, the White House said.

Nearly 6 million Ukrainians, mostly women, and children have fled their country since Russia's invasion, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Many have resettled in next-door countries, like Romania and Slovakia, or have gone elsewhere in Europe to try to rebuild their lives.

More than 850,000 Ukrainians have entered Romania since the invasion, while nearly 400,000 have crossed into Slovakia, according to government figures from those countries.

Biden has long displayed an interest in the plight of refugees around the world.

In 2011, when her husband was vice president, she traveled to drought-stricken east Africa to visit Somali famine refugees at the Dadaab camp in Kenya. In 2017, she visited refugees in Chios, Greece, as part of work by the aid organization Save The Children, on whose board she served.

Some refugee advocates said Biden's trip will send the message that the United States takes seriously its humanitarian commitment to the Ukrainian people.

``Every first lady has a far-reaching platform to raise awareness and this trip will be an important tool for mobilizing additional support for those forced to flee their homeland,'' said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and formerly a policy director to first lady Michelle Obama.

Biden's trip will be the latest to the region by a U.S. government representative following recent visits to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

President Biden visited Ukrainian refugees during a stop in Poland in March. That's the closest he's been to Ukraine. The White House has said there are no current plans for him to visit Kyiv.

After her time with the U.S. service members, Jill Biden was set to spend Saturday in Bucharest, Romania's capital, being briefed on humanitarian efforts, meeting with Romanian first lady Carmen Iohannis and touring a school where Ukrainian refugee students are enrolled before she departs for Slovakia. The first lady is a community college English professor.

On Sunday, she heads to Kosice, Slovakia, to visit a city-operated refugee center and a public school that also hosts Ukrainian refugee students, where she will spend time with Ukrainian and Slovakian mothers and children as they participate in Mother's Day activities. Afterward, she will travel to the Slovakia-Ukraine border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia.

The White House declined to comment on whether she will cross the border and enter Ukraine.

She'll also visit a small Greek Catholic chapel in Vysne Nemecke that serves refugees.

Monday brings a meeting with Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova, the country's first female president before Biden heads back to Washington.

The first lady has shown her support for the Ukrainian people in several ways. She wore a sunflower, Ukraine's national flower, on her mask and a dress sleeve and traveled to a Tennessee hospital to visit Ukrainian children flown there for cancer treatment.

She had Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, sit with her during President Biden's State of the Union address in March, and she went to the Army's Fort Campbell in Kentucky to visit with the families of U.S soldiers who were deployed to Europe to assist with the Ukraine crisis.

The trip is the first lady's second overseas by herself. She flew to Tokyo last year to represent the United States at the opening of the Olympic Games.

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BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China is deeply saddened by the loss of life from a hotel explosion in Havana, Cuba, and expresses its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and the injured, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Saturday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that China and Cuba are good comrades, good friends and good brothers with a long-standing and profound friendship.

"In this moment of grief, the Chinese government and people stand firmly with the Cuban government and people," he said.

The explosion has killed at least 22 people and injured 64 others, and a gas leak is thought to be the cause of the explosion, according to the Cuban Presidential Office. 
Egypt has expressed concerns over Israeli authorities plans to demolish a number of Palestinian villages in Masafer Yatta area in the occupied West Bank and the subsequent eviction of thousands of Palestinians from these villages.

In a statement on Saturday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concerns about reports regarding plans to build 4,000 new homes for Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian lands.

Egypt, as well as Arab countries and partners, including the current US administration, have repeatedly rejected Israeli settlement expansion plans as they undermine the two-state solution and raise tensions in the region.

These two steps represent a flagrant violation of the international law rules and the internationally legitimate resolutions, the ministry warned in a statement.

The Egyptian foreign ministrys remarks come a few days after the Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling on Wednesday that paves the way for the demolition of eight of 12 villages in Masafer Yatta area declared by the Israeli military as a firing zone since the 1980s.

The Israeli court, as per its ruling, rejected a petition against the eviction of more than 1,000 Palestinians who inhabit this part of the West Bank, claiming that inhabitants of the area are not permanent residents.

Masafer Yatta Mayor Nidal Abu Younis condemned the ruling, which comes after more than two decades of legal struggle by the Palestinian inhabitants to remain in their lands, saying: We will not leave our homes.

We have been fighting with Israel in the courts for the last 22 years and it took this judge five minutes to destroy the lives of 12 villages and the people who are dependent on the land, Younis said, according to the Guardian.

Younis called the ruling racist, saying it was made by Judge David Mintz, a settler who lives in an illegal settlement in the West Bank.

Egypts foreign ministry affirmed full condemnation of the settlement policy in the Palestinian territories whether through building new settlements or expanding existing ones.

The ministry also denounced the confiscation of the Palestinian lands and the eviction of Palestinians.

The continuation of such unilateral measures leads to a rise in tensions, contributes to fueling violence, and undermines the chances of reaching a two-state solution and establishing a comprehensive and just peace in the region, the ministry added.

Late in April, Egypt's Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdel-Khalek stressed the need to cease all Israeli unilateral measures in the West Bank, including settlement expansion.

He also warned against attempts to expel Palestinian families from the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan and the demolition of Palestinian buildings.

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Qatar, Jordan, UAE and other Arab countries issued statements on Saturday condemning a terrorist attack in Sinai that was foiled by the Egyptian Armed Forces, and which resulted in the death of one officer and ten soldiers.

The attack, which was launched by takfiri terrorists against the a water lifting station checkpoint on Saturday, also injured five soldiers, according to an announcement by the Egyptian Armed Forces.

The attack has been widely and swiftly condemned across the Arab world, in statements issued by the respective countries foreign ministries.

Qatar strongly denounced the attack, reiterating their firm rejection of terrorist violence, regardless of motives.

Jordan condemned the attack in extreme terms, describing it as a cowardly terrorist attack.

Jordan reiterated its full solidarity with Egypt and its efforts to stand against the dangers of terrorism and radicalism.

The United Arab Emirates also condemned the attack, denouncing these criminal actions.

The UAE reiterated its constant rejection of all violence and terrorism that destabilises security and stability and contradicts human values.

The UAE also expressed its solidarity with Egypt in countering terrorism and supporting all required measures to protect the countrys security and stability, and eliminate those terrorists.

The Presidency of the State of Palestine also strongly condemned the deadly terror attack, affirming the "full solidarity of the Palestinian people and leadership with brethren in Egypt in their war against terrorism, wishing Egypt, its people, and its army continued stability and prosperity."

Yemen vehemently condemned the terrorist attack as well, stressing that it stands with Egypt against all forms of terrorism and extremism, supporting all the measures Egypt takes to protect its security and stability.

Saudi Arabia condemned and denounced the attack, asserting its full support to Egypt against all threats to its security and stability.

Saudi Arabia also stated that the Kingdom values the role of the Egyptian Armed Forces in standing against terrorism.

The statements issued by Qatar, Jordan, UAE and Saudi Arabia all expressed their condolences to the Egyptian government and people as well as the families of the victims while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first major attack of its kind in recent years.

Terrorist attacks in North Sinai have declined in recent years following massive and successive security and military operations.

These attacks targeted security forces, particularly at military and police checkpoints, as well as civilians, causing hundreds of casualties.

Meanwhile, hundreds of terrorists were killed in anti-terror military operations, according to Armed Forces periodical reports.

In 2018, the Armed Forces launched a major counterterrorist drive, Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018, that has succeeded in near eradication of terrorism from North Sinai as well as the Nile Delta and desert areas.

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Nigerian airlines are to suspend all flights from Monday over rising jet fuel prices, an umbrella organisation of operators said on Saturday.

The cost of fuel has soared worldwide since Russia invaded its neighbour Ukraine in February and the West responded by slapping sanctions on Moscow.

The Airline Operators of Nigeria said the price of jet fuel had jumped from 190 to 700 Nigerian naira per litre (from $0.45 to almost $1.70).

"No airline in the world can absorb this kind of sudden shock from such an astronomical rise over a short period," the AON said.

The group said it would now cost a customer 120,000 naira ($289) for a one-hour flight, a sum unaffordable for Nigerians "already experiencing a lot of difficulties".

The AON therefore wished "to regrettably inform the general public that member airlines will discontinue operations nationwide with effect from Monday May 9, 2022 until further notice," it said.

The aviation ministry responded by urging airlines to "consider the multiplier effect of shutting down operations, on Nigerians and global travellers".

The Nigerian consumer protection agency also implored "domestic airlines to consider the effect of the proposed shutdown on passengers and the magnitude of difficulties and hardship associated with such an action".

It added it was "concerned with rising consumer feedback that airlines have continued to sell tickets beyond the date announced for the proposed service shutdown."

Social media users made fun of the airlines suggesting customers find alternative means of travel.

"Airlines in Nigeria will shut down their services to passengers from Monday," one tweeted to more than 110,000 followers.

"I hope you can trek from Lagos to Abuja?" they wrote, of the journey of more than 700 kilometres (more than 400 miles) by road between the country's largest city and its capital -- one that normally takes just over an hour on an airplane.

"If you use the roads, I hope you have your ransom money?" they added, making light of abductions in other parts of the oil-rich country.

Nigeria produces 1.4 million barrels of crude a day, but it refines little. It relies almost completely on fuel imports, making the local market vulnerable to disruptions.

The rising price of fuel has caused prolonged power blackouts in recent weeks.

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Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church mourned on Saturday the victims of the terrorist attack on a water lifting station in East Suez Canal area in Sinai.

The Coptic Orthodox Church headed by Pope Tawadros II mourns the martyrs of the nation, the heroes and sons of the Egyptian Armed Forces who were martyred on Saturday while protecting their positions against a traitorous terrorist attack in West Sinai, the statement said.

As we condole our nation Egypt in its great loss, we value the great sacrifice these heroes presented and we assert our support to our brave Armed Forces that counter terrorism always beside the Egyptian police, the Church said, adding that it was asking from God condolences to the families of the victims and recovery for the injured.

The Egyptian Armed Forces announced the attack by takfiri terrorists on Saturday evening, which killed one officer, and ten soldiers and injured another five.

The remaining terrorists are currently being hunted down and are besieged in one of the isolated areas in Sinai, the statement added.

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The European Union Delegation to Egypt condemned on Saturday the terrorist attack in the East Suez Canal area that resulted in the death of an officer and ten soldiers as well as the injury of five others.

Our deepest condolences go to the families of the killed soldiers," said EU Ambassador to Egypt Christian Berger, adding that they "wished for a speedy recovery of the injured.

The Egyptian Armed Forces announced the attack by takfiri terrorists against a water lifting station in East Suez Canal in Sinai was foiled.

The remaining terrorists are currently being hunted down and are besieged in one of the isolated areas in Sinai, the statement added.

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Egypts Army foiled an attack launched by a group of takfiri terrorists against the East Canal Water Lifting Station checkpoint on Saturday, the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson announced.

According to the statement, the attack was foiled by the checkpoint personnel, but it resulted in the death of an officer and 10 soldiers as well as the injury of five others.

The remaining terrorists are currently being hunted down and are besieged in one of the isolated areas in Sinai, the statement added.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first major attack of its kind in recent years.

Terrorist attacks in North Sinai have declined in recent years following massive and successive security and military operations.

The attacks targeted security forces, particularly at military and police checkpoints, as well as civilians, causing hundreds of casualties.

Meanwhile, hundreds of terrorists were killed in anti-terror military operations, according to Armed Forces periodical reports.

In 2018, the Armed Forces have launched a major counterterrorist drive, Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018, that has succeeded in near eradication of terrorism from North Sinai as well as the Nile Delta and desert areas.

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Farid Zahran, an appointed member of the Egyptian Senate, was re-elected chairman of the leftist Egyptian Social Democratic Party on Friday.

The committee which supervised the ballot announced Friday evening that Zahran won 529 votes, ahead of his main rival Hanna Greece who got 229 votes. Naglaa Qotb, a third candidate, received 18 votes.

The committee announced that 785 voters, out of the party's general congress of 989 members, participated in the ballot, with a turnout of 79.5 percent. "While the number of valid votes stood at 776, invalid votes reached nine only," said the committee.

The internal ballot was held at the headquarters of the General Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions (GFETU) which is located in downtown Cairo's El-Galaa street. It was supervised by a committee affiliated with the National Council for Human Rights.

Zahran was named chairman of the Egyptian Social Democratic party for the first time in April 2016 after its founder Mohamed Abul-Ghar resigned two months earlier.

Zahran, 65, is the son of Saad Zahran, a leading founder of the Egyptian leftist student movement in the 1970s. Zahran is also head of the Al-Mahrousa Centre for Publishing and Press Services.

Zahran, alongside leaders of many political parties, was appointed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi as member of the Egyptian Senate in 2021.

The Egyptian Social Democratic Party was founded in April 2011, just three months after the anti-Mubarak revolution.

Following his re-election, Zahran described the party's internal elections as democratic and fair. "The elections introduced a very democratic image about the party," said Zahran.

Right now, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party has seven seats in Egypt's House of Representatives, and three seats in the Senate.

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Egypts Al-Azhar strongly condemned in extreme terms the terrorist attack on a water-lifting station in East Suez canal area in Sinai that killed an officer and ten soldiers on Saturday.

In a statement, Al-Azhar said the Egyptian people fully support their Armed Forces and police in their war against insidious terrorism.

The largest Islamic institution in the Sunni world also reiterated its support for the efforts of the Egypt Army and police forces against terrorism.

Al-Azhar condoled with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for the victims, the families of the victims, and the Egyptian people, while also wishing the injured a speedy recovery, the statement read.

The Egyptian Armed Forces announced the attack by takfiri terrorists on Saturday evening, adding that five more soldiers were injured in addition to those killed.

The remaining terrorists are currently being hunted down and are besieged in one of the isolated areas in Sinai, the statement added.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first major attack of its kind in recent years.

Terrorist attacks in North Sinai have declined in recent years following massive and successive security and military operations.

These attacks targeted security forces, particularly at military and police checkpoints, as well as civilians, causing hundreds of casualties.

Meanwhile, hundreds of terrorists were killed in anti-terror military operations, according to Armed Forces periodical reports.

In 2018, the Armed Forces launched a major counterterrorist drive, Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018, that has succeeded in near eradication of terrorism from North Sinai as well as the Nile Delta and desert areas.

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Egypts National Council For Human Rights (NCHR) condemned and denounced on Saturday the terrorist attack in west Sinai that resulted in the death of one officer and ten soldiers as well as the injury of five others.

The council headed by Ambassador Dr Moushira Khattab and all of its members mourns with the Egyptian people the martyrs on duty in Sinai who were felled by the hand of terrorism, the NCHR said in its statement.

The NCHR reasserts that terrorism deprives its victims of the right to life which is protected by international treaties and agreements.

The NCHR [calls on] the international community to support Egypt in its war against radical organisations through close cooperation that bar those groups from the finance sources and [impedes] the movement of the members of those groups across borders in accordance with international agreements and to work on supporting the Egyptian state in its war on terrorism with all ways to keep safety and stability in the region, the statement added.

The Egyptian Armed Forces announced Saturday evening that the attack by takfiri terrorists on a water lifting station checkpoint was foiled.

The remaining terrorists are currently being hunted down and are besieged in one of the isolated areas in Sinai, the statement added.

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Workers work at the assembly workshop of automaker SAIC Motor Company's Lingang base in Shanghai, east China, April 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- While China is still checking new epidemic flare-ups with its dynamic zero-COVID approach, some Western bigots sensed a chance to talk badly about the country's anti-pandemic efforts and heap scorn on the Chinese government's epidemic control policies.

For example, in its latest rant against Shanghai's anti-epidemic fight, The New York Times (NYT) has gone to great lengths to depict an inept Chinese government and question the "legitimacy" of the Communist Party of China (CPC) "in a time of crisis."

But all those jabs have crumbled in the face of facts. As China has struck a fine balance between pandemic control and economic development, its way of taming the virus has proven to be scientific and effective, and has testified to the country's institutional strength.

For more than two years, China has been putting people's lives and well-being first and sticking to its dynamic zero-COVID approach. In the meantime, it has been making dynamic conditions-based adjustments to its targeted epidemic control measures. All these efforts, coupled with an epidemic prevention focus to guard against both inbound cases and domestic resurgence, have enabled the country to restrict the spread of the virus and minimize the epidemic's impact.

As the highly contagious and latent Omicron variant is sweeping the world, multiple Chinese regions have been overshadowed by the current COVID-19 resurgence. But China has been rising to the challenge.

Through a resolute and full implementation of the dynamic zero-COVID approach, and with the whole-hearted support of the Chinese people, Shenzhen in southern China resumed normal work and production in late March as the resurgence subsides, while community transmission has been cut in Jilin Province since mid-April. Racing against time, Beijing has carried out multiple rounds of nucleic acid testing, and has grasped the basic picture of hidden transmission in society.

Besides, data shows the epidemic situation is steadily improving and under effective control in the city of Shanghai. Daily new COVID-19 cases have fallen from a peak of 27,000 to under 5,000, and nearly two-thirds of the infections have recovered in the city. Over 70 percent of Shanghai's 1,800-plus major enterprises have resumed work and production, and the resumption rate of the first batch of more than 660 key industrial enterprises in the city has exceeded 90 percent.

China's capability of successfully arranging massive nucleic acid tests, building makeshift hospitals, dispatching medical staff and delivering much-needed supplies have all demonstrated the country's systemic ability to pool strength behind significant undertakings and the solidarity of the Chinese people.

Under the guidance of the Chinese central government, Shanghai has mobilized nucleic acid testing teams with a daily handling capacity of 2.38 million test tubes. More than 30,000 medics from 22 provincial-level regions nationwide have rushed to the city to aid in the anti-epidemic battle. To many experts, such prompt actions in Shanghai are a miniature of China's unprecedented mobilization and organization abilities made possible out of the strong and wise leadership of the CPC, which has firmly stood as the most reliable backbone of the Chinese nation and people.

According to preliminary statistics in late April, more than 720,000 Party members volunteered to report for duty during the current resurgence in Shanghai. As of April 30, Party members have also helped set up 164 nucleic acid testing sites in the city.

Support from the people makes a difference in the anti-epidemic response, noted a meeting convened on Thursday by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, stressing the need to make sure that the Chinese people are well-informed, and to timely respond to their concerns.

This people-oriented philosophy, warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by the Chinese people, has secured China in achieving major strategic progress. Among major economies, China has been the first to bring the pandemic largely under control, the first to resume work and production, and the first to achieve economic growth. Even though thousands of daily cases have been reported recently, China, the world's most populous country, is still one of the countries with the lowest infection rates worldwide.

"The comprehensive strategy, marked by rapid mass testing, vaccinations and government support in terms of care for the afflicted, stands in stark contrast to what has happened in other jurisdictions around the world," noted Kenya-based international relations scholar Cavince Adhere. "On the basis of the experience, China is now taking right steps for its densely populated cities and around," said Muzaherul Huq, former Southeast Asia Region adviser at the World Health Organization.

The Chinese people's growing confidence in the government's epidemic control policies, as well as the international community's broad recognition of China's anti-pandemic achievements, have slapped the NYT and its like in the face. In the time ahead, more practice will prove that China's epidemic control strategy is the right choice that can stand the test of history. 
Clashes at a militia facility in southern Yemen following the arrest of a group of suspected al-Qaida militants killed at least a dozen people, including two force commanders, officials said.

The officials said the fighting took place late Thursday at the headquarters of the so-called Security Belt force in Dhale province. The Security Belt is a militia trained and funded by the United Arab Emirates and loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council. The force is active in Yemen's southern provinces.

The militia reported that Col. Waleed al-Dhami, deputy commander of the Security Belt, and Col. Mohamed al-Shoubagi, commander of the government's counterterrorism unit in Dhale, were killed. It did not offer further details.

The security officials said the nearly hour-long firefight erupted when troops asked the militants to hand over their weapons. The militants refused and opened fire at the troops, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

Eight militants and four security forces were killed in the fighting, including the two commanders, they said. There were a number of wounded troops who were taken to a hospital, the officials added.

Al-Qaida and Islamic State group affiliates are active in several regions of war-torn Yemen and have taken advantage of the yearslong civil war to make inroads. The war pits Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the internationally recognized government, which is aided by a Saudi-led coalition. The UAE is part of the coalition.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the US mainland.

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Australia's foreign minister has met her Solomon Islands counterpart for the first time since the South Pacific nation signed a security pact with China, which has raised concerns about Beijing's encroachment on Australia's doorstep.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Saturday she met the Solomon Islands' Development Planning and Aid Coordination Minister Jeremiah Manele in the Australian east coast city of Brisbane as he transited through the airport on Friday night.

``Australia has been consistent and clear in stating our respect for Solomon Islands' sovereign decision-making, however we have reiterated our deep concerns about the security agreement with China, including the lack of transparency,'' Payne's office said in a statement.

Payne's office said the two agreed that Australia remained the Solomon Islands' security partner of choice and that the Solomon Islands would not host a foreign military base less than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) off Australia's northeast coast.

Manele could not be contacted for comment on Saturday.

The United States has said it will take unspecified action against the Solomon Islands should the agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests. The Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told Parliament this week that opponents of the security pact with China had threatened his country ``with invasion.''

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan told Australian Broadcasting Corp. the two ministers had a ``very productive conversation.'' Australia said a Chinese base in the Solomon Islands was not in the interests of the region, Tehan said.

``What we want to do is to be making sure that we're presenting a very strong case as to why it is incredibly important that we don't see militarization of the Pacific islands,'' Tehan said.

Tehan said Payne and Manele also discussed how Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative government needed to keep working on the bilateral relationship.

Morrison's coalition is seeking a rare fourth three-year term in elections on May 25.

Morrison welcomed the meeting as a reinforcement of Australia's leadership role in the region.

``It also reassured, once again, that the Solomon Islands are not considering or would not support the establishment of a naval presence,'' Morrison told reporters while campaigning in the west coast city of Perth.

The China-Solomon Islands security pact announced last month has become a major focus of the election campaign.

After details of a draft pact were released, Australia's minister for international development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, flew to the Solomon Islands' capital, Honiara, on April 12 to unsuccessfully ask the government to abandon it.

The center-left opposition Labor Party said at the time that Payne, a more senior minister than Seselja, should have been sent instead.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese welcomed Payne's meeting with Manele, saying, ``It's about time.''

Albanese has also criticized Morrison for not phoning his Solomon Islands counterpart since the pact was signed. Morrison has said he was following the advice of intelligence officials.

The Labor Party has condemned the pact as Australia's worst foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II. Albanese has promised closer engagement between Australia and its South Pacific island neighbors if Labor wins government.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has suggested that Beijing timed the pact's announcement during an election campaign to undermine her conservative Liberal Party's prospects for reelection.

Seselja arrived in Honiara on the same day that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Manele about Washington's plan to reopen an embassy in Honiara.

While not mentioning the United States or Australia by name, Sogavare said in Parliament that his country was ``insulted'' by the ``lack of trust by the concerned parties.''

Sogavare has maintained that there would be no Chinese base in his country and China has denied seeking a military foothold in the islands.

A draft of the pact, which was leaked online, said Chinese warships could stop in the Solomon Islands for logistical replenishment and China could send police and armed forces there ``to assist in maintaining social order.'' The Solomon Islands and China have not released the final version of the agreement.

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US President Joe Biden announced another package of military assistance for Ukraine, as dozens of civilians were evacuated from Mariupol's besieged steelworks, the last pocket of resistance against Russian troops in the port city.

Worth $150 million, the latest security assistance would include artillery munitions and radars, Biden said, as the country braces for fresh bombardment by Moscow's forces ahead of May 9, the day Russia celebrates the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II.

A senior US official said the aid included counter-artillery radars used for detecting the source of enemy fire as well as electronic jamming equipment.

Friday's new batch brings the total value of US weaponry sent to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began to $3.8 billion.

The president urged Congress to further approve a huge $33 billion package, including $20 billion in military aid, "to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table."

The Pentagon meanwhile denied reports it helped Ukrainian forces sink the Russian warship Moskva in the Black Sea last month.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US had "no prior knowledge" of the plan to strike the ship, which sank leaving a still-unclear number of Russian sailors dead or missing.

While providing Ukraine with military aid, the United States has sought to limit knowledge of the full extent of its assistance to avoid provoking Russia into a broader conflict beyond Ukraine.

Biden, other G7 leaders, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky are to meet virtually on Sunday to discuss Western support for Kyiv.

Azovstal evacuation

On Friday Zelensky said "diplomatic options" were also under way to rescue Ukrainian soldiers from the Mariupol steelworks, as civilian evacuations continued.

The Russian defence ministry said 50 people were evacuated from the site, including 11 children.

It added they were handed over to the UN and Red Cross, which are assisting in the operation, and that the "humanitarian operation" would continue on Saturday.

About 200 civilians, including children, are estimated to still be trapped in the Soviet-era tunnels and bunkers beneath the sprawling Azovstal factory, along with a group of Ukrainian soldiers making their last stand.

Russia announced a daytime ceasefire at the plant for three days starting Thursday but the Ukrainian army said Russian "assault operations" had continued by ground and by air.

Ukraine's Azov battalion, leading the defence at Azovstal, said one Ukrainian fighter had been killed and six wounded when Russian forces opened fire during an attempt to evacuate people by car.

Azov battalion leader Andriy Biletsky wrote on Telegram that the situation at the plant was critical.

"The shelling does not stop. Every minute of waiting is costing the lives of civilians, soldiers, and the wounded."

May 9 fears

Ten weeks into a war that has killed thousands, destroyed cities and uprooted more than 13 million people, defeating the resistance at Azovstal and taking full control of strategically located Mariupol would be a major win for Moscow.

It would also be a symbolic success ahead of May 9, when Russia marks the anniversary of its 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany.

Ukrainian officials believe Moscow is planning a May 9 military parade in Mariupol, though the Kremlin has denied any such plans.

Officials have also said they expect the anniversary will coincide with an escalation of the war throughout the country.

"In the coming days, there is a high probability of rocket fire in all regions of Ukraine," mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on social media.

"Be careful and follow the rules of security in wartime."

The eastern city of Odessa will also impose a longer curfew on May 8-9, its mayor said, as will Poltava in the country's centre.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki noted that the G7 meeting will come a day before "Victory Day" and the leaders will demonstrate "unity in our collective response".

"While (Russian President Vladimir Putin) expected to be marching through the streets of Kyiv, that's obviously not what's going to happen," Psaki said.

Russia to remain 'forever'

Since failing to take Kyiv early on in the war, Russia has refocused its offensive on the south and east of Ukraine.

Taking full control of Mariupol would allow Moscow to create a land bridge between the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and separatist, pro-Russian regions in the east.

In those regions, separatists said they had removed Ukrainian and English language traffic signs for Mariupol and replaced them with Russian ones.

Locals want to see proof that "Russia has come back here forever," said Denis Pushilin, head of the breakaway region of Donetsk.

In neighbouring Lugansk, Ukrainian officials said on Friday that Russian forces had almost encircled Severodonetsk the easternmost city still held by Kyiv and are trying to storm it.

Kherson in the south remains the only significant city Russia has managed to capture since the war began.

A senior official from the Russian parliament visiting the city on Friday also emphasised that Russia would remain in southern Ukraine "forever."

"There should be no doubt about this. There will be no return to the past," Andrey Turchak said.

Peaceful solution

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted its first declaration on Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.

It backed Secretary General Antonio Guterres's efforts to find a "peaceful solution" to the war but stopped short of supporting a mediation effort led by him.

Russia then vetoed a resolution condemning the invasion and asking Moscow to move its army back to Russian soil.

Ukraine's Western allies have supported Kyiv with financial and military assistance, and have slapped unprecedented sanctions on Russia.

As European countries have sought to clamp down on Russian assets overseas, Italian authorities impounded a mega yacht as speculation swirled it might even belong to the Russian president.

"Scheherazade", worth an estimated $700 million, has been the subject of a probe into its ownership by Italy's financial police, which has helped "establish significant economic and business links" between the ship's owner and "eminent people in the Russian government".

Researchers at the anti-corruption foundation of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny have linked the yacht to Putin.

But the European Commission's proposal that all 27 EU members gradually ban Russian oil imports a move that would have been its toughest yet was dealt a blow on Friday when Hungary said it crossed a red line and should be sent back.

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Kyiv said Saturday it has destroyed another Russian warship near the Black Sea's Snake Island, where Ukrainian forces were awarded for heroism after rebuffing Russian demands to surrender.

Ukraine's defence ministry said in a statement an armed drone had destroyed a Serna-class landing craft and an missile defence system at the small island under Russian control.

It released grainy over-head footage on social media showing in black and white what appeared to be an explosion over a light craft with debris spilling outwards.

"The traditional parade of the Russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island -- at the bottom of the sea," the defence ministry added.

The military said in a separate statement on social media that the Bayraktar drone strike had also destroyed Tor-M2 anti-aircraft system being delivered to the island.

There was no immediate confirmation of the strike from the Russian defence ministry.

Ukraine earlier this month said its drones destroyed two Russian patrol boats, also near Snake Island.

The outpost became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance after a radio exchange went viral at the start of the war, in which Ukrainian soldiers used an expletive in rebuffing a demand by the Russian warship Moskva to surrender.

The Moskva, sank in the Black Sea in mid-April following what Moscow said was an explosion on board. Ukraine and the US said the warship was hit with missiles.

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Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

New US weapons

US President Joe Biden announces a new $150 million weapons package to Ukraine, including artillery munitions and radar, while urging Congress to pass a $33 billion aid package including $20 billion in military aid.

The new batch brings the total value of US weaponry sent by the Biden administration to Ukraine to $3.8 billion since Russia invaded on February 24, says Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

US First Lady Jill Biden is currently in Romania on a three-day visit to Eastern Europe, meeting with refugees and aid workers.

Civilian evacuations from Azovstal plant

Fifty more civilians have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol, says Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, even as the factory continues to be hit by ground and air attacks.

The operation, which Vereshchuk says will continue Saturday, was to coincide with a daytime ceasefire announced by Russia starting Thursday, but Ukraine's army accused Moscow of continuing its assault on the plant.

Before the UN-led evacuation, about 200 civilians, including children, were estimated to still be trapped in the Soviet-era tunnels and bunkers beneath the factory, along with a group of Ukrainian soldiers making a last stand.

Red Square troops, tanks for Victory Day rehearsal

Russia holds its final rehearsal for an annual parade marking the Soviet victory in World War II, where its military might will be showcased amid Moscow's ongoing campaign in Ukraine.

Rehearsal for the May 9 event saw jet fighters flying over Moscow's Red Square forming the symbol "Z" in support of Russia's military action in Ukraine, while tanks and troops took part in the parade.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to deliver a speech during the parade, which some Western officials believe could be a declaration of all-out war on Ukraine, speculation the Kremlin has dismissed as "nonsense."

Ukraine says sinks Russian landing craft

Ukraine's defence ministry says it has destroyed a Russian warship near the Black Sea's Snake Island, posting overhead footage on social media of what appears to be an explosion over a light craft.

Russia has not yet confirmed the strike.

Snake Island became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance after its soldiers colourfully rebuffed a demand by the Russian warship Moskva to surrender. The Moskva later sank from what Ukraine and the US said was a missile attack.

'Staggering' Russian violations

The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, Dunja Mijatovic, calls Russian violations of human rights in Ukraine "staggering" after a four-day visit to the country.

The visit to areas outside Kyiv illustrated "mounting evidence of widespread arbitrary killings, torture, and enforced disappearances," the council says in a statement.

The organisation, which protects human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe, expelled Russia as a member in March.

Italy impounds Putin-linked yacht

Italian authorities impound a $700 million, 140-metre mega yacht as speculation swirls it could belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Scheherazade", which has been berthed for several months at a shipyard on Italy's western coast, has been the subject of an ownership probe by the financial police.

Italy's investigation has helped establish "significant economic and business links" between the official owner and "eminent people in the Russian government", as well as Russians on the West's sanctions list, the economy ministry says.

Eastern city surrounded

Russian forces have almost encircled Severodonetsk, the easternmost city still held by Ukraine where about 15,000 people remain, a local official says.

Oleksandr Striuk, the head of the Severodonetsk military administration, says on Ukrainian television that Kyiv's army is so far "repelling these attacks" but the Russians were pressing on.

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KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2022 - 03:58 | All, World

The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations will hold a virtual meeting Sunday to discuss the latest developments in Russia's war against Ukraine and demonstrate their continued unity in pressuring Moscow to end the aggression, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

U.S. President Joe Biden said earlier that the discussions will include whether or not to take additional punitive steps toward Russia, while saying his administration is "open to additional sanctions."

The meeting on Sunday morning will be chaired by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Psaki. The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

She also noted that the meeting date is one day before Russia's Victory Day, an anniversary commemorating the then Soviet Union's role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II.

"(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin has certainly projected his desire to mark that day as a day where he is victorious over Ukraine," Psaki said, adding, "Of course, he is not."

Having the G-7 leaders meet virtually on Sunday is an opportunity to "show how unified the West is in confronting the aggression and the invasion by President Putin," she said.

Russia began its military attack against Ukraine on Feb. 24 after asserting that its security was under threat from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastward expansion and the possibility of Ukraine joining the security alliance.

Putin has also insisted that he is carrying out a "special military operation" to "demilitarize and denazify" the former Soviet republic, even though Zelenskyy is a Jew whose relatives were victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

The United States and its allies have labeled Putin's war as unjustified and unprovoked, and have provided military and other assistance to Ukraine to help the country defend itself.
By Mariko Tamura, KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2022 - 12:44 | Arts, Feature, All

Anastasia Babenko's "The Diaper Cake," her first narrative short film, which she directed and wrote, is included in this year's Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, one of the largest international festivals of its kind in the region.

Babenko, however, describes herself as a Ukrainian filmmaker in a "previous life." Now, Russia's war against her country has irreversibly altered her reality, and she is wholly focused on raising awareness and funds from her home in Seattle.

"Everything feels very irrelevant," including filmmaking, she said in an online interview. She is not a soldier or a medical worker. She cannot rebuild cities. And filmmaking, unless it is to document Russian horrors perpetuated in Ukraine, seems like "a privilege," "childish," "not the most important thing in the world right now."

When the Russian army invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, her parents lived in Slavutych in northern Ukraine, where Babenko grew up. It was a city built after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster to house evacuees.

Her parents fled the Russian army by car with other family members in mid-March, wending through forests and small village roads to avoid detection. Some roads and bridges were also pocked by bomb strikes. They arrived in Poland two days later.

Things had been steadily worsening before they fled with no food or hot water, and, at one point, no electricity. They feared a possible nuclear disaster when the Russians seized the Chernobyl power plant at the beginning of the invasion. "Nobody could predict anything," she said.

With no expectation that the Ukrainian army would come to the rescue of their small town on the border with Belarus, a key Russian ally, they felt "it was just a matter of time before (the Russian Army would) enter the city because it was already encircled."

The Russians did so on March 26, twelve days after the family escaped.

"My parents were lucky to make it to Poland, but many people didn't," Babenko said. Her sister left her son safe in Poland and returned to western Ukraine. She felt "very guilty staying in Poland, like she betrayed her country. And it's what a lot of people are feeling right now, including myself," Babenko said.

The 32-year-old has translated Ukrainian news articles into English, raised funds through sales of her photo prints, helped create short videos in Russian to counter Russian propaganda and "show what they are doing here," and raised awareness about the war and Ukraine through cultural exhibitions.

"Anything I can do to help, I'm doing it," she said.

She wants Russians to do the same, saying that she believes in collective responsibility.

"Every Russian who is not trying to protest it or prevent it in any way possible is also responsible for this war," she said.

She wants Ukrainian voices to be greatly amplified by taking precedence over Russian ones, to fight against Moscow's suppression of their culture.

"It's dangerous right now when a lot of cultural events are trying to give equal (footing) to Russians and Ukrainians," she said. "The war is still going on."

"Being a filmmaker feels silly but then, on the other hand, that's exactly what this war is about -- silencing Ukrainian voices and dealing a blow to Ukrainians and Ukrainian culture."

Ukraine and its art have long been regarded as being inextricably linked to Russia because of its history with the Soviet Union, she explains. But Ukraine is an independent country with its own culture, she stresses.

Surrendering, as many have urged, is unthinkable.

"We exist. Ukraine exists," she said. "If we surrender, we're all going to die."

When "The Diaper Cake" was filmed in 2021, the only serious worry was the coronavirus pandemic. A 17-minute story about a young couple experiencing the joys and responsibilities of being new parents, it is based on her nephew's birth and Babenko's own questions. The title was chosen because a diaper cake, a celebratory and yet bulky gift, is a "monument to parenthood."

The film, which has been nominated for the international best short award at the festival in Tokyo, has now taken on a new meaning and a painful reminder of the past. The Russian bombing of a Mariupol maternity hospital in early March made Babenko think of her characters.

The film is now an opportunity to talk about Ukraine on the international screening circuit. It is there to remind the world of Ukraine's "other side," the normalcy and beauty before the war, and not just of destruction and "ugly things" that constantly flood the news.

"I hope this is maybe something people would feel when they watch my little film that these people who are portrayed there, they are just regular ordinary Ukrainians who live peaceful lives and try to build some kind of future for them," she said.

Babenko says she hopes to return to filmmaking in the future. She believes her art -- whether in film or in photography -- will reflect her "tremendous emotional changes." But for now, she is fine processing it silently as she continues to do her part to help Ukraine.

The film festival will take place from June 7-20. Online screenings will be available to global viewers between April 28 and June 30.

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KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2022 - 22:51 | Japan, All

Japan's transport ministry is considering revoking the license of the operator of a tour boat that sunk off Hokkaido two weeks ago leaving 14 people dead and 12 missing, ministry sources said Saturday, marking what would be the heaviest administrative penalty ever imposed under the maritime transportation law.

Seiichi Katsurada, the president of Shari-based boat operator Shiretoko Yuransen, submitted documents claiming he had at least three years of experience in operations, although he does not have a boating license and served as the company's operations manager, according to the sources.

Katsurada had also initially incorrectly told families of the victims that the captain of the boat was the operations manager, stating in distributed documents that "many aspects of the ship's operations were left to staff."

The 58-year-old briefly attended a meeting Saturday in Shari with the families to discuss compensation for the accident, including death benefits and funeral expenses.

Meanwhile, the Japan Coast Guard is continuing its search for the 12 who remain missing in waters near Kunashiri Island, one of four Russia-controlled, Japan-claimed islands off Hokkaido.

A Nippon Salvage Co. camera-equipped ship arrived Saturday at the scene near where the boat sank. It is expected to search using a technique that lets divers work at substantial depths for lengthy periods by reducing the need for decompression at the end of every dive.

The ministry is conducting a special probe into the incident as Shiretoko Yuransen was found to have violated safety rules in allowing the 19-ton Kazu to depart on April 23 despite a warning for bad weather.

As operations manager, Katsurada was required to be in the office while the boat was out at sea, but it was found he had gone to a city about 100 kilometers away that day without arranging for someone to take his place.

Although cellphones were designated as the primary means of communication between the office and the boat, the connection was unreliable for most of the boat's route.

The boat was carrying 24 passengers and two crew members when it went missing after leaving port in Shari for a cruise along the Shiretoko Peninsula, designated as a World Natural Heritage site.

Contact was lost after it issued a rescue call around Kashuni Falls, a popular scenic site near the tip of the peninsula. The vessel's hull was found six days later at a depth of 120 meters on the seabed near the waterfall.

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KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2022 - 17:35 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to attend a major international security forum next month in Singapore, Japanese government sources said Saturday.

If realized, the attendance of a Japanese prime minister at the annual meeting from June 10 to 12 will be the first since 2014, when his predecessor Shinzo Abe took part in the Asian security summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The government will make a final decision after examining upcoming events in parliament, including deliberations over a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year from April, the sources said.

At the international conference, Kishida is likely to express opposition to the use of force to change the status quo amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's increasing maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas.

He is also expected to call on participants, including defense chiefs from the Asia Pacific region, to cooperate in realizing a "free and open Indo-Pacific."

The annual event will be attended by defense ministers and military-related personnel mainly from the Asia Pacific region to discuss regional situations and defense cooperation.

The conference is held every year in Singapore, sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank. But the gathering was canceled the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2022 - 23:32 | All, World

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Saturday that was likely launched from a submarine into the sea off its eastern coast, South Korea's military said, three days before President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration.

The apparent short-range SLBM was launched from waters near North Korea's eastern port city of Sinpo at around 2:07 p.m., South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, while the United States and its regional allies are bracing for the possibility of Pyongyang conducting a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi also said North Korea fired what is believed to be an SLBM, adding it flew about 600 kilometers with an altitude of around 50 km.

It likely landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone and the Japanese government has received no reports of damage, according to officials.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile from the vicinity of Sinpo, which is known as having a major submarine-building shipyard, traveled the same distance as assessed by Japan but with a maximum altitude of about 60 km.

North Korea has been seeking to advance the development of an SLBM that can carry a nuclear warhead and improve its ability to fire missiles from submerged vessels. Such weapons make it more difficult for neighboring countries to detect in advance than those launched from fixed installations.

Kishi said the missile test, the 14th this year by North Korea according to Japan's Defense Ministry, violated U.N. Security Council resolutions and should be met with "condemnation."

He also told reporters North Korea could complete preparations by the end of this month to conduct a nuclear test and the ministry has shared such a view with the United States.

The U.S. State Department said Friday that North Korea could be ready as early as this month to conduct its seventh nuclear test at its Punggye-ri test site.

Responding to the latest missile launch, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the move highlights the "destabilizing" impact of North Korea's illicit weapons program.

While noting that the event does not pose "an immediate threat" to U.S. territory or its allies, the command said the U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and South Korea remains "ironclad."

North Korea last launched an SLBM in Oct. 19, which also flew about 600 km at a maximum altitude of roughly 50 km before splashing down outside of Japan's EEZ.

The latest test came three days after Japan and South Korea detected North Korea's test-firing of a ballistic missile from Pyongyang's Sunan area and ahead of Tuesday's inauguration of the South Korean president-elect, who has pledged to take a tougher approach toward Pyongyang.

North Korea's show of force came also as U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit South Korea and Japan from May 20 to 24, making it his first trip to Asia since taking office in January 2021.

North Korea has not carried out a nuclear test since September 2017 as it once committed to discontinuing its nuclear program and engaging in negotiations with the United States under former President Donald Trump.

But while global attention is on the war in Ukraine, there are signs North Korea is restoring underground tunnels at the nuclear test site, which it declared shut in 2018 to live up to the agreement to pursue denuclearization.

The country's leader Kim Jong Un has already hinted multiple times that such a commitment is no longer valid and carried out an intercontinental ballistic missile test in March, ending a self-imposed moratorium that paved the way for his first round of talks with Trump in 2018.

The most powerful ICBM to date, which North Korea said was a new type, flew about 1,100 km in range and reached an altitude of 6,200 km during its 71-minute flight, according to the Japanese and South Korean governments.

At a huge nighttime military parade in late April, Kim said his country will accelerate the pace of developing nuclear weapons and suggested they could be used if its fundamental interests are threatened.

The parade also showcased numerous weapons, including what may be new SLBMs and its largest ICBM, the Hwasong-17, which could hit the whole of the U.S. mainland.

Related coverage:

North Korea could be ready to conduct nuclear test this month: U.S.

Biden to vow "ironclad" nuclear deterrence in Asia trip: White House

North Korea fires ballistic missile as South Korea readies new gov't
WENCHANG, Hainan, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China has for the first time realized the fine forecast of Earth's near-surface wind for a major space launch mission, according to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

The fine forecast system for wind in key areas of the near-surface layer has been applied to ensure the transfer of the combination of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft and the Long March-7 Y5 carrier rocket to the launching area of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, the center said.

The system was developed by the meteorological tech support team of the center to overcome challenges from the Earth's near-surface wind, which has a great impact on the smooth vertical transfer of spacecraft and rockets.

As the rocket has not been filled with fuel before being transferred to the launch site, it is easily affected by wind, especially in the coastal regions, which makes the precise forecast of near-surface wind very important for the transfer.

Located in south China's Hainan Province, the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site is the country's fourth launch site and the only one by the seaside.

The forecast system can provide real-time visual weather forecasts based on the latest meteorological information of the near-surface wind, with three-dimensional simulation images as well as change parameters of wind power and direction.

The system has been developed since 2018, and it passed the final inspection and acceptance in April this year.

According to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the new forecast system performed well during its first application in the transfer mission of Tianzhou-4 and Long March-7 Y5.

Its forecast precision is within one meter and it has played an important role in enhancing the meteorological forecast capabilities of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, the center said.

The Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time, according to the China Manned Space Agency. 
Chinese staff members check the water quality of a borehole in Gatsibo district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 11, 2022. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

KIGALI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought.

In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source.

Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people.

Residents in several districts in the province said in separate interviews with Xinhua that potable water needs are no longer a problem in their localities.

Residents in the above-mentioned Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, now have access to a solar-powered borehole, which provides clean and safe water.

At GS Rwinkwavu school, also one of the beneficiaries, administrators said the newly installed borehole will help them achieve their education goals.

"This project came at the right time to address a serious water problem. Besides being free, the water flows easily unlike the hand borehole. It has helped students as well as teachers and neighbors. We are excited about it," said Magnifique Habimana, the head teacher of GS Rwinkwavu.

He recalled that bathing, washing clothes and general hygiene maintenance were challenging at school before the solar-driven borehole was drilled.

"It was a very big inconvenience to the school in terms of sanitation and running costs," said Habimana. "Our only option was to hire people to fetch water for cooking and drinking. But this was not sustainable, it was a costly option."

The school's sanitation and hygiene standards have now improved with the new water source, which has a designed capacity of serving 600 people, said Habimana. "We thank the Chinese government for maintaining cooperation with Rwanda which enabled the implementation of this water project. With this water, we can do farming activities for all seasons because we have water to irrigate the crops."

Prosper Manikuze, the standards and quality control specialist in Rwanda's Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), who has closely followed the project, said the contractors have delivered quality work.

"I appreciate the quality of this project because the contractors took an initiative to install standard borehole handles and heads. The mixing of cement ratio was also good for concrete works. It was built with strong materials," he said.

Manikuze said GS Rwinkwavu previously had no water as a manual borehole in place was not functional, but even though it was working it would not satisfy the high water demand. "With the solar-powered borehole facility at the school, there will be no students missing school anymore to go and fetch water which we hope will boost education standards," he said.

Clarisse Uwera, a resident of Murambi in Gatsibo district, also in East Province, said getting water for drinking, cooking and washing clothes at her home has been eased. "Before it was a challenge. The newly installed water source benefits many people, about 300 people in this village. I'm very thankful to have access to this borehole. There is no need to worry anymore about water."

Jean Damascene Harelimana, the vice mayor of Kayonza district in charge of social affairs, said the newly installed boreholes will positively impact the health and wellbeing of many people.

"We are all happy about the water project. We are also happy about the cooperation of Rwanda and China which leads to an extension of services to people," he said.

Lack of access to clean water increases the risk of outbreaks of waterborne disease, including acute watery diarrhea and diseases such as cholera.

Diarrheal disease, often caused by bacteria ingested through contaminated food or water, is the second leading cause of death in children under five, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Chen Jinke, the manager of the Chinese borehole drilling project, said the boreholes are well protected and the impact is good.

The wells are installed with chlorination systems to keep the water clean and ready to drink, and solar wells are built in places with a high concentration of people such as markets and schools, according to Chen.

"The boreholes using solar energy are good since Rwanda has good sunshine intensity which can meet the conditions of using solar wells. Compared with the manual system, the solar borehole can ensure reliable water supply to the surrounding villages," he explained. 

Reisdents fetch water from a borehole in Gatsibo district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 11, 2022. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

Photo taken on April 28, 2022 shows a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

Students fetch water from a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda, on April 28, 2022. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

Photo taken on April 28, 2022 shows a solar panel of a solar powered borehole in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, Rwanda. Thousands of residents in eastern Rwanda once did not have easy access to clean and safe water due to recurrent drought. In the Rwinkwavu area in Kayonza district, Eastern Province, for instance, residents were forced to walk long distances to reach the nearest clean water source. Water woes are now a thing of the past, thanks to a China-funded 200-borehole drilling project mostly focused on addressing water scarcity in the province. The drilling project, contracted by construction and engineering giant China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), has been tested and commissioned following its recent completion, benefiting 110,000 people. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)
People visit the Port City Marina in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Jan. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Lu)

Bangladesh has sent emergency medical supplies to Sri Lanka. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen described the supply of the medicine as an expression of solidarity and friendship between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, at a time when the two countries are celebrating 50 years of their diplomatic relations.

DHAKA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- In a spirit of friendship and good neighborly relations, Bangladesh Thursday sent emergency medical supplies to Sri Lanka.

At a token handover ceremony held at the State Guest House Padma here on Thursday, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque handed over a few boxes of medicines to the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sudharshan D.S. Seneviratne.

Momen described the supply of the medicine as an expression of solidarity and friendship between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, at a time when the two countries are celebrating 50 years of their diplomatic relations.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh never hesitates to extend assistance to any nation in difficulties, in particular, to its neighbors for ensuring shared peace and prosperity in the South Asian region, he added.

For his part, Seneviratne said Sri Lanka values the friendly relationship with Bangladesh and is committed to further strengthening it.

He said the medical supplies demonstrated the bilateral relations are moving in the right direction.

Essential Drugs Company Limited, the only state-owned Pharmaceuticals Company in Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries, have each contributed medicines worth 100 million takas as gifts to Sri Lanka, said a statement of the Bangladesh foreign ministry.

It added that the medicine is expected to reach Sri Lanka in a few days.

Earlier, Bangladesh provided Sri Lanka with 200 million U.S. dollars in aid through currency swapping arrangements. (1 U.S. dollar equals about 88 takas)
HONG KONG, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Saturday that it will distribute about 125,000 sets of the COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits to people in some areas of the city as part of a follow-up on recent detection of the COVID-19 virus in sewage samples.

The test kits will be distributed to residents, cleaning workers, and property management staff working in the areas with positive sewage testing results showing relatively high viral loads, in order to help identify infected persons, it said.

The HKSAR government also urged RAT kit users to report any positive results for COVID-19 via the government's online platform.

In efforts to combat COVID-19, the HKSAR government's Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department, in collaboration with a cross-disciplinary team of the University of Hong Kong, have strengthened the sampling of sewage in all districts of Hong Kong for COVID-19 virus testing.

On Saturday, Hong Kong registered 115 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 163 additional cases through self-reported RATs, official data showed. 
Young volunteers work at a nucleic acid testing site in Fengtai District of Beijing, capital of China, May 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

China's dynamic zero-COVID policy "is the best choice and the right decision for the country in order to prevent a huge amount of severe cases and deaths, which could severely threaten social and economic development as well as people's health and safety," Cambodian scholar Joseph Matthews said.

PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China's dynamic zero-COVID approach is crucial to protect people's lives and to minimize the pandemic's impact on socioeconomic development, a Cambodian scholar has said.

In an interview with Xinhua, Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has always put the people and their lives first and worked hard to prevent both inbound cases and domestic resurgences.

China has been upholding a dynamic zero-COVID policy, the essence of which is early detection and quick response measures to stop the continuous spread of the virus in communities to protect people's health and lives to the greatest extent.

Matthews said through this approach and the constantly adjusted epidemic prevention and control measures in light of new developments, China has achieved major strategic progress against COVID-19.

"I think that as a populous country with a large number of senior citizens, unbalanced development between different regions, and insufficient medical resources, China will definitely see a wide range of infections if China eases up on epidemic prevention and control," Matthews said.

A patient (L, front) is transferred to the dialysis room from the emergency department of Beijing Chao-Yang Hosptial in Beijing, capital of China, May 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

China's dynamic zero-COVID policy "is the best choice and the right decision for the country in order to prevent a huge amount of severe cases and deaths, which could severely threaten social and economic development as well as people's health and safety," he said.

Meanwhile, the scholar also admired China for having helped countries around the world to fight COVID-19.

"China has played a leading role in helping countries across the world to fight COVID-19," he said. "Chinese vaccines have not only protected hundreds of millions of people around the world, but also helped countries revive their economies and reopen their borders with confidence."

Airport workers upload the package of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine onto a refrigeration vehicle at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on March 29, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

"For Cambodia, Chinese vaccines have enabled the country to fully resume its socioeconomic activities and to reopen its borders to vaccinated travelers without quarantine since last November," he said.

With its full reopening, Cambodia's economy is forecast to grow by 5.3 percent in 2022 and up to 6.5 percent in 2023, he said, citing an Asian Development Bank's recent report. 
LOS ANGELES, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating over 100 cases of severe hepatitis in children, including five deaths, the agency said on Friday.

The cases under investigation were found across 25 U.S. states and territories and occurred over the past seven months.

More than 90 percent of the children were hospitalized and 14 percent required liver transplants, according to the CDC. More than half of the kids had a confirmed adenovirus infection.

It is not yet clear what is driving these cases in young children.

Jay Butler, the CDC's deputy director of infectious diseases, told reporters that some of the common causes of viral hepatitis had been considered, but were not found in any of the cases.

Adenovirus has been detected in more than 50 percent of these cases, though it has not been confirmed as the actual cause, according to the CDC.

From October 2021 to February 2022, nine severe hepatitis cases in children were reported in Alabama, seven girls and two boys ranging in age from 1 month to 6 years old.

Those cases were the first that drew attention to the liver illnesses in children in the United States.

On April 21, the CDC issued a nationwide health alert to notify clinicians and public health authorities about a cluster of children identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection.

The agency asked all physicians to be on the lookout for symptoms and to report any suspected cases of hepatitis of unknown origin to their local and state health departments.

Since then, state health departments have been working with pediatric specialists in their states to identify possible cases.

The CDC said adenovirus may be the cause of the reported cases, but other potential environmental and situational factors are still being investigated.

The cluster of cases, along with recently identified possible cases in Europe, suggests that the adenovirus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology among children, according to the CDC.

Adenovirus type 41 is primarily spread via the fecal-oral route and predominantly affects the gut. It is a common cause of pediatric acute gastroenteritis typically with diarrhea, vomiting and fever, often accompanied by respiratory symptoms, said the CDC.

Adenovirus is recognized as a cause of hepatitis among immunocompromised children, and might be an "underrecognized" contributor to liver injury among healthy children, according to the CDC.

On May 1, the World Health Organization reported at least 228 probable cases of hepatitis of unknown origin in children from 20 countries, with dozens more under investigation. 
PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China's dynamic zero-COVID approach is crucial to protect people's lives and to minimize the pandemic's impact on socioeconomic development, a Cambodian scholar has said.

In an interview with Xinhua, Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has always put the people and their lives first and worked hard to prevent both inbound cases and domestic resurgences.

China has been upholding a dynamic zero-COVID policy, the essence of which is early detection and quick response measures to stop the continuous spread of the virus in communities to protect people's health and lives to the greatest extent.

Matthews said through this approach and the constantly adjusted epidemic prevention and control measures in light of new developments, China has achieved major strategic progress against COVID-19.

"I think that as a populous country with a large number of senior citizens, unbalanced development between different regions, and insufficient medical resources, China will definitely see a wide range of infections if China eases up on epidemic prevention and control," Matthews said.

China's dynamic zero-COVID policy "is the best choice and the right decision for the country in order to prevent a huge amount of severe cases and deaths, which could severely threaten social and economic development as well as people's health and safety," he said.

Meanwhile, the scholar also admired China for having helped countries around the world to fight COVID-19.

"China has played a leading role in helping countries across the world to fight COVID-19," he said. "Chinese vaccines have not only protected hundreds of millions of people around the world, but also helped countries revive their economies and reopen their borders with confidence."

"For Cambodia, Chinese vaccines have enabled the country to fully resume its socioeconomic activities and to reopen its borders to vaccinated travelers without quarantine since last November," he said.

With its full reopening, Cambodia's economy is forecast to grow by 5.3 percent in 2022 and up to 6.5 percent in 2023, he said, citing an Asian Development Bank's recent report. 
BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China's anti-epidemic measures are science-based, and once again, proved to be effective, as new infections are dropping and factories are gradually resuming production in the eastern metropolis of Shanghai.

The city of nearly 25 million reported 253 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,961 asymptomatic carriers on Friday, a drastic drop from a peak of 27,000 cases daily. Community transmission has been severed in seven districts and parts of the Pudong New Area.

North China's Tianjin Municipality reported a COVID-19 resurgence on Jan. 8, and the city announced it had blocked COVID-19 transmission in communities on Jan. 21. The northeastern province of Jilin, where tens of thousands of infections had been registered since March, cut off all COVID-19 transmission chains in communities on April 14.

China's dynamic zero-COVID approach targets COVID-19 outbreaks rather than infections. The essence of the approach is early detection and quick response with the purpose of stopping the continuous spread of the virus in communities.

The highly contagious and elusive Omicron variant can still cause serious symptoms, especially among the elderly with underlying conditions.

China has a population of over 1.4 billion, 267 million of whom are aged 60 or above. It is just unimaginable how many of them might have died had China not taken drastic efforts to combat the coronavirus.

Economically, the dynamic zero-COVID approach will benefit China over the long term. Mass quarantine, nucleic acid testing and closed-off management do come at a cost, but the economy can operate to its full extent once the outbreak is brought under control.

China was among the first countries to bring the epidemic under control, resume work and production, and achieve positive economic growth in 2020. In 2021, its GDP increased by 8.1 percent over the previous year, leading major economies in terms of economic growth. Facts have also shown that China has contributed significantly to reviving the global economy and stabilizing the supply chain over the past two-plus years.

Of course, no country can expect the same playbook to solve all problems. The virus keeps mutating and great uncertainties remain with the development of the epidemic. China has continued to adjust its anti-epidemic measures with the changing epidemic situation, and strive for securing a balance between epidemic control and economic and social development. 
BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged efforts to help as many market entities as possible to stabilize their posts and expand job opportunities.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in his instructions to a national video and telephone conference on stabilizing employment held in Beijing on Saturday.

Efforts should be made to ensure the completion of the annual employment goals and tasks, Li said.

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a national video and telephone conference on stabilizing employment in Beijing, capital of China, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended Saturday's meeting and delivered a speech. 
A Palestinian man is seen inside a cave in Masafer Yatta, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, on May 7, 2022. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Friday condemned the Israeli decision to demolish 12 small villages in the Masafer Yatta region, south of the southern West Bank district of Hebron. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Friday condemned Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz's approval of building 4,000 housing units at the Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The move is "aimed at boosting settlement construction at the expense of the occupied State of Palestine," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.

Israeli settlements are "a violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions," it said, denouncing the move as "a serious threat to the chances of achieving peace and resolving the conflict in accordance with the principle of the two-state solution."

On Friday, the Israeli governing body that operates in the West Bank said in a statement that Israel's Civil Administration would advance nearly 4,000 housing units at Jewish settlements in the West Bank next week.

In response, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye warned of the serious consequences that would result from the Israeli government's approval of new settlements.

Ishtaye also condemned the Israeli decision to demolish 12 small villages in the Masafer Yatta region, south of the southern West Bank district of Hebron.

"These plans constitute a threat to security and peace in the region, which is in a state of tension due to the policies of persecution, racism, and ethnic cleansing applied by the occupation government against the Palestinian people," he said. 

A Palestinian is seen in a village of Masafer Yatta, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, on May 7, 2022. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Friday condemned the Israeli decision to demolish 12 small villages in the Masafer Yatta region, south of the southern West Bank district of Hebron. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

A Palestinian shepherd watches over livestock in Masafer Yatta, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, on May 7, 2022. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Friday condemned the Israeli decision to demolish 12 small villages in the Masafer Yatta region, south of the southern West Bank district of Hebron. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

Palestinians are seen inside their shed in Masafer Yatta, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, on May 7, 2022. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Friday condemned the Israeli decision to demolish 12 small villages in the Masafer Yatta region, south of the southern West Bank district of Hebron. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

Palestinian shepherds watch over livestock in Masafer Yatta, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, on May 7, 2022. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Friday condemned the Israeli decision to demolish 12 small villages in the Masafer Yatta region, south of the southern West Bank district of Hebron. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)
ADDIS ABABA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Saturday called on Ethiopian authorities to promptly initiate and conduct transparent investigations into recent inter-religious clashes in Ethiopia.

"I am deeply distressed by the recent violent clashes between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia in which at least 30 people were reportedly killed and more than 100 others injured," an Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) statement quoted Bachelet as saying.

Bachelet called on the Ethiopian authorities "to promptly initiate and conduct thorough, independent and transparent investigations into each of these deadly incidents and ensure that those found to be responsible are held to account."

The inter-religious clashes, first reported in Gondar city, in the northern Amhara region, on April 26, reportedly in connection with a land dispute, appear to have quickly spread to towns and cities in many other regions across the country.

"I understand two mosques were burnt and another two partially destroyed in Gondar. In the apparent retaliatory attacks that followed, two Orthodox Christian men were reportedly burnt to death, another man hacked to death, and five churches burnt down in Silt'e zone, in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region, located in the southwest of the country," Bachelet said.

Police have reportedly arrested and detained at least 578 people in at least four cities in connection with the violent clashes, it was noted.

"Those arrested must be fully accorded their due process and fair trial rights in accordance with international human rights law, without discrimination," Bachelet said.

The OHCHR emphasized that individual accountability of perpetrators is essential to preventing further violence.

To prevent further inter-religious violence, Bachelet said, it is crucial that the underlying causes of this shocking violence are promptly addressed, with the meaningful participation of survivors, families and affected communities. 
Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the 13th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Council of Chairpersons of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee held a meeting on Saturday in Beijing.

The meeting, presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, heard reports on changes made to a draft revision to the Law on Physical Culture and Sports, a draft black soil conservation law, a draft amendment to the Anti-monopoly Law, and a draft amendment to the procedural rules of the NPC Standing Committee.

The meeting deliberated the drafts and ordered efforts to improve them after extensively soliciting comments and suggestions. 
Photo taken on March 19, 2022 shows handicrafts at a crafts market in Bamiyan city, central Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Afghan businesswomen are encouraged as the Afghan Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry has reopened after nine months.

The skyrocketing prices of raw materials, a broken supply chain and continuing restrictions on the banking system have been undermining women-run businesses.

KABUL, May 7 (Xinhua) -- "We have permission from the emirate to reopen the chamber of commerce and resume our activities. It is a matter of great pleasure for us," Roya Hafizi, acting head of the Afghan Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Xinhua.

Expressing happiness over the achievement, the businesswoman said that reopening the chamber and resuming activities would bolster the businesspersons to increase their products.

Hafizi said the chamber's resumed activities would be good for everyone doing business in the country. "The chamber has reopened after nine months following efforts and knocking on doors at the Ministry for Commerce and Industry," she said at an exhibition in Kabul.

Photo taken on March 19, 2022 shows a crafts market in Bamiyan city, central Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

The five-day exhibition led by the chamber showcased the work of 70 female entrepreneurs, including confectionery, dairy products, handicrafts, household goods and traditional clothing.

"I am sure the world community has not paid serious attention toward us since the U.S. forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan, and we have lost what we have achieved over the past 20 years," said 27-year-old businesswoman Rahela.

Businesswoman Nawrozi Safi lamented, "Economic problem means that in the past, 200 women worked for my company and nowadays I have less than 100."

Afghanistan' entrepreneurs face the same problems of skyrocketing prices of raw materials and a broken supply chain as everywhere else, but Hafizi is troubled by continuing restrictions to the banking system that undermined the women-run businesses.

Jobless people wait to receive assistance in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, March 10, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

In the wake of the U.S. forces' defeat in August 2021, the chamber was suspended, leaving countless women jobless. With the reopening of the body, thousands of women can resume work, and put their products on display.

A total of 800 businesspersons have been registered with the chamber of commerce, while 54,500 women are involved directly and indirectly in women-run business activities, according to officials.
Servicemen take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MOSCOW, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia held the final rehearsal on Saturday for this year's Victory Day military parade to mark the 77th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Around 11,000 people, 131 types of weapons and military equipment as well as 77 airplanes and helicopters took part in the dress rehearsal, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Moscow had held two nighttime rehearsals on April 28 and Wednesday for this year's parade.

In total, military parades will be held in 28 Russian cities this year, involving almost 65,000 people, about 2,400 types of weapons and military equipment as well as more than 460 aircraft, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday.

Russia holds military parades on May 9 every year to commemorate the Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany. 

Servicemen take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

A T-34-85 tank takes part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MiG-29SMT fighter jets fly during a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Servicewomen take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

The Yars ballistic missiles take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Msta-S self-propelled howitzers take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Infantry fighting vehicles are seen on Red Square during a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Servicemen march before a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Servicemen take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi (Swifts) and Su-30SM jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic teams take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

T-90M tanks take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Servicemen take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

An Ilyushin Il-80 airborne command and control aircraft and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircrafts take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)
Photo shows Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang (R) taking an interview with Forbes journalist Russell Flannery on April 29, 2022. (Photo credit: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America)

"I think it's time for the U.S. administration to reconsider and to cancel it (the additional tariffs on Chinese goods) as early as possible," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said.

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang has urged the United States to stop politicizing China-U.S. business and trade ties and cancel the additional tariffs on Chinese goods that Washington still hasn't let go.

Qin made the remarks during a recent interview with Forbes magazine, which was conducted at the Chinese embassy in Washington on April 29 and was published on Thursday.

"Our trade and business relations have made remarkable achievements, benefiting the two countries and benefiting the world. We are natural partners, because our economies are highly complementary," Qin told the magazine's Shanghai bureau chief Russell Flannery.

Qin said many of the "uncertainties and instabilities" surrounding the China-U.S. business and trade relations these years are caused by the U.S. side. "The Section 301 tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration are still going on. And the United States is now defining China-U.S. relations as intense competition. Under such circumstances, business and trade are being politicized."

"So we hope that the United States should stop politicizing our business cooperation and stop using trade as a tool, so that we could provide more stability and predictability to investors," he said.

Speaking of the additional tariffs on Chinese imports imposed during the Trump administration, Qin said it "hasn't reduced the trade deficit of the United States. On the contrary, it brings more costs to American companies and American consumers."

"I think it's time for the U.S. administration to reconsider and to cancel it as early as possible," he said, adding "if the U.S. side still wants to continue, I don't know if they are prepared for more losses. If they will continue, we have to live up to it." 
Photo taken on April 21, 2022 shows a view of the Azovstal plant in the port city of Mariupol. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)



The humanitarian operation at the Azovstal plant will continue on Saturday.



MOSCOW, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Another 50 civilians, including 11 children, were evacuated from the blocked Azovstal plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol on Friday, the Russian military said.

All the evacuees have been handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for transfer to places of temporary accommodation, the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response said.

The humanitarian operation at the Azovstal plant will continue on Saturday, it added.

The headquarters announced on Wednesday that the Russian military would open a humanitarian corridor from Thursday to Saturday for the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant. 
BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The State Council announced the appointment and removal of several officials on Saturday.

Zhao Chenxin was appointed deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Sheng Qiuping was appointed vice minister of commerce, replacing Wang Bingnan.

Yuan Bingzhong was appointed vice president of Xinhua News Agency.

Gong Weibin, who was removed from the post of the provost of the National Academy of Governance, replaced Li Ji as vice president of the academy.

Li Jinghui was appointed deputy head of the National Rural Revitalization Administration.

Zhang Jun was removed from the post of president of the Beijing Institute of Technology. 
HAVANA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A gas leak caused an explosion Friday that destroyed a large part of the historic Hotel Saratoga in downtown Havana, the Cuban presidential office said.

"Preliminary investigations indicate that the explosion was caused by a gas leak," the presidential office said via Twitter, adding that "there will be more details about it soon."

At the scene, firefighters were working to cool the remains of a liquefied gas tanker truck believed to have exploded on a side street adjacent to the building.

Initial reports said nine people were killed in the accident and 40 others were injured.

Buildings near the scene of the accident were evacuated for safety and officials activated a blood donation drive to help the injured.

The five-star Hotel Saratoga, located near the National Capitol, headquarters of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power, was originally preparing to reopen next Tuesday after closing for renovation work. 
Photo taken on May 6, 2022 shows the explosion site in Madrid, Spain. Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident. The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

MADRID, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident.

The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation.

The Mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Almeida, told the press that "fatalities cannot be ruled out." Meanwhile, the head of the Madrid Fire Department, Rafael Ferrandiz, explained that the missing people were two workers, who are thought to have been on the third floor when the explosion occurred.

The workers could have fallen down to the ground floor patio, which had been covered by two meters of solid rubble, said Ferrandiz. Firemen are working with dogs and drones to try to locate the workers.

The explosion has left the building in a "very unstable," condition, and there is a "a risk of collapse," Ferrandiz added. Therefore, urgent work is being carried out to stabilize the building.

The three seriously injured people are an 84-year-old man who was taken directly to intensive care in a "very serious" condition, a 77-year-old woman with multiple head injuries, and a 44-year-old woman with leg injuries. 

Rescuers work at the explosion site in Madrid, Spain, May 6, 2022. Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident. The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

Rescuers work at the explosion site in Madrid, Spain, May 6, 2022. Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident. The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
The secretary-general of the Malagasy Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Fanja Raharinomena, removes rice seeds during a demonstration session on the huller machine in Mahitsy, a town northwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar, May 6, 2022.(Photo by Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua)

ANTANANARIVO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The secretary-general of the Malagasy Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Fanja Raharinomena, has thanked China for its commitment to supporting African countries in developing their agricultural sector.

Raharinomena described China as "a pioneer in hybrid rice research in the world" and thanked "the Chinese government for its commitment to supporting African countries and particularly, Madagascar, in the development of agriculture."

During a visit Friday to the demonstration fields of hybrid rice varieties funded by the Chinese government in Mahitsy, a town northwest of the Malagasy capital, Antananarivo, she said the development of the rice sector is a "pillar of food self-sufficiency in Madagascar."

"Hybrid rice gives a yield of up to 11 tons per hectare, whereas conventional rice produces only five tons per hectare, with the use of improved practices and techniques under the right conditions," Raharinomena told Xinhua.

"It can contribute to a rapid increase in the level of rice production," she said.

Raharinomena admitted that technical and financial challenges hamper large-scale production of hybrid rice in Madagascar.

Madagascar enjoys a humid tropical climate, with abundant sunshine and water resources -- the right conditions for rice cultivation, but inadequate infrastructure, obsolete agricultural technologies, and lack of investment have prevented the country from producing enough rice to meet local demand, having to import hundreds of thousands of tons every year.

In May 2019, China's National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center opened an office in Madagascar, and one of its main tasks was to breed various hybrid rice varieties based on the island state's diverse ecological environment, and to enhance food security on the African continent.

In partnership with the Chinese national center, the Indian Ocean Trading Company (STOI) has been popularizing hybrid rice in Madagascar since 2017 by giving inputs to farmers.

Tovonanahary Rabetsitonta, CEO of STOI, told Xinhua that Malagasy farmers earn a profit margin of five times more by growing hybrid rice than cultivating conventional varieties, though "not all hybrid rice seed varieties are suitable for Madagascar."

Thanks to cooperation with the Chinese center, he said, the best adapted varieties of hybrid rice have been identified for different regions in the country, with a yield of 10 tons to 12 tons per hectare, Rabetsitonta said. 

Photo taken on May 6, 2022 shows the demonstration fields of hybrid rice varieties in Mahitsy, a town northwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar.(Photo by Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua)

Photo taken on May 6, 2022 shows the demonstration fields of hybrid rice varieties in Mahitsy, a town northwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar.(Photo by Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua)
*Supporters of abortion rights have taken to the streets to express anguish and anger in widespread demonstrations, while individuals and groups against the practice have also been vocal about their views, with rancorous battles taking shape between Democrats and Republicans.

*Dozens of pro-choice activists stood against the fence on Friday afternoon, holding posters and chanting slogans amid rain showers, with no presence of anti-abortion advocates.

*Analysts predicted abortion would become a key topic in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in November. In addition, the draft's language has sparked concern that the Supreme Court could reconsider and even reverse other established rights in the nation.

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A bombshell leak from the Supreme Court -- a draft majority opinion suggesting an overturn of a landmark decision that guarantees abortion rights -- is shaking the United States, as heated debates over the issue, which has long been contentious, are polarizing the nation.

Supporters of abortion rights have taken to the streets to express anguish and anger in widespread demonstrations, while individuals and groups against the practice have also been vocal about their views, with rancorous battles taking shape between Democrats and Republicans.

The fight over abortion rights has laid bare the deep-seated divide in the United States, poised to add fuel to its political polarization and have far-reaching consequences.

"UNPRECEDENTED" LEAK

The Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion in the United States, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by Politico, which published the internal document on Monday night.

Protesters gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court following the leak of a draft opinion on abortion rights in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The draft opinion "is a full-throated, unflinching repudiation of" Roe v. Wade and a subsequent 1992 decision -- Planned Parenthood v. Casey -- that largely maintained the right, Politico wrote in the scoop.

"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Alito argued in the draft labeled as the "Opinion of the Court." "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled ... It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."

The Supreme Court confirmed the authenticity of the draft on Tuesday but underlined that "it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case." Justices circulate draft opinions internally as a routine and essential part of the Supreme Court's confidential deliberative work.

Jonathan Peters, a media law professor at the University of Georgia, tweeted that the U.S. Supreme Court -- the highest court in the federal judiciary -- "has kept its secrets and has kept confidential its internal processes and deliberations," adding that "leaking a full draft majority opinion does seem to be unprecedented" though leaking in general is not unprecedented "but still very rare."

Chief Justice John Roberts denounced the leak, saying that he had directed the court's marshal to launch an investigation. "To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed," Roberts said in a statement. "The work of the Court will not be affected in any way."

The leak came as the Supreme Court was considering Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, an appeal case that involves a Mississippi law banning all abortions over 15 weeks gestational age except in certain circumstances. A ruling is expected by the end of the court's term in late June or early July.

The justices could change their votes in the days or weeks leading up to the decision's release. But Neal Katyal, former acting U.S. solicitor general, pointed out that "the tentative vote seems strong" and Roberts, considered the court's swing vote, is "irrelevant" if five other conservatives, including Alito "hold with their tentative votes."

MAJOR SHOCKWAVES

Alito's 67-page draft opinion, accompanied by a 31-page appendix containing various state statutes criminalizing abortion, would effectively eliminate abortion protections at the federal level and hand authority over abortion access to the states if such a ruling was ultimately handed down, sending shockwaves through Washington, D.C. to the rest of the nation.

Protesters gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court following the leak of a draft opinion on abortion rights in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Tall metal barriers have been erected outside the Supreme Court Building, also known as "The Marble Palace," after consecutive days of demonstrations staged in front of the property. D.C. police also activated its civil disturbance units, which include officers specially trained for crowd management and unrest.

Dozens of pro-choice activists stood against the fence on Friday afternoon, holding posters and chanting slogans amid rain showers, with no presence of anti-abortion advocates.

Protesters have also massed in many other major cities, including New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. A coalition of progressive and reproductive rights groups is planning nationwide protests next week.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued a citywide tactical alert after a group of protesters took over the streets of downtown on Tuesday night, injuring one officer. According to LAPD Chief Michel Moore, the crowd began throwing rocks and bottles when officers attempted to disperse them.

Democrats on Capitol Hill are seeking to codify abortion rights protections. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Thursday that the chamber "is going to vote on legislation to codify a woman's right to seek abortion into federal law."

Such effort is likely to fall short in a evenly-divided Senate, given its 60-vote requirement for advancing a bill. A similar measure was blocked by the chamber at the end of February, with one Democrat joining Republicans in voting against it.

Photo taken on May 6, 2022 shows the U.S. Supreme Court and a barrier fence in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Reactions from Republicans to the stunning revelation focused on criticizing it as damaging to the Supreme Court as an institution. "This lawless action should be investigated and punished to the fullest extent possible," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell demanded during a floor speech earlier this week.

While abortion restrictions and bans have been introduced or enacted in multiple states run by Republicans, Democratic governors and attorneys general have sought to defend access to abortion at least in their states.

GREATER CONSEQUENCES

The Guttmacher Institute, a U.S.-based organization that supports abortion rights, estimated that 26 states are either certain or likely to ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns or dismantles Roe. Legislators in 13 states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, have already prepared for that possibility with "trigger laws" on the books.

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 57 percent of Americans oppose a ban on abortions after 15 weeks; 58 percent say abortion should be legal in all or most cases; and 54 percent say the Supreme Court should uphold Roe, compared with 28 percent who say the ruling should be overturned.

In a statement, U.S. President Joe Biden called for the election of "more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority," saying that he believes "a woman's right to choose is fundamental."

Analysts predicted abortion would become a key topic in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in November. In addition, the draft's language has sparked concern that the Supreme Court could reconsider and even reverse other established rights in the nation.

Photo taken on May 6, 2022 shows the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Members of the international community also warned against the threats to abortion rights for women in the United States and everywhere.

A spokesperson for United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted that the UN chief "has long believed that sexual and reproductive health and rights are the foundation for lives of choice, empowerment, and equality for the world's women and girls."

"The tragedy about this whole leakage from the Supreme Court, unfortunately, now may make the Supreme Court overly political as one of the last institutions that were seen as sacrosanct," Harlan Ullman, senior advisor at the Atlantic Council, lamented Thursday during a panel discussion hosted by the Brookings Institution.

"So I'm really concerned that the image of this is going to have far greater consequences than whether or not Roe v. Wade is changed or kept," Ullman continued. "And this is just another sign of these divisions that are present in America."

(Xinhua reporters Deng Xianlai in Washington, D.C., Xu Jianmei in Houston, and Huang Heng in Los Angeles contributed to the story.)(Video reporters: Sun Ding, Hu Yousong; video editors: Zhu Cong, Mu Xuyao) 
Hong Kong: HK detects 278 COVID-19 cases

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is looking into 278 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 115 were detected by nucleic acid tests and 163 were identified via rapid antigen tests.

Among the new cases, 18 are imported while the rest are locally infected.

A total of 1,193,688 people have contracted the virus since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic, involving 9,131 deaths.

The centre also noted that an epidemic outbreak was found in Peony Golden Court, a restaurant in Yuen Long, with four patrons testing positive for the virus.

The patients, aged 47 to 66, had meals at the restaurant during the period from 6.30am to 9am on May 1. A compulsory testing notice was issued requiring those who visited the eatery within the same timeslot to get tested.

Meanwhile, the whole genome sequencing analysis conducted by the Department of Health's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed that one and two earlier imported cases carried the sub-lineage BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1 under the Omicron mutant strain respectively.

The three patients, involving one man and two women aged 17 to 36, arrived in Hong Kong from the US and Canada between April 30 and May 3. All of them tested positive upon arrival.

So far, Hong Kong has recorded a total of 13 relevant cases and all are imported.

Separately, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Tak On House of Hau Tak Estate in Tseung Kwan O, 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 subject to compulsory testing. Mobile specimen collection stations have been set up in various districts.

As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several areas of Sha Tin and Southern District, 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: 2022-05-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
AMMAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's pandemic-hit tourism industry has shown signs of recovery for the first quarter of 2022 and the Eid al-Fitr holiday, following massive campaigns to promote the kingdom's tourism profile and the eased COVID-19 restrictions.

"All figures indicate that the tourism sector is undergoing a recovery ... The holiday season during Eid al-Fitr saw a large increase of visitors to various sites across the country, while occupancy rates in hotels of Aqaba and the Dead Sea area exceeded 90 percent," Abeer Nauman, economic news editor at the Jordan Press Foundation, told Xinhua.

Archaeological and tourist sites in Jordan have received about 190,000 visitors home and abroad for the four-day Eid holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordan's tourism revenues rose by 251 percent during the first quarter of 2022, reaching 893 million U.S. dollars, the Tourism Ministry's spokesman Ahmad Rifai told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, some 780,000 people visited the kingdom in the first quarter, up by 298 percent year-on-year, the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV reported, citing Tourism Minister Nayef Fayez.

"We are on the right track toward the recovery of tourism, and we have exceeded our targets for the first quarter already," the minister was quoted as saying.

According to Rifai, the ministry's massive promotional campaigns and the adjustment of pandemic-related restrictions in the kingdom have contributed to the recovery.

Noting tourism's 14-percent contribution to Jordan's GDP, Nauman called for more promotional efforts to revitalize tourism and stimulate hotels, restaurants, and transport consumptions.

According to figures by the Economic and Social Council of Jordan, the number of workers in the tourism industry in 2020 reached 21,000, of whom 73 percent were Jordanians.

Abdel Hakim Al-Hindi, head of Jordan Hotel Association, said the hotel occupancy may continue to increase in the near future, because of eased coronavirus restrictions and mild climate of the kingdom. 
Refugees from Syria are seen at a temporary settlement in Hatay, Turkey, on Feb. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Feng)

Turkey is making plans for a massive return of Syrians to their homeland as public hostility to their presence in the country is escalating.



However, the Turkish decision of voluntary repatriation remains problematic, as the present security conditions in Syria are not conducive for them to rebuild a life, experts said.



by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkey is making plans for a massive return of Syrians to their homeland as public hostility to their presence in the country is escalating.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkey is building homes and public facilities in parts of Syria held by Turkish-backed forces to support the new plan of encouraging the voluntary returns of 1 million Syrian refugees.

Making the remarks in a video message to a Turkish-sponsored residential construction project in Idlib, a rebel-held province of Syria, Erdogan said some 500,000 Syrians have already returned to "safe regions" in their home country in recent years.

Erdogan's repatriation talks came after he vowed in mid-March not to send Syrians back despite mounting public unease at almost 4 million Syrian refugees taking shelter in the country.

Last week, Turkey banned Syrian refugees it has hosted from traveling back to Syria for Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in what seems a first-ever shift from its "open door" refugee policy for Syrians since the outbreak of their country's civil war in 2011.

People walk in a market zone of the Fatih district in Istanbul, Turkey, on Aug. 18, 2021. A majority of shops in this market zone on the European part of Istanbul belong to refugees, mostly Syrians, who flocked to the city with the dream of living better. (Photo by Serkan/Xinhua)

However, the Turkish decision of voluntary repatriation remains problematic, as the present security conditions in Syria are not conducive for them to rebuild a life, experts said.

"There are still clashes in certain parts of north Syria, and it is not favorable for the Syrians to return at this point," Metin Corabatir, an expert on refugee issues, told Xinhua.

As a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Turkey is bound by the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of anyone to a place where they would be at risk, said Corabatir, head of the Ankara-based Research Center on Asylum and Migration.

Turkey hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees in the world, in addition to several hundred thousand asylum seekers of other nationalities, mainly from neighboring countries.

The sheer number of refugees has become Turkey's headache over the years, while they have been increasingly blamed for many of Turkey's social and economic ills.

Refugees from Syria are seen at a temporary settlement in Hatay, Turkey, on Feb. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Feng)

Turkey is currently in the grip of an economic crisis as consumer prices accelerated to an annual rate of almost 70 percent in April, the highest in over two decades.

"Since the start of Turkey's economic hardships in 2018 there is an intensifying opposition to Syrians, people believe that we are robbing them of their jobs and wealth," Wahid, a 34-year-old Syrian migrant who didn't want his surname to be divulged, told Xinhua.

A study carried out by Turkish-German University Migration and Integration Research Center shows that over 70 percent of Turkish respondents have a "negative perception" of Syrians in general.

A destroyed building is seen at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

But 77.8 percent of Syrian respondents said they were not planning to return to Syria, according to the survey.

Wahid said he has been living and working illegally in Turkey's capital city Ankara for over eight years, and none of his close family are taking steps to return home.

The Syrian said he wanted to return but could not see a safe future for his family there. 
People visit the Citadel archaeological site in Amman, Jordan, on Dec. 28, 2021. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Jordan's pandemic-hit tourism industry has shown signs of recovery for the first quarter of 2022 and the Eid al-Fitr holiday, following massive campaigns to promote the kingdom's tourism profile and the eased COVID-19 restrictions.



AMMAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's pandemic-hit tourism industry has shown signs of recovery for the first quarter of 2022 and the Eid al-Fitr holiday, following massive campaigns to promote the kingdom's tourism profile and the eased COVID-19 restrictions.

"All figures indicate that the tourism sector is undergoing a recovery ... The holiday season during Eid al-Fitr saw a large increase of visitors to various sites across the country, while occupancy rates in hotels of Aqaba and the Dead Sea area exceeded 90 percent," Abeer Nauman, economic news editor at the Jordan Press Foundation, told Xinhua.

People visit the Citadel archaeological site in Amman, Jordan, on Dec. 28, 2021. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Archaeological and tourist sites in Jordan have received about 190,000 visitors home and abroad for the four-day Eid holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordan's tourism revenues rose by 251 percent during the first quarter of 2022, reaching 893 million U.S. dollars, the Tourism Ministry's spokesman Ahmad Rifai told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, some 780,000 people visited the kingdom in the first quarter, up by 298 percent year-on-year, the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV reported, citing Tourism Minister Nayef Fayez.

People gather at the King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque in Amman, Jordan, on April 1, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

"We are on the right track toward the recovery of tourism, and we have exceeded our targets for the first quarter already," the minister was quoted as saying.

According to Rifai, the ministry's massive promotional campaigns and the adjustment of pandemic-related restrictions in the kingdom have contributed to the recovery.

Tourists visit the reopened ancient city of Petra in Jordan June 20, 2020. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Noting tourism's 14-percent contribution to Jordan's GDP, Nauman called for more promotional efforts to revitalize tourism and stimulate hotels, restaurants, and transport consumptions.

According to figures by the Economic and Social Council of Jordan, the number of workers in the tourism industry in 2020 reached 21,000, of whom 73 percent were Jordanians.

Abdel Hakim Al-Hindi, head of Jordan Hotel Association, said the hotel occupancy may continue to increase in the near future, because of eased coronavirus restrictions and mild climate of the kingdom. 
Photo taken on May 8, 2022 shows a handmade backpack in a carpet shop in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan has exported more than 1 million square meters of carpet over the past year, a local television channel reported Saturday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has exported more than 1 million square meters of carpet over the past year, a local television channel reported Saturday.

Quoting the Union of Carpet Producers and Exporters of the country, Tolonews reported that "the number of carpet weavers increased over the past one year and the country produced and exported more than 1 million square meters of carpets in the year of 1400 (in Persian calender ended on March 20).

"Production has increased by 20 percent," the media outlet quoted Mohammad Asef Yaghoubi, a member of the Carpet Producers and Exporters Union, as saying.

However, following the U.S. military withdrawal, Washington has slapped sanctions on the new Afghan administration, freezing Afghanistan's central bank assets worth more than 9 billion U.S. dollars and thus plunging the aid-dependent country into an economic crisis.

The U.S. sanctions have also led to the isolation of Afghanistan and restricted air connection between the war-torn country and other countries.

Some carpet exporters are concerned about the lack of flights and the closure of air corridors between Afghanistan and other countries, calling for facilitating the export of carpets, according to the media outlet.

"The air corridors are closed, we do not have visa facilities, and we have few exports through Pakistan," said Mohammad Rafi, a carpet seller. 

An Afghan person works in a carpet shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 8, 2022. Afghanistan has exported more than 1 million square meters of carpet over the past year, a local television channel reported Saturday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

A man cleans a carpet in a carpet market in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 8, 2022. Afghanistan has exported more than 1 million square meters of carpet over the past year, a local television channel reported Saturday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
SEOUL, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired one short-range ballistic missile, presumed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Saturday.

The JCS said in a statement that it detected the missile, which was launched in waters off the DPRK's eastern coastal city of Sinpo, where its main submarine shipyard is believed to be placed, at about 2:07 p.m. local time (0507 GMT) on Saturday.

The missile traveled about 600 km at an altitude of around 60 km. The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States were analyzing further details, the JCS noted.

The JCS said the DPRK's repeated launches of ballistic missiles were an act of grave threats that damage peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community.

It urged the DPRK to immediately stop such act that was a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

The JCS said the South Korean military was closely monitoring relevant situations while maintaining a full readiness posture in preparation for possibly additional launches.

It came just three days after South Korea said the DPRK launched a ballistic missile into its eastern waters from the Sunan area in Pyongyang.

The DPRK has launched projectiles 15 times this year, saying it test-fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Hwasongpho-17, on March 24. 
NEW DELHI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- India's 5th National Family Health Survey has found 19 percent of the households in the country are devoid of any sanitation facility with their members practicing open defecation.

The latest family health survey report was released by the federal health ministry on Thursday in the western state Gujarat.

"Sixty-nine percent of households use an improved sanitation facility that is not shared with other households and eight percent use a facility that would be considered improved if it were not shared," the report said. "Nineteen percent of households have no facility, which means that the household members practice open defecation."

The findings of the report are based on gathered information from 636,699 households across India between 2019 and 2021.

The Indian government launched the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission in 2014 with the goal of eliminating open defecation from the South Asian country.

The survey has also found only 59 percent of households in India use clean fuel for cooking.

"Ninety-six percent of households use an improved source of drinking water and 97 percent of households have electricity," said the report.

The report compiled by India's International Institute of Population Sciences based in Mumbai revealed that 90 percent of the surveyed households have an Aadhaar card (biometric identification card), while 96 percent either have a bank or a post office account.

According to the survey, 27 percent of the participants are aged below 15 years while 12 percent are aged 60 and above. 
BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- More civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol as Ukraine and Russia on Friday conducted another prisoner exchange. The following are the latest developments regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine:

Another 50 civilians, including 11 children, were evacuated from the blocked Azovstal plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol on Friday, the Russian military said.

All the evacuees have been handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for transfer to places of temporary accommodation, the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response said.

The humanitarian operation at the Azovstal plant will continue on Saturday, it added.

- - - -

Russia expects a balanced stance from Lebanon towards the Russian military operations in Ukraine, said Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov on Friday.

"We expect from Lebanon to understand the reasons behind the Russia-Ukraine crisis, why Russia started the operation in Ukraine and continues it, and the real goals of this military crisis," Rudakov said during his meeting with Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makari.

The meeting aimed at discussing bilateral ties between Russia and Lebanon especially in the media field.

- - - -

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed a Security Council statement in which the council "spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine."

"Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine. As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter," the UN chief said in a statement.

- - - -

Ukraine and Russia on Friday conducted another prisoner exchange since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

As a result of the swap, 41 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including 13 civilians, returned home following their release by Russian forces, Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram.

- - - -

While Western countries are calling for an early cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, "they are doing everything to prevent this" with their actions, a Russian diplomat said Friday.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine are increasing and the United States alone has sent 3.8 billion U.S. dollars worth of military products, Alexei Zaitsev, deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing. 
A boy visits "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

People visit "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

People visit "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

People visit "L.A. Underwater" exhibition at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, the United States, on May 6, 2022. An exhibition opened this week at the Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, uncovering the city's submerged prehistory through fossils. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)
HOUSTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Residents in much of the southwestern U.S. state of Texas are bracing for record heat starting this Mother's Day weekend as temperatures in Houston, the state's largest city, are expected to reach the mid to upper-90s Fahrenheit on Saturday and Sunday.

Humidity will make it feel more like it's over 100 degrees in the Houston area at the weekend, said a report from local media outlet mysanantonio.com, noting that most Texans are not ready for the heat wave which is forecast to have 93-96 degrees each day next week.

The Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is expecting demand for power across Texas to reach 69.3 gigawatts on Saturday, as temperatures hit highs in the low-to-mid 90s and eclipse 100 in parts of Houston and Dallas, said the report.

"That Texas summer heat is getting real too close for comfort," a local resident complained on social media.

The dangerous early-season heat wave will not only shatter dozens of record highs in Texas, it will start to build in the Southern Plains on Friday, then peak in that region over the weekend before expanding from Texas into parts of the Midwest and South next week, said a FOX News report. 
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: According to the Foreign Office, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his first phone conversation to Pakistan's newly-appointed Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and extended an invitation to visit Washington this month.

US Secretary of State Blinken congratulated his Pakistani counterpart, during the telephonic chat, on his new job and stated his wish to continue building the mutually beneficial Pakistan-US bilateral partnership. "The Secretary of State has also issued an invitation to Pakistan to attend the Ministerial Meeting on Global Food Security in New York on May 18." Blinken also invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit, which will be conducted digitally later this month, based on the two countries' collaboration in dealing with the pandemic over the last two years.

Bilawal Bhutto emphasised that Pakistan and the United States have a long-standing broad-based partnership as they exchanged views on several issues of bilateral ties. He said that constructive and long-term interaction between the two countries based on mutual respect and shared interests was critical to promoting peace, development, and security in the area and beyond.

Pakistan's vision is centred on human growth, regional connectivity, and a peaceful neighbourhood, Bilawal Bhutto said. Both leaders agreed to keep in touch and deepen their cooperation on regional and global topics of mutual concern.

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Actor Shahrukh Khan was a big hit in the 90s, although even today Shahrukh has millions of fans and all love to him. By the way, Shahrukh, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar still keep making headlines in the film world for one reason or the other. Sometimes his new looks and sometimes his films do wonders. According to the information received recently, this time Canada's Consul General Diedra Kelly has been affected by Shahrukh Khan. Yes and Kelly was among the diplomats who were recently invited by Shah Rukh to his Mumbai home Mannat. It is being told that Callie is very happy with the welcome in Mannat.

Yes and she is telling this time in India much better. As you can see, after spending time with Shah Rukh, Kelly took to Twitter to thank him and his wife Gauri Khan for the "warm welcome". In fact, Kelly wrote in her tweet that- "I understand that King Khan @iamsrk is the favorite of audiences around the world. Thank you @iamsrk and @gaurikhan for your warm welcome. I am proud of Bollywood and Canada Film Industry. Industry) look forward to further strengthening new relations and opportunities for cooperation.

Along with this, the Consul General of France in Mumbai, Jean-Marc Sere-Charlet, has also shared a picture with Shahrukh. As you can see, he wrote with this picture, "Glad to meet Legion d'Honneur, a knight who has won the highest award in Mumbai, #Bollywood Dear @iamsrk, thank you for your hospitality this afternoon. I want to praise you very sincerely." Let us also tell you that some time ago Shahrukh also met Saudi Arabia's Culture Minister Bader bin Farhan Alsaud at his house. But if we talk about work, soon he will be seen in the film Pathan.

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Islamabad: A brother has killed his sister in Pakistan. Media reports are saying that the cause of the murder is an honour killing, but in reality, the case is linked to religious fanaticism. The brother was upset with his sister's career in the field of modelling and dancing. At present, the police have arrested brother Hamza, accused of killing his sister. The incident took place on Thursday (May 5, 2022) in the Punjab region.

Sidra, who was only 22, was allegedly murdered by her brother in Okaras 51-R village. She was murdered while visiting her birthplace to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.



Another Pakistani model was killed by her brother in the name of honor ???? pic.twitter.com/66BbWbCgSF  Ahsan Sheikh (@TheAhsanSheikh) May 6, 2022

According to media reports, the name of the deceased is Sidra. She was a resident of Renala Khurd Okra, 130 km from Lahore. Sidra used to model for a local clothing brand. Along with this, she also danced in the theatre of Faisalabad. Sidra's family, especially his brother Hamza, was very angry with this. The family members of the deceased had also asked to stop all these several times, calling his work against Islam.

According to the Pakistan police, Last week, Sidra had come home to celebrate Eid with her family. On the day of the incident, he had a conversation with his brother. During the same argument, Hamza beat his sister badly and later shot her. As a result, Sidra died on the spot. The age of the deceased is said to be around 22 years. The police have arrested the accused brother Hamza. Hamza has also confessed to killing his sister before the police. The police have taken action under sections 302, 311 and 34 of the PPC in the case.

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WASHINGTON: According to a US State Department spokesperson, North Korea may be planning a nuclear test as soon as this month.

US Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter said on Friday that the US has shared the information with allies and partners. "The US believes the DPRK is prepping its Punggye-ri test site and may be ready to conduct its seventh test there as soon as this month," she said in a telephonic press briefing.

The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK. The North looked to be reconstructing underground tunnels at Punggye-ri that was supposedly removed in 2018 as a demonstration of its willingness to denuclearize, according to previous reports.

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests, all of which have taken place in Punggye-ri. The latest test took place in September 2017. The assessment, according to Porter, is "compatible" with Pyongyang's previous public pronouncements.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stated that the country will continue to enhance its nuclear weapons and, if necessary, will use them to deter aggression. "We've shared this intelligence with our allies and partners, and we'll continue to work closely with them," Porter said.

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Madhubani: A strange incident is coming out from Jhitkohia village of Basopatti block of Madhubani district of Bihar, in which a girl taught a lesson to the drunken groom and returned the procession to his house. This marriage was taking place at the house of Bujhaun Sada, in which the relationship of his daughter Kajal Kumari was fixed with Raju Sada, a resident of Dhanusha district of Nepal. All the preparations for the wedding were completed. Mehndi was applied in the hands of the bride with complete rituals, the mandap was decorated in the courtyard, various types of dishes were prepared to welcome the processions. There was an atmosphere of laughter and happiness all around.

The bridegroom and the procession arrived on time. As soon as the bride reached the stage for Jaimala, she refused to marry the intoxicated groom. Angered by this decision of the same bride, the procession created a ruckus, after which there was a lot of fighting on both sides. But the decision of the brave daughter did not change and the bridegroom along with the drunken groom had to return to Nepal without any help. People from the girl's side said that all the people including the groom, who came in the number of 100, were intoxicated.

Let us tell you that many efforts are being made by the police and administration to implement the liquor prohibition law in the true sense in Bihar. Many programs are being run to make people aware. Despite this, there are reports of mockery of the prohibition law every day. In such a time, the way this brave daughter of Basopatti has shown the courage to return the drunken groom and baraatis colorless, it is really commendable.

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Yemen: A government official said on Saturday that suspected Al Qaeda gunmen stormed a security office in Yemen's southern province of Dhalea. "Intense armed clashes between security personnel and Al Qaeda suspects continue in and around the security headquarters in Dhalea amid big explosions," the official told.

He stated that the attack on the security headquarters, which contains a prison, is intended to free Al Qaeda inmates. The attack killed a few security personnel, including two senior officials.

The assailants also allegedly exploded bombs, creating enormous explosions, according to witnesses. They claimed that ambulances and a security force backed by armoured vehicles rushed to the scene.

Many high-profile attacks on security forces in Yemen's southern provinces have been carried out by the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network.

Years of brutal struggle between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels have allowed the AQAP to develop its footprint in the war-torn Arab country.

Ukraine calls for Russia's troop pullback to resume talks

Blinken invites Bilawal to attend the Global Food Security meeting in US

North Korea conducts a submarine-launched missile test.
Is another Russia even possible? 7 May, 10:56 Russian flag (Photo:IGORN / Pixabay)

Many in Ukraine, and especially in the West, would like to see a different non-Putin Russia.

One that will not unleash wars of aggression, will not sow destruction and death for the sake of asserting its imaginary greatness.

This "other Russia" is often associated with Russian liberals who oppose the Putin regime. Like Alexei Navalny, for example. But this is another dangerous illusion.

Realizing how dangerous and anti-human the Russian terrorist state is, many still do not realize the problem does not lie only with Putin.

 

The invasion of Hungary was led by Nikita Khrushchev, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan was led by Leonid Brezhnev, the killings of peaceful demonstrators in Tbilisi and Vilnius by Mikhail Gorbachev, the occupation of Georgia and Moldova and the bloody massacre in Chechnya were initiated by Boris Yeltsin.

Putin has used terror, assassinations and wars of aggression as public policy, based on the chauvinistic sentiments of the majority of Russians.

With a few marginal exceptions, the Russian opposition is as imperialistic as Putin.

The Russian public supported the annexation of Crimea, and share in the hatred of an independent Ukraine and the whole free world.

It is time to finally open your eyes and stop looking for "good Russians."

Instead, it must be made clear that the Russian Federation is a multinational state. Much of its territory is not inhabited only by Russians, but by the native peoples who lived on this land for centuries.

Read also: Serhiy Fursa Euthanasia for Russia

In fact, these are whole countries, with populations of hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions who are enslaved by the Russian Empire.

In the current Russian Federation, these enslaved nations have the formal status of autonomous republics. But in practice, Moscow pursues a policy of rigid assimilation and suppression of these peoples language, culture and religion. Their political and social movements are persecuted, key figures are imprisoned, killed or forced abroad.

It is these peoples of the Russian Federation that everyone should pay attention to who wants to see "another Russia."

Russias recovery is possible only through repentance and its transformation into an ordinary nation-state. The people of the empire must be set free.

The struggle of the peoples of Ukraine, the Baltic states, the Caucasus, Central Asia and all the others buried the empire of evil  the USSR. The newest evil empire  the Russian Federation  must be buried in the struggle for the national liberation of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Ischkeria, Tuva, Sakha-Yakutia, Buryatia and other countries.

This process should not be feared just as the short-sightedly Western powers feared the collapse of the USSR. On the contrary, it should be encouraged.

By giving freedom to all enslaved peoples through national movements from within and strong pressure from without, Russia will finally be able to become free itself.

Only in this way, and not simply by replacing one tsar with another, can another Russia emerge.

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Despite being a small nation, Nepal has protested the Russian invasion of Ukraine this time. This drew the attention of the international world as its big neighboursIndia and Chinaabstained from a crucial UN vote about the issue. However, critically analysing, Nepals move stems from the concerns it has about the security of small nations such as itself.

Ukraine and small nations

The western leaders are addressing the Russian invasion as unprovoked. The Russian and Eastern pundits, however, are tracing events that left Russia no choice but to start the military intervention.

Whatever be the reasons or justifications and their validity, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has posed a larger question about the functioning of the entire world order. The concerns are not bound to a single event of Russian invasion of Ukraine but its effects and indications can be seen in future dealings with other nations. One such concern is the security of small nations that are in proximity to great military-nuclear powers or their area of interest.

Small nations refer to the nations with a relatively small territory, weak military or economic power and no nuclear weapons. Hakan Wiberg, Lund University Peace Research Institute, writes there are two notions of small nations: absolute and relative. The absolute notion entails objective indicators such as population, area, economic indicators, military indicators, etc. Relative notions entail smallness as a lack of influence on or high sensitivity to or lack of immunity from influences. Ukraine is the second-largest European nation, but it is vulnerable and prone to intervention from the relatively large and nuclear nation, Russia.

Small nations have historically been vulnerable to military attack and their sovereignty being compromised, especially the ones in proximity to large nations. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990), the Israeli invasion of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the collation invasion of Iraq (2003), the Russian invasion of Georgia (2008), and the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2014 and 2022) are some recent large scale examples.

Representational image. Photo: Pexels/ Amir Esrafili

Mostly superpowers such as the USA, UK, France, China, Russia etc are involved in direct or indirect threats to the security of small nations. Historians Christopher Kelly and Stuart Laycock, in their book, America Invades: How Weve Invaded or Been Militarily Involved with Almost Every Country on Earth, mention the United States has invaded or operated militarily in 84 of the 193 UN-recognised nations.

The UNs role in protecting small nations

When Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, The UN Security Council passed a resolution on direct military intervention to liberate Kuwait which led to ousting of the Iraqi forces and restoration of the sovereignty of Kuwait.

The UNSC has the mandate from UN Charter to authorise such military intervention. The UNSC cannot be expected to take a fraction of the measures taken during the Gulf war in the present invasion of Ukraine because Russia is a permanent member of the UNSC with veto power, a strong military and most notably has nuclear weapons. No international personality is willing to directly confront such nations to protect the security of the small nation due to fear of prolonged conflict and nuclear Armageddon.

The precedent can be seen in the US invasion of Iraq (2003), against which the largest protest around the world occurred before the invasion and the then UN secretary-general condemned the invasion as illegal after it started. Still, the US military stayed in Iraq up to 2011. The USA had great political influence and it is still the largest funder of the United Nations.

The International Court of Justice, adjudicating the case Nicaragua v the United Nations, held that the USA was in breach of its obligations under customary international law not to use force against another nation, not to intervene in its affairs, and not to violate its sovereignty. The ICJ ruled in favour of Nicaragua, a small nation, stating the supply of weapons to rebels by the USA within the territory of Nicaragua is illegal.

The ICJ has precise rules for Jurisdiction and it cannot adjudicate without the consent of parties. Moreover, when the ICJ gave an order stating the USA should ensure that its sanctions against Iran should not restrict humanitarian aid or compromise civil aviation safety on October 3, 2018, the USA claimed the ICJ had become ineffective and politicised and withdrew from the ICJ Optional Protocol, which establishes jurisdiction.

Implications in Nepal

The only way, hence, is to align with alternate power. During the Korean War (1950-1953), South Korea was supported by US-led UN forces whereas North Koreas existence was ensured by the direct intervention of China. The Communist government in Cuba was aided and protected by the USSR which led to its existence throughout the Cold War. During the Cold War, many nations sided with either superpower to protect themselves and reap benefits from their hostility, but many nations were plunged into civil war or their government was disposed of by coups perpetrated by either side of the cold war.

As shown by the Russian invasion of Ukraine twice, aligning with alternate power does not guarantee security. Moreover, if the invading nation has nuclear weapons, the support by alternate power is always indirect, fuelling civil wars as seen in Afghanistan, Vietnam and the Latin American Nations. The USA and USSR never faced each other in a direct military confrontation during the entire Cold War of 45 years.

Representational image. Photo: Pexels/ Mathias P.R. Reding

One of the most concerning implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is its effect on the mindset and future dealings of nuclear nations in dispute with non-nuclear nations. China has numerous disputes in the South China Sea, especially with Vietnam and the Philippines. Israel is consistently encroaching on the remaining Palestinian territory in West Bank and Gaza Strip. India has a military presence in Kalapani of Nepal.

The impunity of action and no deterrence from economic sanctions may motivate nations like Israel, China, India and other regional powers to follow same footsteps, concerning nations like Taiwan, Palestine, Lebanon, Nepal and Baltic states. The concern is not that these nations have become more likely to invade smaller nations like Russia, but these nuclear nations may take a more aggressive stance in disputes with small nations.

There has been an infinite amount of small encroachment on small nations by neighbouring big nations. Nepal alone faces territorial encroachment at 71 places throughout the 1,880km border with India and two places throughout the 1,440km border with China, not to mention the meddling in domestic politics and internal affairs.

In this scenario, the present Russian invasion of Ukraine demands an answer to the question of sovereignty and security of small nations such as Nepal more than ever. The frequent political, military and economic aggression towards them has challenged the world community to answer, how and who protects the sovereignty and security of small nations in case of encroachment by large and nuclear nations.

The present international legal order will fail if it cannot cure the old disease of the international arena  the Matsya Nyaya, the big constantly encroaching on the small. This context demands a framing of a new mechanism to protect the security and sovereignty of small nations.

Nepal as a small nation, sandwiched between two nuclear powers India and China, should examine the context and implication of the present Russian invasion thoroughly for determining its take on the invasion and pave its future foreign policy.
British Pound vs US Dollar Weekly Technical Analysis

The British pound has broken significantly to the downside during the course of the week, slicing through the 1.25 level. By doing so, it is a very negative turn of events, and it looks as if the market is going to more likely than not continue to find plenty of sellers. I do believe that it is only a matter of time before short-term traders come in and start selling again. Signs of exhaustion will be jumped upon, as the US dollar is without a doubt the currency that everybody wants. The Bank of England has suggested that the United Kingdom will enter a recession, so this has added even more pressure to the pound.

Any break above the 1.25 level will more than likely attract sellers, but we could just simply slice through the bottom of the candlestick for the week. If we do, then it is likely that we go looking to reach the 1.20 handle relatively soon. The 50 Week EMA is starting to cross below the 20 Week EMA, which is also a very negative turn of events.

Ultimately, this is a situation where you have to favor the US dollar against the British pound because quite frankly it is continuing to be like a wrecking ball against everything it touches. Given enough time, the British pound looks as if it is ready to go lower but we are probably a little oversold in the short term. Another thing to pay attention to is the size of the last three candlesticks, so it certainly shows momentum.

GBP/USD Price Forecast Video 09.05.22

For a look at all of todays economic events, check out our economic calendar.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

More From FXEMPIRE:
Mining Capital Coin CEO and founder Luiz Capuci Jr. was  in an indictment unsealed yesterday  accused by the DOJ of allegedly running a $62 million global investment fraud scheme. He's the latest of several crypto company heads who have recently been similarly charged.

Through his company, Capuci convinced investors to purchase Mining Packages," a global network of cryptocurrency mines that promised a certain return on investment every week. But instead of using investors funds to mine cryptocurrency as he promised, the DOJ alleges that Capuci diverted the funds to his own cryptocurrency wallets. Another MCC product known as Trading Bots operated under the same false pretenses. Capuci claimed that the bots operated in very high frequency, being able to do thousands of trades per second and promised investors daily returns.

As he did with the Mining Packages, however, Capuci allegedly operated an investment fraud scheme with the Trading Bots and was not, as he promised, using MCC Trading Bots to generate income for investors, but instead was diverting the funds to himself and co-conspirators, wrote the DOJ in its indictment.

MCC seemed to have all the workings of a pyramid scheme. Capuci recruited affiliates and promoters to lure investors. In return, he promised the promoters a number of lavish gifts, including Apple watches, iPads and luxury vehicles.

Currently the FBIs Miami Field Office is investigating the case. The DOJ has charged Capuci, who is from Port St. Lucie, Florida, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 45 years.

In a review of the cryptocurrency mining platform, crypto blogger Peter Obi noted that the combination of MCCs $50 monthly fee for membership and its steep 3% withdrawal fee meant that investors were unlikely to make a profit unless they referred other investors. He pointed out that such a referral process was particularly worrying because it was consistent with other past crypto scams.

Indeed, a number of crypto leaders have been accused by authorities of running Ponzi schemes in recent years. Earlier this year the DOJ indicted Bitconnect founder Satishkumar Kurjibhai Kumbhani for allegedly running a $2 billion Ponzi scheme  believed to be the largest virtual currency pyramid scheme in history.
Jean Fedewa, middle, of St. Johns addresses East Lansing city officials Thursday, April 28, 2022, during a special meeting regarding the ongoing investigation of an April 25 shooting in the parking lot outside the Lake Lansing Meijer. Fedewa's 20-year-old nephew was shot by police. Michigan State Police are heading up the investigation.

EAST LANSING  The East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission will discuss the April 25 police shooting again at its monthly meeting Monday, and it has more questions for state and city police, as well as city officials.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday in the Hannah Community Center. There will be time for public comment.

According to the agenda, Chair Erick Williams will make motions to pass seven resolutions asking for further research and investigation by the citys manager, attorney, City Council, East Lansing Police Department and Michigan State Police.

Police Oversight Commission Chair Erick Williams addresses East Lansing Police Chief Kim Johnson Thursday, April 28, 2022, during a special community meeting at the Hannah Community Center regarding the April 25 ELPD officer-involved shooting of a 20-year-old Lansing man in the parking lot of the Lake Lansing Meijer.

Questions and actions the commission would like to see moving forward are as follows:

Questions for Michigan State Police

Who is the official generally responsible for investigations after an officer has shot someone?

What is the scope of the investigation? What has the department agreed to investigate?

Do any manuals, guidelines, protocols, policies, general instructions or similar documents exist that govern state police investigations of shootings by police officers?

Are there any intergovernmental bodies or groups that develop plans or protocols about how shootings by officers are to be investigated? If so, are city governments involved in those groups?

Researching incident command

The commission asks the East Lansing Police Department to research and report on the practice of establishing an incident command to collect intelligence and plan an organized response when a substantial number of officers appear at an incident scene.

Responding in crowded situations

The commission asks the East Lansing Police Department to research and report on the tactical alternatives to firing gunshots where bystanders are nearby.

Shootings by officers

The commission asks the city manager to research how such shootings are investigated. In particular, who determines the scope of those investigations? Who writes rules? Are local governments involved in that planning? How can the East Lansing government have future planning input?

Story continues

East Lansing Police Chief Kim Johnson speaks Thursday, May 5, 2022, during a press conference at the Hannah Community Center in East Lansing related to a police shooting of a 20-year-old man on April 25. Also pictured is East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas.

Requesting forensic video analysis

The commission asks City Council to authorize a professional forensic analysis of the available video documentation with a focus on the organization of the police response, and the behavior of the individual officers involved, with a view to improving the response to such situations in the future.

Learning why reports were not written

The commission asks the city attorney to investigate how the officers involved in this case were excused from the duty to write reports about the incident. Is there a higher law that trumps East Lansing Police Department policy and city ordinances?

Addressing bias-driven 911 calls

The commission asks the city manager to investigate what training is available for 911 operators  in particular, training to ferret out bias-driven calls for service.

Read More:

The purpose of the Independent Police Oversight Commission is to increase East Lansing Police Department accountability and strengthen trust in the police department by the community it is pledged to serve, according to the citys website.

On April 25 East Lansing Police Department officers shot 20-year-old DeAnthony VanAtten, a Black man, in the Lake Lansing Meijer parking lot.

The commission had a special meeting April 28 to discuss the shooting and video of the incident was released Thursday.

In a letter to the commission on May 1, Commissioner Noel Garcia wrote he was frustrated by the special meeting and he was waiting for a great deal of information before casting judgment on the situation.

It is my hope as we move forward that we all slow down and gather information and yes, that we even become instrumental in much needed change, he wrote. I am all for changing policy that has been recommended already because I am frankly over-hearing the same reasoning in law enforcement that we do it this way because we have always done it this way with no real explanation.

Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: East Lansing police shooting to be discussed at meeting Monday
Hungary looks set to put a stop to the European Unions ban on Russian oil imports after leader Viktor Orban compared the proposal to an atomic bomb.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced proposals on Thursday that would see EU member states banned from buying Russian crude oil within six months and prohibit them from importing refined Russian oil products by the end of the year.

With all these steps, we are depriving the Russian economy of its ability to diversify and modernize, she said in a speech. Putin wanted to wipe Ukraine from the map[but] it is his own country, Russia, he is sinking.

But the blocs plans face a major obstacle.

In order to implement economic sanctions against any country, the EU needs approval from all 27 of its member statesand the current proposals have already met staunch resistance from Hungarys right-wing leader, Orban.

Hungary is heavily dependent on energy imports from Russia, and Orban has repeatedly insisted that an embargo on Russian energy would be a red line for his country.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that the EU had proposed revising the ban on Russian oil to give Hungary and Slovakiawhich is also greatly reliant on Russian energyuntil the end of 2024 to comply with the sanctions.

It had earlier been reported that the two countries had been offered an extension to allow them to continue purchasing Russian crude until the end of 2023.

But even with exemptions for the two nations, the EU is facing pushback from the Hungarian and Slovakian governments, who could veto the sanctions plan.

In an interview with Hungarys Kossuth Radio on Friday, Orban said Brussels proposed Russian oil ban amounted to an atomic bomb, arguing that the move posed a direct threat to energy security.

The proposal on the table now creates a Hungarian problem, and there is no plan to solve it, he said. With this move, the Commission has disrupted hard-established European unity, and in war, this has serious consequences.

Story continues

Orban told Kossuth Radio it would take at least five years for Hungary to transition away from Russian oil, adding that it would cost hundreds of billions of Hungarian forints to rebuild the countrys oil refinery system.

His interview came after Orban wrote to Von der Leyen to outline his concerns about the impact banning Russian oil imports would have on Hungarys economy.

Meanwhile, Slovakias economy minister Richard Sulik told reporters this week that it would take several years for the countrys only oil refiner, Slovnaft, to replace Russian crude with oil sourced from elsewhere.

So, we will insist on [an] exemption, for sure, he said, according to the Associated Press.

According to the International Energy Agency, Russia supplied 59% and 92% of Hungary and Slovakias crude oil and oil products respectively last year.

In comparison, Germany sourced 37% of its crude and oil products from Russia in 2021, while 13% of Frances were Russian.

Europe was already grappling with an energy crisis before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Tight natural gas supplies prompted wholesale gas prices in the region to surge to record highs last year, with energy prices helping push annual inflation across the EU up to 7.8% in March.

Tim McPhie, a spokesperson for the European Commission, told a press briefing in Brussels on Friday that the EU is considering whether adding conditions to the sanctions package to get it approved could impact the oil bans efficacy.

If youre looking at accommodating certain member states in a certain way, you have to look at the fact that they are a very small percentage of the overall imports from Russia, he told reporters.

At the same briefing, Eric Mamaer, chief spokesperson of the European Commission, said the EU was continuing to engage in discussions with member states over the proposed sanctions and had held intense consultations with member nations before the proposals were put forward.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
(Bloomberg) -- Gazprom PJSC has written to its European clients seeking to reassure them that they can keep paying for gas without breaching sanctions, the latest indication that Russia may be trying to find a way to keep the gas flowing.

Most Read from Bloomberg

European companies are scrambling to work out how they can keep buying Russian gas after Moscow demanded payments be made in rubles and the European Commission said such a move would breach sanctions. Poland and Bulgaria have already been cut off and other countries payment deadlines fall later this month.

In a letter seen by Bloomberg, Gazprom told clients that a new order published by the Kremlin on May 4 clarifies the procedure set out in the initial decree on ruble payments.

Its not clear if the new order will be enough to assuage the concerns of the European Union, which has said that setting up an account in rubles, and dealing with the central bank would break sanctions. The EU had no comment on Saturday.

The new order says that the foreign currency received from buyers is to be exchanged to rubles via accounts with Russias National Clearing Center.

Gazprom said in the letter that the order ensures transparency of the cash flows from the foreign buyers and excludes the possibility of any third party being involved in the settlements. The procedure as set out appears to exclude the sanctioned central bank.

Gazprom didnt immediately respond to a Bloomberg request for a comment sent on Saturday.

President Vladimir Putin threw gas markets and policy makers into disarray when he called for gas to be paid in rubles. Poland and Bulgaria were first to be cut off for refusing to engage with the new terms, but several European companies continue to look for workarounds, seeking guidance from the European Commission on what is allowed. The EU issued some guidelines on April 22 and has promised to respond to companies requests for more clarity.

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Russia has called for companies to open two accounts -- one in euros and one in rubles -- and stipulated that the payment isnt settled until the rubles arrive. The EU has said this gives too much power to Moscow and breaches sanctions on the central bank. The EU suggests companies pay in euros, and seek confirmation from the Russian side that the transaction ends there.

EU Suggests Companies Should Keep Paying for Russia Gas in Euros

In late April, Russias central bank issued its own clarification of Putins original order. The Bank of Russia said that if foreign gas buyers paid into their foreign-currency accounts in good faith, gas wouldnt be turned off even if Gazprombank fails to convert those funds into rubles, as long as the hold-up wasnt caused by sanctions.

Separately, Governor Elvira Nabiullina announced the mechanism also limits the period for converting the euros and dollars into rubles to two working days, in a bid to ease EU concerns that the foreign-currency funds could end up being seen as a loan to the central bank.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Reynard, a grey fox, a other animals caught on camera will be featured in Critters We Have Known, the FeVa Fotos February show at the MRAC gallery.

SILVER CITY - A Gila National Forest visitor was bitten by a fox near Carbonate Creek drainage May 3, which tested positive for rabies a day later.

According to a news release from the national forest, the visitor was near Carbonate Creek drainage on Forest Service Road 4087S, about two miles northwest of the town of Kingston. The visitor reported the attack to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, which collected the fox for testing. On May 4, the fox tested positive for rabies and was held for additional analysis.

Visitors are asked to keep their distance from foxes or any animal exhibiting odd and erratic behavior in the Black Range District of the national forest. Should folks encounter animals displaying excessively wobbly or circling type behavior, they are asked to keep their distance and report the animals location to NMDGF at 575-532-2100.

Safety is a core value of our agency, said Michael Hutchins, district ranger of the Black Range District. With our partners help, we want every visitor to feel safe and have an enjoyable experience while in the forest.

More on the Gila National Forest:

This article originally appeared on Silver City Sun-News: Gila National Forest reports a positive rabies case involving a fox near Kingston
NEW YORK, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pig Iron market will register an incremental spend of about USD 60.4 Billion, growing at a CAGR of 8.52% during the five-year forecast period. A targeted strategic approach to Pig Iron sourcing can unlock several opportunities for buyers. This report also offers market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pig Iron Market

Download our sample report

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

Get a sample report for more information

Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers:

Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Pig Iron market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Pig Iron pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives.

For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/pig-iron-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 7%-10%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Pig Iron TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

Story continues

SpendEdge presents a detailed picture of this procurement market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our Pig Iron market procurement report covers the following areas:

Some of the top Pig Iron suppliers listed in this report:

This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the Pig Iron procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. Some of the leading Pig Iron suppliers profiled extensively in this report include.

Jindal Steel and Power Ltd

Tata Steel Ltd

Nippon Steel Corp

To get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment.

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

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SOURCE SpendEdge
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Friday published a letter condemning the FBI for suspending the security clearances of employees who engaged nonviolently in protests on Jan. 6, saying that it was the first step in firing the employees.

House representatives learned of the FBIs plans from whistleblowers who were present at Jan. 6 protests.

Because a security clearance is required for FBI positions, the suspension of the security clearance means the FBI has suspended these employees from work indefinitely. Such a suspension is likely to be the first step in terminating employment, the letter said.

The FBI allegedly cited a guideline pertaining to Allegiance to the United States in its alerts to suspend the security clearances of the protesters, implying that the FBI believes the employees who attended protests on January 6 are no longer loyal to the United States.

Jordan, who is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that the committee is arranging an examination into the FBI run by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

We are conducting oversight to ensure the FBI is not retaliating against FBI employees for exercising their First Amendment rights, Jordan wrote. We ask for your personal assurance that the FBI will cooperate fully with the Inspector Generals examination.

The committee also requested a briefing on the reasons behind the suspension of security clearances.

In addition, because we continue to see repeated abuses by the FBI under your leadershipincluding most recently the FBIs misuse of counterterrorism resources to target concerned parents and its rampant abuse of FISA authorities to spy on Americanswe ask that you arrange a staff-level briefing concerning the FBIs personnel actions against employees involved in First Amendment protected activity on January 6, Jordan wrote.

The totality of the FBIs actions as relayed to us present the appearance that the FBI may be retaliating against these employees for disfavored political speech, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The coming Siberian winter could never have thrown a blast as icy as the pronouncement in the Krasnoyarsk courtroom for C.C. LeBlanc:

"The petition of Marie Cecile Leblanc to adopt Kristina Bajenova Sergeevna and Anton Bajenov Sergeevich is DENIED."

Seventeen years later, the Naples woman still flinches when she talks about it, as if an arctic ghost of that day had blown through.

To become a U.S. citizen required Canadian intervention

This was to be a birth, not an execution. Marie Cecile "C.C." LeBlanc had determined, at age 63, to adopt two children from Russia, to share what had been a successful life for her in a nurturing childhood for them.

LeBlanc, now 82, recently reflected on her singular journey to becoming a mom as Mother's Day approached this year, May 8. Ironically, it's 17 years to the day when C.C. and her new family finally arrived in Moscow from Krasnoyarsk to prepare for the flight to their home in Naples.

After she had been paired with Kristina and Anton at a Tampa camp for adoptable orphans, C.C. was sure she had found her children. They were embryos "lodged deep in my heart" if not in her womb, as she says in talks to organizations and in the book she wrote about her experience, "We're Going Home" (E.A. BooksPublishing.com; 439 pages; $19 paperback, $7.99 Kindle).

C.C. had always wanted children. But she insisted on financial independence first. She knew mothers who had been left with children, but not with income, facing the humiliation of moving back in with their own parents. It would not happen to her.

Somehow, the financial security and the right partner had not synchronized in C.C. LeBlanc's life. Neither, she assumed, would her hope of having her own family.

Then two friends at Naples United Church of Christ invited her to meet to a couple who had just adopted two 7-year-old Russian children. A friend pointed them out after Sunday services.

"I turn around to look at this picture, and this is when the emotion hit," she declared. It's still a visibly poignant recollection with her. "This is when the message came.

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"I was mesmerized. I couldn't see. I couldn't hear."

Her body began to tingle, she said, and when that tingling reached her chest, she knew: "This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to give a future to two children."

In new-millennium America, a single mother with means could provide a good family. But could a mother of age 65? That was how old C.C. might be by the time the adoption was complete.

Yes, she could do it, C.C. believed. That certainty set in motion a mission that would make her life into a human video game. On her path lay rewards: Quebec-born C.C. vaulted the two-year wait for U.S. citizenship, winning it in 10 months with recommendation letters and dogged pleading.

Kristina, C.C. and Anton during a visit to Naples.

There was another incentive for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to expedite her request: C.C. had applied in 1990 for citizenship but was never called for her interview. She still had the cancelled check.

Ka-ching.

But land mines were buried on the same road. How was she to know the Quebec provincial government had changed her name?

In a devout Roman Catholic province, record-keeping churches had insisted birth certificates give every female child the first name Marie, in honor of Christ's mother, Mary. When their files were merged into the Quebec government's records, to avoid pages upon pages of Maries the bureau had switched their middle names with their first. She was now Cecile Marie LeBlanc.

But C.C.'s first name actually is Marie. And there would be no U.S. citizenship  mandatory for adoption here  without that birth certificate matching her application.

Boom.

C.C. set in motion another round of phone calls and more pleas. Eventually, Marie Cecile LeBlanc would legally be herself again  and in a quiet, private ceremony in Miami, a citizen of the United States.

Before flying to Siberia, she moved to the Stonebridge community in Naples to be close to good schools. She was ready to trade beach walks and cocktail hours for carpooling and parent-teacher conferences.

In other news: A wonderful collection of mechanical instruments and music boxes

Transformative: With powder and paint, Miss Naples Pride found authenticity

Emu at large: Merlin missing from Golden Gate Estates home; owners hope for news

Russian adoption is repeatedly delayed

C.C. LeBlanc, 82, made up her mind she wanted to share her life with children, and one of the rare places you could adopt them was Siberia. She wrote a book about the experience, and she was 65 when the adoption was granted.

Nothing from the bureaucracies of the U.S. and Canada would compare to the Machiavellian workings of the Russian government. C.C. had arrived in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Oct. 10, 2004, with suitcases full of children's clothes, toy trucks for Anton and hair ribbons and an angora sweater for Kristina, who would be 13 by the time she saw America again.

But their new mother spent two weeks jumping through bizarre bureaucratic hoops:

We need a Russian medical report, not the American one.

Now we want apostilled documents, not the copies approved earlier.

We do not understand how you can have an income without a job; you're a woman.

Explain why you are not married.

She had begun to feel like an ATM. A sham Russian "medical report"  $90. Verifying the document signatures $5 and some change, per page. Taxis were deemed unreliable by the adoption agency, but drivers had to be paid while they waited. That was $90 for six hours in a country where, she said, university professors earned $100 a month.

To make her ordeal worse, the orphanage had brought Kristina and Anton  a five-hour drive  to stay with C.C. during the proceedings. Three days later, the Russian prosecutor on her case removed them. They were not legally adopted yet so would be put in an orphange close by temporarily.

C.C. cautioned about that assumption: "I don't know what their thinking was when they did this. They just did it."

Her children were equally baffled.

"That was pretty scary," Kristina recalled. She's now Kristina Patridge, married with three children at home, and works for the Colorado Department of Education. She remembered total confusion when she and her brother were put into a "holding" orphanage: They knew no one there. They didn't know how long they were staying.

"At that point, I didn't think it was ever going to happen," Kristina said. "I was trying not to get my hopes up anymore. It was disappointing, and it was sad."

"We were crying. We didn't want to be there anymore. I just stuck close to my sister," recalled Anton, who was 8 years old then. He's now a Cape Coral resident, married and working for a regional home technology service. He remembers it as a time he just needed to "go with the flow."

The court proceedings had been delayed once by the time C.C. arrived in Krasnoyarsk. Then they were delayed for the new documents, which had to come from the U.S. Then, ominously, the court did not want the children present, even though they were to ask anyone aged 11 or older what their living preference would be.

"When they told me my daughter would not be in the courtroom during my questioning, it was like a knife went into my heart. I felt this terrible intuition they were not going to give me the children," she said.

She was right.

The Siberian stay Adoptions Over-Seas had estimated would be 10 days was now 21. And C.C. was going home alone.

Mom goes to the Supreme Court

An emotional moment after the court ruling to approve the adoption for Kristina, C.C. LeBlanc and Anton.

Anyone who threatens to fight a battle all the way to the Supreme Court can talk with C.C. LeBlanc for advice. She did it.

This was the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation  the only avenue of appeal for a denial of adoption. She hired a Russian lawyer. The costs were building up to scores of thousands of dollars.

But the response was surprisingly swift  and in her favor. Krasnoyarsk would be obliged to reopen her case. Fortunately, C.C. learned, it would be with a new judge and prosecutor. Six months later, she flew to Siberia again.

"The second time, I was in Russia 26 days," she recalled, with a sigh. "It was unbelievable." Once again, her appearance was delayed. Once again, the judge and prosecutor questioned one of her documents.

"I had a feeling the judges were trying to discourage me from adopting the children," she said, shaking her head. "I don't know why. I just don't."

But friends in Naples were working to get the required papers FedExed or emailed. Those same friends would stock C.C.'s refrigerator with kid-friendly foods like peanut butter, fruit, cheese and milk for the new family's arrival home.

They were more optimistic than Kristina, who remembered thinking C.C. would not come back to Siberia. And when C.C. did, she feared her mother-in-waiting would be going home by herself again. Even when the children were called into court on the hearing date May 1, she said, it was legal babble.

"They were talking in a different language basically. They were asking us all these questions, and then we had to walk out of the courtoom.

"And then we had to come back in. And everyone was happy and crying."

This time the adoption had been approved. C.C. remembers the tears, remembers pulling Kristina and Anton into her arms and announcing, "We're going home."

That would be the beginning of another chapter, perhaps even entire book, in all of their lives  learning to thrive in an English-speaking world, adapting to the culture of Naples schools, navigating parenthood through Kristina's teen years.

C.C. sighed about that. She reflected that adopting a young teen is not a family's easiest choice. And then she laughed: "Of course, when I was 13 I didn't need a mom, either."

They would not leave Russia for at least at least another week after the court's decision. C.C. remembers reams of documents yet to be signed, and the odious medical exams required for her children before they could receive their health clearance from the American consulate. She remembers her near-panic when computers at the American consulate went down the afternoon before their flight. Their immigration documents had not yet been printed.

But she remembers kindnesses outside the bureaucracy. The dezhurnaya  floor supervisor  who presented the trio with a chocolate bar as a farewell gift. Their translator, Tasha, bringing colored eggs to celebrate Orthodox Easter, and teaching C.C. the traditional egg tapping game. The last person with an unbroken egg is the winner, but the prize goes to everyone: fresh hard-boiled eggs for lunch.

Most of all, C.C. remembers the vendor at a nearby fruit stand from whom she had an exchange nearly daily, buying bananas, apples and oranges for her children. The two could not speak, pointing and holding out bills and change for communication. But they always smiled at each other.

On their final day, they made the customary stop there. At C.C.'s request, Kristina explained to the woman they were now a family, and all three of them would be going to America tomorrow.

"The fruit lady looked at me, came out from around her stand and she gave me a hug," C.C. recalled. She remembered her Russian friend's eyes being moist. "She would not take my money."

A gift, from one mother to another.

Harriet Howard Heithaus covers arts and entertainment for the Naples Daily News/naplesnews.com. Reach her at 239-213-6091.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples woman overcame Russian red tape to adopt 2 children
Reuters

NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, France (Reuters) - The Russian military's failure to seize the Ukrainian capital was inevitable because in the preceding years they had never directly faced a powerful enemy, according to a former mercenary with the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group who fought alongside the Russian army. Marat Gabidullin took part in Wagner Group missions on the Kremlin's behalf in Syria and in a previous conflict in Ukraine, before deciding to go public about his experience inside the secretive private military company. He quit the Wagner group in 2019, but several months before Russia launched the invasion on Feb. 24 Gabidullin, 55, said he received a call from a recruiter who invited him to go back to fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.
SmartAsset: New Fiduciary Rule for Retirement Plan Rollovers

Billions of dollars are moved annually from 401(k) plans to IRAs. And starting in July, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will mandate that all financial advisors and brokers comply with a higher fiduciary standard for retirement plan rollovers. Under the new DOL rule, all financial institutions and investment professionals must explain in writing why they are recommending a rollover and how it serves the best interests of their clients. Let's break down how this higher fiduciary standard will change retirement plan rollovers.

If you're looking for financial advice from a fiduciary, SmartAsset's matching tool can connect you with up to three advisors who serve your area.

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How Will the New DOL Rule Affect Rollovers?

The new DOL rule, which takes effect on July 1, sets a higher fiduciary standard for retirement plan rollovers. While the current law allows fiduciaries to take third party payments for rollovers as long as they serve their client's best interests, the Biden administration will now mandate both financial institutions and investment professionals to document why and how this recommendation serves that interest.

In doing so, the DOL asks fiduciaries to consider relevant factors, including:

other alternatives before rolling over employee benefit plan assets to an IRA

fees and expenses associated with both the plan and the IRA

whether the employer pays for some or all of the plan's expenses

different levels of services and investments for both the plan and the IRA

In December 2020, a Department of Labor rule approved at the end of the Trump administration exempted fiduciaries from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which allowed them to get third-party payments for recommending retirement plan rollovers.

Story continues

Under ERISA, the federal government had identified the minimum standards for retirement and healthcare plans in the private sector. According to the DOL website, the 1974 law requires plans to:

provide participants with information about features and funding

provide fiduciary responsibilities for those who manage and control plan assets

establish a grievance and appeals process for participants to get benefits from plans

give participants the right to sue for benefits and breaches of fiduciary duty

These requirements generally align with a financial advisor's fiduciary duty, which compels the advisor or firm to act in the best interests of an individual or an institution. Duties include getting the best prices and terms for clients, providing all relevant facts, disclosing potential conflicts of interest, and offering accurate and thorough advice.

But keeping the current exemptions from ERISA in mind, the DOL has made retirement plan rollovers a priority to safeguard against strong economic incentives that could pose conflicts of interest for the retirement needs and goals of clients.

"This requirement reflects the Department's view that parties wishing to take advantage of the broad prohibited transaction relief in the new exemption should make a conscious up-front determination that they are acting as fiduciaries; tell their retirement investor customers that they are rendering advice as fiduciaries; and, based on their decision to act as fiduciaries, implement and follow the exemption's conditions," the DOL said in a statement dated from April 2021.

For reference, the 2021 Investment Company Fact Book says that $534 billion were rolled over from retirement plans to IRAs in tax year 2018. This is nearly eight times more than the $70 billion made in new contributions that same year.

3 Reasons Not to Roll Over Your Retirement Plan

SmartAsset: New Fiduciary Rule for Retirement Plan Rollovers

Before rolling over your assets from a 401(k) into an IRA, you should consider your options carefully.

One of the biggest advantages that a 401(k) has over an IRA is that an employer can match contributions. This program can boost your retirement savings significantly with minimum effort.

A 2021 study from Vanguard says that roughly one-third of Americans using 401(k) plans are saving below employer matches. This means that they are essentially leaving free money on the table. Though you should note that not all jobs offer matching programs. So eligibility depends entirely on your employer.

If you have a 401(k) plan, you may also want to think about loans or creditors. Depending on your financial needs, these two factors - beyond the employer match consideration - could influence your rollover decision:

Participants can borrow money against 401(k)s but cannot borrow against IRAs

401(k) assets are typically protected from creditors; IRA assets may only be protected in case of bankruptcy

3 Reasons to Roll Over Your Retirement Plan

For many people, rolling their 401(k) plan into an IRA can be a good choice. Keeping financial needs, investment goals and risk tolerance in mind, here are three reasons when a retirement plan rollover could make sense for you:

Better investment choices. While 401(k)s have limited choices, commonly invested in target-date funds, IRAs will allow you to diversify your asset selection with stocks, bonds and other financial investments.

Consolidation. If you have multiple 401(k)s from different jobs, you may want to roll everything into one account. Transferring money from multiple 401(k)s into one IRA could potentially save you money with lower administrative costs. Depending on the 401(k) account, fund expenses, trade fees and annual percentages can add up even when you are no longer contributing. So it's important to do the math to see which option will cost you less.

No required minimum distributions. When you reach age 72 (or 70.5 if you were born before July 1, 1949), most retirement plans will mandate annual RMDs. However, if you roll over your 401(k) into a Roth IRA, your money can continue growing in the account during your lifetime. You should note that you will have to pay income taxes on the money that you roll over that tax year, but you will not owe taxes on withdrawals after retirement.

Bottom Line

SmartAsset: New Fiduciary Rule for Retirement Plan Rollovers

Both financial institutions and investment professionals could have strong economic incentives to roll over ERISA-protected plans into affiliated IRAs. Retirement plan rollovers move billions of dollars annually. And while the DOL is taking steps to create a higher fiduciary standard to protect against bad financial advice, moving assets from a 401(k) to an IRA is an important financial decision that will impact the future of your retirement.

The DOL says that it "anticipates taking further regulatory and sub-regulatory actions" that include amending "investment advice fiduciary regulation" and "amending or revoking some of the other existing class exemptions available to investment advice fiduciaries."

Retirement Planning Tips

A financial advisor can help you put a financial plan in action for your retirement. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you're ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Fidelity says your retirement savings should cover 45% of your pretax, pre-retirement income, with Social Security benefits making up the rest. SmartAsset's retirement calculator can help you estimate how much you'll have saved by the time you're ready to retire.

If you're looking for money outside of your pension or retirement plan, here are five additional ways to get guaranteed retirement income.

Photo credit: iStock.com/South_agency, iStock.com/designer491, iStock.com/designer491

The post This New Rule Will Bring a Big Change to Your Retirement Plan Rollover appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Laura Garza, a union leader at Starbucks New York City Roastery, met with the president, vice president, and labor secretary on Thursday at the White House, and described the event as a huge boost to the nascent unionization movement.

"First and foremost, it was a completely overwhelming and humbling experience to represent partners that are organizing to unionize their stores," Garza told Yahoo Finance in a phone interview. "I think the main goal of the meeting yesterday [with] Secretary Walsh and Vice President Harris, and as well as President Biden, when he jumped in, all recognized everyone's right: a fundamental right to organize and also recognize that all workers across the country have a dignity to work."

Garza said the discussion was a round-table event, giving guests the opportunity to share "our stories of organizing and the success that has come from organizing successfully."

She also said the administration heard "how organizing can be an extremely lonesome and isolating experience, especially with aggressive anti-union busting from our places of employment like Starbucks and like Amazon."

Arizona State University law professor Michael Selmi, whos written about employment discrimination and civil rights litigation, told Yahoo Finance that "even though these meetings were really symbolically important, it's not clear that there's gonna be much legislative follow up from them. I suspect and in part, because legislation with respect to even changing minimum wage, which every [person] widely supports has gotten nowhere for now a couple decades going back."

Selmi added that "this whole union movement is so hard to analyze at this point it's still so early."

Today, I met with grassroots worker organizers to thank them for their leadership in organizing unions. From the Amazon Labor Union to IATSE at Titmouse Productions, these folks are inspiring a movement of workers across the country to fight for the pay and benefits they deserve. pic.twitter.com/QZwdUEX3Xp  President Biden (@POTUS) May 5, 2022

Starbucks 'deeply concerned' by snub

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Starbucks (SBUX) criticized the meeting with several union organizers from around the country  including a barista from Starbucks Workers United  as unionization efforts within the coffee giant's stores gain momentum.

In a letter, AJ Jones, Starbucks Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs, wrote to White House counselor Steve Ricchetti about how the decision to not invite representatives from the company was "deeply" concerning.

"We are deeply concerned that Workers United, which is actively engaged in collective bargaining with us and trying to organize all our stores and our +240,000 partners (employees), was invited to the meeting while not inviting official Starbucks representatives, to discuss our view on the matter," Jones wrote.

"We believe this lack of representation discounts the reality that the majority of our partners oppose being members of a union and the unionization tactics being deployed by Workers United," he added. "As you know, American workers have the absolute right to decide for themselves to unionize, or not to unionize, without any undue influences."

Jones requested to meet with the Biden administration in order to introduce "a diverse, representative group of Starbucks partners from across the country to the White House so that they can share points of view and experiences that are vastly different from those presented by Workers United."

The White House did not respond to Yahoo Finance's request for comment.

Howard Schultz speaks with moderator Monica Guzman during his book tour in Seattle, Washington, U.S., January 31, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Redmond

'That just doesn't seem like a good business model'

Starbucks workers have been organizing at stores at a rapid speed  over 70 stores have voted in favor of unionization since December, and a flurry of union election filings are added daily. Seven stores have voted against the measure, while five stores remain undetermined, according to the NLRB records.

Starbucks recently announced a $1 billion investment to increase workers' pay, offer additional training, and improve stores. Crucially, these benefits may not apply to unionized stores.

On Friday, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh told Yahoo Finance Live (video above) that three-time Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz should invest "in all of his workforce," not just the stores without unions.

I don't think he can just invest in the people, the dozen shops that organize. That just doesn't seem like a good business model," Walsh said. "I commend him for investing in their salaries, and I also would recommend that the stores that organize to sit down and have a conversation with them.

Garza noted she wanted to sit down with Schultz, who took over as interim CEO last month, and other Starbucks executives to work out various issues.

"We want to sit down and have them hear our stories and come to the bargaining table really with an open mind and an open heart," she said. "We believe that we can work together in creating and in the continuation of the whole idea of the third place. Starbucks is a very progressive company and we want to share that vision with them as well."

Dani Romero is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @daniromerotv

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BuzzFeed News reported Monday that TikTok's owner ByteDance had scraped content from Instagram and Snapchat in 2017 to create fake accounts on Flipagram, TikTok's predecessor. Here, a TikTok employee looks at his mobile phone as he walks past the logo of TikTok in a London office on February 9, 2022. Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

A former TikTok employee told the WSJ she bled through her clothes rather than leave continuous meetings to grab a tampon.

The outlet reported on TikTok's intense culture, citing anonymous sources and public online discussion.

Former employees described long hours, stress, and lack of clarity on organizational issues.

TikTok is only apparently fun if you don't work there, according to a story published Friday in The Wall Street Journal.

Former employees described to the outlet a high-pressure culture: 85 hours of meetings a week, lack of sleep, mental anguishand even one person who said they bled through their pants instead of leaving a meeting to grab a tampon.

"The way TikTok employees are being treated is the exact opposite of what the TikTok platform stands for," wrote Dylan Juhnke in a memo in 2021, which he posted "internally" after he was disciplined for asking in a town hall why higher-ups at the company ignored questions about employee compensation and resigned, the WSJ reported.

Other people who once worked at TikTok said they had dramatic emotional and weight swings and even went to therapy, the story added.

Another said they could only convince a manager not to force them to work all night two days in a row after showing documentation about a life-threatening medical condition.

The story quoted several anonymous sources as well as public YouTube videos and Medium articles where people described working at TikTok.

One of those online stories was from Melody Chu, who recounted in three Medium posts, "What it's really like working at TikTok."

"I gave up weeknight dinners with my husband," she wrote in an April post. "My most stressful meetings like leadership reviews would often take place on Sundays or past 10pm, leaving me anxious throughout my day and unable to sleep at night."

In Chu's first post in January, she noted that TikTok was a highly taxing environment, despite her past experience in tech companiesa point also made by sources in the WSJ story.

Story continues

"I'd like to think that I've done some hard things in my career thus far," Chu said in her blog post, adding that she had worked at Facebook for five years, then learned how to code and became an engineer at NextDoor.

"The employees, many of them veterans of other major tech companies, say TikTok emphasizes relentless productivity and secrecy to a degree uncommon in the industry," the outlet wrote.

As the WSJ piece discusses, there is a sense of China's "9-9-6" culture at TikTok, where people work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Bejing, China.

These working hours are pretty prevalent at the company, despite a public attempt to have people work from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, former TikTok employee Pabel Martinez told Insider in April.

"I do think that the culture of working too much or not having as much of the work-life balance does permeate throughout the organization, and it is often encouraged you work 'after hours,'" he told Insider last month. "The 996 policy's infamous."

Employees also told Insider in December that ByteDance holds a lot of sway over TikTok, (despite making attempts to make things appear otherwise) including working hours, straining on US-based employees  of whom the company has been hiring in the thousands the last two years.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor Chu to a LinkedIn message.

Sources told the WSJ that people put up with the harsh conditions because they could cash out if ByteDance goes public.

"You want to be on that rocket ship," Martinez told the outlet.

Read the full WSJ piece here.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Starbucks Corp. violated federal law by firing, threatening, and carrying out surveillance on union activists in New York, U.S. labor board prosecutors alleged in a complaint.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The agencys Buffalo regional director said in a filing Friday that the company illegally interfered with employees rights by firing six and retaliating against others. The allegations were brought to the agency by Workers United, the labor group that has prevailed in votes at more than 50 of the companys U.S. stores, beginning with a landmark victory last December in Buffalo.

Starbucks, in an emailed statement, disputed the claims and said the complaint represented only the start of a litigation process.

We believe the allegations contained in the complaint are false, and we look forward to presenting our evidence, spokesperson Reggie Borges wrote. The company has said it complies with labor laws and that claims of anti-union activity are categorically false.

The NLRB complaint seeks remedies including the reinstatement of the employees who were allegedly illegally fired or forced out, along with financial compensation and apology letters.

The agencys general counsel is also seeking a videotaped meeting with employees, union and government representatives, and either Starbucks Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz, North America President Rossann Williams, or both. At the meeting, either a company executive or a labor board official would read a notice about employees rights.

Mandatory Training

Additionally, the NLRB wants mandatory training for Starbucks managers about workers rights, and a requirement that the union get access to company bulletin boards, employees contact information and equal time to address workers.

Story continues

The company is finally being held accountable for the union-busting rampage they went on, one of the fired employees, Danny Rojas, said in an emailed statement provided by the union.

Complaints issued by NLRB regional directors are considered by agency judges, whose rulings can be appealed to labor board members in Washington and from there into federal court. The labor board lacks the authority to impose punitive damages for violations of the law, but its current general counsel, Joe Biden appointee Jennifer Abruzzo, has directed its prosecutors to utilize every possible tool at their disposal to remedy wrongdoing, such as making companies pay for health insurance costs and credit card fees that fired workers incur, along with back pay.

Labor Board prosecutors have also issued complaints accusing Seattle-based Starbucks of illegally firing activists in Arizona and Tennessee. In a separate complaint this week, the agencys Phoenix regional director alleged that Starbucks employee rules, which include prohibitions on responding to reporters or sharing private company information on social media, illegally interfere with workers rights.

Starbucks has also filed claims of its own with the NLRB, alleging unfair practices by labor organizers toward workers and what it calls an increase in nefarious behavior. The coffee chain says individuals associated with Workers United limited access to stores in Arizona and Colorado, threatened workers for not supporting the labor drive, and shouted profanities and pounded on windows.

(Updates with Starbucks comment starting in third paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
When the Rev. Tony Craddock Sr. and his namesake would visit various junkyards searching for used auto parts, the younger Craddock questioned the purpose of the excursion.

Tony Craddock Jr. believed the junkyard to be a desolate and depressing place where vehicles that were once in their prime were left dead and useless.

But his father had a different viewpoint.

These old parts are as good as new once they get in the right hands, Craddock Jr. recalls his dad saying. Thats his worldview. God has found us in our junkyard of sin and He makes good use of us.

Rev. Craddock plans to implement those ideals at one of the oldest historically Black churches in Caroline County.

St. John Baptist Church in Woodford was established in 1866.

Rev. Craddock was installed as just the ninth pastor in the churchs history last Sunday during a ceremony at the Caroline County Community Center with more than 250 people in attendance.

St. John had been without a pastor since 2019 following the retirement of the Rev. Walter G. Berryman, who served in the position for 39 years.

I am here to proclaim that St. John Baptist Church is a happy place, said Deaconess Thelma Boxley, a 94-year-old, longtime member of the church. We have come to add another page to our church history.

Rev. Craddocks installation service included songs of praise from the guest choir, First Mount Zion Baptist Church from Dumfries.

The Rev. James Jordan of Third Baptist Church in Alexandria was the presiding officer.

The Rev. Luke Torian, Pastor of First Mount Zion and a Democratic member of the House of Delegates representing the 52nd District, gave the preached word.

The Rev. James Victor of Mount Olive Baptist in Arlington provided the charge to the new pastor, while Caroline native Rev. Alfred Jones Jr. of Mt. Zion Baptist in Triangle gave the charge to St. Johns members.

Victor told Rev. Craddock to be the caterer pastor God has called you to be.

He said Rev. Craddock should serve oatmeal to those early in their faith walk and a five-course meal to members who can handle it. He also instructed Rev. Craddock to rest to prevent burnout.

You are not a super saint and there is not an S on your chest, Victor said. You get sick. You bleed  If you can rest, you can take care of Gods people.

Jones told the church to do three things: respect their pastor, pray for him and pay him, because clergy members deal with financial stress, too.

He is a man of God and he deserves your respect, Jones said.

Rev. Craddock is a native of Detroit.

He served in the United States Marine Corps and retired after 21 years. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland, before earning his Master of Divinity degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union in Richmond. He later earned a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

He previously served as Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor and Senior Pastor at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fauquier County.

God has put me up high so I can see some stuff, Rev. Craddock said. But if Im going to do some work, Ive got to come down.

First Lady Stephanie, known as Lady C said she plans to roll up her sleeves and get to work, citing the scripture Luke 12:48, to whom much is given, much is required.

The couple has three children, including Craddock Jr., who is an accomplished saxophonist and jazz, gospel and soul musician. They also have two grandchildren.

God has united our family with the St. John Baptist Church family so His will purpose and plans may continue to be fulfilled for this body of believers, Stephanie Craddock said.

Stephanie Craddock went on to give the churchs new mission statement under Rev. Craddock: Equipping and connecting the generations for service in Christ, church and community.

Rev. Craddock noted that the church has a 99-year-old youth minister in Loretta Wright, and also has active youth. He believes the church has the right mix to continue making a difference in Caroline.

God has wonderful things in store for St. John, Rev. Craddock said. Im so blessed He has chosen me to take St. John to the next level.

Taft Coghill Jr: 540/374-5526 tcoghill@freelancestar.com

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Virginia Department of Corrections officials say thousands of inmates who have accumulated enough early release credits to lessen their sentences will be released from custody this summer.

Right now, our current estimate is approximately 4,500 inmates will qualify in this program, Benjamin Jarvela said, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Corrections. What that means is, theyre going to be released during a 60-day window thats going to spread from July 1 through Aug. 30.

The early outs are the result of a July 1 start date of House Bill 5148, a law that allows certain inmates to earn up to 15 days off for every 30 days they are confined. Under the previous law, inmates could only earn only a maximum of 4.5 days off for every 30 days served. Jarvela said beyond the 4,500 inmates being initially released this summer, the majority of state inmates will also see their sentences reduced over time as well.

The provisions of the billone of many criminal justice reform laws signed by former Gov. Ralph Northam in 2020 and opposed by every GOP lawmaker in Richmondrequires the calculation of earned sentence credits to apply retroactively to the entire sentence of any inmate who is confined in a state correctional facility and who is participating in the earned sentence credit system.

Joshua Cole, the former delegate for House District 28, supported the bill while he was serving in office. Cole said he voted in favor of awarding credits to inmates primarily because Virginia hasnt had a parole option for state inmates since 1995. Prior to that, parole was the only incentive inmates had for a possible reduced sentence. Cole said early release credits offer a similar incentive.

This was a way to reward them for their good behavior, they got to earn credits, they were doing what they were supposed to and they were showing that their lives were improving, Cole said. They had the ability to cash these in and get some time off.

Prison officials said credits are earned by inmates by attending in-facility sessions on parenting, mental health, substance abuse, job training, technical education and programs that lead to a valid Virginia drivers license upon their release. Jarvela said inmates are made aware of the early release credits program during the course of their incarceration as well as the potential impact completion of the program will have on their sentences.

Were going to make sure internally that the (inmates) are prepared to reenter their communities and theyve completed the programming they need to complete, Jarvela said.

Jarvela said his organization will be responsible for calculating adjusted release dates for eligible inmates based on the credits they have earned.

And thats basically anybody with a felony conviction and a sentence greater than 12 months, Jarvela said.

First drafts of the original early release credit bill, introduced by Del. Don Scott, DPortsmouth, excluded certain inmates from the early release credit program, but by its final version, the law expanded to include crimes such as solicitation to commit murder, kidnapping, abduction, assault, bodily wounding, robbery, carjacking and voluntary manslaughter.

Its just like anybody who commits a white collar crime, embezzlement, shoplifting, drug charges, they were sentenced to a certain amount of time to serve, Juanita Shanks said, president and CEO of FailSafe-ERA, a Spotsylvania County nonprofit that specializes in helping former inmates with life skills and financial training, workforce training, mental health care, employment best practices and finding a safe place to live.

Theyve served their time, theyve given back, theyve done their sentence, Shanks said.

Jarvela said release calculations for inmates whose sentences fall below the 12-month threshold will be calculated by the regional jail where they are being held.

Locally, Col. Kevin Hudson, superintendent of the Rappahannock Regional Jail, said there are roughly 350 state-responsible inmates housed at his facility. He said they are among the 4,500 inmates being reviewed statewide by the Department of Corrections for early release.

On Nov. 8, Travis Payne of Manassas Park was released from the state prison system after serving most of his life behind bars. In 2004 at age 16, he was arrested for robbing a Stafford gas station at gunpoint and was sentenced to 52 years in prison with all but 12 years of his sentence suspended. He left prison at age 28 but due to a parole violation, he wound up back in state prison for an additional five years.

Payne, who is now 34, said over the last two years of his sentence, the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible to participate in any type of reentry training as those classes were canceled and volunteers and instructors who led them were kept out of facilities. He said without any recent training, inmates being released this summer will have a tough uphill climb in whatever community they choose to settle in.

Over the past two years, nobody has been able to take a trade, nobodys been able to learn anything, so honestly, youve got all these people coming home in a couple months and all theyve done is sat in pretty much solitude for the past two years, Payne said.

Payne said the limited amount of basic reentry training he was able to receive while incarcerated didnt come close to preparing him for reentry back into todays technology-savvy society. He said things like Facebook, smartphones and flat-screen televisions were all nonexistent when he first went to prison in the early 2000s, and every day its a struggle to learn something new.

I guess you can compare it to a person who goes to Tokyo their first time with no preparation, and expecting them to know how to survive and thrive in Tokyo, Payne said.

Brenda Amaya of Spotsylvania said her 33-year-old brother James will be released in June after completing his four-year sentence. Amaya said her brother participated in reentry courses at the Green Rock Correction Center in Chatham, but he told her those classes didnt always take place.

It doesnt sound like a consistent, stable program, and then COVID shut everything down, Amaya said. He went to Haynesville and he noticed it was better structured there. He could just tell it was more organized and they were consistent with it.

Officials confirm many of the classes inmates participated in did come to a halt during the pandemic, when volunteers, members of the ministry and others could not enter corrections facilities to conduct training. Both Jarvela and Hudson said those programs are once again beginning to ramp up for all inmates.

Amaya now worries there are a limited number of resources in the Fredericksburg region for the returning inmates and their families to turn to, but she found help through FailSafe.

Shanks said her organization is a resource hub for Planning District 16 that provides the training for who she calls returning citizens as well as their families through support group meetings, family outings, counseling and youth programs.

We have the people on our staff that have the credentials to provide the training that they need, Shanks said. We could put them in a house, we can give them a job, but if we dont change the way that they think it means nothing.

In late 2020, Shanks formed a Criminal Justice Reform task force for Planning District 16which includes Fredericksburg and Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George counties. Made up of leaders in the region, the group identified four main barriers to successful reentry in the Fredericksburg region, including a lack of affordable housing, education, workforce training and treatment for mental health or substance abuse disorders.

Weve had meetings since November 2020 when this legislation was announced, Shanks said. I want the community to understand, we have community buy-in thats looking into this.

Payne said all he wants is a fair second chance for former inmates to succeed on their own, but he said renters and employers in the region are not universally receptive to extending a helping hand to former inmates. He said if they were willing to listen and ask former inmates why they are serious about changing their lives and slowly bring on those who show a desire to make a difference in their lives and in the community, they might be surprised.

Maybe give them a probation period, Payne said. You have people that can do better and want to do better. Its hard enough for one guy looking for a job now and now we have 4,500 that are going to be looking?

Jarvela said there are 40 Virginia Department of Corrections facilities across the state. He expects inmates will be released from every facility in the network in July and August to varying degrees, saying places like Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, which has a population of just over 2,300 inmates, will likely have more inmates released late this summer than the smaller facilities in the corrections network.

Shanks said those returning inmates who choose to lead successful, productive and responsible lives in communities should be offered ample resources to make their transitions as smooth as possible. She said communities must also be willing to provide them the necessary tools, training, housing and employment they need to become independent citizens again.

The community has a responsibility, Shanks said. If we consider ourselves a community and a country that believes in second chances, then were going to make sure they have what they need to become better.

James Scott Baron: 540/374-5438 jbaron@freelancestar.com

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Sometimes you can find some real treasures while thrifting. A Texas woman recently came across what may be one of the most precious.

Laura Young, an antique dealer, found a neat-looking all-white marble sculpture at a Goodwill in Austin in 2018. For only $34.99, the 50-pound piece seemed like a deal, and Young was quick to snag the item and bring it home.

Hoping to find out more information about the sculpture, Matt Largey of KUT reports that Young contacted an auction house in London. She was able to confirm that the portrait bust is likely of a popular Roman general named Drusus Germanicus, and was told the sculpture was more than 2,000-years-old, according to KUT.

Leila Amineddoleh, a lawyer in New York who specializes in international art law, said that while some reports claim that the sculpture could be of Roman military leader Sextus Pompey, a majority believe it to be a portrait of Drusus. "Of course, that could be incorrect, but I believe most experts have identified the work as Drusus Germanicus," Amineddoleh said.

Its last known whereabouts were at a museum built by German King Ludwig the First called the Pompejanum built in the 1840s in the German city of Aschaffenburg.

During World War II, a battle was fought in Aschaffenburg in the spring of 1945 and the museum was hit by bombs and heavily damaged. Stephennie Mulder, an art history professor at UT Austin, told KUT that many of the museum's objects were either destroyed or looted, so it's likely the bust suffered the same fate.

"So unfortunately in this case, it might have been a U.S. soldier who either looted it himself or purchased it from someone who had looted the object," Mulder said.

The item was considered lost or destroyed until its discovery in Austin. Young told KUT that she knew she couldn't keep the looted artifact so she hired Amineddoleh to negotiate how to get it back to Germany. While negotiations took place over several years, a process further delayed by the pandemic, Young kept the bust in her home and even named it Dennis Reynolds after the narcissist character from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," KUT reports.

"He was attractive, he was cold, he was aloof," Young told KUT. "I couldn't really have him. He was difficult. So, yeah, my nickname for him was 'Dennis.'"

It has been decided that German authorities will take the bust back, but first it will enjoy a one-year exhibition alongside artifacts in the Roman antique collection at the San Antonio Museum of Art. It will remain on display there until next summer when the statue will be returned to Germany, according to KUT

Young has since made a half-size 3D-printed replica of "Dennis" to keep for herself. "I do have a collection of busts at home," she told KUT. "So he's with my other heads."

(c)2022 the Houston Chronicle Visit the Houston Chronicle at www.chron.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
AMERICA faces a serious economic and national security

risk when it comes to the development and manufacturing of semiconductor chips that are integral to daily life in the modern world.

A strong bipartisan majority of Congress understands this and has rightly acted to boost the semiconductor industry domestically. But the job isnt done, and we are writing to urge Congress to make sure it does get done.

In most circumstances, we are skeptical of government directly subsidizing industry with cash infusions. In this case, it is essential to the nations future and to global security for democracies.

And Texas is at the center of the solution to this problem, with a history of development and production of semiconductor chips that also has a great future, with substantial private investment throughout the state.

The problem here isnt support for the act. The problem instead is getting the funds appropriated strategically and with adequate speed to make a difference in the supply chain. Its important that Congress sends a message that it is capable of putting up the money to support a vital American interest.

The economic problem is easy enough to understand. Anyone who has tried to purchase a car lately has encountered the high price of disruptions to the semiconductor supply chain.

The national security problem is perhaps less obvious. Semiconductor manufacturing is largely based in Taiwan and South Korea, which are under persistent threat. We need to protect and support our democratic allies. But we also need to ensure we have the capability to produce this vital product at home.

There is reason for optimism. U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, DTexas, who chairs the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, told Roll Call last week that she is optimistic that a conference committee is making progress on CHIPS Act negotiations.

Its important that those negotiations dont derail the original intent of the actto get money flowing for research, development and manufacture of semiconductors on U.S. soil. The bill is popular, so it isnt surprising that plenty of side projects have been attached to it.

The acts passage led to substantial industry commitment to boosting semiconductor production and research. Intel announced a $20 billion project in Ohio. Samsung announced a $17 billion factory northeast of Austin. Texas Instruments is investing up to $30 billion in our state, according to a White House fact sheet.

That means jobs now and in coming years for Americans. In the long run, it means a more stable and secure economy with American goods running on American chips.

Congress gets a lot wrong. So far, it has gotten this right. But the time to deliver is now.

Adapted from the Dallas Morning News
Farmers in the area have a lot on their mind going into the 2022 season, the biggest of which is profitability. Like many industries, agriculture has been impacted by supply chain issues and rising costs. Farming already operates under tight profit margins, typically between 3% to 10%. Rising costs directly affect profit, which could mean significant hardship for those engaged in farming this year.

The farming supply that has increased in price the most for the 2022 season is nitrogen fertilizer. The United States is one of the largest importers of fertilizer in the world and has historically imported much of this fertilizer from Canada and Russia. Supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to some of the increase in price, but in recent months, Russias invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions from many countries, including the U.S., have contributed to further increases in nitrogen prices.

For example, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of urea, a common nitrogen fertilizer used in agriculture, averaged around $240 per ton. As of April 2022, this price increased to over $900 per ton, a 275% rise over pre-pandemic averages.

Jessica Grosskopf, an Agricultural Economics Extension Educator with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, suggested that farmers should consider optimizing and not maximizing their crops and inputs.

Because we have higher input costs, each additional unit (of fertilizer) that we put on isnt going to generate as much revenue, Grosskopf said. Instead, she suggests lowering yield expectations for the crop and applying economic optimum fertilizer rates that maximize profits instead of yields.

Fertilizers havent been the only products to increase in price. There have been higher prices for many other supplies needed for farming, such as fuel, equipment, seed, and pesticides. As a result, shopping around for best deal is one strategy to control profits.

Farmers need to control costs any way they can, Grosskopf said, and that might mean looking around for the opportunity to get a better deal.

Increased costs for farmers often translate into higher prices for consumers, and one only needs to walk through the grocery store to see these realities first-hand. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tracks the price of food and other goods through the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Over the last 20 years, the average CPI for food increased 2.4% per year. However, from 2019 to 2022, the prices for all food increased an average of 9.2%. Unfortunately, prices will likely continue to rise due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the impact it will have on crop exports from these countries.

Farming is often a thankless job, and while it may be frustrating to see increased food prices at the grocery store, remember that these costs are not the choice of farmers. Farmers throughout the region are working through immense obstacles to their businesses this year and deserve all the support they can get.

Kathleen Cue is an ISA & TRAQ Certified Arborist and a Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator for Dodge County. She can be reached at: 1206 West 23rd Street, Fremont, NE 68025-2504; (402) 727-2775; or kcue2@unl.edu.

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The Interceptor, the Charger, the Terminator, and the Protector.

Sounds like a good team to have in your corner, doesnt it?

These are the names of some of the tools used by AirComfort Heating and Cooling to combat those nasty air contaminants that can turn a home into a health hazard.

In addition to keeping their customers warm in the winter and cool in the summer, the AirComfort team also works hard to prevent such health threats as mold, mildew, radon, and carbon monoxide from contaminating interior air.

Excellent customer service, however, is only one of AirComforts priorities. This high-tech, innovative company has also established itself as a great place to work.

In 2020, ACHR (Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration) named AirComfort the Best Contractor to Work For.

The ACHR is like our industry bible, said Chris Landgrebe, general manager of the Fremont office. So being recognized in that publication was a really big deal for us.

Landgrebe also was pleasantly surprised when he received a call from Tara Lea, executive director of the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, informing him that AirComfort was in the running for this years Workforce Game Changer Award.

This is the fourth year weve included this category in our annual award presentation, Lea said.

The purpose behind this type of award is to honor those businesses that honor their employees with excellent benefits and opportunities for career development.

Winning that award was awesome! Landgrebe said. Its not just one big thing that we did to earn it, but a bunch of little things.

One of those little things Landgrebe is proud of is AirComforts 401(k) retirement plan, which is company matched. Another is the annual profit-sharing check employees receive at the beginning of the holidays.

Thats the time of year when people typically see their expenses go up significantly, Landgrebe said. So we like to help make that time of year easier for our employees.

One not-so-little way that AirComfort honors its hard-working team is by covering 100% of their healthcare costs.

We know how burdensome medical expenses can be, Landgrebe said, and we dont want our people to have to worry about that.

In addition to paid holidays, AirComfort employees also get their birthdays off with pay.

New employees are shown the red-carpet treatment by having their training completely paid for by AirComfort.

What we want, Landgrebe said, are employees who have no obstacles keeping them from acquiring the skills they need so they can advance their careers.

Holly Jacksons career with AirComfort started three years ago, when co-owner Steve Simmons walked into the restaurant she was managing.

It was one of those rare times when I was waiting tables, Jackson said. He liked the way I handled myself with people and could tell I was ready for a change.

Jackson and her husband had a child, and she was tired of working every night as well as weekends.

AirComfort gives me the opportunity to do work I love, helping people improve the quality of their homes by eliminating contaminants that make people sick, and it gives me the flexibility I need so I can spend time with my family, she said.

Jacksons position in a male-dominated industry has its challenges.

A lot of people are reluctant to work with a woman because they dont think we can handle this kind of job, she said. All I can do is tell them what I know about IAQ systems and the importance of proper ventilation, and hopefully theyll realize my gender isnt an issue.

One issue AirComfort has had to cope with is an industry-wide technician shortage.

Through the Textbook to Trades program, they work with high schools to bring in students who show an interest in this type of work and provide internships.

We have a brand new training center right here in our Fremont office, Landgrebe said. This gives new employees an alternative to enrolling in a trade school and racking up student loan debts.

The AirComfort training program lasts eight to 10 weeks.

Were building the next generation of technicians, Landgrebe said.

AirComfort not only takes excellent care of its customers and employees, but also serves the community. They enjoy being part of John C. Fremont Days, participating in the car shows and the parades. They also support the U.S. Marines charity Toys for Tots.

Last year, we filled 27 carts with toys, Landgrebe said, and brought in over $1,000 in donations.

AirComfort further demonstrates its big heart for the little ones by donating a portion of its profits to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital as a Partner in Hope.

The company also enjoys helping those individuals who cannot afford adequate heating and cooling equipment.

Periodically since the start of our business, weve been providing free equipment through a program we call The Gift of Heat, Landgrebe said. Starting in 2019, weve been doing this every year.

Describing himself as a blue-collar tradesman, Landgrebe finds it deeply gratifying to call people and let them know theyre getting a new system installed.

Just hearing their gratitude makes me tear up, he said.

Landgrebe is proud of AirComforts Mission Statement: Keeping you safe, keeping you comfortable, and saving you money better than anyone else.

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No students or staff were absent in the Fremont Public Schools system on Friday due to a COVID-19 positive test.

In addition, no students or staff were absent due to quarantining, because of close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

The total number of students absent for any illness on Friday was 97, FPS said in a prepared statement. The total certified teaching staff not at work Friday for any reason was 49.

FPS has approximately 5,000 students and 800 full- and part-time employees. It continues to monitor the COVID situation in the community closely.

The school district reminds the public to stay home if:

You are sick.

You have not been fever free for 24 hours without medication.

You have been tested for COVID-19 and have not received your test results.

More detailed information regarding FPS protocol is on its website, under the Return to School 2021 page, https://fremonttigers.org/return-to-school-2021/.

The last student day of school has been moved to Thursday, May 19.

FPS also reminds the public that COVID-19 vaccines are available at local pharmacies and at Three Rivers Public Health Department.

As of Monday, May 2, the health department  which covers Dodge, Washington and Saunders counties  reported that a total of 57,001 people have been tested for COVID in this three-county area and 18,800 people have tested positive for it.

In the past 14 days, there have been 39 cases; 17 cases in the past seven days alone.

Three Rivers has recorded 221 deaths from COVID.

More information is available at threeriverspublichealth.org/COVID-19.

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Hannah McGill of West Point was named one of two Ron Holt Civic Engagement Award winners for the 2021-22 academic year.

The annual award, started by Dr. Ron Holt 89, recognizes graduating Wayne State College seniors who have served as an exemplary role model and contributed to the service ethos of the college campus and community at large. The award includes a $500 gift, trophy, and graduation recognition. This is the ninth annual presentation of the award.

The awards were presented at a dinner April 21 in the Frey Conference Suite at Wayne State College.

McGill will graduate May 7 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology (Drafting and Design) and minors in mathematics and geospatial technology. She has participated in two service-learning projects.

While at Wayne State, she has been the co-founder and vice president of the Drafting and Design Club and vice president of the Catholic Newman Club. She has served as a mentor and Bible study leader for the Newman Community. She has also been a member of Gamma Theta Upsilon, a geography honor society; Epsilon Pi Tau, a technology honor society; Kappa Mu Epsilon, a mathematics honor society; and Alpha Lambda Delta, a freshman honor society.

Through Epsilon Pi Tau, McGill received the Warner Undergraduate Student Research Award for this region. She enjoys going on mission trips to help other communities as well as helping classmates and teachers with projects that need to be laser-engraved in the Center for Applied Technology building.

Her honors project, Flood Analysis along South Logan Creek in Wayne, Nebraska involved various members of the community and was presented on campus and at a geography conference in La Vista. McGill said she is excited to graduate and start her own small business to be able to give back in new ways.

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During its day-long Celebration of Excellence on April 27, Hastings College announced its Who's Who honorees, which are students recognized for having made outstanding campus contributions during their college careers. Up to 10% of the graduating seniors may be named to the Who's Who list, which is determined through a student vote and a student-faculty committee.

Also during the event, three Bronco Award recipients were announced. Established in 1924, the Bronco Award is the colleges highest non-academic award granted to students. Recipients are selected from the Whos Who list.

Lauren Tamayo from Wahoo is an exercise science major, and was named to the Whos Who list. The deans list student was a national qualifier on the track and field team. Tamayo also set the school record in the pentathlon and was named the outstanding female athlete during the GPAC meet, and received GPAC athlete of the week and All-American honors.

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The following area students recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Morse Bluff: Zander Gibney, University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Nickerson: Annie Cooper, Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Wahoo: Noah Polacek, University of Nebraska at Omaha.

They are among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10% of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 325 campuses in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Its mission is To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.

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Saturday

HomeStore open, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 701 E. Dodge St., Fremont. The HomeStore sells donated items at discounted prices. Proceeds support the mission of Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity.

Men of Integrity Breakfast, 8 a.m., Lighthouse Ministry Center, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont. Men of all ages are invited for a time of fun, fellowship and breakfast by Valentinos.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

American Red Cross blood drive, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Keene Memorial Library, 1030 N. Broad St., Fremont. To schedule a regular or Power Red donation, visit www.redcrossblood.org.

Alcoholics Anonymous womens heart-to-heart group, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Fremont Eagles Club open, noon to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. Karaoke with Curtis Morris will be from 7-11 p.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Spiritual 12-Step Recovery Program, 7 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont.

Dancing at Lughnasa, 7:30 p.m., Nell McPherson Theatre at Fremont High School, 1750 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont. This play is the story of five unmarried sisters eking out their lives in a small village in Ireland in 1936. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and FPS faculty. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at fremont.booktix.com.

Narcotics Anonymous The Lie is Dead meeting, 8 p.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Sunday

Alcoholics Anonymous Happy Sober Sunday Group, 9 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Seekers of Serenity meeting, 10:30 a.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511.

Fremont Eagles Club open, noon to 6 p.m., 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous Sunday speaker, 7:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Monday

TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), 9 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 850 N. Broad St., Fremont. Weigh-ins begin at 8 a.m. Visitors (preteens, teens and adults  male and female) are welcome. The first meeting is free. For more information, call Janet Bloemker at 402-721-8952.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Lightkeepers Womens Group, 10 a.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Fremont Eagles Club open, 3 p.m. to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. There will be a trustees meeting at 4 p.m.

Digital Drop-In, 4-5 p.m., Keene Memorial Library, 1030 N. Broad St., Fremont. Drop in at your convenience for technology instruction. No appointment is necessary.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Celebrate Recovery, 6:30 p.m., Fremont Church of the Nazarene, 960 Johnson Road.

Fremont Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m., Main Street Education and Administration Building, 130 E. Ninth St., Fremont. The meeting is open to the public.

Fresh Hope Mental Health Support Group, 7 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont.

Spring vocal music concert, 7:30 p.m., Nell McPherson Theatre, Fremont High School, 1750 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous 12x12 meeting, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

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Some voters may notice changes in their polling places for the May primary elections on Tuesday.

Voters in Precinct 3C, who previously cast ballots at Bradys Meats and Foods, will vote at the Dodge County Courthouse at Fifth Street and Park Avenue, said Dodge County Clerk Fred Mytty.

Plans are to have the former ENCOR building at 935 S. Schneider St. turned into a permanent polling place for voters in Precinct 3C by the Nov. 8 general election.

We hope to have the ENCOR building remodeled by the general election, Mytty said.

Nye Square and the former Arbor Manor used to be polling places, but due to the closing of Premier Estates (formerly Arbor Manor) and the COVID-19 pandemic, people who voted in those locations now vote at the Nebraska Extension of Dodge County location at 1206 W. 23rd St.

That means voters in Fremont precincts 2C, 2D and 2E all will go to the extension office location to cast their ballots.

Some redistricting occurred due to population growth in Fremont and Dodge County.

By constitutional law, the United States is required to redistrict based on population every 10 years with the release of that years census. Districts must be substantially equal in size.

Mytty said that while some redistricting did occur, letters of polling place changes were sent to those voters in January.

He also reminds voters that Nebraska has a closed primary. That means only the party members vote for their partys nominees to appear in the general election ballot.

Thus, the only ones who will be eligible to vote for a Republican candidate for the governors race will be those registered as a Republican.

Anyone registered as a non-partisan or any other party member cannot vote for that, only Republicans.

Mytty isnt certain how many people will turn out at the polls. In the 2020 general election  amid the COVID-19 pandemicthe state sent out absentee requests to every voter in the county.

The form had a place where people could sign and be added to a permanent absentee list.

We have 5,400 on the list. We sent out notices to all those people with an application to apply for an absentee ballot and we have already received 3,000 back, Mytty said.

Four years ago during the last gubernatorial election in 2018, only about 700 who voted in the county via absentee ballot.

Voters still have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to appoint an agent to pick up a ballot for them.

If you happen to be sick on Election Day and want a ballot, you can appoint an agent to pick up a ballot and bring it to you. That has to be returned by 8 oclock, election night, Mytty said.

We hope for a smooth election, Mytty said. Well get ready again for the next election, June 28.

That will be a special election. Republican Mike Flood and Democrat Patty Pansing Brooks are running for Nebraskas 1st Congressional District. The seat was vacated due to the resignation of Representative Jeff Fortenberry.

The polls for the primary election will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 10.

Polling places in Dodge County are:

City of North BendVFW Hall

City of ScribnerScribner City Community Room, 530 Main St., Scribner

Cotterell/Union/Ridgeley/Pleasant Valley  VFW Hall, North Bend

Webster-Dodge  Dodge City Hall

Pebble-Snyder  Snyder Auditorium

Platte East  Church of Christ, 4163 N. Broad St.

Platte West  Christensen Field Community Room, 1730 W. 16th St.

Nickerson-Maple  Nickerson Firemans Community Room

Everett-Cuming _ Scribner City Community Room, 530 Main St., Scribner

City of Hooper  Hooper Public Library

Logan/Hooper  Logan View Junior-Senior High School

Elkhorn  Trinity Lutheran School, 16th Street and Luther Road, Fremont

Fremont Precincts

Note: Some locations are polling places for more than one precinct.

1A  Evangelical Free Church, 2050 N. Lincoln Ave.

1B  Anderson Conference Center, 900 N. Clarkson St.

1C  Trinity Lutheran School, 16th Street and Luther Road

1D  Gifford Tower, 2510 N. Clarkson St.

1E  St. Patricks Catholic Church, 3400 E. 16th St.

2A  First Congregational Church, 1550 N. Broad St., Northeast entrance

2B  StoneBridge Christian Church, 1041 N. Nye Ave.

2C, 2D, 2E  Nebraska Extension of Dodge County office, 1206 W. 23rd St.

3A  Fremont City Auditorium, Ninth and Broad streets

3B, 3C  Dodge County Courthouse, Fifth Street and Park Avenue

3D  Christensen Field Community Room, 1730 W. 16th St.

3E  Salem Lutheran Church, annex building, Sixth and C streets

4A, 4B  Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1544 E. Military Ave.

4C  Deerfield Clubhouse, 1021 S. Howard Drive (Howard and Old Highway 8)

4D  First Lutheran Church, 3200 E. Military Ave.

4E  Swanson Hall of Science, Eighth and Irving streets

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Its become a leading topic of conversation  reaction to the leaked draft indicating the U.S. Supreme court looks to overrule a 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The draft ruling would overturn Roe v. Wade in which the court determined that the Constitution of the United States protects a womans decision to have an abortion.

Pro-Life and Pro-Choice advocates recently shared their thoughts.

Pro-LifeFremonter Janice Ortmeier said she and her husband, Don, became Pro-Life the minute the Supreme Court handed down its decision in 1973.

They worked to form the Fremont Area Right to Life organization and have been involved ever since.

We believe its a human life from the moment of conception, she said. When the egg is fertilized, life begins.

Theyd like to see Roe v. Wade overturned.

If they would overturn it, that would be good, she said. It would save millions of babies.

She believes people are throwing away a life when they have an abortion.

Don Ortmeier brings up another point.

I dont believe the federal government should tell people what to do, he said. I think it should come back to the state.

Ortmeier said before the Supreme Court decision, only four states believed in abortion.

When they passed it, then every state had to obey what the government was saying and that was a big problem, because that just made it so people didnt even have a chance to vote on it, he said.

Janice said the local Right to Life group continues to have an annual Life Chain, a Pro-Life event.

She also said theres a Pro-Life center in every state that will help women in this situation. She cites Life Choices, a nonprofit organization in Fremont, that helps women who have unplanned pregnancies.

Suzanne Schneider, executive director of Life Choices, expressed her thoughts in a statement.

The court was not prepared to hand down the official opinion, so we need to let the justices continue to do their job, Schneider said. As of today in Nebraska, no laws have changed. At Life choices, our work has always been and will continue to be Her  every woman deserves compassion and support in the face of an unexpected pregnancy and Life Choices provides that.

Pro-Choice

Planned Parenthood North Central States supports and operates 28 health centers across a five-state region (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota).

The regional affiliate responded to the leaked draft Supreme Court majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which explicitly overturns Roe v. Wade.

It is important to note that abortion is still legal, the Planned Parenthood affiliate stated. The law has not changed  this is a draft opinion with no current legal authority.

Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO, stated:

First, our doors are open today and our doors will remain open every day for abortion care as long as legally possible, Stoesz said. Anyone who has an abortion appointment this week, or needs an abortion appointment, please know that Planned Parenthood is here for you.

This leaked opinion is horrifying, she continued. We all knew the day could come that safe and legal abortion would be decimated in our country, and now we are facing that reality.

It is true that individual Americans may have different moral views on abortion, and this is exactly why the strong majority of people in our country believe that this decision must be left up to individuals themselves.

We will not accept this decision without a fight  we are ready and will mobilize, organize, and stand up in every corner of our land, Stoesz said. Our voices will be heard. And Planned Parenthood will never, ever abandon our patients. Planned Parenthood is here for good.

The affiliate provides a variety of services including: abortion care, birth control, morning-after pill (emergency contraception), pregnancy testing, options counseling, breast exams, pap tests, testing and treatment for STDs, fertility awareness education, transgender hormone therapy, LBGTQ+ care, screening/treatment for anxiety/depression.

Each year, it provides health care to almost 115,000 people and health education to more than 55,000 people in its region.

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Ukraine evacuates civilians from steel plant under siege

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  The war in Ukraine has wracked the countrys southern coast as Russian forces fire cruise missiles at the city of Odesa and bombard a steel mill in the port of Mariupol where Ukrainian civilians and fighters had sought safety. Officials announced Saturday that the last women, children and older adults have been evacuated from the plant, but the fighters remain trapped. Russia hopes to complete its conquest of Mariupol in time for Victory Day celebrations on Monday. However, Ukraines military has flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that has become a symbol of resistance. And Western military analysts say a Ukrainian counteroffensive was advancing around Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city.

Supreme Court leak shakes trust in one more American pillar

WASHINGTON (AP)  It's been clear in recent years that people in the United States don't have much faith in their institutions. Polling shows that public opinion of Congress is dismal. Views of the presidency aren't great. Even the question of whether American democracy is working gets a worrying answer. The Supreme Court has been an exception. It's traditionally enjoyed higher public esteem than the other branches of government. But that standing has diminished as the court has come to be seen as more political. Now, the leak of the justices' tentative vote to strike down the constitutional right to abortion has deepened suspicions that the high court is becoming politicized.

Hong Kong kicks off leadership polls with sole candidate

HONG KONG (AP)  A Hong Kong election committee is voting for the citys only leadership candidate, John Lee, who is expected to win and become Hong Kongs next chief executive. The committee, comprised of nearly 1,500 largely pro-Beijing members, is voting in a secret ballot for 2 1/2 hours on Sunday morning. Lee needs more than 750 votes to win the election. As the only candidate in the polls, Lee is expected to win easily, especially since he has Beijings endorsement. If elected, Lee will replace current leader Carrie Lam on July 1.

S Korea's next leader faces escalating N Korean nuke threat

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Yoon Suk Yeol takes office as South Korea's president Tuesday amid heightened animosities over North Korea's nuclear program. During his election campaign, the conservative Yoon said he would teach North Korean leader Kim Jong Un some manners and sternly cope with his provocative missile tests with a strengthened alliance with the United States. But he now faces an increasingly belligerent Kim, who openly threatens to use his atomic bombs against his rivals and is reportedly preparing for his first nuclear test explosion since 2017. If that happens, tensions on the Korean Peninsula would plunge to fresh lows and leave Yoon with few options to deal with Kim just as he begins his presidency.

80-1 shot Rich Strike races to huge upset in Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Rich Strike came charging up the rail to overtake the leaders in the closing strides for a stunning 80-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby. Jockey Sonny Leon guided Rich Strike from well back in the 20-horse field to beat 4-1 favorite Epicenter by three-quarters of a length. Zandon was another three-quarters of a length back in third on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Rich Strike wasnt even in the Derby field until Friday when Ethereal Road was scratched, making room for the colt trained by Eric Reed. Both Leon and Reed were in their first Derby.

What GOP-nominated justices said about Roe to Senate panel

WASHINGTON (AP)  In one form or another, every Supreme Court nominee is asked during Senate hearings about his or her views of the landmark abortion rights ruling that has stood for a half century. Now, a draft opinion obtained by Politico suggests that a majority of the court is prepared to strike down the Roe v. Wade decision from 1973, leaving it to the states to determine a womans ability to get an abortion. Republican-nominated justices now hold a 6-3 majority, and they gave varying answers to senators when asked for their views on the abortion case.

Sinn Fein hails 'new era' as it wins Northern Ireland vote

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP)  The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has won the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time. With almost all votes counted from Thursday's election, Sinn Fein has secured 27 of the assemblys 90 seats. The Democratic Unionist Party has 24. The historic win means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast. It's a first for a nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921. Sinn Fein seeks a united Ireland and has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army. But the party kept unification out of the spotlight this year during a campaign that was dominated by the skyrocketing cost of living.

For Parkland survivor, a long road to recovery from trauma

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP)  Eden Hebron witnessed a gunman kill a close friend and two other students on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. More than a year later, the trauma still weighed heavily on Eden and other students. Eden's parents eventually sent her to a mental health facility in California. There, she had little contact with the outside world. She went through therapy and treatment alongside a handful of other teens. She moved back to Florida and now studies in New Jersey. Her long journey in recovery isn't unique _ others who've survived shootings grappled with trauma for years. Eden shares her story to help others and says she feels for those who don't have the same resources.

Desperate search for survivors in Cuba hotel blast; 27 dead

HAVANA (AP)  Relatives of the missing in Cubas capital are desperately searching for victims of an explosion at one of Havana's most luxurious hotels that killed at least 27 people. They checked the morgue and hospitals, and if unsuccessful, they returned to the partially collapsed Hotel Saratoga. A natural gas leak was the apparent cause of Fridays blast at the 96-room hotel. The 19th-century structure in the citys Old Havana neighborhood did not have any guests at the time because it was undergoing renovations ahead of a planned Tuesday reopening. Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, says 81 people were injured.

Mickey Gilley, who helped inspire 'Urban Cowboy,' dies at 86

NEW YORK (AP)  Country star Mickey Gilley has died. He was 86. He was known for such hits as Window Up Above" and for the Texas honky-tonk he owned that inspired the hit film Urban Cowboy." Based on an Esquire magazine article about two regulars at Gilley's, the film starred John Travolta and Debra Winger and inspired a nationwide wave of Western-themed clubs. Gilley also had some famous relatives, including cousins Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock n' roll pioneer; and evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. Gilley's other hits include City Lights" and Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time."

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have ordered all women to cover their faces, the latest in a series of restrictions that have drawn criticism from many Afghans and the international community.



The decree, announced at a news conference in the capital, Kabul, on May 7, calls for women to only show their eyes and recommends they wear the head-to-toe burqa.



A spokesman for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice read out the decree and said it was issued in the name of the group's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.



Failure to comply will result in a woman's father or closest male relative being reprimanded, imprisoned, or fired from employment, the decree said.



We want our sisters to live with dignity and safety, Khalid Hanafi, acting minister for the ministry, was quoted as saying.

The UN Assistance Mission In Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was deeply concerned with the Taliban announcement and that the decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans human rights, including those of women and girls.



UNAMA added that it would seek meetings with Taliban de facto authorities to seek clarification on the status of this decision.

The U.S. State Department also expressed concerns about the erosion of women's rights in Afghanistan.



"We are extremely concerned that the rights and progress Afghan women and girls have achieved and enjoyed over the last 20 years are being eroded," a spokesperson said.



Washington and its allies "remain deeply troubled by recent steps the Taliban [has] taken directed at women and girls, including restrictions on education and travel."



Head scarves are common for most Afghan women, but in urban areas such as Kabul, many do not cover their faces.



One female activist in Kabul, who is a lawyer and does not want to be identified for security reasons, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that Afghan women used to wear the hijab and were Muslims before the Taliban.



"They (Afghans) used to be Muslims, whether they are Taliban in power or not. Unfortunately, the Taliban is always trying to get concessions from women," she said. "Sometimes it debates about women's education and sometimes it talks about the hijab for women. But it has forgotten the basic and important problems of hunger, poverty, and many other things in Afghanistan."



Girls have been banned from school beyond the sixth grade in most of the country since the Talibans return last August.



In March, the Taliban ordered girls' high schools closed on the morning they were scheduled to open. But in Kabul, private schools and universities have operated uninterrupted.



The United States and other nations have cut development aid and enforced strict banking sanctions since the Taliban takeover amid the sudden, chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Innocent Bystanders 1972 Based on the James Mitchell novel The Innocent Bystanders, screenplay by James Mitchell, directed by Peter Collinson. Mitchell wrote several John Craig spy novels under the name James Munro. I've not heard of them before. Not planning to look for them either. Spy books are pretty low down the list of genre fiction for me. Collinson directed The Italian Job in 1969 and Ten Little Indians in 1974. I liked both of those well enough but I've not seen any of his other work that I remember.

Stanley Baker is a spy working for Donald Pleasence, they work at one of the spy agencies in the UK. Donald is a nasty man with a plan to sacrifice Stanley as a decoy for his younger agents. Donald is not happy with Stanley, he thinks the man has passed it.

Stanley has to go to Turkey to find a scientist who's hiding. There's plenty of trouble for Stanley, other agents, including those on his side, want him dead and he's kidnapped Geraldine Chaplin. She has clues on the scientist's whereabouts.

There's all the usual sort of spy stuff going on, punch ups, gun shooting, explosions, and plenty of driving around. The action moves from London to Spain and then to Turkey. Plenty of fairly interesting locations. There's a bit too much personal melodrama between Stanley and Geraldine, it seems to slow the second act down. The movie runs 111 mins and it's pretty slowly paced.

Stanley turns out to be less than washed up, he manages to beat the baddies and the goodies, get some cash and move on. It's was mostly fun to watch. I'd watch it again, good thing because I've bought the Blu-ray, but I'd be fast forwarding through some of that personal drama.

I thought Stanley was entertaining is this movie but a bit less interesting than he was in Hell Drivers. That's my favorite trucking movie. It's a hell of a movie and I'm no big fan of a drama. This one stands out. Stanley is an ex-con who's gone to work for a gravel hauling company. The cast includes Herbert Lom, Patrick McGoohan, Peggy Cummins, David McCallum, Sean Connery, William Hartnell, Jill Ireland, Alfie Bass and Sid James. Here's a copy of the movie on YouTube.





The Great Spy Chase 1963 I watched this last December on a FNM night when we were all kept at home during a snow storm. You can see the post in the link above. I enjoyed the movie for the second time but both other viewers took a snooze during the last act.
Century Casinos and Fortitude Gold, both based in Colorado Springs, moved into 2022 by boosting profits during the first quarter.

Century bounced back from a loss of $1.42 million, or 5 cents a share, in the first quarter of last year with a profit of $218,000, or one cent a share. Much of the improvement resulted from fewer COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions on the company's Canadian and Polish casinos, which were closed during most or all of the same period last year. As a result of those casinos remaining open, the company's revenue jumped 40% to $103.1 million. Century, though, lost $2.15 million on the sale of its Calgary casino in February.

We are very pleased with the results of the first quarter," Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, Century's co-CEOs, said Friday in a news release. "Revenue grew in each of our three reportable segments (U.S. Canada and Poland) with overall growth of 42% compared to the first quarter of 2021. All of our properties are now operating with very few COVID-19 restrictions."

Century last month completed the first step of its $195 million acquisition of the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev., by buying a 50% interest in the company that owns the casino and hotel buildings and lands for $95 million. Century is awaiting approval from Nevada regulators to acquire the company that operates the casino and hotel for another $100 million. Century can buy the remaining 50% in the real estate for $105 million.

Fortitude, meanwhile, increased its first-quarter profits 9% from a year earlier to $2.62 million, or 11 cents a share, despite a 34.5% decline in revenue. The company attributed that drop to processing lower-grade ore than it did last year. Much of the improvement resulted from Fortitude cutting its operating expenses in half, compared with the same period last year when the company was hiring staff after it was spun off from Gold Resource Corp.

"Our first-quarter results set a strong tone for the 2022 production year, especially considering the low and high-grade (ore) stockpiles the operations leaned on during the quarter," Fortitude CEO Jason Reid said in a news release Wednesday. "Operations now have access to high-grade pearl zone ore for the next three years with a mine plan that is scheduled to move substantially less waste rock each subsequent year, resulting in lower expected mining costs."
A new parking lot has unlocked new possibilities at Staunton State Park, including quicker access to some of the preserve's most beloved destinations.

One of those is Elk Falls, the 75-foot waterfall that previously required a 12-mile round trip hike through the forest near Pine, southwest of Denver. From the new Lazy V parking lot, that round trip is now closer to eight miles.

"Still a difficult hike, not exactly a walk in the park," noted Staunton's manager, Zach Taylor.

Along the standard route following Staunton Ranch and Bugling Elk trails, it's still a rugged trek at elevations starting around 8,500 feet and ending near 9,200 feet. Taylor recommended bringing plenty of water and snacks  "knowing it's probably going to take you a good four hours," he said.

That's down two or three hours he previously estimated for the round trip.

For climbers, also down is the trip to one of the park's premier crags, Staunton Rocks.

Previously, from the Meadow parking lot, climbers hiked about 2 1/2 miles to the routes. From Lazy V, that's now less than a mile.

The 135 spots are reached on a road stretching about two miles from the visitor center.

"After the year we had in 2020, we were at capacity every weekend," Taylor said. "So part of the philosophy with this parking lot was just that need for additional parking."

He expects the lot "to help within the realm of turnover, too," he said. The less time hiking, the less time parked, goes the thinking.

Additionally: "You can see the history of homesteading in the area," Taylor said.

Lining the road to the parking lot are seven structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Colorado Springs is responsible for identifying a site for a passenger rail station that would serve Amtrak and intercity commuter trains, and the staff has narrowed the options down to four sites in the downtown area.

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FILE PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets troops who have taken part in the military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) April 29, 2022. KCNA via REUTERS
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When asked why he supports a zero tolerance approach to simple possession, Marshall Weaver said when he was selling heroin and meth in 2019, the General Assembly passed the law that made possession of less than 4 grams a misdemeanor.
Its entirely consistent to oppose public money going to private schools while supporting Medicaid dollars being spent at private hospitals or scholarship grants that can be used at private colleges.

If Gov. Kim Reynolds plan to permit up to 10,000 Iowa children to use tax money to attend private K-12 schools becomes law, the states public schools wont immediately wither.

Educators will work hard to rebalance class sizes and teach any student who comes in the door, just as they have while enduring a pandemic, lean budget years and high-profile criticism of their moral judgment.

But if the proposal becomes law, a die will have been cast. The states singular commitment to making a robust public education available to every child will be breached, with about 1.6% (for now) of school funding redirected to private institutions. Untangling such a program even after its folly becomes apparent will be complicated if not impossible. Public school boards, administrators, faculty and other workers will have more difficulty than ever before plugging the holes.

This issue is holding up the conclusion of this years legislative session. Despite holding overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, Republicans are struggling to muster enough support to pass one of Reynolds top priorities. The Iowa Senate has already approved the bill creating student scholarships/education savings accounts (advocates have not settled on the most palatable branding) with just one defection from their 32-member caucus. But among the 60 Republicans in the House, at least 11 have publicly expressed trepidation about the proposal, according to a tally published by the conservative Iowa Standard blog.

The holdouts are right to fret about the consequences of forking over $55 million or more to private schools coffers. Theyre listening to concerns of public school leaders. Those leaders admittedly have a significant bias in this debate, but they know they have precious few tools for paying for staff, facilities and services outside the Legislature-managed per-pupil funding formula  especially compared with private institutions that set tuition rates and undertake massive fundraising campaigns.

The pros and cons of the plan are well-trodden ground. But at this critical stage, we want to surface a few new points and reinforce some others.

Private schools are unevenly distributed in Iowa

The effect of this legislation would vary wildly in different regions of the state. Iowa is divided into nine Area Education Agency districts for the provision of various services. The Northwest agency includes about 8% of the states students; about 18% of Iowas private school buildings are within its boundaries. In contrast, the Green Hills agency, covering portions of southwest Iowa, also has about 8% of the states students, but only 3% of private school facilities are located there. Even at that, half of those private schools, including the only high schools, are in Council Bluffs. It seems unlikely that families from Bedford, Diagonal or Mount Ayr will trek there or to the plentiful Des Moines-area private schools. Altogether, 76 of Iowas 99 counties have no private high school.

Scholarships would be available to the relatively well off

The means test for eligibility for scholarships is generous  a family of four could earn up to about $111,000 annually. While its correct to say the legislation could provide new options to the poorest Iowa families, it might also serve to simply free up some disposable income for families who could fit private school tuition in their budgets. Even without receiving public money, private schools often provide substantial tuition assistance to needy families.

Proper education for children is part of our social compact

Its entirely consistent to oppose public money going to private schools while supporting, say, Medicaid dollars being spent at private hospitals or scholarship grants that can be used at private colleges. Health care and higher education function differently from K-12 education and cant always be directly analogized. Ensuring proper education for all children is part of our social compact, and that obligation is embedded in the Iowa Constitution: to provide for the education of all the youths of the state. A more apt comparison is with the tax-supported police and fire protection available to everybody, regardless of the degree to which any particular resident makes use of those services.

The permutations for how the school choice standoff at the Statehouse could play out are many. But any compromise offer that Democrats and holdout Republicans receive that retains this dangerous idea should be rejected.

Extend the session into sweltering summer days. Start the new fiscal year in July without a state budget. Whatever consequences would follow, they would be more tolerable than cracking the foundation of Iowas tradition of quality public education.

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WENTWORTH, N.C.  A friend called Joe Baez Friday night to warn him a tornado was coming. The retired middle school principal said he had just reached the bottom of the steps to his basement when he heard what sounded like a freight train.

A few minutes later, it was all over.

On Saturday, Baez talked about the storm with the buzz of workers sawing through downed trees in the background at his home on Roberson Lane.

I was watching the Braves game and a friend called me and said, Hey you better take cover. I said what for? She said theres a tornado heading your way. So I said, well, Ill walk downstairs to my basement, Baez said.

He said there was a lot of wind and noise.

And then I heard trees snapping ... and then they started hitting the house.

While they were all fine in the basement, getting out of the house afterward was a little difficult, Baez said.

It didnt take but about two or three minutes for the whole thing to be over. ... I couldnt even get out my doors.

Rockingham County officials declared a state of emergency Saturday after a storm swept through the night before, leaving behind downed trees, blocked roads and damaged homes.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths.

Rockingham County Emergency Services Director Rodney Cates said the early warnings provided by the National Weather Service and Rockingham County Emergency Services were crucial in protecting the lives of the people impacted by Fridays storm.

I think that is why we havent seen any injuries from this event because people had prior warning and prior notice to take shelter, Cates said. I think that is why lives were protected from a potential deadly situation.

An exact storm path has yet to be determined, but Cates said it appears the system made its first impact southwest of Wentworth, then touched down again just northeast of the township.

A survey team with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va., is in Wentworth looking at the damage to determine if a tornado or straight-line winds hit the area. An initial report wont be available until this afternoon or evening, the agency said.

The extent of the damage was still unclear Saturday.

On Wentworth Street in Reidsville, two large oak trees fell on Karen Wilsons home. She said the trees crushed her granddaughters bedroom.

She would have been killed if she would have been in there, Wilson said. I went back in there and the house was creaking so I ran out. Im not going back in there. I dont know what Im going to do.

Doug Allred, spokesman for Cone Health, said in a text that no damage was reported at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville.

Once we got the warning, staff enacted the standard steps we take to ensure patient safety should a tornado hit. That included moving patients into hallways, Allred said, adding that visitors were also moved to areas away from glass windows. Thankfully the all clear came and everything returned to normal.

Rockingham County was placed under a tornado warning about 7:20 p.m. on Friday. Rockingham County Emergency Communications said it began to receive reports about 20 minutes later of damaged structures as a result of what was believed to be a tornado.

The Rockingham County Sheriffs Office said on Twitter Friday night there were damaged homes and blocked roads in the Wentworth area at Cedar Lane and Setliff, County Home, Sunset View and Parkland roads.

The American Red Cross and Rockingham County Health and Human Services are available to help anyone with home damage who needs help with shelter, the county said in a news release. Anyone needing assistance should contact Rockingham County Emergency Communications at 336-634-3300.

Staff photographer Woody Marshall and staff writers Annette Ayres and James Sands contributed to this report.
Scientists have found another rare species living on Grandfather Mountain, and this one practically has its name up in lights.

Photinus Carolinus  known as synchronous fireflies to tourists who travel far and stay up late to see them  may always have lived at Grandfather Mountain. But they were only officially discovered there in 2019, when N.C. State University entomologist Clyde Sorenson stayed overnight in a guest cottage on the mountain and encountered them on a walk outside.

Since then, he and other researchers have confirmed the fireflies presence, and this year, the mountain is inviting human guests to come and watch their nightly show.

The firefly mating ritual

For years, visitors have flocked to places in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee where synchronous and blue ghost fireflies are known to carry out their late spring-early summer mating ritual that results in a spectacular natural light show.

DuPont State Recreational Forest, in Henderson and Transylvania counties, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, straddling the N.C.-Tennessee border, both now manage crowds that come to see the amorous insects. They also have been seen on trails in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest inside Nantahala National Forest in southwestern North Carolina.

The fireflies have a mating season that lasts two to four weeks in May and June, and it looks like an awkward party where the sexes have self-segregated, with the females in the grass and the males flying around a few feet off the ground. The males way of asking the girls to dance is to flash their lights  hundreds of fireflies, all at the same time  in hopes that a mate will flash back a welcome sign.

Grandfather Glows

The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, which now runs the mountaintop attraction that includes the Mile-High Swinging Bridge, nature museum and animal habitats, will sell tickets to three nights of viewing this luminescent waltz, on June 26, June 29 and July 1.

Theyre calling it Grandfather Glows: Bioluminescent Evenings on Grandfather Mountain.

Two hundred tickets will be available for each night on a first-come, first-served basis beginning May 23.

Theres only a handful of species all around the world that do this, and for a long time, this particular species, the phenomenon of seeing large numbers of them synchronizing has been associated tightly with just a couple geographical areas, Sorenson told the Stewardship Foundation. But the species goes all the way from New York to Georgia. Where they have been most widely known and recognized for so long is at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But thats at 2,200 feet. Where I saw them (at Grandfather) was at 4,200 feet.

Each event will run from 7 to 11 p.m., and tickets will cost $60 for adults and $35 for children. Events may be rescheduled for severe weather. Park naturalists will be on hand to provide educational programs and answer questions.
After two years of COVID-19 disruptions, the Vigilante Day Parade returned to downtown Helena Friday with 75 floats built by local high school students.
Thirty two graduates participated in the first of Helena College's two spring walk-through commencement ceremonies Friday, a holdover from recent years that Dean and CEO Sandra Bauman said offers benefits to everyone involved.

"It's one of those positive artifacts born out of COVID," Bauman said of the walk-through ceremonies.

During the ceremonies, each individual graduate and a small party of family and friends is escorted to a staging area and greeted by Bauman, the Montana University System Commissioner of Higher Education and some faculty members as they wait their turn in line. After a private ceremony, the graduate and company are dropped off at a reception area with the option to tour the school grounds.

"Every single family has a front-row seat for their child's graduation," Bauman said.

Friday's ceremony was held at Helena College's Airport Campus, and 41 additional graduates will participate in another ceremony Saturday at the Donaldson Campus. Helena College's class of 2022 graduated a total of 215 people, though many of them opted not to participate in commencement.

Josiah Dunham was chosen by his peers to deliver this year's student graduation speech, which was prerecorded and is being played for the graduates on a television screen at the ceremonies.

"Even though the world, the economy might look bleak, the world will keep building," Dunham said, encouraging his fellow newly skilled workers to follow through with the work and attain whatever professional license they may need. "It will keep fixing things. It will always be growing. And we need your talents now more than ever."

Rheanna Tanner is one of 16 nurses graduating in the class of 2022.

"(T)o my lovely children and my fiance, James: You all have been my rock and my foundation. I will forever be grateful for the sacrifices that you have made so that I can follow my dreams," Tanner wrote in her class of 2022 graduate testimonial, another new feature of walk-through graduation program.

Both the student graduation speech and graduate testimonials have been posted to the college's YouTube page.

In a separate ceremony, the new nurses will receive a commemorative pin from a person of their choosing.

"It's a great tradition," Bauman said. "Sort of a right of passage in the profession."

The graduation events over the weekend are all designed to foster "an intimate, almost custom moment," said Helena College Director of Marketing and Communication Donna Breitbart.

Breitbart said the decision to continue the walk-through ceremonies was carefully considered.

"It wasn't a decision made siloed," she said. "It was based off of feedback from faculty and students."

She said the miniature, TikTok-ready ceremonies are a hit.

The new format even allowed the college to accommodate its first-ever fall graduation in December.

Bauman called graduation her favorite time of year.

"It's a great reminder of why we do the work that we do," she said, adding that she can't help but be nervous on the big day. "It does make you a little nervous because you want it to be perfect for each graduate because they all worked so hard."

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One of the inherent challenges for the compassionate, committed people who choose nursing as a career is that they must also watch patients go through the hardest times of their lives.

For Holly Henderson, thats the hardest part of her job as an oncology registered nurse at Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois.

But the most rewarding aspect of the job is the opportunity it presents to build relationships with those patients.

After all, thats why Henderson, 38, got into nursing  so that she could be a source of comfort and support for others.

I have always wanted to help and take care of others in need, said Henderson, who holds a BSN from Millikin University and has been a nurse for seven years.

One special person who inspired her was her aunt, Gail Whitfield, who also was a nurse.

Asked for her biggest accomplishment in the nursing field, Henderson doesnt mention certifications or awards. Instead, she aspires to be that nurse that people will always remember because hopefully I helped make a difference.

In her current role, Henderson describes fellow nurse Lynnette Clemens as a mentor. She has taught me everything, she said.

Her advice to others considering nursing: You are choosing a very important and honorable field, she said. Nothing is greater than providing physical and emotional support to others.

In her downtime, Henderson enjoys teaching dance and spending quality time with her family, including husband Jason Henderson, daughter Brynlee and son Maverik.

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Today's highlight

On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II.

On May 7:

In 1889, the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore opened its doors.

In 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, out of the nearly 2,000 on board.

In 1928, the minimum voting age for British women was lowered from 30 to 21  the same age as men.

In 1939, Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis.

In 1941, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA Victor.

In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces.

In 1963, the United States launched the Telstar 2 communications satellite.

In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the "Vietnam era." In Ho Chi Minh City  formerly Saigon  the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover.

In 1977, Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories.

In 2010, a BP-chartered vessel lowered a 100-ton concrete-and-steel vault onto the ruptured Deepwater Horizon well in an unprecedented, and ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to stop most of the gushing crude fouling the sea.

In 2012, Vladimir Putin took the oath of office as Russia's president for the next six years in a brief but regal Kremlin ceremony. Education Secretary Arne Duncan broke ranks with the White House, stating his unequivocal support for same-sex marriage a day after Vice President Joe Biden said on NBC that he was "absolutely comfortable" with gay couples marrying. (Two days later, President Barack Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage, a position he had previously stopped short of embracing.)

In 2017, French voters elected independent centrist Emmanuel Macron, 39, as the country's youngest president, delivering a resounding victory to the pro-European former investment banker and dashing the populist dream of far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

In 2019, two students opened fire inside a charter school in a Denver suburb not far from Columbine High School, killing a fellow student, 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo, who authorities said had charged at the shooters to protect classmates. (Both attackers would be sentenced to life in prison; one who was 16 at the time of the shooting could be eligible for parole after about 20 years.)

In 2020, Georgia authorities arrested a white father and son and charged them with murder in the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood near the port city of Brunswick. (The two men and a third white man would be convicted of murder in state court, and hate crimes in federal court.)

In 2021, a federal grand jury indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's arrest and death, accusing them of willfully violating the constitutional rights of the Black man as he was restrained face-down on the pavement, gasping for air. (Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murder in state court, pleaded guilty in the federal case; the three others were convicted in February 2022 and also await sentencing.) Palestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police at the famed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City as weeks-long tensions between Israel and the Palestinians soared; as many as 53 people were injured in the violence. State officials announced that California's population had declined in 2020 for the first time since they began measuring it. Tawny Kitaen, who appeared in rock music videos during the heyday of MTV and starred opposite Tom Hanks in the 1984 comedy "Bachelor Party," died at her California home at 59.

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DECATUR  Decatur police made two arrests in connection with an early Friday morning shooting that sent three people to local hospitals.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. Friday, police were called to the parking lot behind the businesses in the 100 block of South Oakland Avenue to the report of numerous shots being fired. Multiple spent shell casings were found throughout the parking lot, according to police.

"While on the scene, three Decatur residents arrived at the hospitals with apparent gunshot wounds," Lt. Scott Rosenbery said in a news release. "Two victims were treated and are in stable condition. The third victim is in critical condition."

During the investigation, detectives had probable cause to arrest one of the victims, an 18-year-old man from Decatur. He was arrested for aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

A 35-year-old man from Decatur was also arrested for aggravated discharge of a firearm and possession of a weapon by a felon. Both men were booked into the Macon County jail.

Police continue to investigate the incident with additional arrests anticipated.

Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to contact the Decatur Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division at 217-424-2734 or Crimestoppers at 217-423-8477.

Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR

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The discovery of a large dead shark hanging from the rafters at a high school is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It happened Thursday at Ponte Vedra High School in St. Johns County, and investigators are working to determine the species. The school is in Ponte Vedra Beach, south of Jacksonville.

Ponte Vedra Highs mascot is a shark, suggesting the incident was a student prank.

At approximately 9 p.m. ... (5/4/22) a group of five high school students at Ponte Vedra High School hung a gutted shark on the rafters of the school courtyard, according to Alex AuBuchon, public information director for the wildlife commissions Northeast Region.

We have learned the shark was harvested Tuesday night (5/3), gutted, and stored in a freezer prior to being hung.

Two sets of cables were used to hang the shark over a staircase on the outside of the building.

The shark was discovered around 8 a.m. Thursday by school staff and cut down, station WJXT reported.

School officials disposed of the carcass before the commission was notified, AuBuchon said.

Photos of the shark have been sent to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation marine fisheries biologists to identify the species. More than two dozen species of sharks cannot be legally harvested in Florida, the state reports.

Surveillance cameras at the school recorded students in the act of hanging the shark, and the video has been sent to the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office, WJXT said.

The incident has prompted outrage on social media, with some accusing the participants of wanton waste while others say it counts as animal cruelty.

A prank shouldnt involve something being killed! one commenter wrote on Facebook.

May 19 is the final day for seniors at the school, and graduation is May 28. The school has 1,914 students, according to U.S. News & World Report.

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CHICAGO  A Frankfort woman was sentenced to a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $650,000 from a national student organization working to improve minority representation in the pharmacy industry, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago.

Carmita Coleman, 50, was also ordered Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly to pay more than $490,000 in restitution, but Coleman and her husband in February filed for bankruptcy.

Coleman had been indicted in November 2020 and pleaded guilty in January to a single count of wire fraud, court documents show.

During the fraud scheme, which lasted from 2011 to 2016, Coleman worked as executive director for the student organization and was responsible for managing its finances. The organization was funded through student and chapter dues, convention registration fees and donations from corporate sponsors, according to the indictment.

In the government's sentencing recommendation, filed with Kennelly last month, prosecutors said that Coleman "used the organization's funds as her own piggy bank," tapping its accounts to pay for vacations to destinations including the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

During 2011 and 2012, according to the document, Coleman wrote nearly $70,000 in checks from the organization's accounts payable to herself and to her husband, and in subsequent years "she made an astounding number of cash withdrawals."

Trips to a bank to cash checks or to make ATM withdrawals averaged about 200 transactions annually during 2013, 2014 and 2015, according to the filing.

While the money she oversaw was intended to help provide scholarships, defray student expenses and pay for community outreach, Coleman tapped funds to enrich herself and her family, according to the filing.

The organization was identified in the indictment only as "Organization A," but it was the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, which sued Coleman in federal court in March 2021 in an effort to recoup allegedly pilfered funds, according to court documents.

The Louisiana-based group was founded in 1972 and its members are pharmacy students who are concerned about the profession of pharmacy, health care issues and the poor minority representation in these areas, according to its website.

The organization's lawsuit is on hold pending the outcome of the bankruptcy filing by Coleman and her husband in federal bankruptcy court in Chicago, a document in the lawsuit indicates.

To conceal the theft from the student pharmacy, submitting false annual financial reports showing the organization had received "substantially less revenue" than had actually been taken in and recording lower fund balances than the actual cash that was on hand, according to a filing in Coleman's criminal case.

In February 2016, another person was to have been installed as the organization's executive director after a separate entity overseeing the pharmacy group called into question Coleman's depiction of the student organization's finances, according to the government's sentencing recommendation document.

Coleman "feigned outrage at any suggestion of impropriety and insisted she could delineate the organization's spending 'to the penny,'" assistant U.S. Attorney L. Heidi Manschreck said in the filing.

Even after being ousted as the organization's executive director, Coleman refused to turn over control of its bank accounts to continue to wring money from the group, the prosecutor wrote.

The government had asked for a sentence at the low end of the sentencing guidelines, which called for a prison term of between 41 and 51 months followed by a period of probation.

Prosecutors noted Coleman had, in an effort to make restitution, been making payments to the student pharmacy group, but those payments have since stopped.

Coleman and her husband, in their bankruptcy filing, said their monthly income is nearly $5,300 and that they rent the Frankfort house where they are living.

The judge overseeing the bankruptcy case, in the most recent filing in the matter, said the case is in danger of being dismissed after Coleman and her husband, so far, failing to submit fees for filing the case, amounting to about $400. A status hearing is scheduled for June.

At the time of the embezzlement from the student pharmacy group, Coleman was a professor and interim dean at Chicago State University's college of pharmacy, but no funds were embezzled from the university, according to court documents.

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SPRINGFIELD  Amid the onrush of new technology, Illinois officials are heralding an updated version of an old favorite: the folded highway map.

On Thursday the Illinois Department of Transportation announced the release of the new Illinois Official Highway Map. In addition to route updates, the map includes a new feature that shows mileage between towns and marked route junctions to help people plan their travels throughout Illinois.

"While many of us now use smartphones for directions, paper maps remain an important resource," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman.

"When your phone dies or you drive out of range, paper maps will show you the way," he said. "What's more, they provide valuable information about our great state to help you make the most of your travels."

The new map's cover features a shot of the capitol building in autumn. The photograph was the winner of IDOT's employee map cover contest, submitted by Andrew Bolinger, an office assistant.

For those with a smartphone, QR codes printed on the maps provide easy access to information on IDOT's Getting Around Illinois site for travel conditions, Amtrak, and the Office of Tourism's Enjoy Illinois campaign, as well as Illinois Department of Natural Resources historic sites and parks.

Published by IDOT every two years, the Illinois Official Highway Map is paid for with funds from the Federal Highway Administration and is printed on recycled paper with soybean oil-based inks.

To request a map, contact DOT.maps@illinois.gov. Free copies will be available soon at interstate rest areas and other IDOT facilities.

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy early followed by partly cloudy skies and gusty winds this afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High 96F. Winds SE at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 72F. SSE winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
Im taking the new Georgia "Constitutional Carry (CC) law apart because of some confusion out there, created by our Fifth Estate. The Truth is just not interesting to them. It would be just as easy to tell the truth, but they are too lazy to ask me for assistance, and Im super easy to find. I dont think the media (in this case, CNN) lied on purpose, because had they understood the impact of Georgias new law, the headline would have said "Georgia Governor signs new law that allows ANYONE to carry HIDDEN ASSAULT GUNS!!!



Instead, their headline said, "Georgia governor signs bill allowing most residents to carry a concealed gun without a permit. And they used "citizen as well, but never mentioned criminals: "The new law allows Georgia citizens to protect themselves without having to have permission from your state government, [Governor] Kemp said at a signing ceremony. Well, thats kinda, sorta true. The new law does that, but in fact, it allows anyone, even noncitizens, to carry permit-less in Georgia IF they would otherwise be eligible for a Georgia Weapons Carry License (GWCL), which isnt too tough to get. A CC gun toter is called a "Lawful Weapons Carrier (LWC) under the new law.

On that subject, two weekends ago, career criminal Frank R. James shot up a New York subway station, shooting 10 people and injuring 23 in the mayhem. Did CNN, the NYTimes, or anyone else run a headline that said, "NY law allows a convicted felon with a big rap sheet to shoot up subway station! Nope. Why? Because hes a criminal! He broke their already stringent laws just walking down the street with a firearm, convicted or not. Im guessing hes eligible for probably 70-plus criminal charges. So what good are laws if they allow this behavior, you ask? Laws tend to punish people based on actions, not intent. New York, one of the toughest anti-gun states in the country, cant keep nutjobs from getting guns, but they restrict the ability of law-abiding citizens to carry. How do you keep nutjobs from access to guns? Well, its not by denying guns to those who arent nutjobs!

How are our neighbors doing on CC? While all Southern states honor our GWCL (a good reason to keep your GWCL), immediate neighbors North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama have a similar CC law to what we just passed. Tennessees doesnt cover rifles, which is baffling. Alabama just passed CC, but its not effective until next year, so be careful. Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia are the other Southern states that have CC. Florida and South Carolina dont yet have CC but I assume they will soon follow.

Following the lines of GWCL existing law, merely carrying a firearm, open or concealed, is not grounds for a law enforcement officer (LEO) to detain the gun toter for investigation as to whether they are lawfully carrying. That really irks the anti-gun crowd, but its equivalent to a LEO detaining a person solely to see if they belong on the city streets. There is nothing unlawful about carrying a firearm, and detaining for investigation an LWC is tantamount to illegal search and seizure. IF the LEO has additional grounds, the LEO absolutely may investigate further. "A person carrying a weapon shall not be subject to detention for the sole purpose of investigating whether such person has a weapons carry license, whether such person is exempt from having a weapons carry license pursuant ..., or whether such person is a lawful weapons carrier.... Im glad the legislature expanded the prior law to cover LWCs in the illegal stop context.

Im sure more issues will arise as the law gets tested in court, so stay tuned because your favorite gun nut will be watching.

Kelly Burke, practicing attorney, former district attorney and magistrate judge, writes about the law, rocknroll, and politics or anything that strikes him. These articles are not designed to give legal advice, but are designed to inform the public about how the law affects their daily lives. Contact Kelly at dakellyburke@gmail.com to comment on this article or suggest articles that youd like to see, and visit his website at www.kellyrburke.com to view prior columns.
" " The legend of the utsuro-bune is still disputed. Were the fishermen visited by a princess from a foreign land, a Russian spy or aliens? Nagahashi Matajirou/Wikimedia Commons

On Feb. 22, 1803, a strange boat washed ashore in Japan. It was something the fishermen there had never seen before  a disc-shaped vessel, with windows on top and metal bands below. Inside they found strange writing etched into the walls, unusual fabrics they likened to bedsheets or carpet, and a passenger, a young, beautiful woman clutching a square box. She had red hair and pale pink skin, and she wore fine clothes, also made from strange fabric.

She spoke an unfamiliar language and refused to reveal the contents of the box she held. Could she have been an alien of some kind? Did these humble Japanese fishermen witness a close encounter? The hosts of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Matt Frederick and Ben Bowlin, examine the evidence in the podcast Utsuro-Bune: Ancient Japanese UFOs.

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The legend of the story is known as the utsuro-bune, or "hollow ship." The fishermen at the time theorized that the woman was a princess from a foreign land, exiled for a torrid affair with a peasant. Perhaps she carried the head of her deceased lover in the box, and protected it so carefully for that reason. Ultimately the fishermen decided to put her back in her ship and set her adrift to meet her destiny.

Over time, some have suggested the fishermen encountered an alien, not a woman. The boat obviously wasn't a UFO, because it didn't fly, but it could have been a USO, or unidentified submarine object. The most compelling evidence is the ship itself. In the texts describing the incident, the men likened the ship to a rice pot or an incense burner. The metal bands and hard glass windows were nothing the fishermen had seen before. And the writing on the ship has been compared to similar alien symbols found on the hulls of crafts from Roswell, New Mexico and the Rendlesham Forest incident.

There are more plausible explanations behind the encounter, however. Others suggest the woman was Russian and coming to persuade the Japanese to trade with them  or even to spy on them. The incident occurred during the Edo period when Japan's borders were strictly controlled, and the country traded only with China and the Netherlands. That isolation could also account for why the ship looked so unfamiliar to the fishermen. Round ships were not uncommon at the time, but the metal and glass encasings were.

The simplest explanation is that a round log-boat was covered with a dome to make it more seaworthy. But what about the writing on the ship, and the mysterious box the young woman carried? Could there really have been more to the story than meets the eye? Listen to the podcast to see what Matt and Ben think and then decide for yourself.
Presidential polls give JD(S) chance to reinforce its secular image

By Narendra Puppala

Hyderabad, May 8 (IANS) The approaching presidential polls have once again put the spotlight on which way the Janata Dal (Secular) will vote in Karnataka. In the only southern state where the national parties, BJP and Congress are directly ranged against each other, the JD(S) has occasionally emerged as a kingmaker.
Finland's public broadcaster Yleisradio launched a news service in Ukrainian on Wednesday, Suspilne reports.

"Russia's attack on Ukraine has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes and seek asylum in other countries. It is estimated that between 40,000 and 80,000 refugees will arrive in Finland alone. For our part, we want to support the daily lives of refugees and other Ukrainians living in Finland, and to help integrate them into Finnish society. One way to do this is to provide news in your native language," Suspilne reports Yle news director and editor-in-chief Jouko Jokinen as saying.

The news in Ukrainian is based on information from the Finnish news service Yle News. Reportedly, "the news is translated from Yle News into Ukrainian using machine translation. A Ukrainian-language journalist will always check the translations before publishing the news."

Ukrainian news will be published on Yle.fi.
Latvia fully supports Ukraine's obtaining candidate status at the next EU summit, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics has said.

At a press conference with the Lithuanian foreign ministers, Estonia and Ukraine in Kyiv on Friday, Rinkevics reiterated the full support for Ukraine to become a candidate for the next EU summit. According to him, Latvia and Ukraine will have quite fruitful discussions and debates in the coming weeks.

The minister said Latvia supports the need to impose an embargo on the supply of oil from Russia as part of the sixth package of EU sanctions.

Rinkevics said Latvia will join the restoration of Ukraine, it is also working with partners to create various centers for women and children who have been forced to move. According to the prime minister, Latvia is also trying to join projects to restore schools, kindergartens and hospitals.
Water, water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink ...

In Samuel Taylor Coleridges iconic poem written in 1798, the ancient mariner was ironically lamenting his overwhelming thirst, even as he was surrounded by undrinkable ocean salt water.

Nowadays, the quotation is sadly applicable to waters increasing pollution by industry and human carelessness  a theme picked up and developed by several of the artists represented in a group exhibition at GreenHill Center for NC Art in Greensboro.

H2O, as its titled, brings together works by seven artists who recognize the vital importance of water and the increasing urgency surrounding its widespread pollution.

Barbara Tyrolers large-format photographs take a largely aesthetic approach to the theme. From a little distance, these Water Crossing Portraits resemble boldly colored abstract-expressionist paintings, but at closer range their flatness becomes apparent, and close-up views reveal their pictorial content as water itself, with glimpses of human bodies submerged in it. Because the water is evidently in motion  as are the bodies, in some cases  the figural elements are visually distorted, as in a funhouse mirror.

Kevin Palme employs a more conventional pictorial strategy in his drawing installation titled How to Become a Cloud, which centers on an enlarged but otherwise realistic rendering of somewhat precariously stacked ice cubes beginning to melt.

Instead of using traditional drawing mediums, Palme took a cue from the tradition of Tibetan sand mandalas, creating the image from sand meticulously manipulated on a surface of black-painted wood atop a low pedestal. Furthermore, he doubled it, using the same technique and scale to render negative mirror-images of the stacked cubes on two identically sized, black-painted pedestals installed side-by-side on the gallerys floor. It makes for a poetically effective meditation on impermanence and physical transformation.

Sea Stars, the site-specific installation that is the focus of Carolyn Hennes contribution to the show, is on an intertidal sandbar in eastern North Carolinas Newport River. Its represented here by a looping video sequence of aerial photographs and explanatory texts.

Using a special, biodegradable hardscape material developed by a marine ecologist, Henne created a group of sculptures that read from above as a monumental drawing of an octopus and three identical groups of life-size, synchronized swimmers  five in each group, lying on their backs with their feet touching to form a five-pointed star shape.

These sculpted images were installed in May of last year, since which time theyve been encrusted with oysters native to this intertidal region. In that respect the piece is an inter-species collaboration. The exhibited video can also be viewed on Hennes website (carolynhenne.com/sea-stars).

Each of the other artists are more direct in addressing water-pollution concerns.

Over the last 40 years Bryant Holsenbeck has built a reputation for creating sculptural installations entirely from plastic detritus she scavenges from the environment and saves in large quantities. Her two pieces at GreenHill suggest bodies of moving water  falling in one case and flowing in the other  and are made entirely of discarded plastic items that she has found in various aquatic environments. In each case the effect is striking and the point is clear.

Caroline Armijo takes on the issue of toxic waste-disposal by an electrical-power company, namely Duke Energy, in a series of works that identify and comment on Dukes coal-ash storage ponds across the state. Spills and leaks from some of these ponds have generated controversy in recent years, often centering on the question of who pays for the necessary clean-up.

Personal connections prompted Armijos particular focus on a Duke Energy coal-ash pond adjoining Belews Lake near Walnut Cove. A looping video juxtaposes her still photographs of local citizens with excerpts from taped interviews in which they talk about the coal ashs deleterious effects on their lives and on the local environment.

Displayed on pedestals arrayed in front of the screen are a few personal artifacts chosen by the interview subjects for their connection with the coal-ash issue. Each of these objects has been scattered with gray coal ash to highlight the connection.

Armijo is also represented by several works made of coal ash compacted into light-weight hexagonal forms, exemplifying one way in which the surplus material might be put to safer, practical use, as opposed to being dumped into natural bodies of water.

James Barnhill is known primarily for his carefully detailed, realistic figural sculptures, one example of which is included here  a milk-painted, carved-wood effigy of a Cachalot Whale, aka sperm whale  a massive aquatic mammal that remains ubiquitous in the worlds oceans.

Such whales are among the many aquatic beings potentially endangered by the massive oil spills documented in Barnhills other works on view, including two monumental paintings, each measuring about 7-by-15 feet.

One of them is a frontal view of the Exxon tanker ship Valdez, which in late March 1989 ruptured on a reef to release more than 10 million gallons of crude oil into Alaskas Prince William Sound. Its a startling sight, placing the viewer in the water directly in front of the tanker. An appropriate metaphor for the increasing urgency of water-pollution concerns, it appears to be bearing down fast.

The other painting, equally startling in its way, is a birds-eye view of British Petroleums offshore oil well known as Deepwater Horizon, which in April 2010 erupted in a fiery explosion and released some 210 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Barnhills painting shows the massive fire in the midst of otherwise tranquil-looking water, surrounded by the nautical equivalent of firetrucks spraying the flames. Tellingly, the Gulf waters as rendered by Barnhill are crystal blue at the surface but increasingly darker toward the bottom, where theyre rendered impenetrably black.

More understated in their critique of human-caused water pollution are Will Warasilas photographs  18 images including color and black-and-white. Its a uniformly strong selection, although relevance to the shows theme is more obvious in some images than in others.

An air of doom and foreboding seems to emanate from Warasilas Vultures Over Belews, which shows a flock of the big birds perched at random on an angular structure that presumably regulates water flow, all in silhouette against a twilight-hued sky. The impression is enhanced for viewers who have already seen Armijos previously described installation about Duke Energys coal-ash pond alongside Belews Lake.

On the other hand, the Belews site is deceptively pristine-looking and beautiful in a carefully composed birds-eye view Warasila made in low sunlight. In admiring it, you might never know youre looking at a reservoir of toxic sludge.

A provocative show that takes a head-on approach to an urgently controversial issue, H2O hits uncomfortably close to home, no matter where you live.

Duly noted and thanks

In my April 24 column reviewing Reynoldas current show of Kwame Brathwaites photographs and related items, I commented on the key role of music and musicians in the historical era that Brathwaites photos document or otherwise reflect, and I suggested it would have been appropriate to include an audio component in the gallery.

Not an original thought, according to a Reynolda spokesperson who alerted me that the show does indeed have a soundtrack that should be audible to viewers. Apparently, it wasnt working properly on the afternoon I visited the show, or maybe I just couldnt hear it over the voices of viewers crowding the gallery and discussing the exhibition. It was Reynoldas Community Day, when the customary admission fees were waived, and the place was jammed.
The owners of Dough-Joes are planning to open a new concept in the space above Dough-Joes in Reynolda Village.

Dough-Joes is a coffee and doughnut shop owned by two Wake Forest University graduates  Anna Margaret Roth and her husband, Eric Disch. In a social media post, they describe their newest venture, Theodores, as a combination of bar, local market, sandwich shop, cozy evening hang out and so much more.

Dough-Joes began as a food truck in 2018. The couple then opened a brick-and-mortar business at 114-C Reynolda Village in 2019. The adjacent space, 114-D Reynolda Village, was most recently occupied by Silo Bistro & Bar.

Owners Will Kingery and Norb Cooper  who also own Willows Bistro and two Kings Crab Shack restaurants  closed Silo in the spring of 2020 during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dough-Joes announced the new concept in a Facebook post April 30. We are so excited to introduce you to our newest project and true labor of love (and tears) ... Theodores!!! Opening a business like Theodores was a dream we have had for a long time, and we truly didnt know if we would ever have the opportunity to do so, the post said.

The post does not give an opening date, and Roth and Disch were out of town and unavailable for comment last week.

336-727-7394 @mhastingsWSJ

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Mothers Day is Sunday, so were running this answer a day early so you still have time to get Mom a gift.

Q: When did the idea of Mothers Day start?  N.B.

Answer: Anna Jarvis is generally recognized as the founder of a national day to recognize mothers. Before Jarvis, there were other people in the United States who started celebrations honoring mothers in their towns. Mothers Day is celebrated in other countries, too.

Julia Ward Howe suggested a Mothers Day in 1872, and picked June 2 as the day. Howe was horrified by the carnage of the Civil War, and hoped that the idea of a day for mothers would promote peace. For several years, Howe held an annual Mothers Day observance in Boston. Mary Towles Sasseen, a Kentucky schoolteacher, started Mothers Day celebrations in 1887. Frank E. Hering of Indiana started a campaign for a national observance in 1904.

But Anna Jarvis gets most of the credit for establishing an official Mothers Day. Jarvis, of Grafton, W.Va., who later moved to Philadelphia, campaigned for a national Mothers Day in 1907. She chose the second Sunday in May and began the custom of wearing a white carnation. Jarvis was inspired by her own mother, a religious and community activist who encouraged people in her West Virginia community to provide relief to both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

After her mother died, Jarvis began writing to political leaders, asking for their help in establishing an official day to honor mothers. In 1912, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recognized Jarvis as the founder of Mothers Day. Governors in a few states proclaimed a Mothers Day in 1912 and 1913. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mothers Day as a national observance.

Thats not the end of the story. Jarvis spent the rest of her days fighting against what she saw as the commercialization of Mothers Day.

Many of the subjects Jarvis complained about continue to this day. In criticism of florists, she wrote, What will you do to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?

She didnt like the gifts, greeting cards or candy, either.

A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world,  she remarked. And candy! You take a box to Mother  and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment.

The selling of flowers got her goat, in particular, because she suggested the idea of people wearing a carnation on Mothers Day to honor their mothers. The police had to be called when Jarvis stormed a groups meeting to protest its sale of white flowers for Mothers Day. The group was the American War Mothers.

Jarvis never became a mother herself. She was confined to a nursing home for the last few years of her life, and died alone at the age of 84.

Forgiving florists paid her nursing-home bills.

Email: AskSAM@wsjournal.com Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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Kalvin Michael Smith, who claims innocence in the 1995 brutal attack on Jill Marker, cannot get his appeal to move forward because a prosecutor has not taken up the case. The Forsyth County District Attorney's Office has a conflict, and the N.C. Attorney General's Office has declined to handle it. According to Assistant District Attorney Penn Broyhill, his boss, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill, has not had any luck in getting any outside prosecutors to take the case.
Many may wonder if the senseless, destructive war that Russia launched against Ukraine could be stopped if someone would just take out Russias president, Vladimir Putin. I have thought that while sitting in church praying for the wars end.

Julie Ioffe cautions against such thinking. Ioffe, a brilliant American journalist and student of Russian history, was born in Moscow and lived and worked there as an adult. Three of her four great-grandparents are from Ukraine. She has studied Putin and Russia like few others.

History shows us that wars are easier to start than finish, she says. And, even if Putin were gone, Putins successor would need to show that, like Putin, he is strong enough to lead Russia. What better way to do that than waging war? Putin did this after he came to power in 1999 and launched a brutal war against Chechnya, a largely Muslim republic.

Ioffe wrote a well-regarded essay that was published in The Atlantic magazine in February 2018, What Does Putin Really Want? She tried to answer the question of what Russia wants, and how it would affect the United States, in a speech last week at the Tanger Center in Greensboro as part of Guilford Colleges Bryan Series. She also spoke to a small group of students and staff on campus and at a private dinner.

What Putin and many in Russia want is to re-constitute the Russian empire so that there is a counter-weight to the United States and the West, just as in the Cold War. Putin considers Ukraine part of this empire. The last two months have shown that Ukrainians feel differently.

What would cause this war to stop? She cannot say. Russia is a vast, complicated country of 11 time zones and 143 million-plus people. The only thing that has ever stopped Russia is Russia itself. ... It will decide its own fate, she said.

Even if Russians suffer from economic sanctions by the West, they may not act against Putin because they do not expect much. If theyre not being killed en masse, she said, they are happy. Russia is not like America, where the government is for and by the people. In Russia, the people exist to serve the state.

Public opinion polls show that Putin and the war are highly popular. Russians do not believe the reports of war crimes and atrocities coming out of places such as Mariupol, a coastal city that has been almost destroyed. Many believe the victims are crisis actors staging a show. Many Russians are in information silos and fed only propaganda fed by the government, which controls the television airwaves. Others are afraid to speak out for fear of imprisonment, because it is illegal to report fake news (e.g., the truth) about the war. Many incorrectly believe Ukraine is a failed state.

This deference to Putin has exacted a terrible toll on both countries, however, with tens of thousands of casualties of combatants and civilians. And it has made many wonder if this is not the prelude to another world war, much like Germanys actions against its neighbors were the run-up to World War II. As with the Nazis under Adolf Hitler, the Russians have a warped, narrow-minded, victimized view of the world. Putin wants to reestablish a Russian empire because he thinks Russian speakers outside Russias boundaries are disrespected and need protection. Hitler felt similarly.

One of the ironies of this war is that it is being waged in the name of pan-ethnic Russian nationalism, but many of the conscripts serving in the Russian army are ethnic minorities who are viciously discriminated against in Russia, including Mongolians, Chechens, and others from far-out places such as Siberia and Dagestan.

Ioffe has been personally pained by the wars toll. Just a few summers ago she took her late grandmother to Odessa, the old port city on the Black Sea that is now being hit with missile attacks. Her grandmothers grandfather was from Odessa, which has always been a thriving Jewish cultural center. Ioffe is Jewish and notes the irony of Putins stated reason for going in to Ukraine, which was to de-Nazify a country led by a Jew. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, lost family members in the Holocaust in World War II.

Russia has never looked at Ukraine as a country and thinks of Kyiv, the capital, as the cradle of Russian civilization, Ioffe said. The Russians thought they would run through Ukraine like a hot knife through butter when the war started on Feb. 24. Russian tank commanders brought their dress uniforms because they planned to be marching in a parade in Kyiv within a week. But the invasion has proven assumptions wrong. Russia can no longer expect to take the capital, but will try to make Ukraine a land-locked country, cut off from the Black Sea and access to world commerce.

In the meantime, no one should be surprised that the Russians commit war crimes. Russian history follows the same barbaric pattern, which is premised on the powerful overwhelming the less powerful. It is beyond what anyone can conjure. No human mind can invent what people did in the Soviet Union  nobody, she told the students. Russian history is like fiction dialed up a bit.

Her parents fled the Soviet Union in 1990, when she was 7, and thought it would never fold. It did in 1991, but the Russian mentality remains. She pointed to the metal darts that have been found in dead bodies in Bucha, Ukraine. They are tools that were used in World War I, she said.

Ioffe would not be surprised if Russia uses chemical or even nuclear weapons. It is already laying the propaganda groundwork for this with false claims that the United States is helping Ukraine build biological-weapons labs. From years of study of Russian history, she has two firm thoughts. The first is dont predict too far out and the second is to assume the worst-case scenario. If theres one thing that Russian history has taught us, its that it can always get worse.

What, then, of the Ukrainians? The United States could have armed Ukraine faster but is doing well now, she said. Both Napoleon and Hitler were unable to conquer Russia, but maybe the Ukrainians can win, she said.

The difference here, which she did not say, is that it is one thing to invade another country, but another to defend your homeland, as the Ukrainians are doing now and proving that they do indeed have their own country. Ukraine also has the support of the West, including NATO.

Ioffe believes the best-case scenario is that, if Ukraine wins, then Russia falls apart under its own weight and just disintegrates, and is never allowed to pull of this imperial (aggression) again.

One can only pray she is right.

Chris Geis is a lawyer in Winston-Salem and a retired commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
Since September, Lincoln police have used new state Department of Motor Vehicles facial recognition software to help them identify 23 possible suspects in crimes ranging from shoplifting to burglary to illegal gun purchases.

The use of that tool  one that civil liberty advocates still have concerns about despite evolving technology  was formalized last month when the Lincoln City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.

This is an important tool for us, Police Chief Teresa Ewins told the council. And to make it perfectly clear to everyone, this is not the way in which we go and arrest anyone. You need a lot more than a hit on facial recognition. It is a tool.

The use of facial recognition software to identify potential suspects isnt new to LPD.

In 2013, the City Council approved an agreement with the DMV to allow police to run searches as part of criminal investigations  but didnt allow officers to use findings as the sole basis for an arrest.

In 2019, police considered buying video processing software that also included facial recognition capabilities, but the DMV purchased upgraded software and officials decided entering into the agreement with the state was a better option, said Erin Sims, a former police sergeant who now supervises the departments forensic lab.

Jared Minary, an LPD video technician, said in reality, police rarely used the old DMV software because it was really only effective when the image police had was of a person looking directly at a camera  which rarely happens with surveillance videos.

But the new software also used by other law enforcement agencies is more adept at analyzing surveillance photos. For instance, Sims said, it can take an image at an angle and build the second side of the face based on algorithms. Still, LPD will only run searches if the image it has is good enough quality to successfully search. LPD doesn't run searches based on police sketches or "look-alike" photos of celebrities  cases noted in some national studies of use of the technology.

Still, civil liberties advocates' concerns remain.

Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel with the ACLU in New York, said the software produces more misidentifications with brown and black faces  a group already over-targeted by law enforcement.

Also, he said, using DMV photos as a database means all residents who have a drivers license are potential suspects.

Youre either allowed to have your privacy or drive. Pick one, Marlow said. I dont think that most Nebraskans would appreciate having their feet held to the fire like that simply because they want to get to work at the grocery store.

Another problem, Marlow said, is automation bias, which is the tendency for people to trust computers. That bias means an officer is likely to be hesitant to reject all the possibilities suggested by a search.

One of the recommendations from a Georgetown University report is to require double-blind confirmation by two analysts independently to conclude the same photo is a possible match.

And local law enforcement officials stress that a possible match doesn't mean a person is a suspect.

The technology is better described as facial similarity, said Minary and Sims, because it uses facial measurements from an image to match with photos that have similar measurements. Police typically get multiple possible matches to examine.

Once the computer looks at algorithms and gets a top list of candidates, its no longer the computer's job to figure out who the suspect is, its the officers, Minary said. Its just like a Crime Stoppers tip  you cant take it at face value. You have to validate.

Once officers decide on a possible match, they must build a case on other evidence.

Case in point: Surveillance from a Walmart store recently captured images of two people stealing groceries and plants as they scanned items in the self-checkout. Those images were run through the DMV software, which came up with a number of potential matches, Minary said.

Investigators found two images that could be matches. The man identified as a possible suspect had a tattoo on his arm that matched the one captured in the surveillance video. He was contacted, admitted to stealing the items, was arrested and convicted, Minary said. The officer had enough information about the woman in the Walmart video, who is wanted for five similar crimes, to issue an arrest warrant.

Thats one of the 23 cases in Lincoln the new DMVs facial recognition software helped solve since September. Of those, 12 resulted in arrests, Minary said, though not all those arrests occurred because of the matches. Eleven other cases that came up with potential matches are still under investigation.

About half the cases were shoplifting, but also included burglaries, larcenies from vehicles where people stole credit cards then tried to use them, someone giving false information to try to buy guns, porch pirate cases where delivered packages were stolen from porches and the theft of an ATM machine, Minary said.

The software the DMV uses is made by the same company that makes the fingerprinting software police use, he said. Unlike fingerprints, facial recognition images arent used as evidence in court.

Minary and a few other LPD employees will be trained to use the new software as part of the memorandum of understanding approved by the council, which will be good for four years with the option of renewing it for two more four-year terms.

Spike Eickholt, the government liaison with ACLU Nebraska, said while the technology is a convenience for police, the concerns about inaccuracy and privacy invasion means his office is committed to making sure LPD keeps its word that the technology wont be used to surveil, target or harass innocent people.

Ewins, who is from San Francisco  the first major police department to ban the softwares use  said she is aware of the concerns and wants to make sure LPD is protecting peoples Fourth Amendment rights.

Its all about checks and balances, she said. We are and will always be aware the software is not a panacea of identifying someone.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist

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This has absolutely nothing to do with climate change, but the Rocky Mountains are taller than they were a year ago.

For the second year in a row, Newell Elementary fourth-graders covered a little more than three miles on foot Tuesday, pretending they were pioneers from 1849. For the purposes of their journey, Tornado Hill at Grand Islands Ryder Park serves as the Rocky Mountains.

Newell fourth-grade teacher Danielle Dudo had students go a little higher on Tornado Hill this year. So from their perspective, the Rockies were higher.

About 60 students took part in the event, which is meant to duplicate the Oregon Trail. The students break into groups of three or four, pushing about 15 shopping carts that are outfitted to look like covered wagons. The fourth-graders pushed the carts up the Tornado Hill path that sledders use during winter months. They then pulled the carts down the hill, using a rope.

Dudo decided to send the students to a higher elevation this year just to make it a little more of a challenge. We felt like last year they were too successful. So we wanted them to struggle a little bit more, and work a little bit harder as a team.

The organizers opted for a little harder challenge to see if they were up for it, Dudo said.

This year, students were restricted to using only ropes to pull the carts down the hill. Last year, some of the students attached bandannas and clothing to the shopping carts. Because of the new rule, it definitely was more of a challenge getting down the mountain, Dudo said.

The students, from all three of Newells fourth-grade sections, departed from Newell shortly after 9 a.m. During the course of the day, the students were meant to be traveling from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon.

After descending the mountain, the kids had lunch and took a break at Ryder Park, which was meant to be Fort Laramie. Earlier, they stopped at Walnut Middle School, which served as Fort Kearny. At the fort, the kids played old-fashioned games, sang, danced and did pioneer-era chores.

The teachers introduced students to about 15 locations and landmarks along the way.

For instance, we went through the Sandhills of Nebraska, which was an alleyway, Dudo said. CHI St. Francis stood in for Chimney Rock.

Thirteenth and Faidley streets also had major significance. Each of those streets portrayed one of the major rivers that the pioneers would have crossed, Dudo said.

Newell students spent the past month and a half learning about the Oregon Trail  why people made the trek and the hardships they endured. They learned that about one in 10 people didnt survive the trip. The students experience firsthand what the pioneers actually went through to get to Oregon, Dudo said.

The kids love the project, which also wears them out.

We get back and theyre tired and exhausted, Dudo said. But theyre also super-excited, she said.

Dudos son, a fifth-grader, took part last year and he still talks about it today, she said.

When the fourth-graders returned to school Tuesday, they were welcomed back by Newell second-graders. Those students will look forward to taking the trip themselves in two years, she said.

A couple of years ago, the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation awarded the school $850 to buy supplies, which Newell plans to keep using every year. Developer Ray OConnor provided the shopping carts, formerly used at Shopko, at an attractive price.

Even though rain and snow fell Monday, the Newell group knew they were making the trip Tuesday.

The adventure was originally scheduled for last Friday but was postponed because of a gloomy forecast.

This time of year, school days are limited.

So, as bad as the weather looked Monday night, Dudo knew they were going Tuesday, no matter what.

We told the kids to bundle up, dress warm, she said.

The kids were cold Tuesday morning, but the temperature warmed up by the afternoon.

Besides, they were pushing covered wagons, which provided a handy place in which to throw unwanted clothing.

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When Autumn Yoder was 15, she was placed in foster care.

State employees gave little warning before she was removed from her moms house, Yoder said. Boys Town was her introduction to the system, but she would only stay there for a year and a half before running away and being relocated.

Each placement brought a new set of challenges. She remembers avoiding fights with girls, falling behind in school and eating Thanksgiving dinner alone. After awaiting rehoming at the Juvenile Detention Center and living with two more foster families, she was old enough to live on her own.

Then, Yoder  like more than 20,500 American youths annually  left care without being reunified or adopted.

According to the National Youth Foster Institute, 25% of those young adults become homeless within four years of exiting care. Another 20% experience homelessness the moment they leave the system.

Thankfully, Yoder found a community at the HUB Lincoln, an organization serving young adults transitioning out of foster care. There, they gave her what so many with her story long for  unconditional support.

She was able to secure stable housing at first, but after a job loss in 2020 left her temporarily homeless, the HUB helped her pay rent until she was able to take over.

Yoder obtained her GED certificate after taking classes at the HUB. They also taught her life skills that she said she should have learned in childhood. Most importantly, Yoder said, her friends there taught her how to ask for help.

Young adults in foster care require a safety net while theyre figuring things out, just like any 19 or 20-year-old. When they fall, they may need someone below to catch them.

Theres a lot of pressure to have everybody have their life together so quickly, and I think we dont do that, Yoder said. We might fail a few times before we succeed, and just having people there to help is beneficial for everybody.

Today, shes grateful for her support system at the HUB.

Shes 22 years old with a job, an apartment and too many dreams to keep track of. She has trouble deciding whether she wants to become an entrepreneur or go into real estate first, but shes sure that she wants to have children of her own.

Im looking forward to building the kind of family I wish I wouldve had as a child, Yoder said.

Her friend Rose Hood Buss is the executive director of the HUB Lincoln. Hood Buss has been with Yoder throughout her journey, just as she has with several other young adults.

The HUB has about 400 participants between all of its programs, which include GED classes, employment readiness courses, and general support groups for young adults ages 14 to 24 who have been in or aged out of foster care.

Most recipients of the HUBs services are referred through Lincoln Public Schools, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and other foster care agencies, Hood Buss said.

Teenagers are difficult to house, even while theyre in the system. Besides all the usual challenges associated with raising teens, foster care children often have trauma. They can act out.

The HUB is a place for those young adults to experience care, no matter how theyre struggling, Hood Buss said.

For a lot of what we're doing, you're gonna hear the word unconditional, Hood Buss said. For a lot of our young adults, things have always come with strings. There's no unconditionality to the support they have, so that's really critical.

Hood Buss said care without stipulation is the secret sauce to young adults success.

The path to independence looks different for each young adult, and the HUBs staff work with each individual to create a plan.

For many, that means getting a GED certificate.

Life in foster care means constant displacement, and as Yoder learned, credits dont transfer easily from one district to another. Students lose years of classes when they switch schools, putting them far behind their peers. So the best route for several is to get their GED certificate.

Chalkboard slates cover a wall in the HUB with names of young adults whove completed the GED program. Each colorful signature represents an individual who took prep courses at the HUB before taking the exam.

Buss Hood said she believes every young adult should have, at minimum, a GED certificate or high school diploma.

According to a Nebraska Children Connected Youth Initiative 2020 survey, 12.5% of young adults in Lincoln who have been in foster care do not have a GED certificate or diploma.

The HUBs education far exceeds GED programs, however. Its services include a parenting class called Back on Track and the LEAP course for those hoping to pursue post-secondary education.

While programs at the HUB help young adults tremendously, Yoder said young adults in foster care still need the support of their community.

In order to receive housing, jobs, and general encouragement, more people have to be willing to give them a chance, she said. Especially if they dont exit the system with a squeaky clean record.

Once you have a law violation, its kind of messed up for you, Yoder said. Having someone to be able to give you that second chance is really nice, but its not really common.

The thing Yoder wants most from her Lincoln community is empathy. A desire from the people around her to understand would make life for people with Yoders story easier. Maybe then more young adults could rebuild a hope-filled life.

If people knew more and cared more, there would be more positive experiences with kids, she said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or jthompson@journalstar.com

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A San Francisco judge has rejected former President Donald Trump's lawsuit challenging his permanent ban from Twitter. U.S. District Judge James Donato said in a ruling Friday that Trump failed to show Twitter abridged his First Amendment right to free speech. The judge says the challenges failed in part because free speech rights don't apply to private companies and Trump failed to show it was working as a state actor. The judge gave Trump an opportunity to amend his complaint. Trump's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump has his own social network now and says he won't rejoin Twitter if allowed.
The seventh annual "Around the World" fundraiser for GIRLPowR will take place from 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at the DelRay 817 in the Haymarket.

The evening will include ethnic heavy hors d'oeuvres from Stur 22 and other restaurants, a cash bar, cultural performances, live music, and DJ Kef will mix African, Caribbean and Latin tunes.

Ava Thomas, Lincoln Journal Star president and publisher, is the emcee, and GIRLPowR participants will give testimonials.

Proceeds will support GIRLPowRs programs in Lincoln and Nicaragua, and will help support its new program in Jamaica. For more details and tickets, visit www.girlpowr.org/fundraiser-.

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RACINE  A Racine man reported to have had a gun at the intersection of Marquette and State streets on Tuesday faces criminal charges.

Mauro Lopez, 28, of the 1500 block of Maple St., was charged with misdemeanor counts of obstructing an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to a criminal complaint:

At 1:35 a.m. on Tuesday, an officer was sent to the area of Marquette and State streets for a man with a gun.

The officer saw a man matching the description of the suspect and activated his emergency lights. The suspect, later identified as Lopez, fled on foot across Marquette Street.

Other officers responded and pursued Lopez through a backyard. Lopez started to climb over a fence and headed eastbound on LaSalle Street.

Lopez was eventually taken into custody at 1:44 a.m. on LaSalle Street.

A blue and pink marijuana pipe had fallen out of Lopez's pockets. It contained marijuana residue.

A firearm was not recovered, and three officers sustained lacerations on their hands while climbing the fence.

Lopez was given a $2,500 signature bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday. A status conference is on July 19 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show.

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RACINE  One week in, possibly with months ahead.

The first week of a strike involving more than 1,000 employees of CNH Industrial, parent company of what was Case Corporation, has concluded. A labor leader predicts it could be almost 2023 by the time the strike ends.

It was ordered by UAW (United Auto Workers) Local 180, of Racine, and Local 807, of the eastern Iowa city of Burlington. Workers in both Racine and Burlington walked off the job simultaneously at noon Monday.

Local 807 President Nick Guernsey on Wednesday told the trade magazine Ag Equipment Intelligence I think whats going to get CNH Industrial back to the table is when they start losing money, and theyll probably start feeling it at 4 weeks. Ive told my membership to expect CNHI to keep us out for 3-6 months.

Neither side, neither the union nor CNH, has publicly said what the demands are and how far apart the two sides are. A union spokeswoman declined to comment on this story. CNH (Case New Holland) did not reply to requests for comment.

It remains unclear how many replacement workers have crossed picket lines in the past week or what exactly they are being paid. Guernsey told Ag Equipment Intelligence that CNHI is paying new workers a much higher wage than what we were even asking for, along with bonuses and extra money for their salaried employees.

UAW Local 180, in a Facebook post Tuesday, blamed corporate greed for the strike. It cited CNHs reported results for the first quarter of 2022, which included $4.6 billion in revenue and an adjusted net income of $378 million. In 2020, the company reported profits of $1.76 billion, a 21% increase over the year prior.

They said we would bankrut (sic) the Company with our demands. YEAH RIGHT!! the unions social media post said.

The company is not being fair, and it (the strike) is going to be a rough haul for us. But we have to stick up for what we need and we deserve, a picketing worker, Lynda Bowman, told a reporter Thursday, the fourth day of the strike.

You cant show record profits and then claim poverty, Guernsey told The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowas newspaper, which also reported striking workers will receive $275 a week (approximately one-fourth of U.S. median pay) from the union.

Among those supporting UAW Local 180 are the union for Racine Unified School District teachers (Racine Educators Association), Racine Mayor Cory Mason and Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine.

Neubauer posted a photo of herself and Mason on social media Friday, posing with strikers on State Street near Downtown Racine.

Workers everywhere deserve fair pay, safe working conditions, the ability to establish fair work rules, and to retire with dignity. UAW members have worked tirelessly through the pandemic to produce essential equipment for Wisconsin and America. We are proud of the work done and the products made here in Racine, she wrote in a statement. As we go forward, I encourage CNH Industrial management and the UAW leadership team to negotiate in good faith towards a resolution that benefits both sides and meets the needs of workers.

When a reporter spoke with picketers Thursday on State Street, one of two local picketing locations along with Oakes Road in Mount Pleasant, they waved signs and chanted things like We want fairness! and Fair treatment!

In a Facebook post of his own, Mason wrote The UAW helped build the middle class in Racine. Lets hope Case and UAW can reach a fair contract soon!

A UAW strike at John Deere that began last year was 10 times bigger, involving more than 10,000 workers. That strike lasted more than a month.

According to Local 180, 98.4% of Racine workers voted in favor of approving a strike on April 10.

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While the latest redistricting process was a huge loss for Democrats and an overwhelming success for Republicans, Democrats did secure one victory: the 1st Congressional District.

It was messy but the 1st, which stretches from Janesville to Kenosha, Racine and Lake Michigan, swung from favoring Republicans by 14 percentage points to favoring them by just 6, according to the political website FiveThirtyEight.

The district, which includes all of Racine and Kenosha counties as well as parts of Walworth, Rock, Waukesha and Milwaukee counties, is currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil of Janesville.

That change in the 1st was the biggest surprise in this round of Wisconsins redistricting, said Ryan Weichelt, a professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire who specializes in redistricting.

(Democrats in the 1st) have a long way to go, he added, but its certainly better than it was.

The reconfigured 1st is the result of redistricting prompted by the decennial Census. In Wisconsin, which is almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic governor failed to agree on a new map.

The redistricting battle landed in court, where the conservative majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed with the Republican argument that the new political districts should change as little as possible from the Republican-drawn maps of the previous decade.

But the state Supreme Court  with right-leaning swing Justice Brian Hagedorn joining the liberal minority  approved a twist: justices chose the congressional maps Democrats drew under the least change guidelines. The 1st was the one district they were able to tweak enough to make it competitive.

To give the 1st a little more purple tint, Democrats performed a series of moves that included scooping the left-leaning city of Beloit out of the deep blue 2nd Congressional District, which contains Madison and Dane County, and plopping it in the 1st.

They also pulled half of the college town of Whitewater that sits in Walworth County from the heavily Republican 5th district to the north and placed it in the 1st.

In addition, Democrats took all portions of dark red Waukesha County, including Mukwonago and Muskego, that had previously been in the 1st and pushed them into the 5th, keeping Waukesha County intact. But Democrats also plucked East Troy in Walworth County out of the 1st and slid it into the 5th.

And in Milwaukee County, the Democratic-leaning southern suburbs of St. Francis, Cudahy and South Milwaukee were cut from the dark blue 4th District that is mostly made up of the city of Milwaukee, and pasted to the 1st.

Even with those positive movements for Democrats, 2022 looks to be promising for Republicans, said Philip Chen, an assistant professor of political science at Beloit College.

This year I dont expect the 1st to be a Democratic pickup, Chen said. Its still a Republican-leaning district.

But at some point in the next decade, the changes might shake up a district Paul Ryan represented for 20 years, and one Republicans have held since 1995.

We might even see a Democratic pickup in the first, Chen said.

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin. This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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From the moment she learned she was pregnant in 1961, Ellen OBrien Saunders knew she would terminate the pregnancy.

The 19-year-old sophomore at Barnard College in New York City wasnt in love with the graduate student she was dating and wasnt going to marry him.

While abortion wasnt a legal option, to OBrien Saunders, it was the only one. She began seeking out candidates to conduct the operation in New York. One was a dentist; another seemed shady, she recalled. Both refused to help.

With the clock ticking, she began to panic, and eventually told her parents she was pregnant. With their support, she was able to see a midwife in Pennsylvania who had lost her license after that state banned midwifery. The woman turned to providing clandestine abortions from her home.

The woman injected a saline solution into OBrien Saunders uterus, a risky and painful process that stimulated contractions. She remembers nervously squatting over a bucket and expelling the fetus, then the placenta and the rest of the afterbirth for several more hours. In another room of the house, the midwifes husband was sleeping, so, I couldnt make any noise, OBrien Saunders said.

I had it (an abortion), and yes, it was illegal. I was a criminal, said OBrien Saunders, 80, a Detroit native, who now lives in Olympia, Washington, and spent her career in state government, much of it in Wisconsin. She lived in Madison and in the surrounding area from 1970 to 1991.

Since the U.S. Supreme Courts 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, two generations of women have grown up with the option of safe, legal abortions in America. But with the court poised to strike down Roe this summer, stories like OBrien Saunders offer a stark reminder of what it was like when women had far fewer options, and a caution for the future.

Even with the rapid increase in the use of abortion pills that can be ordered through the mail, many women will die having illegal abortions and babies will be born who arent wanted, said OBrien Saunders, who married in 1965 and has a 50-year-old son and two grandchildren.

A students decision

Jan Silvers, 75, a retired teacher and mortgage banker who lives in the town of Middleton, got pregnant in 1965 while a student at UW-Madison. The only way women could get contraception then, she said, was if they were married.

We all did the best we could, but it didnt always work out, she said. We used spermicides and condoms and whatever.

Silvers said when she got pregnant she wasnt ready to become a mother or stop her education. It would have meant that her boyfriend would also have had to stop his education and get a job.

Finding a way to get the abortion was more difficult than the decision, she said. Was it risky? Yes, definitely. Was I stupid? Probably.

Silvers, who grew up in Chicago, sought an abortion in her home town. Someone gave her the name of a man in Chicago, who they said was a doctor.

I did what you do, and what we do now, what women do to take care of themselves: You do networking and you find the name of a doctor  or not necessarily a doctor.

Silvers was given a phone number to call and met the man in a really sleazy-looking hotel off Michigan Avenue on Ohio Street. She went there with her college roommate and her boyfriend, whom she would later marry and eventually divorce.

Its very sketchy, but there arent a lot of choices, so thats what you do, she said. We didnt have the internet. You couldnt check up on anybody. Everything was very, very scary.

Worried that she wouldnt be able to have children in the future, she made an appointment with a gynecologist when she returned to Madison. She told the man she had had an abortion.

He was mortified, she said. After the exam he sat her down and told her he never wanted her to do that again. He then gave her a prescription for birth control pills and offered to write prescriptions for her roommates, too.

This is networking again, she said. Do you know how many people I told that they could go to him? It became a joke. She said she soon had 50 to 100 roommates.

Silvers is now married to Ken Opin, who has long been active in local government. From her first marriage she has two children, who are 50 and 47, and four grandchildren.

Relieved and thankful

Roberta Gassman, 73, of Madison, had her abortion in 1975, shortly after the Roe decision.

Gassman and her husband, Madison lawyer Lester Pines, knew they eventually wanted a family. But when Gassman was in her mid-20s, she was on strong medications, including tetracycline, which were found to possibly produce birth defects in fetuses.

Not able to take the pill because of a blood clot in her teens, and to be responsible, she said, she got an IUD. It was supposed to be 97 to 99% effective, Gassman said. I continued on my medication and I was shocked when I found myself pregnant.

At the same time, she said, I felt relieved and thankful, as I still do now, to have had the option of a safe and legal abortion.

Gassman, who was Secretary of Workforce Development for eight years under Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, and whose husbands law firm, Pines Bach, represents Planned Parenthood, said she wants to see the protections she had under Roe v. Wade continue for everyone, including her daughters, who are 44 and 41, and her three grandchildren.

The draft by Justice Alito clearly states that, contrary to over 49 years of past court decisions, that the rights of women to their own autonomous reproductive health and their ability to terminate a pregnancy when necessary (were) not constitutionally protected, and he argued they should be left in the hands of state legislatures, she said.

Gassman, who was part of an effort 20 years ago that led to the Planned Parenthood clinic on Madisons East Side, said that ignores the reality that not only does birth control sometimes fail; women and girls as young as 12 have gotten pregnant after being raped.

A remembrance

Judy Karofsky, 79, who was mayor of Middleton in the mid-1970s, said her grandmother, Julia Cowan, died from a self-induced abortion in 1929, leaving a husband and three young children, who never lived in the same household again.

They lived in Boston, and her mother was 11 at the time. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts wouldnt let her grandfather keep his children, she said.

It wasnt a story of poverty exactly, Karofsky said. It was just a story of, I guess, convenience, lifestyle, whatever you want to say about it. She was a homemaker. She was a wonderful cook.

Abortions were illegal and conducted in secret then, she said, adding that she guesses a friend or relative told her grandmother how to go about it. But she ended up bleeding to death in the former Boston City Hospital.

My mother had a new dress for her first piano recital, Karofsky said. She wore it to the funeral instead.

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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.

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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 during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
HOLDREGE  The Phelps County Development Corp. has announced its GO! HOME grant opportunities for 2022.

The grants are intended to encourage new residents and the construction and sales of local workforce housing in all Phelps County communities.

GO! HOME addresses opportunities for improvement by priming the pump, so to speak, PCDC Executive Director Ron Tillery said. PCDC is providing the spark to make things happen.

Tillery said since its inception in 2018, GO! HOME has encouraged more than 200 people, who were previously commuting from elsewhere, to relocate to Phelps County.

The return on investment for us and the community is the increase in tax base and adding more people into the full-time population base, Tillery said. The idea behind the new GO! HOME grants is to reduce the risk to developers so they have more confidence to build in our market. It is more expensive and difficult to build in rural markets, and thats why we have to be more proactive in eliminating risk to the developers.

The first set of grants aims to help local employers by offering housing assistance. The assistance could help attract new employees or bring current employees closer to their jobs.

Employee Relocation Grants, Down-payment assistance

PCDC will match dollar for dollar, up to $2,500, any Phelps County employers contributions to assist a current or new employee living outside the county to move to Phelps County. Employees renting a Phelps County residence for less than 12 months may also qualify.

PCDC also offers these grants to public employees (teachers, government workers, police, etc.) without an employer match. Self-employed new residents may also qualify for a grant.

Grants may be used to purchase a single-family home, townhouse or condo. A smaller amount (up to $1,000) is available to help purchase a mobile home.

Renter Relocation Assistance

PCDC will also offer $500 renter relocation grants to help current employees living outside the county or new employees move to Phelps County as renters. Relocation grant applications must be completed by employers as they are awarded to employers as a tool to encourage their employees to move closer to their workplace or to help recruit new employees.

The second set of grants is designed to encourage new construction or renovation and repair of existing homes or lots.

Risk Mitigation Program for Developers, New Construction Purchase Guarantee

PCDC agrees to purchase any home constructed under this program if the builder has conformed to the guidelines but has not sold the home within 30 days of receiving an occupancy permit.

This guarantee is only for homes constructed in the CREW Subdivision, and the total sales price of the home must not exceed $285,000 (including lot cost).

New Housing Completion Bonus

PCDC will award a $5,000 per-unit completion bonus to any developer who builds any new single-family attached or detached home, including townhomes or duplexes, to sell or rent at any Phelps County location. Developers must apply for and be approved before construction begins. This applies only to homes that are sold at a maximum price of $285,000.

Renovation Reimbursement Grant (Existing Rental Property)

The purpose of this program is to bring rental units up to modern standards and make them livable, attractive assets to residents and the community.

PCDC will give $1,500 per-unit matching grants to developers to address code compliance issues and other deficiencies including but not limited to modernizing electric and plumbing systems, HVAC, energy-efficient windows and doors, ingress/egress devices and other safety improvements.

To qualify, no work other than demolition can begin until PCDC has approved the grant in writing.

Site Improvement/Demolition Reimbursement Grant

The purpose of this program is to encourage and assist developers or contractors to renovate or create new living units on infill lots that may have substantial site or property improvement needs before construction.

PCDC will give $2,500 per-unit matching grants to contractors to be used for materials or labor related to a projects lot improvements, such as landfill fees, demo costs, asbestos remediation, dirt work, utility improvement, etc. The project must support the development of new housing projects.

Visit www.phelpscountyne.com/phelps-county/relocation-assistance/go!-home-programs to apply for GO! HOME grants or for more information. Contact Sally Sadd at sally@phelpscountyne.com or Ron Tillery at ron@phelpscountyne.com to speak to a PCDC representative about the grants.
At the March monthly meeting of Coon Creek VFW Post 10532 the winners of the Patriots Pen and Voice of Democracy contests were recognized.

The theme for the Patriots Pen competition was How Can I Be A Good American? This contest was open to middle school students including home-schooled students. The theme for the Voice of Democracy competition was America: Where Do We Go From Here? This contest was open to high school students including home -schooled students.

The winner for the Patriots Pen contest was Kristal Levendoski, an eighth-grader at Westby Area Middle School. She was awarded a certificate of recognition, a $125 check and a pen from Commander Quinten Larson for winning first place at the post level.

The winner of the Voice of Democracy contest was Jade Levendoski, a sophomore at Westby Area High School. She was awarded a certificate of recognition, a $125 check and a pen from Commander Quinten Larson for winning first place at the post level.

Both of the essays were evaluated at the district level. Jade placed fourth at the district level. She was awarded a certificate and a check from Jeff Ilstrup, chairman of Patriots Pen and Voice of Democracy.

Both girls received a pen and a pin from Tracy Woodman on behalf of the Military Order Of The Cooties.

Marlin and Kitty Levendoski are the proud parents of both girls. The family resides in Westby and maintains their farm in rural Chaseburg.

Patriots Pen contest

How Can I Be A

Good American?

by Kristal Levendoski

For many years Americans everywhere have wondered how they can be a good citizen for their country. The best way to be a good American is to provide for Americas economy by getting a job, helping out in your community, and being an informed voter.

Jobs contribute to Americas economy. When someone gets a job, the amount of money that jobs are paying their employees increases, and then that leads to more consumer spending, which then adds to the economy. Economic growth is very important because it adds money to increase the production of public goods. Those goods get bought by citizens and the money eventually gets back to the workers who can then upgrade their living conditions. Economic growth not only helps out the workers, but communities as well.

Volunteering is the most valuable contribution to any community where people may not have the money, but they may have the time to benefit others. It allows people to help members of their region who need it. Being involved in your community gives people a sense of belonging and purpose, and teaches many valuable life lessons. Volunteering can also provide people an easier way to socialize and meet new people.

Voting should be at the top of everyones list of things you do to be a good citizen. But before voting, you must educate yourself on the candidates positions. You should understand how their positions on issues will affect you, your community and the nation. Be an informed voter and share that information with others. It is our responsibility as citizens of America to know the positions of the potential candidates and to choose a right and just leader who represents the people they serve and not just a political partys ideology.

In summary, three of the most beneficial ways to be a good citizen in America are to have a job, volunteer in your community, and be an educated voter.

Voice of Democracy contest

America: Where Do

We Go From Here?

by Jade Levendoski

After everything that has happened within our country, where do we go from here? Heres a simple answer: no where. America is the place to be, and everyday there are thousands of people risking their lives to live in this country, where our citizens are free. One of our freedoms, and duties as a citizen of our unique democracy is to vote. Americas citizens are very split on which of our countrys issues are the most important and what exactly to do about them. There are several issues facing our country at this very moment, and it is imperative that all of Americas citizens involve themselves by researching, voting, and creating awareness for what they believe in.

In America, we have many ongoing problems that are begging for a way forward. One of these problems, that most people seem to agree is a problem, is drug addiction. According to a study in late 2019 by Pew Research, 99% of Americans recognize it as a problem, 64% labeling it as a very big problem. Another issue that Americans are very split on, is climate change. According to Pew Research, 90% of Americans recognize climate change as a problem. NASA conrms that our negative human actions causing climate change arent irreversible, yet, but if the public, and ultimately our government, dont view it as one of their most pressing concerns, our home planet will only continue to deteriorate. Where do we go from here? Again: nowhere. There is only one Earth. We cant just change planets if we ruin this one. The rst solution to both of these problems, is to accept that they are indeed a problem, and for people to vote for what they believe should be done about them.

We cant just sit on our opinions. It doesnt seem like a big deal, but the start to conquering our countrys countless incongruencies, is to take advantage of our right  and duty as citizens  to vote. Our fellow citizens can be involved with the decision making process of our government in more ways than just their vote. One of these ways is to be informed. This starts at their local level, and eventually they can tackle larger issues and nd out where they stand. It usually takes no more than a quick Google search to nd out a politicians position on various issues that concern them, and to become further educated on them. And if that doesnt work, people can advocate for their needs by sending a politician an email, or contacting them in another way, and really nd out what it is that they will do for their hometown, and ultimately our country as a whole. If the person agrees with the politicians views full-heartedly, they should  by all mean s volunteer for their campaign by participating in door-to-door canvassing, volunteering in their campaign headquarters, or other forms of polling.. After doing research on everyones stances and someone nds that they arent being represented, they can try running for a political office themselves. Then, if their ideas are approved by voters, they should stick to them and make them work out. However, if someone isnt eligible to vote or run for office, they can still voice their opinions in their school, the local newspaper, social media, or other public mediums. Everyone must do their part in voicing their own opinions, and researching other candidates and other peoples opinions.

America has its problems, and if we, as citizens, dont do our part in voicing our opinions, our country wont improve. It is our responsibility in this democracy to aid in changing our country for the betterment of Americans health and happiness. We must only reect on our past and current situations to look forward and enjoy our freedoms in this country to the fullest.

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Westby Elementary School and Westby Middle School will be offering JumpStart to our students as part of our Summer School Program. This is an optional two-week summer school session for students that will be entering kindergarten through sixth grade (sign up according to the students grade in fall of 2022).

The JumpStart  session will be held Monday, Aug. 8, through Friday, Aug. 19. This session will be held at Westby Elementary(Grades K-4) and Westby Middle(Grades 5 & 6). This session will allow students to get a jump start on curriculum and begin to work on skills appropriate for their grade level and age.

Classes will run from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. everyday. Breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be available for all students and served at Westby Elementary.

The City of Westby will keep the pool open for an extra two weeks so Westby Area students that couldnt get lessons in July can learn to swim. This session will run 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. if transportation is needed. Two other sessions without transportation will be 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The students' instructional day ends at 11:30 a.m. with lunch and recess to follow. Pick up will occur in our parking lot anytime but no later than 12 p.m. Bus pick up will occur at 12:15 p.m. for those needing transportation.

To register for Westby Elementary JumpStart, email the following information to kim.walker@westby-norse.org:

Student name;

Grade (fall 2022);

Emergency Information;

Swimming Lessons? (only for those who have not signed up for July lessons);

Transportation needed?.

To register for Westby Middle School JumpStart, email the following information to tracy.stellner@westby-norse.org:

Student name;

Grade (fall 2022);

Emergency information;

Swimming Lessons? (only for those who have not signed up for July lessons);

Transportation needed?.

Coon Valley Elementary Students please reach out to the Coon Valley office for more information on their JumpStart Session, 608-452-3143.

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Its last call for Right Bauer Brewing in Sun Prairie.

In an earnest and upbeat Facebook post signed by co-owner and brewmaster Marty McNally, the 3-year-old brewpub announced last week that May 22 would be its last day in business.

It was never listed for sale, but someone made an offer for the building and restaurant space, the post said. I really had to think about if I wanted to do this for the next three, five or 10 years.

As much as I love it, the sacrifice of running a small business was too great for me in the long run. I simply want to spend more time with my family and loved ones.

McNally and his then-wife, Erica Beckman, opened Right Bauer in a 120-year-old former hardware store in downtown Sun Prairie in October 2018, just a few months before the much bigger and glitzier Full Mile Beer Co. opened in a new building just two blocks away.

Right Bauer was  well, is, for two more weeks  known for its friendly and welcoming space and its food, particularly the excellent barbecue and cheese curds and a solid fish fry. The beer was a bit uneven on my infrequent visits, but I was always able to find a couple selections that hit the mark, especially the One Eyed Jack IPA.

A small brewery like Right Bauer doesnt need its beer to take all the tricks (if youll pardon the euchre metaphor) to become a local favorite, and the mutual love between it and the community was evident in McNallys farewell post.

I cant even believe it, Katie Perez wrote. Delicious food, awesome beer, only board game bar for miles. Man, this place will be missed so much.

The brewery responded: Weve had a proposal, baby showers, retirement parties and of course, YOUR WEDDING PARTY! So many great memories. I know this place means a lot to a lot of people. So grateful!

A familiar new direction for WBC

The sexy parts of Wisconsin Brewings triple-barreled announcement on April 28 were the plans to triple its square footage and expand its already huge outdoor space to accommodate up to 4,000 (!!!) people. That could be every man, woman and child in nearby Belleville, with plenty of elbow room.

Thats great  weve heard big plans from this brewery before  but the key to meeting these lofty goals is the rest of the news reported by Barry Adams: the new investors and a new president, Paul Verdu.

Verdu comes from Tenth and Blake, the craft unit of Molson Coors (fka MillerCoors) that includes brands like Leinenkugels, Blue Moon, Hop Valley and Terrapin. The last time he was in the industry headlines, Verdu was being quoted in stories about the shutdown of Molson Coors St. Archer brand and sale of its brewery in San Diego. Some of the other new investors are recent Big Beer alums too.

If youre wondering how a relatively middling brand like Wisconsin Brewing  with solid beer thats met by a shrug by too many drinkers, as Ive written before  can support a nearly threefold increase in business, youre thinking about it the wrong way.

This isnt about making more Badger Club or Yankee Buzzard IPA or even Warped Speed, from the Lake Louie brand WBC acquired in 2019.

This is about contract brewing. Or, really, contract beverages, of whatever type youd like to make there.

Drinks made for other companies already comprised three-quarters of the 80,000 barrels WBC made last year, Adams reported, and you only need to look to the northeast to see what the potential is for this kind of business. Octopi Brewing has invested some $100 million on a model similarly centering contract brewing, and it believes it can produce 1 million barrels a year within a few years. The breweries are peers of a sort; both were state-of-the-art when they opened, WBC in 2013 and Octopi two years later.

Verdu and company will have their work cut out for them competing for contract work, and not just with Octopi.

Ale Asylum remains in limbo since its announcement last fall that it would be liquidated without a deal  as many as 60,000 barrels of annual capacity waiting for a new owner. Contract brewing figures to play a part in whatever resolution comes there.

And last month, Milwaukee Brewing put up for sale its huge Ninth Street Brewery, opened in 2018 with capacity to make 20,000 barrels a year, expandable up to 70,000. MKE has been an active player in the contract space in addition to floating a line of hard seltzers in recent years to fill the tanks.

This isnt to say WBC cant unlock its vast potential; Adams story notes the brewery could kick out about 1,000 barrels of liquid a day if it needed to and there was enough packaging and fermentation support. WBC believes Verdu is the leader who can make that happen.

Even before the new skipper came aboard, WBC was already taking a page out of the modern-day Big Beer beverage playbook. Last week it began selling cans of its Lake City hard seltzers, and it released two hard kombuchas under the Lake Louie label last summer.

Someone said to me that Im going from an oak tree to an acorn, Verdu said in the announcement. Thats the perfect analogy. But, with the combination of the current team, the amazing brewery and the support of our new investors, this acorn is going to grow quickly into a vibrant tree, and I am excited to get going.

Got a beer youd like the Beer Baron or Draft Queen to pop the cap on? Contact Chris Drosner at chrisdrosner@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @WIbeerbaron. Contact Katie Herrera at cellaredkatie@gmail.com or on Twitter @CellaredKatie.

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Formal ceremonies to dedicate markers at the graves of the last Union Civil War veterans interred in La Crosse and Monroe counties will be held on Saturday, May 14.

John Henry Miller will be honored at his gravesite at Fairview Cemetery, Bangor, at 10 am, and Watts Hubbard, at his gravesite at Woodlawn Cemetery, Sparta at noon.

The commander of the Department of Wisconsin and Minnesota of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, John R. Decker, of Evansville, Wisconsin, will lead the ceremonies. The proceedings will follow the 1917 ritual of the Grand Army of the Republic, which will include uniformed memorial guards.

Members of Company B, 2nd Wisconsin Civil War Reenactors, VFW Post 8278 of Bangor, and the Sparta American Legion Honor Guard will provide military honors.

John Henry Miller was born on June 5, 1846 in Kingston, Wisconsin. He enlisted in Company F of the 164th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment on July 24, 1862 at the age of 16, and was discharged on June 22, 1865. He died September 1, 1941 at the age of 95.

Hubbard W. Watts, born in 1848, enlisted in Company A of the 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment on September 30, 1863, at the age of 15, and was discharged on June 28, 1865. He died December 21, 1943 at the Veterans Hospital in Minneapolis at the age of 95.

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is a hereditary and patriotic organization, chartered by the U.S. Congress as the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic. It has more than 6,000 members across the United States. Most members are descendants of Union Civil War veterans, but associate membership is available to males of the age of eight and older who support the missions of the SUVCW. Its missions are to preserve the memories of the Union veterans of the Civil War, to maintain the traditions of the Grand Army of the Republic, and to encourage patriotism in all Americans.

For further information, contact: John R. Decker, Commander, Department of Wisconsin and Minnesota Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, at deckercorp@charter.net

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Dane County supervisors overwhelmingly favored an independent review of the Vilas Zoo during a meeting Thursday night, though particulars over the scope of the probe could spark a separation of powers conflict between the board and the county executive.

Supervisors weighed how best to conduct the probe and what shape it should take, the day after county investigators released their own review of the workplace environment at the zoo.

That review, though it had ample recommendations for management at the zoo, ultimately found that certain staff bear responsibility for creating a toxic work environment at the county-run institution, though a Wisconsin State Journal report found allegations of racism, discrimination and animal neglect by zoo higher-ups.

A board review could take the form of a peer review of the internal investigation, an audit of the zoos operations or a probe led by a retired judge, said board Chair Patrick Miles, 34th District.

During Thursday nights meeting, Sup. Tim Kiefer, 25th District, introduced a resolution calling for a $50,000 investigation of the zoo overseen by a retired judge who would submit a report by October.

But county legal staff called into question the authority of the board to conduct an investigation.

Since County Executive Joe Parisi handles management of county staff and functions, the boards investigation cannot probe specific allegations made against employees, said Carlos Pabellon, a county attorney. Pabellon added that since there are still ongoing investigations into misconduct at the zoo, a board investigation could cause a nightmare scenario and muddy the best way for the county to respond.

Were going to have a conflict with the county executives authority,, Pabellon said, if the board tries to examine specific allegations.

Its an adverse scenario for a number of reasons, he noted. One of which would be that if you have differing opinions regarding such investigations, what do we do with that?

Specific allegations detailed in the State Journals report included the zoos deputy director, Joseph Darcengelo, calling an Asian restaurant ching-chong food and director Ronda Schwetz ordering a pre-disciplinary meeting for a union representative and zookeeper who asked other employees about the racist incident and reported it to Schwetz.

Supervisors defended their ability to conduct oversight at Thursdays meeting, arguing that some sort of independent probe of the zoo must happen to restore public trust in the long-beloved institution.

The only way to bring back that level of public confidence is to have someone outside the immediate situation take a look at how things have devolved so egregiously, said Sup. Anthony Gray, 14th District.

Another supervisor pushed back on the internal reviews assertion that union representatives at the zoo had fostered an Us v. Them mentality between staff and management.

Sometimes unions, or employee groups, will have representatives and those representatives by necessity raise concerns to management, said Sup. Andrew Schauer, 21st District. The simple act of doing that is necessarily indicative an us v. them mentality.

The union issued its own statement criticizing the review on Thursday.

The reports attempt to scapegoat the union is a distraction from the serious problems plaguing the zoo, said Patrick Wycoff, executive director of AFSCME Council 32.

All workers are entitled to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment, and zoo workers should continue to stand together to voice concerns about racism, retaliation, and animal welfare, Wycoff said.

However the boards investigation takes shape, it has triggered a dispute-via-memo between Parisi and Miles, who was elected board chair last month.

Parisi charged Miles with striking an adversarial tone against county managers when the chair said in a memo that supervisors need to ensure that systems designed to protect employees from arbitrary management decisions and discrimination are trusted and functioning.

Parisi also defended the two investigators with the Office of Equity and Inclusion, Carrie Braxton and Kabura Mukasa, who conducted the review of the zoo released on Wednesday.

Suggestions their work could be done by others differently or better, dismisses their work, questions their professionalism and is inherently an example of an implicit bias, Parisi said.

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The Lee Weather Team continues to share stories on all things weather and meteorology, and the timing on this latest episode couldn't come at a better time.

In this episode, the 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  talks about covering and forecasting tornadoes as well as personal experiences living through extreme weather events.

And don't forget to check back Monday for the latest episode, which looks at how people react to tornado and severe weather warnings.

Sublette talks with Kim Klockow-McClain, a research scientist and societal applications coordinator with the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies at the University of Oklahoma and the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

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Houston police investigate suspected Lufkin gang members in connection to Nacogdoches man's shooting death

Lufkin police this spring arrested two Lufkin men believed to be a part of a Lufkin gang connected to the shooting death of Nacogdoches native Damon Abercrombie in Harris County on Nov. 19, 2021. Details of the slaying were revealed in an affidavit The Lufkin Daily News obtained from the Houston Police Department this week.

Jakyren Sanford, 18, and Isaiah Moore, 18, are two of four Lufkin men accused of having a role in Abercrombies slaying. They were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity  murder, along with Gregory Mosby, 24, in Harris County. Eurich Roberts was charged with murder in Abercrombies death.

Abercrombie was shot multiple times while stopped at a red light in the 12000 block of Greenspoint Drive in Houston just after noon, according to the affidavit. Abercrombie was a Nacogodoches native who was visiting Houston and had just finished shopping at the Greenspoint Mall.

Detectives detailed their investigation into the slaying in a complaint filed in the Harris County District Clerks office.

Their findings

At approximately 1 a.m. Nov. 18, a woman in a white four-door sedan checked into the Palace Inn. Video footage provided to police by the motel showed three unknown men get out of the car and enter a hotel room with the woman.

The four loaded their bags into the car and left around 10:33 a.m. on Nov. 19 and checked into the Palace Inn Blue at 10:41 a.m.

Lufkin Police Department detectives investigating several retaliatory shootings between rival Lufkin and Nacogdoches gangs identified two of the three men as Moore and Roberts. They believed the third to be Sanford, according to the complaint. All three were considered a part of the Lufkin gang.

Later the same day, footage from the Greenspoint Mall in Houston showed Abercrombie shopping at two stores, according to the complaint. He was followed by an unknown Black man and woman; the unknown man was seen speaking to someone on the phone while he followed Abercrombie.

Houston detectives wrote in the complaint that they believed the man was communicating with the suspects in Abercrombies slaying.

The three men who checked into the Palace Inn Blue left the motel in the womans car at 12:06 p.m. without the woman, the complaint stated.

At approximately 12:22 p.m., Abercrombie was stopped at a red light, and witnesses say a white sedan drove up next to him and two passengers stepped out of the vehicle and began shooting into Abercrombies car. Abercrombie reportedly hit the gas as he was struck by multiple bullets and his car hit two other vehicles stopped at the intersection.

Someone posted a video of the incident on social media that enabled police to identify Mosby as the unknown man following Abercrombie in the Greenspoint Mall.

The woman who owned the car was reportedly in contact with Mosby several times before and after Abercrombies slaying.

Police tracked the group as it cut through a Chevron parking lot before driving westbound on the North Sam Houston Tollway service road. Police asked the Harris County Toll Road Authority for any toll violations around the time of the slaying. The complaint states the vehicle reportedly received a toll violation minutes after shooting.

The three men returned to the Palace Inn Blue in the womans white sedan at 2:03 p.m. and they checked out at 2:06 p.m., telling the motel the woman had a family emergency, according to the affidavit.

Phone records indicate the group traveled back to Lufkin.

Abercrombie was pronounced dead at a Houston-area hospital at 3:05 p.m.

Key points

Houston police were able to identify the owner of the white sedan because someone recognized the car on TV and reported it to police, the complaint states. Police confirmed the vehicle matched the description of the one seen fleeing the scene and were able to track its movements in Houston.

Police also were then able to subpoena phone records and track their locations as they moved about in the city. Roberts and Sanfords cellphones showed the same travel pattern from the motel to the mall. Roberts, Sanford and Moore were on video leaving the motel 16 minutes before the slaying driving the white sedan.

Houston County and Angelina County crime records show no arrests for or complaints filed against the woman included in the complaint.

Roberts had no criminal cases listed in Angelina Countys criminal records. He has been charged with murder in Abercrombies death and is in the Harris County jail with a $350,000 bond.

A warrant was issued for Mosby for engaging in organized criminal activity.

Moore was transferred to the Montgomery County Jail May 3 and is being held without bond.

Sanford was indicted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Angelina County on Jan. 27. He is being held without bond in the Angelina County Jail on this charge.
Authorities have identified the 51-year-old man who died after a crash with a vehicle that allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign in Rock County on Wednesday.

Jason Schoville, of Beloit, died from injuries he suffered during the two-vehicle crash in the town of Magnolia, according to preliminary results from a forensic examination, the Rock County Medical Examiner's Department said in a Friday statement.

In the other vehicle, a 19-year-old driver, who is from Janesville, and a juvenile passenger were injured, according to the Rock County Sheriff's Office. No further information on their identities has been released.

Emergency crews responded around 12:30 p.m. to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 213 at Highway B, the Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff Office's initial investigation into the crash showed that the 19-year-old was driving a Toyota westbound on Highway B when he failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection with Highway 213.

Schoville was traveling south in a Saturn on Highway 213 and collided with the Toyota when the 19-year-old failed to stop, the Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office and the Medical Examiner's Department are continuing to investigate the death.

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A Madison woman convicted of reckless homicide in January for the 2018 shooting death of a man in a Downtown parking ramp was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison.

Dane County Circuit Judge Chris Taylor said it was clear that Kenyairra I. Gadson, 24, did not intend to kill anyone when she fired a gun at Steven Villegas, 21, on Oct. 28, 2018, in the State Street Campus Garage as the crowd from Freakfest filtered away from State Street after the festival ended.

But Taylor said Gadsons age at the time, 21, when many act impulsively, and her access to a gun drove the shooting, which happened as Gadson and her friends were involved in a confrontation with a group that included a longtime rival of Gadson and her family, Donivan Lemons.

Gadson had never met Villegas and did not know him, but she said she shot him in self-defense. Taylor said the evidence she heard at Gadsons trial in January didnt support that claim, and that a jury, after considering the elements of the law required to find self-defense for nearly 19 hours, instead found her guilty of first-degree reckless homicide.

At the end of the day, nobody corroborated your story, that Mr. Villegas was coming toward you, Taylor said. Instead, she said, testimony from a witness who was not involved in the conflict in the parking ramp indicated that Gadson moved toward Villegas before she fired the gun at close range.

Taylor agreed Gadson didnt initiate events that night, but you responded by killing someone at close range.

Lengthy feud

The shooting, Taylor said, appeared from the evidence presented at Gadsons trial to be the culmination of a long series of confrontations and threats between two groups that had been ongoing since at least 2014, when Gadsons brother, Raequon Allen, shot a friend of Lemons in the face with a flare gun.

Gadsons sentence will be shortened by just over two years for the time she has spent in custody. It will be followed by 11 years of extended supervision.

While there was little reaction in the courtroom to the sentence, community activist groups Freedom Inc. and Freedom Action Now blasted the sentence, referring to Taylor as Judge KKKris Taylor in a statement. They describe Gadson as a Black, queer woman whose case is clearly self-defense in response to threats and harassment she endured.

State Assistant Public Defender Laura Breun, one of Gadsons attorneys, distanced herself from the rhetoric of the groups in court Friday, telling Taylor, We dont have editorial control. They do not speak for the defense team.

Breun said she spoke with some of the jurors after their verdict and learned they had spent considerable time talking about what was reasonable for Gadson to do under the circumstances. The jury, she said, decided firing the gun was not reasonable.

The whole story

Gadson, speaking in court Friday, said again that she was defending herself, but her reaction to the threat she believed she faced was also influenced by fear, past experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder from earlier events in her life.

I also want to add that just because I was scared and fearful doesnt mean he should have lost his life, Gadson said, addressing Villegas family. Thats not what I was saying, or was I trying to justify anything. I just want all of you to know the whole story and how it took place. I did defend myself, but I never wanted anyone to die.

She also apologized for Villegas death, telling his family she is sorry for the hurt and pain Ive caused.

I never wanted or intended for anything like this to happen in my life, Gadson said. I know how it feels to lose a loved one. I understand the hurt you have to endure.

Breun conceded probation was not likely but argued that since the shooting, and while Gadson was free on bail before her trial, Gadsons behavior was exemplary, and she held a job and helped her family. Breun said Gadson is a remarkable person who has been through and accomplished a lot.

Breun said she believes Gadson feels genuine remorse for Villegas death. She asked that Gadson get a seven-year prison sentence, followed by eight years of extended supervision. District Attorney Ismael Ozanne asked for a 25-year sentence, followed by 15 years of extended supervision.

Still grieving

With so much of the trial focused on Gadsons interactions with Lemons, members of Villegas family said they felt Villegas had been forgotten, even though he was the victim.

Villegas mother, Rashawn Villegas, appearing by phone, is still grief-stricken by the loss of her son.

Every day I cry, she said. Every day. ... When is it going to stop?

Villegas was remembered by his siblings as someone who worked hard, got a full-time job at 18 that paid for his own apartment and sought to become an electrician. He left behind a son and a daughter.

Fathers Day is coming up in June, said Arissa Wilborn, the mother of his children. And while everyone is giving cards to their fathers or going to the park, my children have to visit a gravesite, with their fathers picture on it.

Wilborn said shes sad but Im angry. Its taken 3 years to get to this point, she said, and I just want to get this thing over with. But that wont change the fact that my kids wont have their father.

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UW-Madison chancellor finalist John Karl Scholz said its going to take a three-pronged effort to address the challenges the university faces, such as the need for additional resources and the increasingly polarized view of the value of higher education.

When I think about the opportunities and challenges facing the next chancellor, in a nutshell, the next chancellor is going to set a strategy of a very wide range of stakeholders, not only on campus, but our alums and those who care about us, he said. Second, theyre going to expand the resources and help use the resources they have as efficiently as possible, and third, they are going to tirelessly listen, understand and communicate.

Scholz, who has served as provost of UW-Madison since July 2019, pointed to his time working under both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations as experience that will help him meet with stakeholders and elected representatives and secure the resources needed to address issues ranging from compensation gaps for staff to needs for additional investment in graduate students, mental health resources and a more inclusive and diverse campus.

Scholz  the last of five finalists to meet this week with UW-Madison students, faculty, deans and Regents  said addressing those challenges will take a team effort.

No single person is going to solve this polarization problem, he said at a public forum Friday in the Wisconsin Historical Society Auditorium. I like people, I respect people, I listen to people, I work very hard to try to understand people and I have a track record of accomplishing things that help the university in almost every position that Ive held.

Scholz is the only finalist who currently works at UW-Madison and pointed to his long history with the school over the course of the one-hour Q-and-A session.

The other finalists are: Marie Lynn Miranda, a University of Notre Dame statistics professor and former provost; Jennifer Mnookin, law school dean at the University of California Los Angeles; Daniel Reed, a University of Utah computer science professor and former provost; and University of Pittsburgh Provost Ann Cudd.

Scholz received his bachelors degree in economics and mathematics from Carleton College in 1981 and a doctorate in economics from Stanford University in 1988.

During his time as provost of UW-Madison, he helped the university navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and launched the Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring, which supports instructors across campus by providing enhanced teaching and learning.

Scholz taught economics for more than two decades and became dean of the College of Letters and Science in 2013. He also worked as a deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Tax Analysis at the U.S. Treasury Department from 1997 to 1998 and was a senior staff economist for the Council of Economic Advisers from 1990 to 1991.

Asked about fostering diversity and inclusion on campus, Scholz said simply recruiting a more diverse student body and faculty is not enough.

If diversity was simply checking boxes ... its not, that is a flawed version, he said. So then its creating a culture and climate of belonging so that not only do we have greater diversity in our students, staff and faculty but to then create the conditions under which people can be successful.

Scholz also described the demand for increased mental health services for students as a huge issue for UW-Madison which the university needs to address with more investment and engagement.

Asked about the importance of humanities on campus, Scholz pointed to his creation of Success Works, a nationally recognized career center for arts and sciences students.

Its partly because of my love for the humanities that were doing that, and I think its just indispensable for what we do as a university, he said.

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A nurse midwife, Ingrid Andersson has caught, or helped deliver, more than 1,000 babies since 2001, when she started her Madison practice, Community Midwives. Most of the births are in peoples homes.

Born in Chicago, Andersson, 58, moved in seventh grade with her family to a farm near Lodi. Her mother was born in Sweden, and her father was born in Chicago to Swedish immigrants. From UW-Madison, Andersson has a bachelors degree in Scandinavian studies, German and anthropology, and a masters degree in nursing.

She lives in Madison with her husband, Hannu, who was born in Finland and raised in Sweden, and their son, Kai, 19. In 2015-16, the family spent nearly two years living in Sweden.

This year, Duluth, Minnesota-based Holy Cow Press published Jodermoder: Poems of a Midwife, Anderssons collection of 51 poems.

Why did you become a nurse midwife?

My mother was an immigrant. I have yet to meet an immigrant who is not homesick. Its a place of conflict to have a foot in both worlds.

I grew up hearing about her birth experiences in the 1960s in Chicago. In most urban centers, women were tethered to a table with leather straps around their wrists and ankles. They were given a drug, called scopolamine. It didnt take away the pain or do anything to help people cope. It took away the memory of it. You would still have these birthing wards of women screaming in pain and flailing to try to escape. That memory of birth is just a black hole for her.

I think thats why my sense of purpose has been so centralized around making conditions better, finding alternatives, for that childbirth experience.

Has the U.S. become more or less supportive of pregnant women and the birthing process?

The birthing rooms in hospitals look very good, very welcoming. Theres a lot of expense that goes into capturing the reproductive-aged woman because thats really great for profits. And yes, theres a lot more empowerment on the part of pregnant people.

But I am continually shocked at how stressed out even people with information and options are in our culture because of the lack of paid parental leave. Theres a lot of inflexibility in the workplace, in terms of honoring the demands of pregnancy  first trimester sickness, unexpected events, breastfeeding, pumping at work. Its been a really long slog to get some of those advancements, and many places still dont have them.

Theres a lot of one-size-fits-all, formulated care in pregnancy. A lot of the folks who come see me to plan a home birth feel like they connected with nobody in their journey the first time around.

When and why did you start writing poetry?

Ive always written. Thats been sort of like breathing to me. My mother always had the good books on the shelves, quoting them and reading them aloud to me  Oscar Wilde, Henrik Ibsen, Shakespeare and lots of Swedish poets.

Poetry is almost as much about whats not said as what is said. It gets to experiences that arent necessarily captured by sentences or conversation or prose. Its a way to try to capture something that is about love at its roots, and all the ways love doesnt look like love.

I grew up with a strong sense of social justice and saw the injustices everywhere I turned from a very young age. I rode to the anti-Vietnam protests on my dads shoulders. Im not an esoteric poet. Im not a personal or confessional poet. Im an intimate poet. My poetry connects intimate places like mental illness and unhappy marriages and immigration experience.

In the work of midwifery, you get to know your families very well. To a certain degree, you go through their stresses with them. Right now, its unbelievable. A lot of the folks I work with are educated and have options, but many are experiencing stress thats causing hypertension and diabetes, stress that is changing their home birth plan to a hospital plan. Poetry is what allows me to make sense out of this.

What does Jordemoder mean?

Jorde (in Swedish) is Earth. It can also mean world. It can also mean soil or dust. Moder is mother. Its reflective of my background as the daughter of a farming immigrant. Its also the old word for midwife in Swedish, and also in Norwegian and Danish.

My practice as a midwife and as a poet are ecological. Probably the use of a birth pool, and the 70 gallons of water that goes in there, really is the only resource that we expend.

How is the Mothers Milk Alliance doing today?

There are as many stories of people having extra milk as there are reasons for needing milk. Sharing milk, with some basic ground rules and screening, is very safe. Were moving about 60,000 ounces a year or more. Most of our donations go out in small batches as a tide-over until (the mothers) milk comes in, rather than going to formula.

Why did you help start POWERS?

Right now, it is easier to get an abortion in Catholic Ireland, which legalized abortion in 2018 after a woman died, than it is in Wisconsin. Also, most people dont know there is an option for midwives in Wisconsin. POWERS came about to help map out all the options for pregnancy in Wisconsin and help people access them.

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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisiana is offering free microchips to people who want permanent identification for their saddles.

It's exciting, said Cliff Williamson, director of regulatory affairs for the American Horse Council, a national equine industry group. Saddle thefts have been a problem for decades, he said, but he hasn't heard of any similar state programs.

Saddles can cost anywhere from less than $200 to tens of thousands of dollars, Williamson said. A microchip only costs $3. So if it can save law enforcement three minutes it's well worth the investment, Williamson said Wednesday.

Saddles are popular targets for agricultural theft because they dont have identifiable marks or serial numbers, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry said in a news release Tuesday.

Microchipping saddles is a unique identification tool which is invaluable if your saddle is lost or stolen, said department Commissioner Mike Strain. It is done in such a way that only you know it is there."

Livestock Brand Commission officers can scan a microchipped saddle to confirm ownership, he said. "Otherwise, we have no way of proving the theft.

Williamson said, Louisiana has been the forefront in microchipping horses. Louisiana was the first state and may be the only state to require microchipping when horses are first tested for an incurable disease called equine infectious anemia, he said. Horses that carry the disease must be quarantined or euthanized, according to the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

A U.S. nonprofit organization called Stolen Horse International suggests microchipping saddles as well as horses and other animals, and at least one microchip ID business in England advertises kits for saddles on its website. But Williamson said the practice isn't widespread in the U.S.

Williamson said stolen saddles often are sold through social media, flea markets or used tack stores. I dont imagine very many tack stores have the equipment to scan a saddle, much less the inclination to do so, Williamson said.

Agriculture department spokesperson Megan Moore said that, unlike microchips for livestock and pets, syringes aren't used to insert the chips. We drill a small hole into the saddle and implant a microchip the size of a grain of rice. The hole is then sealed with a sealant, Moore wrote in an email.

The commissions first microchipping session will take place May 19 at Red River Farm Supply in Effie, from 1 to 4 p.m. The commission said more dates and locations will be announced in the near future.

The programs are joint ventures of the Livestock Brand Commission, parish sheriffs offices, other law enforcement agencies, parish cattlemens associations and riding clubs.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
U.S. gas prices are hitting new records every day. Check out average gas prices today and compare to the past in these five graphics.
Conservatives seem on the verge of achieving their hard-fought goal of reversing Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that gave women control over their bodies. A leaked draft ruling previews a frightening commitment to a return to the 1950s.

Affluent and well-educated women, though, will not bear the brunt of this decision. In the pre-Roe landscape, terminating a pregnancy was legal in northeastern and western states, and affluent women from all parts of the country were able to travel for the right reproductive medical care.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 26 states  slightly more than half  are certain or likely to ban abortion should Roe be overturned. The other 24 states, from Alaska to Hawaii to Massachusetts and New York, are expected to retain broad access to abortions for now.

The reversal of Roe will fall disproportionately on the already sagging shoulders of poor women who will be forced to carry to term pregnancies they do not want, to rear babies they cannot afford, to live lives more precarious than those they lived before. Isnt it always the case that suffering and injustice and pain are visited disproportionately on the poor?

The Guttmacher Institute reports that in 2014, 75% of women who had abortions were low-income  49% of them living below the federal poverty level. Because Black Americans are more likely than whites to live in poverty, Black women are disproportionately represented among those having abortions. While Black women account for only about 13% of the female population, that group accounted for 28% of those who terminated pregnancies in 2014, Guttmacher says.

Some of the poorest states  Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky  are among those with laws that will ban most abortions once Roe is repealed. It is perhaps no coincidence that those are also among the states with the stingiest social welfare nets.

Women and their children in those states and others need more help. They need decent housing. They need medical insurance. They need nutrition assistance. They need good child care if they are to work. In many states, government assistance for the poor is predicated on forcing those adults to seek jobs.

While proponents of reproductive rights have mostly concentrated their activism on preserving Roe, that activism now must expand to include pressure on Congress and state legislatures to insist that government assistance is dramatically increased for poor families. The poor children who will be born in a post-Roe world are not mere totems for protests or symbols for dissent. They will be actual infants, toddlers and kindergartners whose mothers dont have the resources to give them the lives they deserve.

That hardly means that reproductive rights activists should give up on maintaining those freedoms where they can. They should fight to preserve protections in those states that have not enacted abortion restrictions. They should raise funds to help poor women travel to receive the reproductive care they need. And they should go all out to repeal cruel bans on abortion in cases of rape or incest. A handful of states have already mandated such extremes or seem poised to do so.

But the power of advocacy and the funds that fuel it must serve the children who will need food, shelter and medicine. Some Republicans are already feeling the heat since they are the partisans who resist providing a sturdier social safety net. As just one example, congressional Republicans have refused to support President Joe Bidens proposals for cash payments for parents, expanded child care benefits and universal access to pre-kindergarten.

Now, some are giving such proposals the mildest lip service. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told The Washington Post that, if Roe is reversed, I hope well come forward with new and interesting policy perspectives.

But the GOPs half-baked policy perspectives dont pay rent or buy diapers. They dont pay for doctors visits or prescriptions. They dont provide reasonable child care options. Thats what poor families need already. If poor women are forced to carry pregnancies to term, they will need that support even more.

Now that conservatives are about to remake the modern world, they get to redefine pro-life. I do hope they mean life outside the womb.

Tucker won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2007: cynthia@cynthiatucker.com.
Idaho State University has received a record $14 million donation to renovate an 80-year-old pharmacy building.

The donation from the ALSAM Foundation will cover the bulk of the $21 million project  which is expected to begin in 2023, with completion scheduled in 2025.

This gift allows our College of Pharmacy to continue its 100-year tradition of providing a high-quality education, ISU President Kevin Satterlee said in a news release. This will build on and foster our statewide leadership in health science education.

The donation is the largest one-time gift in Idaho States history. The ALSAM Foundation has now contributed $26 million to Idaho State, making it the universitys largest benefactor.

Based in Salt Lake City, the ALSAM Foundation was founded by L.S. Sam and Aline Skaggs, which operated 11 family-owned drug stores and eventually expanded into more than 200 retail locations in 21 states.

Idaho State says it will rename the college the L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy. Several other Western pharmacy schools already bear the Skaggs family name, including programs at the University of Utah, University of Montana, University of Colorado, University of Arizona and the University of California, San Diego.

Idaho State began its pharmacy program in 1920, with a class of three students. In 1943, the college moved into its current site, Leonard Hall. The renovation project will focus on modernizing research labs, creating student learning spaces and housing graduate biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences programs.

U of I, Lewis-Clark to collaborate on serving incarcerated students

The University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College will team up on a program to help incarcerated Idahoans take college classes.

The schools could offer for-credit classes at the Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino by the fall, Lewis-Clark President Cynthia Pemberton said Monday.

The new program isnt unprecedented. The U of Is Inside Out Program has offered classes at the Orofino prison for several years, and since 2009, Lewis-Clark has consistently offered non-credit welding classes at the Orofino prison.

The U of I and Lewis-Clark are joining with the Second Chance Pell Experiment, a program which helps incarcerated people access federal Pell Grants. Its the third round of the program, which has helped incarcerated people earn more than 7,000 degrees, certificates or credentials.

Nationwide, 73 colleges and universities are taking part in the program.

We have an obligation to educate the citizens of our state, U of I President Scott Green said in a news release Monday. That includes those who are looking for a second chance and wanting to exit our prison system with skills they can put to work  whether that is a four-year degree, an associate degree or a specialized certificate.

Idaho State receives grant for sign language research

Idaho State University will share in a $2.1 million U.S. Department of Education grant designed to help people with hearing disabilities better access health care systems.

Idaho State researcher Elizabeth Schniedewind and Galludet University professor Campbell McDermid will collaborate on the five-year project.

The goal of the project is to provide new curriculum for generalist sign language interpreters  a health care-specific curriculum focused on areas such as medical terminology.

It is my hope that by increasing the number of interpreters qualified to provide services in healthcare settings, the care deaf patients receive will improve, Schniedewind said in a news release.

Schniedewind studied the issue in 2020, for her doctoral research project. She found that people with hearing disabilities experience discrimination or receive subpar service when accessing health care.

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The National Trust for Historic Preservation just released its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America for 2022, and Idahos Minidoka National Historic Site is on the list. The annual list highlights places of historical and cultural importance in the U.S. that the national trust sees as threatened by various issues, including climate change, development and neglect. This years theme, according to the trust, focuses on sites of injustice and activism, and places of creative expression. The Minidoka site, 16 miles east of Jerome, marks the location of the Minidoka War Relocation Center. Around 13,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated at Minidoka in the 1940s, a result of an executive order from President Franklin Roosevelt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II.

A Day of Remembrance: Commemorating the 80th anniversary of Executive Order 9066 A film explaining how Executive Order 9066 in 1942 authorized the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans is coming to a venue near you.

About two-thirds of the more than 120,000 people who were sent to Minidoka and other camps in the interior of the Western U.S. were U.S. citizens. The federal government eventually apologized for the actions taken in the 1940s and issued reparations, but not until the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Minidoka, which was named a national monument in 2001 and a national historic site in 2008, is now threatened by the potential construction of a 400-turbine wind farm project, according to the list of endangered places. We are extremely disturbed by the proposed wind project and its disregard for the sacredness of Minidoka National Historic Site, where 13,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were unjustly incarcerated during World War II, said Robyn Achilles, executive director of Friends of Minidoka, in a news release. The Lava Ridge Wind Project would be visible from Minidoka and permanently change the landscape around the area. Each wind turbine would stand approximately 740 feet tall, almost 140 feet taller than Seattles Space Needle, with turbines as long as a Boeing 747.

The proposed project, headed by New York private equity company LS Power, would occupy 73,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management property and become one of the largest wind farms in the U.S., according to Friends of Minidoka.

Protecting history: Minidoka internment camp survivors opposed to wind project Survivors of the Minidoka War Relocation Center are worried about the impact of the Lava Ridge Wind Project. The closest turbine is currently planned to be 2 miles from the site.

Friends of Minidoka supports renewable energy, but believes that projects must be sited in a way that respects and preserves significant historic sites, Achilles said in the release. We and our partners urge the Bureau of Land Management to protect Minidoka National Historic Site as a place for learning and healing.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Friends of Minidoka are both calling on people to send letters to BLM Idaho Director Karen Kelleher and to Tracy Stone-Manning, U.S. director of the Bureau of Land Management, to urge denial of LS Powers permit application  or at the least, to reduce the number of turbines that would be built.

Minidoka National Historic Site serves as a critical and painful reminder of the fragility of democracy, said Katherine Malone-France, chief preservation officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in the release. Eighty years after the first Japanese Americans were wrongfully incarcerated at Minidoka, Asian Americans continue to experience anti-Asian violence, harmful stereotypes, and hatred. Minidoka reminds us of the mistakes of the past so that we can do better in the future, and it must be preserved and protected as a sacred site of conscience in the ongoing fight against hate and racism in our country.

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The Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society will commemorate Justified by Her Children, written by Roy Pollina.

On Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Joyce Staples will lead a discussion of the book in the courtroom of the former Henry County Courthouse.

Staples is a retired English professor of Patrick & Henry Community College and Longwood University and currently serves as the Historical Societys board secretary and chair of Fayette Area Historical Initiative. She is a member of the Martinsville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a past president of Piedmont Arts.

The book is available for purchase in the gift shop of the MHC Heritage Center & Museum, 1 East Main St., from 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, May 15, the Historical Society will conduct its annual meeting in the courtroom with Pollina as guest speaker. President John Phillips will provide a brief review of the 2021-2022 year and introduce the 2022-2023 officers and board of directors.

Following the meeting, refreshments will be served, and Pollina will be available for book signings and photographs.

Admission is free for both events. The building is fully handicap accessible.

About the book

In May of 1958, Virginia newspapers were reporting that the congregational leadership of Christ Episcopal Church in Martinsville had declared that their bishops plan to integrate the summer youth camp is both illegal and ill-advised and that they would oppose any intermingling of the races.

Amid this controversy, a quiet revolution stirred among that congregations young people, uplifted by their youthful, energetic priest, the Rev. Philip Gresham. When the kids stood with their bishop in favor of an integrated youth camp their opinion was derided as youthful naivete. Rather than discouraging them, their church leaderships dismissal inspired them to devise a more tangible expression of their position. They would acquire and present a gift, a peace offering, as a token of their solidarity with their bishop.

Justified by Her Children navigates the tradition of racism from the Virginia colonial enslavers to the Massive Resistance of Virginia segregationist of the 1950s. The books story wends its way through the trial and execution of the African American Martinsville Seven, past the whispers about the sexual orientation of the young, single priest, and a congregation in conflict over letting its white children eat a box supper with Black children at a church mission event.

John Phillips, Historical Society President, stated in a press release, We are not always proud of our past but must acknowledge and embrace it to learn from it and not repeat it. Our area is fortunate that Pastor Pollina wrote this book which allows us the opportunity to explore the events further and to grow as a community.

Pollina graduated from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, in 1985. He was ordained that year in the Diocese of Louisiana where he served for 26 years. He retired om 2015 as Rector of Christ Episcopal Church, Martinsville. He is the author of To Bless a Child. He recently received the 2022 Silver Illumination Book Award for Justified by Her Children. The purpose of the Illumination Book Awards is to bring award recipients the credibility and publicity they need to further their book marketing and sales success. The awards are designed to shine a light on the best new titles written and published with a Christian worldview.

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MBA

Martinsville Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles has earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from Averett University.

The daughter of Michael Bowles and the late Janice Bowles, she is the executive assistant of the vice president of Averett University.

Cook inducted

Keilah Cook has been selected for membership in Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication association honor society. She was inducted into the chapter at Eastern University.

Cook is the daughter of Carmen and William E. Cook of Laurel, Md., and the granddaughter of Willie and Marie B. Hairston of Martinsville. She is the great-grandniece of Dr. Dana O. Baldwin, the first Black physician to practice medicine in Martinsville and Henry County.

She is a sophomore at Eastern University. The requirements of membership are to have at least 60 college credits and a high grade point average; hers is 3.9. She was the only sophomore in the group of inductees.

Wimbush gets award

Demontay Wimbush, Ferrum College Class of 2021 graduate and resident of Bassett, received the James T. Catlin Jr. Citizenship Award, named in honor of the late James T. Catlin Jr. of Danville.

The award is presented annually to the Ferrum student who has best demonstrated qualities of citizenship and general leadership ability as judged by vote of the faculty.

Wimbush is in the Army National Guard and currently on deployment in Djibouti.

Talley honored

The Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) held an annual conference from May 1-3 in Roanoke where Martinsville City Public School Superintendent Dr. Zebedee Talley Jr. received a gavel and plaques commemorating his service as VASS president for the 2021-22 academic year.

Talley was at the helm of VASS during the transition of state administrations following the November 2021 election and represented 133 Virginia school districts. In addition, he has served as chairman and vice-chair of region 06 Superintendents.

As Executive Director, I have had the opportunity to work with tremendous educational leaders over the past eight years who have served in VASS leadership roles, such as Dr. Talley, said VASS Executive Director Ben Kiser.

Scholarships

The J.T.-Minnie Maude Charitable Trust reminds non-traditional students of the Trusts next deadline date of June 1 for the submission of scholarship applications.

Non-traditional students who reside in Caswell, Danville/Pittsylvania, Halifax, Martinsville/Henry and Rockingham Counties are encouraged to visit our website www.jtmm.org for scholarship guidelines, instructions and to apply.

AFA Cybercamp

New College Institute will host an AFA CyberCamp this summer.

The goal of the class is to teach students about cyber safety, cyber ethics and critical network security skills and tools. Each AFA CyberCamp culminates in a team-based competition that puts the campers in the role of IT administrators tasked with finding and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated network environments. The local AFA CyberCamp competitions will closely mimic AFAs annual CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

The camp will be held July 18-22 and taught by Teh-Way Lee, NCIs Manager of Technology Integration, and Janet Copenhaver, technology instructor at NCI. Copenhaver stated in a press release, Teenagers and young adults under the age of 25 are the most vulnerable target population for cybercrimes. Thus, it is important to keep fighting and identifying these cyber threats. Our CyberCamp focuses on cyber threats and identifies ways to manage and secure your computer.

For information about the camp, visit newcollegeinstitute.org/degrees-and-training/k-12-programs/cyberpatriot-cybercamp/.

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The 2022 Economic Report of the President cited Associate Professor of Health Administration and Policy Priyanka Anand's research on the impact of paid family leave mandates on labor supply and caregiving decisions following a spousal disability or health shock.

"Having our research recognized in the President's Economic Report is an honor and emphasizes the importance of research on paid leave," said Anand. "Only nine states and DC currently have paid leave mandates, but more are considering adopting their own policies and the American Families Plan proposed by President Biden in 2021 would have permanently guaranteed all workers in the US 12 weeks of paid leave. It is important to understand what type of impact these policies would have on employment."

The 2022 Economic Report of the President discusses the economic progress the United States has made over the past year and includes the Council of Economic Advisors Annual Report. Anand's work is featured in Chapter 4 of the report titled "Investing in People: Education, Workforce Development, and Health."

The full paper, "The role of paid family leave in labor supply responses to a spouse's disability or health shock," was published in the May 2022 Journal of Health Economics.

When a family member is injured or suffers an unexpected health setback, they may need additional care. Workers without paid family leave often face the tradeoff between staying at work to earn income or leaving their job to provide care for their family member. Job protection, such as what the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides, is important too, but often unpaid and not all families can afford to go without income while caring for a family member. Additionally, paid leave policies do not always include job protection.

"There is a large body of existing research that examines the impact of paid leave on women's careers after childbirth, but very little on the impact of paid leave on potential caregivers after a spouse's work-limiting health shock or disability. The recent global pandemic brought the issue of paid leave for family caregiving to the forefront, with many workers having family members affected by COVID-19 and needing care," Anand said.

Anand and her fellow researchers sought to better understand paid family leave policies' effect on employment in relation to a spouse's disability or sudden health issue (health shock). They questioned whether paid leave and/or job protection may further support families since they would not have to choose between caregiving and income.

The team used data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to compare employment and caregiving decisions before and after a spouse's work-limiting health shock or disability, specifically in states that have a paid leave mandate (California and New Jersey) versus states that eventually had a paid leave mandate, but didn't at the time of the spouse's health shock.

They found that paid leave mandates reduce the likelihood of decreasing paid work hours to provide caregiving after a spouse's health shock. However, paid leave mandates also reduce employment if they are not provided together with job protection. For caregivers who may not qualify for FMLA or have other sources of job protection, paid leave mandates increase the likelihood that they will leave their job to care for their spouses.

They did not find evidence of an impact of paid leave mandates on other measures of employment. The research team acknowledges that the small number of states (two) that have paid leave and the limitations of SIPP survey data are limitation of the research.

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is funding a new project that is an extension of this research. The new project will examine the characteristics and long-term outcomes of individuals who have a need for paid leave (due to their own or a family member's health shock), but lack access either through their employer or a state mandate.

Explore further Infant brain study helps make case for a universal US paid leave policy

More information: Priyanka Anand et al, The role of paid family leave in labor supply responses to a spouse's disability or health shock, Journal of Health Economics (2022). Journal information: Journal of Health Economics Priyanka Anand et al, The role of paid family leave in labor supply responses to a spouse's disability or health shock,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102621
After the leak of a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court suggesting the court may overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that protects abortion access, many Americans fear the end of abortion rights.

According to the draft written by Associate Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court had voted to strike down the 1973 decision and return the abortion rights issue to the states.

For almost half a century, there has been fierce debate on both sides of the abortion argument and since the appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court during former President Donald Trump's tenure, speculation about the possible end of Roe v. Wade has only grown.

In Fayetteville, many pro-choice advocates have worked to protect reproductive rights for residents and the news of the possible reversal of longstanding legal precedent angered many and was heralded by others.

Related reporting: Would overturn of Roe v. Wade end abortion in North Carolina? How soon?

While North Carolina's Democratic leaders have worked to ensure protections for abortions, many in Fayetteville still question what might happen in the state if abortion rights are repealed.

'Outlawing abortions will not stop them'

Supporters of Planned Parenthood display signs next to an organized group of demonstrators that rallied against abortion practices in front of the Planned Parenthood offices Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. on Yadkin Road.

The draft, written by Alito in February, was first published Monday by POLITICO, a Northern Virginia-based news organization.

Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed Tuesday that the draft was authentic and called for an investigation into the leak. The court's findings are not final until published, and experts predict this will happen in the next few months.

Roberta Waddle of Fayetteville said that when the news broke about the leak, she first thought about the diverse groups of people who will be affected by the rollback of protection of women's reproductive rights.

"I'm very concerned. We are going backwards so fast that it's like whiplash," Waddle said. "Some of us have been working for expanded abortion rights for many years. Some of us are right tired of this. Outlawing abortions will not stop them."

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Waddle has been an advocate for abortion and reproductive rights for years. She said she is worried that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade poses a threat to other forms of reproductive health like access to birth control. Waddle said the decision also makes her concerned about the rights and liberties extended to LGBTQ+ communities and other minorities.

Diane Parfitt, the former Democratic state House representative for District 44, which covers Cumberland County, echoed Waddle's thoughts. Like others, Parfitt said she is hoping the draft decision doesn't become reality.

"I think we've all been getting a feeling that the handwriting's on the wall that this is what's going to happen," Parfitt said. "It's just too bad. (Abortion) has become totally political and it's gotten away from the important thing which is a woman's right to choose."

Parfitt said she had a feeling that abortion access would be more difficult in North Carolina if more Republican lawmakers are elected in this year's election. She disagrees with the government's interference in a person's right of choice.

Since elected, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has used his veto power on a number of strict abortion laws pushed by Republican lawmakers.

Republicans need three seats in the state House of Representatives and two seats in the state Senate to have enough votes to override Cooper's vetoes.

What would the end of Roe v. Wade mean for abortion in NC? 6 things you need to know

Pamela Carver, president of the Fayetteville chapter of the National Organization for Women, said the decision to overturn abortion protections is an attack on the right to privacy.

"While this was a gut punch, it is something that we have been aware that people have been trying to do ever since Roe passed," Carver said. "Anti-abortionists have played the long game of pushing legislators and judges that support undoing Roe v. Wade ... Roe is just the first."

Carver said Roe v. Wade has been resting on the judgment of the Supreme Court for too long and needs to be made into actual law by Congress.

"It's been reaffirmed and reaffirmed and reaffirmed, and it's been disappointing because when you look at these justices, you wonder, did they perjure themselves before the Senate hearings when they said they recognized Roe as established law and now they want to vote to gut it?" Carver said.

'Voice to the voiceless'

Fayetteville residents Tim Baugus and Joyce Pendergrass stand outside the Carolina Women's Clinic on Gillespie Street to hand out pamphlets to patients as they leave the clinic in Fayetteville on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

Tim Baugus, senior pastor of Cumberland Baptist Church on Cumberland Road, said he speaks out against abortion in order to be a "voice to the voiceless."

Baugus has been participating in anti-abortion rallies at Planned Parenthood on Yadkin Road in Fayetteville. Members of his church often gather there on weekends.

"We are not down there protesting, we're not down there sharing hate, we're down there sharing love," Baugus said. "We want the mothers to know that we are praying for them."

He said that in partnership with the Charlotte-based Love Life organization, his church has offered to help expectant mothers with baby showers and financial needs. They also offer to help women with the adoption process.

For Baugus and members of his congregation, life begins at conception and fetuses are babies, not a "clump of cells."

"We want these mothers to understand that they have a living human being inside of them," he said.

Baugus said church members who gather outside the clinic aren't seeking to judge women but to provide information. He said the employees of the facility are not immune to this advice, even they are offered help to find new employment.

"We're shedding light onto the darkness that maybe these clinics are not being honest with these mothers," Baugus said. He supports the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and is thankful to see the possibility.

'This is supposed to be a democracy'

Jamilyn Wallace, 19, said she spent all Tuesday night talking with her friends about the possible overturn of Roe v. Wade.

As a sophomore at Fayetteville State University, she said many of her classmates are angry and shocked. They don't understand why so many political leaders and other people are invested in what a woman does with her body. Wallace said it is "sickening" to think about the possibility of not having abortion protections.

"At first, I was shocked and confused," Wallace said. "I didn't understand why they felt the need to change such a big law. It's not fair to a lot of young women of all backgrounds."

Wallace said she is hoping the justices and lawmakers listen to the majority of people outspoken against the decision to overturn Roe. She doesn't believe leaders have considered the real-life implications for those choosing abortions.

"This is supposed to be a democracy," Wallace said. "There are a lot of people that are not equipped to be parents and they know that and if they're trying to take precautions to keep another child from going into the system or going on the streets ... (protections) would help."

In college, during a time when many young people are exploring sexual freedoms, Wallace said some people have expressed experiencing "pregnancy scares" and use birth control and other contraception to have control of their futures.

"If we're not ready to bring a child into the world, we shouldn't have to," Wallace said. "For people who don't even know us, don't talk to us, or know what our daily lives are, to have a say is not right."

Fellow FSU student Rachel Ruff, 20, director of diversity and inclusion for the Student Government Association, said she doesn't have too many feelings about Roe v. Wade but for the right to abortion to be taken away is sad.

"I'm (registered) independent, but it's just sad to see the commentary on both sides and the personal attacks and the politicians leading discussions about real people," Ruff said. "We are trying to get to a more civically engaged society, but we kind of see that crumbling ... this is a jumble of emotions."

Ruff said she wants to see more elected officials who are community politicians. She said there has been a lack of LGBTQ people in leadership and wants a more intersectional approach to feminist efforts.

Ruff, a senior political science major, also said she doesn't agree with the leaked draft opinion, saying it undermines the American political process.

"The best thing politicians can do is look at (the draft) and look at how it applies to the average citizen," Ruff said. "What works for the American people and what will work?"

Protecting the right to choose

Jenny Black, president of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, where Baugus and others gather, said abortion decisions should not be the business of politicians or others to make.

"No one's personal feelings about abortion should decide for all of us," Black said. "Sometimes the decision to have an abortion is simple and straightforward and sometimes it's very complicated. Either way, it should be up to you."

More than half of patients who visit Planned Parenthood seeking an abortion are already parents, she said. Because of this, they understand the rights and responsibilities of parenthood.

"We trust them to make decisions that are best for them," Black said. "They're the experts of their own lives."

Protecting reproductive rights and abortion has been part of Black's life work. Like others, she knew the decision was coming but says it has been sobering to see it happen.

"We understand that abortion bans are most harshly felt by Black and brown patients. We understand that abortion bans are rooted in white supremacy and we're really concerned about the anti-abortion rights groups unveiling their ultimate plan to outright ban abortion nationwide," she said. "This is a devastating step that SCOTUS has taken, this isn't even the end game."

Black said people don't have to imagine what would happen next if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Protections for LGBTQ people, interracial marriage, same-sex marriage and access to contraception also hang in the balance.

With the midterm elections coming up, Black and other advocates for abortion rights are hoping to see the leaked Supreme Court draft galvanize people to the polls once again to elect leaders who will work to protect rights and healthcare.

"We're part of an important health care ecosystem that's already constrained and when you layer this level of restrictions and bans and shame and stigma on top of that you're only going to find the system constrained to the point of breaking," Black said.

Investigative Reporter Kristen Johnson can be reached at kjohnson1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville reactions to Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade leak
FRAMINGHAM  A Worcester woman died after authorities say her car crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer early Friday morning on the westbound lane of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The 29-year-old woman, whom Massachusetts State Police did not identify, was declared dead at the scene of the 2:40 a.m. crash.

According to state police, the woman was driving a 2020 Mini Cooper on the Mass Pike westbound near the 113.6 mile marker when she struck the rear of a tractor-trailer. The car was then pulled by the truck.

The woman was the only person in her car. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.

"Preliminary investigation reveals that the Mini Cooper was possibly speeding prior to rear-ending the tractor trailer," state police said in a statement. "No other vehicles are believed to have been involved in the crash. "

The middle and left lanes were closed until about 7 a.m. The Framingham Police and Fire departments assisted at the scene.

State police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Worcester woman killed in crash on Mass Pike in Framingham
A woman who has been on probation since 2018 will spend even more time with the states probation and parole officers after pleading guilty to some charges Tuesday.

Holly Renee Saulman, 43, of Morganton, pleaded guilty to probation violations along with a felony charge of attempting to obtain property by false pretense, according to court records.

Saulman has been on probation since 2018 when she was convicted of common law robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon, charges that stemmed from a 2017 incident where two people were robbed and she reportedly pointed a gun at a mans head, according to a News Herald article on the incident.

You better give me your phone, Saulman was quoted in an arrest report cited in the article. I got a good lawyer. Even if I shoot you, I would get away with it.

In the almost four years Saulman has been on probation for those 2018 convictions, she has received six probation violations, including the ones she pleaded guilty to Tuesday, a court official told The News Herald.

For the most recent probation violations, Saulman will spend the next four months in jail, ordered Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Kuehnert. She turned herself into jail staff Thursday afternoon, a courthouse source told the newspaper.

Once shes out of jail, Saulman has been ordered to enroll in a residential treatment program for individuals with substance use disorder.

The judge specifically ordered Saulman to look to TROSA, a Durham-based program, for treatment, but if shes not accepted there, she can seek treatment through another similar program.

TROSA is a multi-year residential program where residents receive treatment from licensed and certified professionals, according to the organizations website. While theyre in the program, residents are assigned to one of the organizations social programs, which include a moving service, lawn care service, construction and property maintenance, office administration, food service and admissions.

Her sentence does not end there. Saulmans probation for her 2018 charge hasnt been terminated, so when shes released from jail, shell have to finish that probation and shell start another probation sentence.

The other sentence, which is for the charge of attempted obtaining property by false pretense, could see Saulman spend up to five years on supervised probation. Itll run alongside the probation for the 2018 convictions.

The 2018 convictions werent Saulmans first rodeo with the legal system. The News Herald has obtained more than 30 mugshots for the woman that date back as early as the year 2000, sources said.

Her criminal convictions dont start until 2006, when she was convicted of felony obtaining property by worthless checks, according to a records check on the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website.

Other convictions on Saulmans record include simple assault/affray, larceny, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, forgery, speeding to elude arrest and two other counts of obtaining property by false checks, records on the NCDPS website showed.

She was arrested by Burke County sheriffs deputies April 26 after a traffic stop. The deputy charged Saulman with felony possession of methamphetamine after she reportedly had a small bag with what looked to be the substance in it, and she was charged with misdemeanor driving while license revoked, according to a press release from the Burke County Sheriffs Office.

Those charges, along with four other charges for driving while license revoked, still are pending in Burke County, according to a records check on the North Carolina Judicial Branch website. Saulman still has pending charges in Catawba County for felony uttering a forged instrument and felony obtaining property by false pretense, the states judicial branch website showed. Shes due back in Burke County court Monday for a driving while license revoked charge, and she has a court date in Catawba County set for June 29.

Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941. Follow @cmurphyMNH on Twitter.

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Butte Central High School students, faculty, parents and representatives from local universities such as Carroll College, Montana Technological University and the University of Montana in Missoula gathered at the school Friday to celebrate the 25 graduating seniors who are going on to higher education.

This year, every Butte Central student is going straight from high school to college, according to guidance counselor Ethan Hoffman. There is a foreign exchange student from Switzerland in the senior class who is taking a gap year, but he is also planning on going to college, Hoffman said.

Butte Central principal JP Williams called Hoffman the superstar of the event. He said Hoffman worked tirelessly to help the students apply for colleges and scholarships, making the celebration possible.

The graduating seniors will be going to a variety of in- and out-of-state colleges, Hoffman said. On the list is Montana Tech, Carroll College, the University of Montana, the University of Montana Western, Montana State University in Bozeman, Gonzaga University, University of Jamestown, Boise State University and more.

Signs for the colleges made by the schools yearbook club were displayed at the event and attached to one of the walls in the schools lobby.

Butte Central boasts a 100% graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate, and Hoffman said that all the students received some sort of financial aid or scholarship. While the rate of seniors attending college is exceptionally high this year, Hoffman said that the schools usual college attendance rate is 90-95%.

It really depends on the class, Hoffman said. He added that their class size is small, and if the class size was 100 or more kids, there probably would have been a few who went into the military or to trade schools.

Joseph Sehulster, who will be attending Carroll College, plans to major in nursing.

It fits me the best, he said. I like to help people.

When asked how he feels about graduating high school, he said hes not sure how he feels about it yet.

Maggie Stimatz, who will be going to Gonzaga, said she chose that school because she has many family members who went there, and shes seen many games there. She also plans on going into nursing.

Its hard to leave, she said. But I think it will be a really good thing for all of us to get out on our own and see whats out there.

Butte Centrals graduation is May 29.

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Cade ONeill has wanted to be a doctor for almost his entire life. When he graduated Butte High School in 2018 as one of the valedictorians, he decided to go to Montana Technological University like his sister before him, who graduated with a degree in mining engineering.

Now, four years later after starting at Montana Tech, the 22-year-old is graduating with a 4.0 and a degree in biological sciences, cell and molecular track. And, like high school, he will be graduating as one of the valedictorians. He starts coursework at University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Grand Forks in July.

ONeill is proud of his alma mater, particularly the biological sciences department, which he called one big happy family.

Its kind of a hidden gem at Montana Tech, he said. Ive been pretty blessed with the teachers that Ive had and my peers. I attribute all my success to them.

He said that of the 12 people hes graduating with, one is going to physical therapy school and one is going into dentistry, so theres a little bit of everything.

Born and raised in Butte, he hopes to return to Montana and be a rural doctor. Rather than be a general practitioner, he wants to specialize, probably in ophthalmology, but cardiology and neurology have also piqued his interest.

If ONeill chooses cardiology, hes looking at about 11 years of school, he said, the longest amount of time in school out of his three potential choices. The summer after this one will be his last free summer he said, where hell have about six weeks off.

Hes always had an insatiable appetite for learning, said ONeills dad, Jim ONeill. He loves learning, loves school. Since kindergarten, hes never had anything close to a B. He echoed his sons sentiment that Montana Techs biological sciences department helped him out a lot.

The reason Cade ONeill wants to be a doctor is because he has a lot of personal experience with doctors, a lot more than most people. Every summer, ONeill travels to Salt Lake City and sees four doctors. Hes been seeing doctors since he was two weeks old and has traveled to Salt Lake City over 100 times for doctors appointments.

Why? He was born with micropthalmia, a congenital condition that resulted in ONeill being born with a very small left eye. Now, he has a prosthetic.

Approximately one in every 5,200 babies is born with anophthalmia/microphthalmia, according to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anophthalmia is a birth defect where a baby is born without one or both eyes, and microphthalmia is a birth defect where one or both eyes didnt fully develop and is/are small.

The condition is not very common, and ONeill thought that if he could be a doctor to a child with his condition, it would help them feel less afraid and out of place.

When I was a kid, Id go into the doctors office, and Id be scared, ONeill said. I would be kind of scared to death, and really wouldnt know what would go on or anything. And I think having a doctor with that kind of relatability would really ease a lot of those scared feelings in a way.

If I was a kid with this condition, and I had a doctor who had the same exact thing, Id be like Oh my God, this isnt a hurdle. It isnt something thats going to end my life  So, just giving that sense of relatability to kids is something that would really give me a sense of fulfillment.

ONeill was part of a group of 62,443 people who applied to medical school in 2021, a record number and 17.8% increase in applicants from 2020, according to a report published by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

To say the competition was tough would be an understatement, especially as a medical student from Montana, which doesnt have an in-state medical school. Because of this, ONeill said, he was encouraged to apply to a wide selection of medical schools. So he did.

He applied to schools in Arizona, South Carolina, Colorado, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington, and of course, North Dakota.

The North Dakota State University School of Medicine and Health Sciences is ranked among the top 10 rural medicine programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report, which is partially why ONeill wants to go there. He also thinks hell be comfortable there because the class size is smaller than cohorts at other medical schools.

The universitys school of medicine accepts 78 students each year, according to its website. ONeill said he feels blessed to have gotten in.

I went (to Grand Forks) over spring break, and its really a lot like Montana, he said. All the people are super friendly and I didnt feel out of place.

In his four years at Montana Tech, ONeill has tried his hardest to be involved. Hes part of the universitys student ambassador program, was an orientation leader for incoming freshmen last fall, was in the Biology, Chemistry and Pre-Professional Health Club, and was mentor in the Upward Bound Program, where he helped high school students who would be first-generation college students develop interest in science.

Hes also been involved in a considerable amount of research with his professors. As early as his freshman year, ONeill looked for ways to get involved in the biological sciences department. He started by conducting research with one of his professors, Joel Graff.

One peculiar thing about Cade is that he always wear shorts in winter, Graff said. When ONeill visited Grand Forks during spring break, there was a cold snap, Graff said, and ONeill told him it was the coldest weather hed ever experienced.

And I said Maybe youll have to learn how to wear pants, Graff said.

Graff said he often recruits students from his freshman classes in hopes that theyll research with him for the next few years while theyre at Montana Tech. In the wake of COVID-19 and the restrictions put in place because of it, ONeill missed out on one of those years, but was still a great addition to the lab.

One thing Graff said about ONeill is that he never gives up, and works hard.

In class, he puts more effort into answering every question than is typical, Graff said.

He also said that the lab work ONeill had to do for the research is like threading a needle, when using a pipette, but that ONeill didnt let his micropthalmia slow him down.

He figured out his own way to use the pipette accurately, Graff said. He said hell miss ONeill and looks forward to see how hell do in medical school.

ONeill also researched with the director of the biological sciences department, Amy Kuenzi. Kuenzis research focused on studying the Hantavirus using field mice.

She said ONeill is very smart and interested in helping. She said his strength is in lab research, but he was always game to go out in the field, where much of the research was. One memory she remembers with fondness is how intimidated he was by the field mice at first.

Although it took him three years to handle the mice, he didnt give up, she said. She also noted that it was unusual for students to be involved in research for as long as ONeill was.

Most students get involved in research later on, she said.

In addition to graduating as one of two biological sciences valedictorians and one of four total valedictorians, hes graduating with highest honors. Hes also one of seven Highest Scholastic Standing in the Arts & Sciences Awardees and a recipient of an Outstanding Student Departmental Award in biological sciences.

He also won first place at Montana Techs Techxpo last week in the biological sciences department.

You know, ONeill said, Its just so, so difficult. But through a lot of hard work and late nights, we got there.

ONeill will graduate at 1 p.m. on May 7.

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IOWA CITY  As immigrant workers who have been passed over for COVID-19 federal stimulus continue to state their case to local governments in the hope of aid, a documentary team from Univision News premiered its documentary Rising Up In The Heartland: Latino Workers Fight for Pandemic Relief.

The group Escucha Mi Voz (Hear My Voice), was the focus of the 30-minute documentary that aired earlier this month. It followed the workers as they approach city governments in Iowa City, Columbus Junction, and West Liberty, requesting federal rescue funds be used to give stimulus to essential workers. After a long struggle during the pandemic, Latino essential workers have begun to speak out as activists, sharing the stories of their struggles with health, work and life. The documentary is presented with additional multimedia online that explore the story in more detail.

We wanted to revisit the story of the impact of COVID in the Hispanic community, said Federica Narancio, Senior editor for visual storytelling at Univision Noticias. We knew in certain regions, like meatpacking regions, where there were so many cases, we wondered how people are doing now.

Since last year, essential and excluded immigrant workers have been organizing into core teams at their Hispanic Catholic parishes in Iowa City, West Liberty, Muscatine, Columbus Junction, and Washington. The teams formed a new regional organization called Escucha Mi Voz, a spin-off of the Iowa City Catholic Worker. LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) and Catholic Worker House of Iowa City, a nonprofit that houses undocumented immigrants, are two of the 16 groups that lobbied for the Excluded Workers Fund. Iowa City and Johnson County have contributed $2 million to such a fund.

As the filmmakers explored the story, they came upon Escucha Mi Voz. Freelance journalist and filmmaker Victoria Boulobasis said the quest to learn how communities that had been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 had led to people taking a stand  many for the first time.

It was really energizing and inspiring to see that despite  whether its systemic failures or unsafe working conditions  they were standing up to that and figuring out a way that could feasibly work if city councils allow it to, Boulobasis said.

Earlier in the pandemic, excluded worker groups appeared in New York and California. Boulobasis said Escucha Mi Voz is the most public lobbying for relief funds. She also found it exciting that the group had formed in semi-rural areas. Boulobasis commented that with the meatpacking industry, Latinos often become the majority of people in certain cities and towns, but have minimal power in how community decisions are made.

The documentary crew was in Iowa for about two weeks filming. Editing the documentary together took about two months.

The documentary is available on UnivisionNoticias.com.

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HOUSTON (AP)  A Houston conservative activist charged with unlawful restraint and aggravated assault had asked a U.S. attorney in Texas to provide federal marshals to help his private investigator seize what were believed to be fraudulent voter ballots from an air conditioner repairman's vehicle.

A transcript of a phone call from Dr. Steven Hotze to then U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick filed in district court in Houston says Hotze told Patrick of plans by private investigator Mark Aguirre to cause the repairmans vehicle to crash and for Aguirre to make a citizen's arrest.

Aguirre has also been charged with the same offenses and both men have said through their attorneys that they did nothing wrong. Patrick, now in private practice, declined comment. Both men are out on bail.

Aguirre had hoped to seize what was believed were thousands of fraudulent voter ballots, but the vehicle carried only tools, prosecutors have said.

Then-President Donald Trump and others falsely claimed there was massive voter fraud in the November 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.

He (Aguirre) needs to have a federal marshal with him, Hotze said, according to the transcript of the Oct. 17, 2020 phone call. He doesn't want to get (the) Houston Police Department, he said all the evidence would disappear."

The Texas Attorney General's office was not helping, the transcript said and the county sheriff's office could not be trusted obviously because they're Democrats.

Ryan replied that no federal agents worked for his office.

I can't just send marshals ... the marshals don't work for me, Ryan said, according to the document.

Hotze's attorney, Jared Woodfill, said in a statement to KTRK-TV that Hotze is innocent.

"The Ryan Patrick tape further demonstrates that the indictment of Dr. Hotze was politically motivated and that Dr. Hotze is innocent of any criminal or civil wrongdoing. We look forward to proving Dr. Hotzes innocence, according to the statement.

Aguirre's attorney, Terry Yates, also denied wrongdoing by Aguirre. This is a political prosecution that is utterly baseless in fact or law, Yates said.

Aguirre allegedly slammed his vehicle into the back of the repairmans vehicle two days after the phone call, drew a weapon and ordered the man to the ground and put a knee on his back, according to prosecutors.

Aguirre was paid $266,400 to conduct the investigation by the Houston-based nonprofit Liberty Center for God and Country, whose CEO is Hotze, police have said. The group says on its website that it protects and promote citizens' God-given, unalienable Constitutional rights and liberties."

Hotze, a conservative power broker, unsuccessfully sued to stop the extension of early voting in Texas for this years election. He also sued officials in Harris County to limit in-person and absentee voting, making allegations without evidence that Democrats were engaged in ballot harvesting by gathering votes from individuals who are homeless or elderly.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (AP)  Connecticut Republicans endorsed former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, a moderate on social issues, to challenge two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal in November. But she will still face a primary in August after two social conservatives received enough delegate support on Saturday.

About 50 miles away, Connecticut Democrats endorsed incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont and running mate Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz for a second term, lauding the team's efforts during the coronavirus pandemic and helping to pass a roughly $600 million tax cut in the recent one-year revised state budget.

Klarides, 56, the first woman to lead the GOP House caucus, was the favorite entering the two-day GOP convention after receiving public endorsements from some top state Republicans. After garnering nearly 57% of the delegate votes, she urged the party faithful to coalesce for the November elections.

Let's get together and turn Connecticut red, she told the crowd at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Despite calls for unity in a year when the GOP feels optimistic, even in Democratic-leaning Connecticut, the party was still on track to have intraparty primaries in both the U.S. Senate and secretary of the state races.

Leora Levy, a conservative from Greenwich and the state's Republican National Committeewoman, and Peter Lumaj, a conservative and attorney from Fairfield, each won more than the 15% of delegate support needed to force a primary. Levy, who has raised more than $1 million, has made it clear she's not backing out.

I am 100% invested in this. I put a lot of my own money in, much more than my opponent has, she told The Associated Press. I'm in it for the end. No matter what, I will let the Republican voters of the state of Connecticut decide who their candidate will be to go up against Dick Blumenthal.

Lumaj said he plans to run in the August primary, stressing how the target will be Blumenthal. He said he hasn't been pressured to drop out.

I want to make sure that if I get to the U.S. Senate we get someone who has the backbone and the character and fortitude to defend the Constitution, he said.

Meanwhile, John Flynn of Norwalk, a carpenter, painter and former state legislative candidate, said he is collecting signatures to petition his way onto the GOP primary ballot for U.S. Senate.

Klarides described herself Saturday to the delegates as a loud-mouthed Greek girl" who grew up in a family of immigrants seeking the American dream, contending she can win over voters in the Democratic-leaning state. Holding moderate stances on social issues, such as support for abortion and gay rights, Klarides, who lives in Madison, also considers herself a fiscal conservative who believes freedoms are being eroded in the U.S.

Today in the U.S. Senate, statesmanship has taken the backseat to gamesmanship, she said, adding later, Freedom and individual responsibility are being crowded out by government overreach, oppressive mandates, cancel culture and economic policies that make it harder every day for families to achieve that America dream.

Blumenthal, 76, who received the Democratic endorsement Friday, described the race in stark terms, saying that civil rights and the rights of women and workers are at stake.

We have been through some tough fights. We know that we have those fights ahead and that the soul of democracy is at stake, he told delegates.

Meanwhile, at the Democratic convention on Saturday, Lamont, 68, touted what he considers to be Connecticut's financial comeback during his first term. It follows years of budget deficits, spending cuts and state hiring freezes.

This state was in trouble. This state had multi-billion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. Our transportation fund was on fumes, he told the delegates at the Xfinity Center in Hartford. Today, you know where we are? Three straight years of budget surpluses and the biggest tax cut for the middle class the state has ever seen.

His challenger is Madison businessman and 2018 GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski, who received the GOP's backing Friday night. Stefanowski calls Connecticut the definition of a failed state."

Democrats will have at least one primary as well. Erick Russell, former vice chairperson of the Connecticut Democrats, will vie against Dita Bhargava of Greenwich, a chief operating officer at an investment firm, and against Karen Dubois-Walton, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven for state treasurer.

The Democrats, who endorsed Attorney General William Tong for re-election and state Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, for comptroller, also backed state Rep. Stephanie Thomas, D-Norwalk for secretary of the state out of five candidates following several rounds of voting at the Xfinity Center in Hartford. Three of the remaining candidates garnered enough votes to potentially challenge Thomas in a primary, but it was not clear whether that will happen.

At the Republican convention, West Hartford Town Councilor Mary Fay was endorsed for comptroller and Apple salesperson Dominic Rapini for secretary of the state. However, Rapini's two GOP competitors, state Rep. Terrie Wood, R-Darien, and political strategist Brock Weber of Wolcott qualified for the primary.

On Friday, the GOP also endorsed state Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, for lieutenant governor; state Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, for state treasurer; and Norwalk lawyer Jessica Kordas for state attorney general.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  Jill Biden heard heartbreaking stories Saturday from Ukrainian women and children who fled Russias war and found safe haven in Romania, with one mother telling the U.S. first lady of a harrowing escape after being holed up in a cramped, cold basement with her traumatized 8-year-old daughter.

Reaching Romania was a game change for us, Svitlana Gollyak of Kharkiv, Ukraine, told Biden in her native language during the first lady's tour of a Bucharest public school hosting refugee children. Gollyak said her daughter "feels much better here. ... No more tears and she adapted very nicely.

Biden told Gollyak and the other women, I think mothers will do anything for their children, adding that they were amazingly strong and resilient.

Biden said her message to the families was we stand with you. During a craft activity, she watched as the children scrawled messages on paper cutouts of their hands. One young Ukrainian girl wrote, I want to return to my father. Biden later told reporters the girls words were heartbreaking.

The first lady praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to refugees. At the school, the first lady  herself a teacher  saw how teachers are helping some of the approximately 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Really, in a lot of ways, the teachers are the glue that help these kids deal with their trauma and deal with the emotion and help give them a sense of normalcy, Biden said.

She added that she saw signs of hope for families who felt that there was some structure to their lives and they were getting supplies. They all realized how much money the United States has been giving to Ukraine and to the refugee situation and to Romania to support the refugees.

Most of the Ukrainians who have fled to Romania, mainly women and children, have moved on to other countries, but about 100,000 remain, officials said.

Earlier, Biden was briefed at the U.S. Embassy on the relief effort. Her visit to Eastern Europe comes as President Joe Biden is pressing Congress to pass an additional $33 billion in security and economic assistance for Ukraine.

Jill Biden called the show of solidarity amazing" but also just the beginning. She said it was inspiring for Romanians to welcome all these refugees into their homes and offer them food and clothing and shelter and give them their hearts.

But she also cautioned that much more needs to be done by the U.S. and allies to assist Ukraine.

Were all hopeful, right, she told reporters. We wake up every morning and think this has to end but it still keeps going on and on.

About 7,000 Ukrainians cross the border and arrive in Romania daily, said Pablo Zapata, the Romanian representative for the U.N. refugee agency.

The United Nations, other agencies and the Romanian government are assisting refugees with food, shelter, education, health and mental health care, and counseling, among other services.

Biden asked specifically about the provision of mental health services and whether summer school was available to help refugee students catch up on their education. She said later that the whole world is seeing that we need more mental health assistance for the children and their parents.

The first lady is on the second day of a four-day trip to Romania and Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine, that is designed to showcase U.S. support for the refugees. Biden was scheduled to spend Sunday, Mother's Day, meeting with refugees in Slovakia and visiting a border village.

Biden had lunch with Romania's first lady, Carmen Iohannis, at her private residence. Iohannis, who accompanied Biden during the school visit, kept her job as an English teacher when her husband took office, just like Biden kept hers teaching at a Virginia community college.

The emotional thread to Biden's day continued after she arrived in Slovakia's capital. At her first stop, she left flowers at a memorial dedicated to Jan Kuciak, a 26-year-old investigative journalist, and his fiancee, who were assassinated in 2018. The case triggered a political crisis and brought down the country's government.

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.

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

Follow all AP stories on global migration https://apnews.com/hub/migration

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If Given A Chance (IGAC) will honor 10 Napa County high school students who, with the help of this non-profit organization, have overcome formidable social, family, medical, and economic challenges to graduate from high school in 2022. The celebration, which is open to the public, takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. May 16 at Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center.

These 10 students will continue to receive financial support and mentoring for academic and independent life skills from IGAC as they move on to vocational schools or colleges. They join over 400 Napa County youth who have been supported by IGAC over nearly three decades.

Tickets to the event and information on being a sponsor are available at ifgivenachance.org/awards.

We are excited to host our first live event in over two years to mark our 27th year supporting resilient and inspiring Napa County students who have the grit and determination to choose higher education as their path to a better life, said Allison Haley, IGACs board president and Napa County district attorney.

The following students will be honored:

Faith Ballesteros and Gabriela Martinez of American Canyon High School

Anny Castro and Guadalupe Garibay of Calistoga Jr/Sr High School

Alsiha Cilluffo of New Technology High School

Lobo DePonzi, Evelyn Guia Flores, and Dayron Solis of Napa High School,

Marjaine Rodriguez of Vintage High School

Samantha Uribe of Saint Helena High School

IGAC believes in the transformative power of financial support, education, mentors, and role models to change lives and create new pathways for success.

For more information, contact Peg Maddocks, executive director, at 707-260-5656 or email info@ifgivenachance.org.

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Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) countries will discuss potential new sanctions against Russia on Sunday, according to people familiar with the plan, Bloomberg reported.

The call will give the nations the opportunity to coordinateand potentially finalizeany new measures, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the preparations are private. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to join the call.

The U.S. and its allies are pushing to conclude new sanctions ahead of Russias May 9 Victory Day military parade.

The discussions come as the European Union is preparing a sixth package of sanctions that would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year as well as ban European vessels and companies from providing services, such as insurance, needed to transport oil to third countries.

The U.S. is also discussing restrictions on consulting with Russian companies and imposing more export controls on chemicals, as well as mechanical engineering goods, the people said.

The EU is also proposing to cut Russias Sberbank, Credit Bank of Moscow, and the Russian Agricultural Bank off the SWIFT international payments system; as well as sanctioning Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast who is closely associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to an EU document.
There is no talk of withdrawing Russian peacekeepers from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Secretary Armen Grigoryan of the Security Council of Armenia told about this to Factor TV, answering the question that the trilateral statement with the President of the European Council did not mention peacekeepers, whether the solution to the Artsakh problem also implies the removal of Russian peacekeepers.

"Why should such a matter be put? The solution of the issue, we  at this moment it is not clear in which direction we will solve the issue. When we say international presence in terms of ensuring security, it also means the presence of peacekeepers there, which will create guarantees," Grigoryan said.

The secretary of the Security Council of Armenia expressed an opinion that there is more speculation, mental exercise there. According to him, it is possible that there may be many meetings and there may be no announcements about many things, but this does not mean anything.

"First of all, the announcements make reference to the statements that have existed since November 9 [2020]. Making a reference to the November 9 statement means recognizing the presence of [Russian] peacekeepers there and attaching importance to it. I do not see any problem in that regard, and I think they are more mental exercises," he said.

To the question whether such a mental exercise is also the fact that the West sets a task that the Russian peacekeepers should leave Artsakh, Armen Grigoryan responded: "There has been no such discussion with us."

Armen Grigoryan also answered the question what solutions there can be in cases when the people of Artsakh are deprived of security guarantees before the eyes of the Russian peacekeepers. The secretary of the Security Council of Armenia noted that recently Azerbaijan has been taking steps that undermine the security system and pose additional threats to the population of Artsakh.

"Sometimes additional steps can create security guarantees. For example, the peacekeepers be present but there be a mirror withdrawal [of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops] from the line of contact, and that can be an additional security guarantee. There can be many such matters. In addition, steps can be taken in other directions so that security guarantees be stronger, people feel safer," Armen Grigoryan said.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) on Friday announced the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to an additional $150 million. This authorization is the ninth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021, according to a statement attributed to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.

The respective package includes: (25,000) 155mm artillery rounds; (3) AN/TPQ-36 counter-artillery radars; electronic jamming equipment; and field equipment and spare parts.

The United States has now committed approximately $4.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $3.8 billion since the beginning of Russias unprovoked invasion on February 24. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $6.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, the statement added, in particular.

Subsequently, US President Joe Biden issued a statement on this additional assistance to Ukraine.

The United States has provided a historic amount of security assistance to Ukraine at rapid speed. (). With todays announcement, my Administration has nearly exhausted funding that can be used to send security assistance through drawdown authorities for Ukraine. (). Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, this statement reads, in part.
NATO Secretary-General tests positive for COVID-19

Elon Musk to restore former President Donald Trump's Twitter account

Armenian opposition reacts to Azerbaijan's statements

Car rallies to be organized in different directions of Yerevan

Turkish Foreign Minister to visit Israel at the end of May

Erdogan: Stances of Turkey and Kazakhstan on resolving Ukrainian crisis coincide

Armenia PM lays wreath to cross-stone in memory of Armenian Genocide in Netherlands

Armenia PM arrives in Netherlands

Resistance Movement organizes march through central streets of Yerevan

Georgia submits second part of questionnaire for EU accession talks

Resistance Movement holds another rally on France Square in Yerevan

Shanghai subway shut down amid COVID-19 outbreak in city

Consultations on Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral cooperation planning held in Yerevan

Xi Jinping warns of confrontation related to Ukraine crisis

Emir of Kuwait accepts PM and government's resignation

Macron urges Hungarian PM to agree to embargo on Russian oil imports

EU: We do not go deep into content of talks between Yerevan and Baku

Borrell hopes for conclusion of agreement on EU oil embargo against Russia

US State Department comments on protests in Armenia

Turkish Defense Minister urges Greece to solve bilateral problems through dialogue

Armenia has new head of mission to NATO

Iran considers Turkey's construction of dams unacceptable

Dollar, euro fall in Armenia

France ambassador: We support Armenia government efforts to establish peace in region

EU Delegation head urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from 'conspiratorial thoughts and plans'

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrives in Turkey

Ruben Rubinyan, several envoys discuss Armenia-Turkey normalization process

Ambassador-at-large: Armenia 6-point document transferred to Azerbaijan includes Artsakh status, security issues

35 people apprehended so far during Tuesdays civil disobedience actions in Yerevan

Japan imposes sanctions on 71 Russian companies

Turkey plans to open consulate in occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh

Police apprehend opposition marchers near Lake Yerevan

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

Armenia Resistance Movement coordinator: Any incident of violence is reprehensible to us

Situation gets tense during Resistance Movement march in Zeytun district of Yerevan

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
While the liaison between Iran and the US in the Vienna talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal continues through the European Union, Washingtons wrong policy of maximum pressure is to blame for the status quo, Irans top diplomat said, Tasnim reported.

In a telephone conversation on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres talked about a range of regional and international developments, including the situation in Yemen, Afghanistan and Ukraine as well as the Vienna talks on the removal of sanctions against Iran.

Referring to the continuation of the exchange of messages between Iran and the US through the EU in the Vienna talks, Amirabdollahian blamed the USs maximum pressure campaign for the current situation.

The Iranian foreign minister further called the security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan very worrying and underlined the need for the formation of an inclusive government in that country with the participation of all ethnic groups.

Amirabdollahian also referred to the Afghan refugee influx and demanded that the UN fulfill its obligations regarding the Afghan refugees.

Reaffirming Irans opposition to the war in Ukraine and referring to Tehrans political efforts to stay away from war and focus on a political solution and attention to the humanitarian aspects of the Ukraine crisis, Amirabdollahian said the Ukraine crisis must not prevent the attention of the international community to the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan.

The UN secretary general further pointed to the importance of political initiatives in the Vienna talks over the removal of sanctions, expressing hope that the talks will continue and produce the desired results.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Representative to the United Nations, said in an interview on PBS that Russia has used chemical weapons "on their own people" and in Syria as well.

I am hoping that [Russian] Foreign Minister Lavrovs statement [that the threat of nuclear war should not be underestimated] was just bluster, because the Russians, like all of us, know the seriousness of a nuclear attack, whatever nature thator form that might come in, Thomas-Greenfield stated. And they know the seriousness of making these kinds of threats. So were hopeful that it is just that, its bluster, but we know what Putin is capable of. They have threatened to use nuclear weapons before. Theyve also used false flag accusations against the United States and the Ukrainians in terms of use of chemical weapons, and we know that they are capable of using chemical weapons. Theyve used them on their own people; theyve used them in Syria.
Boris Bakhshiyan, a suspended judge at the Syunik provincial court of general jurisdiction of Armenia, has just been released from custody.

"I am of the same opinion as three months ago. And I insist that this was a directmoreover, atrociousinterference in my activities as a judge. And what my lawyers have submitted with justification has not changed at all. I reiterate that my judicial decision I made is legal and well-founded. What I thought, I wrote in that judicial decision," Bakhshiyan told reporters shortly after his release.

We had reported earlier that the basis for prosecuting Boris Bakhshiyan is that, according to the National Security Service, he had violated the procedure for precautionary measure. Accordingly, a defendant in a criminal case refused to appear in court, and Judge Bakhshiyan made a decision to have him arrested. According to the body conducting the proceedings, thus, Judge Bakhshiyan had not ensured the right of the defendant to be heard.

To note, Boris Bakhshiyan is the judge who had commuted the pretrial measure of detention that was imposed against Ashot Minasyana.k.a. Ashot the Iron, the commander of the "Sisakan" detachment and a participant in the three warsand released him on bail and a signature bond not to leave Armenia.

Judge Bakhshiyans lawyers consider these processes as a political persecution against him. According to them, the Supreme Judicial Council, in turn, had violated Boris Bakhshiyan's constitutional right with that decision.
The Investigative Committee of Armenia continues to investigate the criminal case of hooliganism and violence against policeat a Yerevan intersectionby two participants of a rally organized by the political opposition.

The two suspects were identified and detained.

One of them has been charged and remanded in custody.

On Thursday, a group of demonstrators in the rally organized by the opposition had blocked the road at the aforesaid intersection.

The police officers had urged them to vacate the busy part of the street. But these protesters did not comply with these lawful requests, and therefore they were apprehended, during which the above-mentioned persons shouted, cursed, and threatened to use violence against police officers, during which one of them kicked a car door and the latters window.

The criminal investigation continues.
Taliban order women to cover up in public

Taliban order women to cover up in public

The Taliban on Saturday imposed some of the harshest restrictions on Afghanistan's women since they seized power, ordering them to cover fully in public, ideally with the traditional burqa.



The militants took back control of the country in August last year, promising a softer rule than their previous stint in power between 1996 and 2001, which was marked by human rights abuses.



But they have already imposed a slew of restrictions on women -- banning them from many government jobs, secondary education, and from travelling alone outside their cities.



On Saturday, Afghanistan's supreme leader and Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada approved a strict dress code for women in public.



"Those women who are not too old or young must cover their face, except the eyes, as per sharia directives, in order to avoid provocation when meeting men who are not mahram (adult close male relatives)," said a decree approved by Akhundzada and released by Taliban authorities at a ceremony in Kabul.



It said the best way for a woman to cover her face and body was to wear the chadari, a traditional, blue, all-covering Afghan burqa.



"They should wear a chadari as it is traditional and respectful," it said.



Akhundzada's decree also said that if women had no important work outside then it was "better they stay at home".



The Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which released the new order, announced a slew of punishments if the dress code is not followed.



It said a woman's father or male guardian would be summoned and could even be imprisoned if the offence was committed repeatedly.



Women working in government institutions who did not follow the order "should be fired", the ministry added.



Government employees whose wives and daughters do not comply will also be suspended from their jobs, the decree said.



The new restrictions were expected to spark a flurry of condemnation abroad.



Many in the international community want humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and recognition of the Taliban government to be linked to the restoration of women's rights.



"It is an unexpected regressive step and will not help Taliban in winning international recognition," said Imtiaz Gul, head of the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies.



"Such steps will only intensify opposition to them."



During their first regime, the Taliban made the burqa compulsory for women.



Since their return to power, the much-feared vice ministry has issued several "guidelines" on dress but Saturday's edict is one of the harshest restrictions on women.



"Islam never recommended chadari," said a women's rights activist who asked not to be named.



"I believe the Taliban are becoming regressive instead of being progressive. They are going back to the way they were in their previous regime."



Another women's rights activist, Muska Dastageer, said Taliban rule had triggered "too much rage and disbelief".



"We are a broken nation forced to endure assaults we cannot fathom. As a people we are being crushed," she said on Twitter.



The hardline Islamists triggered international outrage in March when they ordered secondary schools for girls to shut, just hours after they reopened for the first time since their seizure of power.



Officials have never justified the ban, apart from saying girls' education must be according to "Islamic principles". (AFP)
Red flag Laws, which allow police to seize the firearms of people accused of being at risk to misuse them, have been passed in 19 states. Do they do what proponents say they do? A recent study by Veronica Pear, PhD and Garen Wintemute, MD, and co-authors says the answer is clearly, No. It appeared as Firearm Violence Following the Implementation of Californias Gun Violence Restraining Order Law on JAMA Network April 5.

In looking at Californias Red Flag law they used methods that are better than those of earlier similar studies. They focused especially on San Diego, whose city attorney was a strong proponent of Red Flag Law use and looked at what changed when Californias Red Flag law went into effect. Using data from hospital reports they studied injuries due to aggressive use of guns. They looked as well at self-harm using guns, again reviewing hospital reports.

Based on data from a number of California counties, trends through the years 2005-2015 were determined regarding aggressive use and self-harm. The authors wanted to see If adopting Californias Red Flag law was followed by a reduction in these incidents below the trends predating the laws going into effect, which occurred in 2016. Examining 2016-2019 they found that neither aggressive use of firearms nor self-harm from gun use was reduced by the new law. In fact, they found that after the introduction of the law the number of acts of self-harm involving firearms exceeded the prediction, although this result was not statistically significant.

The authors say that their methods were more rigorous compared to others who have examined these questions. Another strength of their study was that it included injuries rather than just deaths. They emphasize that one factor in finding no change following the new law may be the availability of illegal guns: if the government takes away guns held legally, those who want to harm themselves or others may seek to obtain guns illegally. .....
Ishares Msci Australia Index (EWA) Trading Report

Source: Stock Traders Daily

Longer Term Trading Plans for EWA

Buy EWA over 23.17 target 24.46 stop loss @ 23.1 Details

The technical summary data tells us to buy EWA near 23.17 with an upside target of 24.46. This data also tells us to set a stop loss @ 23.1 to protect against excessive loss in case the stock begins to move against the trade. 23.17 is the first level of support below 24.09 , and by rule, any test of support is a buy signal. In this case, support 23.17 would be being tested, so a buy signal would exist. Short EWA under 24.46, target 23.17, stop loss @ 24.53 Details The technical summary data is suggesting a short of EWA as it gets near 24.46 with a downside target of 23.17. We should have a stop loss in place at 24.53though. 24.46 is the first level of resistance above 24.09, and by rule, any test of resistance is a short signal. In this case, if resistance 24.46 is being tested, so a short signal would exist.

Swing Trading Plans for EWA

Buy EWA over 24.46, target 24.72, Stop Loss @ 24.39 Details

If 24.46 begins to break higher, the technical summary data tells us to buy EWA just over 24.46, with an upside target of 24.72. The data also tells us to set a stop loss @ 24.39 in case the stock turns against the trade. 24.46 is the first level of resistance above 24.09, and by rule, any break above resistance is a buy signal. In this case, 24.46, initial resistance, would be breaking higher, so a buy signal would exist. Because this plan is based on a break of resistance, it is referred to as a Long Resistance Plan. Short EWA near 24.46, target 23.54, Stop Loss @ 24.53. Details The technical summary data is suggesting a short of EWA if it tests 24.46 with a downside target of 23.54. We should have a stop loss in place at 24.53 though in case the stock begins to move against the trade. By rule, any test of resistance is a short signal. In this case, if resistance, 24.46, is being tested a short signal would exist. Because this plan is a short plan based on a test of resistance it is referred to as a Short Resistance Plan.

Day Trading Plans for EWA

Buy EWA over 24.46, target 24.81, Stop Loss @ 24.4 Details

If 24.46 begins to break higher, the technical summary data tells us to buy EWA just over 24.46, with an upside target of 24.81. The data also tells us to set a stop loss @ 24.4 in case the stock turns against the trade. 24.46 is the first level of resistance above 24.09, and by rule, any break above resistance is a buy signal. In this case, 24.46, initial resistance, would be breaking higher, so a buy signal would exist. Because this plan is based on a break of resistance, it is referred to as a Long Resistance Plan. Short EWA near 24.46, target 23.54, Stop Loss @ 24.52. Details The technical summary data is suggesting a short of EWA if it tests 24.46 with a downside target of 23.54. We should have a stop loss in place at 24.52 though in case the stock begins to move against the trade. By rule, any test of resistance is a short signal. In this case, if resistance, 24.46, is being tested a short signal would exist. Because this plan is a short plan based on a test of resistance it is referred to as a Short Resistance Plan.

EWA Technical Summary | Raw Data for the Trading Plans

Term  Near Mid Long Bias Weak Weak Neutral P1 0 0 23.17 P2 24.30 23.54 24.46 P3 24.81 24.72 25.70

























This report was produced using AI developed by Stock Traders Daily. Over the past 20 years this proprietary AI has been refined to help identify the most opportune trading strategies for both individual stocks and the stock markets themselves. This methodology is also applied to Index options, ETFs, and futures. The objective of this specific report is to optimize trading in Ishares Msci Australia Index (NYSE: EWA) while incorporating prudent risk controls.

Warning:

This is a static report, the data below was valid at the time of the publication, but support and resistance levels for EWA change over time, so the report should be updated regularly. Real Time updates are provided to subscribers. Unlimited Real Time Reports.

Subscribers also receive market analysis, stock correlation tools, macroeconomic observations, timing tools, and protection from market crashes using Evitar Corte.

Instructions:

The rules that govern the data in this report are the rules of Technical Analysis. For example, if EWA is testing support buy signals surface, and resistance is the target. Conversely, if resistance is being tested, that is a sign to control risk or short, and support would be the downside target accordingly. In each case, the trigger point is designed to be both an ideal place to enter a position (avoid trading in the middle of a trading channel), and it acts as a level of risk control too.

Swing Trades, Day Trades, and Longer term Trading Plans:

This data is refined to differentiate trading plans for Day Trading, Swing Trading, and Long Term Investing plans for EWA too. All of these are offered below the Summary Table.
Gujarat [India] May 7 (ANI/BusinessWire India): India is gradually inclining towards electric vehicles (EV), considering the environmental need of the hour. Many reputed automobile manufacturers offer electric vehicles of various sizes and features nowadays. But the buyers are still sceptical considering the availability of EV charging stations. There comes Tirex as the saviour, one of the pioneers in the EV charging industry in India since 2017. They are one of the most reliable OEMs for EV chargers in India that offers an innovative range of products as per the need. Tirex has installed more than two hundred EV charging stations in India. They have supplied EV chargers worth thousands of Kilowatts to esteemed organisations like NTPC and global players like Fortum, to name a few. The newest feather to the crown of their success is to become one of the two approved OEMs for EV chargers in India to work with the automobile giant Ashok Leyland's EV wing Switch Mobility. The government of India is encouraging the concept of electric vehicles in line with their Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The state governments are also co-operating in this noble initiative. A prominent example of this is the upcoming project of BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation), where Ashok Leyland is going to supply electrical buses with EV chargers. As per the tie-up, Tirex is going to supply the best DC Ultra fast EV chargers in the market for this upcoming project. The proven track record of 'Tirex' will ensure no disruption in bus service, even during peak hours. That will not only provide hassle-free transport for the public but shall also reduce carbon emissions significantly in a highly polluted city like Bangalore (Real-time Air Quality Index-127). This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
New Delhi [India], May 07 (ANI/GPRC): Indian Staffing Federation (ISF), the apex body representing the staffing/private employment services industry in India, today announced expansion of its representation to include Facility Management and Security Services companies. The alignment between the subsects of the manpower outsourcing industry - Facility Management and Security Services - is similar and the current representation across labour market issues impacting each of these sub-segments equally. ISF will now represent the interests of around 18.5 million Indian workers. The move makes Indian Staffing Federation, the single most important voice representing the fast growing contract/temp staffing space in India (India's domestic outsourcing industry grew 20-23 per cent YoY in Q3 FY2022)and is aligned to the global practice where the word contract/temp staffing encompasses all forms of outsourced staffing including these two areas. The staffing definition is represented globally for all manpower supply and labour issues beyond the contract staffing industry. ISF, which has been fervently working on the issues to highlight the complications on matters of GST slab, EPFO/ESI (social security) challenges, issues of wage, gratuity for contract staff among many, to come with natural involvement from all segments of manpower outsourcing companies. On behalf of the industry, ISF finds the inclusiveness will allow for the common matters to be represented to the government authorities, a wider view of the problem and thus finding easier resolve. While the security services industry is currently regulated through PSARA licence, facility management and staffing companies are governed through CLRA. In the new labour code, ISF has been able to transition CLRA into a State/National licence, to bring ease of operations for both businesses and manpower outsourcing players. On this major announcement, Lohit Bhatia, President, Indian Staffing Federation highlighted, "This is a step towards driving formal employment in the country through an industry which is growing at a CAGR 18-20 per cent YoY (excluding Covid year)". Bhatia added, "Today staffing industry is estimated at nearly 3.3Mn workforce which totals nearly 10Bn USD revenue and is estimated to grow to USD ~60BN or INR 450,000CR as current exchange rates by 2030. Within next decade, Indian staffing Federation and its members at an estimated 50 per cent of the representative voice will be appx USD 30Bn or 225,000Cr INR. Currently, the staffing members alone contribute nearly 5000Cr of GST, over 6700Cr of EPFO, 1100Cr of ESIC. The expansion will further add more contribution from Facility and Security Services companies, represented through ISF." Added Pramod Pachisia, Vice-president, ISF: "The promise of decent work, social security, financial inclusion, career progression are the key pillars of this federation and its members. The expansion only broadens the area whereby the pillars will be guiding light for Security Services and Facility Management organisations as well, helping to drive overall formal employment across." In her comments, Suchita Dutta, Executive Director, ISF said, "Given that the manpower outsourcing industry among others, is highly governed with the CLRA and major labour laws, we urge the government to implement the much awaited labour reforms at the earliest. The manpower outsourcing industry, be it facility, security or contract staffing, awaits the national/State licence, so that there is ease of doing business or employers, social protection for job seekers and structured business expansion for manpower outsourcing companies." The federation, which is eagerly discussing the implementation plans of the four labour codes with Ministry of Labour and Employment, commits to keep working closely for ensuring early implementation of the codes. ISF is also working with the States, to complete their process of rule drafting. In this light, the primary rules that will directly impact manpower outsourcing industry and its growth will be the National/State Labour license for 5 years and Reduction of registers and returns. Indian Staffing Federation is also making attempts to ensure and bring employment under a lower GST slab as 'merit services'. The form of employment that is growing in double digits and clearly being acknowledged through the EPFO data is coming from expert services or the manpower outsourcing industry. The progressive measures will benefit employment formalization and drive growth. Indian Staffing Federation: Indian Staffing Federation is currently the apex body representing flexi staffing companies, formed to provide a platform for recognized employment, work choice, even compensation, social security and health benefits for the temporary workforce; that constitutes a sizeable segment of India's total workforce. Over 100+ members of the federation have generated employment for over 9 million employees over the last 10 years and currently employ over 1 million flexi staff annually. The principal focus of ISF's activities are to strengthen triangular employment relationships, in which the staffing company is the employer of the temporary worker, who works under the supervision of the user company. It aims to enhance long-term growth of the staffing industry and to ensure its continued ability to make positive contributions to the economy and society. For further details visit - http://www.indianstaffingfederation.org This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 7 (ANI/PNN): Gupta Plywood, Telangana's largest plywood manufacturer has been honored with the prestigious 'India's Best Leading Plywood Brand 2022 - Business Excellence' award at the Airaa Icon Awards 2022 organised in association with the Govt of Telangana Cultural Department, Telangana Tourism and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) at Sri Palani Conventions, Uppal, Hyderabad. The Business Excellence Award was conferred to the founder and CEO of Spekwud India pvt ltd and Gupta Plywood, M Ramesh Gupta, for launching India's first 15-layered 100 per cent genuine calibrated matt ply construction assembled with core composer four time treated termite resistant five times press technology. Plywood brand 'Speckwud' in Hyderabad in February-2022. "It is a wonderful honor for me to get the India's Best Leading Plywood Brand 2022 Business Excellence award by Airaa Icon Awards 2022, Telangana Government, Telangana Tourism , and GHMC," Ramesh Gupta, founder, and CEO of Spekwud India pvt ltd and Gupta Plywood, stated. This honor recognises our efforts to develop 'Speckwud,' India's first 15-layer termite-free and waterproof plywood brand, in Telangana. We are looking for channel partners for the Speckwud brand in Telangana and Pan-India." According to Gupta, Speckwud is the first plywood brand to have 15 layers, if we cut the ply in 360 degrees it won't find single pin hole this is the specific as opposed to other brands that have 13 layers, and the thickness is the same as 19mm. The matured wood core is used in plywood, whilst others employ both matured and unmatured wood cores. Gupta Plywood has been a trusted wholesaler in Telangana for over two and a half decades. They have worked with a variety of plywood brands, including Green Century, Austin, Hansur, Speckwud, Adison, and Gladwiin, as well as materials such as venners and laminates and interior grade hardware fittings. SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Wipro, Genpact, ADP, RBI, Reliance, Ramoji Film City, Coffee Day, KFC, Reebok, Health and Glow, Paradise food courts, Telangana Secretariat, and others are among the company's clients. The Award was presented to M Ramesh Gupta by L.Ramana ( member of legislative council, Telangana Govt), Dr Eppalapalli Ramesh ( Founder and CEO - Editpoint India), Sudheer Sandra (Psychologist - MD, Supar School), Nikeelu Gunda ( Founder and CEO - Digital Connect). Dr Eppalapalli Ramesh launched the Airaa Icon Awards 2022 in 2014 to recognize the best performing Business leaders and brands in Industry. According to Gupta, the Speckwud brand plywood is 25-30 per cent less expensive than other leading brands on the market. And life of the spekwud plywood is more. The plywood is subjected to extensive testing to ensure that it can withstand high temperatures of water without splitting apart, making it both water- and termite-proof. Ramesh Gupta of Gupta Plywood Also mention that they were looking for Channel Partners for Speckwud can register at : http://www.guptaplywood.in/ or Call at :+91 9989011152 This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday launched the National Securities Depository Limited's (NSDL) investor awareness programme for students. The programme named 'Market Ka Eklavya' is an online investor awareness programme for students in Hindi and other regional languages. The National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) has launched a new investor awareness programme as part of its silver jubilee celebration. "Through 'Market ka Eklavya', you will be able to reach out to many who are in need of financial literacy. It is the right time when people have an inclination to know about the market and also the right approach taken by NSDL by educating the students," Sitharaman said. The Finance Minister asked NSDL to take the initiative global by introducing the programme in world languages. "By this, we can truly become the vishwaguru as envisioned by our Prime Minister. There are many youth across the world who will be benefited from this initiative if it is made available in several languages," she said. 'Market ka Eklavya' programme aims to introduce the basics of the securities market and also impart training on financial markets for students, in online mode. On the occasion, the Finance Minister released new publication 'My Stamp' and special cover, honouring NSDL's contribution to the development of Indian capital markets. The NSDL is India's first and one of the leading Central Securities Depositories in the world. It has played a key role in transforming the Indian securities market by facilitating holding and transfer of securities in dematerialised form. The market share of NSDL in value of demat assets is more than 89 per cent. NSDL demat accounts are located in more than 99 per cent of pin codes in the country and 167 countries across the globe, reflecting its wide reach. (ANI)
On Friday, Jon took to Instagram and shared the update with his fans and followers.

"Hey family, I woke up yesterday and tested positive for COVID-19," he wrote.

In his note, Jon also mentioned that he will be missing his musical appearances on 'The Late Show' and will postpone the premiere of 'American Symphony' at Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

"To keep my family, my friends and our loyal fans safe, I will be absent from @colbertlateshow and will also unfortunately have to postpone the premiere of AMERICAN SYMPHONY at Carnegie Hall which - as many of you know - I have been working on for years," he added.

Jon even thanked his team for supporting him through thick and thin.

"Thank you to my incredible team and all the musicians who have been on this journey with me. I look forward to the day I can share the stage with you all again and share this work with the world. Stay safe out there," he concluded.

As soon as Jon shared the news, fans chimed into the comment section to wish him a speedy recovery.

"Take care Jon," a social media user commented.

"Sending love and wishing you swift recovery," another one wrote.

Apart from his musical concerts, Jon is also looking forward to making his feature acting debut with Warner Bros' upcoming adaptation of 'The Colour Purple'. (ANI)
Aditi will represent smartphone brand Vivo India at the 75th edition of the festival.

"I am excited and thrilled to walk the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival to represent the brand and India on the global stage. As an artist myself, being a part of a prestigious institution that celebrates cinema is an exhilarating feeling," she said.

Apart from Aditi, actor Deepika Padukone will also attend Cannes 2022 but as a jury member.

This year's Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 17 to May 26 and the organisers will be axing COVID-19 curbs ahead of its 75th edition. They won't be testing attendees, as it did last year, and will not institute a mask mandate. (ANI)
The Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, said on Saturday that the government must step in in a big way to tackle breast cancer, which is becoming a leading cause of concern in the society. He also said the government should develop a roadmap to tackle this issue. Speaking at the release of a book titled 'Atlas of Breast Elastography and Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Cytology', the CJI said breast cancer is becoming one of the leading causes of concern in the society and considering the socio-economic considerations, this disease can be a curse for the entire family. He added that from diagnosis to treatment, at every stage, the patient has to shell out substantial amounts which very few can afford. Emphasising that the need of the hour is to generate awareness, Ramana said, "It is essential to design breast cancer awareness campaigns on the scale of cervical cancer, anti-tobacco and pulse polio campaigns. Celebrities and famous personalities should be involved. The mass media plays a significant role in disseminating information." He said that primary healthcare centres lack even basic infrastructure and there is also lack of affordable treatment options. "Often, women belonging to marginalised sections lack access to information, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. We need interventions and strategies addressing inequities of cancer screening and treatment in India. If this disease is to be tackled effectively, the government has to step in in a big way. The government must give a boost to medical infrastructure and research," the CJI said. He added, "Ultimately, a roadmap is necessary to tackle up this issue. The Health Ministry, the government of India must involve doctors, leading NGOs and industrialists to prepare the same." Ramana pointed out that every four minutes, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, which is the most common cancer in women. "As many as 27.7 per cent of all new cancers detected in women in 2018 were breast cancer cases. Every eight minutes, one woman dies of breast cancer. A total of 87,090 women died of breast cancer in 2018, which was the second highest number in the world for that year. Around 32 per cent of new cases belong to the age group of 25 to 49," he said. The CJI further pointed out that the role of doctors is also of great significance and the responsibility of gynaecologists cannot be under-stated. "It is because of their active efforts that cases of cervical cancer has come down. They must play a similar role in the war against breast cancer," he added. Ramana said that women form 50 per cent of the population in the country, and they are the backbone of the family and society. "Therefore, their health must find equal attention and reflection in our society and policies. But several socio-cultural factors prevent women from getting the best possible attention on health. Women often end up taking care of others. However, when it comes to their own health, it is often suppressed and ignored. It is high time that we change the attitude surrounding women's health," he said. The CJI also that he is extremely saddened to witness rising violence against doctors and several false cases are being lodged against upright and hardworking medical practitioners. "They need a better, and more secure working environment. This is where professional medical associations assume great significance. They have to be pro-active in highlighting the demands of doctors," he said. --IANS ss/arm ( 591 Words) 2022-05-07-21:36:01 (IANS)
Stung by criticism from several quarters, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church on Friday stated that they had no role in deciding the CPI-M candidate for the May 31 Thrikkakara Assembly by-election in Kerala. What had raised eyebrows was the manner of the announcement of the "surprise" CPI-M candidate -- cardiologist Joe Joseph -- on Thursday evening at the Lizzie Hospital by leading cardiologists, in the presence of hospital manager, a priest of the Syro Malabar Church, which runs the hospital. State Industries Minister and top CPI-M leader P.Rajeev. Even more surprising was the three top cardiologists, including the candidate, took part in the press conference wearing their operation theatre dress, which is generally done when doctors conduct a press conference to announce some achievements in their area of work for conducting a successful surgery and such things. On various TV news channels debates on Thursday night, the way the CPI-M announced their candidate came under severe attack and many questioned if the Catholic Church, especially the Ernakulam-Angamali diocese, had any role in it. On Friday, Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan fired the first salvo, saying when they named Uma Thomas, widow of P.T. Thomas, who was the sitting legislator of Thrikkakara, the CPI-M accused them of trying to whip a sympathy wave. "Just look to the depths that the CPI-M has fallen and it appears the candidate has been forced upon by 'external' forces. Even though it is not our concern, the CPI-M should explain this. All know the CPI-M named a full-fledged party member and his name was written all over and see who is their candidate now," said Satheesan. Howver, the CPI-M dismissed the allegations. Rajeev, who hails from Kochi, said: "Satheesan appears to be rattled by our candidate and he has been caught napping and hence it's understandable that why is he speaking like this. We know that Joseph is a popular figure in social circles in the constituency and we are going to win easily." The head of the diocese, Cardinal George Alencherry has opposition from within the clergy with regards to his style of functioning and those opposed to him have sounded a warning that the CPI-M is going to pay a heavy price for the press conference that was conducted at the hospital to announce their candidate. Joseph, who hit the campaign trail on Friday, however said the church had no role in his candidature and all what is being heard is absolutely baseless and unfounded. With campaign not yet peaking as the BJP and the joint candidate of AAP and Twenty 20 yet to be announced, this act is definitely going to be discussed more and more and it will be seen on June 3, when the votes will be counted, who benefitted from the episode. --IANS sg/vd ( 476 Words) 2022-05-06-20:30:03 (IANS)
The division bench comprising Justices R. Mahadevan and S. Ananthi said it was convinced with the maintainability of a case seeking a directive from the state government to frame guidelines to prevent forced religious conversion in schools.

The court directed the Tamil Nadu government to file a counter-affidavit to the PIL filed by advocate Jagannathan, and asked Advocate General R. Shanmugasundaram to ascertain that it is filed within four weeks.

Jagannathan in his PIL had alleged that religious conversion was taking place in government and government-aided schools, and accused the state government of tacitly supporting these activities.

In his PIL, the advocate also alleged that a Tamil media channel in a sting operation revealed religious conversion activities at schools in Nagercoil, Theni, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi.

A Class 12 student in Thanjavur had committed suicide in January alleging that she was forced to convert to Christianity by the warden of her hostel.

She had also complained that the warden made her do menial work at the school hostel, leading to her losing focus in her studies and that she had no other option but to end her life.

--IANS aal/khz/arm

( 227 Words)

2022-05-06-20:30:05 (IANS)
Press Release

May 6, 2022 De Lima writes letter to Guevarra, asks him to review drug cases vs her Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima asked Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to review the trumped-up drug cases filed against her by the Department of Justice (DOJ) following witness's retraction of testimony against her in relation to illegal drugs. In a letter addressed to Guevarra dated May 5, De Lima brought to his attention the affidavit of former NBI Deputy Director and BuCor OIC Rafael Ragos recanting his testimony against her given before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 (Case Number: 17-165). "There is a need for the DOJ to review the drug cases it filed against me to determine if indeed these were prosecuted by the Panel of Prosecutors even after being told by Ragos that his testimony and all his allegations against me 'are all lies'. "This review should include the other case as well (Criminal Case No. 17-167) because if the Panel of Prosecutors that handles both cases are capable of suborning false testimony in one case, then nothing prevents them from doing the same in the other cases," she said. "If upon review, it is determined that Ragos's statements are true, then all the cases against me should be immediately withdrawn by the DOJ in order to prevent a further miscarriage of justice where, even after these revelations indicating prosecutorial misconduct amounting to the criminal offense of subornation of perjury, the DOJ will still continue prosecuting said cases," she added. Ragos is a principal witness in one of two cases against De Lima pending at the Muntinlupa RTC. He was one of the Senator's co-accused in one case before the government prosecution filed an Amended Information that changed the crime imputed against De Lima from "illegal drug trading" to "conspiracy to trade illegal drugs," and excluded him from the case in exchange for his false testimony against the Senator. In his affidavit, notarized on April 30, 2022 in Pasig, Ragos retracted his previous statements, affidavits, and court testimonies that he delivered money to De Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan. In paragraph 28 of said affidavit, De Lima noted how it appears that the DOJ Panel of Prosecutors presented Ragos's testimony in court knowing it to be false and fabricated. "Ragos told the prosecutors that they should not expect him 'to manufacture perfectly plausible testimony because these are all lies" and that "the allegations against Senator De Lima never happened,'" she stressed. In light of Ragos's revelations, De Lima said the DOJ should likewise "review the glaring facts in these cases which earlier on already indicated a premeditated conspiracy among DOJ and other high government officials to fabricate drug cases against me." De Lima said these include, among others, the orchestration by former DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II of the trial by publicity conducted against her both in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and his coercion of DOJ employees to admit falsely that they received money and held bank accounts for my benefit. It may be recalled that Aguirre had previously attempted to use a fake deposit slip as evidence against De Lima, only to be proven false given that the date on the slip was a holiday. The fake document was quickly shot down when the former DOJ employee that Aguirre tried to coerce publicly stated her denial in a Facebook post in September 2016, around the same time other witnesses against De Lima were being paraded by Aguirre. At the time, the employee expressed her surprise when Aguirre presented her with the fake bank deposit slips saying, "Laking gulat ko na ang inihain sa harapan ko ay BDO bank receipt amounting P24 million for the month of March and April 2014, kalakip ng mga pictures namin ni Senator De Lima." Besides the anomalous date on one slip, she pointed out that it was "impossible" for her to use her nickname in bank receipts. The lady Senator from Bicol likewise said the DOJ should review the recent retraction of self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa in his counter-affidavit before the NBI, where he categorically stated that he was just forced to implicate her in the drug trade out of fear for his own life. In ending her letter, De Lima said she hopes that her "most urgent matter" would merit Guevarra's earnest attention and action. "As Duterte's term comes to an end, the DOJ can no longer afford to continue being blind to these facts that clearly indicate a pattern of witness coercion and bribery in order to fabricate drug cases against me and send me to jail," she said.
Official sources said that the raid was conducted following complaints of wrongdoings by the officials of RTO Kashmir in registration of fresh and re-registration of different types of vehicles from outside states.

"There have been reports of a nexus between touts and some officials of the RTO office and some incriminating documents have been seized during the raid," a source said.

RTO Kashmir has confirmed the raid and said that officials have assisted the CBI team during the raid.

--IANS sq/vd

( 113 Words)

2022-05-06-21:02:33 (IANS)
Bihar Chief Ninister Nitish Kumar on Friday made an oblique reference to his stand on Citizenship Amendment Act which the Centre is hinting to implement in the country after coronavirus abates. Nitish Kumar, while reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on the issue, said that the way cases of coronavirus are increasing in the country, he should concern himself on a prevention plan. "The way cases are increasing in the country, it is a biggest challenge for us. They should have to look after its prevention. We will think about any policies that would come before us," he said. His statement of indicates that he wants to wait for the decision of the Centre on CAA implementation, before disclosing his plan of action. The CAA, NRC and Uniform Civil Code are the three issues on which the stand of Nitish Kumar is different from the BJP, and are responsible for sour political relations between them despite they being alliance partners in Bihar and the Centre. Nitish Kumar's JD-U believes that if it would support the BJP on these three issues, it would deeply hurt its minority vote bank. On the other hand, BJP wants to apply pressure on JD-U to support these measures. Amit Shah on Friday said that the Centre will implement CAA in the country after the fourth wave of pandemic gets over. --IANS ajk/vd ( 241 Words) 2022-05-06-21:16:03 (IANS)
Police said Budgam police, along with army's 62 RR and CRPF, the two in Huroo area of Budgam.

They have been identified as Amir Manzoor Budoo, resident of Dangerpora Razwan, and Shahid Rasool Ganaie, resident of Puttermulla Safapora, Ganderbal.

Ammunition and explosives, including a hand grenade and 25 AK-47 rounds were recovered from their possession.

A case has been registered and further investigation has been taken up.

--IANS zi/vd

( 114 Words)

2022-05-06-21:20:02 (IANS)
In order to boost the morale of the BJP workers in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday promised to visit state more often. That was assurance Shah gave to the senior party leaders of the state at a close-door meeting here on Friday afternoon. The meeting was attended by all the BJP legislators and MPs from the state, as well as the members of the party's state committee. A state committee member, who did not wish to be named, told IANS that although there were demands on imposing Articles 355 and 356 in the state, the Home Minister ruled out that possibility and said that it was not a solution. "Amit Shah clearly told us that the Union government cannot act arbitrarily against a state government, which has come to power with such huge majority. He also told us that BJP cannot act like Trinamool Congress, which holds no respect towards the democratic system," the state committee member said. It is leant that BJP leaders in West Bengal cannot fight the battle as opposition depending on Articles 355 and 356 or on the CBI. "The Home Minister clearly told us that we have to fight our battle politically. He also reminded us that as opposition party leaders, we have to face such atrocities from the ruling party and at the same time we have to raise counter resistance against such atrocities," he said. "Shah also told us that as opposition leader, Mamata Banerjee faced the atrocities of then ruling CPI(M) and now as the Chief Minister she is following the same path of suppressing the opposition in an undemocratic manner," the state committee member said. Shah also told the state leaders that there is no reason to get frustrated, especially in the backdrop of the fact that BJP has raised its tally in the West Bengal Assembly to 77 in 2021 from just three in 2016. --IANS src/arm ( 334 Words) 2022-05-06-22:28:02 (IANS)
A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in West Bengal that the government would implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic ends, an influential Assam party on Friday threatened to launch an agitation if the Centre goes ahead with it in the state. Raijor Dal President and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi said that the people of Assam would never accept this "anti-people" law. "The people of Assam would not accept the dictation of the Centre on CAA," Gogoi told the media terming the CAA as a "draconian act". The firebrand peasant leader said that BJP should realise that all sections of people are against the CAA as it is "an anti-people law". Gogoi, who is also the President of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, had spearheaded the massive protests against the contentious citizenship law in Assam since 2019. He was arrested in connection with violent protests in the state in 2019 and was charged under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was in detention for over one and a half years before being elected to the state Assembly as an independent MLA in the March-April assembly elections last year. Amit Shah, while addressing a public rally at the Railway Institute Ground in Siliguri in north Bengal on Thursday, said that some people are saying that CAA would never be implemented in West Bengal. "But I want to assure you that CAA will be implemented for sure once the Covid-19 situation is totally under control. CAA still has relevance and the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) cannot do anything to stop it from getting implemented," he said. All eight northeastern states and neighbouring West Bengal witnessed violent protests for many since 2019 and early 2020 against the CAA. At least five people were killed in Assam in police firing and clashes during the violent agitation. The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims minorities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who have migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, after facing faith-based persecution. --IANS sc/vd ( 362 Words) 2022-05-06-22:30:03 (IANS)
The special team quizzed Sunil, the brother of Sajeevan who is a local AIADMK leader, at Coimbatore Police Recruits School premises.

Sajeevan had supplied furniture and refurbished the Kodanad Bungalow and had easy assess to Jayalalithaa and V.K. Sasikala, owners of the 920-acre Kodanad estate and bungalow.

The special police team had already questioned Sajeevan and his elder brother Sibi and is now interrogating Sunil as to whether he has any information on the Kodanad heist and murder, police sources said.

The special team had also questioned Sasikala in Chennai.

Some criminals had barged into Kodanad bungalow and estate on April 24, 2017, and killed security guard, Om Bahadur, and severely injured another guard, Krishna Thapa.

Five days after the murder and heist, the first accused in the case Kanagaraj was killed in a road accident on the Salem-Chennai highway. On the same day, the other accused K.P. Sayan met with an accident at Palakkad, his hometown. While Sayan escaped with minor injuries, his wife and daughter died in the accident. A few months later a computer operator of the Kodanad estate, Dinesh Kumar committed suicide at his residence.

--IANS aal/vd

( 238 Words)

2022-05-06-22:34:03 (IANS)
A 19-year-old youth was allegedly beaten to death by four men in Gurugram before being buried in Haryana's Rewari district and his decomposed body was recovered six months later wrapped in a plastic sheet, the police said. According to the police, the victim, Ajay alias Golu, used to work as a helper at Balaji Medical Store located in Sector-52, Gurugram, in 2021. The four accused persons -- identified as Amit, Arun aka Painter, Nishant alias Dinu and Rubal -- have been arrested. The medical store owner, Amit, who has been arrested, suspected Ajay of stealing three of his mobile phones and held the latter captive for some days before he escaped. However, Amit allegedly kidnapped Ajay and his father Satyapal on October 8 and 9, 2021. Thereafter, Amit released the complainant Satypal but held his son captive and on October 12, he informed Ajay's father that his son had run away. "The complainant kept asking whereabouts of his son but Amit did not disclose anything. Later the father reported the matter to the police and a case of kidnapping was registered at the Sector-53 police station," Preet Pal Sangwan, ACP (Crime), said. During interrogation, it was revealed that Amit had suspected that his mobile phones were stolen by Ajay. "They (accused persons) assaulted the victim and he succumbed to his injuries after which they buried the deceased's body at Aram Nagar in Rewari district, and mislead the father of the deceased that his son had escaped from their clutches. The police have recovered the remains of the deceased," the officer added. --IANS str/khz/arm ( 275 Words) 2022-05-06-22:56:48 (IANS)
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday took suo motu cognisance of the murder of a 25-year-old man by his wife's brother and another person in Hyderabad in a suspected "honour killing". It has issued notices to the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. The Chief Secretary has been asked to submit report whether the state government has any policy to prevent such incidents of "honour killing" in cases of inter-caste or inter-religion marriage. The DGP has been asked to inform the present status of the investigation in the case, steps taken to safeguard the wife of the victim and his family members along with any relief granted by the state government to them. "The Commission would also like to know whether there were any lapses on the part of the police authorities in this case if so, what action has been taken against the guilty," the NHRC said in a statement. "Police has reportedly stated that the brother of the girl was opposed to her inter-faith marriage and warned against it. The couple, as mentioned in the news report, were classmates in the school and college and were in love for more than 5 years even as the family of the girl was against the relationship," it noted. --IANS avr/vd ( 237 Words) 2022-05-06-23:15:20 (IANS)
Vilas Lagarpuria, a criminal wanted in connection with a theft case of Rs 30 crore in Gurugram, has finally been nabbed by the Interpol from Dubai. According to sources, formalities are being completed to bring him back to India by the concerned agencies. Lagarpuria fled to Dubai using a fake passport, which he got arranged through his aide in Gurugram. With the help of this passport, Lagarpuria had travelled to many countries. According to information received here, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had issued a look out circular (LOC)against Lagarpuria. A team of the Special Cell is in touch with the Interpol, and is planning to go to Dubai. "On the basis of the LOC, Lagarpuria was nabbed from the Dubai airport. He is the mastermind behind the Rs 30 crore theft in Gurugram. He was booked under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act). A court had also declared him a proclaimed offender," said a source. The theft took place in Gurugram's Kherki Daula area on August 5, 2021. Vilas Gulia of the Delhi Police, who was posted with the Special Cell, was found involved in the matter. He was held and during the course of investigation and it was learnt that Lagarpuria was the mastermind behind the heist. "Lagarpuria and Gulia are from the same village and are close friends. The police have so far arrested 16 persons in this connection. The theft took place at a private firm which had initially said that only Rs 50 lakh were stolen. Later, it was found that it was a heist of Rs 30 crore," the source said. The Special Cell is in touch with the Ministry of Home Affairs to bring Lagarpuria back to India. --IANS atk/arm ( 306 Words) 2022-05-06-23:15:22 (IANS)
Police, along with Army, have neutralised three wanted terrorists of proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in an anti-terrorist operation at Sirchan Top Anantnag including the oldest surviving terrorist Ashraf Molvi, added the police.

The terrorists have been identified as Mohammad Ashraf Khan @Ashraf Molvi/Mansoor ul Haq, Mohammad Rafiq Drangay and Roshan Zameer Tantray @Aqib.

As per police, all the three categorized killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security forces.

The terrorist Mohd Ashraf Khan was the oldest surviving terrorist of Hizb and figured among the list of most wanted terrorists after 2013, according to the police.

He had a long history of terror crime cases which include attacks on security forces.

Incriminating materials and huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. In this connection, police have registered a case and an investigation has been initiated.

IGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar termed this operation as a major success as the site of operation is close to Yatra route which indicates that the killed terrorists were eying to target Amarnath Yatra-2022.

Moreover, Budgam Police, along with 62RR and 43Bn CRPF, arrested two terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit AGuH in Huroo area of Budgam. They have been identified as Amir Manzoor Budoo and Shahid Rasool Ganaie.

Incriminating materials, including ammunitions, one hand grenade and 25 AK-47 rounds, have been recovered from their possession. Accordingly, a case has been registered at Budgam police station and further investigation has been taken up. (ANI)
Press Release

May 6, 2022 De Lima to Esmeralda: w/o Ragos's false testimony, DOJ's fabricated case falls like a house of cards Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima highlighted former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officer Reynaldo Esmeralda's failure to recognize that the previous coerced testimony of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos is the main reason why her trumped-up drug case was not dismissed. De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, said she finds the recent media interview of Esmeralda in relation to Ragos's court testimony on her case as amusing. "I saw the transcript of a media interview with former NBI Deputy Director Reynaldo Esmeralda aired last May 3. More than anything, I was amused reading it. Esmeralda claims that the House and court testimony of former BuCor OIC Rafael Ragos is shot full of holes ("maraming butas") and highly improbable," she said. "But of course! This is what I have been saying from the very start. Ragos's previous testimony is so fantastic as to be credible. This is precisely what Ragos told the DOJ panel of prosecutors as stated in his recent affidavit of retraction. Ragos told them that they should not expect him to deliver a plausible testimony in court because 'they are all lies,'" she added. In his affidavit, notarized on April 30, 2022 in Pasig, Ragos retracted his previous statements, affidavits, and court testimonies that he delivered money to De Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan. Questioning Ragos's recantation, Esmeralda said "I won't believe anything that Ragos will say in so far as this case," claiming that the former "is lying to his teeth." De Lima claimed that Esmeralda has an axe to grind against her. "He blames me for his and Lasala's removal and replacement as then NBI Deputy Directors by then President Aquino due to integrity issues," she said. The lady Senator from Bicol maintained that Ragos's previous false testimony should not have been presented at all in court by the DOJ panel of prosecutors. "It is highly incredible and had all the signs of a bargained-for testimony. This has been our consistent and persistent assertion when we moved for a demurrer or dismissal of the case which, unfortunately, was denied by the court," she said. De Lima questioned if Esmeralda realizes that Ragos's false and coerced testimony is the only link to the fictional drug money that the court used in denying her demurrer to dismiss one of the fabricated drug cases filed against her by the DOJ. "Without it, DOJ's fabricated case falls like a house of cards, even if Jovencio Ablen's equally perjured testimony corroborating Ragos is not retracted. In short, there is really no case against me," De Lima said. "A bogus case is no case," she added. Prior to Ragos's retraction, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa also recanted all of his allegations against De Lima in relation to illegal drug trade in a counter-affidavit filed at the DOJ on April 28.
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Friday alleged that World Health Organization (WHO), without any scientific evidence and rational reasoning, has said that number of deaths registered in India due to COVID-19 is not the actual numbers. He added that every death in this country has been scientifically registered. Every death is registered in the most fragmented way in India, he further added. While talking to ANI, he said, "WHO without any scientific evidence and rational reasoning has said that number of deaths registered in India due to Covid-19 is not the actual numbers. All Health Ministers present here have passed a resolution condemning this." "We stick to our own numbers because this is the kind of practice & statistics that India has always followed. Every death in this country has been scientifically registered. Every death is registered in the most fragmented way in India," he added. Earlier on Friday, a resolution was passed at the conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) strongly objecting to the World Health Organization's (WHO) estimates of 4.7 million COVID-19 deaths in India. The sources further said that WHO estimates are "flawed" and that the assumptions and estimates are "unacceptable" to India. The WHO matter regarding COVID-19 deaths was taken up during the Conference, under the chairmanship of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the 14th Central Council of Health and Family Welfare Conference (CCHFW) in Kevadia, Gujarat. Around 20 Health Ministers passed the resolution who were present in the CCHFW. According to the WHO report, more than 4.7 million people in India are thought to have died because of COVID-19. India has strongly objected to the use of mathematical models by the WHO for projecting excess mortality estimates concerning coronavirus and has said that authentic data is available.Referring to excess mortality estimates, the Health Ministry said in a statement that the validity and robustness of the models used and the methodology of data collection are questionable. (ANI)
Hyderabad West Zone Taskforce on Friday busted an interstate drug peddlers' gang and arrested four persons, while two are absconding, said the police. A total of 225 gram of heroin/brown sugar and 28 kg ganja worth Rs 23,61,000 were recovered, added the police. "Hyderabad West Zone Taskforce busted interstate drug peddlers gang & arrested 4 accused, 2 persons are absconding. 225 gram of heroin/brown sugar, 28 kg ganja recovered worth Rs 23,61,000 in the international market, " Hyderabad City Commissioner C V Anand told the mediapersons. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga on Friday termed his detention by the Punjab police as "illegal" and said that he will keep fighting until Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologised for his comments on Kashmiri Pandits. Bagga reached his residence in Delhi on the intervening nights of Friday and Saturday after he was detained by Punjab Police in national capital yesterday. The family members of Bagga could be seen celebrating on his return to his house in Delhi. Earlier today, Bagga was arrested by Punjab Police from Delhi. On their way to Mohali, the team was stopped by Haryana cops after the Delhi Police registered a kidnapping case based on a complaint by Bagga's father. Haryana Police surrounded the Punjab Police car carrying Bagga and escorted them off the highway to a police station in Kurukshetra. The Punjab cops were detained. At the same time, the Punjab and Haryana High Court turned down AAP-ruled Punjab's demand that Bagga remains in Haryana instead of being handed over to Delhi cops. Haryana Police acted on a request from the Delhi Police which rushed to a court for a search warrant based on the kidnapping complaint. With the search warrant in hand, a team of Delhi police reached Kurukshetra and "rescued" Bagga and brought him back to the national capital. Earlier this month, the Punjab Police registered a case against Bagga on charges of making provocative statement, promoting religious enmity, and criminal intimidation for targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal over his comments on 'The Kashmir Files'. (ANI)
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has alleged that the state government is "scared" of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and therefore it's not taking action against him for "violating the conditions" for his May 1 Aurangabad rally. The Congress leader demanded the arrest of the MNS chief for the breach of conditions for the rally, saying that it's necessary to stop him from flaring up the communal tension in the state. Sanjay Nirupam has expressed his disappointment over the 'lack of action' against the MNS chief by the Mumbai police. "The Maharashtra police had set 16 conditions for the rally in Aurangabad, out of which he violated 12. There are non-bailable warrants against Raj Thackeray from two courts. I don't understand why is the Mumbai police not doing anything? The state government appears to be scared of Raj Thackeray," Nirupam said. He said that there should be legal action against those who violate the rule of law. "I urge the government to not be scared. There is rule of law in the country and Maharashtra and anybody who poses a challenge against the law, they should be firmly dealt with," said Nirupam. Raj Thackeray had held a rally in Aurangabad on May 1 and lambasted the Uddhav Thackeray government on the issue of loudspeakers. He had set a May 3 deadline for the removal of the loudspeakers from mosques. He had also threatened that "his party workers would play Hanuman Chalisa with double the volume of 'Azaan' (Muslim prayers) in front of the mosques if the state government doesn't act within the deadline". At the end of the deadline, numerous MNS workers were detained for allegedly trying to put up loudspeakers outside mosques to play Hanuman Chalisa. Notably, a court in Parli in Maharashtra's Beed district has issued a non-bailable warrant against Raj Thackeray in a 2008 case for allegedly making inflammatory speeches. Earlier, on May 3, a Sangli court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Thackeray in the 2008 case. (ANI)
A Jammu and Kashmir Policeman sustained critical injuries after terrorists fired at him at the Aiwa Bridge area of Ali Jan Road in Srinagar. More details are awaited. Earlier on Friday, a top Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander was among three other terrorists who were killed in a gunfight in Pahalgam town of Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga on Saturday claimed that the Punjab police had barged into his home in large numbers and arrested him "as they do it with a terrorist". Speaking to ANI this morning, Bagga narrated the entire episode of his arrest. "I was not shown any warrant. When nearly eight people picked me up, I told them to let me tie my turban. They did not give me the chance to wear the turban and slippers. I was thrown into the vehicle. I was kidnapped by the Punjab police. The local police were also not informed. Nearly 50 policemen came as they do it with a terrorist," he said. "Nearly 10 police vehicles had come which could be seen in the CCTV footage. It is an attempt to give a message that whosoever speaks against Arvind Kejriwal would be the biggest terrorist and not spared," said Bagga. Earlier in April, Bagga had claimed that the Punjab police officials reached his home while he was in Lucknow to arrest him without informing the Delhi police. Bagga said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered an FIR based against him on the basis of a "trimmed" video from his remarks on a television show where he had sought an apology from Kejriwal for his speech on the exodus of Kashmiri pandits in the Delhi Assembly in March. Bagga also slammed Delhi Chief Minister for "illegally" detaining him and said that his detention is an attempt to give a message that whosoever speaks against the AAP supremo would be termed the "biggest terrorist" and not spared. Notably, Bagga reached his residence in Delhi on the intervening nights of Friday and Saturday after Delhi police brought him back from Haryana where he was en route to Mohali after he was arrested by Punjab Police. Kejriwal had reacted sharply to the BJP's demand to make the Vivek Agnihotri film 'The Kashmir Files' tax-free in the national capital, saying that the director should upload the movie on YouTube. Talking about the developments after he was detained and en route to Mohali, the BJP leader said that he was no more manhandled, however, he was asked by the police to "stop talking about the two issues". "After I was manhandled and beaten at home, they did not do it in the way because they perhaps had the orders. They were streaming it live. They asked me to stop talking about these two issues," he said. After he was brought back by the Delhi police, Bagga was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in the national capital for a medical check-up on Friday night. Claiming assault, Bagga said that "in the medical tests done at the Hospital, marks of the assault were recorded. Delhi Police will give security till the case proceedings are underway," he said. Earlier yesterday, Bagga was arrested by Punjab Police from Delhi. On its way to Mohali, the Punjab Police team was intercepted its Haryana counterpart after the Delhi Police registered a kidnapping case based on a complaint by Bagga's father. Haryana Police surrounded the Punjab Police car carrying Bagga and escorted them off the highway to a police station in Kurukshetra. The Punjab police personnel were detained. At the same time, the Punjab and Haryana High Court turned down AAP-ruled Punjab's demand that Bagga be detained in Haryana instead of being handed over to Delhi cops. Haryana Police acted on a request from the Delhi Police which rushed to a court for a search warrant based on the kidnapping complaint. With the search warrant in hand, a team of Delhi police reached Kurukshetra and "rescued" Bagga and brought him back to the national capital. (ANI)
"The sad news of the untimely demise of many precious lives in an accident due to a short circuit in Swarn Bagh Colony of Indore was received today. I pray God to give place to the departed souls at his feet and give strength to the family members to bear this deep sorrow and to give speedy recovery to the injured," the Chief Minister tweeted.

As many as seven persons were charred to death after a massive fire broke out in a double-storey building in Indore's Swarna Bagh Colony in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

According to preliminary information, the blaze is suspected to have been triggered by an electric short circuit, Indore Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra, who was present at the site, told ANI.

"Seven people have died and nine people have so far been rescued by officials present at the spot," the Police Commissioner said.

A fire department official said: "The fire might have started due to a short circuit. It took us three hours to bring the fire under control."

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that the loudspeaker issue in Maharashtra is over and called upon the Centre for a policy for the country. "I think the issue of loudspeakers is over ... work will be done according to law ...There is peace in Maharashtra, some people were trying to spoil the situation in the state but they have been given a befitting reply. There should be a policy for the whole country regarding the use of loudspeakers at religious places," Raut said while speaking to reporters. Alleging that attempts are being made to "divide the Hindu society", the Shiv Sena leader said that the people of the community are also unhappy since the temples have also stopped using loudspeakers for 'Aarti (prayers)'. On the contrary, the Pune unit of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has said that it will play Hanuman Chalisa in front of the police stations across the city if loudspeakers are not removed from mosques. The MNS demanded assurance in writing from the Maulvis of the mosques to stop praying using loudspeakers to maintain the law and order in the city. "We are not against azaan (call for prayers) but we are adamant that it should not be done on loudspeakers. The Maulvi of all these mosques should inform us in writing through the police that they have removed or stopped 'azaan' on loudspeakers, so that the law and order shouldn't be disturbed," the letter written by the party Pune unit to the CP of the city said. The MNS chief Raj Thackeray had held a rally in Aurangabad on May 1 and lambasted the ruling Uddhav Thackeray-led government on the issue of loudspeakers. He had set a May 3 deadline for the removal of the loudspeakers from mosques. He had also threatened that "his party workers would play Hanuman Chalisa with double the volume of 'Azaan' (Muslim prayers) in front of the mosques if the state government doesn't act within the deadline". At the end of the deadline, numerous MNS workers were detained for allegedly trying to put up loudspeakers outside mosques to play Hanuman Chalisa. (ANI)
Rana was released from Byculla Jail on Thursday afternoon, a day after being granted bail.

Mumbai's Borivali Court issued the release order of Navneet Rana and her husband, Ravi Rana, MLA, who were arrested after they declared that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence.

The MP-MLA couple was arrested on April 23 from their Mumbai residence after they declared that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Uddhav Thackeray's home in Bandra.

The couple was booked in two FIRs lodged on charges of sedition, promoting enmity, and assaulting a public servant to prevent discharge of duty. (ANI)
Keeping up its attack on Rahul Gandhi over his "personal foreign trips and nightclubbing" BJP has lashed out at the Congress leader over a recent video that is purportedly shot during his meeting with Telangana Congress leaders ahead of an address to farmers in the state. BJP leader Amit Malviya on Saturday shared a purported video of Rahul Gandhi in which he is seen sitting with Telangana party leaders and asking them "...Kya exactly bolna hai" (what exactly do I have to say). "What is the main theme today? Kya bolna hai?" Gandhi is also heard asking the leaders present around him in a room in the purported video. Malviya hit out at the former Congress chief's recent visit to Nepal where he was seen in a nightclub in Kathmandu. "Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi before his rally in Telangana, supposedly in solidarity with farmers, asks what is the theme, Kya bolna hai. This is what happens when you do politics in between personal foreign trips and nightclubbing... Such exaggerated sense of entitlement," tweeted Malviya. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Friday blew the poll bugle for the party with Raithu Sangharshana Sabha in Telangana which is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls next year. (ANI)
Press Release

May 6, 2022 Ragos and Espinosa must be investigated by DOJ for perjury -- Gordon Senator Richard J. Gordon today said that two key witnesses in the case against Sen. Leila de Lima are liable for perjury after recanting their bombshell testimony. Gordon, the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights chairman, said that Rafael Ragos and Kerwin Espinosa should be investigated by the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) if they had indeed made false testimony. "Both persons have already admitted to perjury. Both testimonies contradict each other, and it is very important that the Dept. of Justice [ay] bigla na lang hukayin 'yan para malaman kung talagang may perjury," Gordon said during a televised interview on Thursday. "They should go after Ragos, go after Espinosa because these are statements under oath and that is the bedrock of prosecution of cases," he added. It may be recalled that Ragos and Espinosa reportedly took a 180-degree turn in their respective testimonies, admitting they were coerced and pressured by former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. Ragos, a former Bureau of Corrections chief, now denied that he personally delivered drug money to de Lima on two separate occasions in 2012, when the latter served as Justice secretary. Espinosa, a self-confessed drug lord, claimed recently that the testimony he previously relayed describing drug-related deals with de Lima's driver were false and made under coercion, pressure, and intimidation with the police. Gordon, a lawyer by profession, also urged the DOJ to expedite its investigation, as it is de Lima's right to enjoy a speedy disposition. "From the basis of the law, from what I studied. Sen. De Lima is being denied her day in court, prosecuted by spurious witnesses who are not recanting their testimony," explained Gordon. "And that is why that the Dept. of Justice immediately step in and conduct an investigation as soon as possible, Otherwise, they should just let her go," he continued. Under Republic Act (RA) 11594, which was authored and sponsored by Gordon, Ragos and Espinosa could be incarcerated up to 10 years if found guilty of perjury. Moreover, Ragos will be slapped with a Php 1 million fine and be perpetually disqualified from holding any appointive or elective positions in government if found guilty. The law amended Articles 183 and 184 of the Revised Penal Code, which was first enacted in 1930, when the Philippines was a United States colony.
To demand justice for the family of the accused, the ABVP members sat on the Kukatpally main road.

However, the Telangana police detained the protesters and shifted them to the local police station.

The ABVP expressed its anger at the incident that took place in Panjala Anil Kumar Colony of Saroornagar on Wednesday.

A newlywed interfaith couple was riding a bike when they were attacked with an iron rod and stabbed, which resulted in the death of the man (Nagaraju). (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered his condolences to the families of the deceased in the Indore fire and Mathura expressway car accident, and wished the injured a quick recovery. "The fire incident in Indore, Madhya Pradesh is very sad. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy. Along with this, I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured: PM @narendramodi," tweeted Prime Minister's office today. The prime minister also expressed his grief at the loss of lives in the road accident on the Yamuna Expressway near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. "The road accident in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this accident. With this I wish the injured a speedy recovery," the prime minister's office tweeted. As many as seven persons were charred to death after a massive fire broke out in a double-storey building in Indore's Swarna Bagh Colony in the early hours of Saturday, police said. According to preliminary information, the blaze is suspected to have been triggered by an electric short circuit, Indore Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra, who was present at the site, told ANI. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also condoled the loss of lives in the Indore fire. "The sad news of the untimely demise of many precious lives in an accident due to a short circuit in Swarn Bagh Colony of Indore was received today. I pray God to give place to the departed souls at his feet and give strength to the family members to bear this deep sorrow and to give speedy recovery to the injured," the Chief Minister tweeted. The state has announced ex-gratia of Rs4 lakh for the kin of the deceased. Seven people died and two were injured in an accident on the Yamuna Expressway this morning. Police said the deceased were returning to Noida from Hardoi after attending a marriage function when their car collided with another vehicle at 5 am. "Among the seven killed, three were women and three were men. One child also died. Another child and a man are hospitalised," Mathura's Superintendent of Police said. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed grief over the road accident and said his government would provide adequate treatment to those injured. (ANI)
Notably, Bagga reached his home in Delhi on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday after he was detained by Punjab Police in the national capital yesterday.

According to the police sources, the police have made preparations to confront any situation. The special branch of the police has been activated for the purpose along with the deployment of a heavy force around the Chief Minister's residence.

The anti-riots cell of the Delhi police will also be at the spot of the protest.

Bagga was arrested in the morning by the Punjab Police in a case registered at Mohali.

After that, the father of Bagga approached the Delhi Police. He alleged that his son was kidnapped by some armed persons. On this complaint, Delhi Police registered an FIR for kidnapping.

Later, an intimation was sent to Haryana Police, following which Bagga and the Punjab Police team were stopped in Kurukshetra by the Haryana Police. (ANI)
Relatives were seen carrying a patient to a doctor's residence on a stretcher due to his absence at the District Hospital in Baikunthpur of Chhattisgarh's Koriya on Friday. According to the Civil Surgeon of the hospital, K L Dhruv, the family wanted the patient to be treated by a prominent doctor of Baikunthpur (who works at the District Hospital). "I have enquired about this. These people came at 1.30 PM, and they wanted to get him examined by a prominent doctor of Baikunthpur. They took the patient on a stretcher to the doctor's residence without telling anybody," said Dhruv. "The doctor saw him (patient) and asked the family to get admitted to the hospital. He is now being treated here at the hospital," he added. On being asked how the hospital administration remained unaware of the incident, he said the incident happened after their Outpatient Department (OPD) was shut down. "It happened at 1.30 PM and our OPD gets closed at 1 PM. I left (hospital) at 2.30 PM and nobody informed me about it," he said. Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia, a patient was carried to the hospital on a hand cart after the ambulance allegedly refused to take him due to the lack of petrol. Neeraj Pandy, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the hospital, alleged that the ambulance had returned from Banaras on the same day, due to which it did not have enough petrol. "We are taking measures to ascertain the real cause of the incident," he said. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court has directed the Tihar Jail authorities to provide Neurological examination and treatment to Jagtar Singh Hawara at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Hawara is a life convict in the former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case and is serving a life term in Tihar Jail. He is suffering from some neurological problems and had moved the High Court seeking treatment at a private hospital. Justice Yashwant Varma after perusal of the status report and list of hospitals on Wednesday directed the Tihar Jail authorities to take Hawara to AIIMS for examination and treatment in the Neurological department. The High Court also directed the authorities to ensure that all medical procedures that are warranted are undertaken with the expedition. The authorities shall further ensure that all security protocols are adhered to, the order reads. Jagtar Singh Hawara moved a petition in the High Court seeking direction from the jail superintendent to provide treatment to him in a private hospital of his choice. He also undertook to bear the expenses of treatment and security. Senior Advocates Maninder Singh and Aekta Vats submitted on behalf of Hawara that he is a life convict and lodged in a high-risk ward of Tihar Jail for 26 years. He is suffering from a clot in the right upper side of his head located near his forehead. The counsels had further submitted that the petitioner requires immediate treatment and prays for the operation to be conducted in a private hospital. The petitioner is ready to incur the expenses for the said treatment as well as for his transportation and security arrangements for the same. The bench had directed the jail authorities to file a status report on the medical condition of the petitioner. After perusal and hearing of the submission, the bench had directed the authorities to furnish a list of government hospitals which have neurological treatment facilities. The jail authorities produced a list of four hospitals including AIIMS. The counsels who appeared for the petitioner submitted that the patient would be satisfied if the requisite examination and procedure is undertaken at AIIMS hospital. The petition stated that the petitioner Hawara was awarded a death sentence by the Chandigarh court in the case filed by CBI. Later on, the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with the direction that he, 'shall not be released from prison till the rest of his life'. (ANI)
Former MLA and minister in the state government Pramod Madhwaraj tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party on Saturday. Madhwaraj addressed his resignation letter to KPCC president DK Shivakumar stating, "I have decided not to accept the post of vice-presidentship of KPCC and also to tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party." The former Minster mentioned in the letter "for the last three years the situation in the Udupi district Congress party has been a bad experience for me thus leading to political suffocation and the facts of which have been brought to your kind notice and informed to other party leaders by me." "I have observed that no worthwhile steps have been taken by the party to redress my grievances regarding the prevailing situation in the Udupi district Congress party," Madhwaraj wrote. Last year Pramod Madhwaraj praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for honouring Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji with Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Madhwaraj had said that after the BJP government came to power at the Centre, the 'trend' of determining Padma awardees has changed. Addressing a program in Udupi, he had said, "Earlier, there was a trend to award those who applied for the award. But after the Modi government came to power, the trend changed. We must appreciate it if somebody does good work." (ANI)
The Supreme Court upheld disciplinary action taken against a judicial officer for passing orders to unduly favour certain parties saying "a judge, like Caesar's wife, must be above suspicion." A division bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Bela M Trivedi observed that "showing undue favour to a party under the guise of passing judicial orders is the worst kind of judicial dishonesty and misconduct". "A judge must decide the case on the basis of the facts on record and the law applicable to the case", added the Bench. "There was enough evidence and material to show that the appellant had misconducted himself while discharging his duties as a judicial officer, and had passed the judicial orders in utter disregard of the specific provisions of law, to unduly favour the subsequent purchasers of the acquired lands who had no right to claim compensation, and that such orders were actuated by corrupt motive. Under the circumstances, the High Court was perfectly justified in exercising its supervisory jurisdiction under Article 235 of the Constitution", the Supreme Court observed upholding the disciplinary action. "In that view of the matter, we find no merit in the present appeal and the same is dismissed, " the apex court observed. Quoting "a judge, like Caesar's wife, must be above suspicion", the Supreme Court remarked that it is often said that "the public servants are like fish in the water, none can say when and how a fish drank the water". The apex court also said that if the judge decides a case for extraneous reasons, then he is not performing his duties in accordance with the law. "As often quoted, 'a judge, like Caesar's wife, must be above suspicion", the SC observed. The top court also opined that showing undue favour to a party under the guise of passing judicial orders is the worst kind of judicial dishonesty and misconduct. "The extraneous consideration for showing favour need not always be a monetary consideration. It is often said that the public servants are like fish in the water, none can say when and how a fish drank the water, " the Court said. Supreme Court was hearing an appeal of the former judge against whom a full court of the Allahabad High Court, on September 02, 2006, had resolved to punish him with curtailment of pensionary benefits with immediate effect. The Court remark came while dismissing a plea of a former official of Uttar Pradesh Judicial Services. The petitioner has challenged the Order dated April 17 2019 passed by the High Court of judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench, which dismissed his plea challenging the order of punishment issued by the respondent-State pursuant to the decision of the Full Court of the High Court taken on the report of the Enquiry Officer in respect of the disciplinary proceedings initiated against the appellant for the alleged misconduct committed by him as a judicial officer. The petitioner claimed that he had joined the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Services in the year 1978 and sought voluntary retirement from the services in September 2003. Immediately after his retirement, the appellant joined as a Judicial Member, of Central Administrative Tribunal, Mumbai Bench. On July 19 2005, the appellant was informed vide the letter dated 19.07.2005 of the O.S.D (Enquiry), Allahabad High Court, addressed to the Principal Registrar, CAT, New Delhi that the High Court had initiated a departmental enquiry against him. There were twelve charges levelled against the appellant in the said chargesheet. It was alleged against the petition inter alia that the appellant, while posted as the 11th Additional District Judge, Agra during the period from May 23, 2001 to May 19, 2003, had decided a batch of matters under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and had awarded enhanced compensation which was multiple times more than the investments made by the subsequent purchasers of the acquired lands; that such subsequent purchasers had no right to claim compensation for the acquired lands; that the appellant had determined the compensation in terms of square yards and not in terms of bighas, and had awarded such compensation in flagrant violation of the cardinal principles of law and equity and against all judicial norms and propriety, with a view to unduly favour such subsequent purchasers. It was therefore alleged that the appellant had failed to maintain absolute integrity and complete devotion to duty, and thereby had committed misconduct within the meaning of Rule-3 of UP Govt. Servants Conduct Rules, 1956. The appellant vides the letters dated September 7, 2005 and September 9, 2005 denied all the charges levelled against him. The Enquiry Officer vide his Enquiry report dated 05.04.2006 held 11 charges as "Proved" and submitted the report to the Chief Justice/Administrative Committee/Full Court for further consideration on the question of quantum of punishment. The appellant was called upon and he filed his response on June 14, 2006 to the said Enquiry report. The High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in its Full Court Meeting held that September 2, 2006 accepted the report of the Enquiry Officer and resolved to punish the appellant with curtailment of 90 per cent of his pensionary benefits with immediate effect. Pursuant to the said recommendation made by the Full Court of the High Court, the respondent-State passed an order dated 22.01.2007, sanctioning withholding of 90 per cent from the pension of the appellant in view of the provisions contained in Article 351(A) of the Civil Services Regulations. The man challenged it before the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench, which found that the punishment order in reference to the three charges was not sustainable but recorded no ground to interfere with the rest eight charges and reduced the curtailment of pensionary benefits to the extent of 70 per cent in place of 90 per cent. (ANI)
Senior Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hood on Saturday met farmer leaders, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)'s Rakesh Tikait for consultation over farmers' issues. Speaking to the media, the Congress leader who is the Convenor of the Farmers and Agriculture Committee said that he listened to farmer leaders about the farmers' issues and said that 'Chintan Shivir' will take place to discuss the issues. "I have listened to farmer leaders about the issues that the farmers face. I have taken suggestions from them. Our Chintan Shivir will take place. I have been appointed as the Convener to listen to the farmers and their issues. So, we will draft a concept paper and discuss," Hooda said. The Congress leader spoke about the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and said that farmers sat at the border for one year against the three farm laws, which were eventually repealed. MSP is their basic demand, nobody should purchase at a price lower than MSP. "Farmers sat at the border for one year. They (Farmers) had said from the beginning that the three laws are not in farmers' interest. I had said that if they (Farmers) bring three ordinances, they should bring the fourth too that if someone purchases at a price lower than MSP and they should be punished," Hooda said. "Guarantee for MSP - be it procurement by the government or purchase by a private entity, nobody should purchase at a price lower than MSP, it's their basic demand," he said. He further said the topics were discussed too like the import-export policy should not harm the farmer. Earlier on Friday, Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi called a meeting of the conveners of six committees formed for the "Chintan Shivir" at her residence on May 9. The Conveners of the committees will submit the final draft of the resolutions to be discussed during the three-day conference. The party will hold a three-day Nav-Sankalp Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan's Udaipur from May 13 to 15 to revive the Congress. Six committees have been formed for the Chintan Shivir and they are Political, Social Justice and Empowerment, Economy, Organisation, Farmers and Agriculture, and Youth and Empowerment. (ANI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday targeted the Jharkhand government alleging that a mining scam worth Rs 150 crore has been exposed following raids by the Enforcement Directorate on the premises of officials and businessman in the state. "Crores of Rupees have detected during raids by the Enforcement Directorate in Jharkhand. A scam related to mining has been exposed by these raids in the last 24 hours. The premises of the officer responsible for taking care of mining in the state has been raided. Chief Minister Hemant Soren himself is the mining minister," said Nalin Kohli, national spokesperson, BJP. Seeking clarification from the state government, the BJP leader asked, "Isn't it the responsibility of the state government to issue a clarification?" "Crores of public money has been looted. The government should clarify whose money is this and from where did it come?" he added. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at multiple locations, including the premises of Jharkhand Mines and Geology Department Secretary, Pooja Singhal and businessman Amit Agarwal in Ranchi. The ED is investigating Singhal based on a complaint alleging that she allowed the operation of Pachadumar sand ghat through her handpicked contractors illegally without seeking wildlife clearance from the National Board of Wildlife and as such all the money whether, in the bank accounts of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation, the Pachadumar sand project or bribe money, comes within the definition of proceeds of crime of Enforcement Directorate. Senior advocate of Jharkhand High Court Rajeev Kumar submitted a complaint against her to the ED in February 2022. Singhal's involvement in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme in Khunti and Chatra districts is also being investigated. Her involvement in illegal mining at Pachadumar Sand Ghat is also being investigated. Pooja Singhal is the secretary of the Department of Mines and Geology and the Managing Director of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (JSMDC). Meanwhile, on May 2, the Election Commission of India (ECI) sent a notice to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren over "office of profit" allegations against him regarding a mining lease. He has been accused of having awarded himself a mining lease last year while holding charge of the state mining and environment department. (ANI)
Indian Youth Congress, the youth wing of the Congress party, protested outside the residence of Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri after the Centre announced a hike in the price of LPG cylinders on Saturday. A Congress worker said, "With the rising fuel price hike, people are using cow dung cakes to make rotis." "We have come here to surrender the cylinder. LPG price is Rs 1000 now. Common people will not be able to buy gas cylinders. The Central government is just taking away food from people by increasing gas prices", said another Congress worker. A woman protester added, "The women are using cow dung cakes to cook. They have to inhale that smoke which is very harmful. The government is not bothered about the women. How will a common man survive in this condition". The price of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder has been increased by Rs 50. With the latest revision, domestic LPG cylinders will retail at Rs 999.50 in Delhi. Earlier this month, the price of commercial LPG cylinders had been increased. On May 1, the price of a 19-kilograms commercial LPG cylinder was increased by Rs 102.50 to Rs 2355.50. Meanwhile, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the Center was creating a burden on the common people by increasing the price of fuel. "Modi govt told people to give up subsidy. In 2015-2016 was reduced to 18 crore and 2017 it was reduced to Zero. On daily basis you creating more burden on people," the Congress leader said. "The continuous increase was such that in seven years, Rs 585 have been increased in LPG. Today a situation is created where people have to surrender the LPG cylinders. The subsidy was given by Congress to ensure the burden of high prices is not put on people", added Khera. Recently, on May 1, Oil marketing companies organized more than 5000 LPG panchayats on the occasion of Ujjwala Diwas, where apart from experience sharing, aimed at safe and sustained usage of LPG, all-out efforts were made to maximize customer enrolment. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is a step toward social inclusion by providing Free LPG connection to every BPL household. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1, 2016 at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)
Emphasising the Centre's commitment to providing health services to the last mile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said teleconsultation is the future of India's health system. Union Health Minister addressed the concluding session of 'Swasthya Chintan Shivir', the 14th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW), at Kevadia, Gujarat on May 5-7. Highlighting the importance of working in the spirit of cooperative federalism, Mandaviya said, "States goals provide us national goals. They provide us roadmap for various policies. The citizen in the last mile should be our priority for delivery of health services." The Minister emphasized that "health is not commerce but a seva for us. We are committed to promoting medical tourism and 'Heal by India' and 'Heal in India' are the two vital pillars of our health ecosystem in the years to come which will position India as a global health leader." Mandaviya appealed to all stakeholders to join the soon-to-be-launched 'TB Patient/Village Adoption' scheme where everyone can adopt TB patients and ensure their well-being, people nourishment, timely diagnosis and prompt treatment. "This will contribute immensely to our goal of TB-Free India by 2025", he stated. He further said that "Teleconsultation is the future of our health systems and we should work towards promoting it on a large scale as it provides a perfect platform to provide health services to the last mile." Mandaviya also invited collaboration for the national initiative for clearing the backlog of cataract surgery. He urged state ministers to popularise teleconsultation through e-Sanjeevani. The Union Minister requested state ministers to popularise and expedite the implementation of ABHA- Ayushman Bharat Health Account in the States. "Ayushman Bharat Nation Digital Health Mission is an important scheme to propel India to a digital revolution in the health sector. We should work towards creating an ABHA ID on a war footing. This scheme ensures privacy with service delivery," he stated. On the third day of the 'Swasthya Chintan Shivir', thematic sessions on best practices of States, India's public health response and learnings from the COVID-19, preparing India for future health emergencies, Heal in India and Heal by India, and road map for a healthy India were organized, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. State health ministers, health secretaries, state health representatives, representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NITI Ayog, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and scientists participated in the three-day-long conference. (ANI)
The BJP is gearing up for presidential election and has begun reaching out to its allies amid indications that the opposition will field a joint candidate for the post. Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan had a two-hour meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday and the two leaders discussed various issues including the presidential and vice presidential elections, sources said. They said that the BJP has stepped up preparations for the presidential election to be held before the last week of July. The party is also gearing up for vice-presidential election. Dharamendra Pradhan's meeting with Nitish Kumar gains significance as the Janata Dal-United leader has in the past supported presidential nominees of rival parties. In 2012, he had supported Pranab Mukherjee despite being part of the NDA. In the last election, he had supported NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind though he was part of Grand Alliance in Bihar at that time. The sources said that the decision to send Pradhan to meet Kumar was taken after deliberations by the BJP's central leadership. They said that Pradhan is likely to visit other states including Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary also joined the meeting, the sources said. They said there could be reshuffle of BJP ministers in the alliance government in Bihar and "non-performing ministers" could be replaced with new faces. The sources said there was also discussion about Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from the state. The Nitish Kumar cabinet has scope for expansion and six more ministers can be appointed. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court granted anticipatory bail to an accused in a case registered under the Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act observing that there is prima facie no reason to believe that accused was part of a larger conspiracy. Delhi Police had arrested another accused with 300 gm. of smack who gave a confessional statement against the petitioner. Justice Jasmeet Singh while granting anticipatory bail to Mohd. Irshad referred to a Supreme Court judgement which says that the confessional statement can be used as a corroborative statement when there is other evidence available. The bench observed, "There is no other independent, corroborative or affirmative legal evidence against the applicant except the confessional statement of the arrested accuse, Md. Akleem". "Additionally, the applicant does not have any past antecedents. This court has no reason to believe, prima facie, that the accused is part of a larger conspiracy," the court added. Justice Singh observed that the court is of the view that for the reasons stated there are reasonable grounds that the accused is not guilty of the offence as alleged. "Further, I am also of the view that the applicant is not likely to commit an offence under the Act while on bail," Justice added. The bench directed the petitioner to furnish a personal bond in the sum of Rs. 20,000.Court also directed him to surrender his passport and cooperate and join the investigation as and when directed by the Investigation Officer. The petitioner Md. Irshad had moved a petition through Advocate Rahul Singh seeking anticipatory bail in case a registered at Kalyan Puri Police Station under NDPS Act. Earlier his bail application was dismissed by the Special Judge of Karkardooma Courts on February 21, 2022. Delhi Police had arrested Md. Akleem on a tip-off with 300 grams of smack. On his arrest, he disclosed that he used to supply smack to petitioner Irshad@ Neta who is also a resident of his village in Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)
"The fire broke at 7 am on Saturday in Sri Vani hospital well known as Old Farhat Hospital in Malakpet area of Hyderabad," said Srinivas, Circle inspector, Malakpet police station.

The officer further informed that the fire broke out due to a short circuit, however, it has now been doused.

As per the police, no casualties have been reported. A case has been registered under the relevant section of law, added the police. (ANI)
The Delhi Police has told the Supreme Court that it has registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the alleged hate speech case relating to Delhi Dharam Sansad. In a fresh affidavit, the Delhi Police said that an "investigation will be carried out as per law". It said the FIR has been registered for offences under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between religious groups), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 298 (uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) at Okhla industrial area, South East Delhi district. The fresh affidavit of the Delhi Police was filed on a plea filed by former High Court judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash and journalist Qurban Ali seeking an independent probe into the alleged hate speech targeting the Muslim community delivered at the Dharm Sansad in Haridwar and Delhi. Earlier, the top court expressed dissatisfaction at the affidavit filed by the Delhi Police which stated that there were no instances of hate speech against the Muslim community at the event of Hindu Yuva Vahini held in Delhi held on December 19 last year and asked it to file a "better affidavit". After that Delhi Police had conceded before the bench that it needs to have a relook at its affidavit and will file a fresh affidavit. In its affidavit, the Delhi police had said that "no specific words against any particular community were used. It had also submitted that the speech by Sudarshan News TV Editor Suresh Chavhanke at the Hindu Yuva Vahini event in Delhi's Govindpuri did not amount to hate speech since none of the words used in the speech by Chavhanke could create an environment of paranoia against any religion." The plea had stated that between December 17 and 19, 2021, at two separate events organised in Delhi (by the Hindu Yuva Vahini) and Haridwar (by Yati Narsinghanand), hate speeches were made, consisting of open calls for genocide of Muslims in order to achieve ethnic cleansing. The plea had said that it is relevant to note that no action has been taken by the Uttarakhand and Delhi Police in relation to the event held there despite the fact that open calls for genocide, that are available on the internet, were made therein. The plea had also highlighted a video which had gone viral where a police officer was seen acknowledging his allegiance to the offenders. (ANI)
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Saturday took suo-moto cognizance of the reports that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tajinder Singh Bagga was allegedly not allowed to wear his turban during his arrest by Punjab police. "The Commission has taken suo-moto cognizance of the media reports that Tajinder Singh Bagga, a person belonging to Sikh Minority community, was allegedly not allowed to wear his turban during his arrest by Punjab police on May 6, 2022. This is a serious case of violation of the religious rights of a Sikh person. You are, accordingly, requested to submit a factual report on the alleged incident and media report within 7 days that is latest by May 14, 2022 to the Commission," the Commission said in a letter to Punjab Chief Secretary. Notably, Bagga reached his residence in Delhi on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday after he was detained by Punjab Police in the national capital yesterday. After this, he claimed that the Punjab police had barged into his home in large numbers and arrested him "as they do it with a terrorist". Earlier in April, Bagga had claimed that the Punjab police officials reached his home while he was in Lucknow to arrest him without informing the Delhi police. Bagga said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered an FIR based against him on the basis of a "trimmed" video from his remarks on a television show where he had sought an apology from Kejriwal for his speech on the exodus of Kashmiri pandits in the Delhi Assembly in March.Bagga also slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "illegally" detaining him and said that his detention is an attempt to give a message that whosoever speaks against the AAP supremo would be termed the "biggest terrorist" and not spared. Meanwhile, Mohali court in Punjab on Saturday issued an arrest warrant against Bagga and instructed police to arrest him and produce him before the court. (ANI)
In an effort to allot land in real quick time to industrialists who come forward to set up industries, the industries will acquire over 50,000 acres of land across the state, Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani said on Saturday. Stressing the importance of land acquisition ahead of the upcoming Global Investors' Meet (GIM) in Bengaluru, Nirani said it is imperative on the part of the government to acquire land for investors. "Silicon city Bengaluru will host the Global Investors Meet from November 2 to 4 this year. Our department will acquire 50,000 acres of land across the state. We will allot land to industrialists in real quick time and provide world-class facilities including water, power and roads," the minister said. Setting up more industries will help create more jobs for local people and solve the unemployment problem in the state," Nirani said. Emphasizing on taking industries beyond Bengaluru, the minister said industries will be promoted in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. "We will encourage industries in tier 2 and tier 3 cities under the central government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat's scheme. Besides our government will also implement the 'One District One Product' policy soon which will help identify and promote a product in each district," he said. The industrialists involved in these products can get up to Rs 10 lakh per unit as credit-linked capital subsidy for 35 per cent of project cost," Nirani suggested. Pointing out another government's initiative to encourage balanced industrialization across the state, Minister mentioned special sops for cluster-based industrial parks. "We have announced special concessions for each industrial cluster. The toy cluster in Koppal has already started functioning with all the support required for this cluster including social and housing facilities," Nirani added. The Minister said that the government has prepared the guideline briefing investment opportunities available for investors in the various sectors including automobile, pharmacy, medical equipment, engineering, machineries, knowledge-based industries, logistics, renewable energy, aerospace, defence and electric vehicles. Nirani highlighted the investor-friendly measures taken by the government to attract investments. "Implementation of Industrial Policy 2025, Land Reforms Amendment, quick approval of industrial proposals and other measures have created a business-friendly atmosphere and helped attract huge investments in the state. And the country's first semiconductor plant worth USD 3 billion with employment potential for 1500 people would be set up here," he said. The State government and ISMC signed an agreement last week. The State government had also cleared 10 industrial projects worth Rs 11,513 crore with the potential of creating 46,984 jobs during the 58th State High Level Clearance Committee meeting, the minister added.The minister said that the government is aiming to create more than 2 lakh jobs by attracting huge investments in Tumakuru's Machine Tool Park and Japanese Industrial Township. Karnataka attracted 42 per cent FDIs and remained the number one state in the country. The state attracted maximum FDIs in the country for two consecutive quarters in the 2021-2022 fiscal. Huge foreign investments are flowing into the state in aerospace, defence manufacturing, agrotech, fintech, biotech, nanotechnology, electronics, drone technology, hospitality, food processing, hardware and electronic system design and manufacturing sectors. The state is also at the forefront of research and development and innovations. The state policies, world-class facilities, skilled workforce, technology, investments and the ecosystem are transforming the state into a manufacturing hub, Nirani expressed. The minister said he is aware of the problems faced by the MSMEs and promised to address them. (ANI)
"In the face of ever-increasing misuse of SIM cards by terrorists, their OGW associates, narcotics smugglers and other criminals, SIA in 11 different FIR cases carried out searches of 19 premises spread all over Kashmir", tweeted J&K police.

"A majority of the premises belonged to Point of Sale (POS) vendors who sold these cards in violation of Department of Telecom regulations and in a manner that amounts to forgery and cheating", added police in another tweet.

The SIA has filed 11 different FIR cases related to the misuse of SIM cards by terrorists, their OGW (overground workers) associates, narcotics smugglers and other criminals informed Jammu and Kashmir police.

In three cases, preliminary evidence strongly indicated that SIM cards were procured to help terrorists in maintaining their communication with their handlers across the border and other modules inside Jammu and Kashmir, said police.

During the searches, incriminating material such as electronic gadgets including 37 sim cards, five laptops, three hard drives, one pen drive, one external hard disk, one Wi-Fi router and some documents have been seized, informed J&K police through Tweet.

Meanwhile, an unarmed policeman Ghulam Hassan who was shot at by terrorists at the Aiwa Bridge area of Ali Jan Road in Srinagar on Saturday morning succumbed to his injuries, the police said.

According to Jammu and Kashmir police, a policeman succumbed to his injuries at SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar's Soura. (ANI)
Punjab Police on Saturday sought non-bailable warrant against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga from a local court. Punjab police said an application for issuance of arrest warrant against accused Tejinderpal Singh Bagga has been filed. There is no stay regarding the arrest of accused Tejinderpal Singh Bagga in the present FIR nor any anticipatory bail application moved by the accused. He has further got recorded that one Habeas Corpus petition filed by State of Punjab is pending before the High Court for May 10, which is also connected with the present FIR. "In view of the contents of the application, which are also supported by notices under Section 41-A CrPC issued to the accused by Investigating Agency and in view of the fact that FIR at PS State Crime, Mohali has already been registered against the accused.Furthermore, as accused is residing out of State that is Delhi and has failed to appear before the Investigating Agency despite the issuance of notices," said Punjab police. "Additionally, investigating team also went to Delhi on May 6 to arrest the accused and the accused was arrested from his house and intimation qua his arrest was given to the father of the accused. Kuljinder Singh, DSP along with the police party went to policestation Janakpuri, New Delhi to give necessary intimation qua the arrest of the accused," said police. However, no DDR entry was made by the concerned police station. When police party was bringing accused, so as to be produced before the Court at Mohali, the police party was stopped by Kurukshetra Police and they took the police party to PS Thanesar Sadar. At about 2:30 pm, Parshant Gautam, IPS, Additional DCP-1, West New Delhi, came along with the police force and got released the accused forcibly and illegally. Dated May 6 PS Thanesar, Haryana it got recorded, police said. "Therefore, keeping in view the contents of the application and the fact that sufficient opportunities have already been granted to the accused to join the investigation and despite the accused has failed to join the investigation. It is necessary in the interest of justice, to issue non-bailable warrants against accused Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga for May 23,2022, who is evading arrest, in order to facilitate the investigation," said Punjab Police. Notably, Mohali court in Punjab on Saturday issued an arrest warrant against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and instructed police to arrest him and produce him before the court. Notably, Bagga reached his residence in Delhi on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday after he was detained by Punjab Police in the national capital yesterday. After this, he claimed that the Punjab police had barged into his home in large numbers and arrested him "as they do it with a terrorist". Earlier in April, Bagga had claimed that the Punjab police officials reached his home while he was in Lucknow to arrest him without informing the Delhi police. Bagga said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered an FIR based against him on the basis of a "trimmed" video from his remarks on a television show where he had sought an apology from Kejriwal for his speech on the exodus of Kashmiri pandits in the Delhi Assembly in March. Bagga also slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "illegally" detaining him and said that his detention is an attempt to give a message that whosoever speaks against the AAP supremo would be termed the "biggest terrorist" and not spared. Meanwhile, BJP workers protested outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence over the arrest of Bagga. (ANI)
After years of learning best agricultural practices from Israel, India is now taking help from the country to set up Centres of Excellences for Agriculture to advance in usage of micro and smart irrigation systems (drip irrigation) for paddy, sugarcane and cotton cultivation. As Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, will be leading a delegation to Israel from May 8-11, his very first visit will be to the facilities of Green 2000 - Agricultural Equipment and Know How Ltd. and NETAFIM Ltd., which are engaged in planning, setting up, consultation and on-going management of various projects in different spheres of agriculture and usage of drip irrigation in paddy, sugarcane and cotton cultivation. Tomar, who is visiting Israel on invitation by his Israeli counterpart, Oded Forer, for bilateral meetings to discuss agricultural issues between the two countries, will have a roundtable discussion with Agritech Startup companies at the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute, Tel-Aviv too. The delegation will visit Agricultural Research Organisation (ARO) - Volcani Institute under the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development, which have special expertise in agriculture under arid conditions, on marginal soils, irrigation through effluent and saline water and minimisation of produce losses by using latest pest control and post-harvest storage methods. Tomar will also be meeting Volcani's Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme participants from India, a statement from the ministry said. The minister will be presented with drone agriculture technology solutions with the combination of advanced mapping and photography at Ganei Khna'an near Kibbutz Naan. He will also visit a farm owned by an Indian origin peasant growing vegetables in the Negec desert area. On the last day, the two ministers will have a one-to-one interaction after which the delegation will visit the MASHAV's International Agricultural Training Centre, Shefayim, which has been operating since 1963 and specialises in capacity building and transfer of knowledge and professional support in the fields of agriculture, water management, environment and rural development. --IANS niv/sks ( 342 Words) 2022-05-07-19:30:01 (IANS)
Earlier on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai assured an impartial probe in connection with the alleged scam and all those involved will be booked and brought to justice.

Earlier on April 29, the Karnataka government decided to cancel the results of the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment exam following allegations of corruption.

The government had stated that a fresh exam will be re-conducted and the dates for which will be announced soon.

The Karnataka Home Minister had said that the Crime Investigation Team (CID) arrested the main accused, BJP leader Divya Hagaragi and four others in connection with the Sub-Inspector (PSI) recruitment exam scam. Divya, who was absconding in the case, was arrested from Pune on Thursday night.

The PSI scam case is related to the irregularities in the appointment of police sub-inspectors in the state.

MLA and former Minister Priyank Kharge had alleged that there was a huge scam in the PSI recruitment of more than 545 candidates and that the Home Minister, along with the government and officials, are clearly involved in this. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with the visiting Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Friday and discussed several issues including the participation of Italian companies in Make-in-India campaign and concern on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. "A warm and productive meeting with FM Luigi Di Maio of Italy. Noted our expanding cooperation in cyber security, S&T and space sectors. Agreed that the increasing interest of Italian companies in Make-in-India and transfer of technology will further advance our bilateral relationship," Jaishankar tweeted. Jaishankar held bilateral talks with visiting Di Maio where they reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations including the progress in implementation of the 2020-2024 Action Plan adopted at the Virtual Summit in November 2020. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), they welcomed the growing bilateral trade and investment linkages and agreed to expand them in new areas of common interest. The two ministers also discussed the implementation of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership on Energy Transition announced last year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Italy and agreed to explore partnerships in areas such as gas transportation, green hydrogen, biofuels and energy storage. In addition, they agreed to jointly organize an India Italy Tech Summit on Energy Transition and Circular Economy, to be held in Delhi on November 17, 2022. The two leaders noted the potential for closer industrial collaboration, including in the field of defence. They reiterated their commitment to closely work in countering common challenges related to terrorism, violent extremism and cybercrime. In the context of recent geopolitical developments, they also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interests including Ukraine, Afghanistan and Indo-Pacific and cooperation in the multilateral forum including the G-20. On the Ukraine issue, the two Ministers expressed their concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They also underlined the importance to safeguard the international order based on the UN Charter, with special regard to the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. During the visit, Di Maio also had a meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and co-chaired a business round-table which saw the participation of top business leaders, particularly in the energy, defence, sustainable mobility, and infrastructure sectors. During his visit, the Minister travelled to Bengaluru on Thursday where he met Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai and inaugurated the premises of the new Consulate General of the Italian Republic. Minister Di Maio also visited the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Indian Institute of Science along with their Italian counterparts, the Italian Space Agency and Elettra Sinctrotrone Trieste, with which scientific partnerships and joint projects are being developed. (ANI)
Havana [Cuba], May 7 (ANI/Sputnik): The death toll in the Saratoga hotel explosion in Havana on Friday increased to 9 and the number of injured people rose to 40, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Friday. Earlier in the day, a powerful explosion destroyed the Saratoga hotel located in front of the National Capitol building in Cuba's Havana. According to preliminary information, the explosion was caused by a gas leak. "Currently, we know about nine dead and 40 injured. We express our deepest condolences and sincere assistance to the families and friends of the victims," Diaz-Canel said on Twitter. The Cuban authorities said earlier in the day that eight people died and 30 were hospitalized as a result of the explosion. Cuban Communist Party's newspaper Granma reported that the exposition occurred in the hotel's kitchen and was caused by a gas leak. The blast destroyed the hotel's facade up to the fifth floor and damaged neighbouring buildings. Rescuers have to reinforce the building's backbones to prevent the hotel from collapsing and be able to move through rubble and look for those who survived. Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia Granda told journalists that the hotel was due to open on May 10, therefore it had not been checked in. (ANI/Sputnik)
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Friday slammed ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan over his recent comments on the "regime change conspiracy" that led to the toppling of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI's) government. "First he said the threat letter arrived on March 7, and now he is saying that he had known about the conspiracy since last year," Maryam commented while addressing a jalsa in Attock, Punjab, reported Geo News. Earlier today, Khan -- while speaking during a podcast -- had said that he had learned about the "conspiracy" against his government in July last year. Khan claimed that he was ousted because he refused military base facilities to the US as its forces evacuated from neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021. She also shed light on the alleged corruption charges against former first lady Bushra Bibi's friend Farah Khan and said that the PTI's "so-called independence march" is actually a "save Gogi" march. "Farah Gogi's corruption trails lead to Bani Gala. It's unfortunate that Imran Khan never publically tried saving his sister Aleema Khan when there were allegations hurled against her, but he came to Gogi's rescue while speaking on national TV," she said. She went on to say that it was "Gogi, Pinky, and Kaptaan," who looted the country's wealth, adding that Imran Khan minted billions of rupees through the foreign funding case. Pakistan authorities have confirmed that they wil be escorting Farah Gogi, a friend of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan's wife from Dubai for interrogation. The Pakistan authorities have decided to begin legal proceedings against Farah who has been charged with corruption during Imran Khan's government, reported the Express Tribune. According to the authorities, since Farah acted as the "front person" of Imran Khan, they want to retrieve facts from her. As per sources, the Pakistan authorities will check the banking records of ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan from the year 2013 to 2022 in lieu of foreign funding. They added that Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) were provided with a huge sum of money. The records will hence disclose how much money Imran Khan borrowed and from whom, reported the Express Tribune. They have also decided on penning a letter to the World Bank (WB) to find records of Imran Khan and PTI concerning "secret international bank accounts". (ANI)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that the invasion of Ukraine could be replicated in Taiwan by China if leading powers do not respond as one. Speaking through a translator at a meeting in London, Kishida said that the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised concerns that China might take advantage of the West's military commitments in Eastern Europe to launch a simultaneous move against Taipei, reported Trevor Filseth, writing in The National Interest. He said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might presage similar events in Taiwan unless Japan and its Indo-Pacific allies respond to a crisis on the self-governing island in a unified manner. Kishida argued that the "Group of Seven" (G7) nations--consisting of Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany--needed to establish a clear commitment to unity in Asian affairs. "Collaboration among countries sharing universal values becomes ever more vital," said Kishida. "We must collaborate with our allies and like-minded countries, and never tolerate a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by the use of force in the Indo-Pacific, especially in East Asia," he added. "Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is critical not only for Japan's security but also for the stability of international society," he continued. "Japan maintains its position to expect a peaceful resolution through dialogue to issues surrounding Taiwan ... and the situation will be watched carefully from that perspective," said the Japanese PM. Taiwan has been claimed by the government of mainland China since 1949, although the government in Beijing, led by the Chinese Communist Party, has never exercised control over Taiwan. In recent years, Chinese leaders have repeatedly insisted that Beijing would gain control over the island in the coming decade, although President Xi Jinping has argued in the past that peaceful reunification, rather than conquest, is the course of action "most in line with the overall interest of the Chinese nation." The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine--which began on February 24, four days after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics--has raised concerns in Western capitals that China might take advantage of the West's military commitments in Eastern Europe to launch a simultaneous move against Taipei, wrote Filseth. Consequently, the Taiwanese government has raised its alert level, although there have been no signs of Chinese activity that would indicate an imminent invasion. (ANI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin's alleged girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, is included in the sixth proposed package of European Union sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. According to two European diplomatic sources, Kabaeva, who has been romantically linked to Putin was included in proposed EU sanctions list, reported CNN. At this stage, names can be taken off or added at member states' discretion and is expected to be a point of negotiation when any new sanctions package is proposed, an EU Commission source told CNN. The EU has not officially signed off on the draft proposal. "Discussions are going on. It's not a piece of cake, but we have to wait and see," one of the diplomatic sources told CNN on Friday morning. Kabaeva, who was born in 1983, was first linked to Putin more than a decade ago, while she was a medal-winning gymnast. Putin, who is divorced, has denied a relationship with her. Kabaeva and Putin reportedly met when she was a young gymnast who won multiple medals domestically at European competitions and at the Olympic Games. She was awarded the gold medal for rhythmic gymnastics at the Athens Games in 2004. Widely known in her home country, she was chosen as one of the torch bearers when Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014, an event that took place shortly before Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, reported CNN. In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that US officials had been debating whether or not to place sanctions on Kabaeva, with concerns that such a move might increase tensions further because it could be an extreme personal blow to Putin. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, is also among the individuals who are included in the proposed sixth round of EU sanctions, according to two sources who have seen the full documents, reported CNN. The proposed sanctions are out of touch with "common sense," Russian Orthodox Church spokesperson Vladimir Legoida said Wednesday, according to Russian state news agency TASS. "The more indiscriminate (these) sanctions become, the more they lose touch with common sense and the harder it becomes to reach peace, which is what the Russian Orthodox Church prays for at every service with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch," Legoida said in a Telegram post. "Only those completely ignorant of the history of our Church can seek to intimidate its clergy and believers by compiling some lists," Legoida said. The EU has been ratcheting up its economic action against Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. Most recently, the bloc has proposed a ban on Russian oil imports, something that would have a major impact on Russia's economy, though Hungary, an EU member state with close links to Putin, is likely to scupper any such plans. (ANI)
Posting on Monday (May 2) the collective hacked the website of the Chengdu Pidu District Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, reported Taiwan News.

In a new HTML page created on the website, Anonymous included its logo, followed by a photo of a person wearing a black hoodie and Guy Fawkes mask.

The "Taiwan Numbah Wan!" meme appears, which is a reference to a famous quote by video game streamer "AngryPug" in 2015 to antagonize Chinese streamer "Em0" during a match in the computer game "H1Z1." Below the slogan is Taiwan's flag followed by its national emblem, reported Taiwan News.

The hacker group then stated that it is taking a "short break" from its cyberwar on Russia to "remind China to not try anything stupid against Taiwan."

It pointed out that since the Russian invasion began, it has launched numerous attacks on Russian government and state-run media websites, industrial control systems, and hundreds of surveillance cameras.

Alluding to Anonymous member "Cyber Anakin's" five-day hack into Chinese computer systems, including nuclear power plant interfaces, it mentioned a "souvenir" he had left for China.

The defaced page included the flags of Tibet, Taiwan, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, and the Black Bauhinia flag, as well as a memorial for Li Wenliang and notable people who died from COVID, reported Taiwan News.

The CCP website that was the subject of the defacement quickly went offline and as of publication, the site is still inoperable. An archived version of the defacement can be found on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. (ANI)
A former Dutch diplomat Gerrit van der Wees said that the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) leader Mao Zedong had refuted claims over Taiwan. Pointing out the glaring historical inconsistencies of China's position on Taiwan's status over time, Wees said that Mao Zedong, in 1937, reportedly told American journalist Edgar Snow, that "...we will extend them (the Koreans) our enthusiastic help in their struggle for independence. The same thing applies for Taiwan," reported Taiwan News. The CCP of the 1920s actually held the opposite view on Taiwan, recognizing the people of Taiwan as a distinct "nation" or "nationality." The communist leaders described the anti-colonial resistance by the Taiwanese against imperial Japan as a "national liberation movement" separate from the Chinese revolution, per Van der Wees. China has been inconsistent on Taiwan's status and its claims are in fact a relatively new stance. Writing in The Diplomat, Gerrit van der Wees quoted Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who reportedly told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last month that "Taiwan is a part of China and no one can change that," reported Taiwan News. Van der Wees said the CCP position that Taiwan is "an inalienable part of China" is problematic for two reasons. The first is that it lacks a historical basis, and second, it is inconsistent since it is quite a recent position for the CCP to hold. Van der Wees also said that Mao Zedong's recognizing the people of Taiwan as a distinct "nation" or "nationality" was repeated in later years by Zhou Enlai, who would eventually become China's foreign minister, reported Taiwan News. Van der Wees concluded by recommending the CCP be reminded by the international community that it once advocated for Taiwan to be an independent state, distinct from China. Wees argued that this will encourage the CCP to find "peaceful solutions" to relations with Taiwan, rather than the current stance, which, he posits, will "only lead to conflict," reported Taiwan News. (ANI)
"Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel thanked friendly countries for the solidarity shown in the face of the Saratoga Hotel accident. According to preliminary figures announced at the meeting, 18 people were killed, including a pregnant woman and child," the administration said after the meeting.

The Cuban authorities said earlier in the day that nine people died and 40 injured as a result of the explosion. (ANI/Sputnik)
Marking the 75th anniversary of the US-Pakistan relations, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his talks with the Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, expressed the desire to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. This comes at a significant juncture as former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan had levelled charges against the US for conspiring to oust him from power. The US State Department, however, had refuted all the allegations, saying that there is no truth to them. The US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price in a statement after Blinken's call with Bhutto-Zardari said, "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and reiterated the desire to strengthen our broad-based bilateral relationship." "The Secretary underscored the resolute U.S.-Pakistan commitment to Afghan stability and combatting terrorism. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also highlighted ongoing engagement on trade and investment, climate, energy, health, and education," the statement added. "Received a call from Secretary Blinken. Grateful for warm felicitations on my assumption of office," Bhutto-Zardari said in a tweet he posted after the call. "Exchanged views on strengthening mutually beneficial, broad-based relationship, promotion of peace, development & security and agreed engagement with mutual respect is the way forward between the US and Pakistan," he added in another tweet. The phone call to Bhutto-Zardari was the first contact between the foreign ministers of the two countries in quite a while. On September 24, 2021, then-FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi met Secretary Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. (ANI)
By Trend

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is keen to provide long-term financing to support private sector investments in Azerbaijan, Ivana Fernandes Duarte, IFCs Regional Manager for the South Caucasus said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

She pointed out that IFC is well-positioned to work with the government in terms of structuring pilot public-private partnership projects.

"Also, we are optimistic that our advisory support in the offshore wind space will help bolster the countrys renewable energy sector and will support further application of best international practices in the process of the selection and award of renewable energy projects in general. Finally, IFC is keen to provide long-term financing to support private sector investments in Azerbaijan, and in particular in renewable energy sector, where significant expansion is expected in the future," added Duarte.
The All Pakistan Private School Federation (APPSF) has urged the Pakistan government to impose a strict ban on the sale of toy guns, which it alleged was causing pyschological problems in children. Kashif Mirza, President of the All Pakistan Private School Federation (APPSF) on Friday demanded the Pakistan government to ban artificial weapons in the country, reported ARY News. Further, he even insisted the government to take stringent actions against their sale. According to Mirza, the sale and use of toy guns are leading to criminal activities amongst Pakistani children. He warned that children who used to play with toy firearms are now suffering from many psychological repercussions. The President of APPSF also attributed the increase in violence to the rising tendency of Pakistani youngsters playing with toy weapons, reported Ary News. Kashif Mirza asked the higher authorities to impose a ban on toy firearms as soon and even encouraged the legislation to prohibit them as soon as possible. Earlier, in the year 2017, the former Karachi commissioner also penned a letter to the Sindh home department, requesting it to prohibit the sale of toy guns. According to the former Karachi commissioner, these artificial weapons were being used by street criminals and negatively impacting children's minds. Post the ban, the Karachi police had conducted a series of crackdowns on the selling of toy guns in the city, seizing thousands of toy firearms and arresting a number of shoppers and traders for selling the artificial weapons, reported Ary News. The Sindh Assembly, in the year 2015 had also passed a resolution banning the manufacturing and sale of artificial weapons. (ANI)
Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan will pay his first official visit to Qatar from May 8-10 during which he will hold discussions with Qatari dignitaries and meet a wide cross-section of the Indian community. "During the visit, MoS will hold discussions with his counterpart Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim, Speaker of the Shura Council, and other Qatari dignitaries" the external affairs ministry (MEA) said in a statement. MoS will also meet a wide cross-section of the Indian community in Qatar, including those working in areas of community welfare, business, health, culture, education, engineering, accountancy, and Indian veterans. He will be participating in Labour Day celebrations with the blue-collar workers from India. The Indian community will host a reception and a cultural event to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav during the visit of MOS. The visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs would add to the momentum of the multifaceted bilateral cooperation. Both countries share excellent bilateral relations ranging across - political, economic, defence, cultural and educational fields, which have further strengthened in the past few years. The leadership of both countries has maintained close contact during the Covid-19 pandemic, as per MEA. Qatar is home to over 700,000 Indians. The bilateral trade crossed USD 15 billion in FY 2021-22 and Qatar's investments in India have increased five folds over the past two years. Both countries will be celebrating the golden jubilee of the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 2023. (ANI)
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is again dragged into a hilarious meme fest with a video going viral on social media where he is seen as comparing himself to a donkey. Pakistani Journalist Hasan Zaidi shared a video clip of Imran Khan's interview. During the interview, Imran Khan said that he couldn't become a Britisher as a donkey will remain a donkey. "I never considered it (UK) my home, because I was a Pakistani. Come what may I will not be able to become a Britisher. If you draw lines on a donkey, it does not become a zebra. Donkey will remain a donkey," Imran is seen as saying in the video shared by the Pakistani Journalist. The video is going viral and Twitterati is not leaving any stone unturned in taking a jibe at the former PM over his comments. Jumping into the meme fest, one Twitter user termed his comments as "self-realisation at 69." Another Twitter user called this Imran Khan's inferiority complex. The user said that Imran Khan is mocking the English language and he came back to Pakistan from the UK because being nervous around foreign delegates he could not fit into the society. "This also proves Imran Khan's inferiority complexes as a bully mocking people on the English language...being nervous around foreign delegates. He came to Pak because he couldn't fit in there or only to probably prove some bully in UK his worth," said the tweet. Another user while responding to the above tweet wrote, "Imran Khan came to Pakistan because he couldn't fit in UK society and Nawaz Sharif is not coming back because he couldn't fit in Pakistani society?" One of the users called his comments an insult to overseas Pakistanis. The tweet read, "imran calling himself and all the overseas Pakistanis as donkeys?" This is not the only time when Imran Khan is surrounded by trolls over his statements. After Imran Khan hosted a live Twitter Space which was attended by an average of 165,000 users, listening at a given time, the highest number ever, the social media was stormed by a barrage of hilarious memes over the live stream. Over 446,000 people tuned from around the world to interact with Imran Khan on Twitter Space with an average of 165,000 users listening at a given time, according to The Express Tribune. According to another Pakistan media outlet, a Twitter user referred to Imran Khan's Twitter Space and took a dig at the then Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry who had announced in 2019 that Pakistan will send its "first person to space" in 2022. "Fawad Chaudhry meant it when he said they would send someone to space in 2022. We just didn't know it was Imran Khan." Fawad had said in 2019 that 50 people will be shortlisted, the list will then come down to 25 and "in 2022, we will send our first person to space". Some memes called out Imran Khan's record-breaking 160k listeners as mostly "bots". (ANI)
Washington [US], May 7 (ANI/Sputnik): American billionaire Elon Musk, the founder of electric car-making company Tesla and spacecraft manufacturing company SpaceX, intends to quintuple Twitter's annual revenue to USD 26.4 billion by 2028, media reported on Saturday. The New York Times cited Musk's pitch deck presented to investors as saying that he would quintuple Twitter's revenue to USD 26.4 billion by 2028, up from USD 5 billion in 2021. Musk also intends to cut Twitter's reliance on advertising to 45 pc of total revenue, saying that in 2028 advertising would generate USD 12 billion in revenue and subscriptions some USD 10 billion. Other revenue would be generated from different businesses, such as data licensing, tipping, and shopping, according to the document. The billionaire also expects to increase average revenue per user to USD 30.22 in 2028, reaching 931 million users, have 104 million subscribers for a new unannounced product, which Musk called product X, and hire additional 3,600 employees. Musk reached an agreement with Twitter on the acquisition of the social network for USD 54.20 per share in a transaction valued at approximately USD 44 billion in late April. Musk later said that he would like to revolutionize Twitter's role in public debate as "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." The billionaire said earlier that he was ready to spend USD 21 billion of his own funds to seal the deal, and that Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Bank of America, Barclays, and other institution will provide USD 25.5 billion in debt financing, with some USD 12.5 billion to of the loan to be secured with Tesla shares. (ANI/Sputnik)
Pakistani Army's attempt to paint itself in glory and put all the failures on former Prime Minister Imran Khan has failed immensely as General Qamar Javed Bajwa was leading on the economic front and had senior positions in various ministries and departments filled up with serving and retired Army officers. After losing the no-confidence motion, Imran Khan has not gone into hiding and has won new-found support among the urban middle class for taking on the mighty US and Army. From running a "puppet" regime under Pakistani Generals, Imran Khan has emerged as a strong leader among the urban youth while Army is scurrying to mop operations against Imran Khan to salvage its prestige and influence, as per Islam Khabar. Willing to take the fight head-on, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, though reckless, has emerged as a leader among the youth, on the other hand, the Army has lost the public faith and has gone into deep retreat trying to do damage control. The Army planned to carefully oust the old political leadership and replace them with new, more malleable, leaders. However, the situation remains difficult for the Army as the new leaders now also faced mountainous corruption and ineptitude charges. So abandoning Imran Khan sabotaged this carefully crafted Army plan. Even the former senior officers of the Army have come out in support of Imran Khan. On April 8, a day after the Supreme Court's verdict, Lieutenant-general (Retd) Tariq Khan declined to head a commission formed by the federal cabinet to investigate an alleged "foreign conspiracy" charge against Imran Khan. Tariq Khan has since written articles supporting Imran Khan and blaming the army. So has Lt. General Asad Durrani. Imran Khan does enjoy support among the ranks and middle-rung officers if only for the simple reason that he was not as corrupt as the other ones in the queue, as per the media outlet. The former PM has supporters among the top leadership. This is why the Army is not sure whether it was a good idea to make its 'own boy into an enemy'. There is a strong feeling that Imran Khan should have been handled with more subtlety. The army's hurried public declaration that there would be no more extension for General Bajwa is a pointer to this dilemma. The new Chief and his men may or may not play a different game of roulette while the country spirals into economic ruin. Imran Khan seems to have won this round over Army. (ANI)
According to sources, the cause of the incident was the dilapidated condition of the tracks. Following the incident on Friday, the routine operation was suspended. In order to resume the operations, the repair and rehabilitation work is underway. As of now, no loss of life was reported in the accident.

Operations of a freight train between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey were expected to resume in early 2021. However, the service still hangs in balance owing to numerous unresolved issues, reported ARY News.

Once the rail service is up and running, it will connect Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI), minimizing the time period of cargo travel to these countries.

Notably, the total length of the ITI project is 6500 km which covers 2600 km distance in Iran, 1950 km in Turkey, and 1990 km in Pakistan. (ANI)
Amidst persistent lawlessness in the South Waziristan tribal district, a group of leaders or jirga of the Mehsud tribe, on Friday made an appeal to the Pakistan security forces and the banned the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to cease hostilities in the region for one month, calling for a dialogue in the district. Some of the elders of the three main branches of the Mehsud tribe convened in the deputy commissioner's camp headquarters in the Tank district of South Waziristan and after in-depth discussions, a jirga committee comprising 35 members was formed, Dawn newspaper reported. The committee was authorized to conduct peace negotiations with the Pakistan government and the TTP militants in a bid to prevent impending military operations in the Shawal and Lawara areas of South Waziristan, largely inhabited by the Mehsud tribe. Further, sources revealed that Pakistan security forces had ordered the tribal residents of Shawal and Lawara to evacuate the region and vacate their homes after Eid-ul-Fitr, reported the Dawn newspaper. The command was in lieu to begin an offensive by the security personnel against terrorists hiding in secret in these regions, the dauly reported. However, the 35-member jirga refused to vacate their homes. They pleaded with both the Pakistan security forces and the TTP to refrain from hostility at least for a month. Moreover, the jirga will also meet the Pakistan Prime Minister, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, and the TTP, accompanied by the corps commander Peshawar to reach a peaceful solution to the situation. Meanwhile, the security personnel stated that upon the request of the Mehsud tribe elders, the offensive against TTP elements was put on hold for now, reported the Dawn newspaper. (ANI)
Pakistani and Afghani communities residing in Athens have urged for the building of a Muslim cemetery in Athens, amidst cases of violence and abuse against Christians residing in Pakistan. The demand was made at a press conference that was attended by MPs from SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, accompanied by members of the Movement United Against Racism & the Fascist Threat (KEERFA), reported the Greek City Times. The request had been highlighted by a refugee Fagiri family who lost their 5-year-old child in a road accident in Malakasa, north of Athens, in January 2021. He was buried in the cemetery in the town of Schistos, southwest of Athens. The parents of the deceased child had demanded justice over their child's death, insisting on reburying their child at the Muslim cemetery in Thrace. They further asked for the creation of a Muslim cemetery in Attica as well, reported the Greek City Times. Further, the lawyer of the Fagiri family, Nikos Papadatos, who also attended the press conference noted that the Church of Greece was in full support to establish a Muslim cemetery, "but the request is mired down in bureaucracy". He urged a political decision that would make the essential procedures easier to understand. Meanwhile, 14 armed men had attacked a Christian school in Pakistan's Sheikhupura city in the Punjab province. The insurgents demanded extortion money from the school's principal and also made death threats to the school authorities if they failed to pay them, reported the Greek City Times. "Many of our religious and political leaders, while visiting other countries, say that minorities and Christians are safe in Pakistan. After what happened to us today, I will never say that. Our security guard can't even walk now. Our community is threatened to keep silent," stated the school principal. The Christian community comprising 1.6 per cent of Pakistan's population suffers both from religious insensitivity and racism, reported the Greek City Times. They continue to suffer under targeted violence accompanied by other abuses which include land seizures in rural areas, abductions, and coerced conversions. (ANI)
Ahead of ex-PM Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) mega rally in Islamabad, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday warned that the government won't allow an anarchy-like situation to persist in the country. This comes in the wake of the Mianwali rally, where PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that the public rally of millions of nationals could not be stopped by anyone, including the 'murderer of 18 people' Rana Sanaullah or PM Shehbaz Sharif. The Interior Minister slammed the ex-PM for inciting and misleading the public against the ruling government. Addressing the media outside the Lahore sessions court, Sanaullah said, "They will have to give [the government] assurances that the march will be peaceful, political, and democratic." His remarks came as he attended a hearing of a drug case filed against him by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), reported Dawn. "Even yesterday, he told his supporters not to spare anyone. I am warning you for the last time, not as a minister, but as the president of PML-N Punjab. If you don't let go of these tactics and keep encouraging your supporters to disrespect members of other parties, you will face the same fate too. You won't be able to escape from it," he said. This was in response to Imran Khan's remarks in the address he made at the party's Mianwali rally where he told his workers that neither containers placed on the route could stop them from their march to Islamabad nor the interior minister's threats. During the rally, Imran Khan accused Minister Sanaullah of committing 18 murders. In a war of words, the Interior Minister said that the PML-N too would instruct its workers to "catch and beat them up". "This is your misconception that you will be able to create anarchy or chaos in the country. Nothing will happen," Sanaullah told Imran adding, "They [the supporters] will become human beings after a few thrashings." "You told people that this march will be bloody. I am warning you to take your words back or I won't let you step out of your house," he added, as per the media outlet. Talking about the incident in Masjid-i-Nabwi, Saudi Arabia, the Minister rebuked PTI saying, "We know they were your people. They have been identified. Take action against them." Reacting to this, PTI leader Farrukh Habib, in a tweet wrote, "This is a fascist government which is threatening to destroy the peace and order of the country. It wants civil war in the streets." (ANI)
After the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared an island-wide state of emergency, the envoys of the European Union, the United States, and several other western countries have expressed their concern over the move by the government. These comments from representatives came after President Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency with effect from midnight on Friday as anti-government protests continue. Delegation of the European Union in Sri Lanka, in a tweet, noted that imposing a state of emergency will not help solve the problems of the country. "A month of peaceful demonstrations has shown how Sri Lankan citizens fully enjoy their right to freedom of expression in the oldest democracy in South Asia. State of emergency will certainly not help solve the country's difficulties and could have a counterproductive effect," the EU in Sri Lanka said, reported Colombo Page. Showing worry over the second emergency in the country by the government, the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said, "Concerned by another State of Emergency. The voices of peaceful citizens need to be heard. And the very real challenges Sri Lankans are facing require long-term solutions to set the country back on a path toward prosperity and opportunity for all. The SOE won't help do that." Meanwhile, the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dominik Furgler also told that this proclamation will not help in any way. "For weeks the Sri Lankans have been peacefully demonstrating because they are desperate and suffering. To avoid an escalation the causes have to be seriously and credibly addressed now. It's hard to see how a state of emergency could help in any way," he said in a tweet. The Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka David McKinnon asked the Sri Lankan government why was the announcement of emergency necessary when people were holding peaceful protests. "Over the past weeks, the demonstrations across Sri Lanka have overwhelmingly involved citizens enjoying their right to peaceful freedom of expression, and are a credit to the country's democracy. It's hard to understand why it is necessary, then, to declare a state of emergency," the Canadian envoy said, as per the media outlet. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka also urged the government to immediately explain the reasons why a state of emergency was imposed in the country. The Commission also launched an investigation into the brutal attack on civilians by police during a protest at the Parliament Roundabout last night. It instructed the Inspector General of Police to appear before the Commission on Monday. (ANI)
The Azerbaijani Army military units and special forces have conducted special tactical drills, the Defence Ministry reported.

The drills were held in line with the approved annual training plan, the report added.

On hard-to-reach mountainous and rocky areas, special forces carry out reconnaissance activities, mountain training exercises, and various movements.

The main attention is paid to further improving the combat capability of military units and special forces.

Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve its military personnels combat readiness.

The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported that the servicemen will participate in over 30 international drills and competitions in the 2022 academic year.

The servicemen will join the Eternity-2022, EFES-2022, Indestructible Brotherhood- 2022, Winter Training 2022, International Army Games - 2022, and other international training and competitions, which will have a positive effect on the improvement of their professional skills, the ministry said.

Moreover, the servicemen are expected to participate in various international seminars and conferences in 2022 as well.




In the latest curb on women's rights, the Taliban on Saturday issued a decree ordering the Afghan women to wear the all-covering burqa in public. The decree was issued by Taliban Chief Haibatullah Akhundzada and was later released by Taliban authorities at a function in Kabul, reported Dawn. "They should wear a 'chadori (head-to-toe burqa)' as it is traditional and respectful," he said. Though the decree is new, the Taliban have been forcing women to cover themselves up since returning to power in August. Earlier, the Taliban's religious police put up posters around the capital Kabul ordering Afghan women to cover up. Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice pasted the poster on cafes and shops. The posters had an image of the face-covering burqa. Along with the picture, a message on the poster read, "According to Sharia law, Muslim women must wear the hijab." Taliban during its regime in the 1990s made it mandatory for women to wear a burqa. Women in Kabul already cover their hair with headscarves, though some wear modest western clothing. However, outside Kabul burqa remained common, as per the media outlet. Now, the Taliban with this new decree is enforcing every woman in Afghanistan to wear the all-covering burqa. Last year in December, the Taliban issued another repressive directive that Afghan women seeking to travel long distances by road should be offered transport only if accompanied by a male relative. Moreover, the worldwide condemnation of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan had heightened after the Taliban decided to close all secondary schools for girls. Several activists and political parties have urged the Taliban to reconsider the ban on secondary schools for girls. Psychologists have said that the Afghan girl students above grade six, banned from going to schools by the Taliban, are undergoing mental stress due to this move. According to HRW, women and girls are blocked from accessing health care as well. Reports suggest that women and girls facing violence have no escape route. (ANI)
Moscow [Russia], May 7 (ANI/Sputnik): Sweden should refrain from joining NATO, even if Finland decides to become a member of the alliance, Swedish Green Party spokeswoman Marta Stenevi said on Saturday. The Green Party, which occupies 16 seats in the 349-member Swedish parliament "has followed closely Finland's debate" on NATO membership, yet Helsinki's decision will not force the party to abandon its position on the alliance, Stenevi added told the Swedish Radio. "We are considering this [Finland's position] in our analysis, but from my perspective, it will not affect our negative stance on NATO," Stenevi, adding that the Green Party stands against Sweden joining the alliance. On Wednesday, Secretary-General of the ruling Swedish Social Democratic Party Tobias Baudin said that the party might decide as early as May 15 on whether to join NATO or not. Yet, according to reports, the party lacks unanimity on this issue as some prominent members, including Swedish Minister for Climate and the Environment Annika Strandhall, oppose the country's membership in the military alliance. The Ukrainian crisis has spurred an extensive debate in both Finland and Sweden on abandoning decades of neutrality and joining NATO amid a shifting security situation in Europe. In the past two months, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finland's Sanna Marin initiated high-level discussions, both at home and abroad, about terms and consequences of applying for NATO membership. Their formal decision is expected by the alliance's June summit in Madrid. (ANI/Sputnik)
As the ongoing protests in Sri Lanka against the Rajapaksa government continue, MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, who was re-elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament, decided to resign from his post. MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya had informed Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President of Sri Lanka, that he has decided to resign from his post of the Deputy Speaker, as soon as possible, reported the Colombo Page. Siyambalapitiya took this decision within 24 hours of being re-elected as the Deputy Speaker, winning a majority of votes in the Parliament on Thursday. Reportedly, Siyambalapitiya's resignation letter will be handed over to Sri Lanka's President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He had stated his reasons for resignation in the letter to the President as well. Earlier, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya had resigned from the post of Deputy Speaker of Sri Lanka on April 5, giving the opportunity to the Parliament for the election of a new Deputy Speaker, reported the Colombo Page. He took this decision after several political parties, including the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which he represented, became independent and joined the opposition in Parliament. However, upon Gotabaya Rajapaksa's appeal, he remained in the post of Deputy Speaker until April 30th. Nimal Siripala de Silva, a member of the Parliament proposed the re-appointment of Ranjith Siyambalapitiya as the Deputy Speaker again. His proposal was also backed by Susil Premajayantha accompanied by a group of MPs who had already declared themselves as independent Members of Parliament. MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara nominated MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, who represented the Opposition, reported the Colombo Page. A secret ballot was arranged in the Parliament wherein Ranjith Siyambalapitiya received a total of 148 votes while his opposition Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, received 65 votes, resulting in the win of Siyambalapitiya. However, with Siyambalapitiya's resignation as the Deputy Speaker, Sri Lanka had plunged deeper into the imminent economic crisis. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is grappling with acute food and electricity shortages. The recession in the economy is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is unable to buy sufficient fuel and gas, while the people are being deprived of basic amenities as well. The current economic situation in the Island country has led to nationwide protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (ANI)
Ankara [Turkey], May 7 (ANI/Sputnik): The number of militants affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) killed by the Turkish military during the ongoing operation in northern Iraq has risen to 73, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday. The PKK is designated terrorist by Ankara. "The number of neutralized terrorists has risen to 73, the operation is successfully progressing," Akar told reporters. Ankara started the new military operation against the PKK in northern Iraq on April 17. Iraq has slammed the Turkish operation in its territory, saying it poses a threat to national security. The military conflict between Turkey and the PKK began in 1984 and entered an active phase in 2015. PKK military bases located in the northern part of Iraq have been occasionally targeted by the Turkish armed forces. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that since July 2015, 6,000 PKK members have been killed in Turkey and 6,900 outside the country. Turkey has lost more than 1,200 military personnel in clashes with the PKK. (ANI/Sputnik)
Accusing the US of expanding the NATO into the Indo-Pacific and "flexing its muscle on China's doorstep", Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on Friday said that the Americans over the years have been inflaming the Taiwan question to test the country's "red line". The Chinese minister made the remarks while delivering a speech at an online dialogue of global think tanks of 20 countries, Xinhua reported. Le claimed that for quite some time, the US has kept flexing its muscle on China's doorstep, creating exclusive groups against China and inflaming the Taiwan question to test China's red line, the report said. "If this is not an Asia-Pacific version of NATO's eastward expansion, then what is? Such a strategy, if left unchecked, would bring horrible consequences and push the Asia-Pacific over the edge of an abyss," Le said. The Chinese minister further claimed that China is committed to peaceful development and seeks harmony, solidarity, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, adding that, China has never been a provocateur or troublemaker. "It makes no sense to take aim at China. The attempt to "copy and paste" the Ukraine crisis in the Asia-Pacific is doomed to fail," Le said according to Xinhua. Talking about the ongoing war in Ukraine, and China's position on the conflict, Le said that some people have twisted the words of the recent China-Russia joint statement and misinterpreted "friendship has no limits and cooperation has no forbidden areas" to mean that China had "prior knowledge" of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and even "endorsed" it. "This is absurd," Le said, adding that China is not involved in the conflict, still less the one who created it. So how could China be responsible? "The truth is, China desires friendly relations with all countries and we never set any limit on cooperation, nor do we see a need to do so," he further said. China has been under pressure from the Western countries, especially from the US, over its tactic support to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, continuing trade deals, and refusing to condemn the Russian actions. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg a few days ago called on Beijing to "clearly condemn" Russia's war in Ukraine. "China should join the rest of the world in condemning, strongly, the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. China has an obligation as a member of the UN Security Council to actually support and uphold international law, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law," Stoltenberg reportedly said. (ANI)
As the Ramzan relief package of the Pakistan government came to an end, the prices of different food products have surged across utility stores in the country. Utility Stores Corporation (USC) on Saturday released a new rate list of various food products, including pulses, cooking oil and gram flour. According to the list, the discount of Pakistani Rs 10 per kg being offered on dal mash and dal moong has been reverted while the price of gram flour has risen by Pakistani Rs 20 per kg, the Dawn reported. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the previous Imran Khan-led government had approved a Ramazan relief package worth Pak Rs 8.3 billion in March, under which a subsidy was provided on 19 essential kitchen items including wheat flour, gram flour, rice, cooking oil, pulses, white gram, sugar, ghee, dates, tetra pack milk, tea and spices. The Dawn further reported that a 20 kg bag of wheat flour was available for Rs 800, sugar for Rs 70 kg and ghee for Rs 170 per kg under the relief package. Subsidy on black tea was Rs 50 per kg, on oil Rs 20 per litre, on pulses from Rs 15 to Rs 30 per kg, on white gram Rs 25 per kg, on dates Rs 20 and on rice Rs 10-12 per kg. In April, the Shehbaz Sharif government slashed the price of 10 kg flour bag from Rs 550 to Rs 400 in Punjab till Eid and per kilogram price of sugar from Rs 75 to Rs 70, Daily Pakistan reported. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the decision on the reduction in prices of sugar and flour was taken in the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The premier directed price reduction of basic commodities, Marriyum said, adding that the subsidized flour will be available everywhere in Punjab. Earlier, PM Sharif announced a massive relief package for public and private employees soon after taking charge. (ANI)
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Punjab government to enhance wheat procurement and asked food security officials to import the commodity if necessary, Pak media reported. He gave these instructions while chairing a high level meeting in Islamabad on Friday regarding the wheat production, existing reserves and its consumption at the provincial and the national level, The Nation reported. In the meeting, PM Sharif also issued directions for curbing smuggling of wheat. He also asked to make a comprehensive strategy to check the commodity theft and corruption in wheat case. PM Sharif directed to present a strategy for the construction of silos to store the wheat. He further said that the construction of silos will help the country to eliminate the corruption and theft of wheat in the country, reported The Nation. The political crossfire continued as Sharif blamed this on the previous Imran Khan-led government. He said it was unfortunate that even though Pakistan was an agricultural country, it was importing wheat due to "wrong decisions and delayed strategies". Even delaying the announcement of the wheat support price had also led to the reduction in cultivation of the crop in an attempt to directly benefit hoarders. PM Sharif expressed the resolve to make Pakistan self-sufficient in wheat production through better strategy. The meeting was told that the wheat production is projected to be 26.173 million tonnes against a target of 28.89m tonnes while the estimated consumption would be around 30.79m tonnes, as reported by The Nation. Regarding wheat procurement target at the government level, the meeting was was told that Punjab had achieved 91.66 per cent of the procurement target, Sindh 49.68 per cent, Balochistan 15.29 per cent while the Pakistan Agriculture Supplies and Storage Corporation (Passco) had achieved 100 per cent of the target. The Prime Minister was also briefed about public relief measures by the sitting government, which include provision of subsidized wheat to flour mills, availability of 10 kilogrammes of wheat flour bag at 400 rupees, supply of flour through Utility Stores in Balochistan and two metric tons of wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Prime Minister directed to identify wheat consumption of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in consultation with the provincial government to ensure supply of the required amount of the commodity, according to The Nation. (ANI)
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed its concern over reports of violence during protests involving children in Sri Lanka, amid the ongoing economic and political crisis in the country. "UNICEF is concerned with reports of violence during protests involving children. All actors must guarantee the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, including for children," UNICEF said in a statement according to Colombo Page. The UN organ went on to emphasize that "according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, children and adolescents have the right to participate and express their opinions on issues that affect them." "The State, local communities, and families have a shared responsibility to protect children and safeguard their rights," the statement read. Saying that all kinds of violence must stop, UNICEF called on "law enforcement agencies to avoid the use of force and ensure that fundamental guarantees for the protection of children remain applicable everywhere, at all times". "Every adult must act with a sense of responsibility and avoid exposing children to all forms of violence, including during protests," the statement said. On Thursday, Sri Lanka Police fired tear gas on the protesters on Thursday in order to disperse the protest staged by University students under the theme "Let's oust the government! Let's reverse the system!" outside the parliament. Taking to the streets to protest against the government led by the Rajapaksha family, the student protestors demanded that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa should end their rule of the country. Meanwhile, the massive people's struggle "Go Home Gota" calling President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down at the Galle Face entered the 29th day today. Last month, in a statement on Children taking part in mass protests against the government in Sri Lanka, UNICEF had highlighted the Children's rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, including in peaceful protest enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Sri Lanka has signed and ratified. "They should be given the opportunity to meaningfully voice their own concerns and participate in matters that affect their futures, and they need to be listened to," UNICEF 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)
The incident took place following a heavy rain in Chaparhar district on Friday night after which four persons were found dead including women and three children and four more children were injured, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In the war-torn country, the residential houses in the countryside area were typically muddy and often damaged during the torrential rains.

Over the past week, heavy rains and flooding had took away about 30 person lives and also some 40 others were injured across the country, reported Xinhua.

Earlier, on Wednesday, heavy rains and flooding have claimed the lives of 20 persons while 30 others were injured in over 10 provinces.

Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim, the Deputy Minister of Natural Disaster Management has stated that the disastrous flood in Afghanistan has destroyed dozens of houses. The natural calamity has washed away more than 100 livestock, while incurring heavy financial losses to the Afghan civilians as well, reported the Tolo news.

"We have 18-20 dead and 30 wounded due to the floods. Two people have been missing. More than 100 livestock were lost and 100 residences were destroyed," said the Afghan Deputy Minister.

According to the deputy governor of Parwan, Mohammad Idrees Anwari, over 100 houses were completely ruined while many others were partially damaged.

The worst affected regions include Parwan, Badghis, and Baghlan. The severity of the floods, accompanied by heavy rainfall was witnessed in Helmand, Kandahar, Parwan, and other provinces too, reported the Tolo news.

Meanwhile, to cope with this terrible situation, the flood victims have requested the Afghan government with essential aid.

Parts of war-torn Afghanistan including the capital city Kabul experienced downpour and flooding on Tuesday night. (ANI)
The Indian embassy in Sri Lanka on Saturday rubbished the reports suggesting that the Sri Lankan government used the Line of Credit (LoC) extended by India during the ongoing crisis to import a water cannon vehicle. Issuing a statement on Twitter, the Indian embassy made it clear that the reports suggesting such use of India's assistance as "factually incorrect". "We have seen reports that a water canon vehicle was imported by Government of #SriLanka under a credit line extended by Government of #India. These reports are factually incorrect," the Indian embassy said. Clarifying the issue further, the Indian embassy said, "No water canon vehicles have been supplied by #India under any of the credit lines extended by #India to #SriLanka." "Credit line of USD 1 billion to Sri Lanka is intended to help the people of Sri Lanka with availability of food, medicines and other essential items required by the people of Sri Lanka in the current situation," Indian embassy said. The Indian mission further said that "such incorrect reports don't make any constructive contribution to the cooperation and efforts to address the ongoing challenges faced by the people of Sri Lanka." On Thursday, Sri Lanka Police fired tear gas on the protesters on Thursday in order to disperse the protest staged by University students under the theme "Let's oust the government! Let's reverse the system!" outside the parliament. Taking to the streets to protest against the government led by the Rajapaksa family, the student protestors demanded resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, the massive people's struggle "Go Home Gota" calling President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down at the Galle Face entered the 29th day today. 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)
Azerbaijan has denied the information on the availability of scientific research centers on biological warfare, State Security Service of Azerbaijan has reported.

The agency noted that Russia's representatives have repeatedly stressed that Azerbaijan has centers conducting scientific research on biological warfare, which are financially supported by third countries.

According to the agency, these statements are serious a serious cause for public concern.

"In this regard, we would like to note that such scientific centers have never functioned in Azerbaijan, and no research that could be harmful to people's health has been carried out. It's regrettable that such misinformation is being voiced at international events, as well as at the UN. Meanwhile, based on partnerships, we're ready to investigate specific facts if they're provided by the opposite side on this issue," the statement said.

Azerbaijan has never used biological warfare, on the other hand, it was a victim of eco-terrorism from the Armenian side.



E co-terrorism often described as environmental warfare consisting of the deliberate and illegal destruction, exploitation, or modification of the environment as a strategy of war or in times of armed conflict. Currently, eco-terrorism is what we can call actions of Armenia in legal Azerbaijani territories during the last 30 years.

Armenians resorted to large-scale acts of ecological terror in regions they had to leave under the trilateral November peace deal that stipulated the return of Azerbaijans occupied territories.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated for the second time in 2020 after Armenia's forces deployed in the occupied Azerbaijani lands targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, causing casualties among civilians and the military. In the early hours of September 27, Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation that lasted six weeks. The operation resulted in the liberation of Azerbaijan's occupied lands.

A Russia-brokered ceasefire deal that Azerbaijan and Armenia signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to the 44-day war between the two countries. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied.

Azerbaijan and Russia have mutual cooperation in different fields, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. More than 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.
President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) from May 15 to 21 and this visit will be the first ever visit by any Indian Head of State to these countries, Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. According to the statement, during the President's visit, he will hold a delegation level talk with his counterpart, Governor General of Jamaica, Patrick Allen. He will also meet Prime Minister Andrew Holness and other dignitaries. The President will also address a joint sitting of the two Houses of Jamaican Parliament. " Jamaica and India have friendly relations. Jamaica is also one of the Girmitya countries with a 70,000 strong Indian diaspora, who act as a living bridge with India. The visit comes at a significant milestone as 2022 is the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Jamaica," the statement reads. Notably, India and Jamaica are also celebrating their 75th and 60th anniversary of their independence respectively. President will also visit SVG from May 18 to 21. During his visit, President will hold discussions with his counterpart Governor General Susan Dougan and will also meet the SVG's Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves as well as other dignitaries, according to statement. President will also address the House of Assembly of SVG. SVG is an important partner of India. India and SVG were both non-permanent members of the UNSC in 2021 and shared good cooperation during this period. " Jamaica and SVG are active members in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The first ever Head of State visit to these countries is a continuation of India's high-level engagement with the countries in the Caribbean region and emphasizes our continued commitment to work with Small Island developing countries," the statement reads. (ANI)
Ashtar Ausaf Ali, 65, is the 36th AGP of the country. He replaced former AGP Khalid Javed Khan who resigned on April 9 after the former prime minister Imran Khan-led PTI government was ousted.

Geo TV reported Khan as saying that he had tried to serve the country to the best of his ability and conscience.

Ashtar Ausaf Ali had previously served as the 32nd AGP during the tenure of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He was also the special assistant to the prime minister on law and justice during 2015-16.

Ali held the position of Advocate General of Punjab from 1998 to 1999 and again in 2012 to 2013. He also served as Prosecutor General of the province from 2011 to 2012 and as Advisor on Human Rights to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1997.

As Attorney-General, he co-drafted the 25th Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan merging Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He began the settlement process that culminated in the resolution of the USD 6 billion penalty imposed against the country in Reko Diq case by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and the renewal of the GSP Plus trade package.

Ali was awarded with the third-highest honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan, Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2018.

Earlier, he resigned from the post of Attorney General of Pakistan on 20 June 2018 stating the need to ensure free and fair elections, and a smooth democratic transition. (ANI)
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that China and Cuba are good comrades, good friends and good brothers with a long-standing and profound friendship.

"In this moment of grief, the Chinese government and people stand firmly with the Cuban government and people," he said, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The explosion has killed at least 22 people and injured 64 others, and a gas leak is thought to be the cause of the explosion, according to the Cuban Presidential Office.

An explosion occurred at a Havana hotel on Friday. The death toll in the Saratoga hotel explosion has reached 22 people while 64 people were injured. (ANI)
Representatives from the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), including its President Dolkum Isa met with Norwegian lawmakers and officials in Oslo, during a two-day visit to the country on May 5-6, and called for the recognition of the 'Uyghur genocide' in China's Xinjiang over the past many years. The Uyghur delegation consisted of WUC President Dolkum Isa and Uyghur Canadian Activist Zumret Arkin. They met members of the Norwegian parliament from various parties, including Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide of the Conservative Party, Dag Inge Ulstein of the Christian Democratic Party, and Ola Elvestuen of the Liberal Party. The delegation also met Norwegian politician Rasmus JM Hanson, Author and Politician Carl Johansen, and Politician and Advisor in the Ministry of Petroleum Heidi Lundeberg. During the meeting, WUC impressed upon the Norwegian Politicians to raise the Uyghur Issue in Norway's Parliament, and create awareness about the Uyghur issue among the various Parliamentarians and also Policy Makers of Norway. The Uyghur delegation also met members of Amnesty International's Norwegian chapter. Amnesty International is a UK-based, non-governmental organisation that functions as a human rights advocacy group. "Amnesty has been an important voice and we hope it will continue its important work to focus on the situation of Uighurs Nationally and around the world," the Norwegian Uyghur Committee said in a tweet. WUC President Dolkum Isa has also called for a "large and historic demonstration" in front of the UN High Commissioner's office on May 13. More than 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities are believed to be held in a network of detention camps in Xinjiang since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are "vocational training centres" and has denied widespread and documented allegations that it has violated the human rights of Muslims living in the region. 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 forced indoctrination. (ANI)
Ahead of local level elections in Nepal, the Election Commission on Saturday organized a mock election for officers demonstrating the ways to conduct the election scheduled on May 13. Dozens of election officers participated in the electoral process in the country. "There were some confusions but this mock election has resolved all those. At the time of the election, we also can assist the voters while exercising their franchise to make each and every vote cast to be valid or counted," Sabitra Sharma, one of the government employees to be deployed at the time of election told ANI. Under various rankings, several Government officials including secretaries and under-secretaries have been deployed by the Election Commission assigning polling stations to conduct the polls. A three-day workshop about the smooth commencement of election at various booths was organized by Election Commission on Thursday to appraise the officials about possible problems as well as undertaking that need to be carried out on polling day. "I would not be able to claim any number but I speculate that the portion of vote annulation might increase this time. Major is the absence of voter education, political parties also aren't that serious about their role in appraising the voters, size of the boxes in the ballot papers also should have made a little bit large so that swastika sign which is large in comparison would not have touched the edges making the casted vote count. The swastika sign also is a bit big increasing the risk of annulment of the vote," Jagdish Aryal, an official from Nepal's Home Ministry assigned at a polling centre in Kathmandu said after taking part in the demonstration. A total of 152,465 candidates had filed their nominations for May 13 local level election for various 35,221 posts in 753 local units. Many rebel candidates have withdrawn their candidacies. Independent candidates have also filed candidacies, according to the Election Commission. As many as 12,789 independent candidates are contesting for various posts in the upcoming May 13 local level elections. The Election Commission has set up a total of 10,756 polling stations and 21,955 polling booths for the elections. Accordingly, the government has categorized 2,946 polling stations as highly sensitive, 4,423 as sensitive and 3,387 as less sensitive. A total of 168,000 security personnel from various security agencies of Nepal are going to be mobilized to ensure security during the upcoming May 13 local level elections. (ANI)
Addis Ababa [Ethiopia], May 7 (ANI/Xinhua): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on Saturday called for the provision of seeds and fertilizers to farmers in conflict-affected northern Ethiopia ahead of the main rainy season. "Seeds and fertilizers need to urgently be available for farmers across conflict-affected northern Ethiopia to support the Meher planting season (Ethiopia's main rainy season) which is just weeks away," UNOCHA said in its latest situation update. It said the overall humanitarian situation in northern Ethiopia remains dire, as the UN continues to closely work with all stakeholders to scale up much-needed assistance in Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regions. "The food and nutritional security in conflict-affected communities across northern Ethiopia will be further impacted if seeds and fertilizers are not availed on time to farmers ahead of the harvest season," UNOCHA warned. Ethiopia's main rainy season, which covers the period from June to September, contributes to the production of about 85 per cent to 95 per cent of the food crops of the country, according to government figures.UNOCHA warned that failure to provide seeds and fertilizers would result in a third consecutive poor agricultural season in the conflict-affected areas. "The implication of a third consecutive poor agricultural season will be devastating on the lives and livelihoods of the conflict-affected population," it said. In the Tigray region, UNOCHA said, some 60,000 metric tons (MT) of fertilizer, 50,000 MT of improved crop seeds, 40,000 liters of pesticides, and 34,000 liters of fungicides are needed. In addition, vaccines, drugs, and equipment are also required for at least 12 million livestock. In the Amhara region, 3.3 million farmers are in need of at least one type of agricultural intervention; out of these, 2.6 million farmers are targeted for multiple types of agricultural interventions.The UN estimated that more than 9 million people now need food assistance in conflict-affected parts of northern Ethiopia. Humanitarian aid is recently heading to the Tigray region, albeit insufficient according to the UN, after the Ethiopian government and the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) agreed to a conditional cessation of hostilities and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into the region. The TPLF and the Ethiopian National Defense Force, backed by allied forces, have been engaged in an 18-month conflict that has reportedly left tens of thousands of people dead and millions of others in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The Ethiopian parliament designated the TPLF as a terrorist organization in May 2021. (ANI/Xinhua)
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, who for long were the closest of allies, are now increasingly facing the prospect of getting involved in a war of attrition over their Islamist terrorism policies that have now come to haunt both of them, a report said. Pakistan is now eager to wash its hands off the links with terror groups it supported and gave shelter to in the last few decades. In Pakistan, at the same time, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), sheltered in the inaccessible hilly terrains of Afghanistan, is planning attacks inside Pakistan, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) reported. In recent months, the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) is creating mayhem inside Afghanistan as it targets the Taliban, the report said. Both countries and their governments are confronting each other over the resultant violence. They are blaming each other for encouraging the terrorist groups to attack the other side, the report said. The terror groups that have close links with state agencies on both sides have now become Frankensteins neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan want to pamper any longer. But they find their hands ties for several reasons, the report further said. This year's Ramzan period was particularly violent with suicide bombers targeting civilians and religious places in both countries, the report said, adding, the last such incident was a powerful explosion at the Khalifa Sahib Mosque in the west of Kabul that killed over 50 worshippers. The ruling Taliban was quick to counter global criticism that it had failed to secure the country because it was still supporting terrorist groups in Afghanistan, the report said. The Taliban backs the Pashtun demand for Pashtunistan, as claimed largely by "Pashtun Taliban". It encompasses a large area of Pakistani territory south of Kabul including Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North West Frontier Province or NWFP) inhabited by their ethnic clansmen, thereby taking their long-standing homeland claims to the municipal limits of Islamabad, the report further said. The confrontation between the two countries has increased after the fencing work was taken up. Afghanistan says the fence affects the daily lives of families living on both sides of the border. The farmers whose lands straddle the border also face problems. Same is the case with traders who make a living by exporting food products and other items from Afghanistan to Pakistan and vice-versa. There is tension at the border after Taliban soldiers last December disrupted the fence construction work by the Pakistan military. The situation was not allowed to escalate with both sides backing down subsequently, the report said. However, this January, a Taliban commander, Mawillawi Sanaullah Sangin, issued a warning to Pakistan. He was quoted by Afghanistan's Tolo News as saying: "We (the Taliban) will not allow the fencing anytime, in any form. Whatever they did before, they did, but we will not allow it anymore." With the strained relations over the border fencing, the Taliban openly backing the demand for Pashtunistan, and Pakistan and Afghanistan both experiencing terrorist attacks, the region is literally sitting on a powder keg, the report concluded. (ANI)
Suva [Fiji], May 7 (ANI/Xinhua): Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi started his official visit to Fiji on Saturday, aiming to further strengthen the two countries' bilateral and regional cooperation. According to a statement by the Fijian government on Saturday night, during the meeting between Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who is also Fiji's Foreign Minister, and the visiting Japanese foreign minister, Bainimarama commended Japan for its continuous support to Fiji's national development priorities and scope of partnership, which over the years has extended to important areas including climate change, disaster risk management, and COVID-19 response efforts. He acknowledged Japan's assistance to Fiji in times of great need, especially support in the timely provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), life-saving medical equipment, and contribution to the COVAX Facility, which helped with the vaccination campaign rollout and ultimately, the reopening of Fiji's international borders and its economic recovery. For his part, the Japanese foreign minister said that his visit to Fiji demonstrates the two countries' enduring friendship and cooperation that has continued to strengthen over the years.Both sides discussed the perspectives on the potential opportunities for increased collaboration in the areas of commerce, tourism, trade, education, health, security, disaster management, rural development and infrastructure. Fiji and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1970. This is the second Japanese foreign minister to visit Fiji following the visit of former Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in 2019. (ANI/Xinhua)
Washington [US], May 7 (ANI/Sputnik): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is allegedly trying to use history to make a case for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. "As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions," Blinken said in a statement for the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. "President Putin tries to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine," Blinken said. The revision of history, and specifically of World War 2, has typically been an accusation addressed by Russia against the United States and its allies. On May 8, 1945, the commanders of Nazi Germany's armed forces signed the instrument of surrender, admitting defeat in World War 2. This day is celebrated in many countries and referred to as Victory Day. Due to a difference in time zones, Russia and several other former Soviet republics celebrate it a day later. (ANI/Sputnik)
Newly-elected Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz on Saturday said "free and fair elections" was the only solution to the political crisis in the country, as he expressed confidence that the PML-N was prepared to face PTI chairman Imran Khan in the political battleground. Speaking to the media in Faisalabad, Hamza said "Imran Khan never fulfilled his promise of a 'naya Pakistan' and instead destroyed the old one. Pakistan was facing several challenges when it came to the economy and governance," reported Geo TV. Shehbaz said that 'free and fair elections' were the only solution for the country reeling under political crisis under the Imran Khan government, adding, "Pakistan Muslim League(N) was ready to face Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) chairman Imran Khan in the political battleground." He said that both the governments, federal and provincial, have started the journey to revive the old Pakistan where "the growth rate was 5.8 per cent, labourers were paid on time, and essential food items were available." Geo TV further quoted Hamza saying that the new government will work for the benefit of the countrymen. "I believe that in the upcoming period, whenever economic reforms are completed, free and fair elections are the only solution to the crisis in the country," added Shehbaz. He further said that PML-N was prepared to face Imran in the political battleground and despite all the challenges the present government will make the country as dreamed by the former Governor-General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah. "I am hopeful that despite all these challenges, God will pave a path and God-willing, we will make this country Quaid-e-Azam's Pakistan," he said. Further, referring to the former prime minister Imran Khan, Hamza said, "But some people, want to start a "civil war" in the country. I have always said that Imran Khan is a man who is wearing a suicide vest to damage the Constitution of Pakistan and trample the law," he said, citing examples of the ruling of the National Assembly deputy speaker on the no-trust motion and the Punjab CM elections, Geo TV reported. Hamza said that he will reveal to the country how the former prime minister raided the pockets of people and make him pay for it adding, "Unlike Imran, we don't believe in the politics of revenge, but we won't forgive Imran for making people wait in queues for sugar, wheat and medicines." (ANI)
By Trend

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov met with the Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu on May 6, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

Welcoming the guest, Bayramov stressed that our country has always attached importance to cooperation with the UN and its specialized agencies.

Noting that 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's membership in the UN, the minister emphasized the mutually beneficial cooperation between Azerbaijan and the FAO implemented during this period. He also outlined Azerbaijan's special attention paid to food security.

Qu Dongyu expressed satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan and fruitful meetings with the country's officials. He underscored the country's great potential for the development of food systems and agriculture. The director-general drew attention to promoting cooperation in the field of digital transition in agriculture, the introduction of innovations, as well as farmers' education.

Bayramov informed the guest about the reconstruction work carried out in the liberated territories of the country, including work in the field of agriculture and alternative energy, as well as the concept of 'smart village' implemented in these areas. The minister stressed the good cooperation and exchange of best experience with the UN specialized agencies in the process of restoration and reconstruction.

The director-general expressed interest in further strengthening the existing cooperation between FAO and Azerbaijan.

At the meeting, discussions were held on the topic of digital agriculture and food, as well as digital rural development, and the importance of continuing cooperation between Azerbaijan and FAO in these areas was emphasized.
A spokesman for Panjshir's governor, Abubaker Sediq, said there was a small amount of gunfire but the situation was controlled by the Taliban, reported Tolo News.

"We deny this allegation. This is a plot by some biased individuals. This is not true. There was a small amount gunfire yesterday evening in the Abshar area by the opponents but the Islamic Emirate controlled the situation," he said.

Meanwhile, the Resistance Front claimed that clashes are still underway in Panjshir province and they have overrun several areas, reported Tolo News.

"An extended region of the Panjshir province, including a large part of Abdulah Khail and Abshar valley, fell to the resistance (forces)," said Sebghat Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Resistance Front.

The refutation of clashes by the Taliban comes amid reports of clashes between the Taliban and the Resistance Front in Panjshir posted on social media.

The Islamic Emirate's spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, denied the reports and called them speculation.

"There have been no security incidents anywhere. The enemy published some propaganda on Facebook and Twitter. But the truth is that a strong troop presence exists there (Panjshir) and nothing will happen," Mujahid said.

There have also been reports of increased resistance against the Taliban regime in the provinces of Panjshir, Kapisa and Parwan. Taliban officials maintain that they will counter the activities of the resistance. (ANI)
Taiwan hoped that the world will sanction China if it invades the island nation the same way the global community is now sanctioning Russia for its war on Ukraine. Speaking to reporters in Taipei at an event, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu on Friday said that it was important to stand with others in denouncing the invasion and sanctioning Russia and Belarus, reported Taipei Times. "In the future, if we are threatened with force by China, or are invaded, of course, we hope the international community can understand and support Taiwan, and sanction these kinds of aggressive behaviours," he said. "So Taiwan stands with the international community, and takes these actions," Wu said, referring to the sanctions. Ukraine's plight has won broad public sympathy in Taiwan due to what many people view as the parallels between what is happening in the European country and what could happen if China ever uses force to bring the nation it claims as its own under Chinese control, reported Taipei Times. Taiwan has raised its alert level since the Ukraine war began, wary of China making a similar move, although the government has reported no signs of an imminent Chinese attack. However, how the world would react to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is unclear, given that most countries, including the US and all EU member states, only have formal diplomatic ties with Beijing, not Taipei, and unlike Ukraine do not recognize Taiwan as a country. China, which has not condemned Russia's invasion, has dismissed any comparisons with Taiwan, saying it is not a country and merely a Chinese province, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly disputes, reported Taipei Times. (ANI)
Sri Lanka on Saturday cancelled the leave of security forces with immediate effect after the declaration of a state of emergency in the island nation. The Ministry of Defence divulged the information about the cancellation of the leaves, reported Daily Mirror. The crisis-hit Sri Lanka on Friday declared a state of emergency after the crippling strike and protest over the external debt for the second time in five weeks. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence said that some protesters have begun to disregard law and order, disrupting the work of the police and security forces. The Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security have informed the public to act as responsible citizens with utmost intelligence and patience during this difficult period to maintain law and order in the country. "It must be stated that we all respect the democratic right of the people of Sri Lanka to peacefully express their agitations and protests within the democratic framework," the Defence Ministry said. Sri Lanka is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from its neighbours. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is unable to buy sufficient fuel and gas, while the people are being deprived of basic amenities as well. The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (ANI)
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne yesterday said she met Solomon Islands Development Planning and Aid Coordination Minister Jeremiah Manele in the Australian east coast city of Brisbane as he transited through the airport on Friday night, reported Taipei Times.

"Australia has been consistent and clear in stating our respect for Solomon Islands' sovereign decision-making, however we have reiterated our deep concerns about the security agreement with China, including the lack of transparency," Payne's office said in a statement.

Payne's office said the pair agreed that Australia remained the Solomon Islands' security partner of choice and that the Solomon Islands would not host a foreign military base less than 2,000 km off Australia's northeast coast.

Soloman Islands and China last month signed the framework agreement on security cooperation that US and allies fear could be used to establish a military base in the Pacific island nation.

However, Manele could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan told Australian Broadcasting Corp that the two Ministers had a "very productive conversation," reported Taipei Times.

A Chinese base in the Solomon Islands was not in the interests of the region, Tehan said.

"What we want to do is to be making sure that we're presenting a very strong case as to why it is incredibly important that we don't see the militarization of the Pacific islands," Tehan said.

Tehan said Payne and Manele also discussed how Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government needed to keep working on the bilateral relationship.

After details of a draft pact were released, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja flew to the Solomon Islands' capital, Honiara, on April 12 to unsuccessfully ask the government to abandon it, reported Taipei Times.

Despite repeated denial from China over plans to militarise the Solomon Islands, the security experts remain wary of Beijing's intentions. (ANI)
A customer was fatally shot and an employee wounded in a Chilis restaurant in Rocky Mount on Friday night, police said.

The woman who was shot, 38-year-old Natasha Berry, died at UNC Nash Healthcare, according to a Rocky Mount Police Department news release.

The worker who was shot, a 15-year-old boy, was treated at a hospital and released, police said.

Officers arrested 25-year-old Nytica Battle at her home and charged her with first-degree murder, attempted murder and going armed to the terror of the public. She was in the Nash County jail without bail on Saturday.

Battle ran from the restaurant after the shooting, police said.

The women knew each other and began fighting at the bar, according to police, who said diners ran into the restaurants kitchen to hide after hearing gunshots.

At least two shots were fired about 7:10 p.m., Rocky Mountain Police Chief Robert Hassell said during an emergency meeting of the Rocky Mount City Council Saturday morning.

The 15-year-old employee was hit by a bullet but wasnt the intended target, according to the chief.

The restaurant is on North Wesleyan Boulevard off U.S. 64.

Police urged anyone with information about the incident to call them at 252-972-1411, or Twin County Crime Stoppers at 252-977-1111.

Rocky Mount violence on the rise

Rocky Mount lies along the Tar River east of Interstate 95 in Edgecombe and Nash counties, nearly 60 miles northeast of Raleigh and 225 miles from Charlotte.

Hassell updated the city council Saturday at an emergency meeting about the many steps his department is taking to address a rash of shootings and homicides since January. He detailed at least 14 shootings to the council that have occurred since January. None of them were random, he said.

Of 10 homicides since January, his department has made arrests in eight of the cases, the chief said.

Although the victims and their assailants knew each other, this reverberates all across the city and his officers are truly committed to resolving each case with arrests, Hassell said.
The Daily Beast

GettyThe U.S. intelligence community has assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to dig his heels in over the war in Ukraine and let it drag on for some timeand along the way, Putin might resort to extreme measures to ensure Russia wins in the end, top U.S. spies warned Tuesday.The next steps Putin might take include escalating domestic measures that could contribute to the war effort, such as instituting martial law, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Hai
Three Americans were found dead at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas and a fourth has been hospitalized, officials said.

Bahamas Acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper said in a statement on Twitter that police are investigating the situation, but noted that "foul play is not suspected."

Police at the George Town station were alerted Friday just after 9 a.m. by staff at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma that a man was found unresponsive in his villa, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement.

The man was found on the floor of a bedroom.

A second man and a woman were found unresponsive in another villa at the resort, police said in the statement. They said the man was located in a bathroom and the woman was on a bed in the bedroom.

"Both individuals showed signs of convulsion, the force said.

Authorities said there were "no signs of trauma found" with any of the victims. A doctor pronounced all three dead at the scene.

Police said an initial investigation found that the man and woman in the second villa had complained of an illness the night before they were found. They went to a medical facility, received treatment, and went back to their villa, police said.

A fourth person, a woman, was airlifted to a hospital in Nassau, according to Cooper.

Authorities have not publicly identified the the guests, but Austin Chiarella told NBC News that his father, Vincent Chiarella, is among the dead.

He said his mother, Donnis Chiarella, was injured.

Kendall Regional Hospital confirmed it was treating a patient with the same name, Donnis Chiarella, who was said to be in fair condition.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force didn't immediately respond to a request seeking confirmation of those identities.

Health Minister Michael Darville said he believes the incident is an "isolated case" involving the four people.

Sandals Resorts confirmed the deaths, saying in a statement that a "health emergency was initially reported" and local authorities were alerted. The statement did not mention the woman who was hospitalized.

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"Nothing is more important to Sandals Resorts than the safety of our guests," the resort said in a statement. "We are actively working to support both the investigation as well as the guests families in every way possible during this difficult time. Out of respect for the privacy of our guests, we cannot disclose further information at this time.

The U.S. State Department said it was "closely monitoring" the local police investigation into the deaths and stands "ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance."

Police said cause of death would be determined by a coroner's investigation.
Roman Petrenko  Saturday, 7 May 2022, 12:12

The activist group "1 December" appealed to Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, and the Federal Council of Switzerland to help in saving Ukrainian military and civilians from Mariupol and the ongoing siege of the Azovstal plant.

Source: appeal published on the "1 December" website

Quote from the appeal: "We are Ukrainian scientists, human rights activists, former dissidents who lived through the totalitarian system, and we appeal to you, politicians who can help Ukraine and its heroes.

The Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol is encircled by a disproportionate number of Russian troops.

For over 70 days the military and civilians who would not have survived under the [Russian] occupation have remained in the bunkers of the Azovstal plant. With no access to water, food, medicine. The military cannot replenish their ammunition supplies. They are bombarded from air, sea, and land. Fighting never stops.

The battle for Mariupol is the Ukrainian Thermopylae.

But we live in the humane 21st century and it is our duty, the duty of the entire civilised world, to save the 300 Spartans of Ukraine.

The history of world wars abounds with examples of adversaries demonstrating good will and allowing the military to leave encirclement.

We urge you, respected Sirs, to become third-party facilitators of the extraction procedure.

History will not forget your efforts. Ukrainian people will be forever grateful to you.

The Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol can still be saved. But time is running out."

Background: Extraction is the process of removing people when it is considered imperative that they be immediately relocated out of a hostile environment and taken to an area controlled by friendly forces.

Earlier: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that influential states were involved in the rescuing of military personnel from Azovstal.
With summer right around the corner, all eyes are on the beer and alcohol industry.

On Tuesday, Molson Coors (TAP) delivered quarterly earnings that beat analyst expectations, posting revenue of $2.2 billion, along with adjusted earnings of $0.29 per share.

Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley said in a press release that the results represented "the most quarterly top-line growth this company has had in more than ten years," reiterating its 2022 guidance for both top and bottom line growth.

Still, the beer giant cited inflation as a top concern for the rest of the year, along with the pandemic.

The company said it's been able to battle inflationary headwinds by utilizing "strong pricing and sales mix," crediting its top-selling brand portfolio, that also includes hard seltzers.

Topo Chico Hard Seltzer (Courtesy: Molson Coors)

"Many of our core brands continued to outperform their peers, we again earned the largest growth in U.S. hard seltzers among major brewers and our expansion beyond beer continued to track ahead of our $1 billion revenue target," Hattersley said.

Molson Coors put its full support behind Topo Chico Hard Seltzer (a standout for the quarter), along with Vizzy Hard Seltzer, after the company discontinued its Coors Light Hard Seltzer brand just last year.

At the time, the company doubled down that the hard seltzer boom was here to stay, despite the fizzle that's occurred since the category's meteoric rise in 2018 when sales volume hit peak growth of 246%, according to IWSR data.

(Source: Nielsen via Bank of America)

Hard seltzer volume sank 2.5% year-over-year with all key players' volume declining, with the exception of Mark Anthony Brands (White Claw, Mike's) and Molson Coors (Topo Chico, Vizzy, Henry's), Bank of America (BAC) said in a recent note.

AB InBev's (BUD) hard seltzer portfolio, which includes Bon & Viv, Bud Light Seltzer, and Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer, declined 13% year-over-year.

Meanwhile, White Claw saw 1% year-over-year volume growth and gained 15 basis points sequentially (with market share at 43%.) Truly dropped 12% with a loss of 65bps, Vizzy lost 25bps, Corona lost 20bps, and Topo Chico gained 60bps (all sequential).

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Ready-to-drink category surges ahead of summer

The ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail category is expected to continue its strong momentum heading into summer 2022.

According to NielsenIQ, vodka-based drinks accounted for more than half of the ready-to-drink categorys off-premise sales for the 52-week period ending October 2, 2021  increasing 110% over the previous year.

There were also notable increases in tequila-based RTDs at 138% growth, followed by rum-based drinks at 132%.

Whiskey maker Jack Daniels (BF-B) recently came out with its own line of ready-to-drink cocktails, featuring flavors that include Jack & cola; Jack, honey & lemonade; and Jack apple fizz.

Jack Daniels releases ready-to-drink cocktail line as alcohol trends lean into RTD category (Courtesy: Jack Daniels)

Still, despite the variety of new products on the market, High Noon remains a dominating force.

The vodka-based ready-to-drink offering has held the number 1 position on Drizlys list of top-selling RTD brands for two years now  with even more room to run.

The brand just released a new pool variety pack which features two new flavors (guava and kiwi), in addition to a limited line of High-Noon inspired bathing suits and apparel in collaboration with Chicago-based clothing brand, Tropical Bros.

The swimwear, along with the Hawaiian shirt, retails for roughly $50 per item.

High Noon releases new pool variety pack, in addition to a limited line of High-Noon inspired bathing suits and apparel (Courtesy: High Noon)

High Noon's rapid success is due, in part, to its marketing.

Although the brand is technically a vodka-based ready-to-drink offering, it positions itself as a vodka-based hard seltzer; consequently, it's been able to capture some of that hard seltzer market, in addition to the RTD category at large, says Liz Paquette, Drizlys head of consumer insights.

Competitors like Truly, owned by Boston Beer Company (SAM), have also released new offerings ahead of summer.

Earlier this week, the hard seltzer brand launched its own limited-edition poolside variety pack, inspired by pop star Dua Lipa. Dua will serve as the company's "chief flavor officer" of the new pack, which includes four new flavors: strawberry melon fizz, orange peach spritz, pina colada and kiwi mojito.

The pack will be available nationwide beginning May 15.

Truly's new poolside variety pack (Courtesy: Truly)

Alexandra is a Senior Entertainment and Food Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193 or email her at alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com

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Anna Sorokin at her criminal trial in 2019. Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

Anna Sorokin criticized "Red Table Talk" for featuring Rachel Williams on an upcoming episode.

The "Soho scammer" referred to her ex-friend Williams as "Karen-in-chief" and a "trauma porn star."

Sorokin also took aim at the episode's apparent theme of healing from past trauma.

Anna Sorokin (aka Anna Delvey) slammed "Red Table Talk" and its host Jada Pinkett Smith for featuring Sorokin's ex-friend Rachel Williams on an upcoming episode.

The notorious scammer, who was recently the focus of Netflix's hit series "Inventing Anna," took to her Instagram stories to criticize the talk show and its guests.

"@jadapinkettsmith is having trauma-porn star Rachel 'Karen-in-chief' on the upcoming trauma & healing episode [of] her @redtabletalk," Sorokin wrote, according to a tweet from Insider's Jacob Shamsian.

"Just making sure she doesn't forget to invite @chrisrock," Sorokin added.

The comment about Rock  who was on the receiving end of a now-infamous slap from Pinkett Smith's husband Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars earlier this year  was apparently in reference to the theme of the upcoming episode featuring Williams, which will reportedly focus on trauma and healing.

Representatives for Red Table Talk didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

This isn't the first time Sorokin and Williams have sparred on social media. In February, Sorokin slammed Williams' comments about Shonda Rhimes' "Inventing Anna."

In a lengthy seven-part statement shared to her Instagram stories, Sorokin accused Williams of "shamelessly" exploiting their past friendship and even called her a "Karen."

"I've been silent about this for years. However, over [the] past two weeks watching Rachel stubbornly refuse to move on from her contrived trauma, ever brazen and unchecked, while going on every show that will have her, I thought- now I have to. And if I have to I will," Sorokin wrote, according to Newsweek.

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Sorokin first rose to fame in 2018, after articles were published by New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, and the New York Post about her attempts to con financial institutions out of money by pretending to be a wealthy German heiress.

In the New York magazine article by journalist Jessica Pressler, which went on to inspire the Netflix series, Williams was revealed to have been a close friend of Sorokin's, before an ill-fated trip to Morocco caused a rift between the two. As is depicted on the show, after Sorokin's credit card failed on the trip, Williams was forced to cover the entire $62,000 bill herself, and Sorokin never made good on her promises to repay Williams.

Williams ultimately went to the police and helped set up a sting operation where Sorokin was arrested in Los Angeles. A jury convicted Sorokin on charges of theft, larceny, and attempted theft and larceny in May 2019, though the jury acquitted Sorokin of the prosecutors' charge alleging she stole from Williams.

The "fake heiress" was released from a New York jail in February 2021 after serving about three-and-a-half years in prison. Sorokin is now in ICE custody due to immigration issues. She shared her thoughts about the Netflix show as well as her experience behind bars in a February essay for Insider.

Read the original article on Insider
By Trend

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan hosted an event and exhibition on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Italian Republic on May 6, Trend reports citing the ministry.

The event was attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Italian Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the embassy staff.

The event began with the national anthems of both countries.

While delivering a speech at the event, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Khalaf Khalafov stated that relations between Azerbaijan and Italy are based on historical roots and traditions of friendship, and relations have developed dynamically in all directions over the past 30 years. The deputy minister stressed that the two countries have a multidimensional strategic partnership in political, economic, trade, energy, humanitarian and other fields.

Khalafov noted with satisfaction Italy's position based on international law and justice during the 44-day second Karabakh war. In conclusion, he conveyed his congratulations on the occasion of a significant day and wished peace, tranquility, and prosperity to the peoples of both countries.

Speaking later at the event, Italy's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Claudio Taffuri proudly noted the achievements in the development of Azerbaijan-Italy relations over the past 30 years and expressed congratulations on this significant occasion. The ambassador noted with pleasure the high-level cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy in various areas. Meanwhile, the ambassador referred to the intensification of people-to-people contacts between the two countries, noting the expansion of cooperation, especially in the field of education.

At the end of the event, the participants got acquainted with a photo exhibition dedicated to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Italy.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP)  Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was killed by a Michigan police officer, died from a gunshot to the back of his head, according to the official autopsy, which matched the conclusion of an expert hired by Lyoyas family.

The report from the Kent County medical examiner also said that Lyoyas blood-alcohol level was 0.29, more than three times over the legal limit for driving, when his car was stopped in Grand Rapids on April 4, the Detroit Free Press reported Friday.

Lyoya, 26, a refugee from Congo, was killed during a physical struggle with Officer Christopher Schurr shortly after 8 a.m.

Schurr, who is white, told Lyoya that he had stopped him because the license plate didnt match the vehicle, according to video.

Lyoya began to run after the officer asked for a drivers license. Schurr quickly caught him, but the pair continued to struggle across a front lawn in a residential neighborhood while Lyoyas passenger recorded the scene on a phone.

Lyoya was on the ground when Schurr shot him. He had demanded that Lyoya take his hand off the officers Taser, according to video.

Dr. Werner Spitz performed a separate autopsy at the request of the family and announced the findings on April 19. He, too, said a shot to the head killed Lyoya. He believes the gun was pressed against the head.

Its highly significant that Dr. Steve Cohle found the identical findings of Dr. Spitz, said Lyoya family attorney Ven Johnson, referring to the county medical examiner.

He said Lyoyas blood-alcohol level was irrelevant.

Drinking and driving isnt punishable by execution, Johnson told The Associated Press. We can all debate, assuming the results are correct, what effect it had on my clients behavior. But it had nothing to do with the cause and manner of his death.

State police investigating the shooting submitted a report last week to the Kent County prosecutor, who will decide if Schurr will face charges. Chris Becker said he still wanted reports about the officers Taser and body-worn camera.

Lyoyas parents want the officer fired and charged. Schurr, who was placed on leave, hasnt responded to requests for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tim Mosenfelder

Azealia Banks is tweeting up a storm. Within the past 24 hours, the prodigious 212 wordsmith and online lightning rod has weighed in on the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, other musicians, crypto, the President of Ukraine, and men who're terrible at performing oral sex.

If you still dont know how to properly eat pussy In 2022, there is no jpeg which shall save you sir, she posted around 2:30 a.m. Beeple beat you all to the top of the NFT Alpha Male pile and I think its time we give him the crown, so the rest of you lot can finish finding the clitoris.

Banks is referring to the artist who astonished the auction world last year when his NFT Everydays  The First 5000 Days sold for $69,346,250 at Christies, stoking widespread interest in non-fungible tokens.

This problem is older and more important than these deeply uncompelling and regurgitative arguments for late stage capitalism, Banks continued. American Men have still collectively failed to find the clitoris. This is an ancient social flaw. exponentially most threatening to conception itself.

Unleashing virtuosic, sometimes astonishingly profane verbal symphonies upon a rapt digital audience is a pastime Banks has long been notorious for. Her feuds are the stuff of legend  shes gotten into it with Lana Del Rey, Kanye West, Lil Kim, Zayn Malik; you name it. But in recent years, her Twitter spark had been extinguished.

Rapper Azealia Banks. Chelsea Lauren

Bankss account was suspended in 2020 after she called for the cancellation of dumbass luxury transgender healthcare rights, but last week, amidst news that former Banks foe Elon Musk had struck a $44 billion deal to buy the platform, she reappeared, and seems to be in fine form.

I actually *have to thank Elon for buying twitter, I actually got back on, Banks wrote in an Instagram Story post on Tuesday morning. The amount of money I lost by being banned from twitter and not having access to the fans/consumer base I worked SO HARD TO BUILD SERIOUSLY MADE EVERYTHING SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.

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Banks ripped Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey apart too, writing: He knew it would effect [sic] my value as an artist because if I dont have access to these channels to promote new music/new merch/concerts etc.... He could effectively stop my bag which is miniscule as f*** compared to his.

In 280 characters or less, Banks has the ability to be deeply offensive, witty, tender, furious and poetic, sometimes all in the same sentence. Between accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of failing to sufficiently train the Ukrainian army and deeming the average American man an insufferable vessel of dry mouth and low sperm count, Banks paused to pay a compliment.

Collaborating with Mallrat was super cool and chill, she wrote. It was a genuine and sincere invite from one artist to another.

Then she got right back to business, accusing the music platform Boiler Room of bad practices after booking her for two gigs that failed to materialize. The Daily Beast reached out to Boiler Room for comment.

In the midst of Musks acquisition, itll be interesting to see whether he publicly clashes with Banks on the platform. The Tesla and SpaceX billionaire, who calls himself a free speech absolutist, sees Twitter as the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated. Like Banks, Musk is also a notorious Twitter troll whos used the platform to raise all kinds of slack-jawed hell. Plus, the two have history.

When a musical collaboration between Banks and Canadian pop star Grimes, Musks former partner, failed to come together in 2018, Banks once again took to Twitter to air out the dirty details. I waited around all weekend while Grimes coddled her boyfriend for being too stupid to know not to go on twitter on acid, Banks said. It was probably some weird threesome sex shit to begin with.

I need to wash all this weird, like, alien-ass fucking weird white girl Wicca Urban Outfitters magic off of me, she added on Instagram. I need to go pray.

Musk insisted to Gizmodo that hed never even met [Banks] or communicated with her in any way, but for this reporter, the insults the rapper cooked up for Grimes and Musk all but guarantee shed observed the couple up close.

You smell like a roll of nickels, Banks spat at Grimes in leaked texts.

And when news broke last September that the etherial songstress and the Mars-obsessed mogul had parted ways, Banks seemed contrite. Ok girl, can we finally make those darn songs now that apartheid Clyde is out of the way? she wrote. We were really supposed to eat these bitches up.

The Daily Beast reached out to Banks rep for comment.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Brenda Goh

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China's capital Beijing kicked off a fresh round of mass testing for COVID-19 on Saturday and shut more bus routes and metro stations, as it seeks to avert the fate of Shanghai, where millions of residents have been locked down for over a month.

The draconian movement curbs on Shanghai, an economic and financial hub, have caused frustration among its 25 million residents and triggered rare protests over issues such as access to food and medical care, loss of income and crowded as well as unsanitary conditions at central quarantine centres.

While some people have been let out for light and air in recent weeks, residents for the most part say they still cannot leave their housing compounds.

Beijing is striving to avoid an explosion in cases like that of Shanghai, China's largest city, by conducting rounds of mass testing, banning restaurant dining-in services in multiple districts and shutting more than 60 subway stations, about 15% of the network.

Shanghai cases have fallen for eight days and the city says its outbreak is under effective control, allowing it to shut some of the makeshift hospitals it raced to build as case numbers ballooned.

But authorities have also indicated that a full easing is still far off, warning against complacency to stick to China's zero-COVID goal.

Underscoring that expectation, Shanghai officials on Saturday postponed the city's "gaokao" university entrance exam by a month to early July. The last time that happened was in 2020, during the initial coronavirus outbreak.

The city's top Communist Party official, Li Qiang, a close ally of President Xi Jinping, told a Friday government meeting that it was "necessary to issue military orders at all levels, and take more resolute and powerful actions to overcome the great war and great tests," according to an official statement.

The number of infections in Shanghai outside areas under lockdown - a gauge of whether the city can further reopen - fell to 18 on Friday from 23 the day before. Total new cases declined slightly to around 4,000, data released on Saturday showed.

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Shanghai is also building thousands of permanent PCR testing stations, in line with other cities, as China looks to make regular testing a feature of everyday life.

CAR SALES TUMBLE

China's COVID policy is increasingly out of step with much of the rest of the world, where governments have eased restrictions, or dropped them altogether, in a bid to live with COVID even as infections spread.

But Chinese leaders this week reiterated their resolve to battle the virus, threatening action against critics of their strict measures. Beyond Shanghai, dozens of cities have imposed full or partial lockdowns, relaxing and tightening curbs at various times.

The measures are exacting a mounting economic toll that has fuelled complaints from global industry groups and businesses at home.

China's auto association on Friday estimated that sales plunged 48% in April from a year earlier, as zero-COVID policies shut factories, limited traffic to showrooms and put the brakes on spending in the world's largest car market.

In Shanghai, although the government has provided guidelines on how companies can restart operations, a survey of Japanese firms in late April found most still struggling to restart due to the onerous requirements.

Since Friday, organizers have cancelled, postponed or relocated a slate of major international sporting events set to take place in China in the second half of the year, including the Asian Games set for Hangzhou in September and Diamond League athletics meets originally scheduled for Shanghai on July 30 and Shenzhen on Aug. 6.

The moves, which followed a government meeting on Thursday chaired by Xi that called for doubling down on the zero-COVID approach, defy a global sporting calendar that has largely returned to normal.

On Saturday, Beijing kicked off the first of three new rounds of daily testing in five districts including the biggest, Chaoyang, home to embassies and large offices.

Beijing officials said that while they had figured out the main COVID transmission chains, they still believed there were hidden infection sources in society and that the city could not lower its guard.

The capital reported 45 new symptomatic COVID-19 cases for Friday, down from 55 a day earlier. It recorded eight asymptomatic cases, which China counts separately, versus 17 a day earlier.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Stephen Coates and William Mallard)
A man was shot in the arm Friday at a home in the 2500 block of Dutch Hollow Road in Belleville, police said.

His identity was not released. The man was treated at a St. Louis hospital and released, said Belleville police Capt. Mark Heffernan.

Officers responded to the report of someone being shot at 12:51 p.m. They found a wounded man when they arrived at the home.

Heffernan said the investigation so far shows that someone apparently shot at the home from the outside. It is believed at this point in the investigation that the victim and suspect(s) are acquainted, Heffernan said.

It is early in the investigation and additional information will be released as appropriate, he said.
Tight restrictions on abortion have already placed the procedure out of reach for many Black women in America  obstacles that will grow even more daunting if the landmark Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Across the Black Belt  the Southern states where the echoes of slavery reverberate in legislation that perpetuates political and social inequities  women have long confronted overwhelming costs and logistical obstacles in seeking reproductive health care.

Earlier this week a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion signaled the end of abortion rights nationally, which would leave an already marginalized group, who seek abortion care at a higher rate, with less access to family planning services, resulting in poor health, education and economic outcomes, according to researchers, experts in family planning and advocates for reproductive justice.

Women are going to die, said Dalton Johnson, who owns an abortion clinic in Huntsville, Alabama. It might not be as many as it was in the 70s because we have medication abortions. There are groups that are going to have access to those  whether legally or illegally. But everybodys not going to be able to do that and women are going to die.

If Roe falls, many women in the South will turn to a network of grassroots organizations and advocacy groups led by Black women that has emerged out of necessity to fill gaps in health care coverage and the social safety net. These groups have already been helping women who struggle to compile the cash  and coordinate the time away from work, child care and transportation  that are necessary to get the procedure.

Laurie Bertram Roberts, the executive director of the Yellowhammer Fund, an Alabama-based nonprofit that offers funding and support for women who have abortions, recalls a woman who received financial aid after having to choose between paying her electric bill and paying for her abortion.

One time, it was bailing somebody out of jail to get their abortion, she said.

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Roberts and other reproductive rights advocates and leaders of small abortion funds across the South said that while theyre not ready for the challenge of Roe being overturned, they are as prepared as they can be.

Weve been planning for this possibility for several years, Roberts said. This isnt a new threat, but its a larger threat. So many states could lose abortion access at once. Like 2,300 to 3,000 people get abortions at the clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, a year. How do you reroute 3,000 people out of state?

Nearly two dozen states are likely to ban or severely restrict abortion access if Roe is overturned, and 13 have trigger laws to ban abortion immediately, according to an NBC News analysis of data from the Center for Reproductive Rights, which support abortion access. Advocates, organizers and experts all agree that Black women in the South will bear the brunt of these restrictions.

Black people make up about 38 percent of Mississippis population, according to recent Census data, but they accounted for 74 percent of abortions in the state in 2019, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Alabamas figures are similar, with Black people accounting for about 27 percent of the states population but 62 percent of abortions.

Johnson pointed out that low-income patients and people of color already have to navigate a health care system that can be inattentive and discriminatory. But people with work obligations, financial struggles and lack of transportation also simply have a more difficult time getting to abortion providers in other states. This, organizers said, means they would be even less likely to get an abortion if Roe is overturned  worsening a cycle that perpetuates poverty for Black people.

US-NEWS-GA-ABORTION-AT (Christina Matacotta / ZUMAPRESS.com)

Research shows that unintended pregnancies hold people back from completing their education and getting and keeping jobs and can lead to poor health and economic outcomes for their children. People denied abortions are more likely to live in poverty, with economic instability and poor physical health. Its people who have been pushed to the margins, said Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, a Georgia-based reproductive justice organization that serves people of color. Its those living in states where access has been completely obliterated, theyre going to be impacted most  thats people of color, low-income folks, queer, trans and gender-nonconforming folks.

Black organizers have argued that Roe has always been insufficient for Black people who lack resources. So, they have resolved that the work after Roe will look a lot like the work theyve been doing to fight for reproductive justice for decades  but intensified.

Every dollar counts so much

For two weeks in April, the New Orleans Abortion Fund, which primarily assists patients in Southern states, had to inform callers and clinics that it was out of money for the month.

Although the fund is back up and running, A.J. Haynes, the board chair, expressed concerns last month that the nonprofit would be unable to raise enough money to help every caller in need.

Many of the callers the fund supports live in states where the choice to have an abortion is more fatiguing than workable. Mississippi and Louisiana have the nations highest poverty rates, and residents make deep sacrifices to scrape up enough for their appointments.

In 2021, most of the nonprofits callers were Black. More than half asking for help already had at least one child and received health insurance through Medicaid. Under the Hyde Amendment, people on Medicaid cannot access federal funding for abortion care.

Every dollar counts so much here, Haynes said. Every dollar is gas in someones tank. Every dollar is literal food in someones mouth.

Across the Deep South, access to abortion care is already buckling, said Johnson, the Alabama clinic owner. The fallout from a Texas law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has spilled over into surrounding states as clinics like Johnsons serve an influx of new patients. Women in Mississippi, where the only abortion clinic in the state provides treatment up to 16 weeks of pregnancy, might travel hundreds of miles to the Alabama Womens Center if they need a procedure further into their second trimester.

In 2020, abortion funds gave more than $10 million to support more than 400,000 people, according to the National Network of Abortion Funds, which includes Yellowhammer along with some 88 funds across the country  a majority of them in the South  and three international funds.

But the locally run funds  many launched by Black organizers  can face an uphill battle in securing resources, even as donations flood Planned Parenthood and other national groups.

They will have to raise more money, said Marcela Howell, president and CEO of the National Black Womens Reproductive Justice Agenda. This will intensify their work. They will need more money to actually achieve what theyre trying to do. Theyll have to build their existing systems up to higher levels.

A movement grounded in history

Conservative activists and anti-abortion protesters shouting outside of clinics often try to position the racial disparity in who seeks abortions as a form of genocide.

In the draft Supreme Court opinion on Roe, Justice Samuel Alito wrote: It is beyond dispute that Roe has had that demographic effect. A highly disproportionate percentage of aborted fetuses are Black.

This line of argument infuriates many Black activists.

Im so sick and tired of folks using that and talking about Black genocide when it comes to abortion, said Michelle Colon, the co-founder of SHERo (Sisters Helping Every Woman Rise and Organize) Mississippi, a nonprofit that supports abortion rights. Our law enforcement killing Black people  thats Black genocide. The fact that this government is working so vigorously and successfully in disfranchising the Black vote  thats Black genocide.

Syndication: The Clarion-Ledger (Eric Shelton / USA Today Network)

Another part of the nations fraught history over how much control a woman should have over her reproductive health is the agency that Black Americans and their descendants have fought for since slavery, when Colon says they were forced to breed more free labor and had no say as their families were destroyed.

That sense of history grounds the current efforts of Black women to support one another in retaining autonomy over their bodies and reproductive health, Colon said.

For Colon, that activism involves opening up her wallet to help women pay for abortions and distributing emergency contraception. She stocks up on ginger candy that can help relieve camps, as well as menstrual pads and pain relievers to make sure SHERo clients have them on hand after their abortion.

Looking ahead, she also wants to launch an abortion fund that can help patients pay for treatment or additional costs like making child care arrangements.

She sees this as a continuation of the work Black women have always had to do in the face of societal and government neglect.

When you look at movements in this country, Black and brown women have always been a part of them, Colon said. We have not necessarily been invited, we have not necessarily been accepted, but weve always been in this fight. And weve always made our own way, in spite of not being invited, respected or even appreciated.

Roberts said the Yellowhammer Fund plans to reach out to communities across the country, and recruit volunteers who will provide assistance with everything from driving people to clinics to opening their homes to people seeking abortions in other states.

It can be cultivating community members to be abortion doulas, she said.

Pushing for policy changes

While reproductive rights activists see abortion pills as one way of circumventing new abortion laws, at least 33 states, including Mississippi, have placed restrictions on the pills, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

That has raised concerns among abortion rights advocates that if Roe is overturned, there could be a wave of charges against women who try to end abortions on their own  not just through pills, but also through other means. About 7 percent of women in the U.S. report having attempted a self-managed abortion in their lifetime, according to research published by the American Public Health Association.

Derenda Hancock, who leads the Pink House Defenders, a group of volunteer abortion clinic escorts at the Jackson Women's Health Organization, ushers a woman surrounded by anti-abortion protestors, into the clinic in Jackson, Miss., on May 22, 2021 (Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters via Alamy Stock Photo)

Since Roe was decided in 1973, about 1,600 women across the U.S. have been arrested or otherwise detained on pregnancy-related suspicions3, according to a report from the National Advocates for Pregnant Women. This includes women who had miscarriages, abortions, stillbirths and neonatal losses.

Meanwhile, poor people of color are more likely to be arrested for suspected drug use while pregnant, according to a report from Amnesty International. And at least 38 states have laws that criminalize pregnant people for everything from not wearing a seatbelt to falling down stairs, the report states. In 2019, Marshae Jones was charged with manslaughter after her fetus died when she was shot in the stomach during an altercation in Alabama. Several reproductive justice groups protested the charge and prosecutors ultimately dropped the case.

Colon worries that Black women are more vulnerable to being investigated after pregnancy loss.

They will be the ones that someone will say, Oh, I think this is someone who self-induced their abortion, she said. Theyre the ones that the police will be called upon for.

To that end, Colon and other advocates are focusing not just on direct aid for pregnant women, but also on influencing policies. One of SHERos strategies will be talking with prosecutors to discourage bringing charges against people who try to end their pregnancies.

On the policy front, reproductive rights advocates will face an uphill battle in states where Republican politicians see the overturn of Roe as just the first step in cracking down on other types of reproductive health care.

In Georgia, a bill that was recently defeated would have required pregnant people to see a doctor and have an ultrasound before accessing abortion pills.

An overturn of Roe would empower anti-abortion advocates to bring back similar or even worse legislation, said K Agbebiyi, the Georgia policy and movement building director for Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Any limit on abortion access will impact the most marginalized of abortion-seekers in ways differently than people who have money, race or class privilege.

Colon, an Illinois native, reflected that once again Black women face having to migrate north for rights not available in the South. But just as not everyone was able to flee during the Great Migration of the early 20th century, many Black women will remain in the South without access to abortions.

And Colon remains determined that, as they always have, Black organizers will resist.

We decide our destiny, not the Supreme Court, she said.

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May 5A New York Times best-selling author, actor and motivational speaker is traveling to Albert Lea next week to speak in several forums around the community about making the most of every situation, no matter what life may throw your way.

J.R. Martinez is an Army veteran, burn survivor and winner of season 13 of "Dancing with the Stars." He also acted on "All My Children" and wrote "Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength and Spirit."

Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shari Jenson said Martinez is a friend of hers who she first met when she worked through the United Service Organizations in Texas and was organizing a gala. A friend at the hospital there suggested she have Martinez, who had been treated there and had started acting on "All My Children," speak at the gala. The other speaker at the event was former professional football player Roger Staubach. Jenson said she was overwhelmed with the impact the two men had on the event and the difference they ultimately made on raising funds for the cause.

"Just seeing the power they had over the crowd and how much everyone just loved them was incredible," she said. "I've had a few other events, and we just became friends."

Jenson said with May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the chamber's Community Resiliency Committee wanted to do something special to raise awareness about mental health, which prompted the idea to have Martinez come and speak about the topic to the community.

Martinez will speak not only about mental health, however, while he is here. He also has events planned for students, veterans and leaders in the community. The events are open to the public.

From noon to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Martinez will speak at Wedgewood Cove about mental health. Tickets are $35 to attend. Organizations with ties to mental health will also have booths set up at this event.

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Later that night, also at Wedgewood Cove, will be Mocktails & Motivation, a night for students in Martinez will motivate attendees with stories of acceptance, inclusivity, self-care and resiliency. Tickets for this event are $20.

The next morning, from 8 to 10 a.m., will be a Veterans Appreciation Breakfast at the American Legion for $12 per person, followed by a Leadership Luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. at Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services for $29.

Rounding out the day will be Fun & Games with Martinez from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wedgewood Cove. Tickets to this event are $40. Happy hour starts at 5 p.m., when Martinez will be celebrity bartender. All tips will go to the Freeborn County Relay for Life. Dinner starts at 6 p.m., and games start at 7 p.m. Martinez will speak on the power of vulnerability and self care. There will be chances to win cash and prizes.

The chamber is also running an envelope fundraiser at their events. Donors can select an envelope of their desired gift size, and for every dollar donated, the supporter gets a ticket to enter a prize drawing. The top prize is breakfast with Martinez on Thursday morning before he leaves town. The winner will be drawn at the Fun & Games event.

All event proceeds benefit business and community efforts of the chamber.

While much of Martinez's visit will be spent raising awareness and helping with fundraising for the Chamber of Commerce, he will also help promote initiatives for other local entities while he is here. He will take a cruise on Fountain Lake to do a video for the Shell Rock River Watershed District and visit the Freeborn County Humane Society. He will also be a part of a Cash Mob event at one chamber business.

"I've seen him, I've heard him, and I've seen the impact he has on people," Jenson said.

She said Martinez spoke at the end of March to a group in Albert Lea via Zoom for a Southern Minnesota Social Media Breakfast, and even from that one hour with him that day, people still haven't been able to stop talking about him.

According to his website, Martinez was on a routine patrol in Karbala, Iraq, on April 5, 2003, when the Humvee he was driving hit a roadside bomb. The three other soldiers were ejected from the burning vehicle, but Martinez was trapped inside. He suffered smoke inhalation and severe burns to 34% of his body.

He spent 34 months in recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC/SAMC) in San Antonio, Texas, and has undergone 34 different surgeries since his injury.

During his recovery, a nurse asked him to speak to a burn patient in the hospital who had just seen his body for the first time, and after a short visit, he realized he had made a positive impact and helped the patient in some way. He went on to find solace in helping other wounded survivors and has since then traveled the world as a motivational speaker. His message is simple: "Change isn't bad if you are willing to adapt. Your path in life is decided by your own ability to adapt and overcome."

Tickets for all of the events can be purchased at the chamber at 132 N. Broadway. To find out more about all of the events planned during Martinez's visit, contact the chamber at 373-3938.
BARCELONA, Spain  While visiting Germany last month, the worlds richest man, Elon Musk, proffered unsolicited advice to European leaders.

"Spain should build a massive solar array, he tweeted on Apr. 4. Could power all of Europe."

Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promptly responded. Were already implementing most ambitious plan towards efficient & sustainable energy system, he tweeted at Musk. Come and see. We welcome investors in Spain.

While prompting 66,000 likes and 10,000 retweets, Musks tweet also elicited its fair share of eye-rolling from those who wondered when the Tesla CEO (and Twitters likely new owner) had also become a European energy expert.

"For Spain to power all of Europe makes no sense," Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, director of the Jacques Delors Energy Centre in Paris, told Yahoo News

But after Moscow shut off Gazproms gas spigot to Poland and Bulgaria last week and threatened to do the same to other countries in the 27-member European Union, Musks suggestion has prompted further examination. With European leaders warily assessing their future supplies of cheap gas from Russia, whose coal the EU is already embargoing, it's entirely possible that Spain  where renewable energies, including solar, are being rapidly deployed  may offer a solution.

Elon Musk at the opening of the Tesla gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, on March 22. (Patrick Pleul/Pool via Reuters)

His idea is provocative, Mario Sanchez-Herrero, founder of the nonprofit cooperative Ecooo Energia Ciudadana, told Yahoo News, noting that Spain has vast solar and wind energy potential. Nearly 47% of electricity generated in Spain last year was from renewables, with solar making up almost 14% of that, thanks to huge solar fields and wind farms already in operation.

Dramatically increasing Spains production of renewable energy to help power the rest of Europe isnt a stretch, Sanchez-Herrero said.

If we occupied one-quarter of Spains land  a chunk that would be the size of Florida  with just photovoltaics and solar panels, Spain could produce all the energy consumed in Europe, said Sanchez-Herrero, while adding that it is absurd to think Spain would simply convert the vast amount of land required for solar and wind farms. People live everywhere in Spain, he noted. Devoting that much land to power generation is too much. So thats not the solution.

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While Spain receives far more sunlight than most other European countries, Musks idea of singling it out as the continents energy savior defies logic, Naomi Chevillard, head of regulatory affairs at SolarPower Europe, told Yahoo News.

The beauty of solar is its flexibility and versatility, she said. We dont need to concentrate solar installations in just one country but can enhance rooftops, support farming, and protect reservoirs across Europe.

Representing more than 260 organizations from the solar sector, SolarPower Europe says it hopes that Europe will be generating 1 terawatt of solar energy  enough to power 300 million homes  by 2030 in order to strengthen the continents energy security, achieve our climate goals, and shield Europeans from energy price hikes.

A tower of the Solucar solar park in Sanlucar la Mayor, near Seville. (Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

Another potential snag with Musks vision is that Spain, which is geographically closer to Algeria than it is to Germany, is poorly connected to the power grid in most of Europe. Underwater cables are difficult to install, said Sanchez-Herrero, and the rugged underwater topography of the Bay of Biscay between Spain and France presents engineering hurdles and inevitable delays. Running overland cables through the Pyrenees mountain range would present its own obstacles. Seven years and around $1 billion were needed to complete the 40-mile electrical cable from northern Spain to southern France that became operational in 2015.

The biggest impediment to connecting Spains energy to Europe, however, has been the French government, which has opted for a much more expensive nuclear strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions and try to achieve energy independence, said Sanchez-Herrero. He lays the blame specifically on Electricite de France (EDF), the utility responsible for running Frances nuclear plants. Todays nuclear energy is much more expensive than power from the sun and the wind, he said. They dont want competition from the south.

Paris-based Pellerin-Carlin, of the Jacques Delors Energy Centre, agrees that French decision makers, swayed by EDF, halted expansion of electrical interconnectedness between Spain and France, resulting in what today is an electricity traffic jam between the two countries.

"It was mostly the French government that did not want cheap Spanish electricity to come to France because it would have been bad for the profits of EDF, which sometimes overinfluences French decision making, Pellerin-Carlin told Yahoo News. (EDF did not respond to a request to comment from Yahoo News.)

But that scenario is changing quickly, he added, and not only because of access to Russias gas.

A view of part of the array at the Solucar solar park in Spain. (Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

Now we're in a new situation, said Pellerin-Carlin. France faces a big risk of blackouts in winter for the next two to three years. He points to his countrys aging nuclear plants, the lack of investment in renewables and energy efficiency, and its soaring electricity prices as the reason. There is an interest now on the French side to make sure that there can be more flow of electricity between France and Spain." However, he added that ramping up electrical connectivity between the two countries will take several years.

Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union was already on track with goals to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and slash greenhouse emissions by 55 percent by 2030, largely through investing heavily in solar and wind energy generation. Those plans have only speeded up with Russias war on Ukraine, EU sanctions on Moscow, skyrocketing energy costs and increasing uncertainty about fossil fuel supplies. Climate change is an urgent emergency, said Sanchez-Herrero, but its going to be the war that spurs rapid change.

Over the past few years, Spain has been galloping ahead in developing solar capacity, thanks in large part to the countrys second-largest utility, Iberdrola, which has been advancing large-scale renewable projects. In 2020, Iberdrola opened the massive Nunez de Balboa photovoltaic plant in northern Spain, with 1.43 million solar panels spread across 2,470 acres  approximately one-fifth the size of Manhattan. An even larger solar installation, the Francisco Pizarro Project, due to be running this year, will have 590 megawatts of capacity and will provide clean energy to 375,000 people a year and become the largest photovoltaic plant in Europe, Xabier Viteri, Iberdrolas director of renewable energy business, told Yahoo News. But despite the enthusiasm for more renewable energy sources, analysts say the pace of regulatory approval can be glacial  regardless of the country.

One of the biggest challenges for the deployment of renewable energy is the speed of the permitting process, said Viteri. It can take over five or six years to receive permits for a wind or solar project that can then be built in 12 months.

Solar panels in a cemetery in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, near Barcelona, Spain. (Albert Gea/Reuters)

Chevillard agrees. Permitting is a common obstacle to solar deployment, she said. The waiting periods and administrative procedures are unnecessarily burdensome.

The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, is pushing EU member countries to cut through the red tape, requesting that approvals be given within two years. In the meantime, European officials are also looking to promote smaller-scale solutions like putting solar thermal collectors on rooftops to heat water.

Its very much underused, said Pellerin-Carlin, particularly given the many sunny days in Spain. There is more solar heating in Austria than in Spain, he added.

This week Spains energy minister for the ecological transition, Teresa Ribera, signed a joint letter with energy ministers of Austria, Belgium, Lithuania and Luxembourg calling on the European Commission to make solar rooftops mandatory for all new and renovated buildings, establish an EU Solar Manufacturing Fund and prepare a workforce to implement a large-scale transition to sun power. The EU can deploy at least 70 million solar rooftops by 2030 in Europe. This will generate 1100 TWh [terawatt-hours] of electricity and create millions of local jobs, said the letter.

Among those applauding the move are Ecooos Sanchez-Herrero and SolarPower Europes Chevillard. Elon Musk hasnt yet publicly responded to the news, though perhaps a tweet is in the works.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Chile's LATAM Airlines received backing by a majority of its unsecured creditors in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy exit plan, the airline said Friday.

LATAM, which filed for bankruptcy in the United States in 2020 after being hit by the coronavirus-related travel downturn, said around 65% of its low-ranking creditors had backed the plan, which it said was "fair and considered all stakeholders."

A committee representing junior creditors filed an objection to the restructuring plan in court Monday, calling it "fundamentally flawed" and alleging it would improperly benefit shareholders such as Delta Airlines at their expense. [L2N2WV2CM]

LATAM Airlines, created in 2012 following the merger of Chile's LAN with Brazilian rival TAM and with operating units in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, still has to bring dissenting stakeholders on board.

The plan, in which LATAM hopes to raise $5.4 billion, has also received objections from a Chilean bank representing local bondholders and the U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog.

The airline's lawyers will ask a New York judge to approve its proposal in court May 17.

"LATAM continues to aim to complete the process and exit from Chapter 11 in the second half of 2022," the airline said in a statement.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Chingona Ventures, a three-year-old, Chicago-based venture outfit that invests in pre-seed startups, primarily in the Midwest and primarily founded by overlooked individuals who are focused on massive markets, has closed a new fund with $52 million in capital commitments. Limited partners in the new fund include PayPal Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Melinda Gatess Pivotal Ventures, Foundry Group and the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer's Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund, among others.

It's a huge step up from the outfit's $6 million debut fund and a sign of confidence in Samara Hernandez, an engineer who spent six years at Goldman Sachs before joining the venture firm Math Venture Partners in 2015 as an investor and then striking out on her own in 2019 with Chingona, where she remains the firm's sole general partner.

While it's a little too early to judge the success of her portfolio, Hernandez has been active, managing to work checks of between $100,000 and $250,000 into 27 companies with that first fund, and investing in eight more with her second effort. Among these portfolio companies is Career Karma, a four-year-old startup that matches employees and contractors to job training programs (and which raised $40 million in January) and Suma Wealth, a financial wellness platform for the Latino community that has raised $6.6 million to date, per Crunchbase data.

Both startups underscore Chingona's areas of interest, which include fintech startups, as well as startups focused on health and wellness, food tech and the future of learning.

They also play to Hernandez's strengths, including an understanding of the massive and growing Latino market in the case of Suma Wealth. (Hernandez, who was born in Mexico and raised in the U.S., notes that one of every four kids being born today in the U.S. is Latino, yet that Latinx companies still attract less than 1% of venture capital funding in this country.)

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She is also willing to back founders who've heard no from other backers, as with Ruben Harris, the co-founder of Career Karma. Though Harris and his co-founders had passed through Y Combinator, he had a network, and he lived, at the time, in Silicon Valley, he reached out to Hernandez cold over Twitter after countless other meetings where he was passed over. "They didn't believe his strategy but I believed in him so I ended up investing," says Hernandez. (Career Karma earlier this year expanded on its initial strategy, which was to help aspiring students and working professionals navigate their way to the right bootcamp. Harris also recently moved to Miami from the Bay Area.)

Indeed, with far more capital at her disposal, Hernandez says the plan is to do more of the same, with slightly larger checks, ranging from $250,000 to $1 million.

Chingona -- a Spanish word for a woman who is fearless and gets things done, says Hernandez -- wants to "be the first and largest check into a round," she says. "What I realized with fund one is that a lot of these founders really need someone to lead and to write the biggest check and help catalyze the round."

With investors like PayPal and Insight now looking to her for some of their deal flow, she's more than happy to lead the way.
A Colombian drug cartel has set fire to dozens of vehicles, retaliating over the extradition of the group's leader to the United States on trafficking charges, authorities said Friday.

Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as "Otoniel," led Colombia's largest narco-trafficking cartel, known as the Gulf Clan.

The 50-year-old was the most wanted person in Colombia until his arrest last October, and now faces life in prison if found guilty.

Members of the Gulf Clan launched a four-day "armed strike" on Thursday, causing unrest in areas where it is influential, including the northern departments of Antioquia, Cordoba, Sucre and Bolivar.

Over the past two days "more than a hundred vehicles (...) were hit", said Interior Minister Daniel Palacios.

Officials have offered a $7,300 reward for information on those responsible.

On a tour of Antioquia, journalists witnessed six armed men stopping a vehicle and forcing out its occupants before setting it alight.

The United States accuses Usuga and the Gulf Clan of trafficking at least 73 tons of cocaine into the US between 2003 and 2012.

Usuga, who is due back in court on June 2, has pled not guilty to charges of criminal enterprise and international cocaine manufacturing and distribution.

Hoping to root out the Gulf Clan, the Colombian government has created "a specialized research unit".

According to the Centre for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz), the cartel still has about 1,700 members.

bur-lb/leg
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on measures to build the Mingachevir-Mingachevir station-Bahramtapa (6 km)-Tanrigulular highway, Azertaj has reported.

According to the decree, in order to build the highway, from the amount specified in subparagraph 1.26.18 "Distribution of funds provided in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022 for state capital investments (investment costs)", 2.1 million manat ($1.2 million) has been allocated to the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance will provide funding in the amount specified in part 1 of this decree, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan will resolve issues arising from it.
US President Joe Biden's administration announced on Friday a new initiative that would boost manufacturing of 3D printed products by domestic small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs), an effort that the White House hopes will work in conjunction with legislation meant to boost US competitiveness against China.

Dubbed "Additive Manufacturing Forward" or "AM Forward", the initiative involves voluntary commitments from some of America's largest manufacturers, including aerospace giant GE Aviation and leading defence contractor Raytheon, to source more 3D printed parts from smaller companies.

The larger companies would pledge to help train workers at these SMEs to make the products and help develop common development and certification standards for "additive manufacturing", otherwise known as 3D printing.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

US President Joe Biden, from left, speaks to Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, and Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, at the United Performance Metals manufacturing facility in Hamilton, Ohio on Friday. Photo: Gaelen Morse/Bloomberg alt=US President Joe Biden, from left, speaks to Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, and Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, at the United Performance Metals manufacturing facility in Hamilton, Ohio on Friday. Photo: Gaelen Morse/Bloomberg>

Extending 3D printing capabilities to more companies in the high-tech supply chain, the administration reasons, would lower costs and increase the competitiveness of US SMEs and reduce dependence the large manufacturers and defence contractors have on overseas companies.

At an event attended by executives from some of America's largest manufacturers, Biden touted the potential 3D printing has to offer economically and from a national security perspective.

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"The executives here today have agreed to launch a new compact between large, iconic manufacturers and smaller American suppliers, a commitment by these large companies to help those smaller ones adapt new technologies so we can continue to be the leading exporter of aircrafts and engines in areas like medical devices, clean energy technologies and so much more," he said.

While Biden's policies have diverged from the priorities of his immediate predecessor, former president Donald Trump, particularly on social issues and the environment, he has so far kept hard-line policies on China intact, including efforts to reduce American reliance on manufacturing in the country.

The US leader also reiterated a call for Congress to speed up passage of legislation that would provide billions of US dollars in funding for domestic semiconductor manufacturing and other provisions meant to counter China.

"We were ranked number one in the world in [research and development] three decades ago," Biden said. "Now we're ranked number nine in the world. China was number eight in the world 30 years ago. Now they're number two in the world. We've got to up our game."

What the White House refers to as the Bipartisan Innovation Act is what will emerge from Congress, assuming that the House of Representatives and the Senate manage to agree on provisions in China-related bills that each chamber has already passed.

The House passed its America Competes Act in February last year and the Senate passed its US Innovation and Competition Act four months later.

Provisions for 3D printing in USICA are part of some US$23 billion worth of funding that the bill would allocate for the development of high-tech priorities including aeronautics and space technology.

"Advanced materials and manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing, to reduce the cost of manufacturing scale-up and certification for use in general aviation, commercial aviation, and military aeronautics" are called for under the heading of "experimental aircraft projects".

In-situ additive manufacturing shows up in the legislation under the "Mars-forward technologies" heading along with other technologies including nuclear propulsion and cryogenic fluid management.

As part of AM Forward, GE Aviation will target SME suppliers to compete on 50 per cent of its requests for products made using 3D printing or related technologies, and will target 30 per cent of its total external sourcing of additively manufactured parts from domestic SMEs, according to the White House fact sheet.

Lockheed Martin, another participant in the initiative, will work with its SME suppliers to conduct research to improve the performance of additive manufacturing AM techniques specifically focused on the use of 3D printing as an alternative to the manufacture of products through the more traditional use of castings and forgings, it said.

Honeywell and Siemens Energy are also among the inaugural participants in AM Forward.

In a report on 3D printing prepared for US lawmakers in 2019, the Congressional Research Service - Congress's public policy research arm - noted that 3D printing can be faster, cheaper, and more flexible than conventional production methods given 3D printers' lower prices, easily modifiable digital designs, and ability to integrate multiple distinct manufacturing processes into a single operation.

The White House pledged support for AM Forward SMEs involved in the initiative through federal programmes.

For example, the Small Business Administration would extend loans and Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) programme "can support the widespread deployment of new additive capabilities across US industry", it said.

Additional reporting by Robert Delaney

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty/Courtesy Rachel Siegel

Crypto isnt known for being the most gender-inclusive space. But even crypto influencer Rachel Siegel never imagined that a recent industry event would end with a surreptitious photo of her butt going viral on Twitterand a conference employee egging it all on.

Siegel, 30, is a former substitute teacher who claims to have made millions off of crypto by investing small amounts starting in 2017. She now runs a Twitter account with more than 194,000 followers under the handle @CryptoFinally, where she tweets about the market, industry news, and her own life.

On April 9, Siegel was among the 25,000 crypto fanatics at the Bitcoin 2022 conventiona four-day extravaganza for fans of the original cryptocurrency. Siegel told The Daily Beast she was waiting in line for the mechanical bullone of the conferences many sponsored diversionswhen another conference-goer struck up a friendly conversation. Siegel said she thought nothing of it at the time, and enjoyed herself the rest of the day.

Bitcoin Threw a Massive Party in Miami and I Crashed It

When she got home and clicked into Twitter, however, she was greeted with a photo of her own rear end. The man from the conference had apparently taken a picture of her while she wasnt looking and posted it on Twitter with a single word: lol.

The man had posted the photo as a retweet of one of Siegels own: a selfie she had put up earlier that day. His photo was decidedly less flatteringa closeup of her backside taken from behind, her derriere looking notably less voluptuous. The tweet was obviously intended to highlight the difference.

Commenters quickly jumped into the replies to mock Siegel. (How we serving them flapjacks? one wrote.) Others made memes out of the image. By the time she saw it, Siegel said, the photo had been shared by multiple high-profile crypto accounts.

To Siegel and others, the incident was just another example of the harassment some women face in the crypto sphere. Much like in traditional finance, women are wildly outnumbered in the crypto space, making up less than 5 percent of the most prominent crypto entrepreneurs and only 15 percent of all bitcoin traders. That imbalance, many women say, leads to a boys club atmosphere that is uncomfortable and occasionally menacing.

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Women have previously reported non-consensual touching, inappropriate questions, and unsolicited come-ons at industry events. In one infamous example, an after-party for the 2018 North American Bitcoin Conference was hosted at a Miami strip club. Were a bunch of dudes with a lot of money in our 20s, one attendee told Bloomberg. We like naked girls.

As a crypto influencer, Siegel was familiar with online harassment. But the photo was the result of a real-world encounter at a conference that claimed it was dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for all attendees. She fired off a tweet about the incident, calling the mans behavior and the subsequent engagement with his post fcking disgusting, and sent a direct message to the conference organizers asking about their harassment policy. (At the time, she believed the photographer had won the bull riding contest, and asked whether he would still be receiving the prize: one bitcoin, or about $40,000. Conference organizers later confirmed he did not win.)

Were a Cult: Inside Bitcoins Shameless Hypefest

Hours went by with no response, until one of Siegels followers offered to start an email chain with her and some of the conference organizers. Organizers responded quickly to that thread, according to screenshots Siegel provided to The Daily Beast, and seemed to be trying to track the wannabe paparazzo down. Siegel said she felt like they were making progress.

The next day, Siegel received a response to the direct message she had sent to the official Bitcoin conference Twitter account, from an employee who identified himself by his personal Twitter handle. Siegel searched for the handle on Twitter and found a user who identified himself as a conference employee. He had tagged both the conference and its sponsor, Bitcoin Magazine, in his bio.

He had also, Siegel saw, liked a number of the tweets mocking her and the surreptitious butt picture. She was stunned.

Oh you made a mistake, she wrote to the official conference account, attaching screenshots of the tweets the employee had liked. Completely unacceptable behavior on behalf of the conference organizers. Thank you for identifying yourself.

The official account responded by using the laugh emoji reaction to her messages.

Crypto maam, the employee wrote back. My personal account doesnt have anything to do with this account. Feel free to voice your concerts[sic] to our support team.

The Daily Beast attempted to contact the conference via multiple channels, including by calling the companys director of events at the number listed on his email signature. When this reporter identified herself, the man who answered said it was a wrong number and abruptly hung up. The conferences head of public relations also did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment.

The photo incident continued to spiral in the days that followed. Siegel responded to the email thread with the conference organizers, alerting them to the messages from the Twitter account. Around the same time, the employee removed the official conference tags from his Twitter bio, leading some online to speculate that Siegel had gotten him fired. More than one person referred to her as a Karen.

Meanwhile, crypto enthusiasts were hotly debating whether posting a covert photo of someones rear end really constituted sexual harassment, and whether Siegel could honestly cry foul, given that shed posted selfies of her own butt before.

Anyone who posts photos of themselves on the internet deserves whatever criticism they get, one user wrote. Still milking this? another jeered.

Conference CEO David Bailey eventually weighed in with a Twitter thread, writing that he despised woke bullshit but wanted to build a dope community where people arent harassed over shit they cant change.

Someone on our team engaged with a dumb tweet from our official account. Extremely immature and Im pissed about it, he wrote. Theyve been seriously reprimanded but everyone makes mistakes and Im not firing them for it.

Bailey, 31, also urged anyone who harassed women at the conference to stop being a fucking loser, adding: Bitcoin is for woman [sic] too.

My mom, sisters, aunts, wife, daughters all attend the conference and the moment one of them is made to feel uncomfortable Ill kill a motherfucker, he wrote.

Siegel was not impressed. The official CEO response to the conference admin harassing me is everybody makes mistakes & I should have had a man at the conference to kll a mf for me, she tweeted.

Emails between Siegel and the conference organizers became increasingly tense, with Siegels attorney saying he had hired litigation counsel and demanding to be put in touch with BTC Medias lawyers. The companys head of people, Nick Beaird, responded by saying he did not see a legal issue.

Beaird also informed Siegel that he had not been able to identify the photographer, and would not be able to disclose his identity even if he had. In regard to the employee who liked the mocking tweets, he said the company would be investigating the entirety of the situation and taking measures consistent with our policies and practices. He did not specify what those policies and practices were.

In her final email to the company, to which Beaird did not respond, Siegel wrote: The behavior of you, and everyone involved has been despicable. If you can take a moment to step outside whatever game of power you're playing right now and look at the situation maybe you can realize how appalling & honestly traumatizing this has been for me.

Throughout the entire affair, Siegel said, she heard from other women with similar experiences at crypto events. Kelsey Cole, a cryptocurrency cofounder and investor, replied to one of Siegels tweets saying she had received rape threats, death threats, and bomb threats since getting into the industry. Another woman, Amanda Goetz, tweeted that she had recently heard from several women in the Bitcoin space about being sexually assaulted. I no longer go to crypto events for this reason (unless hosted by women) she tweeted.

Siegel said she was nervous about speaking to the media about the incident, for fear it would further ostracize her in the industry. But the messages she received from other women also convinced her that speaking out was necessary.

The zeitgeist of the internet is that its just me, but its also these dozens of women who are too scared to show themselves because of what happened to me, she said.

She added: I dont think this is a story that lives and dies with my ass.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Aaron Ramsdale (left) has been getting advice from former Arsenal favourite David Seaman (John Walton/David Davies/PA)

David Seaman has praised Aaron Ramsdale for taking his chance at Arsenal with both hands as he continues to tutor the England goalkeeper.

Ramsdale has established himself as first choice between the posts at the Emirates Stadium but, despite Seaman being a big fan, he is not afraid to dish out the tough love.

Signed from Sheffield United last summer for a reported 24million, plenty of eyebrows were raised as the Gunners brought in a goalkeeper with consecutive Premier League relegations on his CV.

Ramsdale, however, has flourished having quickly ousted Bernd Leno from the number one spot in Mikel Artetas top-four chasing side and will be between the posts when they welcome relegation-threatened Leeds on Sunday.

When he first came, a lot of Arsenal fans were asking questions as to why were spending 30million on a number two because they couldnt really see him replacing Bernd Leno, former Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman told the PA news agency, ahead of Soccer Aid 2022.

Then obviously, Aaron got his chance and I know it is a pun but hes taking it with with both hands. He has properly grabbed it and shown what he can do.

A lot of people were saying to me, but hes been relegated with Bournemouth and Sheffield United.

Aaron got his chance and I know it is a pun but he's taking it with with both hands. He has properly grabbed it and shown what he can do.

David Seaman

That, for me, is a brilliant experience. That experience of playing under pressure and a relegation fight, trust me, is a lot worse than going for titles.

Hes just gone on and hes just hes getting better and better. His confidence is there for all to see.

When Bruno Fernandes missed that penalty for Manchester United and he was charging up to him and giving it the full Martin Keown, I was like hold on a bit Aaron, you didnt even save it but that just shows that he motivates himself through things like that.

Aaron Ramsdale enjoys showing his emotions during games (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

Ramsdale quickly understood Seamans legacy upon joining Arsenal and the pair have been in regular contact, even appearing together in an advertisement for a local fish and chip shop.

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Seaman is ready to offer his years of experience to Ramsdale and the other goalkeepers in the Arsenal ranks  but will not stop short of calling out errors in their games.

We send text messages and stuff and weve had chats and things, he added.

I am there for him to learn and if there is anything he needs  not just with Aaron but all the goalkeepers at the club  that is what Im there for, good and bad.

Im there as a mentor, Ive got all sorts of experiences in my head that might maybe help them one day and its just nice to go back, its nice to be back involved coaching the under-23s and seeing the development of the club again.

I was a little bit disappointed with him against Liverpool because he had made a mistake that cost a goal when he got down at his near post in a big game.

He knew, I text him straight afterwards and there was a couple of ones before. I think there was one against Watford and I text him saying you got away with that mate, make the most of it because sometimes you dont get away with them at this level.

While looking to emulate Seamans achievements at Arsenal, Ramsdale will also have an eye on establishing himself with England.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman is coaching the England team for Soccer Aid 2022. (Ian Walton/UnicefUK)

Seaman collected 75 senior caps as he played at Euro 96 and Euro 2000 as well as the World Cups in 1998 and 2002.

He believes Ramsdale could give Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate a selection headache ahead of the World Cup later in the year  but that a lack of experience at international level is currently working against him.

Aaron is certainly going to be putting pressure on Jordan Pickford, theres no doubt about that, added Seaman.

But at the moment he has only played once for England, he has got one cap against San Marino and obviously didnt have a great deal to do.

It is that lack of experience and the fact that Jordan has done really well when hes played for England. You cant take that away from him.

Aaron Ramsdales only England cap to date was in a 10-0 World Cup qualifying win in San Marino (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire)

A winter World Cup could benefit Aaron, there is a bit more time. Im sure that thats one of the things thats on (England manager) Gareths (Southgate) mind. He does need to get a bit more experience for his goalkeepers.

Even people like Nick Pope has only got about eight caps and that is not a lot. Hopefully now Aaron stays away from injury and starts putting the pressure on.

:: Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2022 takes place on Sunday, June 12 at the London Stadium. A family of four can attend the game for just 60  buy your tickets at socceraid.org.uk/tickets
Rescuers combed through what remained of a luxury Havana hotel Saturday, as the death toll after a powerful blast due to a suspected gas leak climbed to 27, authorities said.

No survivors were found in the upper floors of the prestigious Saratoga Hotel, and rescuers said they were now concentrating their efforts on the jumbled debris filling the two-level basement of the neoclassical building.

Authorities reported Saturday that 37 people had been hospitalized, down from an earlier number of 46.

There was meanwhile some confusion after a Red Cross official gave a death toll of 32, but the higher number was later reported to be "an error."

The hotel had been closed for business during renovation work, and many victims of Friday's explosion were either construction workers or hotel employees preparing for its reopening.

But a 29-year-old Spanish tourist, who had been walking nearby, died in the blast.

So far, 11 hotel employees have been identified among the dead, said Roberto Enriquez Calzadilla, a spokesman for the state-run tourism group Gaviota, which operates the hotel.

He said the explosion happened while a gas tank was being refilled by a tanker truck.

- A cry for help -

Officials said the dead included four children and adolescents. More than a dozen of those hospitalized were listed in critical or serious condition.

With the search now turning toward the building's basement levels -- a woman's cry for help was heard emanating from there on Friday afternoon -- tons of smoking debris have complicated the task.

"My daughter works in the Saratoga -- she's been there (under the rubble) since... yesterday morning, and in all this time I still don't know anything," an anguished Yaumara Cobas told journalists, adding that she had checked with a hospital and the morgue.

"We've got to push on," said longtime Politburo member Ramiro Valdes, a veteran of the Cuban revolution. "Some of our comrades could still be down there -- alive."

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the Spanish tourist's death on Twitter and offered condolences to survivors and their families. "All our love to their families and those of all the victims and injured. Our support also to the Cuban people," he said.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel deplored the loss of life in a Twitter message, while commending those Cubans who had rushed to donate blood for survivors.

"Solidarity has prevailed. #FuerzaCuba," he added.

Officials from the United States, Canada, the European Union, China, Russia and Venezuela sent messages of condolence.

- Days before reopening -

The first four floors of the establishment, which were closed to guests while being renovated, were gutted in the late-morning blast that sent dust and smoke billowing into the air.

The explosion tore off large parts of the facade, blew out windows and destroyed cars parked outside the five-star hotel, which has in the past hosted celebrities such as Madonna, Beyonce, Mick Jagger and Rihanna.

The dome of a nearby Baptist church also collapsed.

With the hotel's renovations nearly complete, its reopening had been scheduled for next Tuesday.

The Saratoga was built in 1880 to house shops. It was converted into a hotel in 1933 and was renovated as a luxury establishment in 2005.

ka/yow/to/mtp
Increasing taxes on wealthy Americans is not controversial among much of the U.S. electorate, with polls consistently showing that a majority of both Democratic and Republican voters believe the richest Americans should be contributing more to public coffers.

But despite an abundance of Democratic proposals to increase taxes on the rich, originating from both the White House and key congressional offices, experts say the chances of getting the rich to pay more in taxes over the long term are getting slimmer.

That doesnt bode well for President Bidens proposed billionaire tax, though Democrats are still trying.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who updated his own billionaire tax plan last year, wants to distance his proposal from the generic notion of a wealth tax.

This is not a wealth tax, he said in an interview. This is closing loopholes in the capital gains law.

When I proposed the billionaire income tax, the president, to his credit, said he liked the idea, and his proposal is something called the billionaires minimum income tax. So were very much rolling in the right direction, he said. Since then, there has been very substantial interest in Washington and around the country, because it continues to be unfair. To me, what the tax system is supposed to be all about is promoting fairness.

Polling from agencies including Pew, Reuters-Ipsos, Data for Progress, The Hill-HarrisX and others all found a majority of voters believe the wealthy should pay more in taxes.

But while linchpin Democrats like Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) have proven the biggest obstacle to progressive taxation efforts during the current administration, experts say the impasse is part of a bigger economic picture.

That picture, according to Vanessa Williamson, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Brookings Institution, shows what many have long felt intuitively, that wealthy people are both economically more conservative than regular Americans and hold more sway in the political system.

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The fact is our political system is not responsive to the will of the majority on a very wide array of issues, including and perhaps especially tax policy, Williamson said in an interview. Theres an increasing amount of work in the field of political science demonstrating that extremely wealthy people are meaningfully more conservative than the average American on economic policy.

Theres also a lot of political science that demonstrates the political system is more responsive to the preferences of the wealthy than any other part of the economic distribution, she said.

Perhaps the best-known example from this body of work is the so-called Princeton oligarchy study from 2014 that found that while rich people and trade groups can affect U.S. government policies, regular people effectively cannot.

The study went viral, speaking to long-simmering gripes in the electorate, and its authors even discussed their findings with Jon Stewart on the Comedy Central networks popular Daily Show.

While the studys conclusions have been debated, one of its authors, political scientist Ben Page of Northwestern University, said theres growing academic agreement that on issues like taxation, wealthy opinion is both more conservative and more influential than public opinion.

Bloomberg, Buffett, Gates, the usual suspects who speak out, it turns out theyre very atypical. Theyre unusually centrist or even left-centrist, Page said in an interview. The vast majority of the 100 wealthiest billionaires are very conservative on economic issues, even on something like Social Security, and definitely on taxes. Many of them want to abolish the estate tax.

The Republican Party is almost 100 percent in favor of pro-wealthy policies, Page said, but it turns out a fair number of Democrats, including progressive-looking ones, people we think of as progressives, just dont quite get in there and try to undo the Trump or Bush tax cuts.

Democrats are part of the problem when it comes to taxing the rich, he added.

One such Trump-era tax cut that has remained in place despite bicameral Democratic majorities during the Biden administration is the doubling of the estate tax exemption.

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act bumped up the exclusion on the 40-percent estate tax, which is levied at death, to more than $11 million from $5.5 million, a rule change that applies to 0.1 percent of the people who die every year, according to an estimate by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.

Another tax cut for the wealthy long safeguarded by Democrats is the exemption on carried interest, which allows hedge fund managers and private equity bigwigs to avoid taxes on most of their income.

Chuck Schumer, who is majority leader for the Democrats in the Senate, is thought of as really a very progressive person, and on social issues he definitely is, but hes got a soft spot for the finance industry in New York, and so he keeps protecting the carried interest exemption, Page said.

Pages co-author on the oligarchy study, political scientist Martin Gilens of UCLA, considers the current prospects for progressive taxation on the wealthy to be slim to none in the short term and even perhaps the medium term.

Majority opinion among voters doesnt get translated into majority opinion among their elected representatives, Gilens said, pointing to the role of money in U.S. politics, as well as structural issues of representation in voting districts and the electoral college.

Gilens also said the revolving door is an obstacle to progressive taxation on the rich, referring to the tendency of congressional representatives and their staff to take jobs as lobbyists working for private industry after leaving the government.

Theres a sort of social or cultural capture created by the fact that our elected representatives, certainly in U.S. Congress, spend an enormous amount of time with wealthy constituents or potential donors, he said. It creates a sense of distortion about both what the public wants and what seems reasonable. Whether taxing wealth seems like a reasonable thing to do might depend on whether you spend a lot of time hanging out with wealthy people.

Conservative lawmakers, though, have another view why the U.S. hasnt  and shouldnt  implement a wealth tax.

House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said in an interview that wealth taxes have failed in different countries around the world and theyll fail here in the United States for a couple of key reasons. One, youre actually taxing those who are investing most into the U.S. economy, especially in new innovation, new technologies and new startups that can address the economic challenges America faces, so it makes no sense at all to be targeting them.

Secondly, what we saw in other countries is, wealth taxes are, for the most part, easily avoided, he said. Theyre very hard to implement and collect, and just a nightmare basically to execute.

Still, even conservative analysts note that the downward trend in taxation on the wealthy in recent years has behaved as a one-way valve, with top marginal income tax rates hitting 90 percent in the 1960s, hovering around 70 percent in the 1970s, dipping as low as 28 percent in the 1980s, and then averaging in the mid-30th percentile for the last 30 or so years.

It is kind of odd that at least the top marginal personal income tax rate has been kind of steady ever since fluctuating from 70 to 50 to 28 to 30 to almost 40 [percent] in the span of about 15 years from 1980 to 1995, and then stabilizing between 35 and 40 percent , Alex Muresianu, a federal analyst at the right-leaning Tax Foundation, said in an interview, though he noted that the trend has not been a linear decline.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Some hospitals in Washington are rationing medical scans and rethinking procedures after a shortage of a critical drug has struck the western United States.

Iodine-based contrast, a drug used in computerized tomography (CT) scans, is in short supply, according to health care organizations in Western Washington.

CT scans, which combine multiple X-ray images into a 3D-like image, are used to diagnose and track the health of bones, blood vessels and soft tissues. They are used to assess internal injuries, diagnose cancer and plan medical procedures.

CT is the workhorse for care delivery, said University of Washington School of Medicine professor and radiology chair Dr. Dushyant Sahani. All important decisions require that.

UWMC performs about 1,000 CT scans a week, he said. The majority use the contrast in short supply.

The contrast shortage comes from production shutdowns at Shanghai, China-based factories operated by pharmaceutical company GE Healthcare. The plants were temporarily closed due to COVID-19 lockdowns ordered by the Chinese government. While the plants are reportedly at full production again, the shutdown has resulted in a shortage that could affect hospitals into July.

Providence Swedish system, which includes Olympias Providence Saint Peter Hospital, said its stores of contrast are at critical levels. GE provides approximately 97 percent of its iodine-based contrast.

WHY CONTRAST IS CRUCIAL

About 60 percent of CT scans use a contrast agent which is used to differentiate between organs and detect lesions. The same iodine contrast is used in other procedures such as angiograms.

Its usually administered intravenously.

The shortage seems to have caught medical institutions off guard. UW learned of the shortage on Friday. Providence Swedish notified its staff of the shortage on Wednesday.

GE controls the majority of the contrast market in the U.S. Hospitals that contract for a drug generally only use one supplier. That can be a problem if the supplier comes up short with a particular drug.

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Virginia Mason Franciscan Healthcare (VMFH), the parent of Tacomas Saint Joseph Medical Center, said it was aware of the shortage but wasnt impacted.

We are maintaining adequate supply through our manufacturer, Bracco, to meet our patients needs, VMFH said in a statement Thursday.

Medical imaging specialist TRA also uses Bracco as its contrast supplier and is not expecting a shortage, according to spokesperson Chris Coates. In addition to its own facilities, TRA manages imaging for the Carol Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

In the six days since the shortage became known, Sahani and his colleagues have been strategizing to reduce the need for contrast and avoid a crisis.

How do we save enough contrast media (for) mission critical services and patients who deserve most of that? Sahani said. We can prioritize those and change our policy around those patients who dont need as much.

Cardiac and emergency department patients are being prioritized over patients who might need a CT scan for a routine cancer check-up, he said.

UWMC is also using more dual energy CT scans, a state of the art technology that uses less contrast without compromising image quality, Sahani said.

PROVIDENCE SWEDISH

Providence Swedish assessed that its current supplies will last just one week at normal use.

We have begun shifting resources between hospitals as need arises, the health-care system said in a statement. Our supply chain management division is working tirelessly to acquire additional contrast for our hospitals.

On Wednesday, Providence Swedish put a temporary hold on all non-emergency outpatient CT contrast scans.

The hold is needed to preserve contrast for strokes, trauma, cancer diagnosis as well as cardiac and lung conditions.

However, patients should not hesitate to seek medical care due to the shortage, Providence Swedish said.

We are asking our community to please do not delay or postpone urgent or emergent care, it said.

This story was originally published by The News Tribune.
Gia Spriet (Left) and Christine Melvin (Right) celebrate the amount of money raised during GP Reeves' fundraising kickoff events.

HOLLAND  A local manufacturing company has succeeded in raising thousands of dollars for medical research after the owner's wife received an unexpected, rare diagnosis.

Business owner and president Kevin Reeves at GP Reeves, an industrial equipment supplier, was shocked in March 2021 when his otherwise healthy wife  39-year-old Karla Reeves  was rushed to the hospital with severe stroke-like symptoms: dizziness, loss of voice, and loss of the ability to swallow.

Neurologists were convinced she had a tumor or multiple sclerosis.

"They decided to do a brain biopsy which involved collecting tissue from her brain stem," Reeves wrote in a statement. "This area of the brain is known to be very high risk. It controls subconscious functions of the body such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, face/neck muscles and eyesight."

Employees at GP Reeves have raised thousands of dollars toward medical research after the business owner's wife received a rare diagnosis.

The family was warned, if a tumor was found, it would be terminal. But the biopsy itself caused a second stroke, leading to numbness and loss of muscle control on the right side of Karla's face and the left side of her body. She also stopped breathing on her own, and was hooked up to a ventilator for three days.

"We were bracing for the worst as we waited for the results of the biopsy," Reeves wrote. "The test results slowly came in and revealed that it was not a tumor, it was not MS  it was CNS vasculitis."

The disease, though rare and serious, came as a relief. CNS vasculitis is characterized by inflamed blood vessel walls in the brain and spine. The condition can't be cured, but is treatable with regular monitoring.

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"It was the best news we could have hoped for," Reeves wrote.

Karla is still recovering, over a year later, struggling to re-learn what the stroke took away. Upcoming surgeries will correct issues with her eyesight and facial paralysis.

"Life will never be the same for us," Reeves wrote. "But we want to help improve awareness of this disease and support research that will prevent others from going through this tragedy."

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That's where employees at GP Reeves came in.

"It was scary for Kevin and their children," said marketing lead Christine Melvin. "It was scary for our entire team. We're a smaller company, and you get to know everyone. Karla worked in the office until this happened. My coworkers and I had been exploring ways we could give back to the community as a company, and this landed in our laps. We knew it was what we needed to do."

Kevin and Karla Reeves during GP Reeves' 50th anniversary celebration.

Employees have been collecting donations since last spring, including during the company's 50th anniversary celebration.

"This is the first time we've ever done any kind of companywide fundraising, so we weren't sure what to expect," Melvin said. "We set a goal of $2,000, and I think we're somewhere between $6,000 and $7,000 now. And we're pushing for more."

CNS vasculitis is diagnosed in less than three people per million annually, Melvin said.

"No one in our company is probably ever even going to know anyone else with this disease."

Through its fundraiser, the company has partnered with the University of Michigan's Stroke Division to advance research of CNS. The company will host members from the division next week for speeches and a check presentation.

"I am both thankful and proud of the GP Reeves team for the support of this cause and of my family through this challenging time," Reeves wrote.

Donate online here.

 Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at cassandra.lybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Employees fundraise after business owner's wife receives rare diagnosis
Netflix

Indiana fertility specialist Dr. Donald Cline has never served a day in prison. Nonetheless, Our Father doles out a stinging serving of Netflix justice, laying bare the renowned physicians practice of deceptively inseminating patients with his own sperm, the result being the birth of 94 children and counting. He was a monster in the guise of a savior, and Lucie Jourdans outraged and heartfelt documentary (May 11) suggests that his conduct was at least partly the byproduct of his faithwhich, apparently, may have been wrapped up in the cult-y (and white nationalist-y) conservative Christian movement known as Quiverfull.

The Quiverfull theology encourages families to procreate as much as possible in order to swell the ranks of Gods disciples, who in the central metaphor are the arrows shot out into the world by pious parents. The underlying motivation here is often racist: white Christians must repopulate the planet with their own chosen kind, lest it be taken over by darker-skinned heathens. According to Our Father, Clines relationship with Quiverfull is circumstantial at best, implied via the email address of someone tangentially connected to him. Still, the fact that he was a church elder who secretly created an army of blonde-haired, blue-eyed children and who endlessly recited one of Quiverfulls favorite lines of scriptureJeremiah 1:5, which reads, Before I formed you in your mothers womb, I knew youlends credence to the idea that he was driven by wacko religious convictions to carry out a creepy quasi-The Boys from Brazil mission.

Happening Captures the Terrifying Future That Anti-Abortion Conservatives Want

Whether Cline was an extremist or not, Our Father makes a strong case that he was a cretin with a twisted God complex. Renowned throughout Indiana as one of the fields luminaries, Cline was a serious and respected doctor whose office walls were lined with religious passages and homilies, and who was seen by his long-time nurse Jan Shore as a stern father figure. Before 1985, fresh sperm was used in fertility procedures, and it was Clines modus operandi to elicit donor samples from the residents who worked at the hospital across the street from his office. As Shore recalls, because the samples had to be kept at room temperature, she would personally transport them back to Cline by storing them in her bra. It was a somewhat makeshift operation, but one that thrived, and since Cline promised clients that he never used a donor more than three timesto prevent the community from becoming overrun with unbeknownst-to-each-other biological relativeshe was trusted by just about everybody.

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That began to change courtesy of Jacoba Ballard, who knew that Cline had helped her mother become pregnant, and who years earlier had been told by Cline that she might have one or two biological half-siblings. At age 35, she purchased a 23andMe test kit hoping to discover a brother or sister, only to receive results that specified that she had seven DNA matches. This struck her as odd and disconcerting, and she soon developed lines of communication with those matches, all of whom joked about the far-fetched notion that Cline might be their biological dad. All kidding stopped, though, when this group dug deeper into their paternal history, and found a second cousin named Sylvia who revealed to them that one of the surnames in her family tree was Clines mothers maiden nameand that Cline himself was her cousin.

It wasnt long before numerous additional Cline offspring came out of the woodwork, stunned to learn via 23andMe that they had been fathered by the doctor. Julie Harmon (#14), Matt White (#17), Heather Woock (#22), Lisa Shepherd-Stidham (#33), Jason Hyatt (#48), Carrie Foster (#53) and Alison Kramer (#61) all recount their stories of shock, revulsion and fury in Our Father, as do many of their mothers, who make clear that, while they were undressing and preparing for procedures in one room, Cline was next door masturbating to create fresh samples for insemination. Misrepresentation and violation dont come starker than this, and yet when confronted with his misdeeds, Cline first downplayed the scope and severity of his action to Jacoba, and then begged her to keep things quiet in order to protect his marriage and reputation as a community leader.

At separate meetings with Jacoba and some of her siblings, and at a sit-down with local Fox59 reporter Angela Ganote, Cline showed up with a gun on his hipa veiled threat that went hand-in-hand with his insinuating line of questioning. Our Father is a damning portrait of an individual who took heinous advantage of his position to go forth and multiply, and who felt few qualms about his behavior. Its not clear if Cline believed he was helping those in need, fulfilling a sick sexual fantasy, or executing what he imagined was a divine plan. Yet theres no escaping his villainy, which Jourdan catalogues through a combination of archival photos and news segments, talking-head interviews with some of his progeny, dramatic recreations (occasionally featuring Jacoba), and recorded audio conversations between Jacoba and Cline that expose his cold, naked self-interest.

The tragedy at the heart of Our Father is the irreparable damage done to these families and individuals, be it children who have to reconfigure their sense of identity, mothers who were lied to and physically wronged by their physician, or fathers who must accept that their parentage is devoid of a biological component. Just as disgusting, however, is the fact that, until 2018, there were no statutes on the Indiana books that categorized Clines conduct as criminal. The best Jacoba and company could do was charge him with making false statements to the attorney general, and even then, a lenient judgeostensibly swayed by Clines friends in high places, as well as the opinion that, in the final tally, he had done more good than harmsaddled him with no jail time and a paltry $500 fine.

Thankfully, Our Father indicates that the law has since changed in Indiana. Although for Cline, his lasting legacy likely wont be defined by any courtroom judgments but, rather, by this damning and readily available streaming-service documentary.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union conceded he was a doofus for becoming entangled in Donald Trump and Rudy Giulianis scheme to pressure Ukraine into helping with Trumps reelection.

But Gordon Sondland hopes history might be kinder to him than that description.

You had to have been there, Sondland told The Washington Post in an interview published Friday. None of us are perfect.

My own mistake was probably buying into the whole Giuliani narrative and allowing a nongovernmental actor to interfere in a very ambiguous way with U.S. foreign policy, he told the Post.

Sondland  the latest official coming out with a book  became entangled in what he would later testify at Trumps impeachment hearing was a quid pro quo pressure scheme by the then-president. A phone call and meeting in Washington with Trump avidly sought by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not be arranged  nor would weapons approved by Congress be delivered  until Zelenskyy committed to launching an investigation into Hunter Biden in a scheme to undermine Joe Biden.

Sondlands frank testimony about the arrangement dealt a blow to Trump at his impeachment hearing.

The hotelier and major Trump contributor (Sondland gave $1 million to Trumps inaugural committee) was way out of his depth with absolutely no experience in foreign policy when the pressure campaign against Ukraine was rolled out. He was a poster child of why donor-ambassadors arent a great idea, Max Bergmann, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Post.

I really regret that the Ukrainians were placed in that predicament, Sondland testified in 2019, but I do not regret doing what I could to try to break the logjam and to solve the problem to bring Ukraine and the U.S. together.

He told the Post that he feared Ukraine was in a vulnerable place, and now were proven correct, he added.

Check out Sondlands full interview with the Post here.

Story continues

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
By Aditya Kalra and Abhirup Roy

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp has alleged its top executives faced threats of "physical violence" and coercion during questioning by India's financial crime fighting agency, according to a court filing seen by Reuters.

Officials from the Enforcement Directorate warned the company's former India managing director, Manu Kumar Jain, current Chief Financial Officer Sameer B.S. Rao, and their families of "dire consequences" if they did not submit statements as desired by the agency, Xiaomi's filing dated May 4 stated.

After the Reuters story was published, the Enforcement Directorate issued a statement saying Xiaomi's allegations were "untrue and baseless" and company executives had deposed "voluntarily in the most conducive environment".

Xiaomi has been under investigation since February and last week the Indian agency seized $725 million in the company's India bank accounts, saying it made illegal remittances abroad "in the guise of royalty" payments.

Xiaomi has denied any wrongdoing, saying its royalty payments were legitimate.

On Thursday, a judge heard Xiaomi lawyers and put on hold the Indian agency's decision to freeze bank assets. The next hearing is set for May 12.

The company alleges intimidation by the enforcement agency when executives appeared for questioning multiple times in April.

Jain and Rao were on certain occasions "threatened ... with dire consequences including arrest, damage to the career prospects, criminal liability and physical violence if they did not give statements as per the dictates of" the agency, according to the filing in the High Court of southern Karnataka state.

The executives "were able to resist the pressure for some time, (but) they ultimately relented under such extreme and hostile abuse and pressure and involuntarily made some statements," it added.

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In its media statement, the Enforcement Directorate said it is a "professional agency with strong work ethics and there was no coercion or threat to the officers of the company at any point of time".

Xiaomi declined to comment citing pending legal proceedings. Jain and Rao did not respond to Reuters queries.

Jain is now Xiaomi's global vice president based in Dubai and is credited with Xiaomi's rise in India, where its smartphones are hugely popular.

Xiaomi was the leading smartphone seller in 2021 with a 24% market share in India, according to Counterpoint Research. It also sells other tech gadgets including smart watches and televisions, and has 1,500 employees in the country.

FIGHT OVER REMITTANCES

Many Chinese companies have struggled to do business in India due to political tensions following a border clash in 2020. India has cited security concerns in banning more than 300 Chinese apps since then and also tightened norms for Chinese companies investing in India.

Tax inspectors raided Xiaomi's India offices in December. On receiving information from tax authorities, the Enforcement Directorate - which probes issues such as foreign exchange law violations - started reviewing Xiaomi's royalty payments, court documents show.

The agency last week said Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited (XTIPL) remitted foreign currency equivalent to 55.5 billion rupees ($725 million) to entities abroad even though Xiaomi had "not availed any service" from them.

"Such huge amounts in the name of royalties were remitted on the instructions of their Chinese parent group entities," the agency said.

Xiaomi's court filing alleges that during the investigation, Indian agency officials "dictated and forced" Xiaomi India CFO Rao to include a sentence as part of his statement "under extreme duress" on April 26.

The line read: "I admit the royalty payments have been made by XTIPL as per the directions from certain persons in the Xiaomi group."

A day later, on April 27, Rao withdrew the statement saying it was "not voluntary and made under coercion", the filing shows.

The directorate issued an order to freeze assets in Xiaomi's bank accounts two days later.

Xiaomi has said in a previous media statement it believes its royalty payments "are all legit and truthful" and the payments were made for "in-licensed technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products".

Its court filing stated Xiaomi is "aggrieved for being targeted since some of its affiliate entities are based out of China".

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra in New Delhi and Abhirup Roy in Mumbai; editing by Stephen Coates and Jason Neely)
By Trend

The Foreign Ministries of Brazil and Azerbaijan held the third round of political consultations in Brazilia, the Azerbaijani ministry told Trend.

According to the ministry, during the political consultations on the current state of bilateral relations, and issues of expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres were discussed.

The parties also exchanged views on the prospects for partnership within the framework of regional and international organizations.

During his visit to Brazil, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov met with the countrys Presidential Adviser on Foreign Policy Filipe Martins, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Marcio Eli Almeida Leandro and members of the Brazilian-Azerbaijani Friendship Group in the Brazilian Parliament.

The meeting parties discussed the prospects for bilateral relations, the expansion of economic cooperation, the importance of inter-parliamentary ties, and emphasized the importance of expanding contacts between the two countries.
The US requested the seizure of Suleiman Kerimov's $325 million superyacht. Osman Uras/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

The FBI has reportedly found evidence implicating Suleiman Kerimov in US crimes.

Authorities found documents when boarding the superyacht on Thursday, per Australia's ABC News.

The Amadea was seized on Thursday by Fijian law enforcement at the request of US authorities.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation found evidence incriminating the owner of a superyacht that was seized by Fijian authorities on Thursday, reports say.

Australia's ABC News first reported the story.

The US requested the seizure of Suleiman Kerimov's $325 million superyacht, which the FBI and Fijian law enforcement worked together to achieve.

According to a statement from the Department of Justice, the seizure warrant was issued amid evidence the vessel, known as the "Amadea," was subject to forfeiture based on "probable cause" of violations of US law, money laundering, and conspiracy.

The DOJ reported that court documents showed Kerimov owned the vessel after his designation as a Russian government official.

The 350-foot superyacht was previously reported to be heading for the Fijian port of Nadi but is now located in Lautoka, Fiji. Its owner, Kerimov, is thought to be Russia's ninth-richest person with a fortune of around $14.5 billion, according to Forbes. He has been sanctioned by the US, EU, and the UK over alleged money laundering and his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kerimov is among individuals who have been sanctioned for being part of Vladimir Putin's close circles. The oligarchs have been scrutinized by the West and their assets have been seized, frozen, or detained.

The US Department of Justice said in a statement on Thursday that according to court documents, Kerimov and those who acted on his behalf "caused US dollar transactions to be routed through US financial institutions for the support and maintenance of the Amadea."

Insider previously reported that the maintenance cost of a superyacht can be up to 15% of its value. Vessels that are not properly maintained could cause environmental issues.

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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the statement: "This ruling should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate US laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime."

He added: "The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine."

Western sanctions have prompted the seizure of superyachts, mansions, and private jets linked to some of Russia's richest people. Some have attempted to evade sanctions by moving their assets to friendly jurisdictions.

Deputy attorney general Lisa O. Monaco said: "This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide  not even in the remotest part of the world. We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine."

Read the original article on Business Insider
A grand jury has indicted former Arizona Corrections Director Charles Ryan on two felony charges after officials said he pointed his gun at police during an armed standoff at his Tempe home in January, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced Friday.

In a statement, interim County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Ryan has been indicted on one count of disorderly conduct involving weapons, a class 6 dangerous offense, and one count of unlawful discharge of a weapon, also a class 6 dangerous offense.

The grand jury issued the indictment April 26 and Ryan was given notice of it this week.

Details of incident: Former prisons director was drinking before armed standoff in Tempe, report says

Seven homes surrounding Ryan's home were evacuated during the incident the evening of Jan. 6. A tactical armored vehicle, SWAT team, negotiators and robot were used by police in the standoff. Police officers who responded to the incident said they feared for their lives after they say Ryan pointed a handgun at them and refused to drop the weapon.

Ryan was taken to a hospital for treatment of a self-inflicted wound and an injury sustained when Tempe police shot him with a less-lethal bean bag round, police said. He was never jailed.

Attorney reaction: Public defenders call Tempe police treatment of former corrections director an 'outrageous' disparity

The charges in the indictment are less severe than those recommended by the Tempe Police Department: two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer and one count of unlawful discharge of a firearm.

As a 30-year prosecutor, I understand the importance of focusing on the facts and evidence of each individual case when making charging decisions," Mitchell said. "A thorough review of this case was conducted by experienced prosecutors in this office. I want to assure this community that a persons occupation, race, age or other such factors of this nature do not influence charges that are sought by this office."

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But Maricopa County deputy public defender Katie Gipson McLean said that based on the way the county attorney prosecutes her clients, Mitchell's statement is hard to believe.

"We've seen time and time again, when you are involved in an incident, like the one Mr. Ryan was in, that's not how other people have been charged," she said. "It's across the board that they're going to face higher-level charges."

Gipson McLean called it a "double standard."

"There's just no way that any other person  literally any other person  who, if they even survived an incident like this, would be charged in the way that Mr. Ryan is," she said. "It would have to be that they did such a bad investigation, that they have no way to prove their case, and they would have to charge lower-level felonies, but I highly doubt that's the situation here."

She said the charges are likely what the Maricopa County Attorney's Office wanted because the prosecutor's office often provides a draft indictment.

Retired Pima County public defender Abigail Jensen said in 20 years representing defendants, she had never seen a case where someone pointed a gun at an officer and wasn't charged with dangerous aggravated assault.

"There's been lots of people in Pima County charged for aggravated assault on a cop for spitting on them, or attempting to spit on them," Jensen said. "Even if someone just bumps into a police officer when they're getting handcuffed  it will get charged as aggravated assault because it's physical contact initiated by the defendant."

She said the indictment of Ryan was surprising because prosecuting attorneys are usually very adamant about protecting police officers.

Marysa Leyva is one of 18 people who were arrested for protesting in downtown Phoenix in October 2020 and charged as street gang members by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

"I was charged with a Class 2 felony, aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon," she said, "just for marching in the road."

All charges against the protesters were eventually dropped.

After seeing the charges against Ryan, Leyva said it's undeniable that the system is inequitable. While Mitchell has vowed to make changes at the County Attorney's Office, and rebuild trust with the community, Leyva said the indictment of Ryan shows more of the same troubling decision making.

"The system is functioning exactly the way that it's intended to function by disproportionately harming the most marginalized communities," she said. "I am genuinely concerned that Rachel Mitchell is going to continue to perpetuate the harm that began under former County Attorney Allister Adel's leadership."

Ryan's arraignment is scheduled for May 26. The charges in the indictment would result in mandatory prison time for the former prisons director, ranging from 1.5 to three years.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office's prosecution policies and procedures regarding plea agreements state: "In any case where the defendant has pointed or discharged a firearm at a peace officer who was acting in the peace officers official capacity, no plea offer will be made absent prior approval by the division chief."

Gipson McLean said if the County Attorney's Office follows its policy, Ryan should not be getting a plea deal. "But something tells me that's not going to happen," she said.

This story is developing; please check back for updates.

Have a news tip on Arizona prisons? Reach the reporter at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com or at 812-243-5582. Follow him on Twitter @JimmyJenkins.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ex-prisons chief Charles Ryan indicted in standoff with Tempe police
A Fort Myers man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday following a two-day trial.

A jury found Bradley J. Jackson, 58, guilty of lewd and lascivious molestation.

According to a press release from the State Attorney's Office, the court moved immediately into the bifurcated portion of the trial, which is when the sentencing enhancement evidence is presented.

Background: Registered sexual predator charged with molesting boy who stayed overnight in his Fort Myers home

Related: They met on Snapchat. Now, a Cape Coral man is accused of sneaking into child's bedroom for sex

In April 2021, the Lee County Sheriffs Office received information about a past sex crime involving a child and began an investigation, according to the release.

A Fort Myers mother who allowed her two young sons to stay overnight at a new adult friend's camper home later found the man, Jackson, was a registered sexual predator who molested one boy during the sleepover.

Jackson was arrested April 10 and was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a child 12 to 18. He remained in Lee County Jail on $100,000 bond.

Jackson, a registered Florida sexual offender, has been listed as a sexual predator by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement since being found guilty in 1995 of sexual battery on a victim 12 years old or younger and multiple counts of lewd and lascivious behavior on a child younger than 16.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Follow him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers man found guilty of child molestation sentenced to life in prison
Frank Langella is refuting "unacceptable behavior" allegations while working on the Netflix series "The Fall of the House of Usher," a show he was subsequently fired from following a sexual misconduct investigation in April.

The 84-year-old actor, who starred as Roderick Usher on the streaming service series before his role was recast to Bruce Greenwood, also criticized "cancel culture" as he addressed the accusations for the first time in an op-ed published on Deadline.

Fox News Digital has contacted Langella's representatives for additional comment.

"I have been canceled. Just like that," he wrote. "In the increasing madness that currently pervades our industry, I could not have imagined that the words collateral damage would fall upon my shoulders. They have brought with them a weight I had not expected to bear in the closing decades of my career. And along with it has come an unanticipated sense of grave danger."

"The Fall of the House of Usher" also stars Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Willa Fitzgerald, Kate Siegel, Carl Lumbly and Mark Hamill.

Frank Langella denied "fondling" an actress while working on the Netflix series "The Fall of the House of Usher," a show he was subsequently fired from following a sexual misconduct investigation in April.

Langella allegedly told an inappropriate joke on set and then touched a female co-star's leg while filming. He then brought attention to the moment by saying, "Did you like that?" sources told TMZ at the time.

QUEENS CANCELED BY ABC AFTER ONE SEASON

"On April 14 of this year, I was fired by Netflix for what they determined to be unacceptable behavior on set. My first instinct was to blame. To lash out and seek vengeance. I interviewed crisis managers, tough connected lawyers, the professionally sympathetic at $800 per hour.

"Free advice was proffered as well: Dont play the victim. Dont sue. Theyll dig into your past. Sign the NDA, take the money and run. Do the talk shows, show contrition, feign humility. Say youve learned a lot."

He continued: "Apologize. Apologize. Apologize.

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"I was playing the leading role of Roderick Usher in Edgar Allan Poes classic The Fall of The House of Usher modernized as an eight-episode series for Netflix. It is a glorious role, and I had come to regard it as, most likely, my last hurrah. Bizarrely prophetic under the current circumstances."

JOHN CENA SIGNS WITH WME

Langella then recalled the incident on March 25 when he was "performing a love scene with the actress playing my young wife" when she claimed "he touched my leg" after the director called "cut."

Langella allegedly told an inappropriate joke on set, and then touched a female co-star's leg while filming. He then brought attention to the moment by saying, "Did you like that?" sources told TMZ at the time

He wrote: "She then turned and walked off the set, followed by the director and the intimacy coordinator. I attempted to follow but was asked to give her some space. I waited for approximately one hour, and was then told she was not returning to set and we were wrapped."

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" Not long after, an investigation began. Approximately one week later, Human Resources asked to speak to me by phone," he recalled. "Toward the end of our conversation, she suggested that I not contact the young lady, the intimacy coordinator, or anyone else in the company."

He said that HR didn't want to "risk retaliation," and when Langella attempted to reconcile his intentions, "she cut me off politely and said: Intention is not our concern. Netflix deals only with impact.

The Academy award-nominated actor went on: "When you are the leading actor, it requires, in my opinion, that you set an example by keeping the atmosphere light and friendly. Nevertheless, these were some of the allegations: 1. He told an off-color joke. 2. Sometimes he called me "baby" or "honey."' 3. Hed give me a hug or touch my shoulder.

He continued: "'You cannot do that, Frank,' said our producer. You cant joke. You cant compliment. You cant touch. Its a new order."

Langella wrote that allegations against him were "demonstrably false," and cited an April 13 story from an outlet as "a total lie."

"The actress was mentioned by name. The same young woman who had accused me of touching her leg on camera in the love scene," he wrote. "The next day the item was corrected to read: Frank Langella has not been fired but is under investigation. In this version, the actresss name was deleted."

"Cancel culture is the antithesis of democracy," Langella said. "It inhibits conversation and debate. It limits our ability to listen, mediate, and exchange opposing views. Most tragically, it annihilates moral judgment."

Langella added: "That afternoon, I was fired. I was not given a hearing with Netflix. My request to meet one-on-one with the actress was denied. The directors and the producer stopped answering my emails and phone calls. Within 30 minutes of my firing, a letter went out to cast and crew and a full press release was sent immediately. My representatives and I were given no opportunity to comment or collaborate on the narrative."

He continued: "I cannot speak to the intentions of my accuser or Netflix, but the impact on me has been incalculable. I lost a thrilling part, the chance at future earnings and perhaps face a stretch of unemployment. Netflix terminated me after three months of work with only three weeks left to shoot, and I have as yet to be fully remunerated for my services. Most importantly, my reputation has been tarnished.

"These indignities are, to my mind, the real definition of unacceptable behavior.

"Cancel culture is the antithesis of democracy. It inhibits conversation and debate. It limits our ability to listen, mediate, and exchange opposing views. Most tragically, it annihilates moral judgment.

"This is not fair. This is not just. This is not American."

A rep for Netflix did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
"The Wonder Years" executive producer Fred Savage in 2016. (Richard Shotwell / Invision)

"The Wonder Years" executive producer, director and former star Fred Savage has been fired from the series reboot following an investigation into misconduct.

A spokesperson for 20th Television confirmed to The Times on Friday that Savage, who starred as Kevin Arnold the original series, had been terminated from his roles on the show. The news was originally reported by Deadline.

Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched," read the statement from the production studio. "Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of 'The Wonder Years.

Premiering in September, the ABC comedy series is a reboot focused on the Williamses, a Black family living in 1960s Montgomery, Ala. The series, developed by Saladin K. Patterson, is inspired by the original sitcom starring Savage that aired from 1988 to 1993.

Savage was among the executive producers of the reboot. He directed eight episodes, including the pilot.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Savage cooperated with the investigation, which looked into three separate allegations.

This is not the first time Savage has been accused of misconduct. In 1993, he and co-star Jason Hervey, then 16 and 18, respectively, were accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed by a "Wonder Years" costume designer. Savage denied the claims and the lawsuit was reportedly settled out of court.

Savage was also accused of on-set harassment and assault in a 2018 lawsuit by a costume designer on his series "The Grinder." Savage also denied these claims, and the suit was eventually dismissed and reportedly settled out of court.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Karine Jean-Pierre will be the first openly LGBTQ White House press secretary. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

Ten years ago this month I gave a TEDx Talk titled "The Myth of the Gay Agenda." It was shortly after President Obama announced his public support for same-sex marriage, becoming the first commander in chief to do so while still in office. During the talk, I shared some graphics highlighting the number of states where it was still legal to deny someone employment and/or housing for being queer.

I remember being approached afterward by numerous left-leaning audience members who were genuinely shocked to learn Michigan, where the event took place, was among those states. I was shocked they were shocked.

At the time, Michigan was being sued by the ACLU over its 2011 law prohibiting same-sex partners of public employees from receiving health benefits. This was in addition to a ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions that nearly 60% of voters embedded into the states constitution back in 2004. I wasnt sure where those audience members thought Michigan was in terms of LGBTQ equality, but they needed someone to set the record straight.

Pun intended.

Representation matters is more than the catchphrase of the hour. Its recognizing the gaps that exist between our different life experiences. Its about the willingness to admit we dont know all that we do not know.

For the first time in our countrys history, we learned this week, there will be an openly LGBTQ White House press secretary. And while Karine Jean-Pierre is not charged with writing any laws, she will be asked to explain their impact. Ideally in a way no one before her has been able to do.

For nearly 100 years  from the appointment of the first press secretary, George Akerson, in 1929 to Jen Psaki in 2020  there has never been an openly queer person entrusted with that responsibility. In recognition of that history, Jean-Pierre received the longest standing ovation of anyone who walked on stage Friday night at the GLAAD Media Awards. As she stood there smiling  appearing to reside somewhere between being overwhelmed and overjoyed  I prayed for her.

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Regardless of party affiliation, its not an easy job. When I asked Jay Carney, Obamas second press secretary, if he missed it shortly after he left in 2014, he couldnt say no fast enough.

At this moment, when the country has seen a wave of attacks on voting rights, people of color, reproductive rights and LGBTQ equality, I prayed Jean-Pierre would be able to talk about the White Houses agenda with more than sympathy. Not that I want Jean-Pierres time at the lectern to sound as if shes defending her very existence each time. But given the current political climate, as we head toward one of the most consequential midterm elections of our lifetime, defending her existence is oddly now part of the job.

Such is the life for those who are first.

Now I am sure the tenures of Carney, Psaki and Akerson were not absent of personal investment. Its just that none of them had to wait for the Supreme Court to legalize their marriage. None of them had to do what is already a very difficult job while worrying that the Supreme Court might dissolve their marriage.

That was something I had to explain to some of my left-leaning family members who couldnt fully understand my concerns following the Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn Roe vs. Wade. My husband and I were married in Michigan. Those laws banning same-sex marriage I mentioned earlier? Well, much like all of those state laws banning abortion, those anti-LGBTQ laws are still on the books.

In February, Virginia tried to remove the (currently unenforceable) same-sex marriage ban from its constitution. The efforts failed in the subcommittee when Republicans stopped a resolution that would have put the question on the November ballot. Thats whats at stake for all of the couples who got married in a state that didnt want them to after the Obergefell decision in 2015. Some of us may be rendered back to fearing losing employment and housing. Some of us live in states where we have never stopped fearing that.

I rewatched my talk from a decade ago. Sadly, I could change clothes, repeat every word and it would sound just as relevant today as it did then. Jean-Pierres promotion reflects how weve moved forward. What she talks about at the lectern will reflect the struggle as some Americans try to drag us back.

@LZGranderson

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Bloomberg) -- Facing a crackdown from regulators in Washington, the crypto industry is turning to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for help.

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At first blush, the Democratic lawmaker known on Wall Street for efforts to thwart insider trading in the stock market, isnt an obvious choice to play cryptos savior on Capitol Hill. But since she announced in March that she was working on legislation to overhaul rules for the market, her star has risen.

Industry executives sought to woo Gillibrand during a recent trip to San Francisco as she shuttled between a meeting with them at the St. Regis Hotel and breakfast with venture capitalists. Closer to home, a digital-asset lobbyist is planning a Manhattan fundraiser later this month for her re-election.

The fixation on Gillibrand offers a glimpse into how the fast-growing sector is preparing to throw its weight -- and money -- around American politics. It also shows how lawmakers, including those who arent known for being staunchly pro-crypto, are poised to benefit from the industrys largesse.

Gillibrand is crafting the bill with Cynthia Lummis -- a Wyoming Republican who personally invests in Bitcoin. The duos legislation is seen as having a better chance of becoming law than many other crypto bills that have been introduced.

Yet despite the involvement of the pro-crypto Lummis, the effort is making some coin enthusiasts nervous.

Many worry that the legislation may be so broad itll cause unanticipated problems for firms down the road, according to people familiar with the matter. Others thought early drafts of the bill would give too much power to Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who says many digital assets are securities and subject to his agencys tough investor protection standards.

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The whole episode is emblematic of cryptos growing pains in Washington where theres no shortage of ideas for regulation. Progressive Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren are keen to crack down. The Senate Banking Committees top Republican Pat Toomey wants to rein in stablecoins.

Lobbyists are waging a fierce campaign to make sure that small word choices by Lummis or Gillibrand dont negatively impact the industry -- even unintentionally.

Gillibrands spokesman Evan Lukaske said that the New York senator has been holding meetings with crypto firms, regulators and consumer advocates as she works on the legislation. Senator Gillibrand is interested in hearing from key stakeholders in order to best develop a framework that promotes innovation, he said in a statement.

A recent version of the legislation reviewed by Bloomberg News would give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission a bigger role in overseeing the asset class. Still, its unclear if the plan will assuage crypto die-hards, who want the CFTC to have more power than the SEC because they believe the derivatives regulator will take a lighter touch.

If the industry doesnt already realize it, it will come to understand that in legislation you dont always get what you want, said Ian Katz, a managing director at Capital Alpha Partners. You have to be willing to compromise and sometimes that means accepting aspects of a bill you might not like.

The measure would leave the SEC with some jurisdiction, said Abegail Cave, a spokeswoman for Lummis. It is highly unlikely that a digital asset bill will pass Congress without the SEC having a role, she added in a statement. It is a broad bill because there are critical areas in many parts of the law that need to be addressed.

Lummis and Gillibrand also arent the only two senators being courted. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, joined Gillibrand at one of the events last month in San Francisco, people familiar with the matter said. Meanwhile, Coinbase Global Inc., the U.S.s biggest exchange, held a fundraiser for Chuck Schumer earlier this year. Representatives for Booker and Schumer didnt respond to requests for comment.

The uptick in events is a sign that lawmakers are poised to receive a windfall in donations from the crypto industry as their prep for re-election bids accelerates in the coming months and years. However, federal election filings are yet to paint a clear picture of their haul, in part because theres a lag in reporting.

Lummis is next up for re-election in 2026 and Gillibrand in 2024.

The Manhattan fundraiser being planned for Gillibrand is a May 31 cocktail party organized by Kristin Smith, executive director of the Blockchain Association. Guests will be notified of the location after they R.S.V.P., according to an invitation seen by Bloomberg.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is arranging his attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit in Singapore on June 10-12 to foster an understanding of Japan's defence buildup, Nikkei newspaper reported on Saturday.

Kishida will also likely call for greater international cooperation from Western and Asian defence officials in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's maritime assertiveness, Nikkei said.

The Japanese premier's appearance at the security forum would be the first since 2014 by Shinzo Abe, the paper said.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Pro-choice and anti-abortion activists at the capitol in Texas. Photo by Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images

A leaked opinion shows the Supreme Court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The Jewish faith allows abortion and even requires it if the health of the mother is at risk.

Jewish organizations say restricting abortion access would violate their religious freedoms.

As the country responds to a leaked Supreme Court opinion that indicated the sitting justices are prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, Jewish organizations say a possible ban on abortion would violate their First Amendment rights.

"I think for too long, we've allowed a small group of loud voices from the religious right to dictate the narrative in this country about faith and abortion, but it is simply not true. People of faith support abortion access and people of faith support compassionate healthcare laws," Sheila Katz, the CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, told Insider. "And in this case, it would be a violation of our religious freedom to not have access to abortion."

On May 2, Politico published a leaked opinion written by Justice Alito indicating the Supreme Court may be prepared to overturn the federal right to an abortion without undue government interference established by Roe v. Wade in 1973.

If the justices ultimately overturn Roe, at least 12 states will immediately impose near-total bans on abortion.

Supporters say an abortion ban would protect unborn children, a belief largely shaped by Christian religious views which claim life begins at conception. For Jews and others who don't share the religious view that life begins at conception, a total abortion ban may not only prevent access to necessary medical care but also violates religious freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to practice one's faith without government intervention.

"We are proud that Jewish tradition regards abortion as essential health care, not only permitting the termination of pregnancy, but even requiring it when the life of the pregnant person is in danger," Rabbi Hera Person said in a statement following the Supreme Court leak. "Restricting access to reproductive health care impedes the freedom of religion granted by the First Amendment, including a Jewish person's ability to make decisions in accordance with their religious beliefs."

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Katz added that Jews "feel really strongly about reproductive freedoms." To them, abortion falls at the cross-section of economic justice, racial justice, healthcare access, and religious freedom, she said.

"So in the Jewish community, all of those issue areas are deeply Jewish for many different reasons, but the notion that the Supreme Court might dictate when life begins according to only one religious tradition is deeply problematic and concerning to us," Katz told Insider, adding that she was "devastated, outraged, and sad" about the possible overturning of Roe.

83% of Jewish people believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, compared to 61% of the total US population. A full 70% of Americans surveyed by Pew Research do not support the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

While the Court emphasized that the leak does not represent the final decision in the case, Katz said the NCJW is "exploring every possibility of what it looks like for us to fight back against" the leaked opinion on the grounds of religious freedom.

"We've known that this is a real possibility that Roe v. Wade is getting overturned, but seeing it in writing made it all the more real. And for us, for the National Council of Jewish Women, just one person being forced to be pregnant is one person too many," Katz told Insider.

"Our moral values compel us to ensure that people aren't forced to be pregnant or forced to give birth."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Trend

An exhibition of photographs Aghdam Delenda est was opened in one of the central galleries in New York, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture told Trend.

The event was attended by Azerbaijans Minister of Culture Anar Karimov, the ministry said.

The exhibition was organized by famous Italian photographer Fabrizio Conti and presents photographs taken in Aghdam, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Shusha and other territories of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation.

The exhibition is of great importance in terms of strengthening propaganda, and familiarizing the world community with information about museums and centers of culture destroyed during the occupation of Azerbaijans Karabakh, the ministry said.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sits with his wife, conservative activist Virginia Thomas, while he waits to speak at the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday said society is "becoming addicted to wanting particular outcomes."

His comments were made days after a leaked draft opinion on Roe v. Wade sparked protests.

Thomas himself has been subject to scrutiny over the ethics of his wife's political activism.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday expressed concern about the public's regard for institutions as the judge himself faces ethical questions about his wife's actions in politics.

Thomas was speaking at the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, days after the extraordinary leak of a draft opinion that indicated the Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade.

Thomas said society is "becoming addicted to wanting particular outcomes" and "not living with the outcomes we don't like," according to Reuters.

"We can't be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want. The events from earlier this week are a symptom of that," Thomas continued, apparently referring to the leak but not explicitly mentioning it.

Thomas also said he was worried young people do not respect the law like past generations, The Washington Post reported.

Thomas's wife, Ginni, has been accused of trying to subvert the law and exert influence over a particularly powerful institution: the White House.

In the weeks between the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection, Ginni Thomas sent multiple text messages to Mark Meadows, former President Donald Trump's chief of staff, urging them to challenge the election results. The texts were obtained by The Washington Post and CBS News.

"Do not concede," Ginni Thomas instructed Meadows in a text sent on November 6, 2020. "It takes time for the army who is gathering for his back."

Days later, after the election had been called for President Joe Biden, Ginni Thomas texted Meadows telling him to help Trump "stand firm," adding: "You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America's constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History."

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Some of the texts also included claims about voter fraud and cheered on efforts by Trump allies to challenge the results in court.

Her husband, along with the rest of the Supreme Court, ruled on some of those cases.

Virtually every legal challenge was stuck down, but the text messages were revealed months after Clarence Thomas voted to block the release of January 6 records  records that included the communications of his wife.

Her ties to GOP leaders and her political activism in general has sparked ethics concerns and even prompted some calls for the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct.

Ginni Thomas told the Washington Free Beacon in March the couple has "our own separate careers, and our own ideas and opinions too," adding: "Clarence doesn't discuss his work with me, and I don't involve him in my work."

As for Americans' respect for institutions, polling suggests it has declined in some areas, including the Supreme Court.

According to the Pew Research Center, the share of adults who held favorable views of the court declined from 69 percent in August 2019 to 54 percent in January 2022.

A representative for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Park Jie-won said on Saturday that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test between South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration on Tuesday and U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Seoul later this month, Yonhap news agency reported.

If North Korea miniaturises and lightens its nuclear warheads, short-range missiles can also be equipped with nuclear warheads, and the potential nuclear test is being viewed as very important because it could threaten both South Korea and Japan, Park told Yonhap in a phone call.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by William Mallard)
Leni Robredo is the main opponent of presidential frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr

In 1986, the Philippine capital Manila was awash with yellow when the People Power movement toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Now, more than 30 years on, opponents of his son's presidential run are uniting behind one woman for what's been called a "pink revolution" - to stop the return of the Marcos dynasty.

In recent weeks, legions of young voters have voiced their support for Leni Robredo, the current vice-president and the only female candidate in the race to lead the country.

Although Ms Robredo has been polling far behind Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, her pop concert rallies have drawn tens of thousands of people.

At a recent one, a 17-year-old told the BBC he wasn't registered to vote but was there to show his support because "he was helping my mom choose the most qualified and the best president for our country".

"She is the obvious choice," said a 24-year-old woman next to him.

But who is Leni Robredo - and what are her chances of winning?

From yellow to pink

Ms Robredo, 57, a former human rights lawyer and economist, is the main opponent to Mr Marcos Jr, the frontrunner in the 9 May election.

She entered politics after her husband, a former cabinet minister, died in a plane crash in 2012.

In 2013, she successfully ran to become a representative for Camarines Sur in Congress. As a politician, Ms Robredo gained a reputation for being hands-on with voters' problems, visiting low-income areas and remote provinces, speaking directly to the people.

When the country was hit by natural disasters she co-ordinated additional aid and relief efforts. As vice-president, Ms Robredo also took a prominent role in distributing PPE and testing kits during the Covid-19 pandemic. She criticised current President Rodrigo Duterte for lacking decisive leadership during the crisis, at one point asking for blanket authority to tackle Covid-19.

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"There's so much that should have been done that's not being attended to, and it's frustrating because we've been asking for these things since last year," she told the Rappler news website in September 2021.

Some have compared her political career to that of former president Corazon Aquino, who rose to power after her senator husband and pro-democracy icon Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr was assassinated. His murder spurred massive protests that ousted Ferdinand Marcos.

Ms Robredo took part in those protests and even used the colour yellow, synonymous with the People Power movement, running as a Liberal Party candidate in her 2016 campaign for vice-president. She beat her opponent, who happened to be Mr Marcos Jr, after trailing him in the polls. He contested the result, bringing about a lengthy court case which was eventually thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Ms Robredo's rallies have drawn massive crowds

But this time Ms Robredo is up against not one but two of the most powerful political families in the Philippines - running alongside Mr Marcos Jr for vice-president is Sara Duterte, the daughter of the current president. Together, they hold sway in both the north and south of the country.

In an attempt to unite the opposition, Ms Robredo is running as an independent, not for the Liberal Party which she still chairs - and which has long been associated with the colour yellow. That may explain her decision to switch to pink when she launched her candidacy last October.

It's become her campaign colour, worn by supporters who include many celebrities and leading figures in the country.

Although she served alongside Mr Duterte, Ms Robredo has an acrimonious history with him. As vice-president, she has been a fierce critic of his brutal war on drugs that has left thousands dead.

Incensed by the criticism, Mr Duterte challenged her to lead the contentious campaign in 2019. She vowed to stop the killing of innocent people and hold officials accountable.

"The president knows what my position is on the drug war. If he thinks that in my accepting this offer I will become silent, he is mistaken," she said.

But she was fired from the job 19 days later - lack of trust was cited as one of the reasons.

In her presidential run, she has promised an honest government and reforms to spur an economy that has been battered by Covid and soaring national debt.

"In my six years as vice-president, I've shown what kind of government I can give Filipinos. A government that focuses on the marginalised. A government that ensures no-one will get left behind. A government that is transparent, where public servants are competent and not corrupt," she said at one her rallies.

Her emphasis on transparency is in sharp contrast to the record of 64-year-old Mr Marcos Jr, who was previously convicted of tax fraud.

He is also yet to pay taxes on the estate he inherited from his father, who stole an estimated $10bn from public funds while in power and whose rule saw thousands of opponents jailed, tortured and killed.

The fight for the Philippines

Those who back Ms Robredo are hoping their "pink revolution" will steer the country back to family values and the rule of law.

But her campaign, fuelled by young volunteers, has had to battle misinformation and a years-long concerted effort to rewrite history.

Social media posts across platforms have sought to present the Marcos presidency as a "golden age", and YouTube and TikTok videos on Mr Marcos Jr have captured the attention of young voters who have no memory of living under martial law imposed by his father.

The platform has also been deployed to discredit Ms Robredo, including sexist and misogynistic remarks and allegations of affairs and a sex tape involving one of her daughters. Ms Robredo denied all the accusations.

Her supporters are not deterred.

"It's been a really tough time to be a Filipino and to feel that the other people are still believing the same things as you and you guys are all fighting for the same things, it's been a lot of fun. Like the rallies, it feels like a big party. It feels like we're waking up and it feels like there's this new sense of hope and pride for our country," 32-year-old Cara Gonzalez told the BBC while campaigning door-to-door for Ms Robredo.

Some two million volunteers are said to be helping run a grassroots campaign for Ms Robredo

Critics of Ms Robredo say she represents the elitist oligarchs of the Philippines. As a former colony of Spain and then America, much of the country's land, agriculture and public utilities remain in the hands of a few ruling families who benefited from close ties to the imperial powers.

The Liberal Party on whose ticket Ms Robredo ran in 2016, has traditionally been connected with the richest and most powerful families in the country. She made the last-minute switch to run as an independent this time when the opposition failed to agree on a candidate.

Some analysts say the need to differentiate herself from the party drove her to choose pink for her campaign. And as the only woman running, they see it as her way of appealing to women. She has said it was her volunteers who chose the colour, which is also a symbol of activism.

The BBC's Howard Johnson in Manila says it was an ambitious choice, given many Filipinos are enamoured by "strongman, machismo" politics, and winning their vote will be essential for victory.

But her supporters say she will help low-income families, farmers and businesses, create new jobs and offer a clear plan to improve healthcare and boost economic growth.

"This time, we don't have to choose who is the 'lesser evil'," 21-year-old Pipay, a social media influencer with 2.5 million followers, told the BBC.

"I think she can do the job, she can be the next leader that we are looking for. We have been searching for so long for a politician who isn't corrupt. This time, it's already handed to us, we just need to look at it."

Reporting by Howard Johnson and Jonathan Head
Francis Amiand

Lisbon may be a city built on seven hills, but for those of us who love to walk it feels like it must be a few dozen. But an added bonus from such undulating topography (other than strong glutes) is that any chance you get to look out across its skyline is always rewardingits truly one of Europes best.

Thats why the latest selection for Room Key, Beast Travels series on exciting new hotels, is Mama Shelter Lisboa, which has one of the citys best new rooftops affording unobstructed views across this ancient metropolis.

Opened in January, the property is the newest from the brash Mama Shelter group which started in Paris a decade and a half ago and expanded across France and then to far flung locales like Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. Mama Shelter Lisboa is located just a few blocks from Parque Eduardo VII and the high-end shopping district of Avenida da Liberdade which climbs up and away from the citys harbor.

The hotels decor is, intentionally, a lotazulejos-inspired carpets, tabletops made of recycled materials, pastel pink and green staircases, Alice in Wonderland checkered bathroom. Its the 21st century version of the Aesthetic Movements Art for arts sake although here its very clearly Art for Instas sake as so much of the propertys modern pop decor will have you reaching for your phone and worrying if youve already put too many shots on your Story. The hotel itself is housed in a limestone-clad cube with its ground level covered in Viuva Lamego tiles.

Francis Amiand

There are 130 rooms in the hotel, ranging from Small which are what we would now call efficiently designed with queen-size beds to Large, which have kings and a separate sitting area. In between are the Medium rooms, some of which have terraces. All of the rooms have couches with loud tropical patterns as well as free movies (including, the hotel eagerly informs you, X-rated). One little detail I love is that the big walk-in showers have hooks on the wall inside, meaning you wont have to get out in the cold after a steamy shower to grab your towel.

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Francis Amiand

Mama Shelter Lisboa has two F&B options. The first is its restaurant, which they describe as a Portuguese twist on a French brasserie. Youll see many of the dishes youd find in any millennial hotel worldwide (artisanal pizzas, generous salads) but with local twists like a cod salad, sauteed clams, and pica-pau, a Portuguese dish made with gravy, beer, and bits of beef. When I visited in early April, almost everybody I talked to in the restaurant was from the neighborhood and the couple seated next to me claimed theyd been coming two or three times a week since it opened.

The second option is on the roof which not only has sweeping views of this city down to the Tagus River but also has DJs performing from Thursday on through the weekend.

Rooms at the Mama Shelter Lisboa start at 89 euros a night.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Diamond Campbell, a powerlifter at Bruce High School in Mississippi, was almost disqualified from the state championship April 1.

But it wasn't because of her form. It was because of her hair.

"I remember looking back, and on the board, it'll be green or red. If it's green, you know, you got it. You can go on and do the next weight," Campbell, 16, said in a recent interview, recalling the moment she stepped off the platform after completing her first lift. "So I looked at the board, and it was red. I was confused."

A judge informed one of her coaches that Campbell would need to remove the beads securing the ends of her braids in order to stay in the competition.

A viral photo of some of Campbell's teammates and competitors frantically helping her remove the beads has been shared on Facebook more than 35,000 times, with many people remarking it was an "amazing" and "awesome" display of good sportsmanship. But Campbell; her mother, Melody; and a host of others said they see something different when they look at the image: the results of hair discrimination.

Image: Diamond with her mother Melody Campbell. (Imani Khayyam for NBC News)

In interviews with NBC News, the parents of two children singled out over their natural hairstyles or textures said their experiences highlight the necessity of the Crown Act, which would ban hair discrimination in workplaces, schools and other contexts. The name "Crown" stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

The bill passed the House in March, with a vote of 235-189 mostly along party lines, but it has a murky future in the evenly divided Senate. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill into law.

The act would allow Black people and others to wear their hair how they want without fear of being punished or targeted. More than a dozen states  including California, New Jersey and New York  have passed versions of the bill.

Campbell said her experience last month speaks to the need for it.

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"I had to finish the lift in a way where my hair wasn't the way that I wanted it to be. It made me feel less confident," she said. "And it stripped, like, a little bit of myself away at that point."

The Mississippi High School Activities Association has since changed the rule and said powerlifters will be allowed to wear beads next season.

But Campbell, a junior at Bruce High School, where a majority of the student body is white, said that will do nothing to address the trauma she experienced.

"I tried to forget about it because it did make me feel bad," she said. "It made me feel low, like humiliated in a way."

"I'm just a teenage girl," she added.

Diamond Campbell said she didn't understand what threat her plastic beads posed  or what impact they would have on her performance  as powerlifting is a contactless sport. (Imani Khayyam for NBC news)

Campbell's experience has drawn comparisons to a December 2018 incident in which Andrew Johnson, a Black varsity high school wrestler in New Jersey with dreadlocks, was forced to choose between cutting his hair or forfeiting his match. Johnson, then 16, went on to win the match. His experience sparked a state civil rights probe.

In Minnesota last month, a mother said her 12-year-old son's teacher cut his Afro without her permission. Tadow McReynolds posted a video of her son's botched haircut to TikTok that she said was viewed more than 1 million times. In a series of Facebook posts, she said her son "was really violated" and that the school had acknowledged no fault.

McReynolds declined a request for an interview, saying she wanted her and her son's lives "to be back as normal as possible." The school's principal, Matthew Kasowicz, who is white, declined to comment on McReynolds' allegations, saying he was prohibited under state and federal law from discussing individual students or employees.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., the lead sponsor of the Crown Act, said hair discrimination disproportionately affects Black people, and how a person wears their hair has no impact on their ability to do a job, obtain an education or compete in sports.

"As a student, this is an insidious form of discrimination," Watson Coleman said in an interview. "It needs to be eliminated. There needs to be consequences for those who violate that law."

She said the bill would amend civil rights laws to extend the definition of illegal discrimination to include natural hair or hairstyles that people wear to communicate or emulate the African or Black culture, such as Afros, braids, Bantu knots, locs and twists.

Image: Diamond Campbell's Hair products. (Imani Khayyam for NBC News)

"We shouldn't have to deal with this at this time, in 2022, in the most diverse country in the world," Watson Coleman said. "And to see these events continue to take place suggests the very urgent need to pass this legislation in the Senate."

When Desiree Bullock moved from Cincinnati to East Bernard, Texas, in February, she said she was prevented from enrolling her son, Dyree Williams, in East Bernard High School because of his hair. She said a guidance counselor told her his hair went against the school district's dress code policy for male students, a copy of which she provided to NBC News. It states that "braided hair or twisted rows/strands will not be allowed" and that boys' hair may not extend below the eyebrows, tops of the ears or a "conventional standup shirt collar." The majority of students at the school are white, according to data from the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics.

Bullock said she told the counselor that her son has locs, and she said the counselor replied, "Well, he's going to have to cut those." Bullock said she then contacted Courtney Hudgins, the superintendent of the East Bernard Independent School District, to seek an exemption for her son but she was shot down. In an email shared with NBC News, Hudgins told Bullock: "Assuming the children can meet the dress code requirements, as well as all necessary paperwork for enrollment, they are welcome to enroll with our district registrar."

Reached via email, Hudgins did not answer specific questions regarding Bullock's allegations, including whether Williams' locs would prevent him from enrolling in the high school. In a statement, Hudgins said the school district "has not denied enrollment to the individual involved in this situation, as no enrollment or registration documents have been filed. East Bernard ISD intends to comply with state law regarding enrollment and attendance if and when an enrollment application is completed."

Image: Dyree Williams (Courtesy Desiree Bullock)

Bullock, who provides home care for students and adults with developmental disabilities, said she is now home-schooling her son and two of her other children, ages 12 and 14. Williams said he feels like he is being discriminated against and that being home-schooled has prevented him from competing in high school sports, something he looked forward to.

"It really impacted me hard," he said.

Bullock said the episode has also taken a toll on his self-esteem, but she has assured him he doesn't have to change his hair for anyone.

"The type of parent I am, I talk to my child all the time and I let him know, whatever they think about you, that's something within them, not you," she said.

Bullock is hopeful the Crown Act will become a national law.

"I do plan on staying in Texas," she said. "I actually plan for that law to pass and for things to change."
Just a few days shy of what would be Madeleine McCanns 19th birthday, a break in the case points to everyones worst fears: that the young Briton was abducted, sold and killed by a pedophile sex ring that worked in and around the Portuguese resort town where she disappeared 15 years ago.

Thousands of tips and hundreds of sightings over the years led to dead ends until Christian Bruckner was officially named a suspect on April 22 of this year. The 45-year-old German, who is in jail for raping a 72-year-old American in the village where McCann disappeared, denies taking any part in the crime. But in January 2022, a German documentary team found proof that Bruckner did odd jobs at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz in the spring of 2007 and would have been very familiar with the layout of the multi-building resort, including exits and less traveled lanes.

That documentary led Hans Christian-Wolters, a German prosecutor focusing on Bruckners alleged involvement, to dig into case further. Last week, he first told a Portuguese television channel and then confirmed to The Daily Beast that they have proof that he was at the center of the disappearance.

Madeleine McCann Kidnapping Suspect Christian Brueckner Hoarded Little Girl Swimsuits and Kiddie Porn

Wolters believes that Bruckner was commissioned to kidnap McCann for a pedophile sex ring that then killed herlikely because of the media attention to her case, which would have made it impossible to sell her on or use her in illegal under-age pornography.

Bruckner wrote a series of bizarre letters to the German journalists who asked him if he was involved. He wrote back and explained how it wasnt him. In one excerpt of a letter, he wrote a confusing missive that at once denied and toyed with his involvement. Where possible, only drive during the day so my battered hippy bus didnt attract attention, only driving on roads I needed to and, most importantly, never provoking the police, he wrote by way of explanation that he was staying out of sight because of his alleged drug dealing, for which he was later convicted. So, that means not committing any crimes, certainly not abducting anyone. Having said that, this was just as absurd to me at the time as starting a nuclear war or slaughtering a chicken.

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German police investigating Bruckner found a cache of little girl swimsuits and volumes of kiddie porn in the camper van he was living in when he worked as a handyman. They also dug up a yard in Hanover, Germany. They did not find human remains, but they did unearth a childs toy sand bucket in a cemented-off cellar on the premises. It is unclear if that evidence is part of the case being built against the convicted rapist.

Police Find Childs Toy Bucket in Secret Sealed Cellar Being Searched for Madeleine McCann

Wolter says the new proof they have is not forensic, but local media in Portugal say it may be threads of the girls pink pajamas that she was wearing when she was snatched from her bed back in May 2007.

A lawyer for Bruckner called the accusation bullshit to The Daily Mail, and said he was actually having sex with a woman he later took to the airport the evening McCann went missing.

McCann disappeared on the evening of May 3, 2007, from a bedroom in her familys resort hotel room as her parents ate tapas with friends a few hundred yards away. McCann, then nearly 4, was taken while her infant twin-siblings slept nearby. Gerry and Kate McCann had taken turns with friends to check on the sleeping kids at regular intervals while they enjoyed an evening out when they discovered the elder of the McCann children was gone, along with a blanket.

Portuguese police first focused on McCanns parentsboth doctorswho they suggested gave their daughter a sleeping drug that accidentally killed her. After wasting months on the theory, they finally cleared the couple, but by then the trail to the real criminal or criminals had gone cold.

Bruckner has not been charged in connection to McCanns disappearance and presumed murder, but police are now searching for the woman he says he was with that night who can either corroborate his alibi or shed light into what really happened to the British toddler all those years ago.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The owner of a construction company who paid to bail out three Tacoma police officers involved in Manuel Ellis death is planning a run for Pierce County Council.

Josh Harris has registered with the states Public Disclosure Commission to enter the County Council District 7 race to represent Gig Harbor and Key Peninsulas, Fox Island and parts of north and west Tacoma. Council Chair Derek Young (D- Gig Harbor) currently holds the seat and is term-limited after eight consecutive years in office. The annual salary of a County Council member is $117,845.

Candidate filing week, when political hopefuls must formally register to run, is May 16-20.

Harris, who owns Integrity Construction Group, said he is running as a Republican but told The News Tribune he doesnt subscribe to political parties. He has never run for office before.

Public safety is number one ... Im not running to be an R or a D, Harris said.

Harris, 47, is a Tacoma native. He was a volunteer firefighter at University Place for six years, served on the CrimeStoppers board for eight years, and his brother is a Tacoma police chaplain.

He said he believes recent state legislation, public backlash and low pay have left law enforcement demoralized. He wants officers to feel supported, which led to his decision to bail out the Tacoma officers criminally charged in the Ellis case.

He told The News Tribune he spent $300,000 to bail out Christopher Burbank, 35; Matthew Collins, 38; and Timothy Rakine, 32. Burbank and Collins were charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. Rankine was charged with first-degree manslaughter. The officers charged have pleaded not guilty. Each of the officers bail was set at $100,000.

Ellis died in March 2020 while police officers restrained him. The Pierce County Medical Examiners Office ruled his death a homicide, citing lack of oxygen as a cause. That office also indicated the restraints police used contributed to his death.

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Harris said he believes the charges, which were brought by the Washington State Attorney Generals Office, are politically motivated. He told The News Tribune he knows the officers because they frequently patrolled near the office of his construction company.

I know them from cleaning up near my office. They are good guys who go the extra mile for the residential area, he said.

Harris said he feels that Pierce County is not paying enough to incentivize sheriffs deputies to stay with the department.

Young said the county has increased Sheriffs Department staffing annually since 2015, and the council will decide on a $10,000 deputy incentive bill on May 10.

Salary is a contributing factor to the 350-deputy departments 50 vacancies, but not the only reason, said department spokesman Sgt. Darren Moss. The Black Lives Matter movement and the deaths of George Floyd and Ellis while in police custody have led to recent scrutiny regarding law enforcements use of force. Moss said public perceptions of the job have made it difficult to recruit.

Last year, the state Legislature passed two laws regulating police use-of-force policies. House Bill 1054 banned the use of neck restraints, along with other tactics like serving no-knock warrants. House Bill 1310 only allowed officers to use physical force when probable cause exists to make an arrest, prevent an escape or protect against an imminent threat of harm. This years legislative session addressed some concerns, but Moss said many deputies had already left over the new laws.

Harris empathizes with officers, stressing that the constant demonization of their job is browbeating.

They are great men and women to do a job no one wants to do, Harris said. No one wants to shoot someone, and no one is a bad John out to kill anyone.

He believes that residents are seeing the impact of shrinking police departments due to increasing crime. Car thefts have increased 99 percent, according to Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs March 2021 and 2022 data. Violent crime has increased in Pierce County, and theft has increased by about 48 percent from 2021 to 2022.

While we have other issues, none of the rest of what we do has any priority or merit if we dont have public safety, Harris said. People pay taxes to provide public safety, on all kinds of different levels, and its not being provided and its not being done very well.

Thus far, three other candidates have registered campaign profiles to run for Youngs seat.

One Democrat, former Gig Harbor City council member Robyn N. Denson, who has raised more than $48,000, according to the PDC records.

Of the three filed Republicans, Harris has raised the most by far with $40,000 in contributions. The other two Republican candidates are 2016 lieutenant governor candidate Marty McClendon, who has raised $2,000 in contributions, and 2018 26th District state representative candidate Randy Boss, who has not reported any contributions.
A Tennessee man was sentenced to two decades behind bars after firing into a crowd and killing a father of seven, according to District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr.

Demetrice Livingston, 27, opened fire from the backseat of an SUV on June 10, 2019, shooting into a crowd of people in Dyersburg, Tennessee, a press release from the district attorney general said.

According to authorities, two of those bullets hit Demarko Robertson, a husband and father of seven children.

Robertson was rushed to the hospital but died soon after arriving, the district attorney general said.

After a trial, Livingston was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

This is just another example of an innocent person being taken from his family by the senseless violence that occurs every day, Goodman Jr. said, in part, in a press release.

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Ukraine hoped to evacuate more civilians from a besieged Mariupol steel plant on Saturday as Russian forces unleased new bombardments across the country ahead of Victory Day festivities in Moscow.

The Azovstal steel mill is the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the devastated port city and its fate has taken on a symbolic value in the broader battle unleashed by Russia's invasion.

Ukraine's defense minister said Russian forces had resumed their assault on the site, despite earlier talk of a truce to allow trapped civilians to flee the complex.

Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said rescuers would try to evacuate more civilians on Saturday.

Ukrainian forces have launched a counter-offensive of their own.

According to the defense ministry, Russian forces were forced to demolish three road bridges near Tsyrkuny and Ruski Tyshky outside Kharkiv, to slow the Ukrainian advance.

According to British intelligence, Ukrainian forces equipped with high-end weaponry by the western allies, have been able to destroy at least one of Russia's most advanced tanks, the T-90M.

On Monday, Moscow and President Vladimir Putin will celebrate the World War II Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with a traditional Victory Day parade.

Russia's campaign in Ukraine has run into tough resistance -- and provoked Kyiv's western allies into slapping massive economic sanctions on the Russian economy and Putin's inner circle.

An aerial view shows Ukrainian UAV Bayraktar hitting Russian landing craft vessel with missiles, at Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, Ukraine, in this still image from a handout video released by Press service of Ukrainian Ground Forces on May 7, 2022. / Credit: UKRAINIAN GROUND FORCES via Reuters

But with Victory Day fast approaching, Ukrainian officials fear more intense missile and artillery bombardments and renewed assaults as Moscow scrambles for symbolic wins.

The Ukrainian rescue service said a missile hit a technical college in Kostiantynivka, in the eastern region of Donetsk, causing a fire and at least two deaths.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said there had been "massive bombardments" along the frontline. Strikes were also reported in the north of Ukraine near the city of Kharkiv and in the southern city of Mikoleyev, a key Russian target.

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"War of attrition"

As CBS News' senior foreign affairs correspondent and "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan reported, the "war of attrition" has begun in Ukraine, as Russian forces make a grinding push using heavy artillery shelling in the south and east of the country alongside deep strikes further west into Ukraine in an attempt to disrupt logistical supply lines used by the West. Predicting when the Russian offensive will end is very complicated, a European official in Washington told reporters.

In the long term, Russian President Vladimir Putin's objective is to capture the broader Donbas region, where Ukrainians and Russians have been fighting since 2014, as well as the land bridge linking mainland Ukraine to Russian-occupied Crimea. However, Russian forces  pushing from the east, south, and from the north area of Izium, in eastern Ukraine, while using heavy artillery shelling  have still not made much progress on the ground, the European official said.

"The conflict in Ukraine is taking a heavy toll on some of Russia's most capable units and most advanced capabilities," U.K. Defense Intelligence said.

"It will take considerable time and expense for Russia to reconstitute its armed forces following this conflict," it said, warning sanctions on advanced components would make it harder for Russia to re-arm.

The west, meanwhile, is stepping up arms deliveries to Ukraine's defenders.

US President Joe Biden on Friday announced another package of military assistance worth $150 million, including counter-artillery radars used for detecting the source of enemy fire.

This brings the total value of US weaponry sent to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began to $3.8 billion.

Biden had urged Congress to approve a further $33 billion package, including $20 billion in military aid, "to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table."

The G7 leaders, including Biden, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky are to meet in videoconference on Sunday to discuss Western support for Kyiv.

"There will be no return to the past"

On Friday, Zelensky said "diplomatic options" were also under way to rescue Ukrainian soldiers from the Mariupol steelworks, as civilian evacuations continued.

The Russian defence ministry said 50 people were evacuated from the site, including 11 children.

It added they were handed over to the UN and Red Cross, which are assisting in the operation, and that the "humanitarian operation" would continue on Saturday.

About 200 civilians, including children, are thought to be trapped in the tunnels and bunkers beneath Azovstal, along with Ukrainian soldiers making their last stand.

Russia announced a day-time ceasefire at the plant for three days starting Thursday but the Ukrainian army said Russian "assault operations" had continued by ground and air.

Ukraine's Azov battalion, leading the defense at Azovstal, said one Ukrainian fighter had been killed and six wounded when Russian forces opened fire during an attempt to evacuate people by car.

Since failing to take Kyiv early on in the war, Russia has refocused its offensive on the south and east of Ukraine.

Taking full control of Mariupol would allow Moscow to create a land bridge between the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and separatist, pro-Russian regions in the east.

In those regions, separatists said they had removed Ukrainian and English language traffic signs for Mariupol and replaced them with Russian ones.

Locals want to see proof that "Russia has come back here forever," said Denis Pushilin, head of the breakaway region of Donetsk.

In neighboring Lugansk, Ukrainian officials said on Friday that Russian forces had almost encircled Severodonetsk -- the easternmost city still held by Kyiv -- and are trying to storm it.

Kherson in the south remains the only significant city Russia has managed to capture since the war began.

A senior official from the Russian parliament visiting the city on Friday also emphasized that Russia would remain in southern Ukraine "forever".

"There should be no doubt about this. There will be no return to the past," Andrey Turchak said.

As European countries have sought to clamp down on Russian assets overseas, Italian authorities impounded a mega yacht as speculation swirled it might even belong to the Russian president.

"Scheherazade" is worth an estimated $700 million. Financial police have been able to "establish significant economic and business links" between the owner and "eminent people in the Russian government".

Researchers at the anti-corruption foundation of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny have linked the yacht to Putin.

Twins born during pandemic thriving after 2 years

Federal Reserve increases interest rates to battle record inflation

Russia nuclear missile test sparks international concern
Baku has dismissed Armenian media allegations about the alleged shooting of Armenian workers at the Zod mine in the Kalbajar direction of the state border.

"The information of Armenian media about the alleged shooting of Armenian workers at the Zod mine in the Kalbajar direction of the state border by units of the Azerbaijani army is false and disinformation," the statement said.

Furthermore, the ministry stated that it categorically refutes this information.

About 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed for five years in Karabakh under the trilateral cease-fire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on November 10, 2020. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw all its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied since the early 1990s.

The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the three-decade conflict over Azerbaijans Karabakh region which along with the seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

The deal also stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the peace deal, Azerbaijan liberated 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city that had been under Armenian occupation for about 30 years.

On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.

On November 26, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border by late 2021, some points related to humanitarian issues and the issue of unblocking of transport corridors which applies to the railway and to automobile communications.

On December 14, 2021, during the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting.

Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met with his Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukele, on Friday but did not mention rights complaints about El Salvador's massive roundup of suspected street gang members.

The two leaders' approach to high levels of homicides  a pressing problem in both countries  couldn't be more different. Lopez Obrador espouses a hugs not bullets non-confrontational policy, while Bukele brags about 24,000 arrests in just over a month and cutting food rations for inmates.

But the focus Friday, at least in public remarks, were the concerns about immigration and the Mexican president's desire for development aid so that people in Central America won't feel forced to emigrate.

As in Guatemala  the first stop on Lopez Obrador's five-day tour to four Central American countries and Cuba  he touted his pet program, known as Planting Life, which pays farmers a monthly wage to plant and care for fruit and lumber trees.

The tree-planting program has been criticized in Mexico for being designed as a social program without the necessary environmental science input. Scientists have noted that planting commercial species of trees could actually damage some ecosystems. And there are reports farmers have cleared natural forest  which they don't make much money from  to plant trees and get paid for it.

When it was launched, Lopez Obrador promoted it as a way to keep rural farmers on their land and relieve the pressure to migrate. He rarely mentioned an environmental benefit until coming under more criticism for his promotion of polluting industries and attempting to get the U.S. government to fund an expansion of the program.

Mexico is also funding a program of workplace apprenticeships for unemployed youths. Critics say both programs lack accountability and transparency.

Lopez Obrador has helped fund the expansion of the programs to El Salvador and Guatemala. But he has criticized American officials for being loath to fund his programs.

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It would be expected that the U.S. government and Congress would hand over the $4 billion that President (Joe) Biden offered to invest in these programs, Lopez Obrador said. In fact, U.S. officials have long indicated they would invest in their own development programs.

We don't have to be waiting and we cannot depend on anybody, the Mexican leaders said. We have to make use of our right to self-determination as free and sovereign people.

Lopez Obrador later visited Honduras, where he met with President Xiomara Castro. The two discussed Mexico helping Honduras look for ways to explore for oil along its Caribbean coast.

The Mexican president will next travel to Belize and Cuba.

It is only be the third overseas trip in more than three years for Lopez Obrador, who is fond of saying that the best foreign policy is good domestic policy. The tour is an opportunity for Mexico to reassert itself as a leader in Latin America and will be welcomed by some leaders under pressure from the U.S. government and others for their alleged anti-democratic tendencies.

Both geographically and metaphorically, Mexico finds itself wedged between the United States and the rest of Latin America. Lopez Obrador has deflected criticism dating to the Trump administration that his government is doing Washingtons dirty work in trying to stop migrants before they reach the U.S. border.

Lopez Obrador will be received in Central America, in part, as an emissary of the United States when it comes to migration policy.

The U.S. government has been trying to build consensus ahead of the June Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles to cement a regional approach to managing migration flows. In recent years large numbers of Central Americans, but also Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans, Colombians and migrants arriving from other continents, have made their way up through the Americas.

The Central America tour is an opportunity for Lopez Obrador to show some independence from the United States. Lopez Obrador has criticized the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba and he said that he told U.S. officials that no country should be excluded from the Summit of the Americas. The Biden administration has signaled that Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua would not be invited.
By Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) -Airborne firefighters dumped water and retardants on a raging New Mexico wildfire on Saturday, expediting their mission until gusty afternoon winds grounded their aerial campaign.

In all New Mexico was battling at least six wildfires, the worst of them burning the mountains and canyons just east of the capital of Santa Fe, amid extremely hot, windy and dry weather that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called "the worst possible set of conditions for any fire."

The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon complex had burned 172,284 acres as of Saturday, officials said, the equivalent of 269 square miles (697 square km) or nearly 90% of the land area of New York City, destroying at least 170 homes and forcing 16,000 evacuations, officials said.

Worse yet, sizzling temperatures and powerful winds were forecast for another five days in what firefighters have deemed a "historic fire weather event."

Dave Bales, U.S. Forest Service incident commander for the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire, told reporters that helicopter and airplane pilots started early on Saturday and flew all morning, but gusty winds picked up around midday and grounded the fleet.

"They had to sit down due to the heavy turbulence and the lack of visibility with the smoke," U.S. Forest Service Incident Commander Todd Abel told a briefing.

"We were flying them all the way up until then, but the safety of the aerial firefighters was being pushed."

Saturday's wind speeds of 30 mph with 60 mph gusts (48 to 96 kph) were expected to increase on Sunday. Meanwhile, relative humidity of 35% was forecast to dip to a bone dry range of 6% to 16% on Sunday, firefighters said. "Extreme burning conditions" were expected until Tuesday, they said.

Sustained winds are manageable, but fluctuating speeds create hazards for pilots, and strong winds blow water and retardant drops off the mark, Bales said.

KOAT television showed a helicopter dipping a vat attached to a cable into a lake, while planes skirted billowing smoke to drop water and fire retardants over flames.

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Firefighters on the ground were rotating in and out, using hand tools and bulldozers to create fire breaks.

The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire was 21% contained on Saturday, but pockets of unburned forest remained behind the fire lines, meaning it had plenty more fuel, Bales said.

The fire consists of two blazes that ignited about two weeks apart and later merged into one, the first originating from a prescribed-burn project that got out of control. The cause of the second remains under investigation, officials said.

At least five others raged elsewhere in the state.

One of them, the 59,000-acre (238 square km) Cooks Peak fire a little further to the northeast from the main blaze, was 97% contained, meaning resources could soon be diverted elsewhere in the state, Lujan Grisham said.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, Calif.; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Michael Perry)
A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

The leaked opinion was in response to Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, a case that challenges Mississippis ban on abortion after 15 weeks.

At least 22 states have laws banning abortion before the 15th week, many of them lacking exceptions for fetal viability, rape or incest, or even the womans health. Several of those bans will take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, as a leaked draft of the opinion suggests.

Republican Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves took to Twitter this week to express his thoughts about what should happen if the Supreme Court officially decides to overturn Roe v. Wade.

We need to prove that being pro-life is about being more than anti-abortion, he said.

The left is determined to push for abortion up until the moment of birth. We must commit to stop that atrocity. We must also work every day to serve mothers and children better. Even if a pregnancy is initially unwanted, that child deserves love and care. pic.twitter.com/OUIiqcnqI5  Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) May 6, 2022

Reeves signed a bill known as the Pregnancy Resource Act, which will provide $3.5 million in tax credits to pregnancy resource centers across the state.

Were not always looked at as the best and most healthy state, but we are working very hard as pregnancy centers across Mississippi to make sure people have the connections and the support they need, said Sara Smith, Executive Director for the Center for Pregnancy Choices in Meridian, Mississippi.

Smith knows the pregnancy journey is different for everyone. Thats why she said the Center for Pregnancy Choices offers many services for women and their families.

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Well have people that will say, Im not sure if I am pregnant or not. Can I get a free pregnancy test? Yes, you can. Im not sure if Im ready for a baby. We need all the things, and we say, Let us help you throw a baby shower.

On top of that, the center offers pregnancy counseling and post-abortion support and helps families connect with adoption agencies, among other services.

Financial support is absolutely essential for pregnancy centers like ours because we do not generally get funding from the government as in federal or state grants, Smith said.

Thats why Smith said she was thrilled when she learned about the Pregnancy Resource Act.

It was definitely something worth handclaps and praise about because, like I mentioned, sometimes it is really hard for us to get supported, said Smith.

Smith said there are at least 33 pregnancy resources across Mississippi. She said the money would allow these centers to continue offering their free services and improve healthcare and wellness for families across Mississippi.

Its really empowering to know a woman has a choice and her pregnancy options, and she can still have her dreams and give life to a child, too, said Smith

On Twitter, Reeves said the state has made great strides over the past weeks but said there is still much to be done.

He said the state is partnering with the Dave Thomas Foundation to improve foster care and is upgrading the core child protective services functions to better serve moms and children.

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A unanimous jury has found a Monroe man guilty in the 2018 rape and kidnapping of an elderly woman, according to a Friday news release from the office of 4th Judicial District Attorney Steve Tew.

Terry Lynn Leonard was charged with first-degree rape, aggravated kidnapping, simple arson, home invasion and theft of a motor vehicle.

The trial started Monday and ran through Friday.

According to the release, Leonard entered the victim's home after knocking in a window air conditioner unit on July 14, 2018. He raped the 78-year-old victim, then dragged her to her vehicle and forced her inside. He set fire to the home before leaving with the woman.

Law enforcement agencies rescued the victim after Leonard crashed the car and fled from the wreck on foot.

This week: Ouachita Valley ATM caught fire during attempted burglary, Monroe Police investigating

The defendant will return to court in August for sentencing, according to the release.

Leonard faces life imprisonment at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence for the charges of first-degree rape and aggravated kidnapping. He could be sentenced up to an additional 55 years at hard labor for the charges of simple arson, home invasion and theft of a motor vehicle.

'There is a problem': Louisiana State Police colonel journal cites early angst in Ronald Greene death

The case was prosecuted by 4th Judicial District Assistant District Attorneys Shirley Davis and Danielle Linkford and presided over by 4th Judicial District Court Judge Frederick Jones. Leonard was represented by attorneys Peggy Sullivan and Glenn Fleming.

Tew said he's proud of his ADAs' work on the case and thanked the Monroe Police Department for its investigative work.

Support local journalism by subscribing at https://cm.thenewsstar.com/specialoffer.

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Monroe man found guilty in 2018 rape and kidnapping of elderly woman
MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell, speaks to reporters outside federal court in Washington, Thursday, June 24, 2021. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said he believes the SCOTUS Roe v. Wade draft was leaked intentionally to sabotage him.

He said the leak was "suspicious," because news broke of it hours before the premiere of a movie alleging voter fraud.

The movie, called "2000 Mules," was created by conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said he believes the draft Supreme Court opinion that points to the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade was done intentionally to sabotage efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Lindell  who was participating in an event for Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake when the news broke  told The Daily Beast he found the timing "suspicious" and a means to "deflect" as he said it came two hours before the debut of "2000 Mules," a film alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

"What kind of timing is that, you follow me? So that gets the news instead of more and more evidence and more stuff piling on of what happened in the 2020 election," Lindell said in an interview with the Right Side Broadcasting Network.

On Monday, Politico published a leaked draft opinion in which Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito called the 1973 landmark Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortions nationwide "egregiously wrong from the start."

Abortion will remain legal in the United States until the court hands down a final verdict, which could come as early as June, when the bench decides the verdict for another abortion case. But the draft itself was enough to put reproductive rights activists and doctors who perform abortions on edge.

If Roe is overturned, it will be illegal in 23 states to obtain an abortion, and there may be added restrictions in several others.

In his interview with The Daily Beast, Lindell maintained that the leak was connected to the release of "2000 Mules." The movie, created by conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, was heralded by former President Donald Trump who said it exposed "great election fraud," a claim that has been repeatedly debunked since he lost the 2020 presidential election.

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After the results of the 2020 presidential election, the Trump campaign has filed dozens of lawsuits alleging voter fraud, most of which have so far been denied, dismissed, or withdrawn.

Independent election watchdog groups have repeatedly said there was no widespread voter fraud. After the results came out, for example, The New York Times contacted election officials in every state, each of which said there is no evidence that fraud influenced the presidential election.

But even since leaving office, Trump has continued to insist that the election was rigged. Republican lawmakers and supporters like Lindell have echoed his unsubstantiated claims.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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STORY: This is Europe's largest floating solar park: 12,000 solar panels of the size of four soccer pitches floating on Portugal's Alqueva reservoir. Built by the country's main utility EDP, the project is part of Portugal's plan to cut reliance on imported fossil fuels.The panels on the Alqueva reservoir will produce 7.5 gigawatt/hours of electricity a year, with lithium batteries to store 2 gigawatt/hours.They will supply 1,500 families - about a third of the power needs of the nearby towns of Moura and Portel.Miguel Patena is EDP group director in charge of the project.The cost of electricity of these type of projects is less than one-third, or 25%, of the cost of the fuel fired in power plants nowadays.Solar panels mounted on lakes or at sea have been installed in range of places from California to China.Floating panels do not require valuable real estate and those on reservoirs used for hydropower are particularly cost effective as they can hook up to existing links to the power grid.Excess power generated on sunny days can also pump water up into the lake to be stored for use on cloudy days or at night.In 2017, EDP installed a pilot floating solar project on the Alto Rabagao hydro dam. It was the first in Europe to test how hydro and solar power could complement each other.Its the way the world, and Europe in particular, has to go to reduce the dependency of carbon fuels, of course, reduce the strategic dependency and of course reducing the prices of the pool markets.
May 6CLEVELAND, Ohio) Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today that nearly 2,000 pieces of personal protective equipment donated by Ohio law enforcement agencies will soon be delivered to Ukraine.

In response to a request from Governor DeWine in March, more than two dozen Ohio law enforcement agencies donated surplus or expired body armor, vest carriers, and helmets for use by members of the Ukraine civilian territorial defense as they resist Russian attacks.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol coordinated the collection of the donations and delivered the 1,996 pieces of personal protective gear to an undisclosed location in the Cleveland area today.

"I am so very appreciative to all of the law enforcement agencies that took the time to gather their unneeded equipment and donate it to our friends in Ukraine who are fighting for their lives," said Governor DeWine. "I also commend the Fund to Aid Ukraine and their partners who have been working to ensure that these donations will go directly to Ukrainian civilians who are bravely standing up to Russia to defend their country and protect their families."

The Fund to Aid Ukraine is a non-profit organization based in Parma that is affiliated with the United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio, a member of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. The donations are scheduled to be transported from Ohio to Ukraine in the coming days.

In total, Ohio is donating 71 vest carriers, 45 helmets, and 1,880 pieces of body armor to help protect civilians who are defending Ukraine against Russia. The following agencies participated in this donation drive:

Aurora Police Department, Battelle Labs, Bowling Green State University Police Department, Cambridge Police Department, Cleveland Police Department, Elmore Police Department, Erie County Sheriff's Office, Henry County Sheriff's Office, Hilliard Police Department, Holden Arboretum Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Morrow County Sheriff's Office, North Canton Police Department, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Department of Administrative Services, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Ohio Department of Youth Services, Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Perry Township Police Department, Sandusky Police Department, Stark County Sheriff's Office, Supreme Court of Ohio, Sylvania Police Department, Troy Police Department, Union County Sheriff's Office, Wood County Sheriff's Office, Wooster Police Department.
The city of Kherson

Read also: No mobile networks or internet available in Kherson Oblast

Tasheva said that Russian troops are targeting Ukrainian veterans and activists who protested against the illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea by Russia. People are being kidnapped from their homes, she said.

Read also: Ukrainian resistance may destroy Russia's plans to create sham republic in Kherson Oblast

This is exactly what we saw in Crimea in 2014, said Tasheva.

Their troops were followed by the subjugation of media, activists, and journalists; afterwards, they held that so-called referendum (in Crimea).

Read also: Local journalist talks about occupation and resistance in Kherson

She added that Russia is deporting Ukrainian citizens from mainland Ukraine to Crimea. Concentration camps are being set up near the peninsulas border with Kherson Oblast, where detained Ukrainians are kept without passports and checked to see if they have any history of anti-Russia activity.

According to reports from Ukrainians who have been in such concentration camps, those that are deemed by the Russians to be anti-Russian are filtered from the other detainees.

Their fate is unknown.
The ongoing baby formula shortage in this country is negatively impacting some food banks and pantries that serve lower-income clients, as well as others who count on these facilities for essential products and supplies.

Derrick Williams, operations manager for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in Raleigh, N.C., told Fox News Digital on Friday that its food bank is "definitely being impacted" by the shortage.

"We have seen very little baby formula, and we have had recalls on some baby formula," he said.

He added, "If we do get it [baby formula] at all, we have to make sure it hasnt been recalled."

Baby formula is shown offered for sale here at a big box store on Jan. 13, 2022 in Chicago, Ill. Baby formula has been in short supply in many stores around the country for several months. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Nearly 600,000 people face hunger across the 34-county service area that this food bank serves, the organization notes on its website.

Last year, this particular food bank provided over 115 million meals to families and individuals; it serves a hefty chunk of residents of central-eastern North Carolina.

Due to ongoing supply chain issues, elevated inflation and some recent product recalls, about 30 percent of popular baby formula brands were out of stock in retail stores across the U.S. by early April.

"Because of food chain shortages, inventory is not what it used to be," Williams also told Fox News Digital about conditions at his food bank.

"When the [COVID-19] pandemic was at its height, we were getting a lot of food commodities from the government  but that has stopped."

PARENTS SEARCH FRANTICALLY FOR HOMEMADE FORMULA RECIPES AMID SHORTAGE

"We are at a decrease right now," he added. "We are still able to operate, but there is not as much as there once was."

While government program WIC  the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children  regularly supplies formula to lower-income families, some food banks do offer formula to their clients.

The Department of Public Healths local WIC programs have been "working closely with families" to provide support and information about available options, "including informing them of the temporarily expanded WIC formula list to offer comparable products for formulas that have been difficult to locate," Fox News Digital was told in a statement on Friday.

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BABY FORMULA SHORTAGE: KENTUCKY FAMILY REVEALS THEIR DESPERATE DRAMA

WIC also notes that it "continues to promote breastfeeding" and that its programs support the "many families that are choosing to breastfeed their infants."

But what about all those new moms who cannot breastfeed or whose infants need specially fortified formulas for their health?

Given today's shortages of baby formula, some families have been searching desperately for homemade recipe suggestions  but this is a very bad idea, experts say.

"The answer to parents giving homemade formula to their babies is NO! It is very dangerous," Dr. Meg Meeker, a longtime pediatrician, author and creator of the "Parenting Great Kids" podcast, told Fox News Digital on Friday evening.

"We know a lot about this because many years ago parents used to make it  but babies got very sick."

She added, "Homemade formulas can have contaminates because they haven't been properly handled. But more important problems relate to poor nutrition," she said.

"Specifically," said Dr. Meeker, "when parents use cow's milk, it has good protein but lacks the necessary iron for baby's growth. This can lead to iron deficiency in children and is the reason we postpone giving babies cow's milk until after they are a year old."

"By then," she said, "kids will get enough iron in their foods. Believe it or not, I had a toddler [in my practice] with such bad iron deficiency from drinking too much milk that he actually went into heart failure."

Dr. Meeker addressed another "dangerous" alternative that some parents are turning to these days.

"Some parents use goat's milk  and this is equally dangerous," she said. "Goat's milk sounds natural, which makes parents feel that it is good  but it lacks enough vitamin B12 and vitamin D."

She added, "Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets and Vitamin B12 deficiency causes another dangerous type of anemia."

But "that's just for starters," she added. "There can be too much of a glucose load, and too few or too many electrolytes like sodium, potassium and calcium. Low levels of these can cause seizures or heart arrythmias."

This is why, said Dr. Meeker, "we encourage mothers who haven't much money to breastfeed as long as possible  There is absolutely no reason that parents should put their baby at risk with homemade formulas."

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And for those women who can't breastfeed, she said, "the formula companies give a lot of [baby] formula away  it's good advertising."

She advised that if parents "contact the formula companies, they'll help out. Most doctors know who the formula reps are, so moms should ask their pediatrician."
Saudi-based Jabal Omar Development Company has announced that it has submitted an application seeking Saudi Capital Market Authority's nod for a capital hike by SR5.3 billion ($1.41 billion) through debt conversion.

The move comes following the board recommendation received by the Saudi developer last month.

The increase in the capital will be implemented through conversion of all debts towards the Alinma Makkah Real Estate Fund, said the company in its filing to the Saudi bourse Tadawul.

It is being done as recorded in Jabal Omars unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three-month and nine-month periods ended on September 30, 2021, it stated.

This includes the settlement of all rights and obligations owed by the company to the Fund and its related entities, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea and the Japanese military said on Saturday.

The unidentified projectile  the hermit kingdoms 15th major launch this year as part of a spree of provocative activity  has already fallen into the sea outside Japans exclusive economic zone, Japanese public broadcaster NHK citing government sources said.

According to South Korea, the North had fired what appears to be a short-ranged submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from Sinpo city, where the North keeps submarines and other equipment.

This missile launch comes just three days after the North fired another projectile off its east coast from Sunan airport in Pyongyang, drawing widespread condemnation. Wednesdays missile travelled about 500km at a maximum altitude of 800km, the Norths neighbours said.

The North Korean government in March had test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017, which landed in the sea 170km west of Japans northern prefecture of Aomori and inside Japans exclusive economic zone.

Analysts see the launches as an attempt to provoke the US and its allies into negotiations over the tough sanctions regime imposed on Pyongyang, with diplomatic talks stalled since before president Joe Biden entered the White House.

The United States has warned that North Korea might be preparing to revive its Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which was dismantled during the rounds of talks between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, and that it could stage a new nuclear test there as early as this month.

Last month at a massive military parade in the capital, Mr Kim had reiterated his warning that the North could preemptively use its nuclear weapons if threatened and vowed to expand the countrys nuclear capacity at the fastest possible pace.

DPRK[Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] submarine technology probably remains short of being able to stay at sea for extended periods while avoiding detection. But the ability to launch ballistic missiles from a submarine would further complicate missions to neutralise and defend against North Koreas nuclear forces, said Leif-Eric Easley, professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

The Kim regime appears to be preparing to test a miniaturised nuclear device that it can claim will arm its SLBMs, tactical missiles, and multiple warheads on its ICBMs, he added.
Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office

Vicky White, the Alabama corrections officer whos become the target of a massive manhunt after disappearing last week with an inmate charged with capital murder, has been spotted in new surveillance footage.

On Saturday, the Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office released video showing White at the front desk of a Quality Inn in Florence, Alabama. Officials said the video shows White on the morning she allegedly assisted the inmate, Casey White, in escaping from the Lauderdale County Jail.

Vicky and Casey White (no relation) left the Lauderdale County Detention Center at 9:30 a.m. for the courthouse, but never arrived. They drove straight to the Florence Square shopping center, where they ditched the patrol car and left in the Ford. Vicky Whites patrol cruiser keys, police radio and handcuffs were left behind in her sheriffs vehicle. The Florence Quality Inn is also close to the site where White dumped her getaway car, officials added.

The Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office released surveillance footage showing Vicky White at a hotel on Florence Blvd hours before she escaped with Casey Cole White. #VickyWhite pic.twitter.com/JvUMdaMBXI  Rose (@901Lulu) May 7, 2022

Sheriff Rick Singleton said Vicky and Casey White had a jailhouse romance that included her making sure he had extra food on his trays and communicating with him while he was incarcerated in state prison.

On May 5, U.S. Marshals released new photos of Casey White and Vicky White. The photos show Casey White with tattoos on his chest, arms and upper back, including some affiliated with the Alabama-based white supremacist prison gang Southern Brotherhood. Photos of Vicky showed what the blonde would look like with dyed or longer/shorter hair.

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Runaway Prison Guards Getaway Car Found 100 Miles Away

This week, Whites mother-in-law Frances White told The Daily Beast the corrections officer may have been brainwashed.

I cant imagine her running off with that guy, but you never know, White added. He walked into a womans house and stabbed her.

The U.S. Marshal Service announced via Twitter that it will be offering up to $10,000 for information regarding Casey White and up to $5,000 for information regarding Vicky White.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has also issued two rewards of $5,000 each for information leading to the apprehension and arrest of Vicky and Casey White.

Both Casey White and Vicky White pose a major threat to the public, and they must be apprehended. I am pleased to offer this support as law enforcement works diligently to get these dangerous criminals behind bars, Ivey said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
The Oklahoma City Police Department is requesting budget additions, including a licensed professional counselor and an increase to its crisis intervention program, both changes recommended by the city's police reform consultant.

The expansion of the Crisis Intervention Team would bring the percentage of CIT-certified officers to 35%, compared to the recommended 25%, Police Chief Wade Gourley said during Tuesday's budget presentation to city council.

The proposed changes are much needed, said Garland Pruitt, Oklahoma City NAACP president and member of the law enforcement policy task force that helped form a list of 39 recommendations with the help of Chicago-based consultant 21CP Solutions.

Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley leaves a city council meeting at City Hall on March 1.

"Let's make it happen," Pruitt said. "Let's hold them accountable for those things that we see, know and experience every day."

The task force and the community policing working group met monthly from August 2020 to last November, discussing eight areas of reform for the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Pruitt said the process has taken longer than he would have liked, but that it's better late than never.

Members of the Oklahoma City Police Academy, Class 144, stand in formation Jan. 14 during a flag ceremony and inspection.

What progress has Oklahoma City made on implementing police reform recommendations ?

City Manager Craig Freeman said his office is working with 21CP consultant Ganesha Martin, who was heavily involved in forming the recommendations, to create an implementation timeline.

He hopes that can be released late this summer or by the fall. The city also is looking to hire a new assistant city manager of public safety to succeed Kenton Tsoodle, as well as a project manager. Both of these hires will work on implementation with Martin, Freeman said.

"Getting all those pieces in place will help us move forward the implementation plan," Freeman said. "But in the meantime, we're continuing to work on improvements that we can make in the police department."

Gourley said the department has made progress with several of the recommendations, including through its partnership with NorthCare in a pilot alternative mental health response program.

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A total of $2.4 million has been set aside by the city manager's office for further implementation. The money also will be available to implement recommendations from the human rights task force and the homelessness task force, Budget Director Doug Dowler said.

Some recommendations will require negotiations with the local Fraternal Order of Police union  anything that changes working conditions for police officers  but Freeman said that will be done outside of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations that already are underway for fiscal year 2023.

When the city tried to negotiate some changes to interviewing officers involved in shootings during the last contract negotiation, it brought the process to a halt and resulted in the FOP filing a grievance.

Handling the recommendations separately would avoid situations like that in the future, Freeman said.

The Oklahoma City Council meets April 12 at City Hall.

What to know about the proposed OKC police and fire budgets

In a time of difficulty hiring and retaining police officers nationwide, the Oklahoma City Police Department is looking to add new civilian positions in the coming fiscal year.

This will help "fill in the gaps" during the sworn officer shortage, Gourley said.

"We're freeing up our police officers to better be able to fight crime, and do the things that they need to do, and respond to those more serious incidents," Gourley said.

The city council Tuesday heard from Gourley and Fire Chief Richard Kelley about the two departments budget requests.

The police department is requesting the following major budget additions:

$557,000 for eight civilian property crime specialists for accident investigation

$314,000 for five 911 dispatchers

$87,000 for a licensed professional counselor, which was a recommendation from the 21CP report

$54,000 to incentivize more officers to become part of the Crisis Intervention Team, which was a recommendation from the 21CP report

The fire department is requesting the following major budget additions:

$1.5 million for 18 new firefighter positions

$306,000 for 4 new civilian positions, including a licensed professional counselor

$500,000 for the recruit overage program which allows the department to hire above its budgeted number of positions

doubling its current $100,000 wellness budget

The city's General Services department also will add a seven-person "station renovation team" to keep up with maintenance and improvements of the city's aging fire stations.

Oklahoma City's city manager, Craig Freeman, is shown at an April 12 city council meeting.

How the public can be involved in Oklahoma City's budget process

For the second year, the city is holding a public comment period outside of city council meetings.

Residents can submit comments on the budget until May 23 in the following ways:

Email budgetcomments@okc.gov

Text the Action Center at 405-252-1053

Fill out the form at okc.gov/budget

Send mail to the city clerk's office: Budget Comments c/o City Clerk, 200 N Walker, 2nd Floor, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Residents also can sign up to speak during the May 17 and May 31 budget hearings. The city will present public comments to city council during the May 31 hearing.

During those meetings, city council will hear from more department heads about their budget proposals, including parks and recreation, planning, public works and utilities.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC police plan to add licensed counselor, increase in crisis training
Another

Read also: US charge daffairs Kristina Kvien: I believe Ukraine will win

"There's an additional 150 plus that are currently going through howitzer training," he said.

Read also: Lend-Lease 2022: How the US can back Ukraine against Putin

"Fifteen Ukrainian soldiers have completed the Q-64 training, that's that mobile air defense radar system that we talked about, 60 Ukrainian soldiers have completed M-113 training, that's the armored personnel carrier, and about 50 more are currently being trained on that right now."

U.S. cable news channel CNN reported on May 4 that nearly all of the howitzers that the United States had pledged to Ukraine were now "in Ukrainian hands."

Read also: Day 73 of Putin's war. Russians shell Odesa, Ukraine evacuates all civilians from AzovStal factory in Mariupol
"Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including the Wilmington Morning News, The Morning News, the Journal-Every Evening and the Every Evening.

May 8, 1945, Wilmington Morning News

Nazis quit; today V-E Day

The war in Europe is over. Complete and unconditional surrender papers were signed by Germany at 2:41 a.m. French time May 7 in the headquarters of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allies of the West, at Reims.

President Truman made arrangements to make a radio address at 9 a.m. today, presumably to proclaim the victory over Germany.

Front page of the Wilmington Morning News from May 8, 1945.

The crowning triumph came just five years, eight months and six days after Hitler invaded weak but proud Poland and struck the spark which set the world afire.

A Big Three agreement put off the formal announcement of V-E Day until it can be proclaimed simultaneously by the major Allies  Britain, Russia and the United States.

Four Delaware soldiers liberated in Germany

Four Delaware soldiers were liberated from German prison camps yesterday, according to reports received from Third Army Headquarters in Europe.

Lt. Earle R. Allen, of Bethel, a bombardier on a B-17 Flying Fortress, was reported missing in July 1944 and as a prisoner in October 1944.

Sgt. V.G. Comegys, of Wilmington, was reported missing April 13, 1944. He had written frequently to his parents, urging them never to give up hope if he were ever listed as missing.

Lt. Victor D. Ennis, of Wilmington, was reported missing in June 1944. He was co-pilot of a Flying Fortress based in England....

Lt. Robert J. McCormick, of Wilmington, pilot on a B-25, was captured after being shot down over Sardinia in May 1943.

May 9, 1960, Journal-Every Evening

Founder of Wilmington Flower Market visits first beneficiary

Mrs. J. Dudley Clark, founder of the Wilmington Flower Market, made a recent visit to St. Michaels Day Nursery, the first beneficiary of the first Flower Market in 1921.

When she was asked what had given her the idea for the market, she said, Bishop Coleman asked me to sell cakes and pies for the benefit of what was then called St. Michaels Day Nursery and Hospital for Colored Babies. I didnt think people really wanted our pies and cakes and for the amount of time and effort, we really werent making much money. So the idea popped into my head, Why not give people what they want? All people want plants and flowers.At lunch with about a dozen friends one day, I told them what I thought we should do, and they all agreed to help.

Story continues

Page 3 of the Journal-Every Evening from May 9, 1960.

The first year of the Flower Market, they raised $1,500.

Mrs. Clark was surprised to learn that her original group has grown to a volunteer crew of more than 2,400 women, the number of beneficiaries has increased to 15, and that $34,000 was raised last year.

The St. Michaels Day Nursery has ceased to be a hospital but the nursery is a vital service, caring for 40 pre-school children of working mothers.

This years Flower Market will be held Friday and Saturday at Rockford Park.

MORE ON WILMINGTON TODAY: If we dream it, maybe it will come? Here's what Wilmington needs for a more vibrant city

May 10, 1974, The Morning News

Nixon impeachment hearings begin

The House Judiciary Committee yesterday entered the critical stage in its historic inquiry into whether President Nixon should be impeached.

Front page of The Morning News from May 10, 1974.

The first impeachment hearing for a president since the Andrew Johnson case of 1868 began with a somber, 19-minute open session that was televised, then took up evidence behind closed doors.

Most of thematerial in the first area of inquiry concerns any part Nixon may have played in the cover-up that followed the June 17, 1972 break-in and bugging of Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex.

May 13, 1932, Every Evening

Body of murdered Lindbergh baby found

The search for the kidnapped Lindbergh baby was at an end today  for the baby is dead.

But the search for the slayers was intensified a thousand fold, by order of President Hoover himself.

Front page of the Every Evening from May 13, 1932.

The little body was found by chance near the Lindbergh home in Hopewell, N.J., yesterday afternoon and though little more than a skeleton, was definitely identified as that of the missing child. There was a wound above the forehead, and the skull had been broken by the murderers who stole the child from his crib March 1.

Col. Charles Lindbergh and his wife, soon to become a mother for the second time, were secluded in their home today, their unfaltering hope brought to an end by the sad certainty of death.

CATCH UP ON HISTORY: News Journal archives, week of April 3

May 14, 1981, The Morning News

Pope stable after being shot in Vatican City

Pope John Paul II, shot Wednesday as he greeted 15,000 people at his weekly audience in St. Peters Square, came through more than 5  hours of surgery for six wounds in good and stable condition, his doctors said early today.

Front page of The Morning News from May 14, 1981.

On Wednesday, as John Paul beamed and waved to tourists and pilgrims, shots were fired and the pope slumped in the open vehicle which had brought him to the sunlit square. Blood stained his white garments.

Police took into custody a man identified as a Turkish right-wing terrorist who had vowed to kill the pope. The gunmans bullets also wounded two women, one of them an American.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: News Journal archives WWII V-E Day Nixon impeachment Lindbergh baby
ROME (AP)  Pope Francis on Saturday blasted Catholics who, hewing to old-school versions of liturgy like the Latin Mass, have made an ideological battleground of the issue, decrying what he described as devil-inspired divisiveness in the church.

Francis pressed his papacys battle against traditionalists, whose prominent members include some ultra-conservative cardinals. They have resisted restrictions, imposed last year by the Vatican, on celebrations of the old Mass in Latin in St. Peters Basilica and, more generally, for years have disparaged the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Speaking at the Vatican to instructors and students of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, Francis said its not possible to worship God while using the liturgy as a battleground for nonessential questions that divide the church.

Francis has made clear he prefers Mass celebrated in local languages, with the priest facing the congregation instead of with his back to the pews. That was the way Mass was celebrated before the revolutionary Vatican Council reforms, more than a half century-ago, which aimed at making rank-and-file Catholics feel more connected to liturgical celebrations.

Related video: Madonna wants to meet Pope Francis

"I underline again that liturgical life, and the study of it, must lead to greater ecclesial unity, not to division,'' the pope told the institute's participants. "When liturgical life is a bit of a banner for division, there is the odor of the devil being inside there, the deceiver.''

"It's not possible to render worship to God and at the same time make a battleground of liturgy for questions that aren't essential,'' Francis added.

Last year, two prominent cardinals questioned the legitimacy of a Vatican decree placing restrictions of the celebration of the old Latin Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and forbidding private Masses in its side chapels.

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Such traditionalists have openly voiced hostility to Francis. The retired chief of the Vatican's doctrinal orthodoxy office, German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, contended that no one was obliged to obey that decree. U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, who was given the heave-ho by Francis early in his papacy from a Vatican post, called for the decree to be scrapped.

Francis told his audience on Saturday that every reform creates some resistance. He recalled that, when he was a youngster, Pope Pius XII allowed faithful to drink water before receiving Communion and that scandalized opponents.

(backslash)Similar indignation followed later reforms allowing Catholics to fulfill their weekly Mass obligation by attending an evening service instead of on Sunday mornings.

Francis also blasted what he called closed mentalities" that exploit the liturgy.

This is the drama we are living, in ecclesial groups which are moving away from the Church, putting in question the authority of bishops and of the church, he said.

In 2016, a breakaway traditionalist Catholic group, the Society of St. Pius X, accused Francis of sowing confusion and errors about the faith, joining a chorus of conservative criticism over what they perceived as the pontiff's lax doctrine.

In 1969, the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre founded the society, opposed to the modernizing church reforms of the 1960s. In one of the more spectacular chapters of the Vatican's long-running duel with traditionalists, he and four other bishops were later excommunicated by the Vatican after the archbishop consecrated them without papal consent.
Raleigh police said a man died Saturday after four police officers shot him outside of a police station in Southeast Raleigh.

Police officers shot him after they saw him throwing multiple Molotov cocktails at vehicles in a parking lot near the police station, Chief Estella Patterson said at a news conference Saturday night. He then threw the incendiary weapons toward officers, and one came within close proximity of an officer, Patterson said.

Patterson did not release the mans name or provide any other information about him but said family had been notified of his death.

The situation started around 1:20 p.m. when an officer at the departments Southeast District station in the 2800 block of Rock Quarry Road, near New Birch Drive, observed the man trying to set multiple vehicles on fire. The officer requested assistance from other officers, Patterson said.

At least three other officers responded, and commanded the man to stop. The man continued to throw Molotov cocktails at vehicles; theyre typically glass bottles with a fuse that contain flammable liquid. After one came near an officer, the four officers fired their guns at the man, who was struck multiple times, according to Patterson.

Officers then moved the man away from a burning vehicle and tried to perform CPR, Patterson said. The man was transported to the hospital, where he died.

Patterson said at least two vehicles had been engulfed by flames. Aerial footage shot by ABC11, The News & Observers newsgathering partner, showed that at least one of the vehicles destroyed by the flames was an RPD SUV.

Earlier Saturday, Lt. Chaz Moore with the Raleigh Fire Department said three engines along with a battalion chief and a division chief responded to the scene of the shooting to extinguish a vehicle that had caught on fire. Asked if it was an RPD vehicle that had caught on fire, Moore referred the N&O to Raleigh police.

A portion of Rock Quarry Road remained blocked off by police for several hours on Saturday afternoon. The road was reopened just after 8 p.m.

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Police work on Rock Quarry Road by Olde Birch Drive in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Police will petition for release of bodycam footage

All four officers who responded to the scene were wearing body cameras, which were active, Patterson said. Security cameras installed by the police station also captured the shooting, Patterson said.

Patterson said she did not know how many times the man was struck, and said she believed all four officers fired their weapons. She said those details would be revealed in the body camera footage, which she said she would petition a judge to publicly release, as is required by state law.

The police chief also said she would submit a 5-day report to the city manager with the departments findings of what happened during the shooting. That report will be released to the public.

Patterson said the State Bureau of Investigation had been notified and had launched a criminal investigation into the shooting, which is standard procedure whenever a law enforcement officer shoots someone. The SBI will report its findings to the Wake County District Attorney when its investigation is complete.

The Raleigh Police Department has launched its own internal investigation into the shooting, Patterson said, which is also standard procedure.

Asked if officers made an effort to defuse the situation before shooting the man, Patterson said that would be answered in the departments 5-day report.

Sixth Triangle law enforcement shooting this year

Saturdays shooting is the sixth law enforcement shooting in the Triangle this year.

In January, Raleigh police officers responded to a wreck on Interstate 440, where they found 43-year-old Daniel Turcios and his family, who were involved in a crash with at least one other vehicle.

Officers investigated the crash and noticed that Turcios was holding a knife in his hand. Officers repeatedly commanded Turcios to drop the knife, and when he was walking away from them, an officer tased him in the back.

Body camera footage later released by the City of Raleigh showed that when Turcios lunged at an officer with the knife, a second officer shot him multiple times.

The shooting prompted Turcioss family to call for both RPD officers to be prosecuted for their roles in the incident.

Four other law enforcement shootings have taken place in 2022 in Durham, including two involving Durham police officers, one involving a Durham sheriffs deputy, and one involving a Duke University police officer.

The SBI launched investigations into each of the shootings.
The Flat Rock High School Marching Band is preparing to travel to Washington D.C. next week. It's the group's first trip since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Flat Rock High School Marching Band is heading to the nation's capital.

The band will visit Washington, D.C. from May 12 through May 16, and perform at the World War II Memorial on May 14. On the way to D.C., the band will also stop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to visit the site of the Civil War's bloodiest battle.

While in Washington, the group will visit the National Archives, the White House, the Capitol Building, Ford's Theatre, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Smithsonian Institute Museums. The group will also take a nighttime, illuminated tour of the Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and the Lincoln, Jefferson and Iwo Jima memorials.

Band Director Jim Engelbert explained that the band normally takes a trip every two years, usually alternating between New York City and Walt Disney World so that each band member has a chance to visit both places over the course of their high school career.

However, this schedule was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Last year we were supposed to go to New York City, and then with stupid COVID we didn't go anywhere, we postponed it to this year," Engelbert said. "This year, New York had all of those vaccination requirements, so we decided we're not going to go to New York because I don't know how many kids are vaccinated and how many weren't, and I wasn't going to have any student not go on the trip because of their vaccination status. We started looking to other destinations, and chose Washington."

Flat Rock hasn't sent its marching band to the nation's capital since it performed at the White House in 1996. Eighth graders in the district usually visit D.C. for their class trip, however the current freshmen and sophomore classes were unable to take that trip due to COVID.

The Flat Rock High School Marching Band performs in front of the White House during its trip to Washington D.C. in 1996. The band will return to the nation's capital this week for the first time in 26 years.

"(Those kids who are in the band) sort of get the trip made up for them," Engelbert said. "Then we're actually turning around and going back to Disney next year."

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The Rams will perform an array of songs during their half-hour performance at the WWII Memorial. Beyond this unique performance opportunity, the trip offers the students what Engelbert dubbed "out-of-seat learning" opportunities. This is the band director's 24th student tour, which includes three international tours to Europe.

"We have the unique opportunity as a performing group, as a band, to go somewhere and actually play," he said. "There's our motivation for going, but we can learn stuff from it, too, by going to these places and learning about them, and make it educational at the same time.

"We're just looking forward to getting back to normal and doing something again."

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Flat Rock High School band headed to Washington, D.C.
New Hampshire state Rep. Susan DeLemus, right, leaves the Federal Courthouse after attending a hearing for her husband Gerald DeLemus Thursday March, 3, 2016 in Concord, N.H. AP Photo/Jim Cole

A New Hampshire state lawmaker called herself a "murderer" in front of abortion-rights protesters.

"I'm a murderer! I murdered my own baby," Rep. Susan DeLemus shouted on the New Hampshire State House steps.

DeLemus in 2012 said she had had an abortion in the 1980s that she's regretted ever since.

A New Hampshire state representative shouted at abortion rights protesters, referring to both them and herself as murderers.

Video posted to Twitter shows New Hampshire state Rep. Susan DeLemus standing outside the state house on Thursday while confronting a group of protesters.

"Shame on you! Shame on you, shame on all of you, shame on you for killing babies!" she yelled.

"You're a murderer," she said multiple times while pointing at various protesters. Then she called herself a murderer.

"I'm a murderer! I murdered my own baby," she shouted.

DeLemus in 2012 told a Senate committee that she had had an abortion in the 1980s. She's regretted the decision ever since, she's said for a decade.

"I have had an abortion, and I have murdered my baby," DeLemus said tearfully before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, which at the time was holding hearings on bills that sought to impose abortion restrictions for adults for the first time in the state of New Hampshire.

The protest outside the New Hampshire State House came after news broke of a leaked draft opinion in which Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito called the 1973 landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortions nationwide "egregiously wrong from the start."

Abortion will remain legal in the United States until the court hands down a final verdict, which could come as early as June when the bench decides the verdict for another abortion case. But the draft itself was enough to put reproductive rights activists and doctors who perform abortions on edge.

If Roe were to be overturned, it would be illegal for Americans in 23 states to obtain an abortion. And in several others, there might be added restrictions.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Vice President Kamala Harris told the Tennessee State University class of 2022 that the world they are graduating into is "unsettled," citing the war in Ukraine, long-time racial and class inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and threats to women's rights among the biggest challenges the graduates will face.

It is a world where long-established principles now rest on shaky ground," Harris said at TSU's Hale Stadium in Nashville on Saturday. "You graduate into an unsettled world both abroad and here at home."

After commending the more than 500 undergraduates of Nashville's own public historically Black university on their accomplishment, and even laughingly referencing $10 Tuesdays at local pizza joint Slim and Husky's founded by three TSU graduates, her tone turned somber.

"Here in the United States, we are once again forced to defend fundamental principles that we hoped were long settled; principles like the freedom to vote, the rights of women to make decisions about their own body, what constitutes the truth," she said as the sea of blue caps before her roared.

"Graduates, I look at this unsettled world and yes, I can see the challenges, but I'm here to tell you that I see the opportunities. The opportunities for your leadership. The future of our country and our world will be shaped by you."

Vice President Kamala Harris shares a laugh with a graduate during the Tennessee State University graduation ceremony at Tennessee State University Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.

Harris' appearance in Nashville came just days after news broke that the U.S. Supreme Court is on the verge of overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion across the nation. The draft, obtained by Politico and published Monday, set off a renewed round of fierce controversy around one of the nation's most divisive issues.

The address was at least the second time the vice president had commented on the court's potential action, though her tone was lighter and more reflective of a number of the challenges of today's world.

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Related: What happens in Tennessee if Roe v Wade is overturned? Here's a guide

More: Leaked abortion opinion by Supreme Court adds more fuel to already raging fire of debate over Roe v. Wade

On Tuesday, Harris spoke at a Washington gala, where she sharply criticized Republicans and conservative justices on the Supreme Court and said access to abortion would be severely limited in almost half the country if Roe v. Wade gets overturned.

We say, how dare they? How dare they tell a woman what she can do and cannot do with her own body? Harris said Tuesday. When we look at the big picture, those who attack Roe have been clear: they want to ban abortion in every state. They want to bully anyone who seeks or provides reproductive health care.

But Harris also celebrated the trials and challenges many graduates, who left their classrooms to call for racial justice in the wake of the murder of George Floyd or were sent home to learn remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, had already overcome, echoing TSU President Glenda Glover, who told the grads earlier in the ceremony "it does not matter how long it took you, whether six semesters or six years, you made it."

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives with Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover to the commencement ceremony Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Vice President Harris delivered the commencement address to the students during the ceremony.

As both a graduate of and a champion for HBCUs, the vice president also praised the education and experience students receive at TSU.

"You see, HBCUs like this, well they are a cathedral of education, and the value of this education is that it teaches you something very special, that you can be anything and do anything," Harris said.

Saturday's speech marked Harris' second commencement address as vice president, but her first at an HBCU. In 2021, she delivered a commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Leaked SCOTUS opinion: How Tennesseans are reacting to the US Supreme Court potentially overturning Roe v Wade

More from TSU: TSU President Glenda Glover on state funding challenges and getting back to in-person homecoming

Harris, a graduate of Howard University, and President Joe Biden have prioritized investing in the nation's historically Black colleges and universities, despite some criticism that recent budget packages  especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic  don't do enough for these historic institutions.

Harris and Biden initially pledged $70 billion to HBCUs, and now supporters and Harris' election have boosted the profile of HBCUs. Since the election, the administration has invested more than $5.8 billion in resources and through the White House Initiative on HBCUs.

In December, Biden appointed Glover to serve on the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

After her keynote address and before shaking the hands of hundreds of TSU graduates, Glover awarded Harris an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters.

"I'm now a Tiger!" she cheered.

Vice President Kamala Harris laughs after receiving an honorary degree during Tennessee State University's graduation ceremony Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.

Meghan Mangrum covers education for the USA TODAY Network  Tennessee. Contact her at mmangrum@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.

Want to read more stories like this? A subscription to one of our Tennessee publications gets you unlimited access to all the latest news throughout the entire USA TODAY Network.

Stay up-to-date on Tennessee's top education news by signing up for our new weekly newsletter, School Zone. Sign up here.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Kamala Harris told Tennessee State grads with Roe v. Wade hovering
Russian President Vladimir Putins emphasis on the May 9 Victory Day celebration has raised concerns that Moscow might order further or heightened military action in Ukraine.

For weeks, the State Department has also been telling Americans in Russia to leave, and officials at the U.S. embassy in Moscow issued a new warning ahead of the May 9 celebration.

"Local authorities will restrict movement in event areas to facilitate rehearsals for the event," the notice said. "In the past, there have been heightened police presence surrounding these events. Given the ongoing tensions, U.S. citizens should avoid large public gatherings. Smaller Victory Day events are expected throughout Russia. The embassy may not always be aware of the exact time and place of these events in advance."

RUSSIA MOVES FORCES TO MARIUPOL AHEAD OF VICTORY DAY PARADE, OFFICIALS WORK TO RESCUE TRAPPED TROOPS

Russias Victory Day celebrates the Soviet Unions triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II. Putin in 2021 used the event to warn that Russias enemies once more followed "much of the ideology of the Nazis," rallying cry he has repeated throughout his invasion of Ukraine, which he promised to "de-nazify."

The Russian military staged a rehearsal Wednesday for the May 9 celebration, featuring 62 military aircraft that bore the now-famous "Z" symbol that has appeared on tanks and other vehicles during the invasion. The incredibly public and widespread celebration provides Putin a platform to make a big announcement, with some analysts arguing he may launch a wider offensive or all-out war in Ukraine  escalating from the "special military operation."

An all-out war initiative would also allow Putin to call up conscripts and deploy reserves to the field as he makes a push to fully conquer the Donbas region and secure control over vital port cities. He could also use the event to formally recognize breakaway states in the region, according to former DIA intelligence officer Rebekah Koffler.

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"Putin will probably orchestrate a referendum in Luhansk and Donetsk, in the next 1-2 days, whose population will probably vote to join Russia," Koffler, author of "Putins Playbook: Russias Secret Plan to Defeat America," told Fox News Digital. "This will be part of Putin victory that he will claim on May 9, during the WWII Victory Day Parade, a major event."

DON'T BELIEVE PROPAGANDA: RUSSIA IS WAGING A FULL-SCALE WAR AGAINST UKRAINE

A shift to all-out war would require Russia to mobilize the entire state apparatus, including military, economy and state administration over months or even years, she added.

Putins press secretary Dmitry Peskov denied any allegations of plans to invoke a "full mobilization" of Russias war machine on Victory Day. Some experts argue that Moscows denial is an effort to obscure its next move, and the May 9 date still retains significance.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban assured Pope Francis this week that Putin in fact plans to end the invasion of Ukraine by May 9, with the pope saying he remained "pessimistic" that Russia will stick to that promise, the Times of Israel reported.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY TO JOIN VIRTUAL G7 SUMMIT

In the past, the day served as an occasional reminder of Soviet glory during the Cold War and was revived by President Boris Yeltsin to mark the 50th anniversary in 1995, according to the BBC. Putin placed renewed emphasis on the day, using it as a platform to display Russias resurgent military might with annual parades.

"Even in a normal year it's a huge show of Russia strength, of Putin's control and everything he stands for," Ammon Cheskin of Glasgow University told the BBC. "And that's just amplified this year."

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Russia ran the names of the Russian dead across state television while the military performed a warplane flyby over Moscow. Resident remained in their houses due to health concerns.

But on any other year, the day would see a massive parade and dignitaries from various states in attendance, from China, Germany and the United States, according to The New York Times. This year will see a more isolated Russia celebrating its own military  the same forces that have sustained a grinding, often demoralizing invasion in Ukraine over the past two months.
The Daily Beast

Lauderdale CountyCasey White, the dangerous murder inmate who bolted from an Alabama prison with his jailer, has told detectives that the lovebirds spent most of their time on the run holed up in a cheap Indiana motel and plotting where to go next.Casey White, 38, and Lauderdale County assistant director of corrections Vicky White, 56, were captured on Monday night after a dramatic police chase in Evansville, Indiana, just a five-hour drive from the Florence prison they absconded from 11 days ea
Dozens of civilians have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, even as the plant continues to be hit by ground and air attacks from Russian forces.

Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister, said that 50 civilians had been taken to safety and that the evacuation operation would continue today to coincide with a day-time ceasefire announced by Russia earlier this week.

However, Ukraine's armed forces accused Moscow of continuing its assault on the plant.

The self-declared Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said that around 50 civilians had been evacuated on Friday to a reception centre in nearby Bezimenne, in the pro-Russian separatist DPR.

Scores of civilians have been trapped for weeks alongside the remaining Ukrainian forces holding out in the bombed-out plant.

It comes as Russia prepares to hold a military parade on Monday marking its victory in the Second World War.

Follow the latest updates below.

02:51 PM

MoD issues Ukraine intelligence update

The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.



The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 7 May 2022



Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/xJRlxvdkmu



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/xKG8rc1YG4  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) May 7, 2022

02:49 PM

Story continues

Six missiles hit coastal city of Odesa

Six missiles hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa today, the spokeswoman for Ukraine's southern military command told the country's public broadcaster.

Natalia Humeniuk said four rockets hit a furniture factory in a residential area, while the other two struck an already damaged runway strip. She added that information on casualties was being clarified.

02:16 PM

Ukrainian military says drone strikes destroyed Russian warship near Snake Island

02:00 PM

Jill Biden hails 'amazingly strong' Ukrainian refugees in Romania

US First Lady Jill Biden has hailed the "amazingly strong" refugees from Ukraine as she visited neighbouring Romania today.

"You are amazingly strong," Ms Biden said after listening to mothers and children recount how they fled Russia's invasion of their country.

"We stand with you, I hope you know that," she added in a visit to a school in Bucharest, accompanied by her Romanian counterpart Carmen Iohannis.

More than 810,000 Ukrainians have entered Romania since the start of the war, according to UN figures released on April 29.

01:48 PM

Senior Russian lawmaker says US directly involved in fighting

Russia's most senior lawmaker has accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine, which he said amounted to direct US involvement in military action against Russia.

"Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country," Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

Washington and European members of the transatlantic Nato alliance have supplied Kyiv with heavy weapons to help it resist the Russian invasion.

However, the United States and its Nato allies have repeatedly said they will not take part in fighting themselves, in order to avoid becoming parties to the conflict.

01:24 PM

Russia begins clean up of Mariupol ahead of Victory Day next week

01:00 PM

Ukraine says it sank Russian landing craft at Snake Island

Kyiv said it has destroyed another Russian warship near the Black Sea's Snake Island, where Ukrainian forces were awarded for heroism after rebuffing Russian demands to surrender.

Ukraine's defence ministry said in a statement that an armed drone had destroyed a Serna-class landing craft and a missile defence system at the small island under Russian control.

It released grainy overhead footage on social media showing in black and white what appeared to be an explosion over a light craft with debris spilling outwards.

"The traditional parade of the Russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island - at the bottom of the sea," the defence ministry added.

The military said in a separate statement on social media that the Bayraktar drone strike had also destroyed Tor-M2 anti-aircraft system being delivered to the island.

There was no immediate confirmation of the strike from the Russian defence ministry.

12:40 PM

Two Russian missiles hit border villages in northern Ukraine

Air-launched Russian missiles hit two locations near the Russian border in Ukraine's northern Sumy region on Saturday, local governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi said.

A border guard was wounded by the strikes on the Myropilske and Khotin municipalities, Mr Zhyvytskyi wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian forces fully withdrew from Sumy region in early April after advancing into parts of the region at the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

12:14 PM

Shelling destroys museum dedicated to famous Ukrainian philosopher

Russian shelling hit a museum dedicated to the philosopher and poet Hryhoriy Skovoroda in the Ukrainian village of Skovorodynivka, causing a fire that destroyed the building, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Sinegubov said today.

The overnight shelling hit the roof of the Hryhoriy Skovoroda Literary Memorial Museum, injuring a 35-year-old custodian, but the most valuable items had been moved earlier to a safer place, Mr Sinegubov said in a post on social media.

"The premises were practically all destroyed," he said.

Skovoroda, a famous 18th century philosopher and poet of Ukraine Cossack origin, spent the last years of his life on an estate of the local landowners in the village of Ivanovka, which was later renamed in his honour - Skovorodynivka.

11:52 AM

Odesa region targeted by Russian missiles

Four Russian cruise missiles have hit the southern region of Odesa, where authorities have a curfew in place until Tuesday morning.

Natalia Humeniuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's southern operational command, made the announcement as air raid sirens sounded throughout much of the country.

She said the strike targeted the city of Arcyz and no one was injured.

11:28 AM

Berlin police looking into device found at residence housing Russian media

Berlin criminal investigators and prosecutors are studying a device found and destroyed at a residential building housing Russian news agency staff in the city's Steglitz district, police said.

The device was found on Friday and investigators are looking into how dangerous it had been and who it was aimed at, a Berlin police spokesman said in response to an enquiry.

Russia's embassy in Berlin said a bottle had been thrown through a window of the apartment block on Friday evening, and that an improvised bomb had been found in the subsequent search, which it said German sappers had identified and deactivated.

The Russian state-run RIA news agency said it had journalists living in the block.

10:56 AM

Hungary compares Russian oil sanctions to nuclear bomb

10:32 AM

Red Cross official sees hope for more evacuations from Mariupol

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hopes the successful evacuation of civilians from the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol will pave the way for more people to get out of the complex.

"Experience shows that a successful action helps further evacuations because now both sides have seen that it works. We hope that we can now build on this minimum of trust," Dominik Stillhart, the ICRC's director of operations, told Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung.

Mr Stillhart said it was "extremely frustrating" that it took weeks of painstaking work to get Russian and Ukrainian authorities on board and to work out logistic details so that combatants at every checkpoint knew when buses would drive by.

10:07 AM

Eastern city of Severodonetsk surrounded by Russian forces

Russian forces have almost encircled Severodonetsk, the easternmost city still held by Ukraine, a local official has said.

Oleksandr Striuk, the head of the Severodonetsk military administration, said on Ukrainian television that Kyiv's army is so far "repelling these attacks" but the Russians were pressing on.

He says around 15,000 people remain in Severodonetsk, which had a population of 100,000 before the war.

09:40 AM

Pictured: Damage to the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol

Pictured: Damage to the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol - Planet Labs PBC

09:24 AM

Moldova separatists report drone strikes near Ukraine border

Pro-Russian separatists in Moldova said their region had been hit four times by suspected drones overnight near the Ukrainian border.

Nearly two weeks of similar reported incidents in the Transnistria breakaway region have raised international alarm that Russia's war in Ukraine could spread over the frontier.

Transnistria's interior ministry released photos of craters that it said had been gouged by the strikes overnight.

It said nobody had been hurt in the attacks, which took place in the Rybnitsa district in the north of the region. Russian troops guard a military base with a large Soviet-era ammunition dump in the district on the Ukrainian border.

The ministry's statement did not say who was suspected of being behind the latest strikes.

Ukraine has repeatedly denied any blame for the incidents in Transnistria, saying it believes Russia is staging false-flag attacks to provoke war.

09:10 AM

50 more people evacuated from Azovstal steelworks

The territorial defence headquarters of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said that 50 more people had been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steelworks in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.

Around 50 civilians had been evacuated on Friday to a reception centre in nearby Bezimenne, in the separatist DPR, whose forces are fighting alongside Russian troops to expand their control of large parts of eastern Ukraine.

Scores of civilians have been trapped for weeks alongside the remaining Ukrainian forces holding out in the bombed-out plant.

09:01 AM

On the trail of the British parts bound for Putins war machine

Britain became Europes most generous donor to Ukraine after Boris Johnson this week pledged an additional 300m in military aid. It added to a flood of Western arms helping Kyivs soldiers repel the advances of Putins army, which many feared would sweep the battlefield with little trouble.

As the Arsenal of Democracy backs Ukraine, however, researchers have warned a sinister parallel is also playing out: our technology has also been aiding Russia. Academics at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) found Putins war machines are stuffed with Western-made components - many of them British. They examined equipment abandoned by Kremlin forces during the conflict, including the feared T-72B3 battle tank, mobile jamming systems, some cruise missiles, drones and radios.

Read the full story from Matt Oliver here.

08:40 AM

It was a suicide mission: life on the front lines for foreign fighters

Volunteers in Ukraine, including Britons, are dispelling any swashbuckling romantic allure about a noble cause that can still end horribly, writes Colin Freeman in Kyiv.

When he first headed for Ukraine as a foreign military volunteer, Matt Robinson imagined himself engaging the enemy on the Russian frontlines. Instead, his first taste of combat came not in the trenches of the Donbas, but on a bus driving through Poland. The transport had been laid on by Ukraines International Legion, set up by President Volodymyr Zelensky for those who had answered his plea for help against the Russian invasion. Yet it quickly became clear that not everyone abroad was a highly trained ex-Para or Royal Marine. One Polish volunteer was heavily intoxicated and suddenly became convinced the bus was actually taking us all to Russia, recalls Yorkshire-born Robinson, 39. He was about to pull a knife on the driver. A bunch of us disarmed him, and at that point I decided that joining the International Legion might not be a good idea if someone like him had passed the initial screening.

Read the full piece here.

08:20 AM

Russia fine tunes WWII Victory Day parade

A Russian RS-24 Yars ballistic missile rolls into Red Square during a dress rehearsal - Alexander Zemlianichenko /AP

Russia has held its final rehearsal for an annual parade marking the Soviet victory in World War II, where its military might will be showcased amid Moscow's campaign in Ukraine.

To mark the 77th anniversary since victory in what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War, thousands of soldiers will march across the Red Square in Moscow followed by tanks, armoured vehicles and missile launchers.

Monday's Victory Day parade comes on the third month of Russia's "military operation" in Ukraine despite predictions of a swift victory.

The parade became an annual event after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and has gained prominence during Vladimir Putin's time in power as a display of military muscle.

08:14 AM

Russia says it destroyed US and European equipment in Kharkiv region

Russia's defence ministry said it had destroyed a large stockpile of military equipment from the United States and European countries near the Bohodukhiv railway station in Ukraine's Kharkiv region.

The ministry said it had hit 18 Ukrainian military facilities overnight, including three ammunition depots in Dachne, near the port city of Odesa.

08:00 AM

3D tech turns Soviet grenades into airborne tank killers

Drones are becoming the new snipers of the Ukraine war as Kyivs forces are using 3D-printing technology to give old kit a lethal second life, reports Dominic Nicholls.

Outdated grenades that nowadays pose more of a risk to the soldier deploying them than the enemy have been given a new lease of life thanks to plastic fins which have turned them into airborne killers. Photos released by Aerorozvidka, originally a civilian company but now subsumed into the Ukrainian military, show Soviet-era grenades with newly produced fin assemblies attached. The modifications mean the weapons are now highly accurate at destroying Russian tanks and other armoured vehicles by attacking the relatively less-protected top of the turret.

Read the full story here.

07:46 AM

Russias chief diplomat in Scotland condemns invasion in social media post

The Russian consul general in Edinburgh has condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and called for more Western weapons to be sent to Kyiv in a social media post, report Joe Barnes and James Kilner.

"I categorically condemn the behaviour of the military special operation of the Russian Armed Forces against the sovereign, independent Ukraine," Andrey Yakovlev said, according to a screenshot of the now-deleted Instagram post. "I fully support any assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces from EU countries." Mr Yakovlev's presence in the Scottish capital has attracted a number of protests since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on Feb 24.

Read the full story here.

07:38 AM

MoD: Conflict taking a heavy toll on some of Russias most capable units

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 07 May 2022



Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/cAYdsWHMvV



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/4z2cRVCJpf  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) May 7, 2022

07:23 AM

Vladimir Putins superyacht seized in Italy

Italian authorities on Friday night impounded a multi-million pound superyacht that allegedly belongs to Vladimir Putin amid speculation it was about to leave the marina in which it has been berthed for months, reports Nick Squires in Rome.

Daniele Franco, the Italian economy minister, signed a decree late on Friday night that freezes any movement of the Scheherazade, a huge vessel that boasts spas, a cinema and helipads and is thought to be worth 500 million. The minister acted after the Guardia di Finanza, Italy's finance and customs police, said they had found evidence that the vessel is linked to elements in the Russian government. Without naming names, they said there were links between the yacht and Russians who have been hit with EU sanctions, a list that includes Putin.

Read the full story here.
Valentyna Romanenko  Saturday, 7 May 2022, 11:17

Russian troops are shelling all of the Donetsk Region. Local authorities are urging the regions residents to evacuate.

Source: Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of Donetsk Regional Military Administration, on Facebook

Quote from Kyrylenko: "Shelling along the entire front line and strikes on the cities in the rear last night.

Bakhmut was the most affected by Russian attacks today; Russians attacked it from the air. One person was killed and there are grounds to believe that the overall number of casualties will be higher."

Details: According to Kyrylenko, 2 private houses in Bakhmut are completely destroyed; 11 other houses and several business premises are damaged.

2 people were wounded in Malotaranivka, near Kramatorsk; 7 residential buildings, a grocery store, and a club were damaged.

Russian troops also carried out an air strike on Druzhkivka, damaging 4 apartment buildings, a school, a parking lot, and the premises of a local business. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.

At least 1 person was wounded in Drobysheve, near Lyman. Kostiantynivka also came under Russian fire  information about casualties and damage is being confirmed.

The Svitlodar and Ocheretyne fronts were shelled throughout the night. Electricity supply was partially disrupted in Ocheretyne.

On the early morning of 7 May, Russian troops attempted an offensive on the Avdiivka and Mariinka fronts; both attacks were repulsed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russian troops deployed aircraft in attacks on the Mariinka front and Grad multiple missile launchers on the Avdiivka front.

Kyrylenko once again urged all civilians to evacuate from the Donetsk Region.

He stressed that civilians are just another target for the Russian troops, and called on people to save their own lives and ensure the Armed Forces of Ukraine can act freely in the Region.
Steel workers wear fire protective gear toil on the maintenance of the blast furnace at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, May 5, 2022. (David Guttenfelder/The New York Times)

KRYVYI RIH, Ukraine  The solicitation to commit treason came to Oleksandr Vilkul on the second day of the war, in a phone call from an old colleague.

Vilkul, the scion of a powerful political family in southeastern Ukraine that was long seen as harboring pro-Russian views, took the call as Russian troops were advancing to within a few miles of his hometown, Kryvyi Rih.

He said, Oleksandr Yurivich, you are looking at the map, you see the situation is predetermined, Vilkul said, recalling the conversation with a fellow minister in a former, pro-Russian Ukrainian government.

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Sign an agreement of friendship, cooperation and defense with Russia and they will have good relations with you, the former colleague said. You will be a big person in the new Ukraine.

The offer failed spectacularly. Once war had begun, Vilkul said, the gray area seeped out of Ukrainian politics for him. Missiles striking his hometown made the choice obvious: He would fight back.

I responded with profanity, Vilkul said.

If the first months of the war in Ukraine became a military debacle for the Russian army  deflating the reputations of its commanders and troops in a forced retreat from Kyiv  the Russian invasion also highlighted another glaring failure: Moscows flawed analysis of the politics of the country it was attacking. The miscalculation led to mistakes no less costly in lives for the Russian army than the faulty tactics of tank operators who steered into bogs.

The Kremlin entered the war expecting a quick and painless victory, predicting that the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would fracture and that leading officials in the largely Russian-speaking eastern region would gladly switch sides. That has not happened.

The political myopia was most significant in the countrys east, political analysts say.

In all but a tiny number of villages, Russia failed to flip local politicians to its side. Ukrainian authorities have opened 38 cases of treason, all targeting low-level officials in individual instances of betrayal.

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Nobody wanted to be part of that thing behind the wall, said Kostyantyn Usov, a former member of Parliament from Kryvyi Rih, referring to Russias isolated, authoritarian system.

He said that system had dismal appeal in Ukraine and noted the absence of widespread collaboration with Russia, including among Ukrainians who speak Russian and share the countrys cultural values.

We are part of something bright, he said of Ukraine. It is here, with us, in our group. And they have nothing to offer.

Other prominent, once Russian-leaning politicians including Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, and Hennady Trukhanov, the mayor of Odesa, also remained loyal and became fierce defenders of their cities.

Along with leaders in the southeast, Ukrainian people also resisted. Street protests against occupation in Kherson continue despite lethal dangers for participants. One man stood in front of a tank. Kryvyi Rihs miners and steelworkers have shown no signs of pivoting allegiance to Russia.

Before the war, we had ties to Russia, said Serhiy Zhyhalov, 36, a steel mill engineer, referring to familial, linguistic and cultural bonds. But no longer, he said. No one has any doubts that Russia attacked us.

Ukraines southeastern regions, an expanse of steppe and blighted industrial and mining cities, is now the focus of fighting in the war.

Driving south from Kyiv, the highway leaves behind the dense pine forests and reedy swamps of northern Ukraine, and the landscape opens into expansive plains. Farm fields stretch out to the horizons, in brilliant, yellow blossoming rapeseed or tilled black earth.

In many ways, the region is entwined with Soviet and Russian history. The iron and coal industries shaped southeastern Ukraine. In and around the city of Kryvyi Rih are iron ore deposits; the coal is farther east, near the city of Donetsk.

The two mineral basins, known as the Kryvbas and the Donbas, gave birth to a metallurgical industry that drew in many nationalities from around the Czarist and Soviet empires from the late 19th century onward, with Russian becoming the lingua franca in the mining towns. Villages remained mostly Ukrainian-speaking.

The region for years elected Russian-leaning politicians such as Vilkul, a favorite villain to Ukrainian nationalists for promoting Soviet-style cultural events that angered many Ukrainians. He staged, for example, a singalong party in Kryvyi Rih to belt out Katyusha, a Russian song associated with the Soviet World War II victory.

More substantively, Vilkul ascended in politics under the former, pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, in whose government he served as deputy prime minister until street protesters deposed Yanukovych in 2014.

Much of the rest of Yanukovychs Cabinet fled with him to Russia. But Vilkul remained in Ukraine as a de facto political boss of Kryvyi Rih while his aging father served as the citys mayor.

And he caught Moscows eye. In 2018, Vilkul said, he was told through an intermediary that the time of chaos is over and that he should now follow orders from Moscow if he wished to remain in politics in the southeast. He said he refused.

The Russians, he said, had not even bothered to court him, they only leveled demands. He said Moscow took the same approach to other politicians in Ukraines east. They didnt even try to convince us, he said. They just thought we would be, a priori, on their side.

On the eve of the war, Vilkul was most likely the Russian-leaning politician in Ukraine with the broadest popular support. I was alone on this level, he said. He was also viewed by Moscow as a promising potential convert to its side when it invaded Ukraine.

Thats when the call came to Vilkuls cellphone from Vitaly Zakharchenko, a Ukrainian in exile in Russia who had served as interior minister under Vilkul in Yanukovychs government. He recommended Vilkul cooperate with the Russians.

I told him to get lost, Vilkul said. I didnt even consider it.

Vilkul said he had been misunderstood  by Russias leadership and his nationalist opposition at home. A great-grandfather, he said, had fought White Russians in the civil war. The Vilkul family, he said, has been fighting Russians on this land for a hundred years.

The Kremlin, he said, had misinterpreted his respect for World War II veterans and support for rights of Russian speakers as potential support for a renewed Russian empire, something he said was a mistake. He called the Russians classic megalomaniacs.

They mistook common language and values like attitudes to the Second World War and Orthodoxy as a sign that somebody loves them, he said.

A second offer, this time presented publicly by another Ukrainian exile, Oleh Tsaryov, in a post on Telegram, came about a week later, when Russian troops had advanced to within 6 miles of the city. My fellow party members and I have always taken a pro-Russian stance, the post said, referring to Vilkul and his father, and added ominously that cooperation with the Russian army means preserving the city and lives.

Vilkul responded with an obscene post on Facebook.

On the first days of the invasion, Vilkul ordered the regions mining companies to park heavy equipment on the runway of the citys airport, thwarting an airborne assault, and on approach roads, slowing tank columns. The tires were then popped and engines disabled.

The citys steel industry began to turn out tank barriers and plates for armored vests. Zelenskyy, whose hometown is Kryvyi Rih, appointed Vilkul military governor of the city on the third day of the war, though the two had been political opponents in peacetime.

Vilkul has taken to wearing fatigues and a camouflage bandanna. A parade of Ukrainian nationalists, including the leader of the Right Sector paramilitary, Dmytro Yarosh, and a prominent activist and military officer, Tetiana Chernovol, once sworn enemies of the Vilkul family, have shown up in his office to shake his hand.

If we fight the Russians, he said, were we ever really pro-Russian, in essence?

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(Reuters) - Russia's most senior lawmaker on Saturday accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine, which he said amounted to direct U.S. involvement in military action against Russia.

"Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country," Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

Washington and European members of the transatlantic NATO alliance have supplied Kyiv with heavy weapons to help it resist a Russian offensive that has resulted in the occupation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine but failed to take Kyiv.

However, the United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly said they will not take part in fighting themselves, in order to avoid becoming parties to the conflict.

U.S. officials have said the United States has provided intelligence to Ukraine to help counter the Russian assault, but have denied that this intelligence includes precise targeting data.

Volodin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, the Duma, is a prominent advocate of what Moscow calls its "special operation" in Ukraine to degrade its southern neighbour's military capabilities and root out what it calls fascist elements holding sway over the government and military.

Ukraine and the West say the fascist allegation is baseless, and that Russia has carried out an unprovoked act of aggression. The conflict has killed thousands in Ukraine, and more than five million people have fled the country.

Volodin said foreign advisers had been working in Ukraine since what he called the "coup d'etat", in an apparent reference to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's democratic election in 2019.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Frank Jack Daniel)
By Amanda Ferguson

BELFAST (Reuters) -Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), hailed its first victory in a Northern Ireland Assembly election as a "defining moment" for the British-controlled region and called for a debate on a united Ireland.

Sinn Fein was ahead of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) by 27 to 24 seats with two left to declare, making it the first Irish nationalist party to become the largest in the devolved assembly.

"Today represents a very significant moment of change. It's a defining moment in our politics and for our people," said the head of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, whose party secured 29% of first-preference votes to the DUP's 21.3%.

She said there should now be an "honest debate" around the party's goal of unifying the territory with the Republic of Ireland.

The victory will not change the region's status, as the referendum required to leave the United Kingdom is at the discretion of the British government and likely years away.

But the symbolic importance is huge, ending a century of domination by pro-British parties, supported predominantly by the region's Protestant population.

The DUP, a leading proponent of Britain's exit from the European Union, saw support undermined in part due to its role in post-Brexit talks between London and Brussels that resulted in trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

'HISTORIC RESULT'

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also leading a campaign to secede from the United Kingdom, was among the first to congratulate Sinn Fein in a Twitter post that hailed a "truly historic result."

While the largest party has the right to put forward a candidate for First Minister of Northern Ireland's compulsory power-sharing government, disagreements with the DUP mean such an appointment could be months away.

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Asked by a journalist if she expected to become the region's first Irish nationalist First Minister, O'Neill said: "The people have spoken."

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said his party would not join the government unless the protocol governing Northern Ireland's trade with the rest of the UK following its exit from the European Union was totally overhauled.

The DUP's campaign focused on a promise to scrap what it calls a border in the Irish Sea.

Donaldson said he would see what British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says on the topic in a speech next week before deciding his next move.

The British government's minister for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis in a statement called on the parties to form an executive as soon as possible.

ALL-IRELAND ASPIRATIONS

Sinn Fein was long shunned by the political establishment on both sides of the Irish border for its links to Irish Republican Army violence during three decades of fighting over Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom that ended with a 1998 peace deal.

Since then it has reinvented itself to become the most popular party in the Republic of Ireland, where it has carved out a successful base by campaigning on everyday issues such as the cost of living and healthcare.

It followed a similar path in the Northern Irish elections, where it focused on economic concerns rather than Irish unity to appeal to middle-ground voters.

The election follows demographic trends that have long indicated that pro-British Protestant parties would eventually be eclipsed by predominantly Catholic Irish nationalist parties who favour uniting the north with the Republic of Ireland.

All unionist candidates combined secured slightly more votes than all nationalists in Thursday's election.

The cross-community Alliance Party scored its strongest ever result with 17 seats as it bids to establish itself as a third pillar of the political system.

(Writing by Conor Humphries; editing by Clelia Oziel and Frank Jack Daniel)
A math professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale was convicted by a federal jury of lying to Internal Revenue Service agents about having a bank account in China.

Dr. Mingqing Xiao was convicted on three counts of making false or fraudulent statements on his tax returns and one count of failure to file a report of a foreign bank account.

According to court documents filed in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Xiao opened a foreign bank account at Ping AN Bank in China in 2016 and received monthly deposits into the account from Shenzhenalo University in Shenzhen, China from 2016-2020.

Some of the money was linked to different sources in China. The account held more than $100,000, the complaint stated.

The law requires U.S., taxpayers to report any foreign bank accounts they have on their federal income tax returns. Additionally, the law requires individuals with foreign accounts of more than $10,000 at any time during a given year to file a Foreign Bank Account Report with the U.S. Treasury Department, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoefts office.

There are foreign entities that exploit American universities and grant agencies, Weinhoeft said. To guard against this abuse, the National Science Foundation NSF requires grant applicants to disclose any conflicting activities, including foreign activities, as a condition of receiving federal funding.

U.S. citizens also are obligated to disclose any foreign bank accounts they may have, Weinhoeft said.

The evidence established that Dr. Xiao concealed foreign work and hid more than $100,00 of foreign assets in an account in China and he was properly prosecuted and held accountable, Weinhoeft said.

Two additional wire fraud counts levied against Xiao by federal prosecutors were dismissed by the court. Those three charges were connected to a grant Xiao got from the National Science Foundation.

Xiao is facing up to three years in federal prison and an additional year of supervised release for making the false statements to the IRS and up to five years for failing to file an FBAR with an additional three years supervised release. He also has to pay a fine of up to $250,000.

Xio will be sentenced before Judge Staci M. Yandle on August 11.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Reed and Scott Verseman, of Weinhoefts office and Trial Attorney Derek Shugert of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice, prosecuted the case.
May 7FAIRMONT  For the first time in 60 years of awards, a West Virginia business owner was presented the national Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Every year, the U.S. Small Business Administration hosts a series of awards across the country to honor the work and dedication of small business owners to celebrate Small Business Week.

This year, the West Virginia awards ceremony was held in the Robert H. Mollohan Center in the I-79 High Tech Park. Friday, business owners from around the state, region and country gathered to congratulate the state winners, one of whom went on to achieve a national recognition.

In attendance were a series of high-profile guests in the SBA, including the Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator John Flemming.

"Today is a celebration of small businesses and this is just one of over 100 other similar events going on this week across the country," Flemming said. "It's important to recognize those businesses who survived the pandemic, it's amazing how they did it. Many of them not only survived, they thrived."

The SBA is a government organization that specializes in assisting small businesses and offering support when they need it. During the pandemic, the SBA has had its hands full dolling out relief dollars and sorting through over 14 million applications for those dollars.

But among the West Virginia businesses who survived the pandemic was Jill Scarbro, owner of Bright Futures Learning Services in Winfield, W.Va. Her business is a private school for children with developmental disabilities, specifically autism, that helps them prepare for public school and social interactions.

Scarbro won the Small Business Person of the Year at the state, regional and national level, becoming the first West Virginian in the 60 years of SBA awards to receive the honor.

"To me, winning the award is validation that a girl who has dyslexia and wasn't raised in a business environment can still do good business," Scarbro said. "It's not just me, it's my wonderful staff and the SBA and all these people coming together to say, 'taking care of people is always good business.'"

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At Friday's event, some 60 guests welcomed Scarbro with a standing ovation as she stood to accept her three awards.

Bright Futures Learning Services has been in the eyes of the SBA for several years. Karen Friel, SBA's West Virginia district director, said that as soon as she left Scarbro's facility the first time, she knew this woman would go on to do great things.

"We knew she was going to make great changes, and at the time, she didn't really grasp how big those changes would be," Friel said. "She was coming to terms with the fact that she was not only an all-star ADA therapist but would become something bigger by becoming an entrepreneur."

Growing up as a child with dyslexia, Scarbro recounted her experience in school as she struggled to learn to read during some of the most critical, formative years.

If not for early intervention and the care of a specialist, she would have fallen behind her peers quickly. Because of the special care she received, she's devoted her life to giving that gift to other families.

"I was incredibly fortunate that my family was able to make that happen for me from an early age," Scarbro said. "Because of that I knew I wanted to make that kind of impact for kids like me who just needed to be taught a little differently."

Other awardees

Four other West Virginia businesses were honored Friday for their work over the past year.

Kim Mack, owner of Cyclops Industries in South Charleston, won the state award for Family-Owned Small Business of the Year. Her father and grandfather started the business of making pressure-resistant windows.

Julie Zuercher, owner of Sparkle Janitorial Products, of Morgantown, was named Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year. Zuercher shared the struggles she and her business faced financially at the onset of the COVID-19 shutdown.

"My mantra is, 'just keep turning.' When things get challenging, find another solution and find a way to just keep pivoting," Zuercher said. "If you can find a way to do that as a small business owner, you will be successful."

Elizabeth Riffle, owner of Riffle Farms LLC in Terra Alta, was named Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year. Riffle Farms raises, breeds and butchers American Buffalo in Preston County.

"I'm so proud to represent other veteran farmers who have decided to take their service-related commitment to feed our nation," Riffle said. "This is also just a wonderful opportunity to showcase what other women veterans can do outside the military."

The last awardee was Ken Thompson, owner of Mustang Sampling/Valtronics Solutions from Ravenswood. He was named the West Virginia and Regional Exporter of the Year.

For more information about small business assistance, visit www.sba.gov.

Reach David Kirk at 304-367-2522 or by email at dkirk@timeswv.com.
A family of geese found themselves trapped on a busy highway in Boston Saturday.

State Police said the geese were on the HOV lane on I-93 south.

Like all good parents, they refused to abandon their young, police said in a statement.

With the help of Boston Animal Control, troopers secured the geese and relocated them to a safe location.

Photos from the scene show police corralling the geese to the side of the road and catching them.

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An 83-year-old Waverly woman was arrested after a robbery attempt Friday morning at the Chemung Canal Trust Co. branch on Chemung Street in the Village of Waverly.

Edna Jane Hallett was charged with first-degree robbery, a felony.

The incident took place around 10:38 a.m., according to Sgt. Mark Mitchell of the Waverly Police Department, and police said Hallett was found walking on nearby Pennsylvania Avenue afterward.

Village police officers and the New York State Police responded to the scene, Mitchell said.

There were no injuries to bank employees or customers, he said.

Mitchell wouldn't say if Hallett displayed a weapon during the robbery, but said more information about the incident would be released later.

The Waverly branch of Chemung Canal Trust Co. was locked down Friday, May 6, 2022, after a reported robbery earlier in the day.

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Mitchell said he can't recall any other bank robberies in Waverly in his 38 years with the police department.

Scott Heffner, Chemung Canal vice president and director of marketing, said the bank is referring all inquiries about the investigation to law enforcement.

"We're thankful for the quick response, and thankful our employees are safe," Heffner said.

Hallett was sent to the Waverly Police Department and scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Waverly bank robbery leads to charge for 83-year-old woman
The former Biden-Harris official talks about leaving the White House and what viewers can expect from Symone, premiering May 7 at 4 p.m. ET.

Symone Sanders is no stranger to cable news television. As a former national press secretary for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and later a TV political analyst, Sanders has been a regular on political news programs over the years.

Known for her sharp, political analysis and her unapologetically Black style of commentary  and fashion  the 32-year-old established herself as a young, formidable and unique voice in politics.

American political strategist and commentator, Symone D. Sanders attends The Meteor and Guccis Chime for Change Global Gender Equity Summit: 22 for 22 Visions For a Feminist Future on April 26, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images The Meteor)

Now, after lending her talent and expertise to Joe Bidens 2020 presidential campaign and the office of Vice President Kamala Harris, Sanders has returned to cable news television. This time as the host of her own MSNBC show, eponymously titled, Symone. The show will also be available for streaming on Peacock.

During a sit-down interview with theGrio in between rehearsals for her shows May 7 premiere, Sanders is animated and full of excitement. Far from what youd expect from someone whos been putting in hours of work learning how to read a teleprompter, developing her hosting style and studying veteran anchors  with the sound off, as she told theGrio.

You can see the kind of host that you would like to be [and] you notice things when the sound is off, Sanders said of the host-in-training hack she learned from a colleague.

While the Omaha, Nebraska native may not be new to the TV business, being a host was a different territory to navigate. However, Sanders said, it was a challenge [she] was excited to take on.

Symone Sanders attends Paramounts White House Correspondents Dinner after party at the Residence of the French Ambassador on April 30, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt/Getty Images)

Im chomping at the bit for you all to see what we have put together and cooked up, she said.

The premiere of Symone will kick off with a high-profile guest  the first lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden. The first lady will discuss humanitarian efforts and her plans to meet with refugees and Ukrainian mothers in the region on Mothers Day, the network announced on Wednesday. While Dr. Biden has rarely given interviews as first lady, Sanders former high-powered job in the White House gives her access she can leverage to her advantage.

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When Sanders decided to part ways from the White House, where she served as senior advisor and chief spokesperson for the vice president, it became headline news. She was one of a handful of Black senior officials in the Biden-Harris administration.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to members of the press as her press secretary Symone D. Sanders looks on at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport before she boards Air Force Two to return to Washington, D.C., June 14, 2021 in Greer, South Carolina. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Sanders told theGrio that while leaving her White House job was not an easy decision, it was one she felt was necessary after growing tired of the hustle and bustle of government and campaign work over the years.

I had spent the last three years hopping on and off planes all over this country for primaries and general elections. And then we went through a transition in the middle of COVID, said Sanders. And then I went into the White House hopping on and off planes during COVIDI needed a break.

Sanders said she also needed time to plan her wedding and enjoy time with her amazing fiance, Shawn Townsend. I wanted to be able to enjoy being engaged. I wanted to really be able to focus on walking into a marriage, she shared.

Now that shes had some time to recharge, Sanders said she looks forward to facilitating important political conversations, particularly as it relates to this years midterm elections. Theres all this talk about the midterm elections as though theyre all happening in November, but there are primaries happening right now, said Sanders, who couldnt help herself when discussing the state of the country and the importance of voting.

I believe that we are at an inflection point in America, she said, adding, Our democracy is hanging on by a thread.

Pro-choice activists protest during a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in response to the leaked Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade May 3, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

But Sanders said her show wont just focus on politics. In reintroducing herself to some and introducing herself for the first time to others, Sanders said she wants to show different sides of herself by facilitating conversations about culture.

Politics and culture are all swimming in the same stream, as I like to say, declared Sanders. Culture is shaping what the people in Washington, D.C. are doing every daywe hear a lot about the culture wars, and some people say theyre a distraction. Culture wars are not the distraction. They are the playbook for some of the people out there.

Its also not lost on Sanders that she is amongst a growing crop of Black women anchors facilitating political and cultural conversations, including those on NBC News and MSNBC like Joy Reid, Tiffany Cross, and veteran White House correspondent Kristen Welker.

I think this moment comes with an enormous amount of responsibility. I am very honored to join the ranks of hosts and anchors and a number of Black women who are lending their voices to creating conversations, said Sanders.

Most importantly, she said, she wants to show young people that an anchor can come in different shapes and sizes.

Symone Sanders, host of MSNBCs Symone. (Photo: Courtesy of MSNBC)

Sanders said she intentionally shows up in every space as her authentic self, noting, how I talked to the president and vice president is how I spoke on the campaign trail [and] is how I talk to my friends.

Sanders said she wants to be that same Symone when MSNBC viewers tune in for her new show. I am a bald, curvy, Black girl from North Omaha, Nebraska  and my voice matters too, she expressed.

When people turn on that TV, I hope that they see themselves. I look like this intentionally because this is my authentic self, and I want people to know that your authentic self is just enough.

Symone airs weekends on MSNBC at 4 p.m. ET with new episodes streaming on the MSNBC hub on Peacock on Mondays and Tuesdays.

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The post Symone Sanders wants to bring her authenic self to new MSNBC show appeared first on TheGrio.
Army veteran, Hannah Jarvis, photographed at her home near Abergavenny, Wales.

Hannah Jarvis, a British army veteran who will soon depart for Ukraine, photographed at her home near Abergavenny, Wales on May 4, 2022. Credit - Francesca Jones for TIME

Sandra Andersen Eira doesnt go short of appreciation. Fighting on the front line in Ukraine, the 35-year-old says locals have given her chocolate, roses, and even pairs of socks.

There have also been gifts of hugs and tears, happy tears, she says. Formerly a member of the Sami Parliament in her native Norway, with a 10-year career at the helm of a commercial fishing ship, she has been battling Russian troops since early March.

She arrived about a week after President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion. Shed never previously visited Ukraine, and made her way to Kyiv, signing up as a combat medic to the International Legion, established by President Volodymyr Zelensky in a bid to garner foreign support on the ground. She joined an almost entirely male unit, made up of predominantly American and British fighters who call themselves the dirty dozen. They were deployed to the southern front, and are now on the move again, heading to a location Andersen Eira cannot disclose for security reasons.

Read More: Meet the Foreign Volunteers Risking Their Lives to Defend Ukraineand Europe

She is one of scores of foreign women who have come to Ukraine to join the war effort, whether in combat or delivering vital aid. The government has declined to confirm the number of foreigners serving in Ukraine, but there are believed to be several thousand, spread across the International Legion and other units.

The conflict, now in its third month, is both challenging and reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes. Ukrainian martial law forbids men of fighting age from leaving the country and women are widely expected to look after children and the elderly. But as female lawmakers in Kyiv grapple with the mass rape of their people and Ukrainian women mobilize en masse in the war effort, those perceptions are also changing.

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Sandra Andersen Eira Courtesy

Around 15% of the regular Ukrainian army is femaleabout 30,000 personnel. Foreign women are far rarer. A spokesman for the legion says a couple dozen of its members are women, from the U.S., U.K., Australia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Hungary, Israel, Georgia and elsewhere.

The last time there was a big war on this continent, it was my country in need of aid, Andersen Eira says, referring to Norways occupation under Nazi Germany, so I see this as a moral obligation.

The war in Ukraine, now in its third month, is often painted as a battle between darkness and light, and the foreign women described how their missions extend beyond Ukraine, to protect the survival of freedom-loving countries everywhere.

Putin is insane and unstable, says Hannah Jarvis, a 39-year-old British army veteran who will soon depart for Ukraine in a donated four-wheel drive with medical aid. Hes got his hand on the nuclear button and were allowing him to act with impunity. We have got to stand up to bullies, she says from Abergavenny in Wales, where she is a local councilor and office manager for the Welsh parliament.

Read More: Ukrainian Women Are Mobilizing Beyond the Battlefield to Defend Their Country

Jarvis was last in a war zone 15 years ago, serving in Iraq. Since the start of the present war, she has been ferrying medical kits to Poland with the Bridge to Unity charity. Her trip in mid-May will be the first time she crosses the border into Ukraine. She will fill her vehicle with suppliessyringe drivers, monitors, tourniquets, defibrillators and trauma kitsfor the bombed Zhytomyr maternity hospital in the western part of the country. Then she hopes to return to the U.K. with a Ukrainian mother and child who have applied for British visas.

Jarvis is a single mother to a girl, 8, and a boy, 6, and has told her kids that she is only going as far as Poland. I get criticized by people online who say Im not looking after my family, she says, with frustration. But this is precisely why I am going. I cant say no to other mothers in need. I can be a good role model.

Many foreign women are in Ukraine because they do not believe only men should fight. When war first broke out in late February, 31-year-old Georgian Nana Tomaradze was at home in Tbilisi, with her 8-year-old son. Her Ukrainian husband was in his homeland, working with the countrys security services.

I thought, what kind of wife am I to be sitting here? He could die there. Am I to just watch this all from afar? Tomaradze dropped her son off at his grandfathers and jumped in a bus full of upset Georgians bound for Ukraine. They arrived five days later.

There were former soldiers, bartenders, painters, and some poets. We know what it feels like to be at war with Russia, she says from Kyiv, referring to Moscows 2008 invasion of Georgia and continued occupation of some of its territories.

Read More: Inside Zelenskys World

Once in Ukraine, Tomaradze joined the International Legion, where she received a crash course in how to handle a gun. Two months later, she met up with her husband and began working with him and a friend, clearing Russian landmines from the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital. The fight against Russia involves everyone, says Tomaradze. We should at least use our energy for something good in the world, to make it a better place.

Georgia, with a population of nearly 4 million, understands Ukrainians more than anyone else in the world, says Mariam Geguchadze, founder of the Shame Movementa pro-European protest group in Tbilisi. Geguchadze says she knows of at least 10 Georgian women fighting in Ukraine.

Nana Tomaradze with her husband, Evgeniy. Courtesy

One of them is 63-year-old Darejan Maisuradze, who moved to Ukraine from Georgia in 2008 and set up a massage salon in Chernivtsi, a city of around 250,000 in the southwestern part of the country.

Maisuradze served in the military during her youth in the former Soviet Union, training as a sniper. She says she decided to take up arms again, some decades later, when she saw children who had been evacuated from Buchathe site of some of the wars worst atrocities. Their eyes looked like they were made of glass, she says. Putin ruined their childhoods, so I must now fight.

Read More: You Never Stop Being a Child of War

As part of the territorial defense forces, she now guards Chernivtsis checkpoints. Russia is the empire of evil, she says, late one night in her apartment, over the din of her pet cockatoos. And evil must be eliminated.

And on the front lines, traditional gender divisions have become meaningless. You live on top of each other, you breathe down each others necks, says Andersen Eira, describing how she shares hopes and dreams and also bathroom breaks with her fellow male legionnaires, in conditions that are reminiscent of her time at sea, where women make up only 1% of Norways fishing crews. But Andersen Eira acknowledges that would change in a heartbeat if she were captured by the Russians and became a prisoner of war. There will be sexual violence, she says, describing how she has seen firsthand how Russian soldiers have raped Ukrainian women and targeted town squares and evacuation buses of civilians. Its also a big motivation that keeps me going.

And many of the women feel they have an even greater contribution to make. There should be more of us, says Maisuradze, wryly. Were better shooters, more precise. Men even envy us.
Women in burkas receiving food aid in Kandahar last month

Afghan women will have to wear the Islamic face veil for the first time in decades under a decree passed by the country's ruling Taliban militants.

Any woman who refuses to comply and ignores official warnings to male members of her family could see a male guardian jailed for three days.

The Taliban enforced the all-encompassing burka during their first stint in power in the 1990s.

But they had not enforced it in Afghan cities since taking over last year.

Many women in Afghanistan already wear the burka but some, particularly in urban areas, just wear a simple covering over their hair.

The decree was passed by the Taliban's Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue.

Taliban officials described the decree as "advice" but laid out a specific set of escalating steps for anyone not complying:

In the first instance their home would be visited and their husband, brother or father would be talked to

In the second, their male guardian would be summoned to the ministry

In the third, the male guardian would be taken to court and could be jailed for three days

The Quran, Islam's holy book, tells Muslims - men and women - to dress modestly. Male modesty has been interpreted to be covering the area from the navel to the knee. For women it is generally seen as covering everything except their face, hands and feet when in the presence of men they are not related or married to.

However, there has been much debate within Islam as to whether this goes far enough. This has led to a distinction between the hijab (literally "covering up" in Arabic) and the niqab (meaning "full veil").

The hijab is typically a scarf that covers the hair and neck, whereas the niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf or an abaya, a full-length robe, and sometimes with a separate transparent eye veil.

The burka covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through.

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Many of the strict rules imposed by the Taliban on daily life are targeted at women.

Afghanistan has become the only country in the world which publicly limits education by gender - a major sticking point in the Taliban's attempts to gain international legitimacy.

Girls have been banned from receiving secondary education, the ministry for women's affairs has been disbanded, and in many cases women have not been allowed to work.
A piece of Pensacola is riding into the Kentucky Derby this year, as Angelena's Executive Chef James Briscione prepared a meal for 1,300 people for the annual Taste of Derby event Thursday night.

Briscione claimed one of the 14 spaces for professional chefs chosen from around the world to showcase a Derby-signature menu item that extends a tip of the hat to the chefs' hometown culinary regions.

Briscione was placed on the Derby radar after participating in the inaugural Gather 'Round culinary festival in Atlanta last year.

Briscione defeats Food Network star Flay: Pensacola Chef James Briscione triumphs over Iron Chef Bobby Flay on Food Network

Get to know Angelena's James Briscione: What's on the menu at Angelena's? A deep dive into James Briscione's culinary creations

Pensacola Chef James Briscione stands alongside his wife, Brooke Parkhurst, at Churchill Downs at the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

Briscione said he knew he had to bring the Gulf's seafood with him in some capacity, so he settled on a Louisiana tuna crudo a la mint julep. The dish is made from a Bourbon barrel smoked tuna with cucumber mint acqua pazza and topped with an Italian chili crisp.

The mint julep cocktail was said to be the first drink ever to be served at the Kentucky Derby, and has since become an annual tradition. Each year, almost 120,000 mint juleps are served over the two-day period.

Although seemingly unexpected to use the herb to compliment seafood, Briscione said events like the Derby are the perfect opportunity to take culinary risks. He was so satisfied with the results, he said he may even bring the item back as a special on the Angelena's menu.

April restaurant inspections: Over 50 live roaches found in Pensacola eatery, forcing brief closure

"We knew we wanted to represent the Gulf Coast and Pensacola really well," Briscione said in a phone interview with the News Journal live from Churchill Downs.

This is not the first time Briscione has had to think on his feet for ways to use culinary techniques to create a new and exciting concept, as he (triumphantly) prepared dishes for celebrity judges on both the Food Network's "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay."

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Now, he would like to see some of the chefs he met at the Derby follow him down to Pensacola to be included in special classes and events at Angelenas.

Briscione said the selected chefs were not forced to prepare on their own, but were given an "army of students" from Sullivan University in Kentucky. Not only were the students helping hands, but he was also able to answer questions from the aspiring chefs about his career path and how he got to where he is now. The event itself also raises scholarship money for the Sullivan University culinary students.

"It's so fun and exciting to be up here and representing Angelena's and Pensacola," Briscione said. "This is one of those wild events where the whole world kind of converges into one place. It's really cool to be part of such a small, small group of chefs that get selected to do this. It's a big honor."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Angelena's Chef James Briscione selected to cook for Kentucky Derby
May 6Only have a minute? Listen instead

The Texas Border Coalition this week joined Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez in urging President Joe Biden to visit the Texas-Mexico border.

The Rio Grande Valley officials are urging the president to do so before his administration makes any substantive changes to U.S. border policy, a reference to the upcoming May 23 termination of Title 42, a public health rule that has thwarted asylum efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond a visit, TBC officials are calling for Biden to press for a bi-partisan compromise to immigration reform that goes beyond an "ineffective enforcement-only policy."

"We share Judge Cortez's belief that your presence on the border would help provide momentum for real long-term solutions for border security at and between the land ports entry rather than a piece-meal, band-aid approach," Cameron County Judge and Texas Border Coalition Chairman Eddie Trevino, Jr., wrote in a letter to Biden.

The TBC letter was dated and sent Thursday.

Further, the letter says immigration reform "is the key to securing the border and border communities. It would strengthen border enforcement by providing regulated entry of legal workers, allowing immigration enforcement officers to focus on real security threats.

"Reform would also help solve our nation's acute labor shortage that is contributing to a surge in inflation, lost opportunities for companies, and strains in supply chains across economic sectors. In addition to a larger, more productive workforce, immigration reform would increase economic growth and tax revenues. The alternative is a continued reliance on an ineffective enforcement-only policy."

TBC has advocated for immigration reform over three decades, including House passage of three immigration reform bills last year, and strengthened border security through improved U.S. Customs and Border Protection manpower and technology.

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"By coming to the border, we hope you can boost momentum for passage of the many bipartisan reform bills now pending in the U.S. Senate," Trevino said.

Cortez sent a two-page letter to Biden on Monday.

"President Biden, as a public servant in a border community I must implore you to visit our region before the existing (Title 42) Order is suspended," Cortez wrote.
A Dallas County grand jury indicted three police officers Friday for their response to the 2020 protests against police brutality. Two of the officers were charged earlier this year for allegedly assaulting people at the protests.

Dallas Police Department Senior Corporal Ryan Mabry is facing six counts of aggravated assault by a public servant as well as two counts of deadly conduct. Senior Corporal Melvin Williams is facing four counts of aggravated assault by a public servant and two counts of deadly conduct.

Officer Joe Privitt of the Garland Police Department, who was on the force for more than 30 years, was indicted on one count of aggravated assault by a public servant. Garland police chief Jeff Bryan said he is "astonished and disappointed."

Protesters demonstrate in front of Dallas City Hall in downtown Dallas, Saturday, May 30, 2020. / Credit: LM Otero / AP

"Officers attempting to stop the rioting were often required to make split second decisions under the most dangerous of circumstances to protect their lives and the property of the citizens of Dallas, often placing themselves in harm's way while doing so," Bryan said Friday at a press conference.

Meanwhile, Dallas police chief Edgardo Garcia said the process has been "difficult" and "unprecedented."

"The negative light that has been shown on our department today is difficult for the brave men and women who protect our city day in and day out," he said, adding that hundreds of officers were professional and "did their duty to defend this city."

"If the actions that day rose to criminal intent, that is for a jury to decide at this point," he added. "I hope those individuals will judge these officers through the lens of what all of our officers experienced while protecting Dallas in one of the most chaotic times in its' history."

In February, the Dallas District Attorney's Office issued arrest warrants for Mabry and Williams.

Mabry was accused of shooting three people at the 2020 protests with a 40-millimeter launcher, which is referred to as "less lethal" ammunition. One of the victims lost an eye when he was shot. Mabry was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant and three counts of official oppression.

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Williams allegedly shot three people with 40-millimeter launchers during the protests. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant, and four counts of official oppression.

According to the District Attorney's Office, the Dallas Police Department's protocol at the time of the incidents required officers who shot rounds of ammunition to collect the fired projectile if possible, get medical help for the person struck, notify a supervisor on the scene and conduct a report of the incident. The office said "none of these steps were taken."

Following the protests for George Floyd  a Black man killed by a White police officer in 2020  the Dallas Police Department released a "critical self-analysis" that reviewed its "errors, miscalculations, and shortcomings" in handling the protests, according to CBS DFW.

The city's Mayor Pro Tem Adam McGough at the time said he was "deeply concerned" about the "inexplicable use of excessive force" by police officers and called for an investigation, CBS DFW reported.

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BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand on Saturday warned against the creation of online content that risked insulting the country's monarchy, after a video by a social media influencer promoting e-commerce platform Lazada incensed royalists, who said it was mocking the palace.

Thai law prescribes punishments of up to 15 years in jail for each offence if found guilty of defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his closest family.

The video, which has since been taken down, was promoting Lazada's May 5 sale and featured a woman dressed in a traditional Thai costume sitting in a wheelchair and playing the role of an influencer's mother.

Royalists complained the woman in the wheelchair was a veiled reference to a royal family member. The video did not use the language used by the royal family, nor mention any of its members.

In videos posted on Facebook, the influencer, Aniwat "Nara" Prathumthin, said the clip was a parody of a famous Thai soap opera and told critics the perceived royal insult was "all in your imagination".

Lazada, the Southeast Asian arm of Alibaba Group Holding, in a statement apologised for the "emotional damage" the video had caused and said it should have been more careful.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said such content risked damaging the reputation of brands.

"Let us warn marketers, influencers and content creators to be careful about presenting content or promotions that reference appearances or individuals of the institution that all Thais worship and love," Thanakorn said in a statement.

"This is inappropriate, and will not only upset every Thai in the country, but also destroy the image and reputation of the brand. It could also be against the law."

The incident follows an April Fool's prank tweeted by a staff member at budget airline Thai Vietjet Air, an offshoot of Vietnam's Vietjet Aviation JSC, about a new route to Munich that stirred anger among royalists, who said it was a hidden joke about the Thai king spending time in Germany. The airline apologised.

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Martin Petty and David Holmes)
Tinie Tempah said he already understood the basics of ghost kitchens but had never visited one before. Lateef Photography

Tinie Tempah has launched a virtual restaurant brand, RAPS, selling wraps and fried chicken.

The food is made in ghost kitchens, which cook food for delivery and often house multiple brands.

Musicians including BTS, Travis Scott, and Justin Bieber have all teamed up with restaurant brands.

Rapper Tinie Tempah has launched a virtual restaurant brand selling wraps and fried chicken that are prepared out of a series of ghost kitchens.

"I've always liked the idea of people saying: 'Oh, Tinie, your raps are delicious,'" Tempah told Insider while laughing.

The brand, RAPS, features some Nigerian-inspired dishes and launched on Deliveroo in March. It's also operating a four-month popup at a rooftop bar on London's Oxford Street.

During the pandemic, the music industry reached a standstill and tours were postponed. Tempah said that he'd had a lot of spare time and wanted to stay busy.

So when Jonny Boud, co-founder of London-based ghost-kitchen company Kitchen Ventures, suggested making a brand together, Tempah jumped at the opportunity.

Virtual brands, which don't have dining rooms and instead make food for delivery and collection only, have boomed in popularity during the pandemic as more people order takeout. They're prepared in ghost kitchens, which have much lower rent and overheads than full-service restaurants. Kitchen Ventures operates its own kitchens, and many are home to multiple brands being prepared by the same staff.

Tempah said a lot of his friends were restauranteurs. He already understood the basics of ghost kitchens and had noticed that a lot of takeaways he ate were made at them, but had never visited one before.

Tempah said he was "very hands-on" in RAPS' development, spending around a year visiting restaurants and kitchens, choosing ingredients, and working with chef Big Has.

Tinie Tempah said he was "very hands-on" in the brand's development. Lateef Photography

"For me, it was very important to see what everyone else thought as well. Similarly to how I would make a track and play it to everyone and get their feedback," he said.

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He initially designed the brand with music studio staff in mind. Tempah described himself as a "studio hobbit" and said he ordered a lot of food online while he was working there.

"I just thought it'd be good to get something that was fun, had a nod to kind of Black culture, our hip-hop culture, even a little bit of a nod to African culture as well, by the way of some of the flavors in the food, but that was also relatively healthy as well," he said.

Tempah said that being Nigerian, "food is a big part of our culture  We're huge foodies." He said that Peckham, the area of London where he grew up, had "Nigerian restaurants on every other corner."

Growing up, the main instances of success he saw among Nigerian immigrants were people setting up "a little business of their own," Tempah said. These were often restaurants, he added.

Tinie Tempah initially designed the brand with music studio staff in mind. Lateef Photography

Restaurants are increasingly partnering with celebrities  either to develop their own brand, like Kitchen Ventures is with Tempah, or to release promotional deals and menu items, like McDonald's with BTS and Travis Scott and Tim Hortons with Justin Bieber.

By collaborating with celebrities, Kitchen Ventures gets a "readymade audience overnight" with press coverage and social-media posts, Boud said. Tempah thinks that the majority of RAPS' customers are driven by his endorsement, though he acknowledged that he doesn't have a set schedule for posting about the brand on his social media.

Boud said that he and Tempah shared both profits and ownership of RAPS' intellectual property.

"I've always had an entrepreneurial mindset," Tempah said, adding that he was inspired by other musicians including Jay-Z and Kanye West, who have both created business legacies.

He said he wanted to scale RAPS up in the future. "If you create a strong brand, it can be applied to anything and everything."

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Travis County misdemeanor judge who presides over drunken driving cases was arrested and charged with that crime early Saturday.

Austin police booked John Lipscombe, who has presided over the Travis County Court at Law No. 3 since January 2011, into the Travis County Jail at 8:59 a.m. on a charge of driving while intoxicated, a Class B misdemeanor, records show. He was released shortly after being booked.

Austin police spokesman Brandon Jones confirmed the arrest. He said that it happened at 10925 Stonelake Blvd.  the location of a Homewood Suites hotel  but Jones had no other details. A more detailed police report and arrest affidavit was not immediately available.

John Lipscombe

More: Judge declares mistrial in former Austin police officer's trial after attorney collapses

Lipscombe has been a fixture in the local criminal justice system for decades. Before that, he worked as a prosecutor for the county attorney's office in Travis County, which also prosecutes misdemeanor drunken driving cases.

In 2019, Lipscombe received a public admonition from the state Commission on Judicial Conduct for closing his courtroom and draping its doors with black fabric in public protest of the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee, to the U.S. Supreme Court. The commission found that Lipscombe "cast public discredit on the judiciary."

Lipscombe, who has run for judge of the Travis County Court at Law No. 3 as a Democrat in Texas, won reelection in 2018. His current term ends Dec. 31.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Travis County judge accused of drunken driving, Austin police say
Former President Trump on Friday traveled to Pennsylvania to rally for Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, giving the celebrity doctor a boost less than two weeks ahead of the Republican primary.

Speaking in Greenberg, Pa., Trump likened Oz to himself, telling the crowd Dr. Oz has led an enormously successful career on television, and now hes running to save our country, just like I do.

From the radical left, lunatics and maniacs, Dr. Oz is a man who truly believes in Make America Great Again or the MAGA movement, he added.

The former president used the venue to tout his Tuesday Republican primary successes, in which all 22 of his endorsed candidates in Ohio and Indiana won their respective primary races.

He spotlighted venture capitalist J.D. Vance, who won the Ohio Republican Senate primary earlier this week and also came out to rally for Oz on Friday.

We endorsed J.D., and he was like a rocket ship, Trump said, referring to the Senate candidates trajectory after the former presidents endorsement. Hes going to be around for a long, long time politically, in my opinion, very smart. And he is the one that can win, and he will win. He will win in Ohio. J.D. Vance, good man. Good man. He really stepped forward.

Trump also took aim at former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick, Ozs primary challenger in the Senate race, saying he is similar to Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who is retiring from the upper chamber after his current term and was one of the seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump last year.

So, I dont know David well, and he may be a nice guy, but hes not MAGA. Hes not MAGA. Hes more Toomey than he is MAGA, Trump said.

Trump also claimed that McCormick sought the former presidents endorsement so badly that he hired those with close ties to Trump.

Davids another one, in all fairness, and he will say this, he fought hard for it. He wanted it. He hired almost every person that worked anywhere. If anybody was within 200 miles of me, he hired them, Trump claimed. But he did want my endorsement very badly, but I just couldnt do it. I couldnt do it.

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The former president also took a swipe at actor Alec Baldwin over his accidental shooting incident on the set of the movie Rust that ultimately left a cinematographer dead and the films director injured.

Hey, by the way, Alec Baldwin, did he pull the trigger? No, I think hes a sick person. I mean Ive watched him, hes a psycho. Something happened. Thats a strange deal, he said.

Fridays rally came against the backdrop of a briefing that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held earlier in the day in which he referred to McCormick as a patriot while claiming that Oz maintained ties with Turkeys government.

Pennsylvanias Republican Senate primary is May 17.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Delaware, Ohio, on April 23, 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Former President Trump said he should "never" have endorsed Sen. Ben Sasse's 2020 reelection bid.

Trump made the comments while stumping for Nebraska GOP gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster.

Sasse voted to impeach Trump for "incitement of insurrection" for his role on January 6, 2021.

Former President Donald Trump voiced regret for his support of Republican Sen. Ben Sasse's 2020 reelection bid during a Thursday tele-rally, stating he should "never" have given the endorsement to the conservative Nebraska lawmaker, according to The Hill.

Trump has been critical of Sasse in the past, calling him "the least effective Senate Republican" just days before the 2020 presidential election. The comments came after the senator blasted the then-president during a leaked audio recording where he told constituents that he had "never been on the Trump train."

"He's bad news, Ben Sasse," Trump said during this week's tele-rally. "He begged for my endorsement, the day after he started hitting me and we hit much harder than he knows how to hit."

Trump's remarks came as he rallied support for embattled Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, who is currently facing eight allegations of sexual misconduct  including one from a state lawmaker  as he wards off challenges for the GOP nomination from Jim Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent, and state Sen. Brett Lindstrom.

Herbster has vehemently denied the allegations, which Trump also dismissed, calling Herbster a "fine man" who is "innocent of those despicable charges."

"The fake news and the Washington establishment are doing everything they can to try and stop Charles," the former president said.

Earlier in the week, Trump also traveled to the state to stump for Herbster, where the candidate railed against critical race theory and pushed for the enactment of tax cuts while arguing that sex education should not be a part of schooling.

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"We're gonna take sex education out of the schools and put it back in the homes where it belongs," Herbster said during the Sunday rally to the Make America Great Again faithful.

For Trump, his tit-for-tat with Sasse is rooted in a relationship that was never defined by deep political loyalty.

In September 2019, Trump threw his support behind Sasse's 2020 campaign, saying at the time that he'd "done a wonderful job representing the people of Nebraska."

However, Sasse was highly critical of Trump after the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol and voted to impeach him for "incitement of insurrection" for his role that day. He was one of seven Republicans to cross over and back impeachment, alongside all 50 Senate Democrats.

And Sasse has long rebuked Trump's claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, which he outlined in his statement in support of convicting the former president in his second impeachment trial.

"President Trump lied that he 'won the election by a landslide,'" Sasse said at the time. "He lied about widespread voter fraud, spreading conspiracy theories despite losing 60 straight court challenges, many of his losses handed down by great judges he nominated."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ons Jabeur says she is hungry for more success after she claimed the biggest title of her career, becoming the first Arab or African player to win a WTA 1000 title thanks to a 7-5, 0-6, 6-2 victory over American Jessica Pegula on Saturday in Madrid.

The Tunisian trailblazer picked up her second WTA trophy and is set to return to her career-high ranking of number seven in the world on Monday.

Jabeur, who is the first Arab player - man or woman - to crack the top 10, owns a tour-leading 12 victories on clay so far this season and picked up a 20th win overall in 2022.

"I honestly still can't believe it. I went through a roller coaster of emotions during the past few days, just after the semi-final. I was really stressed trying to breathe," said Jabeur, who had won just one of her previous five WTA finals.

"I really didn't want to get disappointed again. I thought my heart was going out of my chest today. I'm very happy and trying to realise that I won today really."

Pegula had to save four break points in her opening two service games before she upped the pressure on the Jabeur serve to break for 3-1.

The Tunisian struck back in game seven, finding her range on the return and was soon on level terms with Pegula.

Jabeur faced a set point in an error-strewn 10th game but weathered the storm to hold then broke Pegula to love using a signature drop shot return. The world number 10 closed out the set on the 54-minute mark.

Pegula was in trouble at the start of the second set, but she swatted away three break points and it was her turn to attack as she swept the next six games in under 30 minutes.

The first three games of the decider went against serve until Jabeur finally consolidated a break to inch ahead 3-1. The 27-year-old doubled her advantage and fell to her knees when she wrapped up a milestone victory.

- Pegula set for career-high -

Jabeur improved to 2-4 in WTA finals and to 3-2 head-to-head against Pegula, who will rise to a career-high number 11 in the world on Monday.

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"I think for both of us, the last two weeks proved a lot. We've come a long way from a few years ago, we were ranked 75 and 76, we were right next to each other. So that's pretty amazing," Pegula told Jabeur during the trophy ceremony.

The 28-year-old American has shown great consistency at WTA 1000 tournaments, winning 28 matches at that level since the start of the 2021 season. Only one player has tallied more victories within that span at such events - world number one Iga Swiatek.

Meanwhile, Jabeur has already shifted her focus onto her next tournament in Rome, where she faces Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the opening round on Tuesday.

"Definitely all those matches I've won on clay will give me a lot of confidence. I'm just going to try to take as many (ranking) points as I can in Rome. I know I didn't play last year, so it's extra points for me," said Jabeur.

"When you're confident like that and you win a lot of matches, I think I should take this opportunity to go, like, really forward and win."

str/jc
Ukraine on Friday announced that a prisoner exchange had been conducted with Russia, securing the release of 41 Ukrainians.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a post on Telegram that 41 people would be returning to Ukraine, including 11 women. The prisoners from Ukraine released from Russia include 13 civilians and 28 soldiers.

It is especially gratifying that today the rector of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is among those released, she said.

She did not provide specifics on how many people Ukraine returned to Russia.

Ukraine and Russia have engaged in several prisoner swaps already, with the first being held in late March. At the time, 10 Ukrainian soldiers and 19 civilian sailors were released in exchange for 10 Russian soldiers and 11 civilian sailors.

Another prisoner swap in April led to the secured release of 12 Ukrainian soldiers and 14 civilians, though it was not clear at the time how many Russians were exchanged in that agreement.

The development comes amid Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has lasted more than two months.

President Biden announced on Friday that a new $150 million security assistance package would be sent to Ukraine as the president urged Congress to authorize another $33 billion in military, economic and humanitarian assistance for the country.

For Ukraine to succeed in this next phase of war its international partners, including the U.S., must continue to demonstrate our unity and our resolve to keep the weapons and ammunition flowing to Ukraine, without interruption. Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, Biden said in a statement.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization senior official Josef Schmidhuber said Friday there is anecdotal evidenceof Russia stealing Ukraines grain supply.

There is anecdotal evidence that Russian troops have destroyed storage capacity and that they are looting the storage grain that is available, Schmidhuber said at a bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, adding Russia has also stolen farm equipment.

Schmidhuber believes 700,000 tons of grain have been stolen from Ukraine since the war began.

But thats all anecdotal evidence. There is no statistical data for that, he added.

Schmidhubers comments come after Ukrainian officials said last week that Russia was taking the countrys grain.

I personally hear this from many silo owners in the occupied territory. This is outright robbery. And this is happening everywhere in occupied territory, Ukrainian agriculture minister Mykola Solskyi said, Reuters reported.

The war in Ukraine has threatened food security globally as the country is a major producer of wheat and grains.

Ukraine is known as the breadbasket of Europe, with the country exporting $6 billion worth of agricultural products to the European Union in 2020.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Kraft Heinz will use the metaverse to develop "digital twins" of its supply chain systems.

The Philadelphia-owner aims to avoid products getting "trapped" as had happened in the pandemic.

Microsoft's Azure will host the multinational's new metaverse tech.

Kraft Heinz, the owner of brands like Philadelphia, Capri Sun, and Kool-Aid, will use the metaverse to get ahead of supply chain bottlenecks.

The multinational food giant agreed a deal with Microsoft last month to use Azure as the cloud platform that will enable Kraft to map out its supply lines virtually where it can simulate product runs in advance and spot any issues that might arise.

In an interview with CNN, Carlos Abrams-Rivera, Kraft's president of North America, said some products became "trapped" in its logistics system during the pandemic as repeated lockdowns incurred dramatic shifts in demand.

Abrams-Rivera said the so-called "digital twin" model of its supply lines will help it avoid a situation like that in the future and that it will also enable the company to automate its reaction to spikes in demand.

Kraft Heinz will use the tech to digitally map out its logistics system in the hope of creating a "supply chain control tower."

If a store runs a promotion on Lunchables, for example, that means Kraft employees have to spot this and tell warehouses to prepare as they will see increased demand, Abrams-Rivera, told CNN.

Speaking at the time of the original announcement last month, Judson Althoff, Microsoft's chief commercial officer, said the pandemic had highlighted the "urgent need for digital-first supply chain solutions" for every industry.

Former Kraft Heinz employees told Insider last year that it cut costs heavily since its 3G Capital merger in 2015, causing burnout and high turnover. It left the company struggling to compete with its rivals, they said.

Food-industry experts also said last year that Kraft Heinz is failing to explore new product verticals and risks missing out if it focuses heavily on efficiencies. The multinational went through an organizational restructuring including layoffs as well as slashing the budget for travel to promote new products, former employees told Insider.

Kraft Heinz and Microsoft were not immediately available for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Flypast rehearsals

The annual military parade in Moscow's Red Square has a new significance this year, as Russian forces continue their two-month assault in Ukraine. As tanks roll through the city streets, speculation is intensifying over President Vladimir Putin's next move.

Fighter jets and bombers roared over Moscow earlier this week.

It was just a rehearsal - for a grand military parade and flypast to mark Victory Day.

The ninth of May is one of the most important holidays in the Russian calendar and on Monday there'll be military processions all over the country to commemorate the Soviet Victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. As always, flags flutter from almost every building and shop windows are decorated with golden stars.

But this year will be different. Russia is at war once again - this time with its neighbour.

And Vladimir Putin may have hoped to have used the anniversary to present the Russian people with a victory of his own in Ukraine. But, following an invasion which hasn't gone to plan, he's yet to even accomplish his most recently stated aim to take the Donbas region.

"Everyone is expecting something to happen [on 9 May], both the enemies of Putin and his supporters," says political expert Abbas Gallyamov, who was once a speechwriter for Mr Putin.

"These expectations created a vacuum that needs to be filled. If it's not, Putin will lose politically."

The question of what Mr Putin might do has set analysts guessing and rumours swirling.

The Kremlin has dismissed as nonsense reports that he might use the opportunity to officially declare war on Ukraine - or even the West - and seek to mobilise reservists or even civilians to replenish his depleted army.

But many experts assume that, at the very least, he'll dress up any territorial gains in eastern Ukraine as a victory worthy of celebration. Though that's unlikely to mean the end of the war. Mr Gallyamov makes a fascinating prediction; that Mr Putin will then present Ukraine with an ultimatum - come to the negotiating table or choose to fight on and face the threat of a tactical nuclear weapon.

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"The only way he can win now, because he'll definitely lose if it continues, is to produce the impression of an absolutely crazy guy. He wants the western public to get scared, western leaders to get scared and for them to start calling Zelensky and say: 'Enough now let's stop this. Go to the negotiating table and agree to at least some of the demands he makes. Because we're ready to help you but we're not ready to die because of you."

Mr Putin, he believes, deeply regrets his invasion and needs a way out without looking weak.

But what do his people think? Opinion polls suggest he has majority support but it's unwise to fully trust even the independent polling agencies in a country which has criminalised the expression of anything other than the official narrative - that Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" is an honourable and necessary act of self-defence.

There is opposition but, again, it's difficult to quantify.

The street demonstrations which accompanied the first weeks of war have dwindled to the occasional individual protest. The independent monitoring group OVD info have recorded more than 15,000 detentions of protesters - most of them in the early days of the invasion.

A recent series of fires at sites with military or tactical significance have prompted speculation about domestic sabotage but there is no conclusive evidence to back the theory, and fires are common here, largely due to old or dilapidated buildings and infrastructure.

Flags bearing the word 'Victory' and the stripes of the St George's ribbon are everywhere to be seen

But a recent wander through Moscow city centre gave at the least a sense of popular sentiment.

On one pedestrian precinct some of the shops displayed the Z sign, which has become a symbol of support for the Russian offensive. A couple of stores were selling T-shirts featuring the letter. One shopkeeper modelled one rather ostentatiously in his doorway.

Most people walked by, apparently unmoved.

But some did stop to gather around a large and eye-catching display of black and white photographs in the centre of the precinct. Close-up images of the faces of distressed children stared out at them. I noticed one woman wipe tears from her eyes as she looked at the exhibition. These were, the sign proclaimed, the children of Donbas.

It's one of Vladimir Putin's pretexts for the war. That his troops are coming to the rescue of the Russian speaking population of eastern Ukraine, who are imperilled by a murderous regime in Kyiv.

And he's gone to extraordinary lengths to create a parallel reality in which Russia is both defender and victim. And Ukraine and the West are the aggressors.

State TV has long presented the West as Russia's nemesis but, in the run up to Victory Day, the rhetoric and the aggression has intensified. Presenters rail furiously against America and Europe and their supply of weapons to Ukraine. Echoing the Kremlin, they blame the west for provoking "World War Three" and seeking to prolong the conflict for as long as possible.

It's a powerful tool. One of the most popular TV programmes in the last few weeks was a talk show in which a presenter warned Britain that, if provoked, Russian could completely destroy it with nuclear weapons.

War in Ukraine: More coverage

And over the last month, free exhibitions about Nato have opened in more than 20 Russian cities.

At the display in Moscow last week a group of students stared, impressed, at an anti-tank missile as a guide explained that this was a British weapon, the likes of which were being used, right now, against Russian soldiers. A menacing soundtrack droned like a warplane overhead and sinister murals of western soldiers covered the walls. An introductory sign stated that Nato was one of the world's most aggressive alliances and unhesitatingly used force in its own interests.

The visitor book was illuminating; "very stupid propaganda - no to war" someone had written. But there were scrawled Zs too. Another hand had crossed out the words "glory to Ukraine" and written "free from Nazis".

Tank in Moscow for rehearsal

It's a telling phrase. Vladimir Putin has also sought, infamously and baselessly, to portray his war as a necessary "de-Nazification" of Ukraine. He's described the government in Kyiv as neo-Nazis. And his foreign minister recently triggered international outrage when, after acknowledging that the Ukrainian president is Jewish, he claimed that Hitler also had Jewish ancestry.

It's why 9 May is such a powerful date for Mr Putin. It's an opportunity to exploit this country's long and painful memory of the sacrifice made by its people in the fight against Nazi Germany. To rally today's Russians behind his "cause". To use his country's past to legitimise his present.

It was chilling to see state TV coverage of one of the rehearsals for the military parade in Moscow. An elderly lady was featured, watching the trucks and missile launchers thunder past. She'd been at the very first parade, having lived through the war as a child, she told her interviewer.

And then she turned away and stiffly raised her arm to wave at Vladimir Putin's tanks as they paraded by, a fond smile spreading across her face.

Additional reporting by Yaroslava Kiryukhina
The View erupted into chaos as a discussion about the first Black White House Press Secretary turned into a discussion about Black and Latino Republicans.

Conservative guest co-host and Daily Blast Live's Lindsay Granger has been rubbing viewers and most of her co-hosts the wrong way, especially given her really weird tirade the other day, and this was still the case on Friday.

Granger ignited a debate when the panel was talking about the historic appointment of Karine Jean-Pierre as White House Press Secretary. She thought it was worth it to discuss a potential conflict of interest that the incoming secretary may have at her job as her because her partner, Suzanne Malveaux, works at CNN.

Granger said:

People dont want to see that happen as were leading into an election year, midterms, and the presidential election. I dont think people want to think CNN  which many folks think is a left-leaning organization  is going to be given information earlier, Biden is going to be given information early, so were not seeing a fair presidential race.

Hostin brought up Clarence Thomas

She said to her, I have to tell you, I dont think Republicans should mention anything about pillow talk or conflict of interest when you have Ginni Thomas sleeping next to Clarence Thomas and sending little text messages and having meetings with the twice-impeached, former disgraced president of the United States! No Republican ever wants to mention that little bit of pillow talk that seems to be happening to this day, okay?

Navarro did say that this was not an issue of conflict of interest.

You know this happens all the time, right? she said. I know this may be a novel point, a novel idea, for somebody whos a supporter of Trump, but there are people who are capable of being related and not ethical interests!

Granger hit back by saying;

Have I ever said that I was a supporter of Trump? There are many things that I dont stand by that Trump did. Im a Black woman first. So always understand that. But I do say that I have many conservative values that I will talk to you about.

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Things got more chaotic when Granger brought up Hostin being friends with Navarro, a Republican

I feel like thats an oxymoron, a Black Republican, said Hostin, to which Granger replied, Why? Your friend right here is a Republican.

Hostin said she doesnt understand why Navarro is one either. After being called out for being pro-choice and Catholic herself, Hostin said, I understand myself. I dont understand either of you. I dont understand Black Republicans, and I dont understand Latino Republicans.

In a response to all of this, Navarro brought it back to Jean-Pierre.

Today, this is not about me, and its not about you, she said. Its about celebrating Karine Jean-Pierre and the history shes making.

Watch a clip below:
SOCIETY Boosting STEM education and digital transformation in rural areas

(HBO)  An internet connection and Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform was all two seventh graders needed to use Micro:bit language on their laptop to perfect their latest STEM science project.

Pham Mai Anh and Do Trong Thanh Minh of Su Ngoi Primary and Secondary School (Hoa Binh city) were instructed to develop their project over two months and came up with their "Automatic greenhouse watering machine ".

These students were two among many hundreds of students in Hoa Binh province that benefited from Vietnam Forward, a partnership between Qualcomm and the Dariu Foundation. The aim of the project is to enhance digital literacy and empower youth in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).





Representatives of Qualcomm and Dariu Foundation guide pupils of Kim Dong secondary school (Tan Lac district) to use laptops funded by Vietnam Forward.

Enhancing digital skill - key to digital transformation in education

In implementing the Vietnam Forward programme, Qualcomm and Dariu Foundation sent 2,400 AOAC computers to pupils in rural and mountainous regions in Vietnam. The computers, equipped with a mobile 4G/LTE internet connection, helped learners to access information technology and improve learning efficiency.

Since the project began in 2019-20, Hoa Binhs Department of Education and Training stated the Dairiu Foundation has provided 500 laptops, 65 desktops, 30 tablets, 945 smart phones and 620 Micro:bit circuit controllers.

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Nguyen Van Chuong, the education and training sector needs to conduct training and technology transfer and invest in equipment to support learning.

The support of international organizations and donors in technology transfer is an important source for the sector to bring about a digital transformation. To date, about 100,000 pupils at 80 primary and secondary schools in rural areas nationwide have received technical equipment to supplement their learning. Along with that, over 6,000 teachers said they feel more confident in teaching programming after attending training courses.





Pham Mai Anh and Do Trong Thanh Minh, grade 7A, Su Ngoi primary and secondary school (Hoa Binh city) operate their product "Vegetable watering machine in greenhouse

Digital skills have improved for students and teachers under the project in Hoa Binh province, key to assisting the sector to grasp new opportunities and enhance the digital transformation.

Hoa Binh is home to 531 educational institutions that include 230,334 students and 19,635 teachers. Understanding the importance of the digital transformation to education and training, the sector has mobilized funding to improve infrastructure, supply equipment, and improve teaching capacity. Online training has been improved as a part of efforts to implement the transition in the 2022-2025 period, with a vision to 2030./.
The Tories will be ready to launch an Ed Miliband-style attack on a Labour coalition, but Starmer would be foolish to let them do so unopposed (Getty)

Sorry about that. I caused consternation yesterday by suggesting that the local election results put Keir Starmer on course for No 10. Partisans of left and right didnt like it, obviously, and mainstream Labour supporters didnt want to jinx their hopes.

I stand by my analysis and plead that it doesnt actually differ from the verdict of Professor Sir John Curtice, who is of course the Ultimate Authority on such matters. He said Labour didnt do very well, and nowhere near well enough to win a majority at the next general election. But my point is that Starmer doesnt need to win a Commons majority to become prime minister. Labour doesnt even need to win more votes than the Conservatives to produce a hung parliament  and in any hung parliament, almost regardless of the exact distribution of seats, Starmer is likely to form a government.

The debate about the significance of these local elections, therefore, is more a debate about what people think will happen over the next two years, before a likely general election in 2024. It is quite possible that Boris Johnson will bounce back, or that the Conservatives will recover under another prime minister. That is what usually happens in the run-up to a general election. I still think that living standards will be going up and NHS waiting lists coming down by the next election, but the economic outlook should make any Tory nervous.

Predictions are bound to be wrong, but we are human and it is worth at least knowing the odds that we are up against. Events of the scale of Brexit or the pandemic may be along in a moment, but if you have to have a null hypothesis against which to measure them, it would probably be that the government will recover some support, but not much.

Given that Sir John calculates that, if the whole of Great Britain had been voting on Thursday, Labours share of the vote would have been five percentage points ahead of the Tories, the results suggest a fairly equal contest at the next general election. And given that an equal share of the vote, even on the new constituency boundaries, would result in a hung parliament in which not even the Democratic Unionist Party (if they have any MPs) could prop up a Conservative government (if they wanted to), the mechanics of a minority Labour government ought to be discussed more than they are.

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Obviously, Starmer doesnt want to talk about hung parliaments and the Conservatives do. The Tories regard their attack on Ed Miliband, saying he would form a coalition of chaos with the Scottish National Party in 2015, as their most successful strike against a Labour leader until Starmers bottle of beer, and they are getting ready to do it again.

It would be foolish of Labour to let them do so unopposed. Miliband was unprepared for the assault last time; Starmer cannot afford to be this time. He didnt start well. During the Labour leadership campaign he agreed, clearly not having thought about it, with the apparently obvious but actually dangerous and mistaken view that if the SNP won a majority in the Scottish parliament, it would have a mandate for a second referendum on independence.

Given that the SNP had a majority together with the pro-independence Scottish Greens, which they retained last year, this created the impression that Starmer would be open to a deal with the SNP, giving them another referendum in return for their support in a hung parliament. Starmer has since retreated from his slip-up, but he needs to harden his line. The leader of the opposition needs to say that now is not the time for another Scottish referendum, and that the time wont be until there is clear and overwhelming evidence that it is what the Scottish people want. A wafer-thin majority in the Edinburgh parliament when 50 per cent of votes were cast for pro-UK parties is not that.

A minority Labour government does not have to give the SNP anything. Nicola Sturgeons representatives in the Commons cannot do anything that would allow a Conservative government, even though that is the one thing above all else that drives support for independence in Scotland.

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The Liberal Democrats are in a similar position. Their activists, their rhetoric and above all the scars of their ministerial office in the coalition would make it unthinkable that they should prop up a Tory government. Ed Davey, their leader, has even been unwise enough to say so (he was asked by the Financial Times last year if the Lib Dems would facilitate a Conservative government at the next election and replied, No).

The same applies to Plaid Cymru, the SDLP and Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and Caroline Lucas, the Green MP. With the possible exception of the DUP (or other Northern Irish unionists if that is what happens), the Conservatives are uncoalitionable.

That means Starmer doesnt need to offer other parties ministerial posts, or any kind of deals, to be able to govern. They will not prevent a Labour government being formed. They will probably vote for many of the policies Starmer proposes, and they will be wary of forcing another election too soon.

Because the 2010 election produced a surprisingly stable coalition, we are not used to this kind of politics, last seen in the last two years of the Callaghan government. It is possible that Starmer would be good at it, but he needs to persuade people of that before it happens. It is obvious from the reaction to the local election results that most people do not realise how likely a hung parliament is. As the general election approaches, it will become clearer that winning a majority is hopelessly unrealistic for Labour, requiring as it does a greater swing than that achieved by Tony Blair in 1997.

Starmer needs to convince the voters that he can still form a government on his own terms, even if he falls a long way short of that ambition.
Vereshchuk said that 50 children were evacuated from the Azovstal plant on May 6

Read also: Escape from hell: Women of Mariupol tell their stories of living under occupation and escaping the siege

He stressed that an evacuation mission from Mariupol continues with the mediation of the United Nations and the International Committee of Red Cross.

Zelensky said more than 40 civilians, including women and children, were evacuated from Azovstal on May 6.

The Ukrainian president also said that Ukraine was working on diplomatic options to save the soldiers who still remains at Azovstal.

"Influential mediators are involved. Influential states," he said.

Read also: Ukrainian film director releases documentary about siege of Mariupol

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk said that that 50 children, women and elderly people were evacuated from Azovstal on May 6.

The Ukrainian authorities said they were planning to continue the evacuation on the morning of May 7.

Read also: Crimean Tatar medic trapped at Azovstal appeals to Turkey for help

On May 6, Russian troops in Mariupol fired at a car that was evacuating civilians from Azovstal. One soldier was killed and six more were injured as a result of the attack.

On May 4, a total of 344 people were evacuated from Mariupol, Manhush, Berdyansk, Tokmak, and Vasylivka, and reached Zaporizhzhya. On May 3, more than 100 Mariupol residents from Azovstal had finally arrived in the city.

On May 2, the Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment, Captain Svyatoslav Palamar, said that up to 200 civilians were still trapped at Azovstal, which was constantly being stormed and shelled by the Russian invaders.

Read also: Mariupol theater airstrike killed two time more people than estimated before, AP investigation says

On May 1, President Zelensky said that the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal was underway. The effort is being conducted by the UN and the International Committee of Red Cross. Prior to that, the Russian side disrupted the evacuation or forcibly deported Mariupol residents to the occupied territories and the Russian Federation.
BEDFORD  Two Goodview men charged with second-degree murder in connection with a shooting death in Bedford County still await competency evaluations before each can face a preliminary hearing.

Keenan Irvin Purdue, 20, and Ricky Lynn Purdue Jr., 28, appeared Friday in Bedford County General District Court for review hearings. They were arrested after the Bedford County Sheriff's Office received a call at about 4:15 p.m. Feb. 4 about a disturbance with shots fired in the 1000 block of Dawn Place in Goodview.

When deputies arrived, they found a man who had been shot dead. After a brief search, the co-defendants were taken into custody, the sheriff's office has said.

Ricky Perdue needs a competency and sanity evaluation that hasn't yet been done, said Pamela Willoughby, his attorney. Ronnie West, Keenan Perdue's attorney, also spoke in court Friday about difficulties so far in securing an evaluator for his client.

Lawrence Steele, the prosecutor, said the commonwealth still is waiting on some ballistics evidence related to the case. The commonwealth favors having a preliminary hearing at the same time for the co-defendants rather than proceeding separately, Steele told Judge Randy Krantz.

Both defendants remain in custody while awaiting a June 13 preliminary hearing.

 Justin Faulconer

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Enrollment for Central Virginia Community College decreased 29% between fall 2012 and fall 2021.

CVCC President John Capps said theres no disputing the numbers  Theyre real.

Theres no getting around the fact that the enrollment has decreased, and that grieves us, Capps said.

CVCCs total headcount in fall 2012 was 4,906 students. Since then, that number has decreased to 3,464 total students.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports overall enrollment for Virginia community colleges decreased 25% during the past decade, citing the State Council of Higher Education Virginia. Thats about 50,000 students during that time period.

The biggest single-year decrease for CVCC was when enrollment fell 12%, during the pandemic in fall 2020. Capps said some students were unable to continue their education because they lacked the necessary technology.

For students who lacked the technology or for students who lacked access to the internet, that was a game changer, that was a game stopper, Capps said.

CVCC attempted intervention methods to help students, such as loaning laptops, loaning hotspots and extending wireless internet access to the parking lots.

Since last fall, there has been a 3% increase in total student headcount.

Michael Farris, dean of enrollment management, mentioned the G3 grant as one of those game-changing scenarios.

The G3 grant is a tuition assistance program for any Virginia resident who qualifies for in-state tuition and who has a total household income that falls below an identified threshold. G3 makes up the difference between what financial aid pays for and the cost of tuition, fees and books for the student.

Farris said as then-Gov. Ralph Northam in 2020 began pushing for G3 and free tuition for community colleges, CVCC officials reexamined their technical curricula. They transitioned advisors interactions with students by implementing a caseload management system  students have their person they work with, who helps guide them and meet them in their current standing.

Enrollment is important to us, but for us its about the community that we serve and every number is a person, so every person that reaches out to us weve really doubled down on our commitment to help whatever that student needs, Farris said.

Although enrollment is down, since 2012 there has been a 25% increase in the number of degrees awarded, according to data provided by Cynthia Deutsch, interim dean of institutional effectiveness and strategic planning. During that same time period, theres only a 4.5% decrease in the total number of graduates.

Were seeing fewer students who are able to come here, but were seeing a higher percentage of students who are being successful, Capps said.

The president of the college emphasized CVCC is all about access and success of its students. Moving forward, Capps said with more support and more initiatives, reversing this enrollment trend is possible.

We need the resources to be able to attract more students here and help them succeed, Capps said.

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Thanks to recent redistricting following the 2020 census, Bedford County no longer will be in Virginias 6th Congressional District  except at the home of Patrick Hancock and his fiancee.

That means the two will be the only Bedford County residents eligible to vote in the 6th District Republican primary next month between incumbent U.S. Rep. Ben Cline and challenger Merritt Hale. But, while they described themselves as pretty regular voters, Hancock said theyre also Libertarians and therefore dont even plan to participate in the primary.

Neither of us feel like its a very fair thing to vote in another partys primary, because Im not going to be voting for either one of those guys this fall, Hancock explained.

Nonetheless, the quirk  called a split precinct  comes with a hefty price tag: coding the election on the voting equipment costs $975, plus $90 for each voting machine in the polling place and one at the registrars office in case the two voters cast their ballots early, Bedford County registrar Barbara Gunter said.

The cost of having election officials working on Election Day will be about $535. There are other expenses, including the delivery and retrieval of voting equipment, and electoral board costs for conducting the canvass of the election. All in all, this election will cost the county thousands of dollars  for two people.

None of this is in any way the fault of the voters that live in this residence and we are available and happy to serve them in any way we can. This is an issue between the countys administrative boundary and the census block lines, neither of which the voters or I have any control over, Gunter said.

Localities across Virginia have been undergoing redistricting  redrawing political boundaries based on the latest census data to ensure populations accurately reflect government representation. The process, which happens every 10 years, affects voting precincts, too.

Census data for Bedford County was later coming in than projected, resulting in a delay of redistricting for the county. A redistricting committee drew up new district lines as the data came in, and the resulting new congressional district lines for the 6th District moved almost that entire district out of Bedford County  except for the one house.

Gunter said the house, to her knowledge, represents the countys smallest split precinct.

The county had to file for a waiver that will allow split precincts, since local redistricting is running a little behind schedule, a move the board of supervisors approved in a meeting April 25.

The new 6th District has a Republican primary in June. Consequently, it is the only part of Bedford County to have a primary this year.

The couples house is on the border of Bedford and Roanoke counties, and years ago, the commissioners of revenue agreed this household would pay taxes and receive services from Bedford County instead of Roanoke County, Gunter explained, a history reiterated by Bedford County attorney Patrick Skelley in the April 25 supervisors meeting. According to images of the property, the county administrative boundary goes directly through the house itself.

Per Virginia law, Bedford County has to keep open the precinct for these two voters for the 45-day absentee voting period ahead of the June 21 Republican primary. Even if the individuals voted early, Bedford County officials said, the county must keep their precinct open through the Virginia primary election day, whether it is being used or not.

Because this one house is clearly in the 6th congressional district, we must comply with all requirements for conducting an election including being available for early voting 45 days prior to the primary, being open on two Saturdays prior to the primary, and staffing a minimum of three election officials in the polling place on Election Day, Gunter said in an email.

This situation for this one house will arise again any time the 6th District is the only one having an election, such as this years primary, Gunter said.

Hancock said the county being legally required to keep open a voting location for two people who will not be participating in the primary seems like a waste of resources.

I get the need for redistricting, and keeping voting districts of similar populations, but to hold a special election, a primary, for such a few number of people, that seems kind of weird, Hancock said.

Bedford County is not the only locality in Virginia facing this issue, Gunter said, although it still is uncommon.

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Top programming languages to learn and master in 2022

New Delhi, Sat, 07 May 2022 NI Wire

Programming languages aid in the development of software. Programmers utilize languages like Javascript, Python, C++, and others to deliver instructions to a machine so that it can accomplish tasks.

As the focus of the world has shifted to technology. One could be wondering which programming language to learn if someone is looking to grow in their job or change careers entirely.

However, the world of programming is changing at a breakneck speed. Every day, new frameworks and technologies are developed. It's all too easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of information available. Which makes it difficult to choose the language one might want to invest their time in and learn.

Surveys and Market analyses conducted by many firms like Stack Overflow, and others can help in making that choice. According to the demand these languages have in the market and their use in various fields, here are the top programming languages one might want to learn and master in 2022.

Java Script

One of the essential technologies of the World Wide Web is JavaScript, a high-level programming language. It is used by 97.6% of all websites as a client-side programming language. Originally only used to construct web browsers, JavaScript is now used for server-side website deployments as well as non-web browser applications.

Javascript was first released in 1995 under the name LiveScript. However, because Java was such a popular language at the time, it was marketed as Java's "younger brother." JavaScript grew into a completely self-contained language over time. JavaScript is frequently confused with Java nowadays, and while the two languages have certain similarities, they are not the same.

According to Stack Overflow's 2020 Developer Survey, JavaScript is the most widely used programming language in the world (69.7%), followed by HTML/CSS (62.4%), SQL (56.9%), Python (41.6%), and Java (38.4 %). In the Americas, it is also the most sought-after programming language among recruiting managers.

Furthermore, because the language is so widely employed, there are a plethora of online forums, courses, and professional assistance resources. This support, combined with the language's excellent usability, propels JavaScript to the top of our list of the most popular programming languages.

Learn JavaScript online.

Python

Python is also one of the most widely used programming languages today, and its accessibility makes it simple to learn for beginners. It's a free, open-source programming language with a large community and numerous support modules, as well as an easy interface with online services, user-friendly data structures, and GUI-based desktop applications. It's a widely-used programming language for machine learning and deep learning.

2D imaging and 3D animation software such as Blender, Inkscape, and Autodesk are all written in Python. Civilization IV, Vegas Trike, and Toontown are just a few of the popular video games that have featured it. Python is utilised by prominent websites like YouTube, Quora, Pinterest, and Instagram, as well as scientific and computational programmes like FreeCAD and Abacus.

It's also the second-most-in-demand programming language for hiring managers in the Americas, after Python, according to HackerRank.

Python is suitable for beginners and expert coders alike because it is one of the easier languages to learn and use. The language comes with a large library of commands and tasks that are commonly used. Because of its interactive features, programmers may test their code as they go, saving time on writing and testing huge parts of code.

Even advanced users would benefit from adding it to their mental catalogue of programming languages. With over 50% of hiring managers looking for candidates who know the language, Python is easily one of the most marketable and in-demand programming languages.

Learn Python Programming language online.

HTML

HTML is the abbreviation for HyperText Markup Language. HTML is one of the easiest ways to get started with programming.

HTML is a markup language, which means it is in charge of arranging the look of information on a website. HTML is mostly used to define web pages that contain plain text. It is confined to writing and arranging text on a website and does not have the same functionality as the other computer languages on this list. The HTML domain includes sections, headings, links, and paragraphs.

HTML and CSS are tied for second place on Stack Overflow's list of the most widely used languages in the world as of 2020.

Learn HTML online here.

CSS

CSS, or cascading style sheets, is a style sheet that regulates the appearance of a website and is commonly used in conjunction with HTML. CSS determines the size, colour, and location of all page elements, whereas HTML organises site text into chunks.

CSS is also useful since the cascading portion of the term indicates that an applied style will cascade down from parent elements to all children elements throughout the site. This feature eliminates the need for users to manually replicate their code across a website once they've decided on aesthetics for the primary parent. Furthermore, because site organisation is delegated to HTML and aesthetics is delegated to CSS, users don't have to totally redo a web page merely to alter the colour.

CSS is a user-friendly programming language that allows newcomers to dip their toes into the metaphorical coding pool. If you're new to coding, there's no reason you shouldn't start with CSS before moving on to more advanced languages.

Learn CSS online here.

JAVA

Java is an object-oriented programming language with a wide range of applications. Object-oriented programming allows programmers to design objects that contain functions and data, which can then be utilised to give programmes and applications structure.

Because of its Write Once, Run Anywhere (WORA) characteristics, this general-purpose programming language, which is owned by Oracle Corporation, has become a standard for applications that can be utilised independent of the platform (e.g., Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, etc.). As a result, Java is known for its portability across a wide range of systems, from mainframes to smartphones. There are currently over 3 billion devices running Java-based applications.

Java is the third most popular programming language among hiring managers worldwide, and it has ranked #5 on Stack Overflow's list of the most commonly used languages for the past two years.

Java's popularity is well-deserved; it's a simple language to learn and use, has excellent security, and can manage large amounts of data. Java is an appropriate language for online finance because of these characteristics, and it is widely used in areas such as banking, billing, and the stock market.

Java is popular programming langue and you can learn at Java Programming Language tutorials section.

C#

C#, which was created by Microsoft, became famous in the 2000s for supporting object-oriented programming principles. It's one of the most popular.NET framework programming languages.

Because it uses Microsoft Visual C++ is an integrated development environment, it is ideally suited for Windows, Android, and iOS applications. Bing, Dell, Visual Studio, and MarketWatch are just a few of the major websites that employ C# in their backends.

C# is becoming more popular as a general-purpose language for creating web and desktop apps; according to HackerRank, one out of every five hiring managers is seeking a developer who can code in C#. There's no denying that it'll be one of the most in-demand coding languages in the future; but, there are a variety of other reasons to keep it on your radar.

C#, like other popular languages, has a large community that works with it and helps newcomers. As a result, learning C# may be less difficult than learning some of the newer and less well-documented languages. C# is also suitable for creating increasingly popular mobile apps and games. This language will, without a doubt, continue to be helpful in the next few years.

GO

Google created Go in 2007 as a programming language for APIs and online applications. Because of its simplicity, as well as its ability to handle multicore and networked systems and large codebases, Go has recently become one of the fastest-growing programming languages.

The Go programming language, often known as Golang, was built to satisfy the needs of programmers working on huge projects. Because of its clear and modern structure and syntax familiarity, it has gained favour among many large IT organisations. Google, Uber, Twitch, and Dropbox are just a few of the companies that use Go as their programming language. Because of its agility and performance, Go is becoming increasingly popular among data scientists.

Go is a remarkable language that provides top-notch memory safety and management features, despite having a comparable syntax to C. Furthermore, the language's structural typing capabilities provide a lot of flexibility and dynamism. Furthermore, Go not only ranks high on programmers' favourite and most-wanted lists, but it also correlates with a 33 percent pay raise, according to surveys.

R

R is an open-source programming language that is essentially a modified version of S. Developers write a lot of code for S, and it runs on R without any changes.

Statistics are processed using R-based applications, which include linear and nonlinear modelling, calculation, testing, visualisation, and analysis. R-based applications can connect to a variety of databases and process both structured and unstructured data.

R has a moderate learning curve and is not as simple to learn as some of the other languages discussed in this article. R, like other open-source programming languages, has a vibrant online developer community, which is always an advantage when learning new coding techniques.

R is more popular than Python in the domains of data science and machine learning, and it is the only language capable of replacing Python in the data science sector. Because a data scientist should know at least two different programming languages, many firms that hire data scientists and machine learning engineers hunt for developers who know R.

Check R programming langue tutorial at R Programming tutorials page.

KOTLIN

JetBrains has created an open-source programming language. In addition, this is the most popular and in-demand programming language in 2021. Kotlin is a statically typed language that runs on the JVM and supports Java compatibility.

For those who don't want to write Android apps in Java, there's also Kotlin, which Google now promotes. One of the main reasons for its broad popularity is because it is compatible with Android Studio 3.

Because it is already utilised by popular productions like Netflix, Pinterest, and Amazon Web Services, Kotlin will soon be among the most widely used languages. If things continue at their current pace, Kotlin will soon be the next Java substitute. As a result, now is the best time to learn Kotlin.

Kotlin was announced as the official language for Android app development by Google in 2018. Since then, the Kotlin employment market has grown at a breakneck pace. With Java's popularity waning, it's not shocking if Google bans the usage of the language for Android development shortly.

Because the Android era does not appear to be coming to an end anytime soon, there will always be a need for Kotlin app developers. Many businesses rely only on their Android application for revenue. As a result, they always try to employ a Kotlin developer rather than a Java engineer.

Kotlin is getting popular these days, learn this programming at Kotlin Tutorials.

C and C++

C is the most widely used and oldest programming language, and it provides the foundation for other languages such as C#, Java, and JavaScript. C++ is a more advanced version of the C programming language. Many developers today ignore C entirely, while others believe that understanding C first gives a solid basis for C++ programming. In computer science and programming, both languages are frequently used.

Compilers for a wide range of systems are available for C and C++ developers, making applications written in these languages mostly portable. C and C++ are both considered high-performance programming languages. As a result, they're commonly used in developing client/server applications, commercial products like Firefox and Adobe, and video games, all of which require high performance.

Indeed, C++ is the fourth most in-demand programming language, with over 40k new C++ developer jobs advertised per month in the United States. Though there isnt much employment for regular C++ developers, there are lots of opportunities after you acquire advanced C++ skills.

Learn C programming language at C Programming tutorials section.
Morocco has always favored the path of regional, interregional and international cooperation, based on the principles of common and shared responsibility, to respond to the multidimensional threats posed by the phenomenon of transnational organized crime.

The remarks were made by a Moroccan delegation taking part in a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) on transnational organized crime and security in Africa, held Friday in Addis Ababa.

The delegation, led by Moroccos Permanent Representative to the African Union and the UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, underlined the role the Kingdom plays in terms of exchanging expertise and financial intelligence through its Financial Intelligence Processing Unit, within the framework of sharing financial intelligence with the international units in charge of the fight against money laundering.

Morocco has signed more than 80 agreements and partnerships in this area since 2014, it pointed out, recalling that as part of the Kingdoms efforts in the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime, Morocco is preparing to host the meeting of the international coalition against the terrorist group Daesh in Marrakech.

Organized crime in Africa has become a matter of international concern in recent years, given the large shipments of cocaine and light weapons that have been detected transiting through Africa.

Transnational organized crime, including arms trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, toxic waste, fraudulent drugs, cigarettes threatens the stability and development of the continent, the delegation said, adding that the fight against organized crime remains a precondition for the consolidation of peace, security and political stability.

The best bulwark against transnational organized crime, beyond interstate cooperation and the involvement of the UN apparatus, lies for each country in the promotion of sustainable human development, the establishment of stable democratic institutions and rights and good governance at the economic and social levels.

The Moroccan delegation, which expressed deep concern over the growing threat posed by transnational organized crime, in particular through its increasingly direct links and collusion with terrorism, violent extremism and separatism, underlined the imperative to strengthen intra and interregional cooperation as a prerequisite for an effective fight against organized crime, both at the continental and international levels.

The Moroccan delegation also called for the adoption of crime prevention and criminal justice reform measures, paying particular attention to continental cooperation and the sharing of information in the fight against transnational organized crime, the strengthening of international cooperation and rapprochement with international partners with a view to obtaining technical and financial support, participation in regional, continental and international forums and the acceleration of extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements.

The Moroccan delegation also called for destroying the capacities of terrorist organizations and other non-state armed groups, including insurgents and separatist groups, to finance their activities through criminal activities such as drugs and psychotropic substances, human trafficking, arms trafficking, among other forms of transnational organized crime.

The delegation also stressed the need to preserve the civilian character of refugee camps and to combat the flow, proliferation and illicit trafficking of arms and psychotropic substances within these camps.

The Moroccan delegation warned the international community against the deterioration of the socio-economic and humanitarian situation in Africa, particularly in the refugee camps where such a situation favors the emergence of fanatical and radicalized young people, given that it contributes to the spread of violent extremism among these young people who lack prospects for the future.
The D.A.R.E. programs initial agenda in 1983 was for law enforcement officers to educate youth about the dangers of drug, alcohol and tobacco use.

The scope has expanded since then.

The old D.A.R.E. program was more the Say No to Drugs and Alcohol, said North Platte Investigator Matt Elder. We still incorporate that but its more of a shift now to (students) making safe and responsible choices.

We talk a lot about making choices and the consequences of those decisions, which can be good or bad, Elder said. We are just trying to give (the students) the tools to make those choices so they can live a safe and healthy life.

Roughly 350 fifth and some sixth graders celebrated their graduation from the program on Friday with a D.A.R.E. Day at the North Platte Recreation Center.

The students saw demonstrations from law enforcement and first responder agencies in the area and had an opportunity to work a fire hose.

Elder or Officer Jeremiah Johnson meets with students once a week for 45 minutes to an hour during the 10-week program, either in the fall or winter semester.

To graduate from the program, students had to participate in the class sessions, complete projects in a workbook and also write a short essay about what they learned.

We just ask them to write three paragraphs, Elder said. They can write about whatever we talked about in D.A.R.E. They can go through their workbook and write out just facts or they can put in a personal story.

Some kids write the three-paragraph minimum and some write two or three pages.

Cougar Wilcox, a fifth-grader from Washington Elementary in North Platte, learned Friday his work was the top essay.

It doesnt mean a win to me, Wilcox said. Everybody won. They did their essay and everybodys was good.

And the subject of his essay?

It was about how D.A.R.E. was important and how it helped me, Wilcox said. How each lesson was important to me.

Elder shares that sentiment.

D.A.R.E. is one of the favorite things about my job right now, he said. You interact with kids in a different way. Sometimes police officers and kids dont have the best of relationships.

But being in that environment, I kind of get to be a kid again for a couple hours a week, Elder said. If I can impact one kids, Ive done my job. Hopefully its more than that.

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A Smiths Station High School teacher was charged with a felony on Thursday after Lee County Sheriffs school resource deputies investigated claims that he was taking inappropriate photos of a female student during school hours, according to a press release from the Lee County Sheriffs Office.

The deputies met with the teacher, David Edward Gregory, 60, of Opelika. After gathering information, according to the press release, they took Gregory into custody and charged him with one count of voyeurism first degree, which is a class C felony.

Gregory was booked into the Lee County Detention Center Thursday evening and was released after posting bond later that night, according to the release.

Deputies said the investigation is ongoing and that additional charges are probable.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriffs Office at 334-749-5651 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
I just cant anymore.

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I know its the world we live in and itll probably never change, but every time something like this happens my first thought is sigh, I wish wed live in a world where everyone would just accept each other. How can people be like this

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They only remember and acknowledge their wins; of course they keep pushing.

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Fuck them!





Also, as a parent, I'd rather they warn me about hurtful steteotypes, racism, sexism, violence

Things that can actually harm my child

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They should just boycott everything Disney.

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"They want an answer by May 18th", or else? Put some weight into the balance, my dudes. Kill yourselves if you don't get the answer: go big or go under the ground.

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I support this motion

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the only acceptable response from tv executives. (but we know most of them suck too)

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They're going to limp noodle themselves out of this situation.

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i hate it here

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Id love to know where the GOP are accessing this super progressive Disney content as I seem to be missing it.

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Ikr! Apparently every second character is supposed to be gay but if I ever see a lesbian on tv she's dead in two seconds and gay men only exists as stereotypical gay bffs... I need to know what they're watching!

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A same sex kiss in Lightyear = TOO MUCH GAY!

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the only thing I can think of is the Owl House but that's only disney channel...



literally all their movies have abysmal lack of gay content of any kind

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Yeah, High School Musical: the musical: the series is the only other thing I can think of that I would consider having any representation (as opposed to first gay character) and thats tame AF.

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Lol right. The only explicitly gay character in recent Disney memory is the kid who came out on Andi Mac and that show has been off the air for like 4 years.

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Lol these losers are so embarassing. They must have the most boring sex lives ever to be so obsessed with what other people are doing.



Speaking of GOP, did yall see where they are trying to pass in LA that women seeking abortions may be charged with attempted murder? I mean, I'd like to think it's too outlandish to actually pass but the GOP is so disgusting I wouldn't be surprised.

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I think its projection on their part. Matt Gaetz transporting teenagers across state lines for sex; Madison Cawthorne, doing whatever the hell hes doing; MTG and her CrossFit boyfriends; and other assorted rumors about members of the GQP.

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I swear its not just because I can't stand any of them but their literal faces make me recoil. I can't even look at pics or videos of Trump without getting annoyed.

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They look like DIY muppets.

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Don't forget Matt's toy adopted "son"

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Not just that, any fertilized egg. There doesn't even have to be implantation. It means they are probably going after IUDs and even IVF treatments.

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How fucking embarrassing for these absolute twats.





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how about we do not and instead warn for graphic rape scenes instead

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For real. Talk about fucked up priorities.

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Fuck the GOP but fuck the Democrats too who seem to concede that were all living in the GOPs world regardless of what party happens to be in office.

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Fuck the conservatives.

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omg poor duckie

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Maybe if you were this concerned about violent content and/or bothered parenting your own kids, they'd stop turning into school shooters.

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My bingo card is full for today.

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If they have that much to reshoot I'm pleasantly surprised Netflix did the right thing.

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It undermines instinct and spontaneity

Ah, he went to the Bertolucci & Brando's School of Sexual Harassment & Rape for A Better Cinema

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For real like its not an improv show, its scripted, outlined, coordinated... Its the same issue with method actors. Just do the job and follow the script, get paid and go home. Whats so hard about that lol.

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Well considering he's EIGHTY-FUCKING-FOUR YEARS OLD, I'm not surprised.



What I am surprised by is why tf an 84 yr old man was given a sex scene in the first place? Esp since you KNOW the actress is prob 50 yrs younger than him!



NOBODY WANTS TO SEE THAT SHIT.



y'all I'm so gd tired

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His response to having his gross behavior called out speaks of his character, and his character is terrible.

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Any day where a man faces consequences for his shitty behavior is a good day.







Edited at 2022-05-07 05:18 pm (UTC) Any day where a man faces consequences for his shitty behavior is a good day.

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men reaping what they sow is my kink

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if he felt so strongly about *needing* to touch her leg he should have said something when they were coordinating the scene, not waited until they had the plan and she was comfortable only to go against what made her feel safe and do what felt right for him. i stg men were a mistake

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Exactly. Yes intimacy coordinators are probably new to him but the larger context should have told him that spontaneity is not what people want in sex scenes.

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something tells me he knew it and purposely pretended to be fine with the coordinators notes only so he could get to the filming and ignore it and do what he wanted

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Imagine if stuntmen were like I thought it would be more spontaneous if I kneed your balls during the fight. It was about creativity.

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Exactly what I was thinking. This is no different than fight or stunt choreography.

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In stunt choreography improvisation would at least pose a risk to his own safety too, here he doesnt care because theres no risk to his safety so he feels entitled to compromise hers for his ~art.



Im really over men glorifying pushing limits without acknowledging how much harder the potential downfalls or consequences are on the women involved or the women who they think should emulate the tactics men can exploit for success. Youre not a genius because youre willing to allow others to suffer for your art.



Edited at 2022-05-07 08:00 pm (UTC)

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Great analogy!

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im glad the actress walked off, good for her. how hard is it to follow directions especially when youre handling someones body? asshole

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I feel like he touched her leg is a tame explanation, and the real crux of her issue was where he touched it. He acts like (example) it was her shin and yet I somehow doubt it was that inconsequential.

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and his response was poor too - it sounds like they tried to work it out with him and he refused to agree to follow the blocking choreography. and there were other instances of him being inappropriate on set.

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my reputation has been tarnished



and ill tarnish it further by writing this essay!!!

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ONTD, favorite Edgar Allan Poe story?



The Tell-Tale Heart



This guy (idk remember who he was) came to our school and we had assembly in the auditorium and he read this story to us while acting it out (as the narrator). I remember every minute. It was enthralling.

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We did too! I remember there was a conspiracy theory that they really put a beating heart under the stage 

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thats adorable

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same!



and two of the best adaptations (the raven and the tell-tale heart) are both from the simpsons imo

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i like this too because the first time i actually encountered a form of the story was on Spongebob!

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The Raven and The Black Cat (I think that's what it's called??)

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I remembered a class trip to see a play of Edgar Allen Poe's stories and the one that stood out was The Tell-Tale Heart. It was performed so well and the beating heart and the actress' portrayal stayed with me. I loved that story ever since.

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Same with us! They also had people come and do Shakespeare plays and thats the only time I understood them.

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Good for Netflix getting rid of him. He had more than one chance but he had multiple issues



A sex scene that has already been discussed and mapped out is not where to test out spontaneity.



It's not the same exactly but im reminded of the rape scene in Showgirls. Like the actress didn't know exactly what was going to happen there. There absolutely needs to be knowledge of exactly what's going to happen

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Fuck this pig.

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Meanwhile, in Argentina, the search is underway for new lithium resources as the country attempts to expand the Lithium Triangle and secure its slice of the pie.

One potential source of new lithium is on the California-Mexico border, with the California Energy Commission believing it could supply 40% of the worlds lithium demand.

Lithium has now established its position as a key part of the energy industrys future, and the race to secure supplies of this critical metal is heating up.

Lithium is becoming an increasingly important topic in the oil and gas world as firms realize the importance of lithium-ion batteries in the future of global energy. It will be key to the energy transition, not only for use in batteries for electronic devices but also for electric vehicles (EVs) and to store renewable energy for steady release. So, what are countries around the world doing to fuel lithium production? Automakers globally are driving up demand for lithium as they increase their EV output, with many car manufacturers planning the rollout of several new EV models by 2030. Particularly across Europe where several countries have outlined the ban of the sale of new internal combustion engine cars for the end of the decade, lithium batteries will become a necessity in the future of transport. In fact, the World Bank believes lithium production will need to increase fivefold to meet global needs and climate targets by 2050.

In the U.S., several energy firms are racing to find new lithium supplies to boost production over the next decade and beyond. At present, the only active lithium mine in the U.S. is the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, meaning that many companies are trying to find other sources across the country.

At present, most lithium supplies come from South America and Australia, with the biggest reserves in Chile. The U.S. produces around 2 percent of the worlds lithium and is home to 4 percent of reserves. To find new sources, the U.S. would likely have to carry out open-pit mining operations or brine extraction, which environmentalists worry could cause environmental damage. Although energy firms argue that developing the lithium market would eventually support the phasing out of fossil fuels.

Related: Oil Product Tankers Outperform Crude Tankers



Now, a possible location for lithium mining has been discovered on the California-Mexico border in the Salton Sea - a landlocked lake that could soon become known as the Lithium Valley. General Motors Co. signed a deal last week with Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) to produce lithium in the deserted Salton Sea location. The California Energy Commission has been exploring the area since 2019 and believes it could supply around 40 percent of the worlds lithium demand.

The Salton Sea region has been almost abandoned due to contamination of the lake driving tourists away and leaving ghost towns in their wake. These new exploration and production operations could bring jobs back to the region. Responding to environmental concerns, three companies working on the lake are introducing chemical processes that could extract lithium in a more environmentally friendly manner.

At present, there are 11 geothermal plants close to the lake. President and CEO of BHE Renewables, Alicia Knapp, explained "We are already pumping 50,000 gallons of brine per minute across all of our 10 geothermal facilities to the surface and we're using the steam from that brine to generate clean energy. So, we're really halfway there in that we've got the lithium right here in our hands." EnergySource and CTR are also looking for greener ways to access lithium resources.

Argentina is seeing similar momentum in its lithium industry as Australian firm Lithium Energy Limited (LEL) and Hanaq Group, with Chinese and Argentinian investment, partner to explore the Olaroz-Cauchari endorheic basin for lithium resources. Argentina is part of the lithium triangle along with Bolivia and Chile. Hanaq already operates the Providencia silver mine in the northern Jujuy province of the country, and now wants to explore for other resources that could power the future of energy.

Once permits are granted, it could bring much-needed jobs to the region. The two groups aim to promote sustainable development in the basin to, hopefully, produce large quantities of lithium in the future for battery production.

However, not all countries are prepared to share their resources, with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) steadfast in his decision to nationalize Mexicos energy industry. His political party MORENA recently passed a law nationalizing the countrys lithium reserves, meaning the creation of a state-owned group for their management.

Unlike Argentinas brine-based reserves, Mexicos lithium is clay-based, requiring new technologies to extract lithium at a higher cost. However, without international participation in the extraction of its reserves, mining is seeming increasingly unlikely. Mexico has the potential to play a big part in the future of battery production, particularly due to its strong manufacturing industry, but by nationalizing its energy sector it will not play a major role in providing green energy for the global transition.

New discoveries in the U.S. provide optimism over the production of lithium in new regions around the world, while the potential for exploration in Argentina will likely expand the South American lithium triangles reach further. Although lithium production remains relatively low right now, the industry is seeing substantial investment, which will allow it to grow at a rapid rate over the next decade. Several countries that have the potential to mine lithium must now decide if they want to be part of this production push.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners in OPEC+ led by Russia decided this week they would not increase their target production figure for next month. Effectively, OPEC+ slapped the EU in the face, as this decision means no additional oil is coming to Europe to replace sanctioned Russian barrels. The European Commission earlier this week proposed an oil embargo on Russian crude oil and refined products as part of the sixth sanction package being discussed by the EU. The crude oil embargo, EC President Ursual von der Leyen said, would come into effect after six months and the refined product embargo would come into effect at the end of this year.

The European Union imports some 3.5 million barrels of crude oil and refined products from Russia. Thats about half of Russias total oil and product exports and about a quarter of the EUs oil imports. The six-month period is supposed to help EU members find alternative suppliers. However, these are few and far between, and they have no plans to boost production to help the EU.

According to a Reuters report on Thursdays OPEC meeting citing two sources, the delegates completely avoided any discussion about sanctions on Russia, wrapping up talks in near record time of just under 15 minutes.

The report went on to quote the head of commodities at Investec, Callum Macpherson, as saying that "OPEC+ continues to view this as a problem of the Wests own making and not a fundamental supply issue that it should respond to."

Related: Oil Product Tankers Outperform Crude Tankers



In March, OPECs secretary-general, Mohammed Barkindo, warned that there is no spare capacity in the world to compensate for a hypothetical full embargo on Russian oil exports, which amount to some 7 million bpd in crude and refined products.

This is about how we survive this crisis. There is no capacity in the world in the moment that can replace 7 million barrels of exports, Barkindo said at CERAWeek in March and this week repeated his remarks ahead of the OPEC+ meeting.

There is, however, enough capacity to replace Russias exports to the European Union, within OPEC itself. According to Rystad Energy estimates cited by Reuters, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq together have spare production capacity of some 4 million bpd.

"Most of these countries have vast onshore storage capabilities that can be tapped, meaning that a few million barrels could be nominated for exports in weeks, if not days," said Louise Dickson, an analyst with the Norwegian energy consultancy.

This is good news for the European Union, as far as supply goes. As far as prices go, it will be an entirely different matter. Because the EU must be aware that its not about securing alternative supplies but about doing it at relatively affordable prices.

Yet in this situation, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE have no motivation to make discounts. On the contrary, they have motivation to do what they are doing  sticking to modest increases in production and enjoying the climb of oil prices as market movements defy, for the moment, the saying that the cure for high oil prices is high oil prices.

While they might refuse to discuss it, the EU sanction drive against Russia has proved to be a boon for OPEC producers. It has done wonders for oiland gasprices, especially with many OPEC producers technically unable to boost their production, providing additional support to benchmarks and boosting producers profits.

The likelihood of things changing over the next six monthsassuming the EU votes for the embargois doubtful, based on OPECs reactions to pleas from the UK and the U.S. for more oil from before the war in the Ukraine. Speaking of the U.S., its ability to fill the oil gap in Europe is also doubtful.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, crude oil output in the country this year will only grow by 800,000 bpd. Perhaps the U.S. could reach into its reserves to send some crude to its European allies but it already announced the release of 180 million barrels from the strategic petroleum reserve in order to reduce local retail fuel prices.

Reports that oil from last years release from the SPR have won the federal government zero favors with voters, so it might be more careful this time. In fact, it is being carefulthe White House said it planned to buy back 60 million barrels to replenish the SPR over the next few years.

The EU wants to give itself six months to find alternative suppliers of crude oil before halting the intake of Russian barrels. That these are also six months Russia can use to redirect more of its oil east is not something Brussels likes to talk about, but thats beside the point.

Without OPEC on its side, the EU might have to give its citizens the bad news that petrol, diesel and everything that gets transported with internal combustion engine vehicles is going to remain expensive for longer than one might have hoped.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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FRIDAY, May 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity can complicate the course of COVID-19. Now, a new study says it can also reduce the effectiveness of COVID vaccines.

The researchers also found that the two vaccines used in their study triggered different levels of immune responses in severely obese people. They found, too, that prior infection had an impact.

"These results provide new information on the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in people with severe obesity and reinforce the importance of prioritizing and increasing vaccine uptake in this vulnerable group," study co-author Volkan Demirhan Yumuk said in a news release from the European Congress on Obesity. Yumuk is a professor at Istanbul University in Turkey.

The study included 124 severely obese adults (average age 42 to 63) and 166 normal weight adults (average age 39 to 47) in Turkey. The obese group had a body mass index (BMI)  a measure based on height and weight  of more than 40.

The participants received two doses of either the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or the CoronaVac vaccine made by the Chinese company Sinovac.

Four weeks after their second dose, blood samples were collected from the participants to measure their levels of antibodies against the coronavirus. In addition, their infection history was checked, and 70 were found to have previously been infected with COVID-19.

Among participants who had no previous infection and received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, antibody levels among those who were severely obese were more than three times lower than those with normal weight, the study revealed.

Among those who had no previous infection and received the CoronaVac vaccine, antibody levels among the severely obese were 27 times lower than those with normal weight.

Among those who'd previously been infected and received either Pfizer/BioNTech or CoronaVac, antibody levels were similar in both severely obese and normal weight people, according to the study. The findings were to be presented at this week's European Congress on Obesity in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

The findings have implications for the United States, where more than four in 10 people are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 9% are severely obese.

"Our study confirms that immune memory induced by prior infection alters the way in which people respond to vaccination and indicates that two doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may generate significantly more antibodies than CoronaVac in people with severe obesity, regardless of infection history," Yumuk said.

However, Yumuk added, "further research is needed to determine whether these higher antibody levels provide greater protection against COVID-19."

Data and conclusions presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

For more on COVID-19 vaccines, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: European Congress on Obesity, news release, May 5, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP)  The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a new era Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win.

With almost all votes counted from Thursday's local U.K. election, Sinn Fein secured 27 of the Assemblys 90 seats. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has dominated Northern Irelands legislature for two decades, captured 24 seats. The victory means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast  a first for an Irish nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921.

The centrist Alliance Party, which doesnt identify as either nationalist or unionist, also saw a huge surge in support and was set to become the other big winner in the vote, claiming 17 seats.

The victory is a major milestone for Sinn Fein, which has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs and bullets to try to take Northern Ireland out of U.K. rule during decades of violence involving Irish republican militants, Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries and the U.K. army and police.

Today ushers in a new era, Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill said shortly before the final results were announced. Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds, my commitment is to make politics work."

O'Neill stressed that it was imperative for Northern Ireland's divided politicians to come together next week to form an Executive  the devolved government of Northern Ireland. If none can be formed within six months, the administration will collapse, triggering a new election and more uncertainty.

There is space in this state for everyone, all of us together, ONeill said. There is an urgency to restore an Executive and start putting money back in peoples pockets, to start to fix the health service. The people cant wait.

While the Sinn Fein win signals a historic shift that shows diminishing support for unionist parties, its far from clear what happens next because of Northern Ireland's complicated power-sharing politics and ongoing tussles over post-Brexit arrangements.

Under a mandatory power-sharing system created by the 1998 peace agreement that ended decades of Catholic-Protestant conflict, the jobs of first minister and deputy first minister are split between the biggest unionist party and the largest nationalist one. Both posts must be filled for a government to function, but the Democratic Unionist Party has suggested it might not serve under a Sinn Fein first minister.

The DUP has also said it will refuse to join a new government unless there are major changes to post-Brexit border arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Those post-Brexit rules, which took effect after Britain left the European Union, have imposed customs and border checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. The arrangement was designed to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, a key pillar of the peace process.

But the rules angered many unionists, who maintain that the new checks have created a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. that undermines their British identity. In February, the DUPs Paul Givan resigned as first minister in protest against the arrangements, triggering a a fresh political crisis in Northern Ireland.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said he will announce next week whether he will return to the government.

We will consider what we need to do now to get the action that is required from the government. I will be making my decision clear on all of that early next week, he told the BBC.

The U.K.'s Secretary for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said he will meet with all party leaders in the coming days and urge them to get back to the business of government quickly.

Voters have delivered a clear message that they want a fully functioning devolved government in Northern Ireland, they want the issues around the Protocol addressed, and that they want politics to work better, Lewis said.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: We call on Northern Irelands political leaders to take the necessary steps to re-establish a power-sharing executive, which is one of the core institutions established by the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement."

We look forward to continuing our work with democratic partners in Northern Ireland, and with the Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, to support peace, prosperity, and stability across the region, Price said in a statement.

Saturday's results bring Sinn Fein's ultimate goal of a united Ireland a step closer, although the party kept unification out of the spotlight this year during a campaign dominated by the skyrocketing cost of living.

ONeill has said there would be no constitutional change on Irish unification until voters decide on it. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald indicated Friday that planning for any unity referendum could come within the next five years.

Polling expert John Curtice, a professor of political science at the University of Strathclyde, said Northern Ireland's power shift is a legacy of Brexit.

The unionist vote has fragmented because of the divisions within the community over whether or not the Northern Ireland Protocol is something that can be amended satisfactorily or whether it needs to be scrapped, he wrote on the BBC website.

Persuading the DUP to join a new government and pressing the EU to agree to major changes in post-Brexit arrangements will pose a headache for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Curtice added. Johnson's own Conservative party lost at least 450 seats in Thursday's local election.

Britains Conservative government says the Brexit customs arrangements cannot work without unionist support in Northern Ireland. Johnson has threatened to unilaterally suspend the Brexit rules if the EU refuses to change them.

Hui reported from London.

Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BLANDINSVILLE, Ill.  When picturing a modern Illinois cattleman, envision a family farmer, perhaps a dad raising champion show cattle and cheering on his children. Or picture him in the field checking on cattle, or at a board meeting advocating for other beef producers.

You might picture Welsh runs Welsh Cattle Company with his brother, Steve, and his son, Carson, in McDonough County in western Illinois. The operation includes corn, soybeans and hay crops as well.

I always liked livestock, Welsh said.

He grew up with a cow-calf herd and farrow-to-finish hog farm close to Blandinsville, where he lives today. His father, Mitchell, got out of livestock. Welsh got back in.

By the time he was in high school, Welsh was raising pigs with an uncle. When he bought his own cattle he was a freshman in college at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

They also have horses and a donkey for working with the calves, he said.

Welsh and his wife Renee, a teacher, share the love of rural life with their three children, who show cattle through 4-H, FFA and other cattle shows. Carson is already farming, Brooklyn is studying ag business and is on the judging team at Lake Land College in Mattoon, and Gracyn is a high school student.

The family continued its winning ways already this show season. Welsh Cattle Company took the Champion Percent Simmental, Reserve Overall and Reserve Purebred Simmental prizes at the WIU annual cattle show in Peoria March 20.

Their cow-calf operation is mostly Simmental with some registered Angus and Red Angus. They specialize in bred heifers and show calves.

During the pandemic, some new cattle shows were introduced to make up for some traditional shows being canceled. Several new shows stayed.

We have more opportunities now, Welsh said.

Interest in local beef grew during the pandemic, and Welsh Cattle Company continues to sell some butcher beef delivered to the locker.

When not on the farm or attending family activities, Welsh may be found at meetings supporting the Simmental breed or with the Illinois Beef Association.

While an IBA board member, one of the victories he has seen is winning funding from the state to spend $750,000 on hiring more state veterinarians. This was achieved in collaboration with other farm groups wanting to be prepared for potential livestock health issues as well for the general well-being of livestock and producers.

Freedom to operate remains a key issue for IBA, he said. Price discovery is a top issue at the national level with various proposals being examined, he said.

As a member of the IBA policy committee, he is busy with elections coming up. The committee interviews gubernatorial and state candidates and looks at their policy statements. The policy committee members will make recommendations for producers.

Its not just one party. Its the people, he said. Usually what is best for beef aligns with what is best for agriculture, but not always.

He makes an effort to stay current with both policy and practices, he said.

Welsh is aware of and active in current issues, said Paul Walker, IBA president.

As his son Carson moves into farming, adding cattle and buying his own land, Welsh is interested in using what he learns. For example, Carson is learning more about high-intensity grazing from Trevor Toland, a beef producer and grazing expert in rural Macomb. The Welsh family already does some rotational grazing, but he said he is always interesting in improving their system.

As for cropping practices, Welsh has been strip tilling for at least 30 years and has been cover cropping for many years because the practice meshes well with raising cattle and is good for soil health, he said.

Standing on a hill on one of the pastures in April, Welsh calls the cattle. None are in sight, but soon a reply call is heard. A lead cow appears with others jogging along behind to see what he wants. Welsh stands on the hill watching them approach, with a smile on his face.

He is the picture of a modern cattleman.

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For Allyson Jacobs, life in her 20s and 30s was about focusing on her career in health care and enjoying the social scene in New York City. It wasn't until she turned 40 that she and her husband started trying to have children. They had a son when she was 42.

Over the past three decades, that has become increasingly common in the U.S., as birthrates have declined for women in their 20s and jumped for women in their late 30s and early 40s, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. The trend has pushed the median age of U.S. women giving birth from 27 to 30, the highest on record.

As an older parent celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday, Jacobs feels she has more resources for her son, 9, than she would have had in her 20s.

"There's definitely more wisdom, definitely more patience," said Jacobs, 52, who is a patients' services administrator at a hospital. "Because we are older, we had the money to hire a nanny. We might not have been able to afford that if we were younger."

Keep scrolling for the most popular baby names of 2021

While fertility rates dropped from 1990 to 2019 overall, the decline was regarded as rather stable compared to previous eras. But the age at which women had babies shifted. Fertility rates declined by almost 43% for women between ages 20 and 24 and by more than 22% for women between 25 and 29. At the same time, they increased by more than 67% for women between 35 and 39, and by more than 132% for women between 40 and 44, according to the Census Bureau analysis based on National Center for Health Statistics data.

Decisions by college-educated women to invest in their education and careers so they could be better off financially when they had children, as well as the desire by working-class women to wait until they were more financially secure, have contributed to the shift toward older motherhood, said Philip Cohen, a University of Maryland sociologist.

In the past, parents often relied on their children for income  putting them to work in the fields, for example, when the economy was more farm-based. But over the last century or more in the U.S., parents have become more invested in their children's futures, providing more support while they go to school and enter young adulthood, he said.

"Having children later mostly puts women in a better position," Cohen said. "They have more resources, more education. The things we demand of people to be good parents are easier to supply when you are older."

Lani Trezzi, 48, and her husband had their first child, a son, when she was 38, and a daughter followed three years later. Even though she had been with her husband since she was 23, she felt no urgency to have children. That changed in her late 30s, once she'd reached a comfortable spot in her career as an executive for a retail company.

"It was just an age when I felt confident all around in the many areas of my life," said Trezzi, who lives in New Jersey, outside New York City. "I didn't have the confidence then that I have now."

Over the last three decades, the largest increases in the median age at which U.S. women give birth have been among foreign-born women, going from ages 27 to 32, and Black women, going from ages 24 to 28, according to the Census Bureau.

With foreign-born women, Cohen said he wasn't quite sure why the median age increased over time, but it likely was a "complicated story" having to do with their circumstances or reasons for coming to the U.S.

For Black women, pursuing an education and career played roles.

"Black women have been pursuing higher education at higher rates," said Raegan McDonald-Mosley, an obstetrician and gynecologist, who is CEO of Power to Decide, which works to reduce teen pregnancies and unwanted births. "Black women are becoming really engaged in their education and that is an incentive to delay childbearing."

Since unintended pregnancies are highest among teens and women in their 20s, and more of their pregnancies end in abortion compared to older women, ending Roe v. Wade would likely shift the start of childbearing earlier on average, in a reverse of the trend of the past three decades, "although the magnitude is unknown," said Laura Lindberg, principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

"The burden will fall disproportionately on women of color, Black women, people without documentation, people living in rural areas, people in the South  where there are a lot of Black women  and in the Midwest," said McDonald-Mosley, who also has served previously as chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Motherhood also has been coming later in developed countries in Europe and Asia. In the U.S., it could contribute to the nation's population slowdown since the ability to have children tends to decrease with age, said Kate Choi, a family demographer at Western University in London, Ontario.

In areas of the U.S. where the population isn't replacing itself with births, and where immigration is low, population decline can create labor shortages, higher labor costs and a labor force that is supporting retirees, she said.

"Such changes will put significant pressure on programs aimed at supporting seniors like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare," Choi said. "Workers may have to pay higher taxes to support the growing numbers of the retired population."

Although the data in the Census Bureau report stops in 2019, the pandemic over the past two years has put off motherhood even further for many women, with U.S. birth rates in 2020 dropping 4% in the largest single-year decrease in nearly 50 years. Choi said there appears to have been a bit of a rebound in the second half of 2021 to levels similar to 2019, but more data is needed to determine if this is a return to a "normal" decline.

During the pandemic, some women at the end of their reproductive years may have given up on becoming parents or having more children because of economic uncertainties and greater health risks for pregnant women who get the virus, she said.

"These women may have missed their window to have children," Choi said. "Some parents of young children may have decided to forego the second ... birth because they were overwhelmed with the additional child-caring demands that emerged during the pandemic, such as the need to homeschool their children."

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Each week The Pantagraph profiles a different community member. Know someone we should talk to? Email kheather@pantagraph.com.

Name: Dan Adams

Position: President, Central Illinois Media including The Pantagraph, Herald & Review, and Journal Gazette & Times Courier

1. What did you do before you came to Pantagraph Media?

One of my first jobs was when I was 16 catching shoplifters in Billings, Montana. I actually got pretty good at picking up on the telltale signs of a potential shoplifter. And I was ruthless. I caught a cousin shoplifting and turned her in. Her mother, my aunt, doesnt speak to me to this day.

I originally joined Lee Enterprises (parent company of Central Illinois Media) in 1986 and worked in a variety of locations including Billings, Montana; Madison, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; and the Quad Cities in Iowa/Illinois. Then I left in 2006 and did a few things on my own, including running a health care company in Lighthouse Home Care, 50Plus lifestyles and some others. And I also helped start a privacy software company, which turned into a media company specializing in cable TV digital advertising buys.

I ended up going back to Lee in 2021, and I had only been back for about a month when my boss asked me to have lunch with him  in Bloomington. So we had lunch, and then he asked me if I would ever consider living and working in Bloomington. It so happened that I had a great meal, Pantagraph Media is a strong and vibrant company, and I said, Yeah, I think Id like that. And I was right. Twenty-eight days later I was here in Bloomington!

2. What community organizations are you involved with?

Im on the McLean County Chamber of Commerce CEO Council, Im a proud member of the Bloomington Rotary Pub Club, and I was foolish enough to agree to be one of the Pub Clubbers who participated in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge. The water was cold, but we all had a great time. Pantagraph Media is helping the YMCA with the opening of their new location, so I am super excited about our new Y and what an amazing asset that will be for our town. Marcfirst is a great organization, and I have to say that Brian Wipperman and his team really throw some great fundraising parties. On Saturday, Im emceeing a St. Jude Derby event. We recently held a trivia night to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington Normal. Pantagraph Media supports a wide variety of organizations, everything from Brews at the Zoo to the Old House Society to the symphony. This is a town filled with so many generous people, and I try to participate in as many events and fundraisers as possible. There is nothing better than having a great time at an event that benefits a great cause.

3. Pantagraph Media is located in downtown Bloomington. Whats it like working downtown, and what do you see as the future of the area?

I not only work downtown, but also live downtown. The future is so incredibly bright for this area and that is largely due to the business owners who are so passionate about downtown. The CEO Council has made downtown growth and revitalization a priority. We have new restaurants and stores opening all the time. Besides all the great shopping, nighttime establishments and restaurants, downtown is growing into an event destination. Now with summer starting, our farmers market is back, which brings thousands of people right outside our doors. Again this year we are partnering with the Castle Theatre and many local sponsors to bring four free Saturdays on the Square concerts to the heart of downtown. There are also new street festivals being planned for downtown, and this year I hope to see an even more vibrant Pride festival. I see nothing but growth, increased business and lots more events happening in downtown. We will become an even bigger destination and draw people from a wider area to see all that we have to offer.

4. What do you want people to know about The Pantagraph?

I want people to know that we are more than just a newspaper. In its heyday, the printed Pantagraph had more than 100,000 readers. Today we reach a much larger audience through Pantagraph.com, our social pages and daily emails. But our most dramatic change is our ability to help our local businesses reach any audience with our rapidly growing digital products, innovative technology and data-driven mindset.

Our digital products include targeted display advertising, banner advertising and high-impact digital ads. We also offer pay-per-click and search engine marketing. We specialize in OTT and connected TV advertising plus YouTube and streaming audio. We are also a content creation studio, producing videos that can range from a cost of $500 to $50,000. We have actors, voiceover talent and script and content writers.

Lee Enterprises has agencies that specialize in everything from health care to automotive. We are a Google premier partner and have recently joined forces with Amazon, which enables us to show ads across IMDbTV, Twitch and Amazons news app, as well as top-tier network and broadcaster apps. This collaboration will allow you to reach an even broader audience.

We can reach a potential customer every step of the way on their consumer journey and track and adjust in real time the way messages are served. We can tell where customers come before they enter a store and where they go after they leave. Theres a lot of information out there and we have the expertise to help use that information to match clients with customers.

5. Whats your ideal Friday night in Bloomington-Normal?

Wow, that is sort of a tough one because there is so much to do. I guess it would be grabbing dinner at Reality Bites or Epiphany Farms or one of the other great restaurants in town. Maybe catch a band at The Stable Music Hall & Lounge or at the Castle. Ive seen some great shows at the BCPA, so thats always on my radar. And I like to wander the streets of downtown on a First Friday, maybe do a little shopping at the boutiques or have a cocktail at the Bistro or Bakery and Pickle or Rob Dob's Restaurant and Bar. Honestly, I love hanging out with all the great people Ive met in this community, so youll always find me out and about somewhere.

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BLOOMINGTON  A new analysis released by the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council explores drivers of the area's housing shortage.

The EDC typically doesn't deal with housing issues. But officials say the shortage has become a factor in workforce development, as new workers struggle to find adequate housing and current residents face rapidly increasing costs and competition.

"We hope our current and prospective home developers will utilize this study to diversify our housing stock so we can continue to retain and attract top talent in McLean County," Andy Shirk, EDC chairman, said in a statement.

Citing state data, the report says McLean County is projected to have the largest net increase in population by any Illinois county outside of the Chicago area, adding more than 10,000 residents over the next 10 years. That equates to a demand for 4,300 to 4,800 new housing units, according to the analysis.

Recent population increases have been driven in part by the growth of Rivian Automotive. The company has 5,000 employees and plans to expand.

Some other key takeaways from the study:

Since 2010, household growth of 7.5 percent has exceeded housing unit growth of 6.7 percent.

Nearly half of the Bloomington-Normal housing supply was built before 1980; only 6% of the housing supply was built after 2010.

Most new development has taken place outside of the urban core. More than 82% of the 500-plus housing units delivered over the past three years were on the Bloomington-Normal periphery or in unincorporated McLean County.

Renters now represent 42% of all occupied households, up from 39% in 2020. Most of the new renters came from higher-income households, with an increase of 2,800 households earning over $50,000 per year. At the same time, the market delivered only 1,200 new multi-family units during this period, leading to growth in rentals of single-family homes.

The report comes after the EDC hired St. Louis firm Development Strategies to conduct the three-month regional housing analysis. The firm worked with the EDC, McLean County Regional Planning Commission, Mid Illinois Realtors Association and the McLean County Chamber of Commerce to gather data, officials said.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT:

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CARLOCK  Fire officials said diligent work by volunteer crews helped save half of a shop from burning down Thursday afternoon near Carlock.

Carlock Fire Protection District Lt. Todd Rader said Friday that a passerby reported at 12:58 p.m. Thursday a semi-truck on fire in large building at Woolsey Trucking, 8540 U.S. Route 150.

When firefighters arrived, Rader said, they found heavy fire conditions on the east side of the building. He said they activated their Mutual Aid Box Alarm System to sequester additional manpower and water tankers.

Rader said crews defensively attacked the structure fire, adding the building was not occupied at the time. He described it as a big fire, and said it was brought under control in about an hour.

Firefighters continued overhaul work for another hour, and held fire watch for a few more hours.

No one was hurt, Rader said, but the entire eastern half of the building was taken down by flames. Although the roof stayed intact, he said an interior metal ceiling did collapse.

We were able to save the entire western half of the building and its contents, the fire lieutenant said, also noting we worked our butts off to do just that.

The exact origin and cause of the fire was still under investigation, Rader said Friday afternoon.

He also named Danvers Fire & Rescue, the Hudson Community Fire Protection District, Congerville Fire & Rescue, the Dale Township Fire Department, and the Towanda Fire Department as being a big help for assisting at the scene.

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

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NORMAL  Illinois State University commencement activities kicked into high gear Saturday morning by honoring graduates in the College of Education, Interdisciplinary Studies and University Studies at Redbird Arena in Normal.

It was one of four ceremonies set on Saturday, followed that afternoon by the colleges of Applied Science and Technology, Business and Arts and Sciences. Graduates with the Mennonite College of Nursing and the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts were honored Friday.

Speakers at the morning commencement ceremony included Academic Affairs Vice President and Provost Aondover Tarhule, Education Dean James Wolfinger, graduate Julia Murray, and ISU President Terri Goss Kinzy.

In her address, the university president told graduates to revel in the moment, because youve certainly earned it.

However, she continued, they cant just rest on their laurels, as theres much more work to be done. She added those labors will keep them busy, engaged and fulfilled for the rest of their lives, if done right.

Kinzy also noted the students endured troubling and painful chapters in U.S. history, from the pandemic to issues of inequality and injustice, plus global conflicts, political polarization and an erosion of civility in politics and society.

She said these students may never have given a second thought to what was considered a normal college experience, adding we all took it for granted. But through it all, she said they overcame fearful times and tough challenges, and learned a great deal about themselves.

Kinzy said they proved they can learn, adapt and grow from challenges.

You, like us all, learned that the simple act of being together, like we are today, is a gift, said Kinzy.

After her address, she presented a posthumous Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to acknowledge the life and work of ISU 1953 alumnus Andrew Purnell. Kinzy said he helped form ISUs first NAACP chapter, whose members tested public accommodations for African Americans in Bloomington.

In 1984, Purnell set up the ISU Black Colleagues Association, which has a membership of almost 300 and has raised over $280,000 in student scholarships. He was scheduled to receive his Honorary Doctorate in February 2020 at ISUs Founding Celebration, but couldnt attend because of health issues.

Purnell died in March 2020. His three children were present Saturday to receive their late fathers honors.

Scholarly reflections

Murray, graduating with a bachelor's degree in special education, learning and behavior, was the recipient of the George Manus Scholarship, and described Saturdays gathering as beautiful.

She said her resilient peers persevered through over two years of COVID, tragic loss of life and sacrifices to complete their program.

As a community of educators, we did this, Murray said.

She then invoked the words of Maya Angelou: People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

She asked the audience to recall memories of their own instructors, and how they made lasting impressions on them.

At the end of the day, our students will remember how we touched their lives, Murray said.

Proud parents

Jim Voce of Johnsburg was one proud father of a College of Education graduate. He told The Pantagraph after the ceremony that his daughter was the first in his family to get a diploma, but they have two more kids on the same path.

His other daughter, Kara, was at the ceremony, too. The ISU junior majoring in business said its sad that her sister is leaving campus, and shell miss having family just a short walk away.

Kim Menczywor was also proud of her daughter, Sam, along with father Russ Menczywor. The dad said he was excitedly looking forward to her future.

Sam Menczywor told The Pantagraph it was a great day and she was taking in all the emotions. The big challenge she overcame was student teaching near her home in Mt. Prospect, and being away from friends on the ISU campus.

She plans to teach special education students in seventh grade, and said shes prepared for finally running her very own classroom.

Kevin Williams, of Chicago, was there to celebrate his graduating sister, Amari Cole. Williams, who studies at Northern Illinois University, said the moment made him feel determined to get his own degree done.

Mother Renata Cole said she was especially proud of her daughter.

Quincys Kevin Broemmer witnessed his youngest daughter, Katie, graduate on Saturday. He said Katie aced all of her classes the whole four years she was here.

He also noted his nephew is a Redbird alumnus, and went into accounting. Broemmer said that nephew is now CEO of a company in Quincy.

Katie Broemmer said she did student teaching with ISUs Professional Development Schools program at Benjamin Elementary School, with the McLean County Unit 5 school district.

Her cap was decorated with cutouts of book characters she had read to her students.

Broemmer said her experience in the PDS program was the best.

I loved it.

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

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BLOOMINGTON  Like much of the country, the Bloomington-Normal area saw increased interest in home-schooling during the pandemic, though that trend may now be reversing.

Nationally, the coronavirus pandemic ushered in what may be the most rapid rise in home-schooling the U.S. has ever seen. Two years later, even after schools reopened and vaccines became widely available, many parents across the country have chosen to continue directing their children's educations themselves.

Home-schooling numbers this year dipped from last year's all-time high nationally, but remain above pre-pandemic levels, according to data obtained and analyzed by The Associated Press.

That also appears to be the case locally.

We did really see a spike last year, said Mark Jontry, superintendent for Regional Office of Education #17, which covers McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties.

In Illinois, families are not required to report that they are home-schooling, but a voluntary form can be submitted to the regional office. ROE #17 saw a significant increase in the number of people filling out those forms during the pandemic, Jontry said.

In the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, the four-county area started with around 75 families that had told the ROE they were home-schooling. There was a slight increase to 107 families at the end of the 2019-20 school year, as schools nationwide moved to remote learning.

The 2020-21 school year saw a more than threefold increase from the 2018-19 school year, however, with 301 families telling the office they were choosing to home-school.

That number has decreased this school year, with around 200 families as of late April. In McLean County specifically, that number is around 75 families, down from 162 at the start of last school year, Jontry said.

Those are just minimum numbers. The Crossroads Area Home School Association, which covers Bloomington-Normal and a 45-mile radius around it, has seen the number of people in its communications list grow threefold during the pandemic, volunteer and home-school parent Denise Cale said.

The group estimates there are between 500 and 1,000 home-school families in its coverage area.

Given the fact that so many changes were happening in the education sphere, I understand that people were seeking (alternatives), Cale said.

Because most of CAHSAs estimates come from Facebook groups and distribution lists, it's hard to know if there has been a decline. People do not always leave the group when they stop home-schooling, or they may just be interested in the topic, Cale said.

As students return from home-schooling, they will adapt back to the classroom with differing degrees of smoothness, Jontry said. If they have been out of public schools for a longer amount of time, schools often choose to give them an assessment to determine the right level of classes for them to be in.

Thats always a concern, thats one of the challenges for our schools when a student returns, Jontry said. () by the same token, we do have some kids that excel in a home setting.

In some ways, schools are transitioning students on a much larger scale as they return to consistent in-person instruction, Jontry said.

The fact that students are returning to public schools speaks to the strength of the American school system, National Education Association President Becky Pringle said in a visit to Bloomington-Normal last month.

We have the best schools, she said. () the challenge is making sure every school is like the best public school in the country.

Some families that may have turned to home-schooling as an alternative to hastily assembled remote learning plans have stuck with it  reasons include health concerns, disagreement with school policies or a desire to keep what has worked for their children.

In 18 states that shared data through the current school year, the number of home-schooling students increased by 63% in the 2020-2021 school year, then fell by only 17% in the 2021-2022 school year. Around 3% of U.S. students were home-schooled before the pandemic-induced surge, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

'Best place in the world'

Cale started home-schooling 12 years ago and continues to do so today in her rural home near Bloomington-Normal. What home-schooling looks like depends on the needs of each family, she said. The internet and purchased curriculums can be helpful resources.

No teacher, whether home-school or traditional teacher, is an expert in all subjects, she said.

Bloomington-Normal's public and private institutions, including libraries, Heartland Community College and the Children's Discovery Museum, all help make the area one of the best places for home-schooling, Cale said.

"Bloomington-Normal is the best place to home-school in the whole wide world," she said.

Parents who were already helping their children learn at home may have decided to switch to home-schooling, said Woodford County home-schooler Kristina Meyers. She is also an organizer with the Peoria Area Association of Christian Homeschoolers and has been home-schooling her nine children for the past 11 years.

Trying to do the actual school system at home is quite difficult, because its set up for the classroom, she said.

There are other impacts of COVID that could be encouraging people to move to home-schooling. Families worried about their children's health may have decided to home-school, Cale said. Shifting values during the pandemic, along with spending more time with family anyway, seemed to motivate other families, Meyers said.

I think the idea of family has become more important through COVID, Meyers said.

Other reasons for home-schooling include the flexibility it brings, including opportunities for travel, the ability to set exactly the right pace for the students, and the chance to cater education to students' interests, the two parents said.

Regulations in Illinois

In the absence of federal guidelines, there is little uniformity in reporting requirements. Some states, including Connecticut and Nevada, require little or no information from parents, while New York, Massachusetts and some others require parents to submit instruction plans and comply with assessment rules.

Illinois does not collect data from home-schoolers or keep counts on how people are home-schooling, said Jackie Matthews, spokeswoman for the Illinois State Board of Education. The agency does encourage those deciding to home-school to notify the school their child had been attending, so as to avoid the student being referred to a truancy officer.

The state does not set mandatory testing or graduation requirements, but there is a list of subjects that must be taught.

Not all parents fill out a form informing ISBE or their ROE that they are home-schooling. Meyers started home-schooling when her oldest daughter started kindergarten. She did not fill out the form, saying that as a parent, she is responsible for her children, so she chose not to give the state more information than required.

The ROE will sometimes start truancy proceedings against a family if it believes the child is not actually receiving an education, Jontry said. Sometimes those cases involve a child being pulled out of public school after a series of disagreements between the school and the family.

We do follow up with them to make sure they are providing home-schooling and not just using it as an out, he said.

However, in his experience, most parents are providing that education, and the regional district has had very few cases of truancy involving home-schoolers.

Other education trends may have a longer-term impact on the number of people choosing to home-school, Jontry said. Curriculum, including topics like gender, sexuality and race, have become points where parents have disagreed with teachers and administrators.

I actually anticipate we might see more of those curriculum disagreements, he said.

The Associated Press contributed.

Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter:@connorkwood

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NORMAL  Illinois State University tuition will increase next year for the first time in three years. With fees increase, the cost for a full time undergraduate student, before financial aid, will be $26,335 a year.

The ISU Board of Trustees voted on the increase at their May board meeting on Friday.

This is never easy to do. I dont want to speak for the entire board but I believe everybody on this board is very cognizant of the cost of higher education today, and especially here at Illinois State. I tend to believe I am one of the more fiscally conservative members of this board (...) but I am going to support this resolution, Trustee Rocky Donahue said.

The total cost is increasing from $25,465 last year, an increase of 3.42%. That includes a 2.75% increase in both undergraduate and graduate tuition, a 3% increase in mandatory fees and the outreach fee and a 3% to 4.5% increase in room and board costs. Room and board increased by 3% last year.

Under state law, undergraduate students have their tuition locked in for four years, so most current students will not be affected by the tuition increase. They will, however, face higher fees.

This is the first time since 2016 the board has increased tuition and mandatory fees at the same time.

This is a very difficult decision on the part of all of us, we did not take this lightly, Board Secretary Kathryn Bohn said. We asked a lot of questions, we asked them to reform some things, that they did, and I appreciate the work that theyve done in answering our questions.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, ISU President Terri Goss Kinzy said the increase will help cover increased costs of goods and services. Many institutions have not yet decided on tuition for next year but Kinzy said that from what she has seen, it looks like most will be increasing costs.

Room and board costs will go up by 4.5% increase for most campus housing and a 3% increase for the Cardinal Court Apartments. Semester rates vary from $2,871 per person for a multi-occupancy dorm room to $6,155 per person for a two-bed, two-bath Cardinal Court apartment with two residents.

Trustee Robert Navarro was the lone no vote. He indicated he would vote against the resolution during discussion, saying he appreciated the work university staff had put into changes to the proposal at the boards request, but that it had not gone far enough for him to support it.

New programs

The board gave its final approval for establishing a new College of Engineering with two departments, electrical and mechanical engineering. The move allows university staff to start recruiting for administrative positions, including the dean and two department chairs. The college received state approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education in March.

Further votes from various bodies, including the Board of Trustees and IBHE, will be needed for specific degree programs. The university plans to offer three Bachelor of Science degrees, in general engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.

The board also approved spending up to $3 million on pre-construction fees for the new college's expected future space in the John Green Building, with some offices in the Carter Harris Administration Building. The buildings are just west of the intersection of Main and Gregory on the north end of campus.

The total renovation is expected to cost $50 million.

After the meeting, Kinzy said that she is not expecting major changes in the cost, in part due to the site selection. The John Green Building is largely storage with a few personnel located in it, and already has some helpful components, like loading docks.

The John Green Building is really a perfect place for a College of Engineering, she said.

Along with the College of Engineering, the board also approved three new masters degrees programs, in marketing analytics, public health and a STEM Master of Business Administration. The Master of Public Health will be an online program.

New housing and dining

The university will also be moving ahead with pre-construction services for a new housing project, replacing the former South Campus complex that was demolished in 2016. The board on Friday approved spending up to $8 million for the pre-construction services.

The new construction is expected to include 1,200 beds and a 700-seat dining center. Over the past 20 years, the university has lost more than 1,100 beds, accounting for 16% of its total capacity.

A similar project was in the works in 2019 but planning was put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic. Then the plan had been for the project to be a public-private partnership. However, the new plan is for it to be completely university-owned, which is now expected to result in a lower total cost, the university said in a statement after the meeting.

The new building would primarily be used for providing space for more sophomores to live on campus, Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson said. There is a requirement for all freshman and sophomores to live on campus, though exemptions are possible. More than 98% of freshman live on campus, but fewer than 80% of sophomores do.

Were essentially adding to our capacity just to meet our live-in requirement, Vice President for Finance and Planning Dan Stephens said.

The additional beds would also be valuable for transfer students, helping to ease their transition to the ISU campus, Kinzy said after the meeting. International students would similarly benefit.

The entire project is expected to cost $185 million, including $150 million for the residence hall and $35 million for the dining center. Funds would come from the Auxiliary Facility System.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated when fees last increased.

Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter:@connorkwood

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BLOOMINGTON  Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe plans to nominate Grant Walch to fill the council's Ward 1 vacancy, the city announced Friday afternoon in a press release.

After interviewing all the applicants, I will be recommending Grant Walch for the Ward One vacancy, Mwilambwe said in a statement. Mr. Walch is very civic minded and showed a true commitment to helping the constituents of the Ward and the entire community."

The vacancy was created by Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem Jamie Mathy, who announced in March he would step down from the council because of a business conflict. Walch was one of seven residents under consideration to fill the Ward 1 seat.

The council will need to provide consent for Walchs nomination, which will take place at Monday's council meeting.

If the nomination does not move forward, Mwilambwe will nominate another candidate. If that person does not advance, the mayor will make a temporary appointment for the position from the two previously nominated. That appointment would not require council consent. This follows the process outlined in the Illinois Municipal Code.

Mondays meeting starts at 6 p.m. in Room 402 of the Government Center, 115 E. Washington St., Bloomington. Meetings are also livestreamed on the city's YouTube page.

Contact Robyn Skaggs at robyn.skaggs@lee.net or 309-820-3244.

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The escape vehicle used by Vicky White and Casey White, the missing former Alabama corrections officer and inmate, has been found, the US Marshals office said.

The orange 2007 Ford Edge SUV was found in a tow lot in Williamson County, Tennessee, about two hours north of Florence, Alabama, where the fugitive investigation began April 29.

The discovery came as investigators were sifting through hundreds of tips from "all four corners of the United States" about the whereabouts of the fugitive Alabama inmate and the officer who apparently helped him escape.

Authorities on Thursday released new information that may help the public identify the pair. Image renderings by the Marshals Service show what corrections officer Vicky White, 56, who was blonde when she disappeared a week ago, would look like if she altered her appearance to have darker hair or a shorter hairstyle.

Other photos show inmate Casey White's distinctive tattoos; he is 38. The two are not related.

To help the public identify the pair, the Marshals Service also released an image showing the height difference between the two, as well as their height compared to the Ford Edge SUV.

The "subjects should be considered dangerous and may be armed with an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun," the agency said Thursday, adding there is a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location of the officer and $10,000 for information leading to the capture of the inmate.

Casey White in 2015 threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister and said he wanted police to kill him, the Marshals Service said. Authorities have advised his "potential targets" about his escape and the threats against them and have taken "appropriate protective actions," the agency said.

Investigators are frantically pursuing hundreds of tips from the public, some of which, they say, may have potential. More than 200 tips have come into the Marshals Service since Tuesday from across the country, said Chad Hunt, commander of its Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

"We're seeing stuff coming in from the Northwest down to the Southwest to the Northeast and everything in between ... and we have to look at every single one because it's going to be that one small tip that we think might be irrelevant that really kind of breaks the case open," Hunt told CNN Thursday.

This investigation is unique, he said, because Vicky White helped the inmate escape.

"We were several hours behind. It wasn't a typical over-the-wall escape, so our investigation does look a little different than a typical manhunt where somebody jumped the fence," Hunt said.

Investigators are "following up on (tips) as aggressively as we can," Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told CNN on Thursday. "Some of them do look promising, but it takes a time to follow through on those things. We're hoping that one of them will pan out for us, and we'll be able to locate them."

On the run for a week

Authorities continue to emphasize Casey White should be considered "extremely dangerous." He was in the Lauderdale County jail awaiting trial for the capital murder charges against him and was also serving a 75-year sentence for a series of crimes committed in 2015.

The officer and inmate left the Lauderdale County Detention Center on April 29 and have been on the run ever since. The pair may have had a romantic relationship and believe Vicky White likely willingly assisted in the inmate's escape, authorities have discovered during the week's investigation.

There is an active warrant out for the officer's arrest on charges of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree. She is also no longer employed as assistant director of corrections by the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, the office said in a statement Wednesday. While she was set to retire April 29, her papers were never finalized, he said.

Not 'the Vicky White we know,' sheriff says

Singleton has described the officer as an "exemplary employee" who had the respect of her colleagues and "an unblemished record." The sheriff could not provide a reason why the officer allegedly aided the escape, saying the behavior isn't "the Vicky White we know."

The officer had made some significant financial decisions leading up to April 29, including selling her home for well under market value. The house sold for $95,550, documents show, but county records list the current total parcel value of the property at $235,600.

Vicky White and Casey White's relationship can be traced to 2020, when the inmate was taken to Lauderdale County for arraignment on murder charges, according to the sheriff.

The pair had a "special relationship" that was confirmed, in part, by other inmates who told authorities Casey White "was getting extra food on his trays" and "was getting privileges no one else got. And this was all coming from her," Singleton said.

The pair kept communicating after Casey White was transferred back to the state prison, the sheriff said. Casey White returned to the Lauderdale County Detention Facility in February to attend court hearings in his capital murder case.

Then, on the morning of April 29, authorities say Vicky White asked that Casey White be prepared for transport. She said she would take him to the courthouse by herself, which was a violation of the department's policy requiring inmates be accompanied by two sworn deputies at all times, Singleton said.

Investigators have determined the two then drove to a shopping center parking lot, ditched the officer's patrol car and drove off in an orange or copper-colored 2007 Ford Edge SUV with minor damage to the rear left bumper, the Marshals Service said, noting it is not known whether the car has a license plate and what its number could be.

Investigators believe Vicky White purchased the escape vehicle in Rogersville, in Lauderdale County, and staged it in the parking lot the night before the pair fled, according to Singleton. It is likely they have since ditched the escape car because the description has been widely shared, he said.

***

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DES PLAINES  A suburban Chicago man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment, nearly a year after his 1-month-old son died of fentanyl poisoning.

Michael Piazza, 40, of Des Plaines, was charged this week with the felony counts and ordered held on $300,000 bond by a judge. As of Friday, he was being held in Cook County Jail.

The charges stem from a call of an unresponsive child that sheriff's deputies responded to on May 24, 2021. When they arrived, Piazza told them that he and Jaiden Piazza were asleep when he woke up and noticed the infant was not breathing. He said he began CPR on his son. The infant was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to detectives, toxicology tests revealed that the infant died of fentanyl poisoning and his death was recently ruled a homicide. Authorities said the infant ingested the drugs, allegedly while Piazza was caring for him. Piazza allegedly admitted to investigators that he had bought the drugs and that he'd taken them when he was with his son.

Piazza does not have a listed telephone number and it could not immediately be determined if he has retained an attorney.

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SPRINGFIELD  A group of lawmakers is calling for a joint hearing on the Pontiac and Vandalia prisons in response to Illinois Department of Corrections plans to drastically downsize the facilities.

In a letter released Friday, 13 lawmakers called for a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and House Appropriations-Public Safety Committees to find out what is actually happening with the Pontiac and Vandalia prisons.

In February, Lee Enterprises obtained a draft of an IDOC proposal that revealed plans for partial closures at both prisons.

According to the proposal, partial closures were necessary due to lower prison populations and costly maintenance at the facilities. At the time, Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office characterized the document as a draft plan that had not received final approval.

IDOC director Rob Jeffreys later confirmed to lawmakers that the department plans to close the medium-security unit and the east and west cellhouses at the Pontiac prison, and 10 buildings at the Vandalia prison. The timeline for closure is between March and August, Jeffreys said.

The Pritzker administration has not been transparent or forthcoming about what if any long-term plans are in place for Illinois prisons, which is a major reason why this process needs legislative oversight, said state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, in a press release.

Lawmakers expressed concern that shuttering units at the Pontiac and Vandalia facilities will lead to job losses in the surrounding communities.

Any changes to these facilities could have absolutely devastating effects to the local economies, said state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Vandalia.

According to the draft plan, operational capacity at Pontiac would drop from 1,740 to 642. At Vandalia, it would drop from 1,001 to 410.

The lawmakers say a joint hearing would require the governor's office and IDOC to discuss their plans on the Pontiac and Vandalia facilities publicly.

It is urgent that the governor provides the public with an explanation regarding these changes immediately, said state Rep. David Welter, R-Morris. If thousands of people could be impacted, the very least they deserve is open communication."

Legislators have scheduled a town hall meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Pontiac Township High School, 1100 E. Indiana Ave., where they said theyll provide updates to community members.

Editor's note: This date of the town hall has been corrected.

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CHICAGO - Despite the rainy and windy week, Mexican artisans from the state of Tlaxcala were committed to finishing two monumental stone carpets adorning Daley Plaza.

On Thursday afternoon the group finally completed the carpets after a month of planning and several setbacks because of the weather, said artisan Francisco Montiel. Each carpet was designed to depict the ties between Chicago and the people of Mexico.

The endeavor was a part of the first-ever Mexico Week, in which the consul general of Mexico in Chicago organized several events to celebrate Mexican culture and aim to challenge the stereotypical Cinco de Mayo celebrations taking place.

Other commemorations include a special dish created by chef Carlos Gaytan of Tzuco restaurant, the exhibition Images of Mexico, at the Mexican Consulate, the inauguration of the Wings of Mexico sculpture downtown and a ceremony to name the library of Instituto Cervantes after the Mexican writer Jose Emilio Pacheco.

On a rainy evening Mayor Lori Lightfoot gathered with Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia, and several other Mexican government officials to take a picture in front of the Wings of Mexico sculpture placed in the Plaza of the Americas on the Magnificent Mile.

The sculpture by Jorge Marin, which will remain in the plaza until Oct. 1, celebrates Chicago as a welcoming city for immigrants and refugees. Behind the sculpture of the wings, there was another elaborate carpet.

Montiel and his team, he said, are honored to adorn some of Chicagos most emblematic places with the picturesque carpets traditional to his hometown of Huamantla, a city in Tlaxcala in Mexico.

Though the materials used for the carpets created in the city had to be adapted to fit Chicagos weather, the carpets are extremely similar to the ones he elaborated under team Arte Magico De Huamantla in Mexico, Montiel said. Rather than using sawdust, flowers and fruits, the carpets in Daley Plaza were made of stones.

In Huamantla, the carpets are created on the streets to adorn the town every August as part of a religious tradition to honor La Virgen de la Caridad  Our Lady of Charity  and as a symbol of gratitude for health and a good harvest.

While creating the work, which features an image of The Bean and the Chicago flag, Montiel invited passersby to contribute by helping to add stones to the design or hearing the history of the carpets.

We wanted to make sure that we made this more interactive so that the people of Chicago can feel our warmth, Montiel said in Spanish.

An expert in carpet-making art, Montiel grew up in Huamantla, Tlaxcala, and learned the trade while growing up, he said. Over the past decade, he has taken his art to various parts of the world.

We always feel welcomed here, he said. I enjoyed the questions from people passing by asking us about the carpets because we got a chance to share our story and our art.

During the gathering at the Plaza of Americas, Lightfoot commended Torres Mendivil for her work in Chicago as the first woman to serve as the consul general in Chicago and said she was an asset to the Chicago area that is home to more than 1.5 million people of Mexican origin.

The Week of Mexico pays tribute to the long-standing strong ties between the city of Chicago and Mexico. It showcases the important contributions and influence that Mexico has had in every aspect of our city of Chicago, Lightfoot said.

While Chicago is home to migrants from all over the world, Mexican immigrants make up the largest group. Torres Mendivil said that events seek to also highlight the diverse backgrounds and traditions of the Mexican communities living in Chicago. Tlaxcala, for example, is the smallest state in Mexico and therefore, often overlooked.

Montiel said that having the opportunity to create their carpets in Chicago can open a new world for many people and invites everyone to visit Tlaxcala.

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Maybe the good news out of the Politico report on the leak of a Supreme Court decision is that well have plenty of time to discuss the implications.

There doesnt seem to be anything else about the leak thats positive.

Lets set aside any thoughts about the literal content of the Politico report. You can argue the horror of abortion and how wonderful America will be when this 49-year-old decision is gutted. Or you can argue about the Mitch McConnell-engineered Supreme Court and how it was built for this moment.

Sadly, our own partisanship is exactly whats put us in this position. If we cant see the merits of anothers ideas, were already sunk.

What was leaked to Politico was a draft, a draft of a decision that is not expected to be official until late June or early July, when the Court officially publishes the decision. Although unlikely, there is the possibility the final decision will be significantly different than what has been reported.

Thats just the first pile of sewage that results from the leak.

A leak like this is unheard of. No draft decision in the modern history of the court has been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending.

But the inevitable fallout has been the political argument about which they enabled the leak. Angry Democrats? Proud Republicans?

As much as any of us think we are right is also as wrong as we can be.

Publishing a draft is a horrifying prospect to anyone who has anything to do with drafts. A draft is an outline of suppositions. Judges can and will have comments on different sections.

The rest of the process in this case is tainted. Internal debate will proceed against the backdrop of public analysis and criticism of every line of the opinion. A change in the language will give the appearance of responding to public criticism.

Were prone to limited thought when we look to change present systems. We dont think of environmental costs when large factories are built. We dont think about gasoline tax until were driving on a rough road that should be repaired by using those taxes. We love our internet and streaming services but havent paused to consider how much bitcoin mining harms the environment.

A reversal of Roe vs. Wade changes everything. Justices cited the 14th Amendment in the Roe vs. Wade case. A 50-year precedent is on the verge of being reversed. That affects everyone in the country.

The 14th Amendment includes an "equal protection clause" which says everyone must be equally protected and equally treated under the law. The clause, instituted just three years after the Civil War, has been invoked in major Supreme Court rulings involving civil rights.

The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling found that racial segregation of public schools imposed by law by some states at the time violated the equal protection clause.

A 1978 affirmative action case found race could be one of several criteria in higher education admissions, but that the use of race as the sole basis for admissions decisions violated the equal protection clause. In the 2015 Obergefell vs. Hodges case, the Court ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage violated the due process clause.

The 14th Amendment has also been used in disputes over privacy, from government surveillance to companies tracking individuals online use.

A prominent conservative -- Peter Brimelow, a former editor at the National Review -- is already eyeing using the potential ruling as a bridge to deconstructing the 1954 Brown verdict.

One of the things unconsidered when taking away one groups rights is how much effect that will have on the rights of others. We appear prepared to find out.

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Each of us has multiple opportunities to vote daily.

We vote for our community and our neighbors when we mark Small Business Week.

The first week in May is Small Business Week. Commemoration of small businesses reminds us of how local business owners invest in communities, hire people with local ties and give back in partnerships with nonprofits.

In 1963, after the proclamation from President John Kennedy, the first National Small Business Week honored the top entrepreneurs in every state. The week became an annual practice to encourage other small business owners and enable them to learn from the success stories of the top performers.

Statistical data says the probability of young people choosing to start their own business is 188 percent higher today than it was in 1970.

Of every dollar spent at a locally owned business, about 70 cents stays local. Of every dollar spent at a national corporation, less than 40 cents stays local.

Small businesses are the ones that keep our communities running. There are 31 million small businesses in the U.S., which roughly make up around 99 percent of all the businesses in the country.

Since the start of the pandemic, 31 percent of all small businesses in America have failed. For all who have put in the work and survived, we owe it to them to support them.

Small businesses need our support, not just this week that recognizes their contributions, but every week.

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The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has begun refunding wrongful deductions from mobile money users, a few days into the implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy also known as E-Levy.



Some members of the public complained of what they described as excess charges after carrying out mobile money transactions below the GHC100 threshold.



The first day of the e-levy implementation was defined by technical snags including the deduction of the 1.5 per cent levy on transfers even below the stipulated baseline of GH100 while others were overcharged.



Many of the affected persons, from various mobile networks and banks, took to social media to complain and show screenshots and messages they had received with calls on the GRA to do the needful



Confirming the refund, Patrick Frimpong-Danso, Office of the Commissioner for the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the Ghana Revenue Authority told Peace FM that they have refund the momo cash to over 120, 000 people who were wrongfully deducted on the first day of the implementation of the e-levy.



So far weve made refund to over 120, 000 people who were wrongfully deducted as in charging them for e-levy although they have not crossed the GHC100 thresholds on the first day of the e-levy implementation, he stated.



He said GRA has intensified education on the implementation of the e-levy in churches, lorry parks among other places.



Prior to the refund, GRA assures Ghanaians that wrongful deductions made on electronic money transfers on the first day of the E-Levy implementation would be refunded.



According to the Head of Project Management Unit at the GRA, Isaac Kobina Amoako, the reimbursements would be done after the claims have been investigated and ascertained.



According to Mr Amoako, the authority had received the complaints from some charging entities including the banks and telecommunication companies, but a daily report would be generated on all transactions for redress.



The feedback we got from one of the charging entities is that the configuration for off-net for less than 100 and below is being charged which is in two folds.



The first fold is that, 100 and below whether on net or off-net does not attract E-Levy irrespective, but at the moment its a technical hitch. So it will be rectified automatically once the transaction is detected, he said.



Mr Amoako explained that the Authority would run daily reports for all transactions below GH100 that were exempt from the levy and the charge would be reverted.



The customers dont need to do any intervention. If indeed the investigation shows that it was the first hundred cedis or below for the day, the amount will be refunded, he said.



Mr Amoako also explained that the challenge faced was as a result of the lack of a connected platform that would host the various charging entities as currently, the charging entities; Telcos, Banks, Payment Service Providers (PSPs) and specialised deposit-taking institutions; were charging from their individual systems.



In our engagement with the charging entities, we were going to go with a (project) where everybody was expected by May 1, to connect to a common platform and start charging using the common platform.



But at the last minute, we realised that some of the charging parties came to us that they needed an extension so they can fully configure their system to connect to the common platform, he said.



Since Sunday, all electronic money transfers that are done in a day and above GH100 are attracting a 1.5 per cent levy in line with the E-levy law which is expected to raise GH4.5 billion annually to support development projects.



The E-levy bill was passed on March 29, after the Minority caucus staged a walkout in the middle of sitting. The caucus is in court challenging the passage of the E-levy bill.









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A giant superyacht said to be owned by Vladimir Putin was last night set to be seized by Italian authorities after they recommended it be impounded as part of sanctions against Russia.



Authorities in Italy said the $700 million The Scheherazade, which is more than 450ft long, and boasts spas, swimming pools and two helicopter pads was connected to a 'significant person' but did not name them.



The yacht has been the subject of an investigation by the Italian financial police since the end of March and has been in dock at Marina di Carrara near Pisa since September undergoing a refit.



Read Full Story .... dailymail.co.uk >>> :

















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Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia says the Government will modernize the provision of insurance services in Ghana through digitalization and urged stakeholders in the industry to work together to engender trust.



He said the government's vision was to improve micro and agricultural insurance products to expand access and strengthen the balance sheet of the insurance industry.



Vice President Bawumia said this at the Annual General Meeting and Education Meeting of the West African Insurance Companies Association (WAICA) in Accra on Thursday.



The two-day conference was on the theme: "The New Normal, Fact or Fiction - How Realistic in Practice and Spread of Insurance in West Africa?"



It attracted insurance companies and stakeholders to discuss and strategize on ways of expanding services amid the Covid-19 pandemic.



The Vice President called on industry players to support governments agenda towards ensuring a financially inclusive society.



He said the country was on a recovery path from the ravages of the COVID-19 as statistics showed a growth rate of 5.4 percent, last year.



Such a performance, Dr Bawumia indicated, would reflect, on average, all key drivers of the economy.



The insurance industry was a critical area of focus in driving the country's development efforts, he said, and that government would ensure it fed into the capital market and translated into broader economic growth.



As part of the government's digitalisation drive, the National Insurance Commission (NIC) had implemented a motor insurance database to curb the menace of vehicles with fake motor insurance tickets.



With the implementation of the motor insurance, the Vice President said it had led to growth from 19 per cent in 2020 and 26 per cent in 2021, while the value of the business also increased from GHc566 million in 2017 to GHc2.3 billion in 2021.



There were also efforts to integrate the databases of the NIC and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority to ensure harmony in accessing insurance services to rid the industry of illegalities, he added.



Dr Bawumia commended the Associations strategies toward improving insurance coverage and penetration in West Africa.



The government, he said, had put in place measures such as the passage of a new Insurance Act, which provided stringent regulatory framework to protect consumers and increase the accessibility of insurance to the Ghanaian populace, particularly to the informal sector, operators, and consumers in the low-income bracket.



It also provides measures aimed at strengthening the corporate governance practices within the industry and in accordance with international best principles of the risk-based supervisory framework, he said.



The new Insurance Act had also strengthened the regulatory powers of the NIC and provided the regulation of marine insurance, agricultural insurance, micro-insurance and innovative insurance.



Government had also embarked on a recapitalization of the insurance industry to help strengthen the balance sheet of regulated insurance entities, aimed at enhancing the underwriting capacity of insurance to enable them to assume higher insurance risk, he said.



It would ensure resource availability for investment in essential productive areas such as technology, product development, and distribution of appropriate insurance packages.



Dr Justice Yaw Ofori, the Commissioner of the NIC, said the ongoing recapitalization remained one of the NIC's crucial projects.



That, he said, was because the NIC believed that its implementation would set the platform for much growth and profitability within the industry.



Dr Ofori said the Commission was also working keenly with partner stakeholders to enforce the implementation of the various compulsory insurances.



He urged fellow insurers to transform their businesses and operating modules to re-emerge stronger than before.





Source: GNA









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The President of the Greater Accra Council of Bissa Chiefs Mohammed Ali Dabre (iii) has called on Ghanaian Muslims to support the needy and underprivileged during the Eid celebrations by giving out Zakat to the poor.



He encouraged Muslims to be guided by the beautiful lifestyle of the holy prophet(PBUH), which was demonstrated during the month of Ramadan.



He said that Muslims all together deserve to celebrate and feast in moderation during the festival of the breaking of the fast , popularly known as Eid-Ul-Fitr after the rigorous 30 days of fasting.



Delivering his Eid message at his palace in Nima, which coincided with a courtesy on him at his Palace (Faada) by the chiefs and people in Klagon and Tema to wish him Barka Da Sallah, on Eid-ul-Fitr day, Chief Dabre, advised family heads particularly men to be patient with their families, especially their wives and children. This is because women and children form the back bone of every family, thereby making it almost impossibilities for families to survive and succeed without taking good care of them.



Families need support, I Pray to Allah to strengthen families economically, to be able to cater for themselves and the education of their children Chief Dabre said.



Touching on education, chief Dabre also a retired educationist in America urged Ghanaians especially Muslims to take advantage of the governments free SHS policy to enroll their wards into schools in order to create a better future.

Muslims all over the world went into the traditional month of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic calender in the entire month of April on the Gregorian calender.



The holy month of Ramadan, the month of fasting came to an end on Sunday May 1, 2022.

Eid-ul-Saeed and Eid-ul-Mubarak



Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A new study, conducted by scientists at The University of New Mexico, found ancient, primordial helium-3 leaking from the Earth's core, suggesting the planet formed inside a solar nebula, stirring further debate among scientists.

Each year, about 2 kg of the rare isotope gas helium-3 escapes from Earth's interior, mostly along the mid-ocean ridge system, a range of underwater volcanos around the globe. Helium-3 is primordial, created shortly after the Big Bang and acquired from the solar nebula as the Earth formed. Geochemical evidence indicates the Earth has deep reservoirs of helium-3, but their locations and abundances are uncertain.

Earth's inventory of helium consists of two stable isotopes, the more abundant helium-4, and the rare helium-3. Unlike terrestrial helium-4, which is mainly produced by the decay of uranium and thorium, terrestrial helium-3 is largely of primordial origin, synthesized in the aftermath of the Big Bang and incorporated into the Earth primarily during its formation.

Now, scientist models of volatile exchange during Earth's formation and evolution implicate the metallic core as a leaky reservoir that supplies the rest of the Earth with helium-3. The results also suggest that other volatiles may be leaking from the core into the mantle. Helium-3 originates primarily in nebulae, an enormous cloud of dust and other basic elements such as hydrogen and other ionized gases. As one of the earliest elements produced in the universe, most helium-3 was created during the initial stages of the Big Bang.

"Helium-3 was synthesized very early in the history of the universe, very early, meaning within a few seconds of the big bang," said Peter Olson, a UNM geophysicist and lead author of the paper, "Primordial Helium-3 Exchange Between Earth's Core and Mantle," published recently in American Geophysical Union journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. "This study helps identify the core as the source of the leak rather than the mantle. It's 13 plus billion years old and is measured to come out of the earth's interior and the place where it apparently is leaking at the fastest rate is the Mid Ocean Ridge spreading centers. These are the plate boundaries where new ocean crust is being created.

"Two things are important even though it's a small amount. First of all, it didn't get there recently. It's a primordial element and some of the places from which it is leaking are related to the core. For example, the source of the lavas that make up Hawaii and Iceland are thought to be derived from plumes that rise through the mantle from the core-mantle boundary region. The helium loss from the earth is global. It's not just in a few places. It is concentrated in spreading centers at the mid-ocean ridges. These spreading centers are global, covering the entire Earth. Helium is found leaking out of other environments as well. So, it's global and it comes from deep in the earth and those are two inferences, which are really solid, I think."

The study, which also involved Zach Sharp, a UNM geochemist in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, involved two aspects as part of the modeling processfirst, how helium-3 got into the deep earth to begin with, the acquisition process, and second, how it gets out. Previous studies have shown how helium-3 gets in, but none have done both, acquiring helium-3 and the process for getting it out. Both are fundamentally different mechanisms and occur at different time scales in earth's history.

"The acquisition process, or the gas that makes up the solar system, is actually the gas that makes up the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn and is about 15 percent helium," said Olson. "It's the second-most abundant element in those bodies (after hydrogen), which makes it the second-most abundant element in the solar system. The obvious way to incorporate a lot of helium-3 into the earth is to build the earth while the solar nebula was in place surrounding it. When the Earth was enveloped in nebular gas, and if the surface of the earth is molten, then the gas can dissolve into the molten Earth as it forms because gases readily dissolve into melts."

"There are lots of small comets or small little pebbles we call snowballs within the solar nebula that will fall slowly towards the Sun simply because of the gravitation of the attraction of the Sun," Sharp said. "That's a physical certaintyit must happen. Now, if you have planetary bodies that are not yet fully grown, and you have the pebbles coming in towards the sun, then a significant fraction of the 'pebbles are going to be gravitationally captured by the growing Earth. You can make in 2 million years, something the size of Earth by this process, whereas previous models required more like 10 million years to make an Earth-sized body."

The scientists used a model that consisted of a nebular atmosphere made from the same composition as the solar nebula, and ingassing of this material into the molten which provided the environment needed to partition the helium from the mantle and the core.

"You find out very quickly that the surface would be so hot under those conditions that it would be a magma ocean, just the environment where you could dissolve loss of helium," said Olson. "That gets the helium into the earth, but not into the core, for that, you have to dissolve it into the iron that forms the core. There have been lab measurements that measure the solubility of helium in free metals, like molten iron. This gave us an estimate of how much helium you could dissolve into the core as the Earth formed. That's the modeling process for the first step, which told us that you get one or more petagrams (1,000,000,000,000,000 grams) of helium-3 into the core that way."

"It's very nice where we're going with this. The question is" 'how do we get so much helium into the mantle'? This was always a problem that was never fully addressed," said Sharp. "It was like, yeah, it's in there, and maybe it came from these late comets or asteroids, but the problem is helium is not dense. It wants to 'float' at the surface. It's like taking a beach ball and trying to push it down to the bottom of a swimming pool. It's going to pop back up. How can you get helium all the way down to the deep mantle? It's really a problem.

"It's generally not discussed in the case of the idea of nebular ingassing, but 15 percent of the nebula is helium. Most of the rest is hydrogen, so there we go, that's the bulk of the nebular gas. If you've got this high pressure, just like the CO 2 dissolving into your water in a can of soda, the helium will dissolve all the way down to the interior of the planet."

The second step in the process is tricky because you have to deplete the mantle of helium-3 before it will start leaking out of the core. Numerous studies have assumed that helium was lost from the mantle as the Earth solidified after the "Giant Impact." The Giant Impact is the presumed formation of the Moon during a collision between the proto-Earth and a large planet equivalent in size to Mars.

"The Giant Impact was such a disruptive event that the Earth's mantle would've lost a lot of its gases, including its helium three. That's a critical step because otherwise, the core won't leak helium," said Olson. "Once those two were in place, the process for leaking that we modeled was just an ordinary diffusion plus convection in the earth mantle, which drives plate tectonics. That would transport mantle material down to the core-mantle boundary where it would entrain helium-3 from the core and transport it back up to the surface at the ocean ridges and volcanic hotspots, and maybe the Rio Grande Rift here in New Mexico for example."

"The amount of helium leaking is somewhere in the neighborhood of four pounds a year, maybe enough to fill 50 balloons depending on the size of the balloons," said Sharp. "It's not much, but the fact that it continues to come out of the earth all the time with the idea that the core being an important source is all viable. No one cares about a little bit of helium leaking out of the Earth into space, but we think it's a fingerprint for important early events in our planet's history. It's evidence that the nebular ingassing idea is valid. If the helium was delivered later by asteroids and comets slamming into the Earth millions of years after the Earth formed, we would not expect to see so much helium in the deep mantle and core. It is in essence, a proxy for delivery of life-giving water to Earth. It provides a mechanism for making a habitable planet."

Explore further Ancient helium leaking from core offers clues of Earth's formation

More information: Peter L. Olson et al, Primordial Helium3 Exchange Between Earth's Core and Mantle, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (2022). Peter L. Olson et al, Primordial Helium3 Exchange Between Earth's Core and Mantle,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2021GC009985
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Gradually replacing 20 percent of global beef and lamb consumption with meat-textured proteins grown in stainless steel vats could cut agriculture-related CO 2 emissions and deforestation in half by 2050, researchers reported Wednesday.

Compared to a current-trends projection for population growth and food demand, swapping half of red meat consumption for so-called microbial proteins would see reductions in tree loss and CO 2 pollution of more than 80 percent, they reported in the journal Nature.

"With a relatively small change in the consumption of ruminant meat, greenhouse gas emissions from tropical deforestation can be strongly reduced," lead author Florian Humpenoder, a scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), told AFP.

"This is an important contribution to reaching the Paris Agreement climate targets, with additional co-benefits for other sustainability goals."

A trio of landmark UN climate science reports since August have made it alarmingly clear that the Paris treaty's cornerstone targetcapping global warming "well below" two degreesis in serious jeopardy.

The global food system accounts for roughly a third of all carbon pollution, and beef production is the main culprit within the agricultural sector, according the UN's climate science advisory panel.

The cattle industry is a double threat.

It not only destroys CO 2 -absorbing tropical forests to make room for grazing pastures and cattle feed crops. In addition, belching livestock are a major source of methane, 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO 2 on a 100-year timescale.

Microbe-based meat alternatives have been on supermarket shelves for decades.

But as the world scrambles for climate solutions, these and other "novel foods" are poised to grow into a major industry within decades, according market forecasts.

Co-benefits

Faux meat derived by culturing microbial or fungi-based cells undergoes a fermentation process, analogous to that for wine or beer.

The cells feed off of glucosefrom sugar cane or beets, for exampleto produce proteins, which means some cropland is needed for production.

But far less than for red meat, according to the study.

Assuming current agricultural methods and meat consumption patterns continue over the next 30 years, global pasture area is set to increase by nearly one million square kilometres (390,000 square miles).

If, however, 20 percent of that meat is replaced with microbe-based protein, pasture area is decreased even below current levels.

"About 1.2 million sq km less agricultural land is required for the same protein supply," said senior author Alexander Popp, also from PIK.

The benefits of protein made from microbes or fungi extend beyond climate and environmental impact, according to Hanna Tuomisto, a researcher at the University of Helsinki who did not take part in the study.

"Mycoprotein is an ideal substitute for meat because it is rich in protein and contains all the essential amino acids," she said in a comment, also in Nature.

Agricultural water use, along with the emissions of yet another greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide, would also be reduced.

"The efficiency of biotech-enabled alternatives offer huge future potential for more sustainable food provision," said Tilly Collins, deputy director of Imperial College London's Centre for Environmental Policy.

"Governments and the food production business need to coordinate to develop appropriate standards and thus future public confidence," she told the London-based Science Media Centre. "Our nuggets may never be the same again."

What remains uncertain, however, is whether enough meat lovers will give up their burgers and steaks for an alternative that shares the texture of meat more than the taste.

Only one of the six co-authors of the study had actually tasted the microbe-based meat substitute, according to Humpenoder.

"He likes it," he said.

More information: Florian Humpenoder, Projected environmental benefits of replacing beef with microbial protein, Nature (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04629-w Journal information: Nature Florian Humpenoder, Projected environmental benefits of replacing beef with microbial protein,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04629-w

 2022 AFP
Mans death on road not suspicious

GLENS FALLS  The death of a man whose body was found near the sidewalk on William Street on April 15 was deemed to be not suspicious by police.

The man has been identified as Joseph Augustine, 37, of Warrensburg.

The Glens Falls Police Department responded to a call at 6:13 a.m. on April 15 for a body found on William Street. Augustine was found on the ground near the street when police and the Glens Falls Fire Department arrived on scene.

Augustine was pronounced dead on the scene. At the time of the incident police said that there were no external signs of trauma.

Detective Sgt. Seth French said that an investigation was launched into Augustines death. The investigation found that his death was not related to criminal activity, according to French.

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QUEENSBURY  The Saratoga Springs man who attempted to pass himself off as a substitute registered nurse is facing multiple felony charges.

Thomas C. Dean, 22, of 263 Caroline St., is charged with one count of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, one count of unauthorized practice of a profession and one count of third-degree burglary.

Police said that the Warren County Sheriffs Office received a report from the Queensbury Union Free School District regarding a substitute aide providing fraudulent credentials.

Dean was arrested following an investigation into the matter, according to police. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.

An order of protection was issued barring him from the Queensbury school property, according to police.

According to a joint statement from Queensbury Superintendent of Schools Kyle Gannon and BOCES District Superintendent James Dexter, Dean did not work as a nurse with any student.

His first substitute assignment at Queensbury was on April 5. He had been limited to the middle and high schools, according to the statement.

Queensbury staff members realized that the documentation Dean had provided was fake, according to the statement.

Dean was an approved teacher and paraprofessional substitute, according to Dexter. The New York State Education Department cleared Deans fingerprints on Feb. 25.

His first time working as a substitute for the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES was on March 31 at the F. Donald Myers Education Center.

Dean was terminated from the substitute list and was reported to state education officials and the Office of the Professions immediately, according to the joint statement.

Following his arraignment, Dean was turned over to state police on pending criminal charges relating to similar fraudulent activities in Wilton.

The investigation into Dean was handled by members of the Warren County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigations Unit and Warren County Sheriffs Office School Resource Officer.

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Warren County residents can expect more youth programming being made available.

Warren and Washington counties are teaming up to improve youth-centric services in Warren County. The partnership was approved by the board of supervisors in each county and the New York State Office of Child and Family Services.

There will not be any additional costs to residents of either county.

Christian Hanchett, commissioner of Social Services in Warren County, said that the county is paying $105,000 for Washington Countys services. But Warren County will be getting $85,896 reimbursed through the Supervision and Treatment Services for Juveniles Program and from the state.

So the true cost to Warren County is only $19,104, according to Hanchett.

Which is astoundingly low for the amount of services were going to be able to bring into the county, he said.

He said that Warren County had a director and dedicated staff for its Youth Bureau until 2011.

At that time, he said the Warren County Board of Supervisors dissolved positions within the department. He said that the bureau has been limping along without a director and staff.

Towns didnt want to lose their funding to their programs, so we did not abolish the Youth Bureau itself, Hanchett said.

The countys Youth Bureau stayed intact in order to handle the funding coming in for towns in the county for youth programs, while provided some of their own. Hanchett said he and a preventive services caseworker had been running the Youth Bureau prior to this team-up.

In 2018, Hanchett began thinking of ways to improve the department. He said that there needed to be more dedication provided to youth programs in Warren County.

He said he was made aware of two counties in the western part of the state that had joined forces.

They had a similar situation where a county was going to dissolve their Youth Bureau, he said. So they contracted out to the other county because they still got the funding. Just like we still get the funding from New York state.

After learning that, Hanchett reached out to Mike Gray, director of the Washington County Youth Bureau, to see if the same could be done between the two counties.

Now Gray serves as the director of the youth bureaus in both counties.

Hanchett said the pair met multiple times last year to nail down an agreement.

Already the arrangement is bringing additional offerings for young people in the county, like free lifeguard trainings, assistance for community recreation programs, cognitive-based intervention programs for at-risk youth and roadside cleanup events.

Don Lehman, director of public affairs at Warren County, said that in the first few weeks of the free lifeguard training there have been six Warren County teenagers who have signed up.

This training is particularly important in Warren County, as we have such a large number of beaches and pools, and there has been a significant lifeguard shortage, Lehman said in an email.

Town and city youth programs will continue to get funding even with this new bicounty initiative in place.

Hanchett said one of the things that Gray and Washington County agreed to was that there would be no reduction to the funding to those programs.

The towns are going to get their actual funding stream to run their individual programs, and their going to have the benefit of having a really robust Youth Bureau in Warren County again, Hanchett said.

Jay Mullen is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls, Warren County and crime and courts. You can reach him at 518-742-3224 or jmullen@poststar.com.

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ATLANTIC CITY  A pair of city men were found to have large amounts of drugs when their vehicle was stopped earlier this week, police said.

An officer stopped the vehicle near 10 p.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of North Kentucky Avenue after it was seen driving fast and having heavily tinted windows, police said Friday in a news release.

A K-9 unit arrived as backup, at which time the animal searched the vehicle and alerted officers to drugs being inside it.

Driver Nahjajuan Ellis, 21, was in possession of 34 grams of suspected heroin, 26 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 9 ounces of marijuana, a digital scale associated with drug distribution and $704 suspected of being earned from illegal drug sales, police said.

Passenger Isiah Lopez, 19, was in possession of 17 grams of suspected heroin, 2.9 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 11.6 ounces of marijuana and a digital scale, police said.

Each was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, distribution within 500 feet of public housing, distribution within 1,000 feet of a public school and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ellis also received multiple motor vehicle citations, police said.

Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin

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It's great to forecast for you in N.J., where I was born and raised. I earned my degree from Rutgers and have been at The Press since Fall 2017. I'm honored to be a 10 time N.J. Press Association award winner and a South Jersey "Top 40 Under 40".
CHICAGO - Illinois Democratic Party said Friday it will submit an application with the Democratic National Committee to become one of the first five states to hold a presidential primary election in 2024.

Democrats have to compete and win in the Midwest to win nationally. Illinois represents a true test of what presidential candidates will face across the nation and as an early primary state, Illinois can help strengthen the Democratic Partys presidential candidates in the primary and the general elections, said state Democratic Chair Robin Kelly in a letter to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison.

Illinois looks like America. No state matches Americas demographics like Illinois, wrote Kelly, a congresswoman from Matteson.

Illinois joins more than a dozen states, including several in the Midwest, in seeking an early spot in the Democratic Partys new presidential nominating calendar  one in which caucuses have been ruled out, ending Iowas traditional first-in-the-nation status unless it reforms a selection procedure that has become muddled in recent contests.

Democratic Party officials nationally are seeking to retune their traditional calendar to find states with greater ethnic, racial and geographical diversity to select the 2024 nominee, be it first-term President Joe Biden or another candidate if he chooses not to seek reelection.

New Hampshires first-in-the-nation primary, which traditionally followed the Iowa caucuses, appears likely to keep an early date in the new Democratic calendar, as do South Carolina and Nevada.

But all early dates are open and the DNC has said a number of states across the country have expressed interest in having an early influence on the primary season.

In her letter, Kelly said Illinois diversity makes it a competitive state for Democrats, noting Hillary Clinton defeated Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary by 2 percentage points, as well as a state the party shouldnt assume will remain automatically blue.

And while Illinois Democrats hold majorities today, the state has been competitive in statewide elections throughout the last decade, she wrote. With a growing population of Republican voters downstate and a partisan battle still present in the Chicago suburbs, Democrats take Illinois for granted at their own peril.

The letter touted legislation backing party values such as workers, reproductive and voting rights enacted under the states Democratic leadership. It also said the states proposal for an early primary has the unified support of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, state Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park and House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch of Hillside.

Democrats, who control the legislature and the governors office, have the sole power to move Illinois primary date, as they did for this year when the traditional March date was pushed to June 28 due to delays in federal census results the party used to draw new redistricting maps. In 2008, Democrats moved the primary date up to Feb. 5 to help advance home-state Barack Obamas presidential candidacy.

But there are factors that compel the state to conform to the national partys primary schedule. The move by Illinois Democrats to push for an early date, coupled with their intent to bid on the 2024 presidential convention for Chicago, represent a desire by the organizations new leadership to play a more aggressive role in national party politics.

That was not a priority for the state partys former chairman, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has been indicted in a federal corruption scandal involving Commonwealth Edison. Madigan has pleaded not guilty.

While the DNC, for regional purposes, may seek an early Midwest state for its calendar, Illinois has some factors that play against it  and not just the winter weather.

The DNC would prefer an early primary in potential presidential swing states, such as Minnesota and Michigan. In addition, Illinois, with expensive media markets in Chicago and St. Louis, as well as multiple downstate TV markets, could prove to be too costly for emerging presidential campaigns.

Letters of interest were required by the DNC on Friday, with a more formal application to follow next month. The DNC is expected to decide on its early 2024 calendar in early August.

The Republican National Committee has already decided to keep the current lineup of states for 2024: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

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CAMBRIDGE  A former Geneseo middle school science teacher was sentenced to seven years in prison on a Class X felony child pornography charge Thursday in Henry County Circuit Court.

Brian W. Duwe, 55, of Orion, was also sentenced to 18 months of mandatory supervised release. He must also pay a $1,000 fine and register as a sex offender upon his release.

Duwe pleaded guilty to the single felony count in February. Seven other counts of Class X child pornography and one count Class 3 felony child pornography were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

During Thursday's court proceeding, Duwe described having time on his hands during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and resorting to a phone app two or three nights a week in which gay men posted "anything and everything."

He said on Oct. 14, 2020, a 30-year-old man started chatting with him and asked him to send pornographic photos of young boys "to get him going." Duwe said he knew it was morally wrong, but he was aroused by the 30-year-old man so he forwarded the material to him.

Good decision-making played no part in this act, he said. I convinced myself it could not be illegal if (the online app) Kik allowed it to be posted.

He said he never looked at the video himself except for the starting frame.

I realize now how I was a teacher, I was a mandatory reporter of child abuse, he said. I never googled or searched the internet for child pornography.

He said after mid-November of 2020 he deleted his Kik phone application and was glad to be rid of it and glad to get back to my normal life again.

I know it was wrong, he said. I could never knowingly hurt a child in any way. I can't believe I was so stupid.

Henry County State's Attorney Catherine Runty sought a 10-year prison sentence.

In pronouncing his sentence, Judge James Cosby noted Duwe's "zero criminal history"  not even a speeding ticket  and said his conduct was caused by an unknown individual who became a part of Duwe's life.

Cosby noted that a psychologist found Duwe to be "not just a low risk to (re-offend), he scored Mr. Duwe as a very low risk to re-offend.

I don't think I've ever seen that, the judge said, adding Duwe struck him as being deeply ashamed.

Cosby said Duwe had lost his home, his job, his reputation and his friends as well as his teaching and education license.

He's basically hiding in his home at this point in time, Cosby said.

He also said had the case been in any way related to Duwe's teaching job, his decision might have been different, but from all pertinent information, it had nothing to do with his job.

So that's an important consideration as well, the judge concluded.

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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.

Christian S. Hicks, 27, surrendered to officers at about 11:55 a.m. Saturday after forcing his way into what turned out to be an unoccupied house in the 1600 block of Grant Street, according to police.

Hicks was taken to the Scott County Jail where he was being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond, and charges were pending as of Saturday afternoon, according to a news release.

Bettendorf police say an officer attempted to stop a vehicle without a license plate in the area of State Street and George Thuenen Drive. The 2016 Ford Fusion failed to stop and ran a red light at the intersections of 17th and State streets. The fleeing vehicle also ran a red light at the intersection of 17th and Grant streets, striking a motorcycle and a pick-up truck, according to a city of Bettendorf news release.

The driver of the fleeing vehicle, later identified as Hicks, fled the crash on foot and forced his way into the house near the intersection of 16th and Grant streets, according to the release. Once inside, police say Hicks claimed to have hostages and a gun and that he would harm the hostages if police attempted to enter the house.

Officers set up a perimeter and called the Bettendorf Police Department's tactical response unit. Officers in tactical gear could be seen late Saturday morning surrounding the house. Multiple agencies including the Iowa State Patrol, Scott County Sheriff's Office, and Davenport and LeClaire police departments also responded to the scene to assist, according to the release.

Authorities also blocked surrounding streets, including putting up barricades at Interstate 74 off-ramps at State and Grand Streets. Traffic through downtown Bettendorf reopened at about noon.

Crisis negotiators made contact and spoke with Hicks for approximately two hours, at which point he willingly surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody without incident, according to Bettendorf officials.

Police then searched the residence and determined no one was home at the time.

"At this time, the investigation indicates that the suspect had no connection to the home or any of the residents," according to the city of Bettendorf news release. "It was determined that he had randomly entered the residence to flee police."

A 60-year-old motorcyclist from Bettendorf and a 68-year-old driver of the pick-up truck from Walcott were taken by ambulance to Genesis Medical Center East, Davenport, with non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

Hicks is currently on pre-trial release out of both Scott and Rock Island counties.

In Scott County, Hicks is facing a charge of possession with the intent to deliver more than 5 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years.

The charge comes after a traffic stop by Davenport police on Dec. 1.

In connection with that case, Hicks also is charged with:

Violating Iowas drug tax stamp law, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years.

Disarming a police officer, also a Class D felony.

Four counts of assault on a police officer. Each charge is a serious misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to one year.

Possession of a control substance-methamphetamine, a serious misdemeanor.

A jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 19 in Scott County District Court.

A family member posted a $5,000 cash bond to have him released Feb. 18 from the Scott County Jail.

In Rock Island County, Hicks is facing charges of possession with the intent to deliver less than 5 grams of methamphetamine, resisting a peace officer and retail theft.

The drug charge is a Class 2 felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of 3-7 years, while the resisting charge is a Class 4 felony that carries a prison sentence of 1-3 years. The retail theft charge is a Class 3 felony that carries a prison sentence of 2-5 years.

He was arrested on the retail theft charge on March 21, while he was arrested on the meth and resisting charges Monday. He was released from custody both times after posting bond.

A pretrial conference on the theft charge is scheduled for May 19 in Rock Island County Circuit Court, while a preliminary hearing on the drug and resisting charges is scheduled for May 17 in Circuit Court.

Hicks was released from the Iowa Department of Corrections on Sept. 25. He had been serving time in prison for third-degree burglary and first-degree theft convictions.

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The National Rifle Association and Mike Pompeo, the former U.S. secretary of state, have endorsed longtime incumbent Chuck Grassley in Iowas U.S. Senate race.

A Republican, Grassley is vying for his eighth six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

Grassley faces a Republican primary challenge from Jim Carlin, a lawyer and state senator from Sioux City. Iowas primary election is June 7.

Three Democrats are running for the seat: former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids; U.S. Navy veteran Mike Franken of Sioux City; and physician Glenn Hurst of Minden.

Pompeo has been a frequent visitor to Iowa as he lays the groundwork for a potential presidential bid. He was secretary of state under former President Donald Trump.

Senator Grassley has been a tireless fighter for the conservative cause, Pompeo said in a statement. From solidifying a conservative majority on the Supreme Court to fighting for middle-class tax relief, Senator Grassley has a proven track record of staying in the fight for our families.

In endorsing Grassley, the NRA gave Grassley an A+ on its legislative record scorecard.

In a news release, the chairman of the NRAs political arm praised Grassley for his opposition to myraid gun control measures, including universal background checks.

FRANKEN ENDORSEMENT: The Iowa Unity Coalition, a political organization that works to increase the political influence of diverse and underrepresented communities, endorsed Mike Franken in Iowas U.S. Senate campaign.

Franken, a U.S. Navy veteran from Sioux City, is one of three Iowa Democrats running for the U.S. Senate, trying to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Admiral Franken is passionate about making health care affordable and accessible especially in Iowas rural areas, where resources are hard to find, Iowa Unity Coalition chairman Mitch Henry said in a news release from the Franken campaign. He understands the struggles we have and he is more than capable of being Iowas next U.S. senator.

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CHICAGO - For years after her son was fatally wounded by Chicago police officers on the South Side during a traffic stop in the Washington Park neighborhood, Octavia Mitchell stopped celebrating Mothers Day.

But in 2021 she decided to refocus her fight to clear her sons name after a decade of confronting city officials to prove her son was not firing a gun at police. She changed her focus to bringing life to the Heal Your Heart Foundation, a nonprofit she started in honor of her son Izael Jackson, then 18, who was a senior preparing to graduate from Hyde Park High School.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic making it harder for gatherings nationwide, she pulled off the first annual Mothers Day brunch in 2021 for other moms who lost children to Chicago gun violence. Some of the mothers had brunch with women who were the rivals of their children, sometimes connected by gang activity to their childs slaying.

The meeting of the moms was successful, and they embraced and shed tears, realizing the assignment was now preventing other mothers from experiencing the same dreadful pain.

This Mothers Day, Mitchell and Dedra Morris are revamping the celebration to focus on trying to help the mothers healing process.

I hope to be able to bring more mothers, and to make it bigger and more special, Mitchell said near the anniversary of when her son was pronounced dead from his wounds, April 25. Last year I had a banner with all the deceased childrens names. It was too emotional and filled with pain so I dont want to do that again. Some moms had two and three kids on that banner. I was like Wow, this mother has it worse than me.

Mitchell explained that her goal is to put a smile on each womans face.

Last year was Mitchells first time celebrating Mothers Day in years, she said.

I dont want it to be that long for any mom because you deprive your other children from celebrating their mom, she said. Although we are grieving, we cant be selfish.

This Sunday, Mitchell and Morris hope to have brunch together with at least 100 others who lost children to gun violence or COVID-19. Other attendees might also have lost mothers to violence or the virus.

Our plans are to have a surprise for each mother or child to brighten up their day, Mitchell said.

Lately, Mitchell is fully involved with the Heal Your Heart Foundation and addressing the long-lasting grief mothers have to grapple with until their death.

Last year, an out-of-state attorney, Phillip Aaron, who agreed to take the Izael Jackson case for free, died of natural causes. Aaron had worked in Chicago representing young African American victims of sex abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He had said he felt a kinship with Mitchells case because it involved Black residents being abused by the system.

Miss Mitchell is a special person, Aaron said in a 2019 Tribune article. She was working through pain and tears at a time, in a way when most people would have given up. But she knew in her heart her son didnt do what they accused him of. Ive never really met anyone with that type of firm determination to go on no matter what the obstacles were.

Mitchell is still as determined in 2022, as she waits for the federal court to assign her a new attorney.

I dont fault people. I understand nobody wants to go behind someones mistake because its a problem someone else created, Mitchell said. I try to make negatives into a positive.

Since the Chicago Office of Police Accountability declined to open the case again because labs ruled the DNA results inconclusive, Mitchell now wants to know the ingredients used in the testing to determine if another conclusion could have been reached.

The Illinois State Police refuse to speak with me, Kim Foxx wouldnt call me back, and Mayor Lightfoot led me around for months until one day cold-bloodedly her clerk said shes not meeting with you, Mitchell said. Am I not owed an explanation after my baby was shot in the back three times, and the DNA recovered at the scene went missing for years?

This is your city, Mayor Lightfoot. Its your city and now its your problem, she said. Stop putting names in a bucket and having a lottery on who gets justice depending on where it happened.

Recently one of last years Warrior Moms got a sliver of justice when the alleged shooters of her son, Carlton Weekly, also known as FBG Duck, were arrested and charged in his slaying in downtown Chicago after the FBI got involved in the matter.

Mitchell pointed to the multiple arrests of looters downtown following the civil unrest after George Floyds murder by a Minneapolis police officer.

Only clothes being stolen from downtown is more important than our babies being murdered, she said.

This Mothers Day brunch is being held in the North Pullman District. Those wishing to attend or support the event can contact Octavia Mitchell at 312-581-1770.

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DES MOINES  Ever a somber event, Fridays annual Iowa Peace Officer Memorial ceremony carried an even heavier weight as the state honored two troopers who lost their lives on duty in 2021.

Both from the Iowa Highway Patrols District 10 post in Oelwein, Trooper Ted Benda of rural Decorah and Sgt. Jim K. Smith of Independence were honored during the ceremony by remarks from Gov. Kim Reynolds and state public safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens.

Bendas and Smiths family members attended the ceremony, which was conducted at the Iowa Peace Officers Memorial in Des Moines, in the shadow of the state Capitol.

We're grateful for those willing to put their lives on the line to preserve our quality of life. And we grieve when any one of them is lost in the line of duty, Reynolds said. Today by etching the names of these men in granite, we honor them and their families. Jim Smith and Ted Benda are a testament to the fact that behind every badge is a brave and generous heart, one toughened in the trenches yet softened by compassion.

Our two honorees gave their lives in one of the noblest causes there is, one defined by an unrelenting determination to put others above self.

Smith, 51, died April 9, 2021, after being shot by a suspect who had been accused of assaulting and disarming another law enforcement officer during a traffic stop near Grundy Center.

Benda, 37, died Oct. 20, 2021, as the result of injuries he suffered when his car crashed after he swerved to avoid a deer while responding to a call for assistance from Clayton County in apprehending a suspect.

Our hearts remain heavy from the unspeakable loss of these brave men. But make no mistake: our resolve is steadfast, Bayens said.

Smith had served with the Iowa State Patrol for 27 years. He is survived by a wife and two children. Benda had worked for the Iowa State Patrol for 15 years. He is survived by a wife and four children.

Iowa will remember their service and sacrifice with enduring gratitude, Reynolds said.

The names of Benda and Smith were carved into the memorial,

The ceremony included the playing of Amazing Grace and Taps, and a 21-gun salute.

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Nearly 136 years ago, a fiery anti-liquor preacher, the Rev. George C. Haddock, was shot to death on the corner of Third and Water streets.

Eyewitnesses to the crime say it was Bodega bar owner John Arensdorf who pulled the trigger.

So, did the businessman-turned-gunman pay ever for his crime? Maybe, in a roundabout way.

Brought to trial twice and acquitted each time, Arensdorf reputedly celebrated his legal victories by going out drinking with the juries and picking up the tab.

What's the moral of this story? Back in the day, Sioux City was a raucous riverfront town and the area between Pearl and Water streets were considered downtown's main drag.

"Up until 1880, Sioux City's existence centered around the Missouri River, and Pearl Street was essentially our main street," Sioux City Public Museum archives manager Tom Munson explained. "Eventually, the railroad surpassed the river's importance to the economy and businesses began expanding north down Fourth Street."

However, Pearl Street from around Third to Eighth Street has a rich history as well as some of Sioux City's earliest architecture.

This is why the Sioux City Historic Preservation will host several events between May 14 - 20, exploring the Historic Pearl District, which organizers call "Sioux City's Next Historic Gem."

At 4 p.m. May 16, Mayor Bob Scott and the City Council will officially announce the kickoff, celebrating Historic Preservation Week.

Munson will be conducting a Pearl District Walking Tour at 6 p.m. May 17, beginning at Fifth and Water streets. He will also present a "History at High Noon" program at 12:05 p.m. May 19 at the Sioux City Public Museum, 607 Fourth St.

But the fun really starts at the second annual Historic Pearl District Scavenger Hunt, which starts at 11 a.m. May 14 at Bodega 401, 401 Pearl St., which is on the same site as the business once owned by John Arensdorf, who was Haddock's alleged assailant.

Now, how's that for a bit of city symmetry?

"We started the Scavenger Hunt last year but it was a but under everybody's radar," Sioux City Historic Preservation's Amy Macfarlane explained. "This year, we're hoping to attract more people."

Teams of up to four people can register for the scavenger hunt from 10 a.m. to noon May 14 at Bodega 401.

Once there, participants can pick up a scorecard, offering clues to distinctive architecture that may be spotted along the Historic Pearl District.

Since the area is also home to several bars and/or eateries, wannabe scavenger hunters will also receive a complimentary "Pints for Preservation" cup.

"The cups may come in handy since some Pearl Street businesses will offer specials during the scavenger hunt," said Sioux City Planning and Zoning's Larissa Carrell.

It will certainly keep you limber before the Historic Pearl District's Trivia contest, which takes place at PBR Blue Ribbon Tap, 415 Pearl St., immediately after the Scavenger Hunt.

"In addition to providing clues for the scavenger hunt, Tom Munson is also in charge of our trivia contest," Carrell explained.

"Nobody knows Sioux City like Tom," Macfarlane added. "Nobody knows the Historic Pearl District better than Tom."

Certainly, Pearl St. -- which was once home to banks, grocery stores and swanky businesses -- isn't as bustling as it was in its late 19th century heyday.

But it also currently more upscale than it was in the early part of the 20th century, when the street has a hodgepodge of businesses, including an optical shop, a bow and arrow dealership as well as an army-navy surplus store.

Today, Pearl Street has bars, restaurants, clothing shops, a yoga studio and, even, the LaunchPAD Children's Museum up the street.

"Even though the Historic Pearl District is no longer Sioux City's main street, it remains a very important part of the community's history," Munson said.

That is why Sioux City Historic Preservation is working hard to safeguard the district's cultural heritage while identifying, protecting and enhancing the area for both business and tourism.

"I think the district has a colorful past but it is also an interesting place to explore," Munson said. "It really is an historic gem of Sioux City."

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Mech, Settje and Sploosh passed around a laptop racing against a draining battery to create a song, rotating to each person every 10 minutes as country music surrounded them in a rodeo arena in Chadron, Nebraska.

The battery was at 50%, no one had a charger, they used borrowed headphones to get as much done as possible before the computer was drained.

Then we just came up with this very bare bones shell, like some minimal intro, some drum and then some bare bones sound design, said Sploosh, known off-stage as Lucian Bedard. We got one sound done, we were like OK, thats pretty cool. This could go somewhere.

The trio finished the song after returning to Rapid City. In 2022, it was released as Shock Front under Mech and Settjes group Black Hole Era.

While Sploosh isnt credited with the song or officially part of Black Hole Era, the three are the founders and co-owners of Stupid Happy Collective, a group of producers, content creators, stage crew and DJs living in the Midwest hoping to bring electronic and other music into the Black Hills.

The three came together in 2019 to officially form Stupid Happy Collective after throwing a slew of basement parties at a house near South Dakota Mines and producing shows for other events.

Sploosh said he met Settje, or Austin Settje, during their freshman year at Mines in 2014. He said they bonded over having an enthusiasm for music production. They started hanging out, made music, learned how to DJ and noticed there wasnt much of a scene for dance music in Rapid City.

We thought, if no ones going to be throwing shows, it might as well be us, he said. Slowly but surely we found some ways to acquire equipment and started figuring out how to do it.

Mech, or Owen Mechling, said he met Sploosh and Settje four years later during his freshman year at Mines where he started working on a mechanical engineering degree. He said he didnt know much about electronic music production but learned from Sploosh and Settje.

I met these guys and just sort of got sucked into it, Mech said. I started doing stage lighting at the same time and the pieces sort of just fell together.

The collective is intentional in where it allocates time spreading it to music, business, production and artists.

Mech said the goal of the group is to bring safe rave culture, which means good management and educating the crowd.

(We wanted to be) able to build the culture from the ground up here because everyone has to go to either Minneapolis or to Denver but we didnt want them to have to drive all the way there just to get a quality show, Settje said. We want this to be for everyone. You shouldnt have to feel excluded.

Sploosh said with each show, they try to improve and make each aspect better when possible. He said some of those improvements come with a big financial cost, so they cant always make moves quickly. However, they stay creative and think about the sound, lights, culture and environment, and make sure the space makes sense for performers and those attending the show.

Setup can last for about six hours. Mech said a lot of the work comes from programming lights and the sound board.

For planning the lineup, Settje said they like to make it as seamless as possible. He said the more chill music starts the night off and by the end, people are listening to high-energy music. He also said they use equipment that doesnt grate as much on peoples ears and balances out the sound.

Mech said thats also articulated in not having the sound system turned up all the way until the last act and doing the same with lights.

He said he never thought being a business owner would be as hard as it is, but still has fun.

Honestly, owning a business is probably the most fun thing Ive ever done, Mech said. Its very freeing. You dont really answer to anyone when you make your own decisions, so you dont have to prove anything to anyone. That really gives you the opportunity to propel yourself into the next zone that youre trying to get through.

While all three own the business, each one also focuses on their own skills. Together Mech and Settje form Black Hole Era, but Mech also does lighting design while Settje is finishing his bachelors degree in industrial engineering and engineering management.

As a business, they're growing into producing their own merchandise and regularly booking shows.

All of it takes time management, though. All three said getting into the "flow state," or a term commonly used in computer science to describe a constant flow of efficiency, can be helpful.

Settje said sometimes it just takes sacrifice, which is typically a lack of sleep. He said each person has to find their own balance of consistently producing music or consistently performing.

He said he prefers the studio work, and that's when he finds his state of flow.

Mech said getting into his flow state isn't easy, but every few days or so, he's able to get a lot of work done. His height of flow, though, is during performances when he's programming and coordinating the lights to the entire lineup live.

For Sploosh it's getting lost in the process of creating music. He said it's easy to get bogged down with the details, like delivery cross platform, but he enjoys it the most when he's working on designing one specific sound or arranging a variety of them.

Within the collective, there is collaboration. Mech has worked with artist Cooper Timm, who released his first album "Incongruence" this year. All of them have worked with Steven Burns, also known as Another Methodology, on mastering their music.

Regardless of the hard work, Sploosh said they all love what they do. He said he finished his engineering degree and has to explain to family and friends he's still in Rapid City because he loves his career.

"I think all three of us have at least some variety of skills where we could probably make more money doing something more stable than what it is we're doing, but I think we all probably agree that it wouldn't be quite as fulfilling," he said.

Stupid Happy Collective's next major event is the two-day music festival Synesthesia, which will be hosted in Piedmont sometime in September.

 Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com 

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On Wednesday, about 20 people gathered to see the beginnings of history being reborn at the Historic St. Marys Mission in Stevensville.

With a gold-plated shovel, Historic St. Marys Mission board president Bonnie Weisbeck had a brief tussle with the hard, dry ground on the west side of the chapel complex in the groundbreaking ceremony thats been a decade in the making.

Her goal was to uproot a small piece of sod from the location where a replica of the portion of the original building that burned back in the early 1900s will be built in the coming months.

This barn and blacksmith shop would certainly have been part of the day-to-day life right here in at St. Marys Mission, said Colleen Meyer, the recently retired longtime director of the site.

Meyer said the celebration also honored the anniversary of the 210th birthday of Father Ravalli, who served a central role in the foundation of the historic site. Father Ravalli was born May 16, 1812 in Italy. During his time at St. Marys, he would have spent long hours doing metal and woodwork in the building that will be replicated.

No one knows for certain just how the fire started that burned down the kitchen and barn at the back of the chapel complex. How the townspeople saved the priests living quarters and the chapel built in 1866 is also a mystery.

Myer said the pieces of the charred wood for the first can still be seen on the existing building.

Lucylle Hartz Evans is credited with bringing attention to the run-down historic buildings back in the late 1940s. In the late 1970s and early 80s, she pushed to restore the mission and build a gift shop and visitor center on the grounds.

Evans rallied the community to rebuild the kitchen that had burned.

She came in and rescued these buildings, said Chris Weatherly. She saved this place from falling down.

Its been Weatherlys mission for decades now to ensure that it remains standing. The Stevensville man with a deep love for history and its buildings has spent countless hours maintaining the historic structures.

"I know every log here by name," he said. "The worst log on the site is on the bottom of Chief Victor's cabin. It's a sill log that was never replaced."

When the board decided to move forward with the rebuilding of the barn, they naturally turned to Weatherly to see if he would interested in the project.

And now he's anxious to get started.

Theyve been talking about this for 10 years, Weatherly said. Ill believe that its actually happening when we get the excavator in here and the concrete work done. They have given me the green flag. Im ready to get started.

Recreating a building that's been gone so long came with all sorts of challenges.

There are only a couple of existing photographs of the building with the barn attached. The photos were taken from the north and south but theres not a single image or even written description of what the west end of the building looked like.

While Weatherly will have to guess what that might have been. His drawings were scaled by existing windows and walls of the original building versus what he saw in the photographs, and then checked by an engineer whose computer verified his calculations that the original building was 12x20.

Weatherly would like it if people quit calling it a barn.

Archeological digs completed years ago found remnants that indicated there was probably a forge inside that building. Weatherly believes it was more likely a shop than a place where the priests stored hay or housed cattle.

Its upper reaches could have also been used to house guests.

Weatherly doesnt know exactly how long this project will take. The current high price of building supplies could slow its progress. The mission still has to complete some fundraising to pay for it all.

Nothing in the construction world is cheap anymore, Weatherly said. Im holding my breath on the cost of cedar shakes. There will also be some electrical work that needs to be completed.

Weatherly also hopes the board will consider a fire suppression system. Hes been urging that be added after watching the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral on television.

I think its going to be a take-it-as-it-comes project, Weatherly said. Well just have to wait and see how it all comes together  My hope is that when its done, it will look like its always been here.

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Following several dry months, cool temperatures and precipitation in April increased snowpack percentages in all of Montanas major river basins.

Prior to April, northwest Montana had been the largest recipient of precipitation this water year, with much of the remainder of the state well below normal.

Weather patterns shifted last month, and April precipitation was slightly below normal in northwest Montana but well above normal in southcentral and southeast Montana, said USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service hydrologist Eric Larson.

The cool and wet weather last month slowed snowmelt that was initiated in March and many mid-elevation SNOTEL sites which normally melt significantly in April now have an above normal May 1 snowpack. The only exception is the Milk River basin, which doesnt have any snow remaining at the one SNOTEL site in the Bears Paw Mountains near Havre.

Larson urged some caution about optimism about the report. Snowpack percentages indicate how conditions compare to previous years for a given date, but these percentages can be misleading early and late in the water year, he said.

This weather was certainly beneficial, but there was such a lack of precipitation from mid-January through March that Aprils gains were not enough to make a full recovery.

Many SNOTEL sites east of the Continental Divide peaked at levels that were well short of their normal peaks. In general, SNOTEL sites west of the Continental Divide received more consistent snowfall this winter and reached near-normal snowpack peaks.

The delay in snowmelt due to cool April weather was reflected in the streamflows reported for April. Nearly all gages in the southwest, central and southcentral portions of the state had below-normal to well-below-normal streamflow this past month.

Current streamflow forecasts for the May through July time period reflect improved snowpack and precipitation conditions, Larson said.

In locations such as the Rocky Mountain Front and river basins west of the Continental Divide, the snowpack remains above normal and has yet to begin melting at the upper elevations. Consequently streamflows are forecasted to be near to above normal.

Forecasts for southwest Montana, the mainstem of the Missouri and the Yellowstone are looking much less grim than last month but remain below normal for May to July.

There are still areas of concern such as the Shields and Musselshell rivers, which are forecast to be in the 40% to 55% of normal range for that period.

As appealing as warm, sunny summer weather sounds, the best-case scenario over the next couple months is continued cool weather and more precipitation in locations that did not reach their typical peak snowpack levels, Larson said.

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The Montana Board of Public Education recently responded to 65 comments regarding proposed revisions to teacher licensing regulations before it will adopt the new rules at a meeting this week.

In the special meeting held at the Capitol on April 28, board members reviewed comments posed by educators, state officials and the public submitted between January and early April. Board members worked to find a balance between eliminating barriers to various educators licenses without sacrificing quality of instruction.

The complete list of comments the board responded to in its special meeting can be found online.

Much of the discussion, from both the board members and commenters, circulated around clearing up language that could be confusing, establishing definitions and fixing grammatical errors.

The board agreed with some of the recommendations from the Office of Public Instruction such as creating new ways for current educators to add additional endorsements to their license and returning unusual cases with licensing to the authority of the state superintendent.

Some of the OPIs other recommendations, such as creating a rule that would make it easier for military spouses and dependents with licenses in other states to teach in Montana, underwent slight modifications to clarify definitions.

This is a win for Montana's school districts, said Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen. The vote today by the Board of Public Education honors the teaching profession with an emphasis on quality while providing flexibilities. Montana is leading the nation in the redesign of the educator workforce.

The board unanimously agreed with comments to allow a teacher with a standard-unrestricted out-of-state educator license and at least two years of successful teaching experience to teach in Montana.

This would allow a teacher with 25 years of experience in Colorado to be licensed in Montana without providing their Praxis exam score, college grade-point-average, or student-teaching portfolio, according to Tammy Lacey, chair of the Board of Public Education.

The OPI previously recommended removing required years of experience for out-of-state educators. Governor Greg Gianfortes office also supported the recommendation.

For too long, Montana has struggled to recruit and retain K-12 educators for our schools, Governor Greg Gianforte said. By eliminating unnecessary barriers, well get more high-quality educators in our classrooms, develop a stronger educator workforce and help our students reach their full outstanding potential.

The process of revising the teacher licensing rules began in November 2020 and a 24-member task force made up of educators from across the state recommended changes to Arntzen. After reviewing the recommendations, Arntzen put them before the board for their approval in January 2022.

Most of the proposed revisions by the OPI sought to reduce certain requirements and expand opportunities to obtain a teaching license in Montana in an effort to address the ongoing teacher shortage.

After the boards approval, a public comment session opened for about four months with an in-person public hearing held in the Capitol in February.

The Board of Public Education will have a final vote to adopt the licensing flexibilities during their meeting on May 12 at the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind in Great Falls. The meeting will be streamed online.

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" " The mint julep has been the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs since 1938. Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Every first Saturday in May is the Kentucky Derby, when the first race in the Triple Crown series is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It's a storied horse race, with traditions like big hats and cocktails, specifically the mint julep.

This Churchill Downs staple  a cocktail with bourbon, fresh mint, ice, sugar and water  has been the Kentucky Derby's official drink since 1938, but experts believe its history here goes well beyond the '30s. Churchill Downs representative Sara Brown Meehan told Good Morning America that some say racetrack officials planted mint for the cocktail as early as 1875, when the famed race began.

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A Mint Julep History

Mint juleps are as synonymous with the Kentucky Derby as oversized hats, but these cocktails actually originated more than 400 miles (643 kilometers) away. Virginia is credited with spearheading the mint julep movement. The first account dates back to 1803, when Englishman John Davis defined it as "a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians of a morning," in his book "Travels of Four and a Half Years in the United States of America."

At that time, the bourbon wasn't the spirit of choice. In fact, any spirit would do. It wasn't until the 1770s when Virginians moved west  taking the mint julep with them  that Kentucky added a signature twist to the cocktail: bourbon. Virginians used rum and brandy in their mint juleps, but Henry Clay, a Kentucky senator in the early 1800s, introduced bourbon, Kentucky's renowned spirit, as the base.

As a beloved Kentucky drink, the mint julep slowly seeped its way into Derby culture. Records even show broadcasters lamenting the lack of the drink during Prohibition from 1920 to 1933.

" " Race officials once gave julep cups as trophies for first-place jockeys. Here (from left) trainer R. L. Wheeler, owner Cornelius V. Whitney, jockey Willie Shoemaker and Mrs. Whitney pose as Kentucky Governor Bert Combs presents a julep cup in 1960. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

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The Signature Silver Cup

In Kentucky Derby culture, the julep cup is just as important as the cocktail itself. These sleek sterling silver cups predate the derby. The cups date back to the 1800s when early Kentucky silversmiths from Lexington and Louisville debuted the design.

"It was a popular gift for christenings, weddings or a graduation," Natalia Cardenas, brand ambassador for the derby's official bourbon, Woodford Reserve, says in an email. "Records dating back to the 1800s show that julep cups were being given out as prizes at the county fair."

Race officials used julep cups as trophies for first-place jockeys in the 1820s. The signature design, known for a wide-footed base and either a beaded rim or bands at the top, is more than just decorative. "It is meant to be held only by touching the top or the bottom, allowing the silver to frost over," Cardenas says.

Since its inception, the julep cup has taken many forms. In 2008, Churchill Downs debuted the largest mint julep glass in the world: a 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) cup with a 206 gallon (779-liter) capacity; that's the equivalent of 5,000 mint juleps. Woodford Reserve and Tiffany & Co. also auctioned off three luxe julep cups in 2011. The cups, which started at $2,000, boasted 24-karat-gold bases that the high-end jeweler used for horse racing trophies in 1876. The Derby typically serves its juleps in glass souvenir cups, though.

" " The signature sterling silver mint julep cup is as important to the cocktail as its ingredients. Jon Lovette/Getty Images

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Make a Mean Mint Julep

They may be best served in sterling silver cups, but crafting a mint julep at home doesn't have to be daunting. Cardenas gave us her recipe for making a Woodford Reserve mint julep:

Ingredients

5 to 8 fresh mint leaves

0.5 ounce simple syrup

crushed ice

2 ounces of Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Directions

Lightly muddle the mint and simple syrup in your mint julep cup. Add the bourbon and pack tightly with crushed ice. Stir until the cup is frosted on the outside. Top with more crushed ice to form an ice dome and garnish with a mint sprig.

Cardenas recommends Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey because its flavor is powerful enough to stand up to the ingredients, and at 90.4 proof, it can last for a handful of races. "Be sure not to over-muddle the mint, as it tends to make the drink bitter," Cardenas says. "Make sure your simple syrup is equal parts sugar to water, and crushed ice is best because it dilutes and chills the cocktail the fastest." To make crushed ice at home, Cardenas says just wrap up a few ice cubes in a clean dish towel and crush it with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet.

Molly Wellmann, a renowned mixologist in Cincinnati, says she looks for bourbon that creates a well-balanced drink for her mint juleps. "Old Forester is an excellent choice because it isn't too spicy and the corn shows through," she says in an email. "I wouldn't recommend using a high-rye bourbon." Wellmann also tops her juleps with a splash of dark rum for creativity. "It's a throwback to when the spirit of choice was rum, and it really brings out the caramel and vanilla notes."

Now That's Interesting The history of horses and bourbon goes well beyond the derby. Before the Civil War, horse farmers simultaneously bred horses, grew crops and ran their own small distilleries. Prohibition ended the longstanding relationship between horse breeding and distilleries. By the time it was repealed, large conglomerates had scooped up nearly all of Kentucky's private distilleries.

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Originally Published: Sep 5, 2020
When Politico reported that it received a copy of a confidential draft of a purported landmark opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, employers took note.

If someone from an institution as sacred as the Supreme Court could suffer such a monumental breach of confidentiality, what can regular employers do to protect their information?

For many years, employers have been focused on preventing third-party intrusions or hacking into their systems and operations. Employers should continue to focus on third parties but also consider what they are doing to prevent employees from disclosing confidential and proprietary information.

Protecting the confidentiality of customer and employer information has become particularly difficult in the remote work environment.

The Supreme Court leak presents a good opportunity for employers to examine what they have done, and are doing, to protect confidential information.

First, ask what protections you already have in place. Some of my clients have:

a well-communicated policy and culture of ethics, honesty and integrity;

a robust, well-communicated policy regarding confidential and proprietary information;

information technology systems whereby USB and other devices cannot be used in any work computer and/or whereby only approved USB devices can be used, and even those contain a password; and

operational controls whereby the system triggers when an email has been forwarded to a gmail address or personal email accounts.

Even with these controls, employees can unfortunately simply take a picture of their computer with their personal device or print documents and then rescan them, and this is especially difficult to control where employees are working remotely.

While most employers have moved to online technology for sharing and storing documents, these systems create a greater likelihood of sharing information. There have been many times in recent years where I have printed a confidential document, shared it with a board or group on a need to know, and then collected the document at the end to make sure the document was not reproduced, copied or shared with others.

Even with the best organizational controls, sometimes employees can find a way to circumvent them.

I recently had a client whose employee circumvented its operational controls by creating a separate server to upload client information and then posted them on his personal website with the intent of promoting his consulting services. This employee hadnt intended to harm the client or employer, but to promote the work he did with the employer, although his actions nonetheless disclosed confidential information.

Employers should implement as many controls as possible, but employers can also take an extra step by having employees sign non-disclosure agreements with consequences for violations.

Among other provisions, the non-disclosure agreement can be something like this:

Recognition of Companys Rights; Nondisclosure. At all times during his/her employment and thereafter, Employee will hold in strictest confidence and will not disclose or use any of Companys Proprietary or Confidential information (as defined), except as such disclosure or use may be required in connection with his/her work for Company, or unless Companys President/CEO expressly authorizes such in writing. Employee hereby assigns to Company any rights Employee may have or acquire in such information and recognizes that all Proprietary and Confidential Information shall be the sole property of Company and its assigns. Employee has been informed and acknowledges that the unauthorized taking of Companys trade secrets may subject Employee to civil or criminal penalties.

Employees who have signed such agreements under a penalty of legal consequences or even prosecution (it is a criminal theft for employees to steal information or break into the companys computer systems) may be less likely to engage in acts of disclosure or misappropriation.
What is the best advice you ever received from your mother? Or your grandmother  or anyone else who might have fulfilled those caregiving and child-rearing roles in your childhood? What is the most memorable lesson she ever taught you?

My mother, Rose, did not dispense advice in any explicit way. She was a doer, not a talker, let alone a philosopher. She counseled loudly by the way in which she acted. The messages I took away as a boy included so many of the simple, most basic truths about decency and thoughtfulness  truths that are common knowledge yet, alas, not common practice.

Be considerate of others. Dont make a spectacle of yourself. You dont always need to have it your way  instead be willing to accommodate others.

As these humble truths suggest, Rose yearned to feel she belonged  to a circle of caring friends, to a network of good neighbors, to a family of supportive intimates.

In part, that yearning arose because she left her close-knit farming family of nine in faraway County Donegal, Ireland. In January 1951, at age 22, she arrived in Philadelphia after a three-week journey on the RMS Queen Mary. She knew no one in America except a maiden aunt who wrote Roses father, inviting one of the girls to emigrate. Rose once met her as a young girl.

My mother was the only person in her family who ever left home. So I began to realize, long after my boyhood, that she must have felt lonely at times.

The yearning to belong must have derived from her the loss of her emotional anchor  her Irish childhood home; try though she did to recreate a version of it, in our little family, in our Philadelphia row house.

Those deep yearnings of hers only were partly fulfilled in America. Today I far better appreciate how she must have felt starved at times for feminine conversation and companionship.

Yes, she sometimes must have felt quite alone in a family of four boys, plus her husbands four brothers, who landed in America  wave after wave of them, with nowhere to stay (for months, even years) until they got on their feet.

All of that reminds me further of a lesson she did convey in words. As a boy, I didnt fathom it was her way of offering advice. She repeated the little remark countless times, in all kinds of seemingly unrelated circumstances. Yes, now I understand it to be a form of implicit advice: People arent here forever!

As a boy, on hearing that exclamation again and again, I would think to myself: Well, of course not! What could be more obvious?!

Over time I came to grasp that Rose was, perhaps only half-consciously, speaking about her own mother, who died when she was just 6 years old. Rose had one especially vivid memory of her mother.

On Nov. 6, 1934  a cold, wintry day  her mother held her hand as they walked for two hours, carrying a box of USA Biscuits to the home of Roses 5-year-old cousin as a birthday present. Six months later, her mother died, not long after giving birth to her seventh child.

People arent here forever, my mother would say to me.

In other words: Cherish the moment. Dont put off a kind word or gesture for later  or the wee visit. Give others the gift that you long to receive.

Yes, simple  but not so easy  truths to live by. Not so easy at all.

My mother died three years ago. I did a lot of caregiving in her last years. Did I do enough? For all that she gave me? In any case  I miss her.

People arent here forever.

What about you and your mother? It might be worth pondering this Mothers Day the little lessons you were taught  and the lifetime it takes to learn them.

Children learn what they live goes the old adage. Yes, indeed. So why not whisper a word of thanks to her on this Mothers Day?

Even if shes not around to hear it. Or perhaps, especially if shes not around. For all that she taught  not just in word but also deed.
I recently lost Rhonda, my wife of 32 years and mom to our four children, to acute myeloid leukemia. She was 59.

I met my sweetheart at a Bible study class when we were stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. A graduate of West Point, she served our country as an Army intelligence officer in Korea, and went on to be a well-respected attorney and a pillar of our Richmond community.

As my children and I approach our first Mothers Day without Rhonda, her untimely death has helped me focus more closely and reflect more intensely on the mothers in my life who helped make me the husband, father, lawyer and leader I am today.

Rhonda was not my first loss. After my sophomore year in college, the three most important women in my life passed away: my great-grandmother, my grandmother and my mother, who succumbed to lupus at age 46. All three emigrated together to the United States from Jamaica and settled in New York City.

My great-grandmother was a tough and shrewd businesswoman. My hairstylist grandmother, tall and stately, moved with the grace and elegance of a movie star.

But it was my mother who had the greatest impact on me. A nurse, she was rich with kindness, generosity and laughter. I loved her dearly, as did all the other kids and moms in our Long Island neighborhood. Her positivity instilled confidence in people, especially me. As I look back, she was speaking life into me in ways only a loving mother can.

When my mother died, the pastor of our church was new and unfamiliar with my family. My father wanted someone who really knew my mother to do the eulogy and, to my surprise, he asked me. I was an engineering major with zero public speaking experience. I felt inadequate to the task of delivering this important message.

Deep inside, however, I knew my father was relying on me. I did not realize it then, but when I said yes, I was embarking on a journey, in one of the darkest hours of my life. Along the way, I learned three things.

The first was that good arises from even the most challenging circumstances. Our small church was packed. As I stood before the congregation, my nerves jangled and my heart pounded.

But as I began to speak, a surprising confidence arose in me. The words, halting at first, flowed more fluidly. I enjoyed the reaction of the audience as I put my mothers life in context and consoled the crowd. Even though I was ashamed of thinking it, I liked talking in front of people.

I never became an engineer. Rather, I found myself in roles that required public speaking: president of my colleges gospel choir, president of my Army Officer Basic Class and, finally, trial lawyer and chairman.

Would I have recognized this gift without my fathers request? I dont think so.

This led to the second lesson: helping others helped me rebound from unexpected loss. Working on my mothers eulogy, talking about my mother and comforting others motivated me to be less selfish and more giving.

Grieving is a difficult, complicated process. It takes time. Shifting the focus from my pain to others who were hurting was a springboard to my recovery. And it opened another door for me  empathy, lesson No. 3.

Prior to my mothers passing, I had not experienced the unexpected death of someone close to me. Dealing with the grief of others was awkward and uncomfortable. But my own tragedy helped me empathize with those who suffered loss. I learned what not to say, and discovered the power of being present to acknowledge and share the pain of others.

As Ive advanced in my career, Ive come to see how important it is to be an empathetic leader. After all, if you are a leader and dont really care about people, why are you in leadership? That lesson has stayed with me whether leading soldiers, lawyers or my own children.

A few months ago, more than 35 years after eulogizing my mother, I stood in a larger church in Richmond to do the same for Rhonda. Like my mother, she died way too young. Our pain was excruciating.

Yet in the process of comforting those before me, especially our children sitting in the front row, I found myself returning to the touchstone of my mothers passing. This is an agonizing time for us all, I said, but even the most barren landscape, watered with our tears, will come alive with new growth.

As my family copes with Rhondas passing, I return to those lessons learned decades ago, and how my ultimate career choice, leadership direction and many other wonderful things sprang from them. Although the process is painful, tearful, perplexing and even angering, I remind my kids that hope can rise from loss.

I believe it will.
U.S. regulators are concerned about the safety of cannabis compounds taken by animals leaching into human foods like milk and eggs.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a batch of warnings to companies that sell CBD  a non-psychoactive compound in marijuana  and Delta-8 THC, a knockoff of the substance that does get you high, THC. One of the letters went to a Hendersonville, North Carolina-based company called Kingdom Harvest, which markets hemp extract and CBD for livestock that can be slipped into the food bowls of horses, cows or alpacas  or given to them via peanut butter.

In addition to raising potential concerns regarding safety for the animals themselves, CBD products for food-producing animals raise concerns regarding the safety of the human food (meat, milk, and eggs) derived from those animals, the FDA said in its warning letter. The agency asked the company to immediately stop selling any unapproved CBD products for food-producing animals, while noting theres not much data on whether CBD given to animals winds up in the food they produce.

Kingdom Harvest didnt immediately return a message seeking comment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded a grant to Kansas State University two years ago to study whether feeding hemp to livestock leads to unacceptable concentrations in food supply. The university recently published a study showing that giving industrial hemp to Holstein steers reduces their stress levels.

This isnt the first time that the FDA has issued such warnings. The latest letters, sent to four other companies, are part of the agencys ongoing struggle to deal with unregulated products derived from cannabis plants. The new warnings mostly focused on Delta-8 THC, which can be made cheaply with things like battery acid and contains contaminants. Delta-8 has already been banned in many U.S. states.
UPDATE 10 PM: The tornado watch has expired for the Roanoke and New River valleys. There appears to have been some damage at Chilhowie in Smyth County, with a roof blown off a building, and there may well end up being reports of significant damage west and north of Reidsville, N.C., where a tornado apparently occurred, and other reports may come in from around the region. There were also several locations that got hail, enough to cover the ground like snow in some areas near Wytheville. But for the most part it looks like we got through a pretty stormy evening without much damage occurring. Periods of showers will linger into Saturday as an upper-level low moves overhead and then offshore, but the severe threat has passed for our immediate area. END UPDATE

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UPDATE 8PM: Storms have rapidly blown into Roanoke with some gusty winds and a few reports of small hail. Copious amounts of hail accumulating like snow have occurred in some areas along I-81 near Wytheville. Thunderstorms with heavy rain and locally gusty winds will continue into the evening with the severe risk slowly ramping down later this evening. END UPDATE

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UPDATE 7PM: While a first batch of storms tracked mostly over North Carolina and Southside Virginia, storms to the west have coalesced into a line approaching the New River Valley. There have been a few tornado warnings along Interstate 81 from Bristol to Wytheville as tight rotation has been indicated at times with one of these cells. Strong to severe storms are moving into the New River Valley and will approach Roanoke in the next couple of hours. Locally damaging wind and/or large hail are possible with any storm, with still a risk of an isolated tornado. Heavy rain and frequent lightning will accompany many storms, severe or otherwise, this evening, END UPDATE

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Atmospheric conditions support the possibility of tornadoes developing in at least a few of the many storms that are continuing to develop over the Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic this afternoon and evening, so the Storm Prediction Center arm of the National Weather Service has posted a large tornado watch affecting most of the southern two-thirds of Virginia. (A previously issued tornado watch covers counties along and west of I-77 to the west of this watch).

Temperatures have warmed toward the mid 60s to near 70 with dew points in the lower 60s in the Roanoke area, which, combined with some colder air aloft with the approaching upper-level low and winds changing speed and direction with height will provide some risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening capable of large hail, damaging wind and, possibly, a few tornadoes. A watch does not mean tornadoes are certain for any given location in the designated area, but rather that conditions do exist that could produce them, and everyone should keep abreast of the latest weather information and be ready to get to shelter away from windows on the lowest floor of a sturdy structure if a warning is issued.

The greatest risk of severe weather occurring will be along a warm front lifting northward out of North Carolina into Virginia the next several hours, with the region from Southside to Hampton Roads particularly under the gun for supercells -- thunderstorms with rotating updrafts -- that could spawn strong downdraft winds or translate spin the surface for possible tornadoes.

Just about all locations in a 50-mile radius of Roanoke are likely to see, at the least, some heavy showers this afternoon and evening with gusty winds possible. As we have discussed previously, severe storms generally produce narrow, intense paths of damage rather than widespread swaths, so just because your backyard isn't affected by the worst doesn't mean someone else's won't be within driving distance of your location.

Weather Journal: Severe storms more often miss than hit, but it's wise to prepare for worst Streaky nature of severe thunderstorm and tornado effects poses challenges in forecasting and awareness, but it's wise to heed watches and warnings and prepare accordingly.

The risk will carry into evening as storms in Tennessee and Kentucky move through, followed by a cold front that will bring cooler temperatures and stabilize the atmosphere considerably. An upper-level low moving overhead will keep showers around on Saturday. This low is projected to move offshore, rotating in cooler but drier air by Sunday and early in the coming week, but may, oddly, move back west next week and affect us with showers once again.

Contact Kevin Myatt at kevin.myatt@roanoke.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevinmyattwx.

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LYNCHBURG  An advocacy group says the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights is investigating Liberty University following a Title IX complaint filed by the organization.

The Religious Exemption Accountability Project (REAP) said Wednesday that OCR is probing alleged LGBTQ+ rights violations at LU and five other schools. REAP, a project of the national nonprofit Soulforce, was formed to support LGBTQ students on religious campuses.

The complaint against LU was filed on behalf of a former student and on behalf of current LGBTQ+ students at the university, according to a May 4 letter to the Portland, Oregon-based law firm Paul Southwick Law, LLC, from Zorayda Moreira-Smith, an OCR supervisory attorney, that REAP posted on its website. Southwick is the director of REAP.

Neither the Department of Education nor Liberty University responded to messages from The News & Advance seeking comment for this story.

The letter states allegations that LU discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation specifically center on its policies and practices, including the Statement on Sexuality and Relationships in the student honor code and the role of an on-campus group called Armor Bearers.

REAP last year filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education seeking to nullify certain religious exemptions for colleges and universities. That suit says LU describes its Armor Bearers meeting group as helping male students struggling with same-sex attraction and sex addiction.

Students often share that groups like these are, in essence, conversion therapy programs, although they are often presented as support groups, Joe Baxter, a legal fellow with REAP, said in an email this past week to The News & Advance.

Conversion therapy is the practice of attempting to change an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity. Virginia in 2020 banned its use on minors by state-licensed health care providers or counselors, and it is banned or admonished by a number of professional organizations, such as the American Medical Association.

OCR, a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Education that primarily focuses on enforcing civil rights laws, enforces Title IX, part of federal legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity operated by a recipient of federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. LU is subject to Title IX as a recipient of financial assistance from the federal government.

The May 4 letter from OCR emphasizes the opening of an investigation in no way implies OCR has made a determination with regard to its merits. The letter also states OCR determined it will not investigate a second allegation from a former student that LU discriminated against him by maintaining a policy that behavior reflecting LGBT identity was in violation of the student honor code and by encouraging him to participate in conversion therapy to avoid punishment.

The student attended Liberty from August 2008 to May 2012, and OCR generally will take action only with respect to allegations filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination unless a waiver is granted, the letter states. A waiver was requested, but ultimately not granted, based on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administrations policies and statements about religious exemptions to Title IX and a claim the school continues to discriminate against [the Student] and to promulgate policies and practices that discriminate against LGBTQ+ students, the letter states.

Luke Wilson, a former Liberty University student and current plaintiff in the class action lawsuit against the education department, said in a statement he is beyond delighted about the investigation.

As a survivor of Libertys one-on-one conversion therapy program and as one who went to one of the group conversion therapy meetings on campus, I have since worked to raise awareness about this heinous practice that has ravaged the lives of countless queer Liberty students, Wilson said in the statement.

Wilson is one of nearly three dozen people who, in the lawsuit, allege harmful homophobic culture at various religious institutions of higher education has affected them personally.

Filed in Oregon in spring 2021, the complaint holds colleges and universities are unlawfully allowed to harm sexual and gender minority students under the color of religious exemption and shouldnt have that protection from Title IX discrimination complaints.

Separately, LU officials told the Washington Post recently the Department of Education is investigating in the wake of complaints about how the school has handled sexual-assault cases.

LU has faced complaints in recent months over its handling of sexual assault allegations, including last summer when a dozen women filed a suit alleging the school failed to help them after they reported assaults or sexual misconduct.
RICHMOND Gov. Glenn Youngkin ended Public Service Recognition Week by announcing a new telework policy that confused and demoralized many state government employees who have survived the COVID-19 pandemic by working mostly from their homes.

Youngkin launched the new policy hurriedly Thursday evening as details publicly emerged that appeared to contradict the message that the governor and his top staff had sought to deliver  a promise of flexibility for some 55,000 workers in 65 executive branch agencies in where and how they do their jobs.

Instead, state employees and agency heads say the policy reduces flexibility for agencies in allowing their employees to work remotely by requiring approval by a Cabinet secretary or the governors chief of staff for any employee to telework more than one day a week, beginning July 5.

The new policy removes much of the flexibility and discretion that agency heads had in permitting employees to work remotely before the pandemic began more than 26 months ago, the director said, instead limiting their authority to grant no more than one day of telework to an employee each week.

Youngkin and his top aides agree that the new policy will limit the latitude of state agency heads to depart from the new standards, which they say is necessary to improve the delivery of services to the public.

We want to standardize workplace policies and practices across executive agencies to enable customer-centric services, top-tier education, safety and security, and prosperity for Virginia, Chief of Staff Jeff Goettman said in a letter to employees on Thursday that included the actual policy, which the governors office had not distributed to the news media when it announced the initiative.

The new policy says all state employees must return to their offices by July 5, working in person five days a week unless they receive approval of a standard telework agreement. Employees could apply for telework permission under the agreements, beginning on Friday.

The administration plans to finish reviewing the applications by May 20 and approve them by June 3, although the news release announcing the initiative set an approval deadline of June 30.

Agency heads can approve one day of telework a week, or temporary telework of up to two weeks because of family illness, school closing or other unavoidable circumstances.

Goettman, a former private equity executive and investment banker who ran Youngkins successful gubernatorial campaign last year, would have the final word under the policy on whether an employee could work remotely for more than two days a week.

In response, a Concerned Commonwealth Employee sent the governors chief of staff an email message on Friday that denounced the new policy as counterproductive to government efficiency that the anonymous worker said had improved in a teleworking environment during the pandemic.

To reward the employees of the Commonwealth for finding new and better ways to do things, along with going against numerous research studies that demonstrate that companies that want to attract Millennials and Gen Z employees MUST offer teleworking and flexibility in a work environment, you spit in our faces, the employee said in the message, copied to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Millennials and Gen Z employees do not want to be gophers in cubicles and neither do state employees who have figured out better ways to accomplish their work, the message states.

Two other state employees who spoke to The Times-Dispatch on condition of anonymity said the new policy is too broad and inflexible for defining telework opportunities in more than five dozen agencies.

Its disappointing that such a broad brush would be painted with such a diverse workforce, said one employee, who noted that it would apply one standard to people who live in very different ways and work in very different ways.

Another employee, who has worked in two state agencies, said the new policy feels hostile to state employees and the relationships we have with our supervisors.

It is especially concerning to roll back telework flexibilities even further than pre-pandemic levels, especially given the lack of a vaccine mandate, the employee said in a text message after verifying state employment.

I am also not aware of any evidence that demonstrates productivity and service levels have declined since the state workforce became mostly remote, the person added. So this comes across as little more than a control-seeking solution in search of a problem.

Not all of the reaction to the policy was negative. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney welcomed it Friday as a way to return vitality to downtown, where the seat of government is a major source of business for retailers.

Thank you @GovernorVA for this decision, tweeted Stoney, a close ally of former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the Democrat whom Youngkin defeated in November. It will help bring more people back into downtown Richmond, supporting our local economy!

But two Richmond legislators expressed concern about the new policy and its effect on the many state employees who live in their districts.

Obviously, its a lot of micromanaging, said Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, a Verizon lawyer who had been teleworking before the pandemic, called the policy ill-conceived and out of step with industry trends.

It just seems like a very bureaucratic and top-down approach that Im a little surprised about, she said.

McClellan said she is receiving phone calls and email messages from concerned state employees, including some who work at Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Medical Center, who arent sure if the policy applies to them.

Thats not clear, she said.

Employees at public colleges and universities often work for both the state and under outside grants, and higher education institutions enjoy varying levels of autonomy in setting policy.

Youngkin press secretary Macaulay Porter said application of the policy depends on the employee at the colleges and universities and whether they fall under the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management.

Independent state bodies  such as the Virginia Retirement System, State Corporation Commission, Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and Lottery  are not required to but they can adopt our policy or a similar teleworking policy, Porter said.

McClellan acknowledged that there is little the General Assembly can do to change the policy, which doesnt apply to legislative or judicial agencies. This is a policy that applies to executive branch agencies.

The senator, a member of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, said telework policies should be decided by agency heads and team leaders.

Secretary of Administration Lyn McDermid said in a briefing of The Times-Dispatch on Thursday  before the policy itself became public  that decisions about teleworking will depend on the nature of the job and the needs of the agency.

But McDermid said, The people who understand the work will determine what will be the appropriate schedule  the supervisor and the employee.

McClellan said that sounds right, but added, Thats not what the policy says.
RICHMOND  The College of William and Mary on Saturday will dedicate a 45-foot-long brick memorial that recognizes the people enslaved by the university.

Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved resembles a fireplace and features the names of people known to have been enslaved at the school. The memorial, 20 feet high and 16 feet wide, cost $2 million to build.

The ceremony to dedicate it begins at 2 p.m.

Chartered in 1693, William & Mary benefited from enslaved labor for 170 years. Its unclear how many people the university enslaved, but historians have discovered the names of more than 100 people owned by the college or its employees and students.

Enslaved people made the bricks that built the Wren Building, and they erected the building itself.

Slaves were as inseparable a part of the college as the old bricks of the College Building itself, Jennifer Oast wrote in a book about slavery in Virginia.

In the 2007-08 school year, students passed a resolution calling on the college to research and make public its history with slavery. That initiative became known as the Lemon Project, named for a person enslaved by the school.

Since the project began, William & Mary has begun locating descendants of the enslaved, and last year it changed the names of three buildings and an academic department named for supporters of the Confederacy.

Among the buildings renamed was Tyler Hall, named for President John Tyler and Lyon Gardiner Tyler, the presidents son who defended the Confederacy. The building is now called Chancellors Hall.

The design for the memorial, created by Richmond-based architectural firm Baskervill, was chosen in 2020. Richmond-based Kjellstrom & Lee built the memorial.

Its cost was covered by private funds and contributions from the board of visitors.

It will serve as a gathering place for the community and as a reimagined entrance to the universitys historic campus, a university spokesperson said.

The location of the memorial is on the historic section of campus, south of the Wren Building.

Saturdays event will include speakers, a recitation of the names of the enslaved, music, poetry and a ribbon cutting.

The University of Virginia built a Memorial to Enslaved Laborers in 2020, and the University of Richmond is planning a memorial to the enslaved people buried on its campus.
More than 100 civilians have finally emerged from the bombarded Azovstal steel plant, the last Ukrainian holdout in the ruined city of Mariupol
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" " Common sense includes an intuitive understanding of basic physics  something computers lack. Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images

Imagine you're having friends over for lunch and plan to order a pepperoni pizza. You recall Amy mentioning that Susie had stopped eating meat. You try calling Susie, but when she doesn't pick up, you decide to play it safe and just order a margherita pizza instead.

People take for granted the ability to deal with situations like these on a regular basis. In reality, in accomplishing these feats, humans are relying on not one but a powerful set of universal abilities known as common sense.

As an artificial intelligence researcher, my work is part of a broad effort to give computers a semblance of common sense. It's an extremely challenging effort.

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Quick  Define Common Sense

Despite being both universal and essential to how humans understand the world around them and learn, common sense has defied a single precise definition. G. K. Chesterton, an English philosopher and theologian, famously wrote at the turn of the 20th century that "common sense is a wild thing, savage, and beyond rules." Modern definitions today agree that, at minimum, it is a natural, rather than formally taught, human ability that allows people to navigate daily life.

Common sense is unusually broad and includes not only social abilities, like managing expectations and reasoning about other people's emotions, but also a naive sense of physics, such as knowing that a heavy rock cannot be safely placed on a flimsy plastic table. Naive, because people know such things despite not consciously working through physics equations.

Common sense also includes background knowledge of abstract notions, such as time, space and events. This knowledge allows people to plan, estimate and organize without having to be too exact.

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Common Sense Is Hard to Compute

Intriguingly, common sense has been an important challenge at the frontier of AI since the earliest days of the field in the 1950s. Despite enormous advances in AI, especially in game-playing and computer vision, machine common sense with the richness of human common sense remains a distant possibility. This may be why AI efforts designed for complex, real-world problems with many intertwining parts, such as diagnosing and recommending treatments for COVID-19 patients, sometimes fall flat.

Modern AI is designed to tackle highly specific problems, in contrast to common sense, which is vague and can't be defined by a set of rules. Even the latest models make absurd errors at times, suggesting that something fundamental is missing in the AI's world model. For example, given the following text:

"You poured yourself a glass of cranberry, but then absentmindedly, you poured about a teaspoon of grape juice into it. It looks OK. You try sniffing it, but you have a bad cold, so you can't smell anything. You are very thirsty. So you"

the highly touted AI text generator GPT-3 supplied

"drink it. You are now dead."

Recent ambitious efforts have recognized machine common sense as a moonshot AI problem of our times, one requiring concerted collaborations across institutions over many years. A notable example is the four-year Machine Common Sense program launched in 2019 by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to accelerate research in the field after the agency released a paper outlining the problem and the state of research in the field.

The Machine Common Sense program funds many current research efforts in machine common sense, including our own, Multi-modal Open World Grounded Learning and Inference (MOWGLI). MOWGLI is a collaboration between our research group at the University of Southern California and AI researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California at Irvine, Stanford University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The project aims to build a computer system that can answer a wide range of commonsense questions.

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Transformers to the Rescue?

One reason to be optimistic about finally cracking machine common sense is the recent development of a type of advanced deep learning AI called transformers. Transformers are able to model natural language in a powerful way and, with some adjustments, are able to answer simple commonsense questions. Commonsense question answering is an essential first step for building chatbots that can converse in a human-like way.

In the last couple of years, a prolific body of research has been published on transformers, with direct applications to commonsense reasoning. This rapid progress as a community has forced researchers in the field to face two related questions at the edge of science and philosophy: Just what is common sense? And how can we be sure an AI has common sense or not?

To answer the first question, researchers divide common sense into different categories, including commonsense sociology, psychology and background knowledge. The authors of a recent book argue that researchers can go much further by dividing these categories into 48 fine-grained areas, such as planning, threat detection and emotions.

However, it is not always clear how cleanly these areas can be separated. In our recent paper, experiments suggested that a clear answer to the first question can be problematic. Even expert human annotators  people who analyze text and categorize its components  within our group disagreed on which aspects of common sense applied to a specific sentence. The annotators agreed on relatively concrete categories like time and space but disagreed on more abstract concepts.

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Recognizing AI Common Sense

Even if you accept that some overlap and ambiguity in theories of common sense is inevitable, can researchers ever really be sure that an AI has common sense? We often ask machines questions to evaluate their common sense, but humans navigate daily life in far more interesting ways. People employ a range of skills, honed by evolution, including the ability to recognize basic cause and effect, creative problem solving, estimations, planning and essential social skills, such as conversation and negotiation. As long and incomplete as this list might be, an AI should achieve no less before its creators can declare victory in machine commonsense research.

It's already becoming painfully clear that even research in transformers is yielding diminishing returns. Transformers are getting larger and more power hungry. A recent transformer developed by Chinese search engine giant Baidu has several billion parameters. It takes an enormous amount of data to effectively train. Yet, it has so far proved unable to grasp the nuances of human common sense.

Even deep learning pioneers seem to think that new fundamental research may be needed before today's neural networks are able to make such a leap. Depending on how successful this new line of research is, there's no telling whether machine common sense is five years away, or 50.

Mayank Kejriwal is a research assistant professor of industrial & systems engineering at the University of Southern California.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.
DARLINGTON, S.C.  For some fans, race weekend at Darlington is a Mothers Day celebration.

A mother and daughter duo, Allison Keeney and Lexie Brinker of Mooresville, N.C., said they are using this day to bond and every day they spend together is a good day.

Any weekend at the racetrack is a good time, Allison Kenney said. Mothers Day just makes it a little more special and fun.

My daughter is supporting A.J. Allmendinger and I am supporting Noah Gragson, Kenney said. I am supporting Noah because his driving style is young and fun.

Allmendinger is No. 16 and Gragson is No. 9. Each drives a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Lexie Brinker said she fell in love with Allmendinger when she was watching a race and became intrigued by his name. He ended up winning the race and from that point on, she has recognized him as her driver. Brinker said she loves her mother and it is a wonderful feeling to have fun with her on a race weekend.

Another mother-daughter duo, Laura Murray and Abby Murray of Summerville, said spending time together, hanging out in the camper, and coming to the race is an awesome feeling. This will be their last time together before Abby goes to Clemson University in the fall.

I am treasuring this weekend because I am about to go off to college and start my journey, Abby Murray said. My mother also went to Clemson. This will be my last Mothers Day living in her home and I am excited. I want to soak in this weekend.

Laura Murray said her favorite driver is Jace Elliot, who drives the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Abby Murray said her favorite driver is Kyle Busch, who drives the No. 18 Toyota Camry.

My mother was a fan of Elliot and she passed away, so I root for him because of her, Laura Murray said. Her daughter said Kyle Busch is her favorite because he wins and everyone hates a winner. She gave her mother a loving nudge.

For the Anderson family, racing is not just a family outing  it is family history.

Mother Erin Anderson said her husband races, his father raced, and his uncle, Johnny Anderson, made it into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. Her boys are continuing the legacy of driving. Besides the risk involved in racing, to see the smiles on my boys faces is priceless, she said. It is all you can ask for. It is the best Mothers Day present I will ever receive.

Father Greg Anderson said racing is the glue that keeps his family together.

It has been a passion of our family for generations and it is something that brings us all together as a family, Greg Anderson said. We just enjoy the races. Racing makes our family what it is. I no longer race, but my kids do. My passion for driving is still there and it will never go away.

Preston Grier, the oldest son of the Grier family, said his favorite drivers are Ross Chastain and Jace Elliot.

He said he loves Ross Chastain because Chastain has a watermelon farm and he loves watermelons. He said he loves Jace Elliot because Elliot took over Jeff Gordons car and he has always loved Jeff Gordon. He said he wants to be a professional driver in the future.

The Brooks family looks at the race as a time to relax and enjoy each others company. They are from Moncks Corner.

This is something my husband and son love and I am glad to be a part of it,  Meagan Brooks said It is just fun for us to get away from everything and enjoy racing. I am rooting for Martin Truex and my husband and son are rooting for Noah Gragson. I chose Martin because he is No. 19 and that is the date of my birthday. I do not have a real reason.

Chris Brooks said he enjoys spending this time with his wife and son. He said he hopes the driver his wife chose wins as a Mothers Day gift.

Nothing beats family time and we come here every year, Brooks said. Brooks and his son have been attending the races since the son was 6 years old. The wife recently started joining and changed the duo to a trio.

The Grier family said the raceway has become a tradition because they met lifelong friends. It is also Whitney Griers first Mothers Day.

It feels good to be out here with my family, Whitney Grier said.  My son loves cars and wheels and anything like that so he has been having a really good time out here. It is a special feeling to celebrate my first Mothers Day here. I hope to make this a continued tradition with my son throughout his life.

Her husband, Eric Grier, the father of the home, said Darlington Raceway holds a special place in their heart. They met friends there six years ago.

We didnt know them before and now we park beside them and meet up with them,  Grier said. They are from Georgia and we keep in contact with them all throughout the year and we have our reunion every year at the races.

Eric Grier said Kyle Larson is his favorite driver because he is good. He commended his wife on being an amazing mother and said he hopes to celebrate each year at the races with her until they grow old.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Angela Housley was halfway through her pregnancy when she learned the fetus was developing without parts of its brain and skull and would likely die within hours or days of birth, if it survived that long.

The news came during her 20-week ultrasound.

The technician got a really horrible look on her face, Housley said. And we got the really sad news that our baby was anencephalic.

It was 1992 and abortion was legal in Idaho, though she had to dodge anti-abortion protesters outside the Boise hospital after the procedure. If the same scenario were to happen later this year, she would likely be forced to carry to term.

Thats because Idaho, which bans abortion after six weeks, is one of at least 22 states with laws banning abortion before the 15th week, many of them lacking exceptions for fetal viability, rape or incest, or even the health of the woman. Several of those bans would take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, as a leaked draft of the opinion suggests.

Such exceptions were once regularly included in even the most conservative anti-abortion proposals. But as the battle over abortion access heats up, experts on both sides of the issue say the exceptions were a temporary stepping stone intended to make anti-abortion laws more palatable.

Many of the current abortion bans are designed as trigger laws," automatically going into effect if the high court overturns the nationwide right to abortion. That ruling is expected to be released by late June or early July.

Alabama and Oklahoma have enacted bans with no exceptions. Alabama's 2019 law is blocked in federal court but could be reinstated based on the Supreme Court's ruling. The Republican sponsors envisioned the legislation as a vehicle to challenge Roe in court, and said they could add rape and incest exceptions later if Roe is overturned.

Theyre basically using people  in this particular situation, women  as collateral damage," said Democratic Rep. Chris England, the chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party. In the debate, we tried to talk reasonably to them and say, What happens if you win? This is the law, Youre not going to have the opportunity to change it before people get hurt.'

Several other states, including Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas, also have bans or trigger laws in place that lack exceptions for rape or incest, according to the Guttmacher Institute and Associated Press reporting.

Idaho and Utah have exceptions for rape or incest, but require the pregnant woman to first file a police report and then prove to the abortion provider the report was made. Only about a third of sexual assaults are reported to police, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

Texas and Idaho allow exceptions for medical emergencies" but leave that interpretation up to physicians, making some critics fear doctors will wait to intervene until a woman is near death.

Public support for total abortion bans appears to be low, based on a Pew Research Center survey released Friday and conducted in March. The survey showed that just 8% of U.S. adults think abortion should be illegal in all cases with no exceptions, and that 61% of adults say abortion should be legal in most or all circumstances. Surveys consistently show that many Americans have nuanced attitudes around the legality of abortion depending on the stage of pregnancy, circumstances of conception and health of the mother or fetus.

Arkansas has two near-total abortion bans  a trigger law from 2019 and one passed last year that is blocked in federal court. Neither have exceptions for rape or incest, though they do allow abortions to save the woman's life. The state also never repealed its pre-1973 total abortion ban with no restrictions.

Republicans in the state were split on the issue last year, with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Sen. Missy Irvin expressing reservations about the lack of protections for sexual assault survivors.

Do you know how many young girls are on suicide watch because they were raped, because they were a victim of incest? asked Irvin, who ultimately voted for last years bill.

The sponsor of last years ban, Republican Sen. Jason Rapert, defended the lack of exemptions, saying it still allowed the use of emergency contraception.

Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst for the abortion-rights supporting Guttmacher Institute, said that of 86 pending proposals for abortion restrictions this year, only a few  including one each in Idaho, New Jersey and West Virginia  include rape and incest exceptions.

The exceptions were always incredibly limited, she said. "You might think these exceptions are helpful. But in fact theyre so restricted, theyre very hard to use.

Troy Newman, president of the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, said exceptions to abortion restrictions for rape and incest and to protect a pregnant womans life in the past have been thrown in there to appease some centrists.

Newman said his group, based in Wichita, Kansas, opposes rape and incest exceptions. Their rationale: Dont punish the baby for the crime of the father.

The Ohio Legislature is weighing a trigger law that lacks sexual assault exceptions. During a hearing last month, the bills GOP sponsor, Rep. Jean Schmidt, caused controversy when she called pregnancy resulting from rape an opportunity for the rape victim to make a determination about what she's going to do to help that life be a productive human being.

She was responding to a question from Democratic Rep. Rich Brown, who asked if a 13-year-old impregnated during a rape would be forced to carry to term.

Rape emotionally scars the individual, Schmidt conceded, "but if a baby is created, it is a human life.

Democratic Rep. Tavia Galonski countered that pregnancy is often traumatic and dangerous on its own, adding: To then force a survivor of rape to carry a pregnancy to term and go through childbirth is utterly vile and only adds to the trauma they have already suffered.

In South Carolina, supporters of a 2021 abortion ban added exceptions for rape and incest because it was the only way to get the law passed. During debate, Republican Sen. Richard Cash argued against the exceptions.

Punish the rapist ... but it doesnt belong on the baby, he said.

Democratic Sen. Mia McLeod responded that it was obvious Cash had never been raped.

Well, I have. Youre looking at a sexual assault survivor, she said, adding that requiring rape victims to carry babies to term could lead them to desperate measures, including dangerous illegal abortions or suicide.

"Im just asking that the men in this body give the women and girls of this state a choice, McLeod said.

New Hampshire has banned abortion after 24 weeks of gestation except for when the woman's health is threatened, though the state will soon add an exception for fatal fetal anomalies. The Republican-led legislature has rejected attempts to add rape and incest exceptions.

Republican Rep. Beth Folsom, who said in January that she is a rape survivor, argued the exceptions aren't necessary because rape victims carefully track their menstrual cycles and wouldnt wait 24 weeks to seek an abortion. An incest exception wasnt needed, she added, because that aggressor is going to make sure that young girl or woman has an abortion before anyone finds out.

Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Pro-Choice Missouri, expressed concern that provisions in laws like the one in Texas that allow abortions past six weeks in medical emergencies, will require doctors to wait until a patient appears to be dying to perform an abortion.

Any of those kind of pieces that are left up to interpretation are generally going to have a broad chilling effect on providers who dont want to jeopardize their career and livelihood and practice and ability to care for other patients, Schwarz said.

Many bans outlaw abortion after six weeks, when vaginal ultrasounds can first detect electrical activity in embryonic cells that may later become the heart. Proponents call them heartbeat laws, arguing that cardiac activity is a reliable indicator of life.

In Idaho, Housley has repeatedly testified against the state's abortion bans in the Legislature, but said the lawmakers were uninterested in hearing about her experience.

My baby had a heartbeat, but thats not the only thing a baby needs, said Housley. Anti-abortion politicians "are not at all interested in the reality of this issue. Theyve hijacked this discussion, and thats why we are where we are.

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut and AP statehouse reporters from around the U.S. contributed.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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SOCIETY Phu Lai Commune: Building a model new-style rural area

(HBO) - Resolution No. 11 of the Executive Committee of the Party Organisation of Phu Lai Commune, Yen Thuy district for the 2020-2025 term will see a target set to develop a model rural area in Phu Lai commune.





To achieve the target, Phu Lai commune is determined to deploy fresh solutions to create a breakthrough in socio-economic development, improving the lives of local people.

La Chi Hiep, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee said, "We have achieved the building of new-style rural areas over the past years. And although there are still hurdles to raise public awareness, we strive on. Capital investment for infrastructure to implement the model rural is limited, so we still have some work to do.

Mobilization of resources among the local community needs to improve and attracting businesses to invest in this sector is hard, he said.

According to him, a number of criteria for building new style rural areas have been met, but the quality is not yet as high as theyd like. To address the problem, the Party Committee realizes that it is necessary to develop specific goals and tasks, and at the same time to take appropriate measures to achieve the targets.

A series of measures have been taken, including strengthening leadership, increasing information dissemination, and creating belief among cadres, party members and locals.

Other measures include mobilizing locals to take part in building model rural and residential areas, with new architecture. The Commune People's Committee has been asked to review, evaluate, and develop a specific plan and roadmap for each criterion in order to fulfill the goals. Inspections, supervision and implementation of the democratic regulation on mobilizing locals in building the model areas have been stepped up. As well, to deliver on the goals means ensuring national security and defense; strengthening the leadership of the Party, promoting the strength of the national unity, exploiting all potentials, concentrating on mobilizing all resources, and implementing the Resolution of the XXIV Commune Party Congress, 2020 - 2025 tenure.

To implement the contents of the resolution, the commune has planned a concentrated commodity production area to assist in supporting the initiatives.

Per capita income in 2021 in the region reached 48.6 million VND and it is expected to increase to 54 million VND this year.

Public administrative activities have been modernized, with all administrative procedures made more efficient via a new information systems process, allowing the conduct of administrative procedures in accordance with government regulations./
A couple of weeks back I wrote about being drawn toward comfort food reads, books rooted in regular folks attempting to be decent to each other but running into trouble because we are all annoyingly (and interestingly) human.

This week my mind has been on the kinds of books that attempt to deliberately discomfort us by holding up those individual or societal flaws to a kind of scrutiny that is critical, even reaching toward a place of ridicule.

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These thoughts were triggered by a terrifically sharp new novel by Grant Ginder, Lets Not Do That Again, which works as a kind of combination of family drama and political satire. It is the story of the Harrison family  mother Nancy, who is a longtime U.S. representative now running to become the next senator from New York; Nick, the eldest and Nancys former chief fixer who is trying to forge a life of his own; and Greta, the youngest, who has fallen in with right-wing extremists in Paris, primarily to spite her mother.

Messy stuff, made even messier by a political milieu that is, well  you know whats going on in the world, and Ginder makes expert use of it as a backdrop for a novel that skewers society and his main characters, but still manages to maintain sufficient affection for all involved for the reader to care about their fates.

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It is a tricky balance, and would be easy to go so dark as to tip the reader into despair, but Ginder maintains the right amount of light.

Dont get me wrong, some of the best books in the history of the English language are satires that have left me in a state of semi-despair, saved only by my admiration for the artistry of the books themselves. Catch-22, White Noise, Infinite Jest and Ishmael Reeds Mumbo Jumbo all had a profound effect on me when I read them, but for the moment, Im not sure I want to experience those effects.

Satires like Ginders that retain a warmth and perhaps just enough of a spirit of farce can point out the wounds without hurting too badly.

Lets Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and Paul Beattys The Sellout."

Similar books include Paul Beattys The Sellout, in which a Black man desperate to save his disappeared California town, reinstitutes slavery, winding up before the Supreme Court.

Another that comes to mind is Douglas Adams classic, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which opens with a zoning dispute when Arthur Dents home is scheduled to be demolished to make way for a hyperspace express route. The juxtaposition of the mundane and absurd shows how absurd the mundane can be.

Julie Schumachers duo of campus satires, Dear Committee Members, and The Shakespeare Requirement walk a similar line between affection and ridicule as we follow the misadventures of Jason Fitger, a creative writing professor at a middling small liberal arts college. Schumacher manages to simultaneously make us see why the work of academia matters, and call to question how such places still exist.

For an even stranger look at work, I recommend Hilary Leichters Temporary, in which a temp employee tries on a series of jobs (including being a pirate), all told in the driest deadpan you can imagine until any job seems absurd.

Before I run out of space, I must mention Oreo by Fran Ross, the only book she published before her death, and a book that works as a mashup of mythological drama, African American pop culture in the 70s and Borscht Belt comedy.

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These books arent upbeat, exactly, but the underlying playfulness of the satire leavens the critique in a way that makes the message even stronger.

John Warner is the author of Why They Cant Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities.

Twitter @biblioracle

Book recommendations from the Biblioracle

John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books youve read

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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2. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

3. The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl

4. Ill Be Gone in the Dark: One Womans Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

5. The Last Flight by Julie Clark

 Susan A., Chicago

Susan seems like a fan of psychological suspense (among other things), so Im going to go back a bit to a Noah Hawley novel, The Good Father.

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1. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein

2. Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit

3. Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

4. How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates

5. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

 Gloria Y., San Diego

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All nonfiction that wrestles with literal existential dilemmas, which brings to mind Marilynne Robinsons searching essays about finding meaning, What Are We Doing Here?

1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

2. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

3. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

5. Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

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 Lisa P., Chicago

I need a good, involving, emotional story for Lisa, which takes me to one of my favorites from last year, Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin, a family story that really sneaks up on you.

Get a reading from the Biblioracle

Send a list of the last five books youve read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  The Latest on the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby (all times EDT):

7:20 p.m.

Longshot and final entry Rich Strike has crossed the finish line first in the 148th Kentucky Derby, outracing favorite Epicenter and Zandon.

The Eric Reed-trainer colt was also eligible and entered the 20-horse field on Friday after Ethereal Road was scratched. He started outside at 80-1 odds with Sonny Leon aboard but charged from behind Messier down the stretch to catch and pass the leaders and run the 1 1/4 mile in 2:02.61.

7:07 p.m.

Longshot and final entry Rich Strike has crossed the finish line first in the 148th Kentucky Derby, outracing favorite Epicenter and Zandon.

The horse entered the field on Friday after Ethereal Road was scratched and started outside but charged down the stretch to pass the leaders and run the 1 1/4 mile in 2:02.61.

6:50 p.m.

Former President Donald Trump arrived at Churchill Downs for his $75,000-per-person fundraiser around 6 p.m. His entrance was shielded from the general public and the press. He was ushered into the track through a side hallway that had been used by caterers and staff, where his entourage erected an American flag and a Kentucky flag to greet him. Before he arrived, staff pulled curtains to corral the press and public away, guarded by FBI agents in camouflage with automatic rifles.

Whispers of Trumps arrival passed through the crowd that backed up for twenty minutes. Some shouted his name, Trump, Trump, Trump. Others seemed irritated at the delay.

This is ridiculous, one woman grumbled.

Some got a glimpse of the former President through a short break in the curtains and a rumbled passed through the crowd.

Some cheered, some booed as the former president was whisked up to the high-priced clubhouses on the upper floors.

Then the curtains parted and everyone went on their way.

The details of Trumps event, including who is in attendance were not made public.

5:40 p.m.

Bettors are throwing their money behind Epicenter and Taiba, toppling Zandon as Kentucky Derby favorite less than 75 minutes before the scheduled 6:57 p.m. post time.

Both colts are listed as 5-1 choices, with Messier at 6-1 and Zandon now at 7-1. Taiba made the biggest jump after drawing 12-1 odds on Monday, getting $3.181 million in wagers. Thats just behind Epicenter at $3.380 million, who began as the 7-2 second choice behind Zandon.

Zandon, the 3-1 morning line favorite on Monday, has $2.698 million in wagers while Messier has $2.864 million.

3:30 p.m.

Spectators have crammed in to the first full Kentucky Derby since the coronavirus pandemic began, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in lines to place their bets and buy mint juleps.

Churchill Downs was packed by early afternoon, hours before the biggest race of the day.

For two years, the pandemic upended the typical extravagance of Derby Day. The 2020 running was delayed until Labor Day weekend and held without spectators. Last years race strictly limited the number of tickets sold. This year, Churchill Downs hoped to again surpass 150,000, its pre-pandemic numbers.

It feels like we have a normal life again, said Michelle Conforto, a milliner from California arriving for her 12th Derby who was delighted to have to wade through thick crowds again. Its a milestone for us to move forward.

Her husband, Joe, wore goggles and a stuffed horse named Miss Fancy on his head, decorated in yellow and olive to match his wifes elaborate feathered hat, which encircled her head a foot in every direction. They are Derby fixtures and people stop them to take pictures.

We get to spend time with people and enjoy our lives, Michelle Conforto said. Today we feel free.

1:45 p.m.

Spectators are returning in droves for the 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, which aims for close to full capacity beneath the Twin Spires for the first time since 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.

Zandon is the 3-1 morning line favorite and will start from the No. 10 post. Epicenter is the 7-2 second choice from the No. 3 post, with Messier the 8-1 third choice from the No. 6 post. He and stablemate Taiba (12-1, No. 12) are being guided by Tim Yakteen, who took over training for suspended Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

At a press briefing Saturday, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear brushed off a question about former President Donald Trumps rumored appearance at Churchill Downs, noting that Derby Day is a day of festivity, where hopefully we put any divisions aside.

Hopefully, we focus more on the race in front of us than any races in our future, Beshear added. Its a chance for everybody to see that Kentucky is welcoming to anyone who wants to come to this track, former president included.

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
SIOUX CITY -- On Friday night, the 87-year-old bandshell at Sioux City's Grandview Park was hit twice with graffiti, according to the Sioux City Police Department.

Around 8:36 p.m., Friday, a Sioux City resident, posted photos on Facebook showing the front of the white concrete structure had been covered in graffiti. Around 9:50 p.m., workers were seen at the music pavilion going over the various tags with white paint.

However, photos from this morning appear to show that certain spots were vandalized a second time.

"Just more gang graffiti, the east and the south of the bandshell," Sioux City Patrol Officer Mark Pennings said. According to him, multiple tags were in places where fresh white paint had already been applied.

"Quite a bit that had been painted over at least once," he said.

Pennings shared that there's one name that can be made out from the graffiti but there's no suspect or suspects at this time.

"Im assuming its a tag name or a gang name," he said.

As for the frequency of this kind of thing happening, Pennings said calls about the bandshell being hit tend to come in during the spring and summer.

"Im not sure if its because its right before theyre getting ready for Saturday in the Park," he said.

Sioux City Council moves ahead on $43,000 Grandview Park bandshell repairs The council approved a resolution to award a $43,394 service provider agreement to Kehm Contractors, Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska, for window replacement, shallow depth concrete repairs, tuckpointing and joint sealant for the 1930s structure.

In February of this year, The Sioux City Council approved a resolution to award a $43,394 service provider agreement to Kehm Contractors, Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska, for window replacement, shallow depth concrete repairs, tuckpointing and joint sealant for the 1930s structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

At the time of the resolution's approval, Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said the project was related to "wear and tear," not to two incidents of vandalism that occurred at the park in the summer of 2020. In June and July of that year, the bandshell was targeted with graffiti.

Jared McNett is an online editor and reporter for the Sioux City Journal. You can reach him at 712-293-4234 and follow him on Twitter @TwoHeadedBoy98.

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Dozens more civilians rescued from Ukrainian steel plant

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  Dozens more civilians have been rescued from the tunnels under the besieged steel plant where Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol are making their last stand. The holdouts are trying to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategically important port city. Russian and Ukrainian officials said Friday that 50 people were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Russian military said the group included 11 children. Russian officials and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said evacuation efforts would continue Saturday.

'We're so sorry': Mariupol plant evacuees feel relief, grief

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  More than 100 civilians have finally emerged from the bombarded Azovstal steel plant, the last Ukrainian holdout in the ruined city of Mariupol. Interviewed by The Associated Press, they offered the clearest picture yet of their two months living in the center of hell. It is a story of deprivation and fear deep under the earth; in the dank darkness, they felt themselves rot and watched others die. But it is also a tale of quiet heroism. Were so sorry, one evacuating family told civilians staying behind as they started toward the surface. Dont worry, the others replied. Well follow.

In abortion fight, conservatives push to end all exceptions

BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Rape, incest and the health of the fetus or mother were once accepted reasons to obtain an abortion in even the most conservative Republican-led states. But now roughly 20 states have abortion bans in the works without some of those exceptions. The shift comes as the Supreme Court is expected to overturn the nationwide right to abortion this summer. Troy Newman with the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, says exceptions for rape and incest and to protect a pregnant woman's life were only included in previous legislation to appease centrists.

Nearly 1 million COVID-19 deaths: A look at the US numbers

The count of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 is nearing 1 million, and there's a wealth of data making clear which groups have been hit the hardest. More than 700,000 people 65 and older died. Men died at higher rates than women. White people made up most of the deaths overall. Yet an unequal burden fell on Black, Hispanic and Native American people considering the younger average age of minority communities. Racial gaps narrowed between surges then widened again with each new wave. Most deaths happened in urban counties, but rural areas paid a high price at times.

Rangers locate climber's body on Alaska's Denali

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  National park rangers in Alaska have located the body of the years first registered climber on North Americas tallest peak. Because its so early in the climbing season, 35-year-old Matthias Rimml was alone on the upper part of Denali. He was a professional mountain guide from Tirol, Austria. Denali National Park and Preserve officials say Rimml's body was spotted during a high elevation aerial search on Friday. A friend had contacted the park Tuesday after not receiving a periodic check from Rimml. Park officials say Rimml likely fell on a notoriously treacherous stretch of the West Buttress route. Officials say 13 climbers, including Rimml, have died in falls along that steep traverse.

Man gets life for killings in California, Texas

LOS ANGELES (AP)  A man who pleaded guilty to a series of Southern California robberies and attacks that killed five men and injured seven others has been given multiple life sentences. Ramon Escobar also was sentenced Friday in Los Angeles for killing his aunt and uncle in Texas just a week before he fled to California. Prosecutors say over the course of about two weeks in September 2018, Escobar bludgeoned sleeping men on the beach in Santa Monica or the streets of Los Angeles, mostly because they irritated him or to steal their money. All but one victim was homeless.

Explosion at luxury Havana hotel kills 22, injures dozens

HAVANA (AP)  A powerful explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak has blown away outer walls from a five-star hotel in the heart of Cubas capital, killing at least 22 people and injuring dozens. Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma that no tourists had been staying at the 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations. Officials say about a dozen people are missing and that searchers are hunting for people who may be trapped. Cuban state TV blamed the blast on a truck carrying natural gas that it was supplying to the hotel. The blast happened as Cuba tries to revive its tourism sector.

Feds accuse Starbucks of unfair labor practices in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  Federal labor officials are accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against pro-union employees. The National Labor Relations Boards Buffalo regional director filed a sweeping complaint Friday outlining a host of labor law violations and seeking reinstatement and backpay for the employees. The coffee chain called the allegations false and vowed to fight them at an upcoming hearing. Starbucks Workers United said the complaint confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks conduct in Western New York for the better part of a year. The first votes in a nationwide Starbucks unionization push came in December at three stores in Buffalo.

Fire-ravaged New Mexico villages cling to faith, querencia

As the largest wildfire burning in the U.S. marches across northern New Mexico, residents have been guided by their faith and their connection to each other and the land. They've pleaded with God for intervention in the form of rain and calm winds, and protection for their neighbors they see as reflections of themselves. They've invoked the Virgin Mary and the patrons saints of firefighters and the various villages scattered across the landscape. The fire has burned hundreds of square miles, destroying dozens of homes in largely Hispanic working-class neighborhoods and forcing thousands to evacuate. Winds will be a major concern this weekend.

Palestinians facing eviction by Israel vow to stay on land

JINBA, West Bank (AP)  Residents of a cluster of Bedouin communities in the occupied West Bank have vowed to stick to their land and resist an order by Israel's top court to evict them. The order came after a more than a two-decade legal struggle by Palestinians to remain in their homes in Masafer Yatta. Israel has argued that the residents only use the area for seasonal agriculture and that they had already rejected compromise offers giving them occasional access to the land. The Palestinians say that if implemented, the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling opens the way for the eviction of all the 12 communities that have a population of 4,000 people.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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The script of NBC's "Today's Children" called for a scene in a day nursery. Being a stickler for realism, author Irna Phillips had microphones set up in a real nursery in Chicago, circa 1937. She's shown here talking over the situation with her stars for the day. (Chicago Tribune archive)

In 1931, Irna Phillips stood before a microphone in WGNs studio and read the part of Sue in a script she had written. Another staffer, Irene Wicker, played Irene.

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IRENE: I tell you, Sue, it wont work. Ive never worn that shade of orchid in my life. Id look like a perfect washout. Besides thats your very best special occasion dress. I wouldnt think of taking it.

SUE: Dont be silly. A wedding is a special occasion, isnt it? And as long as I wont need to wear it, you might just as well. If you are a bridesmaid, youve got to look the part, kid.

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The audience had no inkling of what Wicker or Phillips looked like. They were elsewhere, sitting in front of radio sets and listening to the 25th episode of Painted Dreams. Phillips brainchild was broadcast from the Drake Hotel on Michigan Avenue by WGN, the Chicago Tribunes radio station.

The previous year, Phillips had been assigned to write the prototype of a dramatic series. In fact, she created brand-new theatrical form that would become the soap opera.

Soap opera queen Irna Phillips, circa 1937. (Maurice Seymour)

The name was derived from advertisers of laundry products eager to reach housewives taking a break from their chores. Painted Dreams was sponsored by Lever Brothers, the makers of Super Suds.

The shows plot lines reflected an advertising executives understanding of womens issues. Painted Dreams revolved around Mother Moynihan, a widow who dispenses old-fashioned wisdom to the two young women who live with her:

Irene is her daughter, frivolous and thoughtless, a cigar counter clerk who has ambitions for a career upon the stage or in radio, and Sue Morton, an orphan, whom life has given some hard knocks, the Tribune explained on Oct. 4, 1931, the shows first anniversary.

What started out as a dialogue between two working girls has become in a year a sketch with seven distinct character parts, and as many more persons who, although they have never entered the story as speaking characters, have become such a vital part of it that listeners regard them as real persons.

All of the characters were played by Wicker and Phillips, who also created the sound effects. Later in life, Phillips set down her soap-opera philosophy in an unpublished memoir preserved in the Library of Congress.

The critics say, But why then do soap operas convey such a sense of overwhelming tragedy, of lives gone wrong?  she wrote. I can only point out that unrelenting bliss can be (in dramatic terms) as tedious as unrelenting misery.

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Like her character Irene, Phillips was raised by a widowed mother. Her writing career began, as it would end, on a melodramatic note.

Upon the initial success of her soap opera, Phillips wanted to take it to a national network, but WGNs management balked. She sued claiming she owned the rights to Painted Dreams and lost a long, bitterly fought courtroom battle.

The original cast members of NBC's "Today's Children" program are shown after making their first broadcast in 1932. In the front row, from left, are Jean MacGregor, Lucy Gillman and Fred Von Ammon. In the back row are, from left, Irna Phillips, Walter Wicker and Bess Johnson. (Chicago Tribune archive)

The courts have found that she was a salaried employee of WGN and that the idea of the script was conceived by the station manager, the Tribune reported after the Illinois Supreme Court denied her appeal in 1941. After a sponsor was found, however, she copyrighted the first 10 scripts without advising her employer.

She had long since sold a new soap opera to WGNs rival, WMAQ. The shows sponsor offered a guide to Todays Children. Thousands of fans sent in a label from Pillsbury Flour to get one.

By the 1940s, Phillips had five shows running simultaneously on various stations. She earned more than $250,000 a year, enabling her to live at 1335 Astor St., in Chicagos posh Gold Coast neighborhood. Yet Phillips couldnt type so many scripts.

Like Scheherazade, I work best before a live audience, she explained, invoking the putative narrator of the Arabian Nights, who told a sultan a tale every night. And so I dictate to a secretary

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Part of her workday was devoted to keeping tabs on the rivals her success created.

I often listen to other soap operas, not to imitate but to avoid imitation, she noted. In many cases, I have shuffled entire synopses because other programs anticipated a plot line that I was considering.

Phillips was born in 1901, one of 10 children in a German-Jewish family. Her father died when she was 8 years old, and she grew up wearing hand-me-down clothing. Lonely, she dreamed up stories and enacted them with her dolls, which became the origin of her compositional technique.

When I dictate, I in fact act out the entire episode, Phillips recalled. People who have watched me have commented that when dictating I change my voice to fit each character, that I use certain gestures when speaking the lines intended for this character or that.

After high school, she enrolled in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She wanted to be an actress, but was discouraged by teachers saying she wasnt pretty enough for Hollywood or Broadway. So she went on to the University of Wisconsin, where she got a masters degree in journalism.

Soap opera queen Irna Phillips, circa 1965. (Maurice Seymour)

For seven years, she taught drama and English at an Ohio teachers college and a Missouri junior college before being hired as a writer on a WGN talk show. Then came the assignment to write a drama, and being among the first to do so for radio, she pioneered the tricks of the trade, such as: an organ to echo a characters emotion or indicate a change of scene the audience couldnt see; ending an episode with a cliffhanger, an unresolved twist of plot that entices listeners to tune in the following day; or the use of plot twists such as characters with amnesia.

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In her memoir, Phillips specified the essential ingredient of a soap-opera script: There must be that element of universality in everything  that something that causes the listener to say, Yes, I have felt that way, ' or I have known someone very much like that. 

Her characters were often modeled on people shed known.

Dr. John Rutledge, the nonjudgmental pastor of Guiding Light, resembled Dr. Preston Bradley the nondogmatic Chicago minister in whose radio broadcasts Phillips found comfort when troubled.

Yet Phillips was harshly judgmental of the actors who appeared in her soap operas. When Jane House did a nude scene in the Broadway play Lenny in the early 1970s, Phillips tried to kill off her character on As the World Turns.

In one instance, Phillips art imitated life. Todays Children was the story of a widowed mother trying to keep her family afloat. Upon the death of her own mother, who had similarly struggled, Phillips closed the curtain on Todays Children.

When television leapfrogged over radio she easily made the transition to telling a story with moving images. Her successes continued until 1973, when she drew on a painful chapter of her life for an episode of As The World Turns.

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Vintage Chicago Tribune Weekly The Vintage Tribune newsletter is a deep dive into the Chicago Tribune's archives featuring photos and stories about the people, places and events that shape the city's past, present and future. >

At 19, shed been head over heels in love with an English doctor. When she got pregnant, he turned his back on her and she miscarried. Never married, she adopted two boys.

In the soap opera version, she drew up a character who seduces her brother-in-law and becomes pregnant.

Proctor and Gamble didnt want their soap associated with a dismal tale of adultery. Phillips stood her ground and was fired. A few months later, she died. The doctor said she had a heart attack.

If soap opera writer were to tell the tale, the script would instruct an organist to play somber chords as a fitting endnote for fans whod be convinced that Phillips died of a broken heart.

rgrossman@chicagotribune.com

Sign up to receive the Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter at chicagotribune.com/newsletters for more photos and stories from the citys past and the Tribunes archives.

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LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Rents and housing prices are increasing in Michigan while existing housing infrastructure is in need of updates to improve energy efficiency and eliminate outdated toxic building materials, according to a coalition of groups who this past week proposed $1.6 billion in spending by the state.

Members of the Resilient Homes Michigan coalition look to attract workers back to the state and modernize rental properties for low-income families to live in homes with clean air and nontoxic materials. Michigan has struggled to maintain its population even losing a congressional seat after the 2020 Census.

Around 320,000 renting households in the state have incomes at or below 30% of the median income for their area. Of those households, 71% spend more than half their income on rent, leaving little money for other expenses, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Michigan is short about 203,000 affordable rental homes for that 71%, the coalition reports.

The shortage isn't the only problem.

The median age of houses in Michigan was 36 years in 2000, according to an analysis from the state. That was before bans on lead and asbestos material. Michigan residents should live in homes that keep them healthy and safe, members of the Resilient Homes Michigan coalition said during a news conference.

The coalition's spending plan is a once in a generation investment to not only lower monthly costs of living, but to improve the longevity of homes, said Jason Cole, executive director of the Michigan Minority Contractors Association.

And another cause for concern is the high levels of lead mold and asbestos in the homes today. Weve got to do something folks, Cole said.

The coalition's plan includes $1 billion to fix existing homes, remove lead and asbestos, replace insulation, and repairing and updating homes to make them safer, with lower utility costs. It also includes constructing 3,000 new affordable single-family houses.

Coalition leaders called on the Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to work their proposed spending plan into the state's budget.

The plan is meant to complement the state's five-year plan to improve housing equity, which Whitmer's office unveiled in the past week. The Statewide Housing Plan has a goal to build or rehabilitate 75,000 housing units.

Every family deserves a safe, affordable place to call home so they have a strong foundation to pursue their potential, but too many Michiganders dont have access to that in their communities right now, Whitmer said in a news release. If we get it done, we can help those in need of homes get the dignity they deserve and ensure Michigan maintains a competitive edge in attracting and retaining talent as we grow our economy.

Anna Liz Nichols is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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For many of the Afghans evacuated to the United States last August, their journey remains very much a work in progress. They face a future filled with uncertainty and anxiety. Refugees say in interviews with The Associated Press that they are grateful to the U.S. for rescuing them and family members. Some refugees had faced possible reprisals for working with the Afghan government or American forces during the long war with the Taliban. But they say they often struggle to gain a foothold in a new land. They strain to pay their bills and to figure out how to apply for asylum.
The Nebraska Democratic Party submitted a letter of intent Thursday to the Democratic National Committee to enter Nebraska as one of the early states in the 2024 presidential nominating calendar.

The DNC is accepting applications from state parties wishing to be one of the first five states in the 2024 presidential primary lineup. It marks the first time in 50 years that the DNC is considering restructuring the primary schedule, according to Jane Kleeb, chair of the state party. Since 1972, Iowa has been the first contest, followed by New Hampshire.

If Nebraska is successful in its campaign, it would replace Iowa as the first state to represent the Midwestern district, but that would not necessarily put Nebraska first in the overall schedule. The DNC could change the order of what districts go first. It is expected to announce a decision later this summer.

Becoming one of the first primary states is a powerful position, as Kleeb said the earliest states often set the pace for the rest of the presidential primaries. According to Kleeb, Iowa stands a real chance of being ousted from its first position.

Democrats have criticized Iowa's primary election system, particularly its full caucus, which Kleeb said can discourage voters from participating. She said people have also argued that Iowa's Democratic Party is not diverse enough to be an accurate reflection of the rest of the party.

Nebraska has some competition in the fight. Kleeb said Michigan and Minnesota have also applied to take Iowa's place. Kleeb described Nebraska as an "underdog" in the race. Michigan and Minnesota are more populous, battleground states with higher-ranking Democratic officials to pull for them. But she said there are multiple reasons why Nebraska would be the best choice.

"We have a lot to sell," Kleeb said.

Kleeb said Nebraska's separated electoral districts differentiate it from its competitors. Nebraska and Maine are the only two states in the U.S. that award Electoral College votes by congressional district. While Nebraska as a whole heavily favors Republicans, its Omaha-centric 2nd Congressional District has awarded an electoral vote to a Democratic presidential candidate twice in recent years, including Joe Biden in 2020.

Within the state, Kleeb said there is a good mix of voters representing a range of demographics, including rural areas, military members, people of color and unions.

Though Nebraska has a smaller population, Kleeb said this could benefit the DNC, and increase the chance of Democrats winning in traditionally red states.

Beyond presidential politics, Democrats have struggled to win in Nebraska, where Republicans  with a few exceptions  have held a firm grip on statewide and congressional offices in recent years.

While state Democratic parties are jockeying to move up in the presidential primary calendar, Republicans are maintaining the status quo. The Republican National Committee opted to keep its calendar, ensuring Iowa will go first in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, according to the Associated Press.

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A southeastern Nebraska police chief says a man shot by a Beatrice police officer in a confrontation following a high-speed chase has died. Beatrice Police Chief Bruce Lang tells radio station KWBE that 35-year-old Bradley Allen died Tuesday afternoon  nearly three days after the Saturday night shooting. Lang said Allen had led officers on a high-speed chase in Gage County that exceeded 100 mph at times. Allen eventually fled the vehicle on foot and was later confronted by a Beatrice officer. The officer said Allen yelled that he had a gun, then reached into his waistband. leading the officer to shoot Allen several times. Police had said Monday that Allen was in critical but stable condition following surgery.
Farmers in South Dakota says theres a reason for optimism as they head out to their fields to plant crops this spring. Commodity markets are up 62% over the 10-year average. Wayne Soren raises crops and cattle near Lake Preston. Although hes optimistic as he drives his planter into his corn field, the third-generation farmer also has concerns, mainly about dry conditions. Soren wonders if there will be enough rain to grow a crop this years. Following the late-April rainstorms, the May 5th U.S. Drought Monitor data shows 69% of the state remains in drought conditions.
The eagle pair that nested near Garland for years had a fan club.

But now its become a posse, too, intent on finding the person who shot the female bird and left it to die  leaving its mate to raise their chick alone.

There are people who are just flat pissed off, said Layne Hans, who would drive from Seward just to watch the birds take turns hunting and tending their nest. Why would somebody do something this stupid?

The birds were fixtures in that part of Seward County, plucking bass and bluegill from a nearby pond, roosting on power poles, fortifying their nest.

This family of bald eagles has been like family to so many of the neighbors, said Scott Dinslage, who lives nearby. Thats why it feels like we lost part of our family.

State conservation officer Dina Barta took the first call on the injured eagle, and her phone is still ringing.

I have never seen a community so emotional and so invested in any wild animal. I have received so many calls, including one gentleman who got choked up.

And the nests nearest neighbor considered the birds almost as her pets. We could always look out and see an eagle, she said. It brought us so much joy. We were just devastated when we heard about the female.

The bird was found struggling but still alive near its nest late last month. Barta performed a necropsy after it died and discovered a gunshot wound.

Game and Parks officers have received several tips, but havent made any arrests yet, said Duane Arp, assistant administrator of the commissions law enforcement division.

Dinslage and Hans hope enough money can change that. Each has launched a campaign to bolster the Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers reward for information leading to an arrest.

We cant just sit by and wish and hope and pray that someones going to turn themselves in, Dinslage said. I want to raise enough that even this persons mother is going to turn them in.

He created a GoFundMe page Wednesday, and had raised nearly $2,500 toward a $15,000 goal by Friday. Hans is collecting donations through Facebook posts and word-of-mouth, and was up to $1,300.

It seems like the more people I talk to, the more donations I receive.

Both men will forward the donations to the Nebraska Wildlife Protectors Association for future rewards if theyre not needed in this case, they said.

Since the shooting, state conservation officers, members of the Raptor Conservation Alliance and several ornithology students from Concordia University have monitored the nest, making sure the male eagle is still caring for the chick.

And he is, spending most of his time hunting and feeding the young bird, while still calling out for his mate.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7254 or psalter@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSPeterSalter

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Nurses in Sioux City and across the country need our support. Whether you consider the COVID-19 pandemic over, forgotten, still ongoing, or just endemic now, our nurses are still working long, stressful hours to provide care to their patients with every new wave and risking their own health, both mental and physical, to do so.

The American Nurses Foundation confirms that one in four nurses have sought mental health support since the start of the COVID pandemic (March 2020). They are stressed, worried, anxious, depressed, and lonely. Caring for others is often a lonely job, but especially during a pandemic that kept us apart from one another for so long. Eighteen percent are considering leaving their current position and 4% are thinking about leaving the profession altogether. Who can blame them? To say its been a rough few years is an understatement.

Thankfully, we have an opportunity to show our nurses that their community supports them coming up on May 12. There will be a National Nurses March in Washington D.C. that day, but theres local action in Sioux City as well. Nurses will gather at the Federal Building, 320 6th St., from 3 to 6 p.m. on May 12 to advocate for safe nurse-to-patient ratios, NO violence against healthcare workers, fair wages, and changing the culture of the biases and discriminations in the nursing profession.

If you can be there to show your support as well, please join us. -- Jen Pellant, Western Iowa Labor Federation

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On trips to Italy and Spain last year, a hotel in each country asked me whether I would like my bill charged in dollars or euros.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Afghanistans Taliban rulers on Saturday ordered all Afghan women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public  a sharp, hard-line pivot that confirmed the worst fears of rights activists and was bound to further complicate Taliban dealings with an already distrustful international community.

It was the latest in a series of repressive edicts issued by the Taliban leadership, not all of which have been implemented. Last month for example the Taliban forbade women to travel alone, but after a day of opposition, that has since been silently ignored.

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The decree, which calls for women to only show their eyes and recommends they wear the head-to-toe burqa, evoked similar restrictions on women during the Talibans previous rule between 1996 and 2001.

We want our sisters to live with dignity and safety, said Khalid Hanafi, acting minister for the Talibans vice and virtue ministry.

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The Taliban previously decided against reopening schools to girls above grade 6, reneging on an earlier promise and opting to appease their hard-line base at the expense of further alienating the international community. But this decree does not have widespread support among a leadership thats divided between pragmatists and the hardliners.

That decision disrupted efforts by the Taliban to win recognition from potential international donors at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

For all dignified Afghan women wearing Hijab is necessary and the best Hijab is chadori (the head-to-toe burqa) which is part of our tradition and is respectful, said Shir Mohammad, an official from the vice and virtue ministry in a statement.

Those women who are not too old or young must cover their face, except the eyes, he said.

Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a Saudi humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 25, 2022. (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP)

The decree added that if women had no important work outside it is better for them to stay at home. Islamic principles and Islamic ideology are more important to us than anything else, Hanafi said.

Senior Afghanistan researcher Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch urged the international community to put coordinated pressure on the Taliban.

(It is) far past time for a serious and strategic response to the Talibans escalating assault on womens rights, she wrote on Twitter.

The Taliban were ousted in 2001 by a U.S.-led coalition for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and returned to power after Americas chaotic departure last year.

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Since taking power last August, the Taliban leadership has been squabbling among themselves as they struggle to transition from war to governing. It has pit hard-liners against the more pragmatic among them,

Infuriating many Afghans is the knowledge that many of the Taliban of the younger generation, like Sirajuddin Haqqani, are educating their girls in Pakistan, while in Afghanistan women and girls have been targeted by their repressive edicts since taking power.

Girls have been banned from school beyond grade 6 in most of the country since the Talibans return. Universities opened earlier this year in much of the country, but since taking power the Taliban edicts have been erratic. While a handful of provinces continued to provide education to all, most provinces closed educational institutions for girls and women.

The religiously driven Taliban administration fears that going forward with enrolling girls beyond the the sixth grade could alienate their rural base, Hashmi said.

In the capital, Kabul, private schools and universities have operated uninterrupted.
Where the rest of us saw the relief of the (sort of) peaceful transition of power at Joe Bidens inauguration last week, IMG Models saw an opportunity for a shopping spree. The agency, which boasts such names as Karlie Kloss, Alek Wek, and the Sisters Hadid, scooped up not one but two new faces for its lineup following the Jan. 20 ceremony.* First was Amanda Gorman, the poet laureate, bestselling author, and recent college grad, who left something in all of our eyes during her powerful reading. Second was Ella Emhoff, the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala (Momala, to Ella) Harris.

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Far be it from me to criticize any young woman whos gainfully employed in this economy. But there is something  frustrating about the way Emhoffs deal has been conveyed and celebrated. It is not so much that Emhoff signed a modeling contract that doesnt sit well with me (though that has teed up some critics) as it is the packaging of her so-called unique arrival to the scene. The contract feels like an annoying finale for the cooing, image-focused narrative that took off as soon as she appeared alongside her stepmom in that dashing Miu Miu coat of hers.

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This is how the New York Times heralded the news, in a disturbingly fawning piece that reads like an ad for Ella, the Future of Fashion:

Ms. Emhoff throws a crocheted grenade at the image of typical D.C. political offspring, with a style that could be termed Wes Anderson chic. In her selfies, she doesnt wear much makeup and doesnt carefully blow-dry her naturally curly hair. She shows off her armpit hair and cartoonish tattoos, which include eggs and bacon in the shape of a smiley face and a cow.

Armpit hair! Bare face! Tattoos!

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To those ensconced in body diversity movements or, truly, any kind of culture not defined by those who are white and wealthy, these details do little to inspire. Twentysomething inked Brooklynites have been the thing du jour for many jours now. Numerous media figures already sport all kinds of tats, shirk shaving, and play with traditional markers of femininity. Emhoff is just the latest to be noted for her deviation from the crumbling norms of makeup and body hair, following in the steps of women like Alicia Keys and Cara Delevingne, and others who go farther back still.*

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But the other thing that bothers me here is that Emhoffa tall, thin, white womanis actually an extremely traditional model. That she gets credit for not blow-drying her naturally curly hair and is lauded as not typical D.C. political offspring for adopting a Bushwick aesthetic feels slightly absurd. Remember that two little Black girls (with relaxed hair, a reminder of who gets praised for being natural) entered the White House back in 2008.

None of this is Emhoffs fault. She is a college senior with a documented love for fashion. Who could blame her for jumping at the chance to be a model? For women of a certain age, shows like Americas Next Top Model convinced us that this was a job we actually wanted. The growing influencer economy now makes the model life seem more attractive and attainable, too.

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Its the ignorance of outlets like the Timesand figureheads like Ivan Bart, IMG Models presidentin failing to acknowledge how Emhoff does actually fit into that stereotypical model mold that chafes. The Times quotes Bart on bringing Emhoff on board: Its not really about shape, size, or gender anymore. Ella communicates this moment in time. Theres a cheekiness and a joy she exudes.

Cheeky and joyful she may be, but her shape, size, and gender fit squarely into age-old notions of who gets to define whats fashionable. And lets remember that she is the daughter of the second gentleman, a former lawyer and now the husband to the most powerful woman in America. That means Emhoff is able to afford the expensive Parsons education that gives her time to indulge her own fashion design projects, just like she was able to afford the expensive coat that turned heads at the inauguration.

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Agencies like IMG do their best to dance around how these privileges play into high-profile hires like Emhoff, even as they blatantly commodify the excitement around a new presidential administration. Emhoff does seem like a funny, talented woman with a knack for personal style. (Her hair? Love it.) But when the media offers long odes to why Emhoff is such a significant, barrier-breaking addition to the fashion industry, they perpetuate and resubstantiate the same problems that keep folks like Emhoff in and the rest of us out.
Last week, Donald Trump Jr. released his June 2016 emails setting up a meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Kremlin-linked lawyer who was offering dirt on his fathers opponent, Hillary Clinton. The Washington Post, Politico, Slate, and others have described the emails as a possible smoking gun proving the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government. Has the smoking gun in a criminal case ever been a literal smoking gun?

Yes, though it hasnt typically been the decisive piece of evidence. In 1896, a prominent dentist in Abbeville, South Carolina, shot Sallie Emma Owen, an aristocratic woman who had declined his marriage proposal the day before. One of the witnesses to the crime later said he saw the man and the smoke from his gun. In 1898, a Southern California man killed the woman who washed his laundry, apparently out of anger over a missing shirt. The man, Frank Valerga, killed his victim in front of her husband and son, who saw a smoking shotgun in his hand in the moments afterwards. The pair were forced to stand helpless and see the woman writhe and groan in agony, frightened by the evidence of murder, cowed by the sight of the still smoking gun in the hands of the murderer, reported the Los Angeles Herald.

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More recently, a witness in the 2000 trial of two men accused of murdering a veteran in a U.K. nightclub reported seeing one of the suspects holding a smoking gun. The barrel had smoke coming out of it, like it had just been fired, she testified in court. The defendants both received life sentences. Similarly, the prosecution in a 2009 Oklahoma trial relied on witness testimony indicating that defendant Derick Fields was holding a smoking gun after twice shooting Jericho Watts in a deserted lot. The jury voted to convict Fields.

A smoking gun also led to the conviction of rapper Jamal Shyne Barrow, who shot up a Times Square nightclub while attempting to defend his mentor, Sean Puff Daddy Combs. In the 1999 incident, Combs got into an argument with a man known as Scar as he was leaving Club New York with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. The conflict turned violent, and Barrow started shooting. Three people were injured. Several witnesses claimed they saw smoke rising from the muzzle of the rappers gun. Barrow was imprisoned for almost nine years.

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Smoking guns arent always evidence of a shootout. In 2010, three young adults from Wexford, Ireland, uploaded a YouTube video of themselves smoking marijuana from the barrel of what appeared to be an assault rifle. The Wexford police conducted a raid and brought the youths in for questioning but later discovered the rifle was a replica. Chief Superintendent John Roche told the press, You wouldnt have to have been Sherlock Holmes to figure this one out. He added, There was a smoking gun in this case.

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The origins of the phrase smoking gun can indeed be traced back to Sir Arthur Conan Doyles 1893 Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Gloria Scott,  in which the savant detective catches a murderous chaplain holding a smoking pistol.

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The sight of a smoking gun was much more common in Doyles day than it is now. The source of the smoke that wafts out of a recently discharged firearm is the propellant left burning in the barrel. The black powder used as propellant in 19th-century guns produced thick plumes of lead, carbon, sulfur, and potassium nitrate when combusted. Modern guns use smokeless powder, which usually emits only a wisp.

In spite of that, it wasnt until relatively recently, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, that smoking gun became shorthand for proof of guilt. The term caught on after New York Rep. Barber Conable said one of the Nixon tapes looked like a smoking gun after the House Judiciary Committee released the transcript in August 1972.

Explainer thanks retired New York Police Department Detective James M. Gannalo, former Florida Department of Law Enforcement laboratory analyst Josh Wright, and former technical expert for the Canadian Federal Department of Justice Alan Voth.
Manufacturers say they're producing at full capacity and making as much formula as they can, but it's still not enough to meet current demand.
The Slovak translator persecuted for her fathers anti-communist beliefs explains the difference between Chinese and Western truth.

Marina Carnogurska sitting next to the pile of her published works. (Source: Jana Gombosova)

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When 17-year-old Marina Carnogurska, having finished as a top student at one of the best schools in Bratislava in 1957, was told that she was not allowed to go to university, she burst into tears.

Her dream had been to study Bengali, but her father Pavols opposition to the communist regime in power meant she was denied the chance to further her education.

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More than six decades later, she says is grateful for what happened then.

What would I do with Bengali? Moreover, I would never have got to study Chinese, the prominent Slovak sinologist, 81, says.

The ban on going to university was far from the only painful twist in her life, but looking back as she speaks to The Slovak Spectator at her home in Bratislava, she describes everything that has happened to her as being a single stream of energy guiding her to become a successful sinologist, a translator of Chinese philosophy and fiction, a writer of scientific works, and bringing about a meeting with her second husband.

Everything in my life has had a purpose, she says.

Marina Carnogurska born June 11, 1940

graduated in 1969-70 from Charles University in Prague (Chinese and philosophy)

1970-1973  taught Chinese at Comenius University, Bratislava

1973-1990  worked at the Alfa publishing warehouse

1977  first publication of her work - translation from classical Chinese, The Master Said 

1990  admitted as a scientist to the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oriental Studies

1991  doctoral thesis accepted 20 years after it was rejected by the communist regime

1993  won a three-year grant of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange in Taiwan

1997  first visit to China

2001-2003  publication of four volumes of her translation of the Dream of the Red Chamber, a novel by Cao Xueqin

2005 - in cooperation with the Czech philosopher Egon Bondy, she published the third version of their translations of Laozis Dao De jing

2009-2013  publication of the two-volume sinologic book Laozi and the Process of the Creation of Dao De jing

2015  given The Special Book Award in China for her contribution to spreading Chinese culture globally. The Slovak Academy of Science awarded her the Ludovit Stur gold medal in recognition of her achievements in social sciences

2017  in cooperation with photographer and writer Peter Caplicky, she published the book: Mingovia (The history of the top Chinese dynasty Ming.)

2019  completed the translation of the poetry work of the classic great Chinese female poet Cai Wenji in the book Embraced by the Desert

2021  published the first translation anywhere of the Heshang Gong Version of Laozis Dao De jing

Her works include more than 340 books, scholarly research studies, monographs, translations, journals, and articles. She has also made numerous broadcast appearances.

Catholic background

Carnogurska was the third child of five born to a Catholic family. Her father came from Zamagurie, a region in northern Slovakia, and her mother was born into a prominent wine-making family in Vajnory, now part of Bratislava.

She, her siblings, and parents were devout in their faith, but as Carnogurska grew older, she began to drift away from the Catholic Church, as a strong sense of critical thinking developed in her.

In real life, it doesnt work that when you pray, everything is great, she says.

Studying Chinese

After graduating from school, she got a job at a dry-cleaner but left a week later after being forced to pay for damage to an expensive dress that had been stained at her work with Chinese ink. Soon after, she got a job as an orthodontists assistant, which led to part-time study at medical school. In turn, this led to her finding work as a school nurse  a job which gave her enough time to sign up for English, and then Chinese, studies at a local state language school.

Carnogurska recalls that when she was young, she had considered Chinese too complicated a language and was daunted by its tens of thousands of characters. But she began to study it because it was a relatively exotic language at the time that few people paid attention to, and she was inspired by what proving she could master such a difficult language might do for her as she tried to come to terms with being banned from going to university.

I needed a boost to my self-confidence, she says.

While she was completing the six-year language course she repeatedly applied to universities for various studies  contacting the Academy of Performing Arts, and other universities in Bratislava  but was always turned down because of her fathers political stance.

Then, in 1963, she tried her luck in Prague, and to her surprise was one of only three young people accepted to study Chinese at Charles University.

One year into her course she dropped her minor subject, English, and took up philosophy instead. Her studies focused on classical Chinese, which, she explains, differs from the modern spoken form of Chinese in the same way that Latin differs from modern Italian.

She completed her studies in 1969.

I was lucky that I studied during the years when the communist regime was not as strict, between 1963 and 1969, Carnogurska says.

Regime tightens again
Jill Biden will spend Sunday in eastern Slovakia, meeting Ukrainian refugees and volunteers.

U.S. First Lady Jill Biden started her trip to Slovakia on May 7, 2022. (Source: TASR)

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In good spirits, wearing a dark blue floral dress and carrying a bouquet of flowers, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden began her visit to Slovakia on Saturday afternoon, following a similar trip to Romania.

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The First Lady flew into Bratislava airport and was welcomed by Slovakias Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok. Her visit is a sign of appreciation of the assistance Slovakia has provided Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, the minister tweeted afterwards.

On Saturday, Biden paid tribute to murdered journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova by laying flowers at the memorial to the couple in the centre of Bratislava. She also met with U.S. embassy staff.

Biden in eastern Slovakia

Biden will travel to eastern Slovakia on Sunday where she will visit a refugee centre in Kosice and meet with local officials Kosice mayor Jaroslav Polacek and Kosice Region head Rastislav Trnka, the TASR newswire wrote.

She will then go to a primary school on Tomasikova Street in the city to celebrate Mothers Day, which falls on May 8, with Ukrainian mothers and children who fled their country following Russias invasion. The school opened two classes for children from Ukraine at the start of this week.

Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok gives flowers to Jill Biden on May 7, 2022. (Source: TASR)

The First Lady will end her visit to eastern Slovakia in the border town of Vysne Nemecke, one of three crossings with Ukraine, where she will meet Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger and Interior Minister Roman Mikulec. Biden will meet volunteers, non-profit organisations, and members of security forces who have been helping Ukrainian refugees and securing the Slovak border.

Since the invasion started on February 24, more than 400,000 refugees have crossed the Slovak-Ukrainian border. Of them, more than 74,000 have applied for temporary protection status.

On Monday, May 9, Biden also plans to meet with other members of the government and President Zuzana Caputova before returning to the United States.

Third U.S. First Lady in Slovakia

Biden is the third U.S. First Lady to visit Slovakia.

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Read also: Biden makes surprise trip to Ukraine during Slovak visit Read more

Hillary Clinton visited the country in 1996 and 1999 to meet with pro-democracy organisations. On her first trip, she met with the then authoritarian Slovak prime minister Vladimir Meciar as well. Several years later, Clinton mentioned the meeting with him in her book, Living History, in which she claims that she was appalled at his bullying attitude and barely controlled rage. In 1999, she praised Slovakia, which had ousted Meciar, for its move toward democracy.

Laura Bush followed in her footsteps during the Bush-Putin summit held in the Slovak capital in February 2005 . Her first stop was the University Library in Bratislava where she opened the InfoUSA centre.

Bidens five-day trip, which she began on May 6 in Romania, is her second visit to another country as first lady without her husband. Last year, she attended the Olympics in Japan.

In Romania, the First Lady served meals to U.S. troops at a local air base, recorded a virtual bedtime story for an American boy whose mother is serving in Romania, and met with US embassy staff in Bucharest. She also paid a visit to a local school that has taken in Ukrainian refugee pupils.

President Joe Biden visited Ukrainian refugees in Poland during his trip in March.
Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, left, and party leader Mary Lou McDonald take a selfie at Medow Bank election count centre on Saturday, May, 7, 2022, in Magherafelt , Northern Ireland. (Peter Morrison/AP)

The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has won the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time. With almost all votes counted from Thursdays election, Sinn Fein has secured 27 of the assemblys 90 seats. The Democratic Unionist Party has 24. The historic win means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast. Its a first for a nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921. Sinn Fein seeks a united Ireland and has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army. But the party kept unification out of the spotlight this year during a campaign that was dominated by the skyrocketing cost of living.

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BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP)  The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a new era Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win.

With almost all votes counted from Thursdays local U.K. election, Sinn Fein secured 27 of the Assemblys 90 seats. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has dominated Northern Irelands legislature for two decades, captured 24 seats. The victory means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast  a first for an Irish nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921.

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The centrist Alliance Party, which doesnt identify as either nationalist or unionist, also saw a huge surge in support and was set to become the other big winner in the vote, claiming 17 seats.

The victory is a major milestone for Sinn Fein, which has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs and bullets to try to take Northern Ireland out of U.K. rule during decades of violence involving Irish republican militants, Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries and the U.K. army and police.

Today ushers in a new era, Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill said shortly before the final results were announced. Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds, my commitment is to make politics work.

ONeill stressed that it was imperative for Northern Irelands divided politicians to come together next week to form an Executive  the devolved government of Northern Ireland. If none can be formed within six months, the administration will collapse, triggering a new election and more uncertainty.

There is space in this state for everyone, all of us together, ONeill said. There is an urgency to restore an Executive and start putting money back in peoples pockets, to start to fix the health service. The people cant wait.

While the Sinn Fein win signals a historic shift that shows diminishing support for unionist parties, its far from clear what happens next because of Northern Irelands complicated power-sharing politics and ongoing tussles over post-Brexit arrangements.

Under a mandatory power-sharing system created by the 1998 peace agreement that ended decades of Catholic-Protestant conflict, the jobs of first minister and deputy first minister are split between the biggest unionist party and the largest nationalist one. Both posts must be filled for a government to function, but the Democratic Unionist Party has suggested it might not serve under a Sinn Fein first minister.

The DUP has also said it will refuse to join a new government unless there are major changes to post-Brexit border arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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Those post-Brexit rules, which took effect after Britain left the European Union, have imposed customs and border checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. The arrangement was designed to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, a key pillar of the peace process.

But the rules angered many unionists, who maintain that the new checks have created a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. that undermines their British identity. In February, the DUPs Paul Givan resigned as first minister in protest against the arrangements, triggering a a fresh political crisis in Northern Ireland.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said he will announce next week whether he will return to the government.

We will consider what we need to do now to get the action that is required from the government. I will be making my decision clear on all of that early next week, he told the BBC.

The U.K.s Secretary for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said he will meet with all party leaders in the coming days and urge them to get back to the business of government quickly.

Voters have delivered a clear message that they want a fully functioning devolved government in Northern Ireland, they want the issues around the Protocol addressed, and that they want politics to work better, Lewis said.

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Saturdays results bring Sinn Feins ultimate goal of a united Ireland a step closer, although the party kept unification out of the spotlight this year during a campaign dominated by the skyrocketing cost of living.

ONeill has said there would be no constitutional change on Irish unification until voters decide on it. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald indicated Friday that planning for any unity referendum could come within the next five years.

Polling expert John Curtice, a professor of political science at the University of Strathclyde, said Northern Irelands power shift is a legacy of Brexit.

The unionist vote has fragmented because of the divisions within the community over whether or not the Northern Ireland Protocol is something that can be amended satisfactorily or whether it needs to be scrapped, he wrote on the BBC website.

Persuading the DUP to join a new government and pressing the EU to agree to major changes in post-Brexit arrangements will pose a headache for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Curtice added. Johnsons own Conservative party lost at least 450 seats in Thursdays local election.

Britains Conservative government says the Brexit customs arrangements cannot work without unionist support in Northern Ireland. Johnson has threatened to unilaterally suspend the Brexit rules if the EU refuses to change them.
A soldier pays his last tribute to volunteer soldier Oleksandr Makhov, 36, a well-known Ukrainian journalist, killed by Russian troops, during his funeral at St Michael cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 9, 2022. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine  Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Saturday and bombarded a steel mill in Mariupol housing Ukrainian civilians and fighters, hoping to complete their conquest of the port city in time for Victory Day celebrations. Ukraine announced that all women, children and elderly had been evacuated from the steel plant, a key Russian war objective that has long been under siege.

In a sign of the unexpectedly effective defense that has sustained the fighting into its 11th week, Ukraines military flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that was captured in the wars first days and has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

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Western military analysts said a Ukrainian counteroffensive also was advancing around the nations second-largest city, Kharkiv, even as it remained a key target of Russian shelling. The Ukrainian army said it retook control of five villages and part of a sixth near hotly contested Kharkiv.

As Russias Monday holiday commemorating Nazi Germanys defeat in World War II approached, cities across Ukraine prepared for an expected increase in Russian attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged residents numbed by more than 10 weeks of war to heed air raid warnings.

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that Zelenskyy and his people embody the spirit of those who prevailed during the Second World War. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.

As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions, Blinken said in a statement issued as the United States and United Kingdom marked the Allied victory in Europe 77 years ago.

The most intense battles in recent days have befallen eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce race to capture or reclaim territory. Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine has focused on claiming the industrial Donbas region, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014 and occupy some areas.

Moscows also has sought to sweep across southern Ukraine to both cut off the country from the sea and to connect its territory to the breakaway Transnistria region of Moldova, long home to Russian troops. But it has struggled to achieve those objectives.

On Saturday, six Russian cruise missiles fired from aircraft hit the region of Odesa, where authorities have a curfew in place until Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed thick black smoke rising over Odesa with sirens wailing in the background.

People stand in line for registration at the aid distribution center for displaced people in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, May 5, 2022. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed Ukraine targeting Russian-held Snake Island in a bid to impede Russias efforts to control the Black Sea. A satellite image taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed what appeared to be a Serna-class landing craft against the islands northern beach.

The image corresponds with a Ukrainian military video showing a drone striking the Russian vessel, engulfing it in flames. Snake Island, located some 20 miles off the coast, figured in a memorable incident early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, purportedly using colorful language.

Against that backdrop, Ukrainian fighters made a final stand to prevent a complete takeover of Mariupol. Securing the strategically important Sea of Azov port would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimea Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion.

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New satellite photos analyzed by the AP showed vast devastation at a sprawling seaside steel mill that is the last corner of Ukrainian resistance in the city. Buildings at the Azovstal plant, including one under which hundreds of fighters and civilians are likely hiding, had large, gaping holes in the roof, according to the images shot Friday by Planet Labs PBC.

The presidents order has been carried out: All women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from Azovstal (steelworks), Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Saturday, without elaborating. This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed.

The Russian news agency Tass had reported that 50 civilians were evacuated from the plant on Saturday. A similar number left on Friday. The latest evacuees followed roughly 500 others who were allowed to leave the plant and other parts of the city in recent days.

Evacuating civilians from the plant them has drawn the worlds attention, with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross desperately trying to organize departures.

In recent days, fighters inside the plant had described bringing out small groups of civilians who had been hiding for weeks. The fighters issued a statement via social media saying both they and the Russians have used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out

But Russian forces have intensified fire on the steel mill in recent days with mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from the sea, making evacuation operations difficult.

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It remains unclear what will happen to the Ukrainian fighters there, both those still in combat and the hundreds believed to be wounded. In recent days the Ukrainian government has been reaching out to a variety of international organizations to try and guarantee them safe passage.

The escape of the civilians puts new pressure on Ukraine to find a way out for the fighters, who have vowed not to surrender. Already Russian forces had probed the plant and even reached into its warren of tunnels, according to Ukrainian officials.

The Ukrainian government has called on international organizations to also help evacuate the fighters defending the plant. By Russias most recent estimate, roughly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters remained at the Azovstal steelworks. They have repeatedly refused to surrender.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said influential states were involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers, although he did not mention any by name.

We are also working on diplomatic options to save our troops who are still at Azovstal, he said in his nightly video address early Saturday.

The relief of those who have been evacuated was tempered by the memory of those still left behind.

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They need our help badly, said Serhii Kuzmenko, 31, who fled with his wife, 8-yer-old daughter and four others from their bunker, leaving behind another 30. We need to get them out.

While they pounded away at the plant, Russian forces struggled to make significant gains elsewhere nearly 2 1/2 months into a ruinous war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee Ukraine and flattened large swaths of some cities.

Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine and had a pre-war population of about 1.4 million, remained a key target of Russian shelling in the northeast. But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city.

A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraines military may be able to push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders momentum into a successful, broader counteroffensive.

In other developments, a Russian missile on Saturday destroyed a Ukrainian national museum dedicated to the life and work of an 18th-century philosopher, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the Gregory Skovoroda museum engulfed in flames.

As an indication of his importance to Ukraines cultural heritage, Skovorodas likeness adorns a Ukrainian banknote. The museum in Skovorodynivka lies near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region where fighting has been fierce.

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Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that the extraordinary strength of the Ukrainian position lies in all the countries of the free world understanding what is at stake in the ruinous war.

We are defending ourselves against an onslaught of tyranny that wants to destroy everything that freedom gives to people and states, the Ukrainian leader said. And such a struggle, for freedom and against tyranny, is fully comprehensible for any society, in any corner of the globe.

At the United Nations in New York, the U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted its first statement on Ukraine, expressing strong support for the secretary generals efforts to find a peaceful solution to the 10-week old dispute.

Talks to end the war have stalled. Zelenskyy said Friday that he would be open to negotiations with Russia, but only if Moscow withdraws its forces to pre-invasion positions.

In that situation, we will be able to start discussing things normally, Zelenskyy told a meeting at Londons Chatham House think tank. Ukraine could then use diplomatic channels to regain its territory, he said.

Gambrell reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Yesica Fisch in Zaporizhzhia, Inna Varenytsia and David Keyton in Kyiv, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and AP staff around the world contributed to this report.
Casting has been announced for the UK premiere of Circus Abyssinia: Tulu.

Underbelly Festival has unveiled the company for the brand-new show from Abyssinia group.

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Celebrating the true tale of an Ethiopian icon, charting her rise from humble beginnings to become the first African woman to win Olympic gold, Circus Abyssinia: Tulu opens at Earls Court on 24 May and runs to 18 June.

Co-founded and produced by Bibi Tesfamariam and Bichu Shimellis, who also directs, the 15-strong troupe will showcase incredible talent in the iconic upside down, purple cow, Udderbelly at Underbelly Festival Earls Court.

There is contortion and rollerblading from Etsegenet Ashenafi and Semeret Getachew, Cyr Wheel from Hannah Tina alongside aerial flight from Bezawit Ashagre. Joining them are hoop-divers and Russian swing artists Behaylu Tesfaye, Cherenet Dereje and Dagmawi Fekeru, who perform awe-inspiring stunts with the youngest members of the troupe, Ezera Nigusse and Alemayehu Mulugeta.

Dagmawi also performs Icarian Games with Zenebe Fantu and Betelhem Dejene leads the troupe in stunning displays of hand-vaulting and synchronised acrobatics.

A dazzling display of speed, skill and flight lands in Earls Court this spring. Following their acclaimed production of Ethiopian Dreams, Circus Abyssinia returns with the exhilarating London premiere of their second production Tulu. Celebrating the true tale of an Ethiopian Olympic icon, Derartu Tulu, this is an unmissable showcase of superhuman strength. A blend of breathtaking contortion, awe-inspiring acrobatics, and mesmerising fire-juggling with a rocking, exuberant soundtrack.

For tickets and more information, visit underbellyfestival.com/events-display/circus-abyssinia-tulu

Derartu Tulu said: Im excited and so flattered that Circus Abyssinia has chosen to tell my story Im very intrigued by the circus arts, which are quite new to Ethiopia, and how they might express and connect with my passion for my sport.

Bichu Shimellis added: Its very important to us to share Derartus story. Tulu is inspired by a true Olympic icon and pays tribute to some of the extraordinary women who have helped shape Ethiopian history. Right now, women in Ethiopia are winning the long fight for equality, and their stories  sadly often ignored by history  need to be known. Derartu is one of the greatest unsung heroines of modern Ethiopia and we are thrilled to invite audiences of the UK to share and celebrate her life and achievements with us.
The 2022 harness racing season kicked off at Truro Raceway on Friday (May 6) and the George Rennison-trained pacer American Risk picked up right where he left off last season, winning the top Winners Over class.

With the Rennison stable newcomer Vines To Heaven scratched, the field for the $2,500 feature was reduced to a quartet.

Sent off as the 1-5 favourite with Todd Trites between the wheels, American Risk got the first call, hustling ahead with inside rival Rusty Riley (Paul Langille) hot on his heels and an initial gap back to the trailing duo of Imalookertoo (Danny Romo) and Lady N Paradise (Andrew Campbell).

American Risk carved out fractions of :27.2, :57.3 and 1:27.3 with Imalookertoo moving up from third and launching first-up while Rusty Riley waited to take the passing lane plunge. However, neither challenger could catch American Risk, who went on to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:56.2. Rusty Riley settled for second and Lady N Paradise nabbed third over Imalookertoo.

American Risk, who had capped off a 10-win campaign in 2021 when defeating Rusty Riley on December 19 in a matching mile, paid $2.40 to win his season's debut.

Owned by Risky Bizz Group, the six-year-old American Ideal-Kissing Bandit gelding notched his 18th career win and lifted his earnings to $78,977.

Rennison, Truro's leading trainer last year, also sent out Special FX ($6.30) for a pair of winners on the eight-race card with Trites aboard while defending driving champion Paul Langille picked up a victory with his own trainee Arizona Bucks ($8.60). Trites took the early lead with a triple.

Tango Seelster ($2.30) and reinsman Kurt Harper opened the meet with a blowout maiden-breaking victory for trainer Carrie Saunders and owner Adrian Saunders of Moncton, N.B. The three-year-old Sunshine Beach colt recovered from an early miscue and powered to the lead after the first quarter, dashing away from his foes for a 17-length win in 2:00.2.

Live harness racing continues at Truro on Fridays at 6 p.m. For a complete racing schedule, click here.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Truro Raceway.
The latest edition of Rewind is this month's version of 'Years Ago'. This time around it's all about people, places and events that were current during the decade of the 1950's. Robert Smith offers a wide range of subjects from various areas of harness racing's past and a few pictures as usual. Also a special Mother's Day greeting is part of today's Rewind.

1953 - Futurities Held At London

As the 1953 racing season drew to a close the London track hosted the annual Canadian Standardbred Horse Society's Futurity races. This series of races held each year since 1929 at various locations showcased the best young talent from both gaits. The Futurities this year were spread over a four-day period Sept. 16 - 19th as the featured events of each afternoon's card. Purses totalling just over $10,000 were split for the four events with the two-year-olds going for $1,600 and $3,500 for the three-year-olds.

The following horses were the winners in their respective divisions that year:

Two-Year-Old Trotters:

Winner - Dorothy Riddell; Owned and driven by W.E. Rowe, Newton Robinson, Ont. Winner of both heats.

Three-Year-Old Trotters:

Winner - Ben Boy; owned by Mrs. Ruth Wray, Schomberg, Ont. Driver Keith Waples. Winner of all three heats.

Two-Year-Old Pacers:

Winner - Mr. Galvin; owned by Russell Miller, Dutton, Ont. Winner of both heats. I am not sure of who drove this great colt.

Three-Year-Old Pacers:

Winner - Barney Diplomat; owned by McWilliams Bros., Dutton, Ont. Driver Don McWilliams. Two heat winner with Sonny G. Herbert (Wm. Herbert) winning the first heat.

Note - Many colt performers who won Futurity races went on to further their careers for current owners while others were sold and moved to new ownership usually based on their early performances.



Driver Keith Waples, 29, checks his watch as he urges the three-year-old trotting sensation Ben Boy to victory in the 1953 C.S.H.S. Three-Year-Old Futurity. The mile time of 2:08.2 was a new Stakes record and the fastest in the race's 25-year history to that point. It also established a new record for Canadian three-year-old trotters and a track record for the London half-miler. (Photo courtesy of Wray Family)

1954 - World Record Set In Governor's Cup Trot at Northville Downs



Scotch Valley (7) and driver Jack Ackerman and Lord Steward (6) with Dick Williams up reach the wire in a dead heat. The time of 2:03 1/5 established a new world record for a dead heat for aged trotters on a half-mile track (Harness Horse photo)

For many years one of the highlights of the Michigan racing season was the annual Governor's Cup race for Free-For-All trotters. In past years the race had attracted the sport's top performers including the great mare Proximity. Each year the current Michigan governor was on hand to present the trophy to the winning connections.

In this year's edition the competition in the $10,000 event was so evenly matched that the winner was decided in a dead heat photo. Lord Steward, with Dick Williams up, and the five-year-old Scotch Valley, with Jack Ackerman driving, fought it out to the wire in a world record time for a dead heat of 2:03 1/5. Owned by Detroiter Bill Brown of Royal Blackstone fame, Scotch Valley came back to take the second heat all by himself in a slower 2:04 1/5 and thus the best standing and the winner's trophy. Jamie, a son of Darnley, took second spot just ahead of Lord Steward. This was Scotch Valley's seventh win of the campaign in 14 tries and gave the Scotland sired horse a new lifetime mark.

An account of the race contained the following: "The $10,000 Governor's Cup Free-For-All Trot will go down as one of the most exciting ever raced here."

Winning driver Jack Ackerman and his brother Doug two years his junior, were prominent figures in Michigan harness racing at this time. They were born into a horse loving family. Jack was named the nation's leading harness driver in 1957 and Doug eventually became a member of the Hall Of Fame at Goshen.

1956 - Racing Returns To Sturgeon Falls

After a several year absence harness racing made a return to this northern Ontario town in 1956. Several race days were held beginning in late July and continuing through to Labour Day weekend. I am pleased to have a few old pictures taken at that track.



A nice view of the stretch and infield parking at the Sturgeon Falls track (West Nipissing Public Library Collection)



A good sized crowd views the racing action at the Sturgeon Falls track as the horses head down the stretch (West Nipissing Public Library Collection)

Race days usually featured four races per afternoon, each consisting of two heats. Purses regardless of class were set at $200. The unofficial "hero" of the summer racing schedule was Claude Hanover, the seven-year-old son of Nibble Hanover owned by W.J. Burrows of North Bay. This classy fellow had a lifetime mark of 2:03 2/5 taken on a mile track at age three. His lifetime bankroll was over $28,000 although his nine-win season this year netted a slim $529.00 racing for the low purses offered for racing on the Northern Ontario circuit. He was driven to most of his victories by Pat Sherman (brother of Ernie Sherman, who is remembered by a number of people who follow Rewind). Mr. Burrows also owned another top class horse named Diamond Meter who appeared in a number of races that summer and was often a winner.

Some familiar names such as Laurent and Wilfred Paiement of Earlton, George Best from Gore Bay, Hector Clouthier Sr. of Pembroke, Ed Brown of Powassan were regulars. A horse with the catchy name of Small Fry Castle was a consistent winner for owner Bernard Spry of Mindemoya, Ont. With racing taking place mainly in August, there were no reported race cancellations due to snow.

I can't help but wonder how many people have attended a day of racing in Sturgeon Falls.



Track action on race day at Sturgeon Falls with lots of fans in the infield (West Nipissing Public Library Collection)

1956 - Match Race Goes To Dotties Pick

Racing scribes have often used the term "a two-horse race" to describe the closeness of two competitors who stood out above the rest of a field. When racing fans gathered on the evening of November 27, 1956 at Yonkers to watch a much heralded race, there were only two horses in the race. In what was billed as "East vs. West", two of the most outstanding horses of this era were entered in an old fashioned match race.

The two contestants  both sired by Adios the most outstanding sire of the times  were pitted against each other in a winner-take-all matchup for a purse of $25,000. To add further interest, one was a stallion named Adios Harry, the other a mare named Dotties Pick. Advantage to the male of course as Adios Harry was made the prohibitive favourite at odds of 1 to 2. This shows that even in a race with only two horses it's not easy to pick the winner. Adios Harry was owned by J. Howard Lyons of Wilmington, Delaware and driven by the owner's son Luther.



Dotties Pick shown after winning at Santa Anita Park in California. Mel Eaton of Vernon Downs was on hand to present a trophy to driver Delvin Miller and owners Victoria and Elgin Armstrong on the right. (Harness Horse photo)

Dotties Pick, owned by the Armstrong Bros. of Brampton and handled by Delvin Miller, was sent to the front immediately and was never headed after that. A mild challenge was mounted by Adios Harry and driver Luther Lyons at the quarter pole but the outcome of the race was never really in question. The five-year-old mare coasted to an 11-length victory in 2:06. She paid $3.80 to her faithful backers.

1959 - Fire At Leamington Claims 20 Horses

Apr. 18, 1959 - A devastating overnight fire claimed the lives of at least 20 racehorses at the Leamington fairgrounds on this date. A very old wooden L-shaped building was completely destroyed but several other stables were untouched. One of the top performers from the 1958 season, a horse named Champ Volo owned by Maplewood Stables of Montreal and being trained by Jim Wiener, was among those that were saved. This horse was valued at around $50,000. A complete list of the casualties could not be made until fire officials made further searches. A number of grooms living in the stable area escaped with only the clothes they were wearing.

Fred List of Chatham, a resident handler, attempted to turn in an alarm using the stable phone but was unsuccessful. He then ran to a nearby home and called the local fire brigade who quickly responded but they were unable to save either the horses or the structure. Local horseman George Sherman witnessed the fire first hand and described it as "the worst I have ever seen." Harvey Hyatt, a local auto dealer, lost one of his horses, Blenheim Boy, a pacer he was training for the upcoming racing season.

Quote For The Week: "I'm glad I didn't fall too far from the tree." A quote associated with Mother's Day.

Who Is It?



On May 10, 1976 which was Mother's Day that year a trackside presentation was held to mark the special day at Mohawk Raceway. Mrs. Rose Mike on the far left made a trophy presentation to the winning connections. An avid harness fan who was 84 at the time, Rose was a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Can you name anyone else in this old photo? (Photo courtesy of the Standardbred Record)

Who Else Is It?



This group picture was taken back in 1970 when a "Powder Puff Derby" was held at Mohawk Raceway. Can you name them? (Photo from Harness Horse Happenings)

Be sure to stay tuned during this week to find out the correct answers to today's pictures.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

I would like to pass along a Happy Mother's Day wish to everyone in the reading audience as we celebrate this very special day on Sunday. We all owe a lot to our mothers for the sacrifices they are accustomed to making. We can never repay them but we can thank them and for those who have passed, treasure their memory.



Gentle woman, quiet light,

morning star, so strong and bright,

gentle mother, peaceful dove,

teach us wisdom ; teach us love.

-- An excerpt from a favourite hymn
Dr. Shanthi Ramesh, chief medical officer with Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, saw patients in Richmond following news that the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark law guaranteeing the right to abortion.

She answered their questions and tried to tried to address concerns. One woman traveled across Virginia and was early in her second trimester of pregnancy.

The woman was terrified that that she wouldnt be able to be seen, Ramesh said, and just very concerned that if she couldnt get this done today this was her last chance. So we did a lot of educating that she could absolutely get this done today, and even if she wasnt ready to do this today, that abortion was still legal certainly in Virginia and in the country.

The organizations and medical personnel who provide abortions anticipate that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 high court ruling guaranteeing it as a right, will be overturned by the Supreme Court this year. If Roe is overturned, states would each decide abortion policy and could choose to restrict or ban it.

Politico reported Monday night that the Supreme Court, which will soon rule on a Mississippi law that would halt most abortions after 15 weeks, had voted in conference to overturn Roe v. Wade.

That is not a final decision, and even if the law is overturned, abortion would remain legal in Virginia unless the General Assembly acts to change that. Democrats hold a 21-19 edge in the state Senate and Republicans hold a 52-48 edge in the House of Delegates. All 140 seats are up for election in 2023.

Medical providers said theyre working to educate women about where things stand, and help alleviate confusion.

Ive seen patients actually every day this week since the leak came out, Ramesh said. I did abortion care on Tuesday and several of those patients said, What does this mean? Is this final? Would I be able to access this in a year? 

Many patients are simply trying to access health care and arent thinking about the news, she said, and will be blindsided if the court overturns Roe.

Theyre not thinking of it at all like a right that they could lose because of a Supreme Court decision, she said.

Abortion is legal in Virginia through the second trimester of pregnancy, and is legal in the third trimester in limited cases in which three doctors approve. The state has 16 separate abortion providers.

And Virginia clinics are already seeing more patients traveling from states where abortion rights have been restricted.

One of them is Texas, where state lawmakers banned most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, starting on Sept. 1.

Ramesh said Planned Parenthoods clinics are seeing patients from Texas and other states with more restrictive abortion laws. This week, she said, she saw a patient who drove over five hours from West Virginia. Ramesh said she worries about patients who may have trouble getting access to an abortion because of transportation and child care expenses or the ability to get time off work.

Every day I see people who struggle to access it when its still fully legal, so I can only imagine, across the country, what thats going to look like for patients exactly like mine.

Rae Pickett, communications director with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said that if Roe is overturned, at least 26 states either have trigger laws that would ban abortion or have legislatures expected to quickly vote to ban abortion in those states.

That will mean even more of a role for Virginia, she said, and potentially new patients traveling from Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi or Florida.

In Virginia, abortion is legal, she said. Providers are seeing patients every day and they will continue to see patients every day no matter what.

Pickett said she spoke with a nurse who lives in Texas who flew to Virginia last year to get an abortion. The woman is in her 40s, has children, and she and her partner made the decision mutually, Pickett said. The nurse had ability to take time off and pay for a round-trip flight and hotel.

Tarina Keene, executive director of the organization Pro-Choice Virginia, also said abortion providers have told her theyre seeing patients from Texas here.

Its amazing that people have to travel so far to get the care that they need, Keene said.

We know on day one when Roe is overturned that we will see an influx of patients coming in from our border states  Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennesseewhich will move almost immediately to ban abortion in their borders.

The number of abortions peaked in Virginia in 2008 (27,410) and in Richmond in 2004 (2,943), according to Virginia Department of Health statistics.

Virginia saw 15,167 abortions in 2020, down 45 percent from 2008. The number of abortions in Richmond in 2020 was 1,021, also down significantly from previous years.
Two months ago, Alex Tkachenko woke up to the sound of explosions as the Ukrainian-Russian conflict began. He was born in Kerson, Ukraine, and was visiting his family during a business trip. After helping his family escape the war-torn country, he plans to return later this month.

Tkachenko has been an export coordinator for Scottsbluffs 21st Century Equipment for nearly 11 years. Having experienced the war firsthand, Tkachenko is making plans to return in mid- to late May to Poland, where he will transport aid and help refugees.

The plan is to buy a cargo van, maybe it will be a passenger/cargo van, so I could help refugees who have no personal vehicles, he said. I will also transport humanitarian aid with the goal to make sure it gets to the final destination.

Tkachenko said he will seek out people in need once he arrives, but he is currently working to get the trip planned. He hopes to collaborate with Ukrainian church leaders and elders to disseminate the goods to people in need. He plans to reconnect with some of his contacts he met back in February.

I met some awesome people while staying in western Ukraine before crossing the Ukraine-Poland border, he said.

Some of the aid he hopes to provide is food, clothing, medications and household items. He will also purchase a couple of ballistic vests, plate carriers (a type of bulletproof vest) and helmets, using one set for himself.

A key aspect of the planned trip is the publics help with funding the humanitarian effort in Ukraine. The public can visit Tkachenkos GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/help-alex-transport-aid-from-poland-to-ukraine. His goal is to raise $95,000 and he had raised $4,820 as of Thursday afternoon.

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There are several Mexican restaurants along East Overland, but Las VII (Siete) Americas differentiates itself through its menu selection and services.

The restaurant at 1619 East Overland got its name because it was the seventh restaurant opened by owner Cesar Orona. This was the first he opened in Nebraska; his previous businesses were in the Denver area.

It had been closed for a year and reopened in July 2018, when manager Alfredo Jimenez came on board. When I came, I changed things a bit, worked in something different, he said.

Las VII Americas had previously been more of a buffet focused on tacos and enchiladas. Jimenez added a grill to serve expanded menu items. He said this helped to differentiate his restaurant from many other Mexican establishments in the region.

Not too many (Mexican) restaurants here use the grill. They dont have any steaks, carne asadas, grilled chickens, he said. Other new dishes included grilled shrimp, fajitas and soups.

The restaurant is still well-known for its smothered enchiladas, smothered megaburritos and Taco Tuesday and Taco Thursday events.

I make our own tortillas here, Jimenez said. Everything, we make it homemade here: tamales, tortillas ... enchiladas, pork chili.

Jimenez expanded the size of the restaurant when he arrived as well as the menu. Before he became the manager, there were 10 tables for customers. Now, that number has just about doubled.

The restaurant is still run by a small team, including Maria Jimenez, Janell Gaytan and Consuelo Gorrola, whom Alfredo Jimenez thanked for their work. He said he sometimes works 12-hour shifts if the restaurant is busy enough and that workers sometimes work double duty as cooks and servers.

Server Maria Jimenez said she enjoyed working with customers the most.

You get used to their orders, the usuals that come in, she said. You know what theyre drinking, you know their favorite food. Sometimes they dont even need a menu because you know what they want.

The restaurant is flexible when it comes to menu items. Oftentimes, Alfredo Jimenez said, he and his workers can customize meals to suit a customers tastes.

If people ask me for whatever, well make it, he said. ... Like hamburgers. We dont have hamburgers on our menu, but some people say Could you make a hamburger for me? Yes, absolutely. Thats why you need the grill. We have a lot of customers asking for special orders.

The cooks can also adjust existing menu items in addition to creating new ones.

If we dont have any food you like on the menu, we have the stuff to make (something) for you, whatever you need, Alfredo Jimenez said.

Customers can also acquire the ingredients to make their own meals at the establishments tortilleria. This store is in the same building as the main restaurant and features a Mexican-style selection of grocery items and a tortilla assembly line.

The tortilleria had previously been in a separate location several blocks away. It actually predates the restaurant, sales worker Efrain Martinez said, and the workers there can make up to 6,000 tortillas per day.

In addition to orders of tortillas, customers can pick up almost everything they might need to make a Mexican meal: cheese, rice, beans, tamales, enchiladas, Mexican cookies and, on the weekends, fried pork.

We have a lot of variety of stuff. Were trying to bring more stuff in, Martinez said.

There had been plans to expand the tortilleria and add even more items for sale, but Martinez said the coronavirus has delayed those plans.

The tortilleria, which can take EBT payments, can produce up to 300 packages of tortillas and 200 special orders in a day. Alfredo Jimenez said the location acts as a sort of to-go option for customers.

If you dont have time to eat here, you go to pick up there, he said. He uses the tortillas made there in the Las VII Americas dishes.

The tortilleria is open morning to evening save for Wednesday, when it is closed. Las VII Americas itself operates on a similar schedule.

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The war in Ukraine has wracked the countrys southern coast as Russian forces fire cruise missiles at the city of Odesa and bombard a steel mill in the port of Mariupol housing Ukrainian civilians and fighters. Ukraines deputy prime minister says all women, children and older adults have been evacuated from the plant, a key Russian war objective that has long been under siege. Russia hopes to complete its conquest of Mariupol in time for Victory Day celebrations on Monday. However, Ukraines military have flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that has become a symbol of resistance.

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ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Saturday and bombarded a besieged steel mill in Mariupol, hoping to complete their conquest of the port in time for Victory Day celebrations. Ukraine announced that all women, children and older adults had been evacuated from the mill, a key Russian war objective.

In a sign of the unexpectedly effective defense that has sustained the fighting into its 11th week, Ukraines military flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that was captured in the wars first days and has become a symbol of resistance. Western military analysts also said a Ukrainian counteroffensive was advancing around the nations second-largest city, Kharkiv, even as it remained a key target of Russian shelling.

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The largest European conflict since World War II has developed into a punishing war of attrition that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed large swaths of some cities. Ukrainian leaders warned that attacks would only increase in the lead-up to Russias Monday holiday commemorating Nazi Germanys defeat 77 years ago, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged people to heed air raid warnings.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that Zelenskyy and his people embody the spirit of those who prevailed during the Second World War. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.

As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions, Blinken said in a statement as the United States and United Kingdom marked the Allied victory in Europe.

The most intense fighting in recent days has been in eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce battle to capture or reclaim territory. Moscows offensive there has focused on the industrial Donbas region, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014 and occupy some areas.

Moscow also has sought to sweep across southern Ukraine to both cut off the country from the sea and connect its territory to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, long home to Russian troops. But it has struggled to achieve those objectives.

On Saturday, six Russian cruise missiles fired from aircraft hit the region of Odesa, where authorities have a curfew in place until Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed thick black smoke rising over the city as sirens wailed.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed Ukraine targeting Russian-held Snake Island in a bid to impede Russias efforts to control the Black Sea. An image taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed that most of the islands buildings had been destroyed by Ukrainian drone attacks, as well as what appeared to be a Serna-class landing craft against the islands northern beach.

The image corresponds with a Ukrainian military video showing a drone striking the Russian vessel, engulfing it in flames. Snake Island, located some 35 kilometers (20 miles) off the coast, figured in a memorable incident early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, purportedly using colorful language.

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In Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters made a final stand against a complete Russian takeover of the strategically important city, which would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimea Peninsula, annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion.

Satellite photos shot Friday by Planet Labs PBC showed vast devastation at the sprawling Azovstal seaside steel mill, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. Buildings had gaping holes in the roofs, including one under which hundreds of fighters are likely hiding.

Rescuers finished the evacuation of civilians Saturday after a week of Russian shelling and on-and-off convoys to get people out of Mariupol.

The presidents order has been carried out: All women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from Azovstal, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, without elaborating. This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed.

Russian Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev also confirmed the evacuations.

The Russian news agency Tass had reported that 50 civilians were evacuated Saturday, a day after a similar number left. The latest evacuees followed roughly 500 others who were allowed to leave the plant and other parts of the city in recent days.

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The situation at the plant has drawn the worlds attention, with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross desperately trying to organize evacuations.

In recent days, fighters inside had described bringing out small groups of civilians who had been hiding there for weeks. The fighters said via social media that both they and the Russians have used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out.

But Russian forces have intensified fire on the mill with mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from the sea, making evacuation operations difficult.

Three Ukrainian fighters were killed and six more were wounded during Fridays evacuation attempt. Capt. Sviatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, said his troops had waved white flags and accused Russian forces of firing an anti-tank weapon at a vehicle.

It remains unclear what will happen to the estimated 2,000 fighters at Azovstal, both those still in combat and the hundreds believed to be wounded. In recent days the Ukrainian government has been reaching out to international organizations to try to secure safe passage for them. The fighters have repeatedly vowed not to surrender.

Zelenskyy said early Saturday that influential states were involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers. He did not mention any by name, but added, We are also working on diplomatic options.

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Russian forces have probed the plant and even reached into its warren of tunnels, according to Ukrainian officials.

But they struggled to make significant gains elsewhere in the country.

Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine and had a pre-war population of about 1.4 million, remained a key target of Russian shelling in the northeast. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Saturday that the Russian military also hit large shipments of weapons from the U.S. and other Western countries with Iskander missiles in the region. His claims couldnt be independently verified.

But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city. The Ukrainian army said it retook control of five villages in the area and part of a sixth.

A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraine may be able to push Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders momentum into a successful, broader counteroffensive.

Also Saturday, a Russian missile destroyed a national museum in the Kharkiv region dedicated to the life and work of 18th-century philosopher Gregory Skovoroda, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the building engulfed in flames.

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And in another eastern region, Luhansk, Gov. Serhiy Haidai said two boys aged 11 and 14 were killed by Russian shelling in the town of Pryvillia, while two girls aged 8 and 12 and a 69-year-old woman were wounded.

___

Gambrell reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Yesica Fisch in Bakhmut, David Keyton in Kyiv, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and AP staff around the world contributed to this report.
Students at Statesville Christian Schools fifth- and eighth-grade science fair and elementary and middle school science showcase had the chance to show off countless hours of hard work and knowledge to their classmates, teachers and parents.

I hope the fifth and eighth graders see God in all of creation, and his amazing creation, Stephanie Gill said. She was the science fair coordinator. And that they can use the scientific method for further exploration.

Gill said the science experiments help students use not only their scientific knowledge, but other subjects as well. He said they put together presentations that showed their writing, math and other academic skills.

The students projects covered a variety of topics, from how plants grow in different conditions, the best sunscreen and other scientific inquiries. However, a few chose projects that gave them more than just a taste of science.

The reason why I did this experiment is because I like making popsicles, Ryan Gadish said. The fifth-grader said as explained where the idea for his experiments of how different materials affected how water freezes. I thought it would be a fun little thing.

A little fun, a little tasty.

Fifth-grader Mckenize Johnson tested the differences between clear sodas and how the names of them might affect the drinkers choices between the three.

It was fun testing people in the lunchroom, Johnson said, who also tasted the three herself.

While some projects like an experiment on the stickiest glues were hopefully not taste-tested, the search for answers to their questions through the scientific method meant all students involved learned how trial and error are sometimes needed to find those answers.

Ribbons

The following students were recognized for their exceptional work.

Fifth grade

Superior ribbons: Emry Burlson, Porter Collins, Ryan Gadish, Xander Hummel, Mckenzie Johnson, Ascher Nelson, Capel Swierad, Isla Swierad, Maty Swierad and Joy Walsh.

Excellent ribbons: Bria Deal, Samantha Inkumsah, Ava Layne and Nayendra Mallet

Good ribbons: Clark McClain and Blake Star

Eighth grade

Superior ribbons: Toby Stewart and William Simon

Excellent ribbons: Harrison Jones, Hunter Deal, Bailey Killian, Maggie Mahaffey, Aly Taylor and Cheyenne Holliday

Good ribbons: Cooper Brawley and Jack Devine

Follow Ben Gibson on Facebook and Twitter at @BenGibsonSRL

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With a shortage of quality housing throughout much of Southwest Virginia, the regions communities are getting creative in where they can envision new homes.

The town of Marion is exploring developing apartments in unused areas of downtown establishments.

At a recent Marion Town Council meeting, Ken Heath, the towns community & economic development director, described a project that could potentially create about 22 new apartments in the downtown area, depending on the property owners interest and available funding. As an example, he noted that the former Marion flower shop could be renovated to house 15 units, while four could be added to the Gospel Armory, two at the Wooden Pickle restaurant, and another one at the former Trade Times site.

Marion is working with the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission (MRPDC) for potential funding.

The MRPDC received $2 million from Virginia Housing to create new housing initiatives. While Virginia Housing was established by the General Assembly, it does not receive state tax dollars but raises money in capital markets and then contributes much of the revenue to help meet Virginias most difficult housing needs.

By awarding money to the states planning districts, Virginia Housing said it hopes to promote regional approaches to housing development, enhance collaboration and, ultimately create new affordable homes.

One of the strategies Virginia Housing noted is creating upper-story housing in downtown business districts. Other strategies include financing new homeownership opportunities and renovating vacant and/or blighted properties.

In Bland County, Big Walker Properties plans to create new housing with a triplex rental unit targeting low- to moderate-income individuals. The PDC funded the plan and now the developers may expand the project to include an additional four units, according to James Moss, the MRPDCs director of housing development.

Multiple projects are being explored in Wythe County. In one, a developer hopes to build two new single homes in the Fort Chiswell area, again targeting low- to moderate-income residents. That project also won funding as did one proposed by the Wytheville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which was to buy property to build a seven- to 10-unit rental facility.

Chris Thompson, Virginia Housings strategic housing director, said that PDC members consider this a real game changer. This puts them in a very significant position to be able to address housing issues in their areas because it gives them the flexibility to use the funding where its needed to develop new rental, homeowner, and mixed-use housing opportunities.

Moss believes this effort can make a difference. With collaborative efforts like this we can begin to close the affordable housing gaps, Moss said, noting that the PDC will partner with local government, housing providers, service providers, developers, and residents to develop and support new affordable housing units in the region.

Under the name the Affordable Workforce Housing Development Opportunities, Moss said one round of awards has been made and another is expected in the near future.

Through this work, Moss said, The MRPDCs and partner-focused action in the areas of housing production and preservation will increase stability for our regions affordable housing shortage. It is our hope this effort will serve as the backbone for the successful coordination of efforts across a multitude of stakeholders, and service providers to best leverage resources and opportunities that result in meaningful impacts on our localities.

A recent assessment of housing in Smyth County and Marion found that the localities are facing an astounding 1,000+ housing unit shortage. The need encompasses housing that meets household budgets ranging from low income to professional.
For the 30th year, members of Altrusa International of Longview/Kelso held their Youth Awards luncheon. This year the event took place April 20 at the Kelso-Longview Elks.

The students were honored for rising above adverse challenges to set and attain worthy personal goals, according to a press release from Altrusa.

Guest speaker was Longview native and City Council member Angie Wean.

Oh the Places Youll Go, by Dr. Seuss was the luncheon theme that reflects the belief that lifes journey does include challenges, but with support, the rewards are attainable, according to the release.

Each student received a copy of the book, a certificate of achievement, a gift card from Red Leaf Organic Coffee and $300 cash.

Students nominated by their counselors and honored at the luncheon include Ashlee Brooks, Lillie Cierley, Kelso Cosgrove, Cheznee Gemar, Kaylee Hartley, Ciera Johnson, Jesse Kindle, Gene Mendiola, A.M. Roberts, Ethan Roberts, Ethan Savoie and Syrus Schultz.

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Its official: Longview voters have approved a school levy that district officials say will fund better security, revamped infrastructure and updated technology for schools.

The Cowlitz County Auditors Office on 5 p.m. Friday certified the April 26 special election, which asked voters to decide on a replacement capital projects and technology levy for the Longview School District.

Endorsed by the Longview Kelso Chamber of Commerce and touted as a way to pay for much-needed construction projects in the school district, the replacement levy garnered 53.9% of the vote in Longview.

About 33% of eligible Longview voters turned out for this election. This ballot asked voters to replace the current voter-approved capital projects and technology levy, which was passed in 2018 and charges 51 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

This years levy will increase the current tax rate to an estimated 88 cents of assessed property value.

District officials have promised the overall tax collection rate will not actually increase, as this year the district finished paying off a bond passed in 2001 and that measure will drop from tax rolls.

Total tax collection from the Longview School District was projected to drop from $6.3 million in 2023 to $5 million by 2025.

We are very grateful to the community for supporting the school district and the replacement levy, Superintendent Dan Zorn said in a statement to The Daily News. Levy dollars will help make sure school facilities get much needed repairs and upgrades to serve our students and the community for years to come.

The levy will help fund projects on Memorial Stadium, improving HVAC systems and air quality, as well as replacing roofs and flooring in schools.

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Locals inducted in Phi Kappa Phi

Annanissa Glidden of Kalama, who attends St. Martins University in Lacey; and Hannah Landrigan of Woodland, who attends Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, have been inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni are initiate into the society each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter, according to a press release submitted to The Daily News.

The top 10 percent of the seniors and the top 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees also may qualify as well as faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction, notes the release.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines, states the release. The society today has chapters on more than 325 campuses in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Its mission is To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others, notes the release.

Wood chosen as volunteer of month

Cathy Wood was chosen the Volunteer of the Month for May at the Rainier Senior Center.

Wood volunteers in many capacities, including at the desk, in the dining room, in the gift shop and more.

She has been a volunteer at the center since 2014.

 The Daily News

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WOODLAND  The city likely would reach its 20-year population estimate in half the time if a developer builds four-story apartments off Insterstate-5s exit 22. Officials are temporarily turning away applications to build similar structures.

A Bend-based developer is proposing to build eight buildings with parking garages, retail or office space and about 400 total apartment units near Belmont Loop and Old Pacific Highway.

If the city OKs the phased project, the complexes could house up to around 18% of the citys current population, or about 1,000 people, according to Woodland Community Development Director Travis Goddard.

In 2016, city planning officials estimated the population in 2036 would be 9,274  roughly 42% more than todays total. If the proposed project goes through, Goddard said that estimate could be met by 2026.

How to comment Deadline: 5 p.m. May 18. Email: lukaczerd@ci.woodland.wa.us. Mail: Woodland Associate Planner David Lukaczer, P.O. Box 9, Woodland, WA 98674. Info: www.ci.woodland.wa.us/commdev/project/logans-landing.

Spirit of our code

The developer is proposing to build eight, 44,000-square-foot buildings on 18 acres of an undeveloped side road called Franklin Street.

The Logans Landing development would be the first large-scale housing and commercial complex in the city, Goddard said.

It also would be the only residential structure on Belmont Loop, which is located just off I-5 and home to businesses like a chiropractor, veterinary clinic and fast-food restaurants.

The buildings would throw off the citys longterm population estimates because the area zoned highway commercial was never intended for housing, Goddard said. The city denied the developer a residential code change in 2019, he added, and the petitioner is now proposing to build using a unique interpretation of the code.

Woodland Mayor Will Finn said the plans dont align with the citys intended regulations.

The way that I look at it, this project as proposed is not in the spirit of our code, he said.

Commercial space is intended to be on the entire bottom floor of a mixed-use development, with residential on top, he added. The first floor of Logan Landings buildings mostly would include parking, which the developer considers commercial space, and a smaller section for a retail business or office.

Goddard said he does not consider parking, whether for residents or nearby businesses, commercial space.

The applicant and I have agreed to disagree, he said.

Plans

The developer, Logan Partners LLC, proposes the first floor of each building would include about 13,400 square feet for 37 parking spots and 972 square feet for a retail business or office, according to city documents.

Each of the next three levels would include 17 apartments units. Additional parking would be available outside the buildings, and the main entrance would be on Belmont Loop.

The developer describes the design as modern in the proposals and says at least 30% of each buildings first floor would be made of glass and 20% of the upper floors.

City officials are updating the code to clarify how officials envision housing should look like near businesses. In the meantime, the City Council in June placed a moratorium on accepting or processing applications for residential developments in commercial zones, Goddard said.

Logan Landings application was received during the brief time the original moratorium expired and a new one was placed in 2022, he added.

People can submit public comment about Logans Landing through May 18.

Rapid growth

Almost double the amount of housing units built over the last six years in Woodland already have been approved to be built in 2022.

Goddard said about 170 housing units were built in Woodland since 2016, and 400 units already have been approved to be built this year. Logans Landing is a proposal.

Goddard said the city needs to ensure it has the infrastructure, like roads, and services like water, sewer and public schools, to support more growth.

Were trying to manage this, but its been crazy, he said.

Goddard said the city is required to create a Comprehensive Plan to build for estimated growth under the states Growth Management Act because parts of Woodland are inside Clark County. Cowlitz County doesnt require such planning.

However, Woodland is not required to build to meet the citys estimated populations, like most Comprehensive Plans. He said if the city finds it can support the number of residents in the potential structure, the plans could be approved.

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A small memorial is placed on the 3800 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood where a bicyclist was killed Wednesday night, seen here on Thursday, May 5, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

A mother up late watching TV saw reports about police looking for a fatal hit-and-run driver in the Old Irving Park neighborhood woke up her 57-year-old son to tell him to go to the authorities, prosecutors said Saturday.

Phil Pinkawa, of the 2900 block of North Troy Street, appeared in court Saturday before Cook County Judge Barbara Dawkins, who set bail at $50,000. Pinkawa must pay $5,000 in order to be released until his next court date, on Friday.

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Pinkawa was charged with failure to report an accident involving the death of 22-year-old Nick Parlingayan, Chicago police said in a media notification.

Parlingayan, 22, who was at least the third bicyclist fatality in 2022, was riding a bike about 9:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 3800 block of North Milwaukee Avenue when he was hit by Nissan Versa that did not stop and fled the scene, police said.

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Parlingayan fell down, which caused trauma to his head and he was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:10 p.m. officials said.

Shortly after the wreck, Pinkawas mom was up late watching TV and saw a report about the crash, prosecutors told Judge Dawkins.

Knowing her son had a black Nissan Versa, which was described in the police alert, and the crash happened along the route and at the same time he was delivering food for the restaurant where he works as a cook, she woke him up at 4 a.m. to urge him to turn himself in, according to prosecutors.

Pinkawa admitted he ran into something that hit his windshield causing damage to his vehicle which was parked in the garage but according to prosecutors he slammed into Parlingayan and dragged him before fleeing the scene.

Instead of stopping and giving aid, he drove off, said Judge Dawkins before setting bail. He didnt turn himself in until his mother put two and two together.

Investigators matched the pieces of the Versa left at the scene to his car, prosecutors said, adding that Pinkawa turned himself in a short while later after also speaking with restaurant co-workers.

Pinkawa, a lifelong Cook County resident, also works as a trucker, according to a lawyer for him.
Google Assistant is rolling out a new feature that will automate the process of changing users passwords after it suspects a data breach.

Google Assistant has rolled out a new feature that will automate the process of changing your passwords after a breach. Tipster Max Weinbach has confirmed the details through a tweet. The screengrab shared by Weinbach shows a dialog box that reads, Chrome found the password you just used in a data breach. Your Google assistant can change your password automatically. Below there, youll also see the option to change automatically or cancel. If you agree to Let Google Assistant help you change your password, it will change your password automatically.

Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read:

Google Assistant being able to change breached passwords >>>>> pic.twitter.com/Dfcnvhs1S5  Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) May 3, 2022

Android Police has reported that Chrome will also warn users if their stored passwords are unsafe or reused from a data breach.

As of now, people have to change their password manually, however, with this update, users will be prompted to change their password as soon as they log into a site where their password has been compromised.

The new feature is built on the Duplex on the Web technology and allow Google Assistant to automatically change users passwords on Chrome for Android. It is primarily an extension of the breached-password-detector feature in Chrome.

How will the Google Assistant automated password work?

Google Chrome will prompt the users to allow Google Assistant to change the password automatically. Once confirmed users will then be taken directly to the affected website to set up a new password for the account. Here, they can type in their own key or let the built-in password manager suggest one. Though Google Assistant can handle the entire process of password changing, you can take over at any stage.

The Google Assistant feature was announced way back at Google I/O last year. This feature only works on supported sites as of now.

As per the report by Android Police, theres also an added option to manually check whether the passwords saved by Chrome have been compromised or not in the Passwords sub-menu in the browsers settings.
A large 1,600-feet wide asteroid is speeding towards the Earth, says NASA. Know the chances of it striking our planet.

A gigantic asteroid is rushing towards the Earth, according to the American space agency NASA. The asteroid is 1,600-feet wide and will make its closest approach to the Earth on Monday, May 9th. Unlike many asteroids that have zoomed past our planet in recent times, this one is actually very large. For reference, this asteroid is about 100 feet larger than the Eiffel Tower. Such asteroids are rare and every time an asteroid this size gets close to the Earth, it is a matter of concern as even the slightest deviation can spell disaster for us. If an asteroid this size were to hit the planet, it would create a massive area of destruction, create long-ranging seismic waves and cause tsunami in nearby regions. Know what are the chances of an asteroid strike.

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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory by NASA has explained that the asteroid is named 467460 (2006 JF42) and it is 1600-feet or 488 meters wide. The asteroid is expected to make its closest approach to the Earth at a distance of 5,710,000 kilometers. The asteroid is moving at a speed of 37,196 km/h. While this may sound like a large distance, at the high speed it is traveling, it gets reduced to a small distance. Scientists are continuously watching the asteroid to ensure that it maintains its distance. At the moment, it is expected that the asteroid will make a safe passage and is not likely to impact against Earth.

NASA: An Eiffel Tower sized asteroid is hurtling towards the Earth

Due to the asteroid 2006 JF42s size and relatively close proximity to the Earth, it is being classified as potentially hazardous. The asteroid belongs to the Aten class of asteroids. The Aten asteroids are a dynamical group of asteroids whose orbits bring them into proximity with Earth. By definition, Atens are Earth-crossing asteroids. This particular asteroid travels between Mercury and the Earth and it takes one year to complete one revolution around the Sun. Although it frequently crosses Earths path, it has not ventured this close to us since decades. The next time it comes this close will not be before 2033.

Due to these circumstances, NASA has been constantly watching the space rock, which has been classified as a near-Earth asteroid (NEO). The Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) has been an integral part of the American agency observing and mapping out all the asteroids that can pose a threat to us.
In this Oct. 10, 2019, file photo, a helicopter drops water near power lines and electrical towers while working at a fire on San Bruno Mountain near Brisbane, Calif. California energy leaders on Friday, May 6, 2022 said the state may see an energy shortfall this summer. Threats from drought, extreme heat and wildfires, are among the issues that will create challenges for energy reliability this summer and in the coming years. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File

California likely will have an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power about 1.3 million homes when use is at its peak during the hot and dry summer months, state officials said Friday.

Threats from drought, extreme heat and wildfires, plus supply chain and regulatory issues hampering the solar industry will create challenges for energy reliability this summer, the officials said. They represented the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state's energy grid.

State models assume the state will have 1,700 fewer megawatts of power than it needs during the times of highest demandtypically early evening as the sun setsin the hottest months when air conditioners are in full use.

One megawatt powers about 750 to 1,000 homes in California, according to the energy commission. Under the most extreme circumstances, the shortfall could be far worse: 5,000 megawatts, or enough to power 3.75 million homes.

"The only thing we expect is to see new and surprising conditions, and we're trying to be prepared for those," said Alice Reynolds, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates major utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric.

In this Aug. 18, 2017, file photo, electrical power flow and conditions are monitored at the California Independent System Operator grid control center in Folsom, Calif. California energy leaders on Friday, May 6, 2022 said the state may see an energy shortfall this summer. Officials from the ISO, the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission said Californian's should prepare to reduce their energy us in the after-work hours. Credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File

Climate change is driving a megadrought in California, which this year saw the driest January through March on record. Last summer the state for the first time shut off hydropower generation at the Oroville Dam because there wasn't enough water. It's up and running again, but the shutdown cost the state 600 megawatts of power, officials said.

Large hydropower projects generated nearly 14% of the state's electricity in 2020, according to the independent system operator. Renewable energy sources, chiefly solar, accounted for 34.5% and nuclear power made up 10%.

Amid expected shortfalls this summer the stateand residentshave multiple tools to avoid blackouts. Power can be purchased from other states and residents can lower their use during peak demand, but power shortages still are possible during extreme situations, officials said. Reynolds urged people to consider lowering their energy use by doing things like cooling their homes early in the day then turning off their air conditioners when the sun goes down.

In August 2020, amid extreme heat, the California Independent System Operator ordered utilities to temporarily cut power to hundreds of thousands of customers.

Mark Rothleder, senior vice president for the system operator, said the state would be more likely to experience blackouts again this year if the entire West has a heat wave at the same time. That would hinder California's ability to buy excess power from other states. Wildfires could also hinder the state's ability to keep the power on, he said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, tours the Edward Hyatt Power Plant at the Oroville Dam with Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth, second left, in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, April 19, 2022. California energy leaders said Friday, May, 6, 2022 that the state may see an energy shortfall this summer. Newsom toured the hydroelectric facility and discussed how the drought can hamper power generation. Credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File

California is in the process of transitioning its grid away from power sources that emit greenhouse gases to carbon-free sources such as solar and wind power. As old power plants prepare for retirement, including the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, the state has fewer energy options available. By 2025, the state will lose 6,000 megawatts of power due to planned power plant shutdowns.

Ana Matosantos, cabinet secretary for Gov. Gavin Newsom, declined to share details about what other actions the administration might take to ensure reliability, only saying Newsom was looking a "range of different actions." The Democratic governor recently said he was open to keeping Diablo Canyon open beyond its planned 2025 closing.

Meanwhile, supply chain issues caused by the pandemic are slowing down the availability of equipment needed to stand up more solar power systems with batteries that can store the energy for use when the sun isn't shining.

The state officials also pointed to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce into imports of solar panels from Southeast Asia as something with the potential to hinder California's move toward clean energy.

California has set a goal of getting 100% of its electricity from non-carbon sources by 2045, with certain benchmarks along the way including 60% by 2030. Already the state sometimes exceeds that target, particularly during the day. How much power comes from renewable sources varies based on the time of day and year as well as what's available.

This Nov. 3, 2008, file photo shows one of Pacific Gas and Electric's Diablo Canyon Power Plant's nuclear reactors in Avila Beach, Calif. California energy leaders said Friday, May, 6, 2022 that the state may see an energy shortfall this summer. Facing possible electricity shortages, Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the possibility that the state's sole remaining nuclear power plant might continue operating beyond a planned closing by 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File

Recently the system operator said it hit a record of getting more than 99% of energy from non-carbon sources around 3 p.m., though that only lasted for a few minutes.

Solar power by far makes up the largest share of renewable power, though it peaks during the day and drops off significantly at night when the sun goes down. The state is ramping up battery storage so solar power can continue to be used when its dark, but the state's capacity is still significantly lacking.

Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves about 16 million people in California, has added more battery storage since the 2020 power outages and is working on programs to reduce the energy load during peak demand, spokeswoman Lynsey Paolo said in a statement. The company is conserving water in reservoirs it relies on for hydropower and telling customers how they can reduce demand, she said. Her statement did not mention Diablo Canyon, which the utility operates.

Southern California Edison, another major utility, is working to procure more power, complete its own battery storage project and incentivize customers to use less energy, spokesman David Song said.

"Southern California Edison understands how much our customers depend on reliable electricity that is delivered safely, especially during the summer months when customers rely on electric service for air conditioners and fans during extended heat waves," he said.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Proprietor Richard Biasi at his vintage menswear and decor shop Richard's Fabulous Finds on North Avenue in Humboldt Park on April 18, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

A surprise identical twin, Richard Biasi, 52, has always battled for his own identity. He often jokes he got the yolk of the egg if you ask him about being his brothers double.

After working more than a decade creating his brand as a top sales associate at retail stores such as Neiman-Marcus and Bloomingdales, Biasi grew tired of grueling sales expectations and decided to open Richards Fabulous Finds, a store specializing in vintage mens suits, appropriately enough in a 100-year-old building.

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His most recent renaissance from posh to used found Biasi switching to secondhand clothing after making a career selling Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and other top designers. He fought to bring life to his other talent, bringing a modern twist to vintage suits.

A childhood photo of proprietor Richard Biasi and his twin brother hangs on the front window April 18, 2022, at his vintage menswear and decor shop Richard's Fabulous Finds in Humboldt Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

After racking up more than $40,000 in sales at one of Bloomingdales presale events, I got tired of living off of coupon sales and deals, Biasi said. I guess I am proving that you dont have to give the store away in order to make money.

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He found the hole in the retail market and began filling it, he said.

When you start anything you have to invest in it, Biasi said. You have to find whats not being offered.

And he did  vintage suits.

Starting off, Biasi frequented estate sales and gathered items from people hes known throughout the years. Not only did he look for suits  he also kept an eye out for other great pieces.

The items have to be wearable and in good shape. My shop doesnt smell like dead people, he said with a chuckle, noting that everything is professionally cleaned before it is placed on a sale rack.

I show my customers that there is value in vintage wear, he said.

His business, at 2545 W. North Ave., has been in the Humboldt Park neighborhood for eight years. It recently underwent a gut rehab.

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And, like other Chicago business owners, Biasi had to quickly figure out how to survive the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic. He utilized the patio space at his business, which has a view of the downtown skyline, renting it out to host micro-weddings, birthday parties and baby showers.

Even though things seemed to pan out financially, there were several problems with the buildings structure, according to Biasi. After the 78th water leak happened at his store, Biasi said he decided to leave the pity party he was throwing for himself.

I told myself, You got to make it, he recounted while rehashing mounds of frustration in dealing with the previous owners of the building that houses his business.

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While they attempted to make repairs to address issues, they put a Band-Aid on everything, he said. Once the floor started sinking in, it motivated Biasi to look for funding to help rehab the structure he had grown to love.

He quickly jumped into action, finding help in the SBIF Grant, a small business improvement fund set up to assist small business owners. At least $100,000 was released to the buildings new owner, making a gut rehab possible, Biasi said.

The Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) provides funding for permanent building improvements and repairs across the city. Offered by the citys Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to tenants and owners of industrial and commercial properties, SBIF grants are funded by tax increment financing revenues in designated TIF districts citywide.

According to the SBIF website, program participants can receive grants to cover between 30% and 90% of the cost of remodeling work, with a maximum grant of $150,000 for commercial properties and $250,000 for industrial properties. The grant, administered by SomerCor on the citys behalf, does not have to be repaid.

A selection of merchandise on display at the vintage menswear and decor shop Richard's Fabulous Finds on North Avenue in Humboldt Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Whether youre an entrepreneur pursuing your dreams in a start-up space, or a long-time employer looking to revitalize your business, the SBIF program could be the key to your future, reads a statement from Mayor Lori Lightfoot on the citys website.

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The SBIF has provided $105 million to more than 1,400 small businesses across Chicago since it started in 1999, according to the website.

Before the grant was approved for Richards Fabulous Finds, Biasi did his homework on the property. The buildings foundation was repaired, an old water heater was replaced, and tuckpointing work was completed on the structure through the grant, he said.

He also used that time to become an intimate member of the community where he does business and lives. During his research, he discovered a property on his block where an Italian restaurant was once run, and another property where the Three Stooges fruit stand operated, he said. A fellow Humboldt Park resident gave Biasi an old martini shaker found on the site of the Italian restaurants.

In his life as a business owner, Biasi hasnt forgotten what was learned during his time on the Magnificent Mile. He embraces ideas about building a strong clientele, and knows the power of being truthful to help find the best fit and style to compliment the customer, he said.

His beliefs have also afforded him opportunities to be involved in the big screen. Biasi has provided wardrobe pieces for the television shows Lovecraft Country and Fargo.

Richards Fabulous Finds, which has garnered a 5.0 rating on Yelp, is a one-man show, where he spends his time finding men the perfect suit.

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When you wear vintage you get a one-of-a-kind, he said.

Suits range from around $125 for pieces from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Older suits from the 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s can run from $250 to $600. Most neckties are $15 to $25, unless they are designers or dead-stock pieces (unused and in original packaging).

Sometimes its hard for Biasi to part with a suit, which he calls sellers remorse.

If I love it, I know somebody else will love it and it needs to live again.

Editors note: The reporter knew the subject from a working relationship during a previous job in retail.

dawilliams@chicagotribune.com
The Exodus story is about the Jewish peoples march to freedom, and in its particularity the Exodus story also has a universal meaning.

The Haggadahs Passover version of the story focuses on the people of Israel rather than any particular individual. Reading the Haggadah, we soon notice the absence of the narrations main character, Moses. Despite the fact that Moses is a central character in the Bibles second book, he is absent from the Haggadah. Instead, he sits silently on the texts periphery as if he were observing us from afar.

Unlike the Book of Exodus, the Passover Haggadah is not a book of history, it is a book of re-living history.

It is in the Bibles second book that the history of the Exodus appears. Exodus is our book of national liberation. It is a unique book whose powerful message and literary beauty have resonated throughout the millennia. As a political work, Exodus is the book that has inspired, and continues to inspire, the downtrodden and enslaved throughout the world. The books message of freedom touches the human soul wherever there is tyranny, and it brings hope wherever there is despair.

The Book of Exodus takes us on a journey from slavery to freedom and from degradation to dignity. Its plot revolves around three central characters: Moses, the Jewish people and God. The first of these characters is a person, the second is a group and third is a reality that is neither tangible nor definable.

Of all the Biblical figures found within Hebrew Scripture, Moses is the most unassuming, and yet his actions resonate today. After more than 3,500 years, Moses remains a hero not only for the Jewish people but for all who suffer, are mistreated or enslaved. It is the Mosaic revolution that created the social legislation found in todays liberal democracies. It is from the teachings of Moses that we derive ideas such as freedom for women and the reality that human beings are more than mere machines to be used and then discarded. It is from God, through his vehicle of Moses, that human dignity entered into the worlds body politic.To understand Moses, the man, it is helpful to contrast him with Jacobs favorite son, Joseph. Moses is perhaps Josephs exact opposite. Joseph, who lived some 400 years before Moses, brought Israel from its own land to Egypt. Joseph was a brilliant administrator but not a leader. Working with Pharaoh, Joseph transformed Egypt into a land of almost total slavery. Joseph controlled Egypt, but he did not morally lead Egypt. In contrast to Joseph, Moses would not only take us out of Egypt but out of the mindset of servitude.

Their personal realities were also different. Joseph did not get along with his brothers; Moses and his siblings, Aaron and Miriam, were for the most part a team. Unlike Joseph, Moses was modest in both appearance and dress. The Bible tells us that Joseph was exceedingly handsome. Moses, on the other hand, is marked by physical defects such as his speech impediment and possibly even a cleft palette.

The text teaches us very little about Moses personal biography. Perhaps this paucity reminds us that it is less important from whence a person comes than where he is going. It is not our lineage that matters but our actions. We know that he was adopted by Pharaohs daughter, yet we know next to nothing about his life at the palace. It is not clear when Moses learned that he was a Hebrew or when he began to feel empathy for his downtrodden people.

Once again, Moses is Josephs opposite. Joseph knew he was a Hebrew and did everything possible to put his past and people behind him. Moses is the eternal outsider, seeking entrance into, and reunification with, his people. Raised as an Egyptian he gave up a life of ease and luxury to lead his people from the depths of poverty through a scorching desert back to Israel, a land into which he would never enter. Is Moses outsider status a way to teach us that it is the message and not the man who is important?

It was Moses who established the rule of law over the rule of personality, and the concept that no man or woman is to be a servant to another, but rather a servant only to God. In Egypt, the priests owned land and the people owned nothing. In the Israel of Moses dreams, the people would own the land and the priests would own nothing. What does this dichotomy tell us about todays politicians? Are modern politicians around the world more like the priests of Egypt or of Israel? Moses understood, perhaps better than most, that life is transient, a stopover between birth and death and what matters in life is not who we are, but what we do.

Moses work would inspire others to follow in his path. One such example is Martin Luther King Jr. Like the Biblical Moses, Martin Luther King struggled for human equality and dignity. Dr. King fought to lead his people out of the bondage of segregation. Not only did King fight for African American rights, but he also fought for the right of the Jewish people to live free of the twin social cancers of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. In August 1967, King published his famous letter to an anti-Zionist friend in which he wrote:

Antisemitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, has been and remains a blot on the soul of mankind. In this we are in full agreement. So know also this: anti-Zionist is inherently antisemitic, and ever will be so.

Why is this? You know that Zionism is nothing less than the dream and ideal of the Jewish people returning to live in their own land. The Jewish people, the Scriptures tell us, once enjoyed a flourishing Commonwealth in the Holy Land. From this they were expelled by the Roman tyrant, the same Romans who cruelly murdered Our Lord. Driven from their homeland, their nation in ashes, forced to wander the globe, the Jewish people time and again suffered the lash of whichever tyrant happened to rule over them.

Kings activism made him a well-known figure in the Jewish community. American Jews understood Kings message because it was also the Hebrew Bibles message of freedom. The fight to end segregation, for many American Jews was the living reenactment of the Exodus tale. For this reason, during Kings lifetime, Jews composed between half to two thirds of all non-African Americans who actively participated in the struggle for racial equality.

Ironically, neither Moses nor King would enter his promised land, but both inspired others to cross their own Jordan river and turn the horrors of slavery into the gift of liberation.

On the evening of May 4, we in the Jewish community celebrated, after almost 2,000 years of exile, Israels rebirth and independence. I cannot help thinking that as the crowds celebrated Israels renaissance both Moses and King are smiling in heaven. The people of Israel have come home to the land of Israel.

Dr. Peter Tarlow directs the Center for Latino-Jewish Relations. He is a police chaplain for the College Station Police Department and the Rabbi Emeritus of Texas A&M Hillel Foundation.
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine  Dozens more civilians were rescued Friday from the tunnels under the besieged steel mill where Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol have been making their last stand to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategically important port city.

Russian and Ukrainian officials said 50 people were evacuated from the Azovstal plant and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Russian military said the group included 11 children.

Russian officials and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said evacuation efforts would continue Saturday. The latest evacuees were in addition to roughly 500 other civilians who got out of the plant and city in recent days.

The fight for the last Ukrainian stronghold in a city reduced to ruins by the Russian onslaught appeared increasingly desperate amid growing speculation that President Vladimir Putin wants to finish the battle for Mariupol so he can present a triumph to the Russian people in time for Mondays Victory Day, the biggest patriotic holiday on the Russian calendar.

As the holiday commemorating the Soviet Unions World War II victory over Nazi Germany approached, cities across Ukraine prepared for an expected increase in Russian attacks, and officials urged residents to heed air raid warnings.

These symbolic dates are to the Russian aggressor like red to a bull, said Ukraines first deputy interior minister, Yevhen Yenin. While the entire civilized world remembers the victims of terrible wars on these days, the Russian Federation wants parades and is preparing to dance over bones in Mariupol.

By Russias most recent estimate, roughly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters are holed up in the vast maze of tunnels and bunkers beneath the Azovstal steelworks, and they have repeatedly refused to surrender. Ukrainian officials said before Fridays evacuations that a few hundred civilians also were trapped there, and fears for their safety have increased as the battle has grown fiercer in recent days.

Kateryna Prokopenko, whose husband, Denys Prokopenko, commands the Azov Regiment troops inside the plant, issued a desperate plea to also spare the fighters. She said they would be willing to go to a third country to wait out the war but would never surrender to Russia because that would mean filtration camps, prison, torture and death.

If nothing is done to save her husband and his men, they will stand to the end without surrender, she told The Associated Press on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said influential states are involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers, although he did not mention any by name.

We are also working on diplomatic options to save our troops who are still at Azovstal, he said in his nightly video address.

U.N. officials have been tight-lipped about the civilian evacuation efforts, but it seemed likely that the latest evacuees would be taken to Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-controlled city about 140 miles northwest of Mariupol where others who escaped the port city were brought.

Some of the plants previous evacuees spoke to the AP about the horrors of being surrounded by death in the moldy, underground bunker with little food and water, poor medical care and diminishing hope. Some said they felt guilty for leaving others behind.

People literally rot like our jackets did, said 31-year-old Serhii Kuzmenko, who fled with his wife, 8-year-old daughter and four others from their bunker, where 30 others were left behind. They need our help badly. We need to get them out.

Fighters defending the plant said Friday on the Telegram messaging app that Russian troops had fired on an evacuation vehicle on the plants grounds. They said the car was moving toward civilians when it was hit by shelling, and that one soldier was killed and six were wounded.

Moscow did not immediately acknowledge renewed fighting there Friday.

Russia took control of the rest of Mariupol after bombarding it for two months. Ahead of Victory Day, municipal workers and volunteers cleaned up what remains of the city, which had a prewar population of more than 400,000. Perhaps 100,000 civilians remain there with scarce supplies of food, water electricity and heat. Bulldozers scooped up debris, and people swept streets against a backdrop of hollowed-out buildings. Russian flags were hoisted.

The fall of Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port. It also would allow Russia to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, and free some Russian troops to fight elsewhere in the Donbas, the eastern industrial region that the Kremlin says is now its chief objective. Its capture also holds symbolic value since the city has been the scene of some of the worst suffering of the war and a surprisingly fierce resistance.

While they pounded away at the plant, Russian forces struggled to make significant gains elsewhere, 10 weeks into a devastating war that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee the country and flattened large swaths of cities.Ukrainian officials said the risk of massive shelling increased ahead of Victory Day. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities would reinforce street patrols in the capital. A curfew was going into effect in Ukraines southern Odesa region, which was the target of two missile attacks Friday.

The Ukrainian militarys general staff said Friday that its forces repelled 11 attacks in the Donbas region and destroyed tanks and armored vehicles, further frustrating Putins ambitions after his abortive attempt to seize Kyiv. Russia made no acknowledgement of the losses.

The Ukrainian army also said it made progress in the northeastern Kharkiv region, recapturing five villages and part of a sixth. Meanwhile, one person was reported dead and three more were wounded Friday as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

In other developments:

 A Ukrainian army brigade said it used an American Switchblade suicide drone against Russian forces in what was likely Ukraines first recorded use of such weapon in combat.

 The Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region said residents of the city of Kreminna were being terrorized by Russian troops trying to cross the Seversky Donets River. Serhiy Haidai accused Russian troops of checking phones and forcibly disappearing Ukrainian patriots. His statements could not be immediately verified.

 Haidia also said more than 15,000 people remain in Severodonetsk, a city in the Luhansk region thats seen as a key Russian target. He said he believes most residents wish to remain even though entire blocks of houses are on fire.

 The small village of Nekhoteevk, in Russias southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, was being evacuated Friday due to shelling from Ukrainian territory, according to the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. His claims could not be immediately verified.

 Russian state agencies reported that two self-proclaimed separatist republics in Ukraines industrial east  the Donetsk Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic  appointed extraordinary ambassadors to Moscow. A Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman, Oleg Nykolenko, said the ambassadors were traitors and will likely be charged with high treason.
Tuesday, May 6, 1975, started out hot and hazy. The first signs of what was to come that day occurred near Pierce, Nebraska, about noon, according to meteorologist Jim Zoller.

By midafternoon, it started to rain. The churning in the sky that came later was caused by the lethal mixing of the hot, humid air with a new front of cool, dry air coming in from the north.

Anyone who lived in Omaha 47 years ago today probably still remembers where he or she was when the sirens began to wail and the terror touched down.

For those who found themselves in the midst of the storm's fury, the date holds even more memories and meaning.

Three people were killed that day, but a sizable number of people were spared.

It was estimated that 30,000 people lived, worked or went to school in the path of the deadly storm, which ripped a nine-mile scar into the heart of the city. They heeded the sirens and huddled in basements, under tables or wherever they could find cover.

At 4:14, the National Weather Service reported a possible tornado.

At 4:29, a resident reported a funnel cloud descending west of 96th and Harrison Streets, and the civil defense alarms sounded.

At 4:32, police reported a tornado on the ground, tearing the roofs off apartments at 96th and Q streets.

The tornado was gone as quickly as it had come. Some 30 minutes later, perhaps as many as 300 people were injured, and 2,000 square blocks of Omaha were affected.

The EF4 tornado, which touched down in southwest Omaha and continued north on a route along 72nd Street, proved to be one of the nations costliest tornadoes. In 2015 dollars, damage exceeded $1 billion.

In all, about eight tornadoes touched down in eastern Nebraska that day. In addition to the Omaha twister, tornadoes were reported in the Nebraska communities of Winside, Pierce, Randolph and Magnet and in Beebeetown, Iowa.

The only deaths occurred in Omaha.
On Monday, May 2, a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion shows the court wants to overturn the right of abortion and send it back to the states to decide.

At the beginning of the opinion, Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. wrote: Abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views.

Later in the document, Alito said that Roe v. Wade (1973) was egregiously wrong from the start with exceptionally weak reasoning. He also said the decision had damaging consequences and did not bring about a settlement of the abortion issue.

He said Roe v. Wade in 1973 and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey in 1992 have flamed debate and deepened division.

It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives, Alito wrote.

Is there a constitutional right to abortion?

Camille Davidson, dean of SIU Law School, said Roe v. Wade in 1973 used the right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution to determine a right to abortion before viability of a fetus, which at the time was 24 weeks.

In 1992, Casey reaffirmed the privacy rights of women.

Most people and lawmakers as discussed figured a gutting of Roe or Casey, but not an overturning of what the court said, Davidson said.

She wonders if there is no right to privacy, whats next? No right to contraceptives. The issue is larger than pregnancy. Its about reproductive justice being a human right.

John Shaw of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU said it is very likely the Supreme Court will vote to overturn Roe and Casey.

The only surprising thing is how quickly they raised the issue, Shaw said.

Shaw also said the document leak has thrust abortion to the single-most important issue in the fall election. Roe v. Wade had settled abortion for nearly 50 years. Overturning that decision propels the issue to politics and the upcoming election.

In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker responded directly saying Illinois law is not going to change and abortion is protected in the state.

According to statistics kept by Illinois Department of Public Health, 46,243 abortions were performed in Illinois in 2020, the latest year statistics are available.

In Southern Illinois, the number of abortions were listed by county of residence as follows: Jackson County, 123; Jefferson County, 73; Williamson County, 61; and 50 or fewer in all other counties in our region.

Much of the debate on abortion has focused on limiting the procedure based on the gestational age of the fetus. Across the country, states have limited abortion from six to 15 weeks, which is stricter than current federal law.

In 2020, Illinois abortions, listed by gestational age, were: less than 8 weeks, 26,755; 8-11 weeks, 12,899; 12-15 weeks, 3,585; 16 or more weeks, 1,789; and unknown, 1,215.

For women, the issue is often very personal and leads to strong opinions  whether they are for or against abortion.

Dr. Sandy Pensoneau-Conway, interim chair of women and gender studies at SIU, supports abortion rights. She thinks the Supreme Court is going backwards in its leaked draft. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, it makes access to safe abortion costly, timely and harder to find.

My students are very concerned and rightly so, Pensoneau-Conway said.

She added that there is a misconception that abortion is killing babies, and that is incredibly misguided.

One of her students said Roe v. Wade should be the baseline and we should have a better healthcare available nationwide.

For me, it comes down to the choice of doing what we feel is best with our own bodies, Pensoneau-Conway said.

Chastity Mays of Carbondale also supports abortion rights.

"I think thats a womans choice  her body, her choice, and if she has a partner, its their choice together, Mays said.

Mays is a mom. She had her daughters talk about personal issues and she gives advice.

They can come to me about anything, but ultimately, the choice is theirs, she said.

She also said we talk about abortion as a pregnant women not wanting to have a baby, but it is really not that simple. So many other things can come into play, such as rape or birth defects discovered during pregnancy.

There may come a time during pregnancy when you have to determine whos going to live, she said. So many situations we dont consider when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth and having a baby.

Mays thinks this would be a step backwards to restrict abortion access. She is worried that other changes in healthcare may follow.

Christine Mize, president of the non-active Jackson County Right to Life, has a different opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade.

It would be a welcomed miracle we have been working and praying toward for 50 years, Mize said.

She believes that a baby or fetus is a human being. Its life is not worth less because of its growth or location in a womb. She would also like to see the country return to morals on the matter.

No one but pro-life people advocate for the baby who doesnt have a voice, she said.

When Mize was a college student, she was faced with an untimely pregnancy. She quickly turned to abortion as her option, and she has regretted it ever since. She wishes she had not had the abortion and would have put her baby up for adoption.

She said abortion has become a form of birth control with some women having multiple abortions.

Mize believes women have a right to contraceptives and most unwanted pregnancies can be prevented. She would like to see better health education on birth control and preventing pregnancies.

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Perhaps the biggest news affecting state government this week came not from Springfield but from Washington, D.C.

That news was an unprecedented leak of a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the landmark 1973 abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade. That cases precedent protects access to abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy and gives states only limited authority to regulate it.

While the leaked draft isnt final and might not be for months, Illinois Democrats pointed out that, due to actions taken by lawmakers in the past five years, the law here is unlikely to immediately change should the decision be repealed.

The Reproductive Health Act, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019, enshrined abortion as a fundamental right within state law. In December, he signed a repeal of a law that required abortion providers to notify the parents of a minor who will be undergoing the procedure.

Those followed a 2017 law signed by Republican former Gov. Bruce Rauner that allowed for state-funded Medicaid coverage of abortions and cemented abortion protections in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned.

The draft opinion would give regulatory authority of abortions back to the states, which means future legislatures could consider rolling back protections.

While its a longshot that the GOP would unseat enough supermajority Democrats in the General Assembly to have a chance at repealing some of the states recent abortion actions, its worth looking at the records of the GOP challengers vying in the June 28 primary for a one-on-one shot at Pritzker in November.

One noticeably silent candidate this week was the man in the money lead, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, whose running mate is one of the General Assemblys staunchest abortion foes.

The Irvin campaign, normally active with news releases daily, issued none on Tuesday in the wake of the Supreme Court leak. The campaign still hasnt addressed the draft decision, instead waiting until the court opinion is final, which could come after the primary election.

It did, however, receive another $25 million donation from former Rauner backer and GOP megadonor Ken Griffin, bringing its total received from Griffin to $45 million. From January to March, Irvin spent nearly $12 million and has maintained a constant presence on the airwaves since then.

Thats allowed him to reach the broader Illinois audience while remaining mum on most issues, including abortion. His campaign website lists only the issues of crime, taxes and corruption.

The clearest window into his abortion stance came when he told Fox Chicagos Mike Flannery in February he was Pro-life...You know, there are always exceptions: rape, incest, life of the mother. Amid a follow-up question from Flannery, Irvin ended the 15-minute interview which his campaign said had gone on longer than interviews with other TV stations.

His campaign said that stance has been consistent, but it didnt respond directly to questions Friday. He has also said publicly he would seek to reinstate the parental notice law that was repealed last year, which would require lawmaker action.

Further insight can be gained from the record of his running mate, Rep. Avery Bourne, a Republican from Morrisonville who has served in the General Assembly since 2015. She was a staunch and vocal no vote on all three of the abortion expansion measures mentioned above.

Two other candidates  Darren Bailey and Jesse Sullivan  issued Tuesday news releases that noted they would seek to roll back some of the recent state abortion measures, which would also require lawmaker action.

Sullivan, a venture capitalist from downstate Petersburg, attributed the potential Roe v. Wade decision to the power of prayer. He spent nearly $2.5 million from January through March and had $8 million cash on hand, which has allowed him to maintain a TV presence.

Our prayers, our persistence, and our patriotism could save millions of lives for generations to come, he said in a statement. We must put an end to late-term, partial birth abortions. We must put an end to taxpayer-funded abortions. We must bring back parental notification for minors.

His campaign didnt respond to questions asking for more specifics.

Bailey, a state senator from Xenia who gained notoriety for challenging Pritzkers pandemic executive orders in court, said in a statement on Twitter that he would continue to pray for life and our nation and would support policies and groups that help empower women with real options and save lives.

Of the three most recent abortion expansions, he was in office for two of them, voting no. His statement specifically mentioned rolling back taxpayer funded abortions and reinstating parental notice, which would again require lawmaker action.

His campaign pointed to an April appearance in Chicago, covered by the Chicago Sun-Times, in which Bailey said the mothers life is always important when asked if abortion should be allowed if the mother is in danger.

You know I dont personally consider that abortion, Bailey said, according to the Sun-Times. Many times, theres a medical procedure that has to take place and theres a choice of life. So, in those instances, I would always obviously lean towards the life of the mother.

He has received endorsement from anti-abortion groups Illinois Family Action, Illinois Federation for Right to Life and Illinois Citizens for Life. Hes also received $3.5 million from another major GOP donor, businessman Richard Uihlein, and spent about $1 million in the first quarter of 2022.

Gary Rabine, a Bull Valley businessman who owns a paving company and has engaged in anti-vaccine conspiracies, said on Twitter he is unapologetically pro-life, likening abortion to murder. My call to his campaign, which spent $314,000 in the first quarter, was not returned Friday.

Paul Schimpf, a former state senator from Waterloo, did not issue a statement or respond to questions. But he was in office for the Medicaid funding expansion and Reproductive Health Act passage, both of which he opposed. His campaign spent $130,000 in the first quarter.

jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Jerry Nowicki is the bureau Chief of Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

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NORWAY  The Town of Norway, without informing regional media, moved to having a live meeting, in addition to having Facebook Live recording, for its council meeting Monday evening, May 2, at the Old Willow School.

The Times and Democrat was not informed in time about Mondays Live meeting. However, The T&D will be attending live meetings in person in the future as they did pre-pandemic (during the pandemic and during an extended time after that, Norway had Facebook Live recordings only; coverage was done via Facebook Live recordings). The next live meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday, June 6, at the Old Willow School. Some highlights have been covered from the Facebook Live recording on Monday, May 2, for this article.

Mayor Tracie Clemons said in an email interview after the meeting, Yes, we have resumed with person-to-person meetings. Up to 10 people from the public (media and general public) are allowed in the council chambers in addition to the five members of council. We still will do Facebook live conferences as well.

Clemons discussed ARA funds during the Facebook Live meeting recording.

Last month, according to the ARA, we can deem everything as a loss in the General Fund revenue, she said.

Clemons added that they transferred $77,000 dollars from the ARA fund except for $100 left to keep the account open for the second half of the ARA fund payment.

Police Chief Edgar Williams next gave the police report and stated there were 25 traffic citations issued, no traffic collisions, and one warrant issued. Williams said they only had one incident report which was for petit larceny.

Clemons next gave the wastewater report.

She mentioned at their facility during a recent inspection that they did have to check the pH level multiple times (the pH level was low the first day but with adjustments, it was on the correct level).

Clemons said, The chloride dioxide head was rebuilt (recently) in the chloride dioxide room.

This was done before a DHEC inspection, she added.

She said they had to take three truckloads of baby wipes out of a local lift station.

This has been an issue which has been discussed multiple times at meetings the past few years and in multiple articles in the T&D.

"Stop flushing baby wipes," Clemons pleaded.

She also later asked citizens to stop pouring hot grease down their drains as well.

Clemons stated, It costs $1,300 every time we have to bring a truck out (to remove baby wipes). Multiply that times three.

Clemons encouraged members of council to talk to their constituents about this issue, and they stated they would.

She next said they are ordering extra products to put into the wastewater system to kill a smell of sulfur which has permeated the atmosphere in certain places in town.

For more information, a full recording of the meeting can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/1013716612050884/videos/1113688852541745.

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Artisans from Tlaxcala create the Huamantla Carpets using marble stones to celebrate ties between Mexico and Chicago during Mexico Week at Daley Plaza on May 4, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Despite the rainy and windy week, Mexican artisans from the state of Tlaxcala were committed to finishing two monumental stone carpets adorning Daley Plaza.

On Thursday afternoon the group finally completed the carpets after a month of planning and several setbacks because of the weather, said artisan Francisco Montiel. Each carpet was designed to depict the ties between Chicago and the people of Mexico.

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The endeavor was a part of the first-ever Mexico Week, in which the consul general of Mexico in Chicago organized several events to celebrate Mexican culture and aim to challenge the stereotypical Cinco de Mayo celebrations taking place.

Other commemorations include a special dish created by chef Carlos Gaytan of Tzuco restaurant, the exhibition Images of Mexico, at the Mexican Consulate, the inauguration of the Wings of Mexico sculpture downtown and a ceremony to name the library of Instituto Cervantes after the Mexican writer Jose Emilio Pacheco.

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Artisans Juan Hernandez, left, and Daniel Balderas work on the creation of the Huamantla Carpets at Daley Plaza in Chicago on May 4, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

On a rainy evening Mayor Lori Lightfoot gathered with Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia, and several other Mexican government officials to take a picture in front of the Wings of Mexico sculpture placed in the Plaza of the Americas on the Magnificent Mile.

The sculpture by Jorge Marin which will remain in the plaza until Oct. 1, celebrates Chicago as a welcoming city for immigrants and refugees. Behind the sculpture of the wings, there was another elaborate carpet.

Montiel and his team, he said, are honored to adorn some of Chicagos most emblematic places with the picturesque carpets traditional to his hometown of Huamantla, a city in Tlaxcala in Mexico.

Though the materials used for the carpets created in the city had to be adapted to fit Chicagos weather, the carpets are extremely similar to the ones he elaborated under team Arte Magico De Huamantla in Mexico, Montiel said. Rather than using sawdust, flowers and fruits, the carpets in Daley Plaza were made of stones.

In Huamantla, the carpets are created on the streets to adorn the town every August as part of a religious tradition to honor La Virgen de la Caridad  Our Lady of Charity  and as a symbol of gratitude for health and a good harvest.

Artisan Fransicso Montiel works with others as they create the carpet at Daley Plaza in Chicago on May 4, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

While creating the work, which features an image of The Bean and the Chicago flag, Montiel invited passersby to contribute by helping to add stones to the design or hearing the history of the carpets.

We wanted to make sure that we made this more interactive so that the people of Chicago can feel our warmth, Montiel said in Spanish.

An expert in carpet-making art, Montiel grew up in Huamantla, Tlaxcala, and learned the trade while growing up, he said. Over the past decade, he has taken his art to various parts of the world.

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We always feel welcomed here, he said. I enjoyed the questions from people passing by asking us about the carpets because we got a chance to share our story and our art.

During the gathering at the Plaza of Americas, Lightfoot commended Torres Mendivil for her work in Chicago as the first woman to serve as the consul general in Chicago and said she was an asset to the Chicago area that is home to more than 1.5 million people of Mexican origin.

La Semana de Mexico llegara pronto a Chicago! Del 2 al 10 de mayo habra un gran despliegue de cultura, color y tradiciones mexicanas  en los lugares mas representativos de la ciudad. Acompananos!#SemanaDeMexicoEnChicago2022 pic.twitter.com/zmmfecvE82  Consulado General de Mexico en Chicago (@ConsulMexCho) May 1, 2022

The Week of Mexico pays tribute to the long-standing strong ties between the city of Chicago and Mexico. It showcases the important contributions and influence that Mexico has had in every aspect of our city of Chicago, Lightfoot said.

While Chicago is home to migrants from all over the world, Mexican immigrants make up the largest group. Torres Mendivil said that events seek to also highlight the diverse backgrounds and traditions of the Mexican communities living in Chicago. Tlaxcala, for example, is the smallest state in Mexico and therefore, often overlooked.

Montiel said that having the opportunity to create their carpets in Chicago can open a new world for many people and invites everyone to visit Tlaxcala.

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
Protesters gathered outside the Casper Police Department on Friday, calling for a reduced sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to shooting someone he suspected had sexually abused an underage relative.

Olinza Headd was sentenced in April to 17 to 20 years in prison for the January 2021 shooting, pleading guilty without a plea agreement to a charge of manslaughter.

Some demonstrators held signs with messages including Heroes deserve parades, not prison, Protect kids not criminals and Penalties for the pedophiles, not the protector. Across the street, a woman sat in a car holding a sign to the window that read, Set Lin free.

The crowd passed around a plastic jug, collecting cash to go towards Headds attorney fees. Headds sons asked attendees and passing people to add their names to a petition for lowering his sentence.

Valenta Headd, Olinzas wife, said she last saw him on Tuesday. Since then, he has been taken out of the Natrona County Detention Center and is presumably on his way to prison. But she doesnt know where.

They didnt give me any information, she said at Fridays protest.

***

Headds sentence means he could be in prison for the maximum time allowed for a manslaughter conviction: 20 years.

According to an investigators affidavit in the case, Headd shot Eugene Hogan III three times with a 9 mm handgun on Jan. 13, 2021. Hogan, who was never prosecuted, was unarmed and in a bedroom at Headds daughters apartment, court filings say.

Medics declared Hogan dead at the scene about an hour after the shooting, according to the affidavit.

Four days later, Headd stood up after a Sunday service at his church and publicly announced he shot and killed a man, the affidavit states.

Headd spent 81 days in jail in Natrona County on a $150,000 bond after being arrested in February 2021. Jail records show he was booked back in after receiving his sentence in April of this year, waiting to be transported to prison.

He originally faced a second-degree murder charge, which carries a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life behind bars. The charge was later amended to voluntary manslaughter.

Court records show Head filed to appeal his case a week after sentencing. He is set to represent himself.

***

Fridays protest was attended by around 25 people at its peak, most of whom didnt know Headd personally. Theyd seen his story on the news, or on social media, and said they were outraged by the prison sentence.

A few said they would have done the same thing in his position.

I think they need to give him a trophy, said Tom Mahrer. I believe in our judicial system, I really do. But when it comes to harming family members, anger and emotion take over.

Protesters said they wanted to see harsher sentences for sex crimes, like minor sexual abuse. Several talked about their own experiences with sexual assault, or said they had family members who struggled to heal from assault because they lived in fear of seeing their assailant while they walked free.

Valenta Headd said ideally, shed like to see her husbands sentence reduced to only his time served, meaning he could get out of prison immediately with no additional time. He had no prior criminal history, and was not a violent man, she said.

Theresa Gilbert, who knew Headd from Rock of Ages Church, said she was shocked at the sentence. Headd is a good man who supported everyone he knew, she said.

The justice system failed this man, said Lexy Ward. As a community we have an obligation to have a say in that.

The crowd walked around the block, passing buildings housing county offices, circuit and district courts and the police departments parking lot. They stood on the corner of Center and First streets, holding up signs and yelling Free Olinza and Justice for Olinza to drivers in rush hour traffic. Several honked, or gave thumbs up. One passenger leaned out and asked what was going on, and later met the group down the block to sign the petition.

Andre Harper, one of Headds sons, said all of the response from the community  both online and in person  has been in support of Headd.

As the protest entered its second hour, Casper police employees began streaming out of the departments headquarters. A few stopped to talk with protesters, but all declined to sign the petition. Keysha Donner said she understood theyd chosen the location not in protest of the police, but to actually show support for the department.

I cant imagine the work that they do, to go and arrest these people, the horrible things that they see, Donner said. Just to have it put in court and get a plea bargain or worked down to this or that.

***

A GoFundMe page was set up last May to raise money for Headds bond and attorney fees, which the organizer said were causing his family extreme hardships.

The organizer, Keith James, alleged in the fundraisers description that one of Headds relatives was being inappropriately cared for and molested. James could not be reached for comment on Friday.

When nothing was being done about it, matters were dealt with in a more personal fashion, the description reads.

K2 Radio News reported that Headd said in a hearing that he confronted Hogan about the molestation allegations.

I did lose control. I hate that I had to be the one to end that mans life, he said, according to K2. But somebody else would have if he kept touching peoples children.

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Eleven wild horses removed from Wyoming rangelands have died of a common but highly contagious bacterial disease at a Wheatland holding facility.

According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), roughly half of the 2,750 captive horses have shown signs of strangles, an illness that spreads through environmental contamination and can cause lymph nodes in the head and neck to swell and form abscesses.

Officials have ceased moving horses in and out of the facility and canceled adoption events in March, April and May in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease.

Its an evolving situation, and we continue to work closely with the veterinarian to monitor the horses daily and provide care, Tyson Finnicum, public affairs specialist for the BLM High Plains District, said in an email to the Star-Tribune.

The agency has not yet determined how the outbreak started or when it will be safe to resume adoptions.

To the American Wild Horse Campaign, a group that advocates for increased wild horse protections, the spread of strangles at the Wheatland facility and the simultaneous outbreak of equine influenza virus at a facility in Colorado  killing more than 130 horses in the last two weeks  demonstrate the need for wild horse populations to be contained using fertility controls instead of removal from rangelands.

We think this is a serious warning bell that should make us take a look at this whole holding system for wild horses, said Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Campaign, and put a pause on roundups, and not bring any more wild horses into these off-range crowds that are being plagued by disease outbreaks.

Carol Walker, a wild horse advocate and photographer based in Wyoming, called the facilities death traps for the animals.

Finnicum said the BLM has taken steps to minimize the spread of strangles and other diseases at its facilities.

The strangles vaccine is one of the standard vaccines that all horses that are processed through the BLM off-range program receive, Finnicum said, but added that the vaccine does not prevent transmission entirely.

Because all of the mares at the facility have received standard vaccines, including the strangles vaccine, Finnicum said, their foals are born with some immunity, and none have died from the infection.

With strangles, its better to protect than it is to try to fight the disease process, said Layne Holmes, a veterinarian at Casper Animal Medical Center. Available vaccines are effective, he said, while treatment is more complicated.

Even typical cases of strangles are hard on horses, Holmes said. Theyre miserable, theyre sore, theyre painful. They run fevers. They have big swollen areas around their head.

Veterinarians treat infected horses with anti-inflammatories and, when needed, drain the abscesses; if the infection moves deeper in a horses body and causes abscesses in internal lymph nodes, it can be fatal. Holmes said antibiotics can increase that risk.

Finnicum said the BLM is treating symptoms with medication and separating weaker animals from the rest.

Outbreaks like this one occur frequently in places where many horses come into contact with one another. The bacteria that causes strangles, Holmes said, can survive in the environment, including soil, for years.

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The Bureau of Land Management is one step closer to finalizing a substantial reduction in wild horses in southwestern Wyoming that has been the subject of dispute for years.

Its final proposal, released Friday, closely resembles the draft plan completed in January 2020. And while ranching groups are satisfied with the agencys recommendations, wild horse advocates are not.

Under the BLMs existing standards, the wild horse population across the four herd management areas in question should remain between 1,481 and 2,065, with 251-365 horses in Salt Wells Creek, 415-600 in Great Divide Basin, 610-800 in Adobe Town and 205-300 in White Mountain.

The new recommendations would reduce that total to between 464 and 836 wild horses, with zero in Salt Wells Creek, Great Divide Basin and parts of Adobe Town, and 259-536 in the remaining portion of Adobe Town.

In a reversal from the 2020 draft, the appropriate population for the White Mountain herd  home to the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop  would remain unchanged, and the horses would not be prevented from reproducing.

The agency will hold a 30-day public comment period and may make changes accordingly before it adopts the new regulations.

Late last year, in its largest-ever horse gather, the BLM reduced the number of wild horses at the four management areas from an estimated 5,105 to roughly 1,565  a population within the current management range. If the agencys new plan is approved, it is expected to remove as many as two-thirds of the remaining horses.

The changes are the result of a 2013 legal agreement between the BLM and the Rock Springs Grazing Association. The BLM agreed to the terms after the grazing association sued the agency in an effort to force it to remove wild horses from private lands.

I think that this is a step in the right direction, said Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. He said the group, which was involved in negotiating the 2013 deal, was pleased to see so many horses removed from the management areas this fall.

Certainly, the process has taken far too long, he said, but nearly a decade in, he hopes the wait is almost over.

Wild horse advocacy groups, meanwhile, arent backing down. The American Wild Horse Campaign, which has repeatedly sued for expanded horse protections, on Friday called Wyomings latest proposal an eradication plan for the iconic Western animals.

We definitely have concerns about the legality of it, said Suzanne Roy, the groups executive director. And were looking at our options.

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SHERIDAN  Laramie County Republicans staged a walkout from the GOP convention Saturday after state party representatives voted to cut their delegation from 37 to three. In protest of the decision, almost all Laramie delegates walked through the center of the room and tossed their badges onto leaderships desk.

The vote on Saturday morning came after weeks of back and forth over party rules and accusations of selective enforcement. The matter is hardly academic. Laramie County is Wyomings most populous county and has 29,000 Republicans  the most in the state. They make up 14.6% of the states registered Republicans as of this month. Losing delegates means losing voting power at the convention, where policies are set that often become priorities in the Wyoming Legislature. Earlier this spring, Laramie County Republicans violated a rule at their county convention. That spurred a formal complaint by Ben Hornok, a Laramie Republican. In the aftermath, complaints were lodged against other county parties for minor rule violations. But those violations did not result in a loss of delegates for those counties. Laramie County GOP officials and members of a handful of other county parties said that the rules were being selectively enforced against Laramie because its leaders have butted heads with state party officials. On the other hand, supporters of punishing Laramie County said rule-breaking needed to be addressed. On Thursday, a state GOP committee recommended Laramie County lose most of its delegates over the complaint, which alleged the delegate and alternate delegate selection process that took place at that partys county convention violated party bylaws. Specifically, Laramie County did not accept nominations from the floor or use secret ballots. The panels recommendation to punish Laramie County was taken up on Saturday morning at the convention. In the midst of the debate Saturday, Hornok asked the body to seat Laramie County. When he filed the complaint, he knew that the delegates not being sat was a possibility, he told the Star-Tribune, but he wished that it would have been resolved before Saturday.

There are good people on both sides, he said. What is done today will set the course of action for the Wyoming Republican Party, the only party able to make America great again. Hornok told the Star-Tribune he did not regret filing the complaint. Natrona County, another county party thats clashed with the state party, also had its delegates slashed a few months ago over a dues paying dispute. The delegate reductions are the latest episode in broader infighting between traditional and hard-line elements within Wyomings Republican Party. Please give us a chance to correct these issues and restore harmony within the party, Nathan Winters, vice chairman of the Laramie GOP, said on the convention floor Saturday. Because the three remaining delegates were a part of the walkout, Laramie now has no votes in the state Republican convention. If my county cant even be sat as they should be, Im walking out in protest, said Ben Sherman, Laramie GOP state committeeman, who would have been one of the three delegates to get a vote. Its an absolute travesty and injustice ... Its vile hatred toward Laramie County.

Sweetwater County delegate Rep. Clark Stith, R-Rock Springs, made an amendment Saturday to add Laramies 34 remaining delegates and for his amendment to be decided through a roll call vote. Another delegate then moved to have the vote done via secret ballot, which was met with groans. Ultimately, the roll call and secret vote motions failed. The original amendment to reinstate Laramies delegates failed in a 225 to 63 vote, leaving Laramie County with three delegates. Laramie County delegates were not allowed to vote on the matter, a decision that was made in a 232 to 44 vote. But there was another option proposed. Carbon County GOP Chairman Joey Correnti made a motion based on his principles as a chairman. If the top five delegates from Laramie willfully surrender their badges, Correnti said, the other 30 plus Laramie delegates should be seated. That proposal was met with some cheers. As a chairman you take all the criticism, he told the Star-Tribune. Fall on your sword for your people. Sheridan County also publicly jumped on board with that effort. I urge the top five of Laramie County to take accountability, said Bryan Miller, chairman of the Sheridan GOP. That motion, however, failed in a 119-157 vote. Those opposed to seating Laramie County at all depicted the issue as a simple matter of following the rules.

Are we a party of law and order or are we not? asked Donna Mathis, a Converse County delegate. Karl Allred, a Uinta Republican delegate, garnered cheers from the crowd when he spoke against Laramie County. If we seat Laramie County, the bylaws that were talking about today  throw them out the window and they dont matter.

Shortly after the vote to unseat Laramie, their delegates and leadership were milling about outside the events hall at the Sheridan Fairgrounds. The wind was blowing hard and Dani Olsen, Laramie County GOP chairwoman, had tears rolling down her face. Well go back to our county and focus on our county matters: electing Republicans for House and Senate, said Olsen, who denied rumors that she planned to sue over the matter. Well be fine. All will be well.

SHERIDAN  Laramie County Republicans staged a walkout from the GOP convention Saturday after state party representatives voted to cut their delegation from 37 to three.

In protest of the decision, almost all Laramie delegates walked through the center of the room and tossed their badges onto leaderships desk.

The vote on Saturday morning came after weeks of back and forth over party rules and accusations of selective enforcement.

The matter is hardly academic. Laramie County is Wyomings most populous county and has 29,000 Republicans  the most in the state. They make up 14.6% of the states registered Republicans as of this month. Losing delegates means losing voting power at the convention, where policies are set that often become priorities in the Wyoming Legislature.

Earlier this spring, Laramie County Republicans violated a rule at their county convention. That spurred a formal complaint by Ben Hornok, a Laramie Republican. In the aftermath, complaints were lodged against other county parties for minor rule violations. But those violations did not result in a loss of delegates for those counties.

Laramie County GOP officials and members of a handful of other county parties said that the rules were being selectively enforced against Laramie because its leaders have butted heads with state party officials. On the other hand, supporters of punishing Laramie County said rule-breaking needed to be addressed.

On Thursday, a state GOP committee recommended Laramie County lose most of its delegates over the complaint, which alleged the delegate and alternate delegate selection process that took place at that partys county convention violated party bylaws. Specifically, Laramie County did not accept nominations from the floor or use secret ballots.

The panels recommendation to punish Laramie County was taken up on Saturday morning at the convention.

In the midst of the debate Saturday, Hornok asked the body to seat Laramie County. When he filed the complaint, he knew that the delegates not being sat was a possibility, he told the Star-Tribune, but he wished that it would have been resolved before Saturday.

There are good people on both sides, he said. What is done today will set the course of action for the Wyoming Republican Party, the only party able to make America great again.

Hornok told the Star-Tribune he did not regret filing the complaint.

Natrona County, another county party thats clashed with the state party, also had its delegates slashed a few months ago over a dues paying dispute.

The delegate reductions are the latest episode in broader infighting between traditional and hard-line elements within Wyomings Republican Party.

Please give us a chance to correct these issues and restore harmony within the party, Nathan Winters, vice chairman of the Laramie GOP, said on the convention floor Saturday.

Because the three remaining delegates were a part of the walkout, Laramie now has no votes in the state Republican convention.

If my county cant even be sat as they should be, Im walking out in protest, said Ben Sherman, Laramie GOP state committeeman, who would have been one of the three delegates to get a vote. Its an absolute travesty and injustice ... Its vile hatred toward Laramie County.

Sweetwater County delegate Rep. Clark Stith, R-Rock Springs, made an amendment Saturday to add Laramies 34 remaining delegates and for his amendment to be decided through a roll call vote. Another delegate then moved to have the vote done via secret ballot, which was met with groans. Ultimately, the roll call and secret vote motions failed.

The original amendment to reinstate Laramies delegates failed in a 225 to 63 vote, leaving Laramie County with three delegates. Laramie County delegates were not allowed to vote on the matter, a decision that was made in a 232 to 44 vote.

But there was another option proposed.

Carbon County GOP Chairman Joey Correnti made a motion based on his principles as a chairman. If the top five delegates from Laramie willfully surrender their badges, Correnti said, the other 30 plus Laramie delegates should be seated.

That proposal was met with some cheers.

As a chairman you take all the criticism, he told the Star-Tribune. Fall on your sword for your people.

Sheridan County also publicly jumped on board with that effort.

I urge the top five of Laramie County to take accountability, said Bryan Miller, chairman of the Sheridan GOP.

That motion, however, failed in a 119-157 vote.

Those opposed to seating Laramie County at all depicted the issue as a simple matter of following the rules.

Are we a party of law and order or are we not? asked Donna Mathis, a Converse County delegate.

Karl Allred, a Uinta Republican delegate, garnered cheers from the crowd when he spoke against Laramie County.If we seat Laramie County, the bylaws that were talking about today  throw them out the window and they dont matter.

Shortly after the vote to unseat Laramie, their delegates and leadership were milling about outside the events hall at the Sheridan Fairgrounds. The wind was blowing hard and Dani Olsen, Laramie County GOP chairwoman, had tears rolling down her face.

Well go back to our county and focus on our county matters: electing Republicans for House and Senate, said Olsen, who denied rumors that she planned to sue over the matter.

Well be fine. All will be well.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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CHEYENNE  People around town still dont seem to understand what Curt Theobald does for a living.

Its a big thing, and its hard to believe, Theobald said in a phone conversation this week with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. A lot of people in the community of Pine Bluffs know that Curt works with wood, but any more than that, no. Its hard to describe.

I made this piece of wood. I glued 700 pieces of wood together, and then Im going to sell it for $15,000. That doesnt make sense in the farming and ranching community of Pine Bluffs.

Rest assured, there are plenty of people who do understand his work. They live all over the world, including Ireland, France, New Zealand and England. But from May 13-April 2, the public will be able to see his work somewhere new: in our nations Capitol.

Theobald, a contemporary wood artist living in Pine Bluffs, recently had his 2013 artwork titled Eye of the Storm donated to the Smithsonian Institute by private collectors. It will now be featured in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum as a part of its newest show, This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World.

And that isnt his only honor. For the opening exhibition, Theobald was one of 12 artists invited to Washington, D.C., to interact with attendees during the showing. Out of more than 170 pieces, he was chosen to represent the medium of woodworking with his sculpture.

Theres plenty of wood artists that they could have selected from, he said with a laugh. Did they put the names on a big spinning board and throw a dart at it?

Its a labor-intensive medium, carving and sculpting wood. Theobald spent many years running a cabinet business, putting his skills to practical use, which is probably why neighbors get confused as to what hes doing in the shop all day.

But during his time running a business, he waited for those six weeks off when he could work on his craft. It was the thing that allowed him to express himself after a life of manual labor.

My dad, hes the farmer  our farm just turned into a century farm  and his deal is, if you dont have three hours of work in by eight in the morning, youre a slacker, Theobald said.

Theobald told his dad some years ago that he would be flying to England to teach woodturning.

His question was, How much does that cost? I said, No, dad, theyre paying for me to come. It just doesnt make sense to somebody that used to till the ground.

He can thank his father for one thing, and thats instilling in him a work ethic. Whats kept Theobald woodturning is the drive to solve problems and create something new. The moments he realizes he doesnt know how to do something are often his favorite.

Such is the case with Eye of the Storm, an intricate piece of woodworking that gives the top-down illusion of a gyrating cyclone.

From the elevation of Pine Bluffs, he can look out over the prairie at the early morning thunderclouds pluming in the distance. He sees the hues of blue and violet as they build over a vast landscape. The scene reminded him of a hurricane, the eye of the storm that lay idle in the middle.

The circular piece is meant to replace that of a hurricanes pinwheel effect, as Theobald calls it.

He doesnt know how long it took to complete Eye of the Storm; he doesnt pay much attention to the time. Judging by the intricacies of his Smithsonian item, it took a good deal of patience to perfect.

Im no more patient than anyone else waiting at that traffic light to turn green, but everybody has a patience for their passion, Theobald said. If your passion is flying kites, youre gonna go out there every day you can to get the satisfaction of flying that kite.

When I make my work, patience just goes into the passion, he added. Its absorbing. The world does tend to go away when youre making a piece of art.

Beyond that, he isnt sure what inspires him to design a piece of wood a certain way. He always sketches his work, but as he gets absorbed in the process, different ideas arise, and he takes risks.

Sometimes, before the sun rises, hell wake at 2 a.m. with an idea. Theres no rhyme or reason as to when inspiration strikes.

Despite years of labor and practice turning wood and working in other mediums like glasswork, its hard for Theobald to take in the fact that his work will remain in one of the most prestigious art museums in the world.

There is one person he wants to thank above everything else, and thats his wife, Wendy. While hes working in the shop, shes keeping things afloat with her day job as a teacher.

Its nothing new, but behind every successful artist is a successful spouse, Theobald said. Its not that my wife has boatloads of money  shes a school teacher, so she gets by  but the success is her believing in me that I can do this.

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AFTER finding his wife in a hotel room with another man hiding under the bed, an Arima man n
For those nights I want an easy side dish that promises to be irresistibly crispy, I turn to my air fryer. Ive learned from experience that its the best way to make the crispiest restaurant-style fries and tater tots (without deep frying), it turns out crisp-tender green beans that will knock your socks off, and its even better (and faster!) than the oven when it comes to making a killer batch of roasted broccoli.

So, its no surprise that the air fryer is the secret to a winning batch of roasted potatoes. This version starts with halved baby potatoes tossed with a mix of Italian seasoning and garlic powder, and cooks up with the golden, crispy outsides you crave, plus a tender, creamy center. Best of all, air fryer roasted potatoes are ready in just 20 minutes and are easy to pair with just about anything youre cooking for dinner.

What type of potatoes are best for air frying?

Baby Yukon Gold potatoes are perfect for air frying. Choose potatoes that are about 1 inch in diameter, then cut them in half while the air fryer heats up. In just 20 minutes these potatoes will cook up irresistibly crispy on the outside, with tender, creamy centers.

Do I need to boil potatoes before air frying?

Nope! No boiling (or extra dirty dishes!) necessary. The potatoes will cook from start to finish in the air fryer.

How to serve air fryer roasted potatoes

The best thing about air fryer roasted potatoes (well, besides those crispy edges!), is that they pair well with just about anything youre cooking from dinner. Here are a few ways we love to serve them.

How to reheat air fryer roasted potatoes

Leftover potatoes will keep for up to four days in the fridge. To serve, just reheat the amount you want in the air fryer set to 350 F until heated through, about 5 minutes. Easy-peasy.

Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Serves 4

1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1-inch wide)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat an air fryer to 400 F. Meanwhile, halve 1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes and place in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and toss to coat.

2. Arrange the potatoes in an even layer in the air fryer basket or tray (air fry in batches if needed). Air fry until lightly browned with crispy edges, tossing halfway through, about 20 minutes total.

Recipe note: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days.

(Kelli Foster is a senior contributing food editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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Sandra Vasquez, now in a work-release program in Aurora as she finishes out her 15-year sentence for her role in the deaths of five Oswego teens in 2007, embraces an anchor cross from her father, which she says helped keep her strong while behind bars. (Denise Crosby / The Beacon-News)

After 15 years, we finally meet.

From the moment the handcuffed and tearful defendant was led away by deputies to begin her 15-year prison sentence, I knew Sandra Vasquez and I would someday sit down together and talk about the extraordinary circumstances that had put her in that Kendall County courtroom.

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It was in the summer of 2010 that this young Aurora mom had been found guilty of vehicular homicide in the deaths of five Oswego teens. And on this recent spring morning, at a nearly-empty Dunkin Donuts on Lake Street, a teary-eyed Vasquez opened up about that tragic night in February of 2007 when she lost control of her car and the lives of so many people  some would say an entire community  were forever changed.

Although emotional, at times painfully so, throughout our hour-long conversation, Vasquez seems far stronger than the broken inmate who wrote that first guilt-riddled letter to me a decade ago. And in person she also seemed more at peace than in the several letters I received from her after she was transferred from Decatur Correctional Facility to the Illinois Department of Corrections Fox Valley Adult Transition Center in Aurora where she will finish out her sentence on March 28, 2023.

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Whats still clearly evident, however, is her deep remorse for the role she had in this tragedy that was all the more compelling because Vasquez, who had consumed alcohol at a family birthday party before getting a call to pick up her kid sister at an underage-drinking party, had been trying to be a good Samaritan to seven more teens begging for rides home.

The fact five of the nine passengers in her Infiniti didnt survive the impact when the car swerved and hit a telephone pole on Route 31 will haunt Vasquez forever, she tells me, her dark eyes quickly welling again when the subject of the teens is brought up.

Because Vasquez never lost consciousness after that impact, she remains haunted by every detail  the sight, the sounds, the smell  of being trapped in a car and in a nightmare that, even after help arrived, has never ended.

Those kids, she says softly, caressing the anchor cross given to her by her father, will be with me forever.

Also weighing heavy on her heart is how her actions that night affected her own close-knit family, including parents Monica and Jesus, who aged considerably but never wavered in their support, and her two children, only 5 years old and 6 months old when the accident occurred.

Now closing in on adulthood, Vasquezs kids were able to develop a close bond with their incarcerated mother, thanks in large part to her mom and dad who took over as temporary guardians and would make that three-hour trip to the prison with the children every weekend, as well as all birthdays and holidays.

Still, Vasquez says  her voice quivering and eyes now downcast  that relationship with her kids is a double-edged sword because love for them makes her even more painfully aware that the families of Matthew Frank, Katherine Merkel, Jessica Nutoni, Tiffany Urso and James McGee did not have that opportunity over the past 15 years to hug or kiss their children.

When she first went to prison, Vasquez admits she was angry at everything, including God for allowing the accident to happen, and her kids for continuing to love her when she felt she deserved only punishment.

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But after struggling to accept her fate those first couple of years behind bars, acceptance began to set in. And she realized no matter how depressed I became, nothing was going to change ... that I was not going home.

Then, as her Catholic faith grew deeper, so also did Vasquezs resolve to become a stronger, better person, not only so she could be the best mom possible but so the deaths of those teenagers would not be in vain.

If I just became another inmate, another drunk driver, she says, then what would be the purpose for all of this?

And so, Vasquez began journaling all her thoughts, the good and the bad. She started listening to other inmates, helping those even more broken get through tough institutionalized days that contained so much sadness and so much sameness.

I had to put it all out there and hurt in the worst kind of way, she says, to help justify what I had put others through.

Vasquez, who in addition to her full-time job as a restaurant hostess is allowed a couple hours out of the work release center each week, speaks freely about other struggles she faced while in prison. She recalls two weeks spent in the hole because she got into an altercation with a bully and there is zero tolerance.

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She remembers guilt coupled with grief because she could not attend the funeral of an uncle, killed by a drunk driver, or her beloved grandmother who died a short time later.

She also discusses her dependency on the pharmaceuticals passed out freely by the prison system that were supposed to help with PTSD, depression and anxiety but only ended up numbing me to reality.

And so, during Lent of her third year behind bars, she went cold turkey on all meds.

Vasquez also found more solid footing by watching long-timers who were serving their sentences with grace and dignity. They included Nancy Rish, who was released after serving 34 years for her role in the 1987 murder of Kankakee businessman Stephen Small, and Paula Aiardo, who is seeking clemency for her role in the 1999 murder of her Naperville friend, Jennifer Puerta.

Vasquez also eventually developed a bond with Gena Shaughnessy who, serving 35 years for conspiracy to murder an ex, had to make the decision to take her son, who was in foster care, off life support.

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There is so much pain in prison, she tells me, noting how all three women had fallen in with the wrong men while their lives spiraled downward.

And there is so much healing that needs to be done.

I have work to do here, Vasquez insists, referring to her fervent desire to use her voice, her story as a warning to others about the consequences of driving with alcohol in your system.

Vasquez has another goal, this one she describes as more fragile - to meet with each of the victims families. Even if they are not ready to forgive, she tells me, thats OK. Thats their right.

I just want them to know from the bottom of my heart how sorry I am, she adds. And that I deserve to be where I am.

Some will agree strongly with that last statement. Others, not so much. There is no doubt this Aurora womans actions on Feb. 11, 2007, contributed greatly to a perfect storm that cost five young people from Oswego their lives. Still, after meeting her in person, I am more convinced than ever my instincts were right when I sat in that Kendall County courtroom all those years ago and silently wept for the defendant as well as the victims.

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What makes the extraordinary circumstances of this case even more compelling is that, for all she has lost, Sandra Vasquez still has much to give.

Those kids are always with me, she says. My time behind bars may soon be over, but my sentence is with me forever.

dcrosby@tribpub.com
On a trip to Tucson last week, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus sat down with the Arizona Daily Star to talk about the end of Title 42, apprehending drugs at the border, accountability within the agency, migrant deaths at the border and more.

Planning for anything

As the end of Title 42 approaches  the public health policy that has been used to quickly expel migrants from the country since the early days of the pandemic  many have been asking how the federal government is going to deal with a possible influx of migrants.

The Center for Disease Control announced the policy will end on May 23, though numerous states have sued the administration in an attempt to keep the policy in place.

The number of migrants apprehended at the border reached record highs in March. One reason for the high numbers: People expelled under Title 42 often make multiple attempts to get across the border.

Customs and Border Protection has been planning for the end of Title 42 for a while, Magnus told the Star.

In response to calls for a plan, the Department of Homeland Security released a 20-page memo on April 26 outlining steps they would take to: increase resources; increase processing efficiency to mitigate potential overcrowding and burden on surrounding border communities; provide additional resources to nonprofits that receive migrants; go after human smuggling organizations; work with nations to deter migration; and implement consequences like removal, detention and prosecution to people who have entered the country illegally.

Migrants removed under Title 42 dont face legal consequences as many do under the pre-existing immigration law, Title 8. As the government stops using Title 42, they will revert back to using Title 8, which Magnus says is more effective.

It is a better strategy for dealing with immigration issues, he said. It provides for enforcement consequences, which are sometimes appropriate. It provides for a path for asylum seekers. There are a number of components that I think in many cases, our agents and officers are going to feel better suited to meet the needs that were dealing with.

Tucson has community partners in place to attend to the humanitarian needs of asylum seekers, including the City of Tucson, Pima County and Catholic Community Services, which runs the Casa Alitas Welcome Center for migrants.

We have some strong foundational sort of underpinnings to deal with migration flow here in the Tucson area, he said. I was actually proud to be part of some of that when I was a police chief here.

As well, the Tucson Sector is on the cutting edge in terms of technology and resources, Magnus says.

So I dont think were going to see any huge, dramatic changes in terms of how this impacts the Tucson community, he said. But were planning for pretty much anything.

DHSs plan includes being prepared to hold about 18,000 people in CBP custody, up from 13,000 at the beginning of 2021. And the government has doubled its ability to transport migrants, with flexibility to increase further.

The plan also includes medical support and COVID-19 mitigation protocols, including testing and administering vaccines at 24 CBP sites by May 23, building on the existing vaccination program for those in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

CBP also has the ability to move people from one area to another for processing if one area is being overwhelmed, which could mean people being moved both in and out of the Tucson Sector, Magnus said. This process is already in place and was used earlier this year when migrants were being sent to Tucson from Border Patrols El Paso Sector in Texas.

As apprehensions have climbed to the record of 249,000 in March, of which 27,200 were in the Tucson Sector, CBP officers have gotten used to working under challenging conditions and the agency has learned from past missteps. Still, the system is greatly strained with the number of daily encounters, Magnus says. An average of more than 7,800 migrants per day were apprehended at the Southwest Border during April, according to DHS.

But Magnus says he thinks CBP is better now at coordinating with other agencies and has done a better job planning.

The border is not homogenous, so even what the impact of Title 42 going away means to someplace in Texas is probably different than what it means to folks here in Tucson, he said. But I think one of the things thats important to understand is that, first of all, we already have some really good resources here in Tucson  Casa Alitas and others are really going to continue to be key partners for us. No matter what route we take, in terms of whether its Title 42 or Title 8, we have strong foundational underpinnings to deal with migration flow here in the Tucson area.

Sometimes helping is not helping

Some Republican-led states, including Arizona, have invested resources in their own border security measures.

States should decide what is right for them based on what is going on at their border and within their communities, but the best way states can be a partner in border security is by facilitating communication and coordination of resources along with the federal government, Magnus said, adding that state governments should recognize they are not the immigration authorities.

Theyre not the Border Patrol; theyre not the officers we have the ports of entry, he said. Sometimes helping is not helping. I understand that there can be an intention to help address a problem or respond to a concern, but it is really important that we coordinate with each other so the outcomes dont turn out to be something that makes a situation worse.

Migration can be horrific journeys

One of the pillars of the plan DHS put out in regards to the approaching end of Title 42 is deterring migration, working with nations throughout the Western Hemisphere.

One part of that is DHS, the State Department and other federal agencies are partnering with other countries on measures such as mirrored patrols, tracking migration patterns, working to address the larger picture of what has to happen in these various countries and to counteract misinformation from human smugglers, including that the termination of the Title 42 does not mean that the U.S. border is open, Magnus said.

There is a real effort to engage with our partners in Central and South America to look at, first of all, what are things that can be done that will help people stay in their home country, because I think most people, if they had the economic wherewithal and felt like there were opportunities for them, they would want to stay in those places, he said.

The increase in migration to the United States is consistent with trends across the globe. There are more people displaced today in the Western Hemisphere and the world than any time since World War II. Rising levels of violence and worsening economic and political situations, exacerbated by both the pandemic and in some cases climate change, are driving more people from their homes, from Mexico all the way to Brazil.

Magnus acknowledges that people are going to continue to leave those situations and countries but says its important to warn them about the dangers of the journey and being taken advantage of by human smugglers.

Youre trading one awful thing for something thats arguably worse, Magnus said. Youre giving up your life savings. Youre being taken on these journeys that are just horrific.

Many migrants end up owing human smugglers thousands of dollars once they reach the border, which often takes people an increasing number of years to pay back.

Last month, officials from both sides of the border gathered in the Tucson Sector to hold a news conference on the dangers of crossing the border.

This is bigger than just a problem for the United States, Magnus says. Higher migration numbers has also had a profound impact on Mexico, which therefore also had an interest in using their leverage to influence some of their southern neighbors. But any changes will take time, he said.

Unfortunately, the geopolitical dynamics in the Western Hemisphere, and frankly, across other parts of the globe are complicated, he says. They didnt happen overnight; theyve been made worse by things like COVID, by things like the changing world economy that puts some countries at a much greater advantage than others. Terrible environmental issues, earthquakes, changes in political leadership in certain countries  I mean, you could go on and on. These are not quick-fix challenges.

As we go into the hottest time of year, an increasing concern is that more migrants will die while crossing the border in the Arizona desert.

Over the past 20 years, the remains of more than 3,900 migrants have been found in Southern Arizona, though the actual number of deaths is likely much higher. The yearly number of deaths has been increasing, with 215 sets of remains found in 2021, as the journey across the desert has only grown more deadly, due in part to barriers and enforcement policies pushing migrants into more remote areas.

I think in the short term, one of the things that definitely we can do is say, Dont take this trip. This cannot end well. Dont put your life in the hands of these individuals who would exploit you in every imaginable way, Magnus said. This is key that we have to get this word out. We have to be more effective about using social media. We have to be more effective about just getting the word spread.

Besides trying to get the word out about how dangerous the journey is and deploying agents to respond to 911 calls, another tool are rescue beacons, which are placed in the desert where people cross more frequently and can be seen from far away. Mangus said CPB is deploying more rescue beacons as one strategy to cut down on the number of deaths.

Increase in drugs, seizures

There are increasing amounts of fentanyl being seized at the southern border. The 10,600 pounds seized in fiscal year 2021 was a 230% increase from the previous year, and this year is on track to nearly match 2021.

Part of why these numbers are so high is because there are more drugs crossing the border and part of the reason is because CBP is getting better at intercepting it, Magnus says.

Were getting so much more sophisticated in terms of technology and other resources at the ports of entry in detecting not just fentanyl but other illegal drugs, he says. Seizure rates have gone up significantly because of the combination of technology, training and other really advanced resources that are helping make a lot of progress in this area.

Another reason more drugs are entering the country is to satisfy the growing demand, which is something Magnus dealt with extensively as chief of police in Tucson. He says the other component in the broader picture is doing more work in regards to getting people treatment for addiction.

Magnus expects the seizure rates to continue increasing because technology continues to improve; CBP is doing more to get officers back into the field by relegating more processing work to coordinators, contracted employees and others; and staffing levels at ports of entry have increased, which is where nearly 82% of seized drugs were interdicted in 2021 and the first half of 2022.

The importance of transparency and accountability

Ive already found in Washington  but to be fair, its not just in Washington  transparency and accountability are two overused words in government, and theyre not always followed up with meaningful action and outcomes, Magnus said. So I hope people see that we are really working hard at CBP to ensure that what we say matches what we do.

CBP has not been known for its transparency, but they have taken recent steps toward being more open and accountable, such as releasing monthly employee arrest data and planning to eliminate the controversial Border Patrol teams that have investigated fellow agents in extreme use-of-force cases.

Ive worked hard to develop a reputation thats backed up with action as somebody who believes in reform within the criminal justice field, Magnus said. There are a few jobs more important when it comes to maintaining the public trust, ensuring accountability, then jobs that involve law enforcement. I take that same view as I assume this role as CBP Commissioner.

Contact reporter Danyelle Khmara at dkhmara@tucson.com or 573-4223 . On Twitter: @DanyelleKhmara

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Dozens more civilians rescued from Ukrainian steel plant

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  Dozens more civilians have been rescued from the tunnels under the besieged steel plant where Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol are making their last stand. The holdouts are trying to prevent Moscows complete takeover of the strategically important port city. Russian and Ukrainian officials said Friday that 50 people were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Russian military said the group included 11 children. Russian officials and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said evacuation efforts would continue Saturday.

'We're so sorry': Mariupol plant evacuees feel relief, grief

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP)  More than 100 civilians have finally emerged from the bombarded Azovstal steel plant, the last Ukrainian holdout in the ruined city of Mariupol. Interviewed by The Associated Press, they offered the clearest picture yet of their two months living in the center of hell. It is a story of deprivation and fear deep under the earth; in the dank darkness, they felt themselves rot and watched others die. But it is also a tale of quiet heroism. Were so sorry, one evacuating family told civilians staying behind as they started toward the surface. Dont worry, the others replied. Well follow.

In abortion fight, conservatives push to end all exceptions

BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Rape, incest and the health of the fetus or mother were once accepted reasons to obtain an abortion in even the most conservative Republican-led states. But now roughly 20 states have abortion bans in the works without some of those exceptions. The shift comes as the Supreme Court is expected to overturn the nationwide right to abortion this summer. Troy Newman with the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, says exceptions for rape and incest and to protect a pregnant woman's life were only included in previous legislation to appease centrists.

Nearly 1 million COVID-19 deaths: A look at the US numbers

The count of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 is nearing 1 million, and there's a wealth of data making clear which groups have been hit the hardest. More than 700,000 people 65 and older died. Men died at higher rates than women. White people made up most of the deaths overall. Yet an unequal burden fell on Black, Hispanic and Native American people considering the younger average age of minority communities. Racial gaps narrowed between surges then widened again with each new wave. Most deaths happened in urban counties, but rural areas paid a high price at times.

Rangers locate climber's body on Alaska's Denali

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  National park rangers in Alaska have located the body of the years first registered climber on North Americas tallest peak. Because its so early in the climbing season, 35-year-old Matthias Rimml was alone on the upper part of Denali. He was a professional mountain guide from Tirol, Austria. Denali National Park and Preserve officials say Rimml's body was spotted during a high elevation aerial search on Friday. A friend had contacted the park Tuesday after not receiving a periodic check from Rimml. Park officials say Rimml likely fell on a notoriously treacherous stretch of the West Buttress route. Officials say 13 climbers, including Rimml, have died in falls along that steep traverse.

Man gets life for killings in California, Texas

LOS ANGELES (AP)  A man who pleaded guilty to a series of Southern California robberies and attacks that killed five men and injured seven others has been given multiple life sentences. Ramon Escobar also was sentenced Friday in Los Angeles for killing his aunt and uncle in Texas just a week before he fled to California. Prosecutors say over the course of about two weeks in September 2018, Escobar bludgeoned sleeping men on the beach in Santa Monica or the streets of Los Angeles, mostly because they irritated him or to steal their money. All but one victim was homeless.

Explosion at luxury Havana hotel kills 22, injures dozens

HAVANA (AP)  A powerful explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak has blown away outer walls from a five-star hotel in the heart of Cubas capital, killing at least 22 people and injuring dozens. Havana Gov. Reinaldo Garcia Zapata told the Communist Party newspaper Granma that no tourists had been staying at the 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations. Officials say about a dozen people are missing and that searchers are hunting for people who may be trapped. Cuban state TV blamed the blast on a truck carrying natural gas that it was supplying to the hotel. The blast happened as Cuba tries to revive its tourism sector.

Feds accuse Starbucks of unfair labor practices in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  Federal labor officials are accusing Starbucks of unfair labor practices at its stores in Buffalo, New York, including retaliation against pro-union employees. The National Labor Relations Boards Buffalo regional director filed a sweeping complaint Friday outlining a host of labor law violations and seeking reinstatement and backpay for the employees. The coffee chain called the allegations false and vowed to fight them at an upcoming hearing. Starbucks Workers United said the complaint confirms the extent and depravity of Starbucks conduct in Western New York for the better part of a year. The first votes in a nationwide Starbucks unionization push came in December at three stores in Buffalo.

Fire-ravaged New Mexico villages cling to faith, querencia

As the largest wildfire burning in the U.S. marches across northern New Mexico, residents have been guided by their faith and their connection to each other and the land. They've pleaded with God for intervention in the form of rain and calm winds, and protection for their neighbors they see as reflections of themselves. They've invoked the Virgin Mary and the patrons saints of firefighters and the various villages scattered across the landscape. The fire has burned hundreds of square miles, destroying dozens of homes in largely Hispanic working-class neighborhoods and forcing thousands to evacuate. Winds will be a major concern this weekend.

Palestinians facing eviction by Israel vow to stay on land

JINBA, West Bank (AP)  Residents of a cluster of Bedouin communities in the occupied West Bank have vowed to stick to their land and resist an order by Israel's top court to evict them. The order came after a more than a two-decade legal struggle by Palestinians to remain in their homes in Masafer Yatta. Israel has argued that the residents only use the area for seasonal agriculture and that they had already rejected compromise offers giving them occasional access to the land. The Palestinians say that if implemented, the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling opens the way for the eviction of all the 12 communities that have a population of 4,000 people.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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TEMPE  With carbon emissions steadily rising, Arizona State University engineers are pushing to slow its damaging effects working with a firm that created treelike metal structures that attract carbon dioxide like a magnet and hold it like a sponge.

A prototype of whats trademarked as the MechanicalTree sits in a small lot next to ASUs Biodesign Institute. A dark blue arch  known as a gantry  looms over what appears to be a 10-foot-tall beer keg. But you wont find suds inside.

Inside of that drum right now is 150 discs, said Travis Johnson, associate director of ASUs Center for Negative Carbon Emissions. On those discs is the sorbent that captures the CO2. So thats where the magic happens.

The magic his team is trying to create centers on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere without requiring expensive materials or the assistance of energy-intensive machines to blow wind through it.

The project was researched by Klaus Lackner, director of ASUs Center for Negative Carbon Emissions, and commercialized by Carbon Collect Inc., a renewable energy manufacturer in Dublin. The tree is one of six projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to slow the effects of carbon dioxide in the environment.

ASUs team received $2.5 million to build the device. The goal is to build three tree farms in the coming years to capture 1,000 tons of CO2 a day.

Climate change is accelerating

Carbon emissions, which are a major contributor to climate change, are rising. The U.S. Energy Information Administration found that petroleum-related carbon emissions rose 8% in 2021, and theyre expected to rise 5% this year. That increase in carbon dioxide accounts for two-thirds of the temperature increase in our climate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This has scientists worried that the world isnt adapting fast enough to meet this change. That point comes through in the latest report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which also states that the heat caused by carbon emissions is killing crops, trees and fish  all of which help sustain the planet.

The carbon problem in the atmosphere is proving to be a much more difficult problem than I think people expected it to be, said Gary Dirks, chairman of Carbon Collect. Were quite literally not making progress at the rate we need to.

Dirks said ASUs trees are one step to help curb emissions.

We need to stop emitting as fast as we can, he said, but in the event we overshoot, then were going to need something that can bring it back again.

How the tree works

Johnson said the MechanicalTree is the next tool in the toolbox for climate researchers.

To capture carbon, the blue gantry expands the device like an accordion to expose its leaves so wind can blow across the CO2, grabbing sorbent, a porous material that looks a lot like moon sand.

You can see the stainless steel drum there with the lid on top, that gets raised up by the winch up there, up in the air, Johnson said. The lid comes off and the discs are attached to it. So it comes up kind of like an accordion.

When activated, the MechanicalTree stands open for 20 to 30 minutes to catch a breeze.

Each one of those cutout wedges is filled with these bags of sorbent, Johnson said. You could see these really tiny beads here, and theres going to be about 14,000 of these bags that fill that tree.

The sorbent works like a magnet, holding the carbon dioxide like a sponge until the discs are lowered back down into the steel keg. Then, the carbon is stored underground or repurposed for such products as carbonated beverages.

The goal is to make sure every little tiny bit of sorbent gets exposed to air every time. That way, were maximizing the efficiency and the capacity of the system, Johnson said.

Will it make a dent?

One MechanicalTree is expected to collect roughly 187 pounds of carbon a day. A normal tree only captures 48 pounds in a year.

However, Dirks said one tree wont solve the planets carbon problem.

It will take millions of trees to make a difference, he said. Twelve trees will capture roughly a ton a day. The need for intervention is on the scale of gigatons, meaning billion tons.

Thirty-five million MechanicalTrees would be needed to begin reducing gigatons of carbon. A gigaton is the same mass as 200 million elephants  a large number that would take years to achieve.

But ASUs rapid manufacturing could make that deadline more attainable.

Think of car manufacturing, Johnson said. We can learn quickly because were making them so quickly, so we can inject that new learning into the production and learn quicker and get down the cost curve.

And unlike other projects, this one doesnt rely on anyone being present for the tree to operate.

We rely on the wind to blow across our sorbent as opposed to the other companies that are doing this all have big giant blowers or they blow the air, Johnson said. So were trying to avoid that cost.

The effects of the MechanicalTrees wont really be seen for five to seven years  the construction takes time, and the projects future hinges on more investments and federal grants.

But for Johnson, the creation of these trees is personal.

Ive got four little kids and I want to be able to tell them Ive tried to stop some of the bad consequences youre having to deal with, he said.

For now, the MechanicalTree team is collecting data on their model in Tempe. It plans to load the tree with sorbent and start collecting CO2 in the next couple months.

If successful, there might be more of these mechanical trees across the nation in the next few years.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

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The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

If men got pregnant, the joke goes, access to abortion would be a sacred right with no waiting period, no state-mandated patronizing lectures and free Morning-after pills available at every Starbucks.

The reproductive tyranny of the Supreme Court recently laid bare is no joke.

Remain idle and the pious freedom-loving hypocrites who reject masks because its their body, their choice, will not stop at policing the innermost sanctum of every womans womb.

Abortion will become unsafe, illegal and rarely reported and the tyranny will grow.

Criminalize interstate travel to get an abortion. Check.

Ban abortion nationwide. On the list.

Restrict access to contraceptives. Absolutely. (These radicals consider IUDs and over-the-counter contraceptive medications abortifacients.)

Ban same-sex marriage. Amen.

Reintroduce sodomy laws. Hallelujah.

Ban interracial marriage. Whispered.

Years ago at a gathering of female managers of nonprofit breast cancer agencies I randomly selected an attendee from the audience for a caricature moment on stage with me. Name?

Weddington.

What do you do?

I was lawyer. Back in Texas.

She looked familiar. Was she the woman I had seen in a documentary recently?

Are you the Roe v. Wade Sarah Weddington?

Every woman in the room gasped, cheered and applauded. Every woman. None could imagine a world without Roe v. Wade.

Not back then.

In a world without Roe v. Wade, 26 states will ban abortion with no exception for rape or incest. The same 26 little tyrannies that are erasing your right to vote. The same 26 little tyrannies cleansing public education of inconvenient truths.

Here in God forsaken Arizona every Republican office holder and candidate for office, including Trumps toadies, Brnovich, Finchem and Lake, will ban abortion in our state, with no exceptions.

Not for rape.

Not for incest.

Not for fetal abnormality.

Mandatory motherhood for all.

None of these child-loving servants of the people offer plans for reducing infant mortality, expanding parental leave, improving neonatal care, or enriching childcare. Not one.

Ever ready to proclaim their Christian family values, many are happy to share their views.

Like the late, Republican candidate for governor of Texas, Clayton Williams, who said, Rape is kinda like the weather. If its inevitable, relax and enjoy it.

Or Americas Prince of Piety, Rick Santorum. The right approach is to accept this horribly created  gift of human life and accept what God is giving you. Thank you, Rick, and Ricks God, and sisters  do thank your rapists.

And thank you, Iowa Congressman Steve King, for asking us to consider whether the human race would still exist without rape and incest.

Prohibitions that deny human nature fail. The same Pro-life Party that argues restricting access to guns wont stop the carnage of gun violence is the same cognitively dissonant cabal convinced banning abortion will stop abortions. Tell the defiant desperate women of Americas past who poured Lysol into their bodies, inserted wire hangers, begged boyfriends to pummel their bellies or committed infanticide or suicide. Or both. Who will evade this holy prohibition? The wealthy. The privileged. The private mistresses of our publicly pious Republican leaders.

In what modern civilized democracy are women, and girls, compelled by religious zealots to bear their rapists baby, to carry their incestuous fathers offspring to term, or to bring a malformed infant into this world only to perish?

Our revolutionary secular republic is threatened by a minority of religionists who cite their cherry-picked scripture with the same fierce conviction of the Taliban when they cite the Quran for public amputations of the hands of thieves.

Like many defenders of choice I have seen the sonograms of my children forming within. I concede abortion is a grave act and yet, those who decry women who seek abortions as inhumane monsters mercilessly discount the profound agony of every sisters existential calculus.

And misses the greater point, denying the threat their authoritarian crusade for unlimited power over our private lives poses to our democratic republic.

For the nation that surrenders the reproductive choice of its citizens to a minority of theocrats is not a democracy.

It is a tyranny.

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A Sand Springs man was convicted by a federal jury on Friday of sexually abusing a 13-year-old in 2019.

Jeremy Nicholas Botonis, 44, was convicted of one count of coercion and enticement of a child and one count of abusive sexual contact in Indian Country.

Jurors found that Botonis sent hundreds of sexually explicit messages to the boy and touched him in a sexual manner, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said in a press release.

Jeremy Botonis was a predator lying in wait. He gained the trust of a vulnerable child, then exploited the child for his own sexual gratification, Johnson said Friday. The victim in this case displayed incredible strength as he testified in federal court this week.

Christopher Miller, the acting special agent in charge of the Dallas office of Homeland Security Investigations, said criminals such as Botonis use social media to gain access to minors and build trust only to exploit them.

Thanks to the bravery and testimony of the young victim, the perpetrator was brought to justice, providing a stark reminder to predators who sexually exploit children that HSI will never relent in our collective law enforcement efforts to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

During an outing in the woods on Aug. 24, 2019, Botonis placed his hand on the childs clothed thigh as well as what the victim described as his private area, authorities said. Then he tried to kiss the child. When the child rejected the advances and pulled away, Botonis became upset and concerned that the child might tell his parents what had occurred.

Later, Botonis bullied the victim into deleting messages between the two that were associated with Botonis name and Facebook account, knowing that those conversations would incriminate him, authorities said.

Botonis continued to communicate with the victim using a Facebook page titled Wolf Page. Several weeks later, the victims father discovered sexually explicit messages sent to his son from Wolf Page. The child then told his father what had happened, and the parent notified authorities.

Federal agents were able to extract messages from the boys cellphone, finding 5,000 messages related to the case.

They said Botonis began grooming the victim in May 2019 by sending increasingly flirtatious and suggestive messages in which he talked about the childs looks, professed his love for the victim, made sexual innuendos, described sex acts and suggested that the two engage in the furry lifestyle, a sexual fetish that involves dressing in animal costumes and performing sex acts.

At one point, the child indicated that he was uncomfortable and did not want to receive any further sexual messages.

Prosecutors Christopher Nassar and Stephanie Ihler said at the trial that Botonis bombarded the child with near-daily messages, portraying himself as nonthreatening and trustworthy.

In reality, they said, he was a predator waiting for a vulnerable victim and the right moment to engage.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said in a Facebook post Friday evening that Botonis had failed to appear in court Friday morning as his trial continued, adding that U.S. Marshals reported that Botonis had cut off his ankle monitor. Botonis was later located and taken into custody.

Jurors deliberated for about two hours before returning their guilty verdicts Friday evening. Sentencing is tentatively set for September.

Botonis initially was charged in Mayes County District Court, but the case was dismissed in April 2021 because of jurisdictional issues based on the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in the McGirt case.

The U.S. Attorneys Office charged Botonis in federal court a month later.

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A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

Posts misrepresent outdated UK guidance on COVID-19 vaccines

CLAIM: A document shows that Pfizer currently recommends against receiving its COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

THE FACTS: The document was published by U.K. health officials in late 2020 upon first authorization of the shot, and the same document has since been revised in line with current recommendations that say the vaccine is safe and recommended for both groups. Social media users misrepresented the outdated regulatory document. Im sure itll be all over the mainstream news that Pfizer has now declared their COVID vaccines unsafe for pregnancy and breastfeeding after the government coerced and mandated thousands of pregnant women into having one, one widely shared tweet stated. The post included a screenshot of a document that said, pregnancy should be excluded before vaccination, and COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 should not be used during breast-feeding. The photo did not include the document title, date, where it came from or other identifying details. A review shows the information came from a 2020 version of a document called Regulation 174 Information For UK Healthcare Professionals that was publicly available when COVID-19 vaccines were first rolled out. Britain authorized Pfizers shot for emergency use on Dec. 2, 2020. Regulation 174 allows for the approval of a medicine or vaccine in a public health emergency with sufficient data on safety, quality and effectiveness, according to Chofamba Sithole, a spokesperson for the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The document was published by the agency as early as Dec. 8, 2020, an archived version shows. The guidance was updated on Dec. 31, 2020, to offer the vaccine to females of reproductive age without the need to provide a negative pregnancy test, and to high-risk pregnant women, said Dr. Victoria Male, a lecturer in reproductive immunology at Imperial College London. That can be seen in another archived version of the document from Jan. 3, 2021. The recommendation was updated again in April 2021 to allow all pregnant women to get the COVID vaccine. The current version of the document says animal studies do not indicate direct or indirect harmful effects with respect to pregnancy. About breastfeeding, it says, it is unknown whether the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 is excreted in human milk. The updates were made as additional safety data and evidence became available demonstrating the vaccine's safety for such groups. This was our assessment at the time of approval for the vaccine, Sithole wrote in an email, referencing the 2020 version of the document. Since then new data which has come to light (both non-clinical and post-authorisation real world data) supports the updated advice on vaccinating those who are pregnant and breastfeeding. Keanna Ghazvini, a spokesperson for Pfizer, declined to comment on the specific documents being shared on social media but pointed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization guidance that says any of the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines can be administered to pregnant or lactating women. The respective guidelines both state that experts believe COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to pregnant women or fetuses. Sithole said U.K. data also supports international findings. There is also no current evidence that COVID-19 vaccination while breastfeeding causes any harm to breastfed children or affects the ability to breastfeed, the spokesperson added.

 Associated Press writers Sophia Tulp in Atlanta and Angelo Fichera in Philadelphia contributed this report.

Bill Gates owns a lot of American farmland, but not the majority

CLAIM: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates owns the majority of Americas farmland and the investment firm BlackRock holds the majority of single family houses in the country.

THE FACTS: The billionaire tech mogul and philanthropist has amassed nearly 270,000 acres of farmland across the country, but thats still a relatively small slice of the nations nearly 900 million total farm acres. BlackRock also does not own the majority of the countrys 80 million single-family homes. As Elon Musks bid to purchase Twitter has grabbed headlines in recent days, some prominent voices have taken to social media to claim that some other significant acquisitions by deep-pocketed individuals and corporations have largely flown under the radar. Bill Gates is buying up the majority of American farmland and BlackRock is buying the majority of single family houses but Im supposed to believe the biggest threat to us is Elon Musk buying Twitter? read one representative tweet thats been liked or shared on the platform more than 250,000 times. The Microsoft co-founder is considered the largest private owner of farmland in the country with some 269,000 acres across dozens of states, according to last years edition of the Land Report 100, an annual survey of the nations largest landowners. But a Gates spokesperson said in a statement that the claim that hes bought the majority of the nations farmland is false, pointing to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report from February that showed there were more than 895 million total acres of farmland in the country last year. That means Gates, whose net worth is estimated at some $134 billion according to Forbes annual ranking of the richest people in the country, owns less than one percent of the nations total farmland. So while the tech mogul certainly owns a large constellation of farms, its nowhere close to the majority nationwide. Gates, in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit last year, said his investment group was behind the purchases, and suggested it was linked to seed and biofuel development. BlackRock, meanwhile, is not the owner of the majority of single family houses in the country. There are more than 85 million single-family homes in the country, and only around 15 million of those are rentals, according to the latest American Housing Survey by the Census Bureau. Of those rentals, less than a third are owned by non-individual investors, according to a 2022 report by Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies. In emails, BlackRock spokesman Christopher Beattie told The Associated Press that the firm primarily invests in retail, office buildings, hotels and apartment complexes, rather than single-family homes, but he declined to provide a breakdown. The company also posted on Twitter to reject the false narrative. Weve never been one of the big institutional buyers of single family homes, BlackRock said in response to one tweet. The firm is a shareholder in Dallas-based Invitation Homes, which owns nearly 80,000 single-family rentals nationwide. That makes Invitation Homes the largest operator of single-family rental homes in the country, but still represents a tiny fraction of all such homes. BlackRock also suggested it was being confused for the similarly-named investment management firm Blackstone, which until recently owned Invitation Homes. Adding to the confusion, Blackstone was once a major investor in BlackRock, but sold off its stake in the 1990s.

 Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in Boston contributed this report.

Video shows tanks being moved for military exercise in Finland

CLAIM: Video shows Finland moving military equipment toward its eastern border with Russia.

THE FACTS: The video shows a train in Finland transporting tanks from the city of Tampere to the village of Niinisalo for a two-week military exercise called  Arrow 22, the Finnish Army confirmed to The Associated Press. Multiple social media users on Wednesday shared the video of tanks being moved by rail, incorrectly stating that the video showed Finland shifting the equipment closer to the Russian border. The two countries share a border that stretches about 830 miles (1,336 kilometers.) Media reports that Finland has begun an active transfer of equipment to the borders with Russia, a Facebook user sharing the video falsely stated. The video circulated widely on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram with the false information. But the train was on its way to Niinisalo, which is in the opposite direction from Russia. A geolocation search confirms that the video was filmed in Tampere. I can confirm that the video is really about tanks being moved to the exercise Arrow, Erikka Mannila, chief of public affairs with the Finnish Army confirmed in an email. More than 3,000 people will be part of the biannual military exercise that runs from May 2 to May 13. Visiting forces from the U.K., Latvia, Estonia and the U.S. will also participate. Col. Rainer Kuosmanen, commander of the countrys Armoured Brigade, also shared photos of the tanks on Twitter on May 2. A video has been circulating online claiming to show tanks being moved to Finlands borders. This is not true, Finnish Defense Forces tweeted on Wednesday. The tanks were being moved to the army mechanised exercise Arrow 22. The exercise takes place in Niinisalo and Sakyla. Russias attack on Ukraine led both Finland and Sweden to send assault rifles and anti-tank weapons to Kyiv, breaking their policy of not providing arms to countries at war, the AP has reported.

 Associated Press writer Arijeta Lajka in New York contributed this report.

Hong Kong protest video is from 2019, not 2022

CLAIM: Video shows people in Hong Kong rebelling against the COVID police state by cutting down and destroying security cameras.

THE FACTS: Despite suggestions that the video is current, it shows protesters, some holding umbrellas, downing a smart lamppost in August 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hong Kong: people are cutting down facial recognition towers, a widely shared tweet of the video reads. Another tweet sharing the video claims: Hong Kong is rebelling against the COVID police state by cutting down and destroying security cameras. Footage of the same events can be seen in 2019 social media posts and in a still image captured by The Associated Press on Aug. 24, 2019. As the AP reported that day, protesters took to the streets to demand the removal of the lampposts over worries that they could contain high-tech cameras and facial recognition software used for surveillance by Chinese authorities. The same video was misrepresented in 2020 posts that claimed protesters were tearing down a 5G pole and falsely implied that 5G was responsible for the coronavirus. It was filmed near a large shopping mall in Hong Kong called MegaBox. In Hong Kong, the rising costs of Chinas strict zero COVID strategy have sparked a backlash, the AP has reported. Hong Kong reopened beaches and pools and relaxed other pandemic restrictions on Thursday.

 Angelo Fichera

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If past behavior is the best predictor of the future, Amya Jamison is going to be a leader inside and outside of a courtroom somewhere. The valedictorian of the first-ever graduating class at KIPP Tulsa University Prep took her responsibilities as class president seriously all four years because she understood the big picture  she and her classmates were establishing and shaping school culture from scratch.

We wanted to leave our mark and also a legacy to try to make this a great high school for everyone who comes here, said Jamison, 18. Who gets to say they were in the first graduating class of a high school? Not many people.

For Jamison, who is headed to Langston University next on a full academic scholarship and then plans to go on to law school, leadership isnt just a role or a title.

Its about duty and responsibility to serve others.

She is a real leader  a gap finder, a gap filler, said Jamia Newsome, who has been KIPP Tulsa University Preps assistant principal since Day 1. Shes creative. She is a scholar. She takes initiative. She delegates, and she communicates to the student body. And Amya is that person who makes sure we are mindful of students.

Newsome should know.

She has known Jamison since Jamison was her fifth-grade writing student at KIPP Tulsa College Preparatory middle school.

Its crazy seeing kids grow up so quickly, Newsome said. Amya is very solutions-oriented, and shes a go-getter, so Ive had to realize she is not 10 years old anymore and respond to her in a way that honors her in her young adulthood.

If she notices there is something thats missing, she comes and says, Im wondering if we can do this? They really stepped up as students to plan what they wanted to see. Theyve advocated for so much, and weve seen so much change in our school.

An issue early on for Jamisons class was the high schools very formal uniform policy, which was a carryover from the KIPP middle school.

It was all bow ties, sweater vests and cardigans. But were teenagers now, and we want to be comfortable, Jamison said. We had a lot of conversations with admins about adapting it so it was more comfortable for students without being burdensome to the adults.

She and her classmates started their junior year with a new policy that allows any school logo T-shirt and jeans and never looked back.

On another occasion, Jamison noticed that student morale was low, so she presented administrators with a written proposal in Google Docs for a pep rally. She incorporated their ideas for academic recognition for students who did well on college entrance exams into the event and organized the whole thing.

I want to be a lawyer, an advocate for people. Students elected me because they trusted me, and I want everyone to have an enjoyable high school experience, so I really listen to them and try to bring ideas based on what I hear, Jamison said.

Im an only child, but I go to a school thats very family-oriented. These are my brothers and sisters. Theyre like my second family.

Also a part of that family are the teachers, counselors and support staff who check in, build relationships and ensure that every single student has a plan for after graduation, be it college, technical school or even the military, Jamison said.

That includes help with financial aid forms, college or trade school applications, setting up meetings with recruiters, and ACT preparation.

Jamison said she and many of her classmates noticed and appreciate how challenging and complicated it has been for the educators there to expand KIPP Tulsa with a full-fledged high school amid a global pandemic.

It has been rough  we know, she said. Theyre like puzzle pieces that fit together to support me. No matter what we choose to do, we have met someone here or someone here who knows someone who can help you and make sure you are successful, no matter what you choose to do in life.

This school has really helped shape me into who I am.

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